Mercenary's War

The process was difficult and dangerous, but Gao Yang and his group ultimately managed to reach Greece by sea with Justin.

While in Italy, Justin underwent two operations back-to-back, but they were emergency procedures and couldn’t completely eliminate the danger. It wasn’t until they reached Greece that Justin finally had a safe and secure environment to undergo surgery again.

After delivering Justin to a capable and safe hospital in Greece, Gao Yang didn’t wait for him to come out and immediately set off for Germany, because there were more important people there for him.

Both James and Jesse Lee were in Germany, and neither of their situations looked optimistic. The situation was far from calm, but Gao Yang couldn’t wait any longer to get to Germany.

The favorable situation was just an illusion; after a series of breathless upheavals, even though the separation was only for two short days, seeing each other again felt very different.

James and Jesse Lee were severely injured, yet they didn’t dare to stay in the hospital. After Mario regained the upper hand, nowhere in Europe could be considered safe, but fortunately, Satan had two highly skilled military doctors, and since James and Jesse Lee’s injuries were still in the category of external wounds, they weren’t considered too dangerous as long as they had enough medication and a good sterile environment.

James had lost an arm, but his emotional state was very stable. Although he was worried about the changes in the situation, he didn’t seem too concerned about his missing arm.

When the exhausted Gao Yang saw James lying in bed, he was still pondering what to say, but James, unfazed, said, "Boss, I’m done for."

Gao Yang waved his hand and said, "Don’t say that, it’s just an arm, how can you say you’re done for?"

James smiled and said, "You don’t have to comfort me; I know very well that with only one arm, I can’t use a gun, but this outcome isn’t bad for me, is it? I think I can finally go home and watch my daughter grow up safely."

Gao Yang was a bit surprised, but he soon felt relieved and nodded with a smile, saying, "Yes, you can go home."

James let out a long breath and said, "I used to think that if I didn’t die, I would have to stay with Satan until I died in battle, because you’ve given me so much, and I couldn’t repay it with anything but my life. Now I’m done for, so I can go home, go home with a clear conscience. This is a good ending for me, really, I couldn’t ask for a better ending."

Gao Yang nodded and said, "Then, congratulations."

James shook his head and said, "I do feel a bit ashamed; I’ve barely done anything, and now I’ve cleared my debts, paid off my daughter’s medical bills, and still have over three million dollars in savings, money I can use freely after it’s laundered. I can’t bring myself to say I’ll give the money back to you, and of course, I know you wouldn’t take it, so I feel a bit ashamed."

Gao Yang looked up at the ceiling and smiled silently. Indeed, for James, who had family concerns, this was truly the best ending.

Gao Yang thought of the Angel Mercenary Corps. When he and Angel first encountered each other, they crippled a sniper team under Nate, but the Angel Mercenary Corps bore him no hatred and transitioned from adversaries to a relationship that could now be considered friendly.

Why didn’t Angel hate Gao Yang? Clearly, Gao Yang had crippled two of their closest comrades. Gao Yang used to feel puzzled and a bit perturbed about this, but now he understood. For a mercenary who wasn’t short on money, having to leave the battlefield due to injury was truly the best outcome.

Gao Yang stood beside James and extended a hand to grip James’s right hand, saying quietly, "The nickname you gave yourself is really great. When you need help, don’t forget you still have a group of brothers."

He didn’t try to persuade James to stay, even though Gao Yang trusted him, and James was a veteran from SBS with priceless military skills and experience. Gao Yang still didn’t try to persuade him to stay and work for their public face, Solar System Company, because if he did, James would have to stay, and he didn’t want James to have to make such a choice against his will.

James looked at Gao Yang and smiled, saying, "Maybe once I’m tired of staying at home, I’ll need to ask you for a job again. Who knows, just as long as you still don’t think I’m a useless person when the time comes."

Gao Yang smiled and said, "What do you think?"

James exhaled softly and then, with a hint of melancholy, said, "I have no problems on my side, but Boss, Jesse might, might... I don’t know how to say it, I think you should go see him now."

Gao Yang nodded and said softly, "He needs rest, but I think a short conversation should be fine. We’ll talk later."

After leaving James’s room, several members of Satan stood outside the door with somber faces. Gao Yang quietly asked, "Can I go see Jesse now, is he awake?"

Andy He quietly said, "How could he sleep without medication? He’s awake, you can see him, but don’t stay for more than five minutes. If he gets too emotional, call me."

Unlike James, Jesse Lee was still young, in his prime, and Jesse Lee had no family ties. The most critical point was that Jesse Lee’s limbs were all shot. One arm and one leg had already been amputated, and the remaining arm and leg had basically lost function. The best outcome was that he might barely be able to move, not needing someone to feed him.

Gao Yang pushed the door open and Jesse Lee’s eyes moved slightly, looking at Gao Yang.

Gao Yang said softly, "Can’t sleep?"

Jesse Lee said in a particularly weak voice, "It hurts."

Gao Yang sighed and said quietly, "Thank you, buddy, you saved me. If the pain is unbearable, maybe you should take some meds."

Jesse Lee laughed with difficulty and then said softly, "I want to stay awake to think some things through. I used to be a wanderer. You brought me to Satan, and I enjoyed life with Satan. It’s just that I had bad luck. Let’s not talk about that, Boss, I’ve made up my mind about something; I have a request."

Gao Yang nodded and said, "Go ahead."

Jesse Lee’s eyes moved again, then he said quietly, "Can you give me one shot? Don’t let me suffer, please. If you’re unwilling to shoot, any other method will do."

Gao Yang shook his head and said, "Buddy, how can you think like that? You’ll get better, trust me."

Jesse Lee whispered, "You can’t stay with me forever. Ultimately, I’ll have the opportunity to be alone, and I will eventually recover to the point where I can end it myself. Why should I have to suffer all this time before I can die? Why not let me go now? Boss, you’re my boss; you brought me out, and you have an obligation to set me free. This is your responsibility, and you can’t avoid it."