Surgery Godfather-Chapter 581 - 529: Unexpected Changes in the Sky

The convoy moved sporadically, taking around an hour or so to cover halfway.

It was now late at night, but the streets were getting more crowded.

The crisp, rapid gunshots were getting clearer, then suddenly, an abrupt barrage of cannon fire, the whistling sound of warplanes, followed by flashes of light and explosions.

Nobody knew where the explosion had occurred, but the crowds on the streets scattered chaotically, running in different directions.

In fact, the blast happened far away. Once people realized there was no immediate danger, they continued on their way.

The convoy abruptly came to halt. Yang Ping peered ahead. Someone knocked on the truck door, and Ershun opened the back.

Manager Qiu leaned in to speak to Yang Ping:

"Saudi coalition air strikes have begun, planes cannot take off. From now on, any aircraft flying in Yemeni airspace must have coalition approval or risk being shot down. The approval process takes quite some time, at least, several days."

The explosion they had just heard was indeed the result of a coalition airstrike.

At this point, Yemeni airspace was effectively a no-fly zone.

This was why no aircraft could be dispatched; nobody dared risk flying here.

The northern forces were also preparing to head south to Aden, potentially escalating the conflict.

A Yemeni officer disembarked from the vehicle, informing Manager Qiu that reaching the airport would be impossible. Any aircraft taking off risked being shot down. He asked Manager Qiu about the next steps, stating that their soldiers could escort the vehicles to the border. Traveling east was the safest option, while going north was extremely risky.

Unexpected events can occur at any time, but one must always be prepared.

Manager Qiu took out a map to study the situation further. He and his men were former soldiers who had joined a security company after retirement. They formed the backbone of security for Chinese enterprises operating abroad. They always thoroughly examined every contingency, ensuring that their plans were meticulously crafted.

In addition to this, they had already prepared several strategies before setting off.

Given the volatile situation, where all sides were bracing for battle and armed factions were rising up everywhere, any area could potentially turn into a battlefield.

There were two potential routes to evacuate from the country: one leading north to Saudi Arabia, and the other east to Oman.

The northern route was riddled with warzones and would be a focal point of future fighting. It was definitely not a viable option.

The only option was to go east!

Without hesitating, Manager Qiu decided to transport their cargo overland, crossing the desert to reach Oman, where a medical plane was waiting.

Manager Qiu traced a line on the map with his finger and called Ershun: "You and our Yemeni brothers will follow the second plan and head east until you reach Oman."

Ershun knew each of the plans by heart. The truck for Plan B was ready, equipped with a refrigerator secured in the truck bed with the necessary power supply installed.

Regular travel vehicles had limited capacity and space, making it difficult to respond adequately to any unforeseen situations.

Unfazed by the chaos, Manager Qiu immediately informed the Yemeni officer of the change in plans and they started moving towards the location where the truck was waiting.

The convoy quickly rerouted, weaving through the crowds until they arrived where the truck was waiting.

They transferred Dashun and the medical supplies onto the truck. The driver was a skilled veteran.

Besides the two Yemeni pickup trucks, Manager Qiu instructed Ershun to take four officers from the security company in a minibus to escort the truck.

He was severely understaffed already, with even the embassy staff fully mobilized in preparation for evacuation.

The convoy, comprising of one truck, one minibus, and two pickups, were ready to cross the desert to Oman.

At that moment, Manager Qiu approached the truck where Yang Ping was seated. He introduced a middle-aged man in a suit, a cultured gentleman whose weary demeanor did little to diminish the sparkle in his eyes.

Two officials in People’s Liberation Army uniforms stood three meters from the truck.

Although Yang Ping was not familiar with diplomatic protocols, he knew that only military officers stationed in China’s foreign embassies were permitted to wear People’s Liberation Army uniforms abroad.

"Professor Yang, the ambassador insisted on seeing you off," Manager Qiu introduced the cultured man.

The Ambassador shook Yang Ping’s hand, "I’m sorry we didn’t get a chance to visit earlier. We appreciate your help during this chaotic time. Chen Dashun needs to be evacuated and can’t be part of the general evacuation, which is why we’ve asked for your assistance. We’ve thoroughly communicated along the way and they will let you pass. You can contact us anytime if there are any issues."

The Ambassador’s voice was hoarse. In a short span of time, he and the rest of the embassy staff had been on the phone, contacting every Chinese citizen in Yemen, ensuring that none were left behind.

They confirmed the coordinates of all Chinese citizens and sent these coordinates to the Coalition Command Center, ensuring that these locations would be safe during air strikes.

Besides, they had to grasp the situation on all fronts to prepare for a possible evacuation at any moment, feedback intelligence to their superiors, and allow them to make informed decisions regarding the timing and manner of the evacuation.

If evacuation becomes necessary, the southern port of Aden and the western port of Hodeidah are their first choices.

Once a specific evacuation date is determined, they are to move these people to those two ports. Some people have already been relocated.

When the ambassador saw foreigners in the vehicles, he keenly realized some potential issues and asked, "Who are they?"

Because along the way, they would encounter many military checkpoints set up by various armed forces. The ambassador had already communicated with their superiors beforehand, so these forces would be very friendly to the Chinese, but only to the Chinese.

Manager Qiu failed to foresee this problem at that time.

"My name is Robert, I’m an American, and I’m Professor Yang’s student. These people are here from the IMC Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to help with transporting the wounded. We brought a medical aircraft, but it can’t take off at the airport," Robert explained in Chinese.

"Yes, they are here to help us," Yang Ping responded.

Manager Qiu immediately explained: "Yes, they are friends of Professor Yang and came specifically with a medical aircraft which, unfortunately, can’t take off now. So they will have to go through Oman."

The ambassador was considering leaving these foreigners behind, but if that’s the situation, they could only continue with the convoy.

If someone risked bringing a medical aircraft and couldn’t fly it, surely they couldn’t be left behind.

"Where is the crew?" the ambassador asked warmly.

Manager Qiu said, "They’re all set. I’ve arranged for them to evacuate with the people from the International Red Cross."

"Good. Be safe on the road, remember, you are friends of Professor Yang, and medical staff responsible for transporting the wounded," the ambassador exhorted.

Facing the urgent situation, the ambassador didn’t think there was anything else to address. He tightly shook Yang Ping’s hand, "Take care, see you in China!"

Manager Qiu also warmly told Yang Ping, "Take care, see you in China!"

"Take care, see you in China!"

Yang Ping waved his hand and the convoy slowly started to move forward.

He didn’t normally feel much about it, but at that moment, the word "China" felt incredibly endearing.

As the convoy slowly drove off, the ambassador stood there still waving goodbye.

They were all strangers before, but at that moment, they all shared a common identity – they were Chinese.

The night got deeper, and Li Dashun was still running a fever.

Gunshots echoed in his ears nonstop.

Ershun told him, even if they weren’t at war, gunshots were a common occurrence here, just like hearing firecrackers back home.

Yemen was reportedly the leading country in firearms , with an average of three guns per person. They had a tradition of shooting guns at celebrations. The louder and longer the gunfire, the more influential and prestigious the host was.

Frequent gunfights broke out as villages occasionally fought over territory.

After a long time, the convoy finally left the city and the roads began to deteriorate.

Fortunately, the truck driver was highly skillful and managed to drive as smoothly as possible under the circumstances.

Yang Ping checked Li Dashun’s pupils. They were reacting well.

Despite his persistent fever, his temperature hovered around 38.5 degrees Celsius. His pale lips and complexion were slightly better than before.

With no medical equipment available in the truck, everything depended on Yang Ping’s experience.

The only tools at their disposal were a cardiac monitor, oxygen tank, stethoscope, and flashlight.

"Professor Yang, we will be alright, won’t we?" Li Zehui asked, noticeably anxious.

Robert comforted him, "Whatever comes, we’ll deal with it!"