Wang Yu followed the direction pointed by the local and walked into an even more dilapidated neighborhood.
In the corner, several idle men held guns, their eyes numbly scanning every passerby.
At the end of the neighborhood, there was indeed a so-called mission release point.
It was a mottled wall, with several yellowed papers nailed to it.
Wang Yu walked over, squinting his eyes to examine them.
The handwriting on them was crooked, mostly in the local language, occasionally mixed with a few clumsy English words.
"Escort": Protect the caravan to the west of the city, reward 100 per person per day.
"Missing Person": Find a lost daughter, reward 50.
"Extermination": Clear out the hyenas in the south of the city, reward calculated per animal.
These were all trivial tasks with pitifully low rewards.
Several mercenaries, cigarettes dangling from their lips, leaned lazily against the wall, their eyes full of contempt, as if watching a show.
"Another yellow-skinned monkey who isn't afraid of death."
"Tsk, look at his build, he'd fall over in a gust of wind. He still wants to make money here?"
Their discussion was very quiet, but Wang Yu still heard it.
He ignored them, his gaze sweeping over the mission slips one by one, finally stopping in the furthest corner.
"Transportation Mission: Transport 20 tons of diesel to Wuxiang City, 250 kilometers away, passing through a rebel-active zone. Reward 500 per person per day, estimated 3 days."
This reward was several times higher than the other missions.
"Kid, stop looking. That's a suicide mission."
Another also curled his lip, spat his cigarette butt on the ground, and crushed it with his foot.
"Is this meager amount enough to buy you a decent coffin? On the way to Wuxiang City, the rebels' RPGs don't have eyes."
"The last Chi Yun Mercenary Group that took this job, more than thirty people set off, and less than ten returned. It was miserable."
However, Wang Yu's eyes lit up.
The higher the risk, the greater the reward.
What he lacked most now was money, and... an opportunity for him to grow quickly.
He reached out and unhesitatingly tore off that mission slip.
"I'm taking this mission."
The surroundings instantly fell silent.
Those mercenaries who were initially watching the show all looked at him with the eyes of someone watching an idiot.
A burly white man with a full beard, built like a bear, walked over and sized Wang Yu up and down.
"Kid, say that again?"
"I said, I'm taking it," Wang Yu looked at him calmly.
"Ha!" The bearded man laughed exaggeratedly, "Do you know what kind of place that road to Wuxiang City is?"
"Do you know how many rebel checkpoints there are on the road? With your delicate skin, you're probably just an appetizer delivered to their doorstep!"
"My name is Potter, from the Black Bear Mercenary Group. It's a job our group wouldn't easily take, yet a kid like you, who hasn't even fully grown, dares to touch it?"
Potter's tone was full of undisguised mockery and disdain.
Just then, a thin, middle-aged man squeezed out from the crowd, his face beaming with a smile.
"Oh, Big Brother Potter, calm down, calm down."
The man bowed and smiled at Potter, then turned to Wang Yu, his eyes shining.
"Little brother, this mission was posted by our Chi Yun Mercenary Group. Are you really going to take it?"
Wang Yu nodded.
"That's great!" The man slapped his thigh, overjoyed, "Our group is really short-handed right now! I'm Allen, one of Chi Yun's Person in charge. Would you like to join us to complete this mission?"
"Of course." Wang Yu couldn't ask for more.
Potter, seeing this, scoffed again.
"Heh, garbage attracts garbage, indeed. Allen, your Chi Yun Mercenary Group must really be out of people if you're taking on this kind of trash?"
A flicker of embarrassment and anger crossed Allen's face, but it was quickly hidden by a fawning smile.
"Big Brother Potter is right, a small group like ours can't compare to your Black Bear."
After speaking, he grabbed Wang Yu's wrist, as if afraid he would run off.
"Little brother, come with me, we'll go to the camp to complete the procedures."
As he pulled Wang Yu out, he lowered his voice and quickly warned him.
"Remember, if you see that Black Bear logo in the future, stay far away. We can't afford to provoke them!"
Allen led Wang Yu into one of the rooms and pulled a crumpled contract from a drawer.
"Come, little brother, sign here, and you'll be one of Chi Yun's."
Wang Yu glanced at it; the contract content was simple, nothing more than clauses about personal responsibility for life and death, and commission distribution.
He picked up the pen and signed his name.
The moment he finished writing, a cold, mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
"Ding! Host successfully signed, novice mission complete."
"Rewards being distributed..."
"Reward 1: Overall physical enhancement, all attributes +20."
"Reward 2: Permanent buff acquired—Learning Makes You Stronger."
"Reward 3: Skill acquired—Firearms Mastery (Elementary)."
The next second, a warm current instantly surged through Wang Yu's limbs and bones.
He could clearly feel his muscles becoming incredibly firm and powerful, and his five senses became sharper than ever before.
The fatigue from the long flight and mental tension was swept away.
Wang Yu's lips involuntarily curved upwards, revealing a heartfelt smile.
"Get ready, we'll depart this afternoon."
"Okay."
The preparation process was simple.
Allen took him to a small armory where some old weapons were scattered.
Wang Yu immediately took a liking to an FN FAL automatic rifle.
Although this rifle was an old model, in the 20th century, it was known as the "right arm of the Free World," reliable in performance and powerful.
As his hand touched the cold barrel, a strange sense of familiarity welled up in his heart.
The weight of the gun, the trigger pull, the magazine catch... everything felt as if he had known it since birth.
Is this Firearms Mastery?
In the afternoon, the convoy departed on time.
The entire mercenary group consisted of twenty people, riding in three dilapidated armed jeeps and two large trucks responsible for transporting diesel.
Allen and five other seemingly experienced veterans rode in the first jeep, chatting and laughing, the atmosphere relaxed.
Wang Yu and the remaining dozen or so rookies were crammed into the second jeep.
Most of these rookies were desperate locals, each with a fierce look, but their eyes hid an undisguised tension and fear.
Only Wang Yu, fair-skinned and quiet, leaned in the corner, wiping his rifle, appearing out of place.
The convoy drove along the bumpy dirt road.
Suddenly.
"Whoosh—"
A sharp whistle pierced the sky.
Wang Yu's pupils suddenly contracted.
Almost instinctively, without thinking, he kicked open the car door and dove out onto the sand beside the road!
"Boom!"
A deafening explosion erupted!
Terrifying flames and heat waves swept over, violently throwing him to the ground.
Wang Yu ignored the sand in his mouth and suddenly looked up.
About fifty meters ahead, the lead vehicle that Allen and his group were in had turned into a burning, shattered wreck.
Four rookies in the back seat were instantly blown to pieces.
Allen's frantic shouts came from not far away.
"Enemy attack! It's an RPG! It's the rebels!"
War... appeared before him so unexpectedly, in the most bloody and brutal way.