Chapter 27: An Old Friend in a Foreign Land
Translated by: Ciel, kevin1782
Edited by: Isalee
Fedor raised his 98K and aimed at the window. He held the position for a long time. Even so, Gao Yang could see his hands trembling. He couldn't maintain the complete stability of the muzzle.
Fedor placed his gun at the front of the counter after a good while. He sighed, "I am already ninety years old. Too old. I can still see things clearly with my eyes, but I can't stabilize my grip. This cannot do. Malik, you have to do it yourself."
Malik's face was written with difficulty. "Sir, I have never fired a gun. I'm not a coward, but I'm afraid I can't even hit a person standing in front of me."
Fedor sighed again. "What a pity. I hope these gunshots scare those ruffians away. I've been running this shop for over forty years. You have also worked for me for twenty years. Malik, I wanted to leave this shop to you. I can only hope now that these ruffians won't burn our shop down."
"Mr. Brauchitsch, if you don't mind, may I use this gun?"
Seeing Gao Yang's face full of fervor, Fedor slowly said, "You are just a customer. Guarding my homeland isn't your responsibility. You have to know that you will be in trouble should you open fire."
"I am not afraid of trouble. Besides, I have had enough myself. Also, we Chinese have an idiom for this: 'Crossing a river in the same boat.' [1] The current situation fits the idiom. Mr. Brauchitsch, we have to work hard together if we want to live."
"Very well then. You know how to use her?"
"Sir, I have never seen a better marksman than him. He definitely will not disappoint you."
Seeing Bob beaming with confidence, Gao Yang smiled, "My marksmanship is fine. Even though I haven't used a KAR98K before, I am very familiar with the gun. However, there is one problem. Anything within two hundred meters' in my grasp, but I do not have much experience beyond that range."
Fedor shrugged and chuckled, "It is clear that we do not need to shoot targets outside a two hundred meter range. Hence, you do not need any experience. Now that she's yours to use, take good care of my old buddy."
Fedor took the rifle from the counter and solemnly gave it to Gao Yang.
Gao Yang understood the sentiments a true marksman would have for his gun. Thus, Gao Yang took the gun very seriously with both hands. When the rifle was in his hands, he had a feeling — it was not just a gun he had received. It was a legacy.
"Although it's not brag-worthy and there's not much meaning to this battle, I still have to state that I have killed a hundred and thirty people with her. Don't put her to shame, young man."
Upon hearing Fedor's feats, Gao Yang was deeply astounded. He was extremely excited knowing that he had just received a post World War 2 (WW2) sniper's beloved gun.
There were traces on the rifle that proved that she had been used. She looked just like her previous owner. She seemed to give off a strong feeling that she had undergone the vicissitudes of life. It was this very feeling that made Gao Yang sense a tiny bit of killing intent. Although reserved, it still felt lethal.
As an army fanatic, Gao Yang was greatly interested in WW2 weapons and equipment. However, he could only read them up on them from books and the Internet. Now, he had an original and authentic old rifle in his hands. Not only that, but the gun was also full of military accomplishments. Gao Yang could feel the blood in his entire body boil in excitement.
Seeing the agog Gao Yang, Fedor grinned and pointed to the crate. "My opinion is to allocate all the resources to the most suitable candidate. Only then will the effects be optimized. So, assemble the pistol system and clean up the rest of the ammunition. This is your task. You're gonna have to bustle about for a while."
Gao Yang enthusiastically nodded several times. He slung his rifle behind him. He got a clean piece of cloth and started cleaning the pistols' assembly groups one by one, meticulously. Under Fedor's guidance, he assembled a P38.
Nobody had any objections with Gao Yang using the two guns. Malik could not use it and Bob had witnessed Gao Yang's abilities before. Hence, Bob would not fight with Gao Yang over the guns. While Gao Yang was assembling pistols with precision, Malik's handphone rang.
He whipped out his phone and answered it. He suddenly lowered his voice and had an urgent look on his face. Arabic words were used incessantly. Not long after, he hung up.
After disconnecting, Malik's face was fraught with anxiety. "My friend told me that the attackers were foreigners. They are probably hired mercenaries. They have killed all the people in the hotel and have made it their stronghold. My friend was the only one left who hid in a pile miscellaneous items in the garret. He warned against bringing anybody in. Those mercenaries will kill anybody in sight."
Fedor frowned. "Is he that Chinese friend of yours?"
Malik swallowed and spoke nervously: "It's him. I have to find a way to help him! I can't just helplessly watch him get killed."
Gao Yang stopped in his tracks after hearing that a fellow compatriot was in danger. He knitted his brows. "Is it that Chinese hotel in the streets?"
Malik knew that whatever he had just said would be redundant. Going to a stronghold captured by a group of armed personnels to rescue one person? This was a mission best left for the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team.
Fedor paused for a moment. His voice sank. "I like that kiddo. We have to find a way. Follow me to the second floor. From there we can see the hotel's garret. Let's take a look at the situation."
Bob suddenly spoke. "Mr. Malik, can I borrow your phone for a moment? I have an important call to make."
Gao Yang, Malik, and Fedor went upstairs. Bob stayed to prevent anybody from trespassing. He tried calling his father at the same time.
The two neighboring rooms on the second floor were respectively Fedor and Malik's bedrooms. The trio entered Malik's bedroom. Malik anxiously went forward and pointed out. "That garret at the rooftop, see it? My friend is hidden there."
Malik was about to pull the curtains open as he spoke. Gao Yang stopped him and pulled the thick curtains so that it only left a small crack. He stood behind the curtains and slightly opened the glass windows.
"This is enough, no need to pull them wide open."
After saying that, Gao Yang stood a distance from the glass window and lifted his binoculars. He observed the garret that Malik was referring to.
He could see half the garret from his position, but he could not see the door to the garret. He also could not see the stairs to the second floor. He observed for while and found that the houses on the streets were similar. They were all old, two story buildings that were not very spaced out from each other.
Gao Yang was pondering about what he could make use of. At this moment, Fedor, who was on bed, whispered, "We are two hundred and sixty meters away from Chinatown Hotel. It is only slightly beyond your shooting range. If you are confident, I have an idea."
"Mr. Brauchitsch, please do tell."
With a relaxed expression Fedor shrugged, "The houses here are similar. Hence, Chinatown Hotel is also the same. If we go to the rooftop for a panoramic view, we can control the rooftops of the entire district. If I were you, I'd go up to the rooftop and kill anybody who dares to show up. It's that simple. Isn't Malik's friend at the garret? If nobody can reach the rooftop, he'll be safe."
Fedor's reasoning was very bold. Perhaps Fedor was confident of controlling the entire area that's within range, but Gao Yang did not dare to do so because of the dearth of experience in shooting far distances.
After hesitating for a moment, Gao Yang shook his head. "No, I ain't confident about killing every head that pops up."
Fedor nodded. "I am just saying what I'd do if I were in this situation. We don't have to do it now. That kiddo just has to hide properly and wait for the mercenary troop to leave. But erring on the side of caution, I suggest you get familiar with the environment from the rooftop. Try shooting a few times also."
Malik also nodded repeatedly. "Tribo is temporarily safe for now. We don't have to startle those who trapped him. If they leave, Tribo would naturally be safe also."
Hearing Malik's words, Gao Yang felt a sense of nostalgia after hearing the name. It was just that Malik had a strong and strange accent when saying Chinese names, so he wasn't really sure.
"That friend of yours, what's his name? What I mean is, do you know the two words?"
"Oh, his name is Tribo, pronounced just like that. However, his nickname is Hare. That's what his friend called him. He doesn't like people calling him Tribo. He prefers to be called Hare."
"He wears glasses, and is about this tall. He has a silly laugh that makes him look like a fool. And he also has an air of obscenity about him. Yes, he came from Hebei Province in China. Is this the case?"
"Oh my God, you know him?"
Gao Yang was in disbelief after hearing Malik's words. Because he got to know this very friend of his through war games. They became very close friends. Gao Yang had even given him the nickname, Hare.
Gao Yang could not believe that he would meet his best friend in a foreign land. Such a coincidence was not very possible. Even so, Gao Yang thought that the Hare that Malik was referring to was his friend, Tribo.
"Let's go to the rooftop now. I have to take a look. Also, Malik, is calling Hare right now appropriate? Or is it too dangerous?"
Malik shook his head. "I don't know about his situation. He hung up in a hurry after two sentences. I think not."
"Alright, Gao Yang and I are going to the rooftop. Malik, there is no use for you in going up, so go downstairs and help that young fella'. Okay, let's go."
Finishing his sentence, Fedor stood up with a totter. Gao Yang helped him up to the rooftop.
Translator’s Notes:
[1] is a Chinese idiom that states that even enemies can overcome difficulties by working together in a situation. This specific idiom originates from Sun Tzu’s ‘The Art of War.’
P.S: Hi. I am kevin1782, a new translator. Will work hard to translate because my conscription just finished. More time for translation I guess. Please do enjoy. Got to thank Ciel and the others for guiding me along (imagine a lost kid being held by the hand by an adult). Good day.