Before the cave where the drugs were stored, Liu Hui, Zhou Tengyun, Mohamstede, and Moyi were just about to escape when a tremor shook the ground. The mountain where the cave was located had shifted by more than half due to the collapse, with tens of thousands of tons of rock tumbling down and burying the cavern deep; the drugs inside were now irretrievable.

At that very moment, three missiles streaked across the sky, striking the spot where they had just been standing. Three enormous, poisonous mushrooms bloomed in the darkness, annihilating all life within a five-hundred-meter radius. The immense shockwave buffeted them, and the searing blast of hot air whipped their clothes into a frenzy, leaving everyone pale with terror.

Mohamstede gritted his teeth and spat, "It’s all that traitor Sayed's fault. If he hadn't cooperated from the inside, the American Navy SEALs would never have found me."

Moyi cursed under his breath, wiping sweat from his brow. "The wound on his face is a lie, Captain. That scar was clearly inflicted by the Americans! He betrayed the Emir, and now he's flaunting that scar like a badge of honor—it's an insult to our cause! We should have killed him sooner."

Mohamstede paused, saying, "Are you saying he was captured by the Americans at that time and only turned traitor afterward? So that injury on his face was inflicted by the Americans?"

Moyi sighed deeply. "It’s a trick, Captain, a feint to make us sympathize. I always suspected he was weak. Perhaps the death of ** hit him hard, causing his faith to crumble and leading him to betray Allah."

Mohamstede also sighed. "The death of ** was indeed a huge blow to our morale. We can expect more traitors to surface and damage the organization in the near future. However, now that we have this cache of weapons, I believe we can restore morale soon and defeat those powerful Yankees."

Moyi nodded in agreement, his expression solemn, then said, "Then we need to relocate immediately, Captain."

Mohamstede looked at the collapsed cave entrance, his expression complex. After a moment of thought, he turned to Zhou Tengyun and said, "My dear Ali Baba, my best brother, I owe you my life for helping me escape this disaster. Although these destroyed drugs technically belong to you now, you haven't taken possession of them. How about this: our two organizations split the loss from these drugs fifty-fifty. What do you say?"

"General, what exactly do you mean?" Zhou Tengyun asked, pretending ignorance.

"Brother Ali Baba, what I mean is, we compensate you with one hundred tons of drugs. How does that sound?" Mohamstede proposed.

"One hundred tons?" Liu Hui exclaimed in surprise. He already possessed two hundred tons in his spatial storage; was Mohamstede offering him another hundred? When did drugs start being quantified in metric tons? He wondered if his ears were deceiving him.

"Ahem, well... Brother Ali Baba, although the drugs were destroyed by the Americans on my territory, surely you share some responsibility? Furthermore, we are out of product ourselves, and we won't be able to gather this hundred tons until the next harvest. Things are difficult for us too," Mohamstede explained awkwardly, assuming Liu Hui was unhappy with the offer.

"General, we are the best of friends; we completely understand your difficulties. I won't say more; let's proceed exactly as you suggested," Zhou Tengyun replied quickly, understanding the true reason for Liu Hui's astonishment. Seeing such a massive windfall, he readily agreed.

"That’s wonderful! However, these hundred tons won't be ready for another six months. You can collect them then," Mohamstede said, greatly relieved.

"That's no problem at all. We'll be back in six months," Zhou Tengyun laughed.

"Damn it, the Americans have spotted this location. We must move immediately; this place is no longer safe," Mohamstede said to Moyi.

"General, I'll arrange the transfer right away," Moyi replied.

"Since the General needs to start relocating, we won't delay you any further. We bid you farewell now," Zhou Tengyun said. Having secured their objective, staying any longer presented unnecessary danger, and he certainly believed in the wisdom of the gentleman does not stand under a precarious wall.

Mohamstede had too much on his hands to entertain Zhou Tengyun properly and apologized. "Ali Baba, my brother, travel safely. I look forward to seeing you in six months."

"I will be careful, General. You take care as well. See you in half a year," Zhou Tengyun responded.

Since it was late at night, Mohamstede assigned two soldiers familiar with the local terrain to guide Zhou Tengyun and Liu Hui out. Zhou Tengyun drove, led by the two soldiers, and soon crossed out of Mohamstede’s territory. Once their task was complete, the soldiers bid farewell and departed.

Zhou Tengyun drove on for a while longer before asking, "Boss, how did things go on your end?"

Liu Hui smiled slightly. "Everything went exceptionally well; the drugs are secured. The only trouble was the immediate aerial attack right after we got them. But that worked out perfectly—it destroyed all our potential evidence, and we gained an extra hundred tons for free."

"Boss, brilliant! Truly brilliant!" Zhou Tengyun couldn't help but slip into the role of a Japanese interpreter for a moment.

"Heh, just luck. In any case, my gains from this trip are substantial. I won't need this particular item for several years. We can finally settle down and begin our major expansion without constantly moving around," Liu Hui said. Only now could he truly relax.

"Boss, if you needed drugs, why not support a Warlord in Afghanistan? With your backing, that Warlord would develop rapidly and bring you an endless supply," Zhou Tengyun inquired.

"Third Brother, what I desire is my own strength, not to make enemies of the entire world. Your venture in Africa to build a mercenary force is you cultivating my strength. Even if people found out I established those mercenaries, it wouldn't be a major issue; mercenaries have their own codes, and it's not a huge deal—the US and French governments both maintain mercenary teams. But if I were to back an Afghan Warlord, the situation would be entirely different. First, setting aside whether those Afghans would even obey my commands, the infamy they carry would make us a target for everyone. If the drug operations were exposed, even as the world's number one company, we’d be annihilated by a global coalition. Moreover, Afghanistan is far deeper and more complicated than it appears. Forget the fate of the once-mighty Soviet Army there; just look at how many years the Americans have been in Afghanistan and still haven't wiped out the Taliban insurgency," Liu Hui explained.

"I understand now. Our true business must remain on the legitimate path. Any entanglement with those Afghans would severely hinder our development," Zhou Tengyun observed.

"Exactly. Our development must rely on legitimate channels. Violence is only a last resort. If I could, I'd prefer to crush people with money," Liu Hui agreed, nodding.

Having encountered the Knights Templar and three Cardinal Archbishops the previous night, both men were sleep-deprived. They had driven all day, followed by a fierce battle with the SEALs that evening. Although the fight was short, the mental strain was considerable. Their goal in Afghanistan—the two hundred tons of drugs—was achieved despite the twists and turns. With this objective met, their mental guard dropped, and sleepiness immediately washed over them.

"Third Brother, you drive for a while, and I'll rest. Then we'll switch, and you can rest," Liu Hui instructed, deciding to catch some sleep to loosen the tightly wound spring inside him.

Zhou Tengyun readily accepted, settling into the driver's seat. With Zhou Tengyun nearby, Liu Hui felt secure enough to truly sleep. He rested deeply and comfortably. When he awoke, he felt completely refreshed. Liu Hui noticed the sky was bright, but the car was still winding through the mountains.

"Third Brother, you rest now; leave the rest to me," Liu Hui said, taking the steering wheel from Zhou Tengyun. Zhou Tengyun instantly collapsed onto the back seat and fell into a deep sleep.

While driving, Liu Hui monitored the GPS positioning data, constantly correcting their route. Midway, Liu Hui took out a can of gasoline from his storage space and topped off the car’s tank. Thus, Liu Hui navigated the SUV laboriously toward the edge of the mountainous region in southern Afghanistan.

At noon, around a bend on a hillside, a person disguised as a rock was scanning the surroundings with binoculars.

"Xiao Fei, what's the situation? Have you found a way out of the mountains?" asked a person crouching behind the rock-disguised figure.

"Captain, I'm calculating the direction, but I need time. I just hope we can shake off the pursuit," Xiao Fei replied.

The Captain sighed mournfully. "It's our bad luck; we managed to wreck both our communication gear and positioning equipment in one go. Now we can't contact the outside world, and we're lost in this cursed wilderness."

Xiao Fei said, "Captain, don't worry, we'll definitely get out of these mountains soon. Besides, our mission was a success. Once we deliver this cargo, we’ll earn great merit." Xiao Fei patted a box beside him as he spoke.

"Chief, there are far too many mountains here; it’s like a maze. We’ve been walking all day only to end up back where we started. And there isn't a soul in sight. I fear our chances of getting out are slim—maybe a ninety percent chance of dying here," said another person lying on the ground behind the Captain, lazily watching ants on a tree, voicing his pessimistic assessment like a harbinger of doom.

"Tie Shan, what did you say?" a cold voice suddenly cut in nearby.

Tie Shan instantly felt a chill run down his spine, shivering violently. He jumped up, scrambling behind the Captain, and dared not speak again.

"Alright, Miss Yu, don't mind Tie Shan. You know his temper; sometimes he can't control his mouth," the Captain hurriedly interjected to smooth things over.

The person called "Miss Yu" let out a cold snort and ignored Tie Shan. The sound made Tie Shan jump. Even though it was hot, he felt as if he were freezing solid. He stared at the all-white young woman before him as if she were a demon, unable to comprehend why this girl, who looked so fair, exuded such coldness. Miss Yu wasn't just cold in expression and taciturn; she radiated a chilling indifference that kept everyone at bay, emanating a terrifying power that struck to the soul, making anyone who encountered her reluctant to see her again.

"Captain, I see a vehicle approaching over there—wait, no, why is there a car here?" Xiao Fei suddenly exclaimed in surprise.

"Where? Let me see," the Captain snatched the binoculars and peered closely.

"Captain, that used to be a road over there; I thought it was just a mountain track. For a car to be running on a road like that, and at that speed—they must have incredible driving skills to handle it," Xiao Fei said admiringly, pointing toward the vehicle.

"Look closely; don't fall for an enemy trap," Miss Yu said coldly.

"There are two Afghans in the car—one driving, the other sleeping. I don't see any weapons around," the Captain observed.

"If they are locals, they surely know the way out. Go and abduct them; make them guide us out," Miss Yu commanded.

The Captain considered this, deciding it was a viable option. "Everyone, move out! Target: the vehicle ahead."

Following the Captain's order, Xiao Fei and Tie Shan stood up. The all-white Miss Yu also rose, flanked by two elderly people who acted as her protectors.

The Captain and Xiao Fei, each carrying a large box, began moving quickly toward a cliff edge in front of the approaching vehicle. Tie Shan, Miss Yu, and the other two followed closely.

Liu Hui was driving contentedly, calculating how he would commence his grand expansion upon returning to Hong Kong, when his eyelids suddenly twitched violently. Sensing danger, he was about to slam on the brakes when he saw two figures leap down from the cliff, landing directly in front of the car.

Just as Liu Hui prepared to jump out and attack, he clearly saw the face of one of the men blocking his path. He froze, slowly retracting the foot he had already extended. He brought the car to a stop, feigning wide-eyed terror. At that moment, Zhou Tengyun also woke up, staring at the situation in confusion. However, Liu Hui didn't speak to him, so Zhou Tengyun also played along, pretending to have just woken up and looking dazed.

Liu Hui was inwardly surging with excitement. The Captain who had jumped out was an acquaintance—Jiang Nanyi, who had once provided protection for his Han Tang Hospital. Although Jiang Nanyi ultimately failed to safeguard the hospital amidst massive geopolitical shifts, he was the only person who had offered help when Liu Hui was in dire straits. Liu Hui felt profound gratitude toward him.

"Hello, my Afghan brothers—Wo tai yang..." Jiang Nanyi began, then suddenly realized, "Wait, how would they understand Chinese? Tie Shan, speak to them." He stopped the conversational opener he usually used when addressing crowds back home.

Seeing the expressions of shock on Liu Hui and Zhou Tengyun, Tie Shan slowly stepped forward, smiling as he spoke in Pashto: "Do not be afraid; we are not bad people. We are just lost and need you to take us outside the mountains. If you get us out, this cash is yours."

Tie Shan produced a thick stack of US dollars and waved it in front of Liu Hui. The stack was substantial, looking to be at least two thousand dollars, which was a fortune in Afghanistan. Liu Hui understood Pashto perfectly. Hearing that they needed a guide, he reasoned that escorting them out of the mountains would repay Jiang Nanyi’s kindness.

Liu Hui reached a decision internally, but he didn't reply in standard Pashto. Instead, he began speaking a local dialect spoken in the southern Afghan mountains. Having known he was coming to Afghanistan, Liu Hui had diligently practiced the local languages, even learning the regional slang to communicate with those in the south. His command of this dialect perfectly matched his current assumed identity.

"Is this true? If we guide you out of the mountains, you’ll give all this money to us?" Liu Hui asked, his eyes greedily fixed on the stack of cash. Zhou Tengyun played along, shamelessly drooling.

"Tie Shan, what are they saying? I don't understand a word," Jiang Nanyi frowned.

"Chief, they are speaking a local dialect. I can understand some of it, but I can't speak it. They are asking if we will really give them the money," Tie Shan explained to the Captain, having understood the exchange.

"Tell them, if they really take us out, they get the money. I'll give you half the deposit now," Jiang Nanyi said, focused only on escaping this wretched place.

Tie Shan handed half the US dollars to Liu Hui. Liu Hui looked delighted, counting the bills several times before tucking them safely into his pocket. He then said, "Hurry up and get in! We can be out of the mountains before midnight tonight."

Jiang Nanyi immediately placed the box he was carrying onto the rear seat. Xiao Fei placed his box there too. Then, both men climbed into the car, sitting beside the boxes and guarding them fiercely. Miss Yu also got in, sitting carefully next to Jiang Nanyi. Liu Hui's SUV wasn't spacious, and once these few people were in the back, there was no room for anyone else. Tie Shan's eyes darted around, and he forcibly pulled Zhou Tengyun out of the front passenger seat, taking the spot himself.

Zhou Tengyun protested loudly in the local dialect, furious, but Tie Shan deliberately ignored him. Helplessly, Zhou Tengyun climbed onto the roof, accompanied by the two elders guarding Miss Yu.