The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 456: The Secret of the Central African Uranium Mine Revealed in a Small Restaurant

Lei Tao swiftly gathered the Japanese mercenaries' MK14 assault rifles, paratrooper sabers, and spare magazines and shoved them into the back of the SUV. His tactical boots rattled over the scattered bullet casings. The smoke had not yet cleared, and the air was thick with the pungent smell of burning metal and tear gas. As he turned to inspect the damage, he caught a glimpse of the restaurant owner's twisted form—his head tucked under the car, his butt sticking out on the scorching concrete. Dark water stains seeped from the knees of his overalls, and the baggy legs swayed like two tattered flags, shaking violently.

"Get up." Lei Tao lifted the boss by the collar of his work clothes with the barrel of his gun, half-lifting him. The tip of his nose was still stained with gravel, his eyes were red from tears and dust, and saliva hung from the corners of his mouth. His comical appearance formed an eerie contrast with the murderous atmosphere of the bullets just now. The boss's legs were shaking like sieves, and a dark urine stain dripped down the crotch of his work pants.

"That's a good pose," Lei Tao said, curling his lips and pressing the muzzle of his gun against the man's chin. "It's perfect for barking like a dog." The restaurant owner whimpered in his throat and suddenly spat out a mouthful of filth mixed with stomach acid, which stuck to Lei Tao's tactical boots and flowed down. The roar of helicopters in the distance was getting closer and closer. Lei Tao shook the man off in disgust, pulled out his saber, cut off a corner of the owner's shirt and polished his shoes: "Tell me, how much did the Japanese pirates pay you to hire the Sakura mercenaries?"

The boss slumped to the ground, pointing at the vibrating phone in his pocket. An anonymous message blared on the screen: "Find this guy, drag him down, and I'll pay you a gold watch if you succeed." Lei Tao enlarged the attached photo—a screenshot from the raid on the Japanese mercenary base months earlier. He slammed the phone against the wall, sending shattered pieces flying. Suddenly, the boss dropped to his knees and hugged his thighs, "Help me! They say you're an arms thief!"

"Thief?" Lei Tao grabbed the boss's greasy hair and dragged him to the mercenary's body. "Look at this cherry blossom tattoo. Do you know which group of beasts it is?" The blade suddenly pressed against the other's carotid artery. "Now, tell me the meeting place of the Japanese pirates, or I will barbecue you and feed you to the vultures." The boss stared at the tattoo on the wrist of the corpse in horror. Traces of moisture seeped out from under his trouser legs. No one laughed at his funny look.

Lei Tao thought, if he didn't handle the modern external environment properly, he'd have to worry about purchasing supplies after the Anti-Japanese War. Even safe houses wouldn't be safe. He had to quickly find the meeting point of those Japanese mercenaries and completely resolve this hidden danger.

"I'll give you one last chance," Lei Tao pressed the barrel of his pistol against the boss's temple. "Where is the meeting place?"

The boss's body trembled even more violently. He pulled a tattered piece of paper from his pocket. An address was scribbled on it. Lei Tao glanced at it and confirmed the location. "It better not be fake," he warned.

The boss said with a sad face: "I, I am telling the truth, please let me go."

When the barrel of the gun pressed against the boss's trembling jaw, blood was snaking down the third button of his navy blue shirt. He glanced sideways at the glaring scarlet - the old wound when the bullet grazed his collarbone.

"If your useless men weren't still having their morning tea three kilometers away, do you think you'd even have a chance to breathe here?" Lei Tao's breath brushed against the man's sweaty temples, carrying with it the strong smell of gunpowder and blood. "Now, you should be thankful I let you keep this head, so you can see your Adam's apple swallowing."

Lei Tao grabbed the restaurant owner's collar tightly with one hand, like a chicken waiting to be slaughtered, and dragged him back into the restaurant, which was still filled with smoke and the smell of blood. The owner's feet kicked the ground in vain, and his overalls rubbed against the rough ground, making a harsh sound.

After entering the restaurant, Lei Tao slammed the owner onto a broken chair nearby. The owner's body hit the back of the chair and let out a muffled groan. Lei Tao then walked to the bar and picked up a bottle of whiskey from the messy pile of bottles. The bottle was still stained with broken glass and dried blood. He casually pulled off the bottle cap, tilted his head back and took a long gulp. The spicy liquor flowed down the corners of his mouth, soaking the frogman jungle camouflage uniform on his chest.

Lei Tao had just slammed his whiskey bottle against the bar, and before the crack of shattering glass had faded, the shutter of the shop across the street suddenly exploded. A mercenary wearing tactical goggles, wielding an AK74, charged out like a cheetah, the flames from the muzzle instantly shattering the restaurant's door frame. Amidst a shower of wood chips, Lei Tao slammed his feet into the ground, launching himself into the air like an arrow, using the impact of the collapsing bar counter to execute a tactical roll.

His back slammed hard against the refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen, his Glock 17 already loaded. As the mercenary kicked open the broken wooden door, Lei Tao suddenly dropped his weight and fell sideways, his knees slicing a half-arc on the greasy ground. A bullet grazed his helmet, the blast whipping the hair on the back of his neck. His wrist was rock-steady as he pulled the trigger, and the 9mm bullets rained down like a torrential rain.

Sparks flew from the mercenary's chest armor, and he stumbled back two steps. Lei Tao seized the opportunity to roll to his feet, his left hand pulling out a spare magazine from his waistband, his right hand holding the gun as he continued to press forward. By the time the new magazine clicked into place, he had already advanced, pressing the barrel of the gun against the man's Adam's apple. The mercenary's pupils constricted, and before he could pull the trigger, Lei Tao's fingers had already pulled—three bullets pierced his carotid artery, sending warm blood splattering onto the moldy wallpaper, forming strange patterns.

"Tell me," Lei Tao wiped the corner of his mouth and stared at his boss with cold eyes, "What benefits did those Japanese mercenaries give you that made you dare to plot against me? If you tell even a single lie, you know the consequences."

The boss huddled in his chair like a frightened quail, his body trembling uncontrollably. His eyes frantically flickered between Lei Tao and the bottle, his Adam's apple bobbing. It took him a long time to manage a few broken words: "I... I don't know their exact background. They just said... they said if I could hold you back for a while, they'd give me a large sum of money, and... and a gold watch. I... I was forced to... I agreed..."

"Forced by life?" Lei Tao sneered, his eyes full of disdain. "Do you know who they are? They are mercenaries of the Japanese pirates. I don't know how much innocent blood is on their hands. You sold me out for that little money and a broken watch."

"I...I really don't know..." the boss cried, "Please, forgive me. I can return all your money. I...I can also tell you some news I heard."

"Oh?" Lei Tao raised his eyebrows and looked at the boss with interest. "Tell me about it. If it's useful, I can consider leaving you a way out."

"Blackwater Security Company intends to let the Sakura Mercenary Corps secretly mine uranium..." the boss said hurriedly, his Adam's apple trembling violently, and beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down his forehead.

Lei Tao's pupils constricted instantly, his fingers unconsciously stroking the whiskey bottle on the bar. Uranium—those two words, like a hammer, stirred a thousand waves in his mind. In Central Africa, any action related to uranium mining signified a conspiracy capable of subverting regional stability. Blackwater Security Company was the "Red Flower thug" of the Western military group, and the involvement of the Sakura Mercenary Corps cast a shadow over the matter, casting the shadow of Japanese pirate forces.

"Tell me in detail." Lei Tao's voice was as low as an ice cellar. He grabbed the bottle and took another sip, but the spicy wine could not dispel the chill in his heart.

The boss was trembling all over, even his words began to stutter. "A... a week ago, a man from Sakura Country wearing sunglasses came to the store, gave me a deposit, and showed me your photo. He said... if you come over to eat or buy food, as long as I hold you for half an hour, there will be a large reward later. He let it slip when he was drunk that Blackwater provided the Sakura Army with the latest exploration equipment, in... in the mountains west of Lake Victoria, they have already identified a mining area and provided uranium refining equipment. They want to turn the uranium into... a dirty bomb!"

Lei Tao slammed the bottle to the ground, sending shards of glass flying everywhere. He bent down and grabbed his boss by the collar, his nose almost touching his terrified face. "Specific coordinates! And their transportation route!"

"I... I don't know the coordinates! But I heard they said the goods will be shipped from the port of Mombasa and then transferred to the Tanzania-Zambia Railway!" The boss' face turned purple from being strangled, and his hands were grasping at the air. "Please, this is really all I know!"

Lei Tao shoved the man away, and his boss fell to the ground in dismay, curling up in a ball. Lei Tao quickly pulled out his satellite phone, his fingers pounding away at the keyboard. "Military Officer Qin, I've just received news: Blackwater Security Company, in collusion with the Sakura Mercenary Corps, is secretly mining uranium west of Lake Victoria. The transportation routes involve the Port of Mombasa and the Tanzania-Zambia Railway. They're attempting to purify the uranium and manufacture it into a dirty bomb. The details are yet to be verified." After sending the message, he quickly stuffed the satellite phone into a waterproof bag. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his boss stealthily reaching for the old-fashioned telephone in the corner.

"You'd better not touch anything you shouldn't." Lei Tao swung his saber backhanded, the blade piercing the wall next to the boss's ear. He strode forward, severing the telephone line, his combat boot pressing down on the boss's wrist. "Remember, your life is mine now. If you dare to tip me off, I'll turn you into a living booby trap and teach the Sakura Tattoo man a lesson."

After doing all this, Lei Tao turned around and looked at his boss who was still trembling on the ground, with murderous intent in his eyes: "If you dare to reveal a word about what happened today..." He deliberately paused, pulled out a saber from his boot, and slowly slashed it in front of the boss's eyes, "If I don't kill you, do you think the people from Blackwater Security and the Japanese Pirate Mercenary Corps will keep you?"

The boss nodded frantically, his forehead thumping against the ground. "I...I promise to keep my mouth shut!"

Lei Tao snorted coldly, turned around and strode out of the restaurant.

As the SUV sped away, Lei Tao's mind raced. He realized this wasn't just a simple mission; there might be a larger conspiracy behind it. Why were those Japanese mercenaries here? What exactly did they want? And what was their connection to the people who were watching him in the restaurant?