The Mysterious Soldier of the Anti-Japanese War

Chapter 455: Small Town Ambush and the Mystery of the Sakura Tattoo

Just as Chen Feiyang, Meng Xiaoyu and the other three were retreating deep into the primeval forest.

The SUV jolted to a stop on the bumpy dirt road of a modern Central African town, kicking up a cloud of dust. Lei Tao reached for the safety catch on his holster, checking his Glock 19 was ready to draw, then pushed open the car door. As his combat boots touched the scorching floor, he noticed the curtains on the second floor across the street swaying slightly—someone was watching.

He took off his baseball cap and stuffed it into his tactical vest pocket, deliberately slowing his pace as he walked towards the restaurant. His muscles tensed beneath his frogman's jungle camouflage uniform, ready to react at any moment. He pushed open the mottled iron door, the cheap hinges creaking harshly, and the aroma of charred barbecue mixed with cheap spices filled his face.

A ceiling fan stirred the sweltering air, and light streamed through the dusty windows, casting irregular patches of light on the polished wooden floor. Lei Tao's eyes quickly swept over three locals chatting in the corner—one of them had a black cloth bag under his elbow, the unmistakable shape of a gun. He walked straight to the bar, his combat boots stomping heavily on the sticky floor, making the glasses on the bar clink softly.

"Ten steaks, ten roast chickens, and ten lamb legs, all cooked medium rare." Lei Tao spoke in a voice reeking of gunpowder, his knuckles tapping on the greasy menu. "The rum will be packed in an insulated box, and the ice will be packed separately."

So many? How many brothers did you bring with you? "The boss raised his eyebrows while wiping his cup. Lei Tao slapped a stack of US dollars on the counter: "Help me move it to the car." The boss whistled and said, "For the sake of US dollars, you are God. "Then he asked two people from the kitchen to carry out the heavy insulated box, and quickly prepared the ingredients for Lei Tao. In less than ten minutes, everything was packed. Lei Tao's right hand always touched the handle of the gun, and his peripheral vision was fixed on the SUV through the bulletproof glass. Lei Tao noticed three local people in the corner of the restaurant. One of them had a black cloth bag under his elbow, the shape of which was clearly the outline of a gun. He secretly raised his vigilance and quickly scanned the surrounding environment to confirm that there were no other abnormalities. He saw one of the locals looking at the SUV on the corner from time to time, with a hint of nervousness in his eyes. Lei Tao smiled slightly, thinking that the other party seemed to have noticed something. When the kitchen staff carried the last insulated box into the car, Lei Tao quickly checked all the food and supplies to make sure nothing was missed. He noticed that the insulated box was well sealed and should be able to keep the food fresh. Lei Tao nodded to express his gratitude to the boss, who smiled and replied: "Come to me again if you need anything. Good luck."

Lei Tao caught a glimpse of the SUV's window slowly lowering in the reflection. The cold metallic sheen of a modified MK14 rifle peeked out the window, the muzzle pointed firmly at them. Lei Tao's pupils constricted, and with lightning speed, he grabbed his boss's work collar with his right hand and yanked him back with force from his waist.

A 7.62x51mm bullet ripped through the air, whistling past the boss's ear with a sharp sonic boom that stung his eardrums. The instant the bullet pierced the car's body, the windshield cracked like a spiderweb. "Get down!" Lei Tao growled, kneeling the boss's back and pinning him beneath the car. The scorching shell casing clattered to the concrete floor, sparks igniting the dry weeds beside the car. The stench of burning metal, mixed with the stench of the boss's sweat and the scent of blood, filled his nostrils.

Lei Tao rolled sideways behind the tire, his tactical boots making a harsh sound as they rubbed against the ground.

He backhanded a canister of tear gas, sending a thick cloud of smoke filling the air. Using his vision to shield him, Lei Tao side-stepped against the wall and sprinted toward the SUV. Pushing hard with his left foot, he pressed his body against the door. With one smooth movement, he swiftly drew his pistol from its holster, pointed it toward the sky, and swiftly opened the door with his left. Three mercenaries coughed and adjusted their tactics amid the thick smoke. Lei Tao suddenly leaned forward, his gun aimed at the mercenary leader's temple. With a thud, the leader fell to the ground. The remaining two mercenaries hurriedly returned fire, their bullets colliding with the SUV with a sharp, metallic clang.

Lei Tao ducked like a cheetah, using the SUV's body as a shield and rolling low to slide under the silver sedan next to him. He lay prone on the scorching concrete, his tactical gloves pressed against the ground for leverage. He braced himself with his left hand to adjust his angle, his right hand gripping the Glock 19, the muzzle of the gun protruding from the gap under the car.

"Bang! Bang!" Two shots rang out, accurately hitting the ankles of the nearest mercenary. The man screamed and fell to one knee. Lei Tao immediately shifted his grip, twisting his wrist to raise the muzzle, and then fired two more bursts. The bullets pierced the man's jaw and exited through the top of his head, splattering blood and brain matter onto the car.

Without pausing, Lei Tao quickly moved sideways to the other side of the car. He half-crouched, using the car door as cover, and observed another mercenary aiming his gun. The moment the other pulled the trigger, Lei Tao anticipated the trajectory of the shot and jerked back, letting the bullet grazed his nose. He immediately retaliated, hitting the other mercenary in the knee and elbow.

The mercenary stumbled and fell to the ground, and Lei Tao seized the opportunity to rush out from behind the cover. He moved quickly in a tactical low posture, and suddenly stopped when he was close to the enemy. He lowered the muzzle of the gun and took steady aim, and fired a bullet that blew the enemy's head cleanly.

Lei Tao, gun in hand, slowly approached the fallen mercenary. He first prodded the man's stiff arm with the toe of his boot to confirm death before crouching down. With the clang of metal buckles, he deftly unfastened the buckle of his tactical vest and quickly searched his pockets for magazines, tourniquets, and encrypted communicator. As he ripped off the man's black tactical glove, a cherry blossom tattoo suddenly emerged beneath the cold, cyan skin—five petals radiating outward, a faint outline of a rising sun at the center.