Chapter 18: Operation Goryeo 2

  Section 1

  Bluetooth thought that He Shang had a plan, but unexpectedly, Shan Pao and He Shang disappeared like ninjas. However, recalling He Shang's victory gesture, it didn't seem like they were in danger. Except for waiting, there was no other way. Da Bing, who worked in the military with Lao Qiang, contacted the Chinese Embassy's Military Intelligence Agency, but he didn't get any information he needed. Once something happened, the military would provide necessary assistance. Regarding Li Wei and He Shang's disappearance, Da Bing thought it wasn't a big deal. He Shang was experienced and must have had a purpose for being captured on purpose. Da Bing, Qian Mian, and Lan Ya made all preparations to respond to sudden events.

  After Li Wei and the monk were caught, they were first stripped of their clothes (all of them, including socks) and had all their belongings confiscated. They were then dressed in the most tattered clothes. The stench was so overwhelming that Li Wei's stomach couldn't stop churning. Then they were thrown onto a truck, bounced around on the road, and arrived at a place similar to a concentration camp. Li Wei looked around and thought that this place was more like a slum refugee camp than a prison camp. The low walls were topped with barbed wire, but it didn't seem to be electrified. This place seemed to have been converted from a village, with short, squat earth houses, several slightly taller towers standing among them, equipped with searchlights and machine guns. Li Wei and the monk were tied together and driven deeper into the camp, entering a dilapidated wooden shed. Inside the shed, a North Korean military officer-like person spoke in a mumbling tone, saying a lot of things that Li Wei vaguely understood, mainly about starting work at certain times, eating at certain times, and leniency for those who confessed and severity for those who resisted. After finishing speaking, he left the shed. The prisoners only had one meal to eat, which was not regularly distributed. The monk remained calm and expressionless, while Li Wei thought of the prisons back home and compared them to this place, which was like a paradise. Li Wei and the monk walked to a corner and sat down, and Li Wei asked, using his hand to scoop up some damp hay:

  "Now we're in a place worse than a doghouse, can you tell me why we came here?"

  "The ninja is being held captive here, I came in to rescue him, didn't expect you guys to show up."

  "Isn't there another way?"

  "A dark country can only be ruled by dark means."

  "This is great, I'm in too."

  "Your face looks very new, how long have you been in the company?"

  "I've been with the company for less than a year."

  "One year? And then go out on external business as a special advisor?"

  "Nothing more to say, it's all fate!"

  Section 2

  Li Wei told the monk about the cause and effect of his entry into the company. The monk said a good phrase, Li Wei's situation is like "塞翁失马" (a blessing in disguise), whether it is good or bad fortune is uncertain. The special advisors of the company are generally the best of the best in various aspects, or they have exceptional skills and talents. Even if someone rises from the grassroots level, they are all experienced experts. Li Wei relied on luck and chance to get in, but he may be in danger when encountering major events. Li Wei should focus on learning and become an expert in a certain field. Li Wei just smiled, because he thought he had no special talents.

  After midnight, the monk hinted to Li Wei that he was going out. Taking advantage of everyone's sleep, he climbed up the wall like a gecko and disappeared into the night. Li Wei couldn't help but sigh, this is what it means to be a martial arts master who can fly over rooftops and walk on walls! His stomach growling with hunger, he really couldn't sleep. The searchlights outside were shining all around, dogs barking, and the people locked up with him were huddled together, no one noticing that someone was missing.

  The monk took advantage of the night, like a ghostly figure, moving through the concentration camp, the lights seemed to have an understanding with him, not shining towards him. He left his shadow everywhere, on the rooftops, under the watchtowers, in the trenches. He found that the soldiers on duty were only standing guard at the watchtowers and outside the main gate, there were no soldiers patrolling inside the concentration camp, the barracks were set up outside the camp. After searching half of the concentration camp, he didn't find any ninja's shadow, so he returned to the broken wooden shed, by this time Li Wei was already asleep.

  Li Wei originally thought he would be tossing and turning, but he still slept as soundly as a pig in a pen. Until the sky was just brightening, the people in the camp were driven out to work, after walking out of the shed, old and young gathered together, loudly reading something, the great leader revered by all... The main idea is that the universe's greatest... The leader is the destiny of the country and nation... Only with a great leader, a great party...

  A series of unclear completions later, food was distributed, with each person receiving a dry and hard corn stick. Li Wei's first impression upon receiving the corn stick was that it was stale, and his second thought was that this wasn't even a corn stick, but rather a corn core. The monk took the corn stick and began to gnaw on it, while Li Wei couldn't bring himself to eat it and handed it over to the monk instead. As people ate, they continued walking, and two miles away, there was a mine where people were working with all their might, carrying heavy loads on their shoulders and in their arms. The foremen were shouting and yelling, while soldiers stood guard at a distance, armed and ready. The monk worked diligently, as did Li Wei, but his eyes kept darting around, observing the number of soldiers and the quality of their weapons, thinking about possible escape routes. However, these concerns were unnecessary, as the monk thought that this group of scrawny men wouldn't be able to stop him if he wanted to leave. Around 9 o'clock, Li Wei was famished, but the group didn't take breaks, and after drinking several bowls of murky water, his stomach growled loudly. The monk walked over, pulled out a corn stick, which now tasted better than before. Li Wei gnawed on the dry corn kernels, swallowing them with cool water, an experience he would never forget. Two soldiers approached and kicked him, and Li Wei's instinctive reaction was to dodge and counterattack, but the monk's hand held him back, preventing him from fighting back as they were beaten to the ground. The monk also received a beating. A voice shouted that those who didn't work hard or reform properly would face this kind of treatment, and that gatherings of more than two people were not allowed, nor was mutual assistance permitted. Afterward, Li Wei and the monk were tied up in the scorching sun, with signs hung around their necks. The monk looked like a statue, showing no signs of pain or discomfort, while Li Wei had endured worse training before, but his heart couldn't take it, filled with an indescribable suffering. His stomach growled even louder, accompanied by waves of pain. The monk looked at him and smiled, saying:

  "Don't worry, I'll definitely take you out of here, enjoy the experience! Rookie!"

  "Stinky monk, I hate you!" Li Wei said with a smile.

  Section 3

  After dark, Monk Li Wei was finally put down by the person who had been carrying him. The person warned them repeatedly to work hard, study well and reform themselves well. Li Wei's skin was numb with pain, his lips were cracked and bleeding from the corners of his mouth. He could no longer stand up, his body covered in bloodstains. At this moment, he couldn't hear any words. Monk stretched out his whole body, his joints cracking loudly. All of this seemed to be a kind of ascetic practice for him. He helped Li Wei, who was crippled and unable to walk properly, back to the shed with the crowd. Today, the two of them were not allowed to eat. They sat down in the corner on a pile of straw, while everyone else was eating. The food looked like pig feed - messy white vegetables and potatoes, and sloppy cornmeal mush. But when the smell wafted up to Li Wei's nose, it seemed delicious. Li Wei swallowed his saliva, his stomach growling loudly. Monk said:

  "You must be hungry. Let's wait till late at night and I'll think of a way. Can you calm down? I'll teach you some qigong exercises to cultivate your body."

  "Qigong? Are you kidding me, brother? You're still practicing at a time like this?"

  "Anyway, you don't have anything else to do, and it's good for you to calm your mind. From now on, I'll teach you every night. Listen carefully to what I say. Sit quietly, eliminate distractions, take deep breaths, relax your whole body, inhale through your nose, exhale through your mouth, fill your lungs completely, then slowly exhale, and let all the air out. Imagine the energy in your heart..."

  After a long time, Li Wei unknowingly calmed down and his soul wandered outside, really feeling the existence of qi. He felt carefree and at ease. At this time, the monk beside him had already gone unnoticed, Li Wei let go of his body and mind, merging himself into nature, without pain or worries, transcending the world...

  The monk continued to search for the ninja's whereabouts, exploring the reality of the concentration camp, and stole some food on the way. There were only three cells in the entire camp with soldiers guarding them, so the ninja must be in one of these three cells. The monk didn't make any other discoveries and quietly returned to the hut. In a flash, he discovered that there were others sneaking around, not just one person. The monk didn't alarm anyone and quietly returned to the hut, where Li Wei was still meditating with a red face and steady breathing. As soon as the monk sat down, Li Wei opened his eyes, and the monk handed him two cornmeal pancakes. Li Wei ate silently, as if he were eating his favorite cake, rather than the coarse cornmeal pancakes...

  After daybreak, Monk Li Wei got up on his own initiative.

  Following the crowd, still loudly reciting from memory, Li Wei and Shang also chimed in unison. After finishing, however, no breakfast was served. An officer led soldiers to a high place, shouting loudly, it turned out that someone had stolen food, so today everyone didn't have breakfast. Soldiers searched each person individually, some even entered the shed and house for inspection. The hundreds of people were terrified as if they saw the god of death, some trembled with fear, children dared not cry, Shang hinted to Li Wei to remain calm. Before they finished searching here, something happened. A few people tried to run but were pressed down by soldiers, gathered together, and the officer continued shouting loudly for a while before ordering them shot, not all at once, but one after another with several minutes between each execution. The crowd had a slight stir, some shed tears without making a sound, no one dared turn their head around. Those who were killed were more and more miserable, one more than the other, blood and brains flew in the air, the gunshots lingered for a long time without dispersing, every shot was so loud, as if the bullets hit everyone...