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墨書 Inktalez
Zhang Qiu lay in bed for two days, and on the third day, no matter how Lucia persuaded him, Zhang Qiu insisted on getting out of bed. The doctor came to check the injury on Zhang Qiu's foot, and the speed of his recovery amazed the doctor. Only when the doctor confirmed that Zhang Qiu could indeed get out of bed did Lucia feel relieved and stop restricting him.
After recovering, every morning Zhang Qiu would run around the palace, gradually increasing the duration of his runs. The soldiers responsible for the palace's outer defense became familiar with this Asian boy. After finishing his runs, Zhang Qiu would stand outside the palace and chat with the soldiers for a while. Through these interactions, Zhang Qiu learned about the true thoughts of most soldiers.
These individuals joined the military mainly because they wouldn't go hungry in the barracks and could send money home each month. The soldiers were very hopeful about Prince Banan's reforms. One veteran soldier with five years of service told Zhang Qiu, "We must win this war. For that, I am willing to fight, struggle, and even sacrifice. I will do my utmost to fight for future generations." Zhang Qiu was deeply moved; these people were the soul of Tanzania.
Zhang Qiu spent his mornings at the palace and ran to the airport in the afternoons. Prince Banan specially approved a Jeep for Zhang Qiu, and Lucia, who had a driver's license, became his dedicated driver. Prince Banan accompanied Zhang Qiu to the airport; this was his first visit since the selection process ended, as he wanted to personally understand the training conditions of the soldiers.
The airport was heavily guarded with layers of security. A half-height barbed wire fence was erected next to the main gate, behind which two machine guns were set up. The dark green ammunition belts hung long in the air, and meticulous soldiers lay behind the machine guns, aiming at every passerby. When Prince Banan revealed his identity, the guards immediately saluted and allowed him to pass. Entering through the airport gate, one could see two tanks with their engines running behind the guardhouse, emitting white smoke in the winter air. The drivers poked their heads out of their vehicles to watch towards the gate; upon seeing Prince Banan, they saluted.
The training area for Azure Hawk was set up inside a hangar where all movable facilities had been removed and replaced with training equipment required by Azure Hawk. The hangar's main door was closed tight, with only a small door open for entry and exit. Two armed soldiers stood guard at the entrance.
Lucia drove the Jeep to the front of the hangar. As Zhang Qiu jumped out of his seat and was about to enter, he was stopped by a soldier pointing his rifle: "Military restricted area, no entry!"
Prince Banan looked at the soldier in front of him and asked, "Not even I can enter?"
The guard hesitated, looking troubled before finally saying firmly, "Your Highness, I'm sorry; without orders from the captain, no one is allowed inside."
Zhang Qiu shook his head and smiled: "Help me call Azure Hawk and tell him Zhang Qiu has arrived."
"Your Highness, please wait a moment; I will report immediately." The soldier turned to face Prince Banan with a standard salute before running into the hangar while another soldier remained alertly watching Zhang Qiu. Zhang Qiu noticed that since their arrival, one soldier's index finger had been resting on the trigger. Observing their behavior made Zhang Qiu admire Azure Hawk; he had managed to instill discipline among soldiers who had previously lacked it in such a short time.
Azure Hawk emerged from the hangar with a resolute expression, wearing a red beret and dressed in khaki camouflage uniform worn by local soldiers, adorned with tactical attachments. A Colt 1911 handgun was holstered at his waist. Azure Hawk asked Zhang Qiu: "How did you arrive so quickly?"
"My injury has healed."
"Impossible; I know better than you how fast wounds heal."
"It’s true; the doctor has already checked me; otherwise I wouldn’t be able to come out." Lucia stood by to confirm Zhang Qiu's words.
Azure Hawk's eyes flashed with surprise, but quickly returned to normal. "Come in," Azure Hawk said.
The guard at the entrance stepped aside, and Zhang Qiu, Lucia, and Prince Banan followed Azure Hawk into the training facility hidden beneath the exterior of the Hangar. The scale of the training ground was much larger than Zhang Qiu had imagined; the entire Hangar was divided into several areas, with camouflaged figures moving back and forth across the field. Zhang Qiu watched them enviously, wishing he could undergo training as well.
"It looks great!" Prince Banan exclaimed with delight.
Azure Hawk looked at his creation with satisfaction and introduced it to everyone: "With the current training progress, we can send this team deep behind enemy lines in a month."
"That's wonderful," Zhang Qiu said. Just as he finished speaking, he heard Prince Banan say, "Azure Hawk, I have a request."
Azure Hawk shot two penetrating gazes at Prince Banan and said, "You promised not to interfere with the training."
Seeing that Azure Hawk misunderstood him, Prince Banan quickly waved his hands to indicate that he meant no such thing. Showing respect towards Azure Hawk, Prince Banan explained, "I'm not trying to interfere with the training; I have a personal request."
Realizing that Banan did not intend to interfere with the training, Azure Hawk's tone softened. "Your Highness, please go ahead."
"When the Special Operations Team carries out missions, do not harm my father. Although he has different political views from mine, he is still my father. As for others, how to deal with them will depend on the situation, but my father must be safely brought to the North," Prince Banan said earnestly. When one's father is also an enemy, any choice made cannot be deemed right or wrong.
"War is unpredictable; I can only guarantee this as much as possible."
"It's not just possible; it must be done."
Prince Banan stared at Azure Hawk, leaving him no choice but to agree. Azure Hawk nodded and said, "I promise you that I will not harm the king during the operation."
"Thank you."
Prince Banan tightly grasped Azure Hawk's hand for a full minute.
However, the development of events did not allow them that much time. Three days later in the afternoon, Zhang Qiu was at the airport conducting shooting training with soldiers when suddenly an alarm rang out in the training ground. The instructors responsible for the training immediately ordered everyone to put away their weapons and stand in formation. The soldiers began counting off one by one while the instructors stood solemnly in front of the entire team, creating a tense and serious atmosphere.
The soldiers were lined up neatly in the open space in front of the Hangar, and Zhang Qiu and Lucia, not being part of the formation, stood to the side watching. Azure Hawk drove a Jeep speeding in from a distance, followed by two Trucks. The Jeep suddenly braked, leaving two long black skid marks on the ground. Azure Hawk stood on the Jeep, one foot on the railing, raising a loudspeaker and shouted:
"Soldiers, the sound of gunfire is an order. Half an hour ago, southern forces launched a large-scale attack against us. Now I command you to end training and prepare for combat. We will infiltrate behind enemy lines. The targets are factories, hospitals, gas stations, and all other important facilities. Additionally, White Wolf Special Forces!"
"Present!" Five members of the White Wolf Special Assault Team ran to the front of the formation and stood at attention.
"I now command everyone to depart!"
After Azure Hawk's order, all the soldiers began boarding their vehicles. Zhang Qiu and Lucia exchanged glances and ran forward together. Azure Hawk looked at them and said, "The situation is urgent; you two should return to the palace."
"Azure Hawk, I want to go to the front lines."
"Nonsense!" Azure Hawk scolded. "I do not agree. War can be deadly; it's an urgent situation, and I don't have time to argue with you."
"I must go!"
Zhang Qiu insisted, even he couldn't understand why he felt this way; there was an inexplicable force driving him toward the front lines.
"I want to go too," Lucia said.
"You two are simply being foolish!" Azure Hawk saw that all the soldiers had boarded their vehicles. With a command, the two Trucks slowly started moving, closely following Azure Hawk's Jeep.
Watching Azure Hawk's convoy move further away, Lucia asked, "What should we do?"
"Get in the car first."
Zhang Qiu decisively replied. Lucia ran to the driver's seat and skillfully engaged the gears while releasing the clutch. With a push on the accelerator, the Jeep surged forward, and the immense centrifugal force pressed Zhang Qiu firmly against the backrest.
Lucia drove the Jeep to a position parallel to Azure Hawk. Azure Hawk raised a loudspeaker and shouted at Zhang Qiu and Lucia, "Professor Bai has repeatedly instructed that you must not get into trouble. You two need to return to the palace immediately; otherwise, I will refuse to carry out the mission."
Upon hearing this, the entire convoy came to a halt. Zhang Qiu had no choice but to agree and reminded Azure Hawk, "Be careful."
"War is just a game for us, a game that can cost lives."
Azure Hawk smiled, and the convoy continued moving forward. Zhang Qiu and Lucia watched as Azure Hawk's convoy disappeared around a bend in the jungle before turning their vehicle around to head back. Along the way, they encountered several military transport vehicles. The road leading to the palace was lined with checkpoints made of simple logs and stones, with armed soldiers closely monitoring their surroundings.
Outside the palace, the guard unit reestablished its formation, just as it had when Zhang Qiu first arrived at the palace. Zhang Qiu and Lucia entered without encountering any obstacles and went directly to the conference room to find Prince Banan. As expected, Prince Banan was indeed in the conference room, along with the White-Bearded Man and two officials whom Zhang Qiu did not recognize.
Zhang Qiu and Lucia remained silent, waiting on the side. After the White-Bearded Man and the two officials left, Prince Banan stood up and greeted them, "Please take a seat. Do you know that an attack has been launched from the south?"
"I know," Zhang Qiu nodded. "Azure Hawk has already led troops to the battlefield."
"I knew this day would come sooner or later, but I didn't expect it to arrive so quickly," Prince Banan said with a sorrowful expression, lamenting both the fate of the country and his own fate. He looked up at Zhang Qiu and said, "There is still a long way until Azure Hawk's training deadline; is it really feasible to send them to the battlefield now?"
"They are warriors by nature; fighting is not an issue for them. Since war has come knocking at our door, we have no other choice. A short training period is better than none at all. I believe in Azure Hawk; they are all exceptional warriors."
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