Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1241: One Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Four: Fire Ignites

Chapter 1241: Chapter One Thousand Two Hundred Twenty-Four: Fire Ignites

After spending two days in Germany with Eileen, it was time for Gao Yang and the others to leave on February 18th.

There was no disagreement about their next destination—Gao Yang and his group were heading to the United Kingdom. However, once they got there, their plans diverged for the first time between Gao Yang and Yelena.

Yelena wanted to visit Adele. Although Adele’s personality was somewhat eccentric, her friendship with Yelena could be considered forged through life-and-death circumstances—a bond that was hard for anyone else to replace.

Technically, Adele hadn’t fully completed her studies in America yet. Nevertheless, due to her outstanding performance in documentaries, she had been invited to work as a professional presenter at the BBC. Catherine had also been invited, but she turned down the offer.

Yelena hadn’t seen Adele in a long time and wanted to visit her in the United Kingdom for some fun. But Gao Yang disagreed.

Gao Yang’s only worry was that meeting Adele might lead to an awkward situation that neither side could resolve. If Catherine were there, it would be fine. Without Catherine, Gao Yang feared that no one could keep Adele in check.

Gao Yang’s plan was to spend a day or two in London, then head to Scotland to meet Jansen, take a tour of the Scottish Highlands, and maybe look for the Loch Ness Monster.

Spending too much time alone with just two people could get dull. Young people would have more fun in a larger group—exploring together when they felt like it, or splitting up for solo adventures when they didn’t. So Eileen decided to join Gao Yang and the others in the United Kingdom as well.

In just over two days, Eileen’s relationship with her father had significantly improved. During the days, she joined Gao Yang and Yelena for outings, and in the evenings, she returned home. Her father also came home after work—thanks to his shift-like military service, after work he was free to go wherever he pleased.

Eileen’s parents didn’t try to keep her tied to the house. Even if they wanted to, they couldn’t. Knowing that Eileen was just heading to the United Kingdom to travel, rather than heading off to some warzone, they didn’t put up any resistance when she decided to leave.

The advantage of having a private jet was being able to leave whenever you wanted. After notifying the butler to arrange the trip to the United Kingdom, everything else was promptly taken care of within the shortest possible time.

Right before heading to the airport, Gao Yang and Yelena were packing up their belongings in the hotel room, which consisted merely of a few personal items. Suddenly, their door was knocked on unexpectedly.

“Boss, open the door quickly!”

Gao Yang went to open the door, and Rafael burst into the room, speaking urgently: “Turn on the TV! Something big has happened.”

Yelena casually picked up the remote control and turned on the TV. Rafael hurriedly added, “Switch to a news channel—any one will do!”

Yelena found an English-speaking channel. The screen showed burning tires and an angry crowd. After taking just one look, Gao Yang said gravely, “Kiev! Has turmoil finally erupted?”

Rafael spoke anxiously: “The news says there are already over a dozen deaths! Hundreds more are injured! Ukrainian forces have opened fire on the crowd!”

Gao Yang nodded solemnly and said, “At this point, there’s no turning back for anyone involved. This is just the beginning.”

With Yelena present, Rafael refrained from speaking directly and instead gave Gao Yang a meaningful look.

The tacit understanding between Gao Yang and Rafael ensured that one glance was enough to convey his intent—Rafael was asking if they should head to Ukraine immediately.

After pondering for a moment, Gao Yang slowly shook his head and said gravely, “It’s not the right time yet. This is just the beginning; Ukraine hasn’t truly descended into chaos. We need to wait.”

Rafael whispered, “So when will it be the right time?”

Gao Yang responded quietly, “We wait for news, either from Morgan or Justin. We have no foundation in Ukraine whatsoever. Therefore, what we should do is think things through and act only when the opportunity arises. When we do strike, we must move swiftly. Compared to those planning to make a big profit in Ukraine, we are disruptors. Going too early would mean finding no opportunities and drawing unnecessary attention.”

After speaking, Gao Yang raised his hand and said gravely, “There’s one more crucial reason—the Ukrainian government hasn’t collapsed yet. We wait until the government has completely fallen, lost control, or been replaced by an entirely new administration. Only then will it be our moment to act. What we aim to do requires muddy waters, and when it comes to Ukraine, the water isn’t muddy enough yet. If we want to take advantage of the chaos, the fire must burn brighter first.”

Rafael chuckled quietly and said, “I’m getting a bit impatient. Boss, how long do you think it’ll take for the fire to burn brightly enough?”

Gao Yang rubbed his chin and smiled: “My guess is several months at least. Less likely two or three, though it could even take up to a year. It depends on how long Victor can hold out. Maybe it’ll be like Libya—with the major outcome determined in just two or three months. Or it could be like Syria, where even after two or three years, the endgame remains uncertain.”

Rafael exhaled deeply and said with a bitter smile, “Alright, I can only hope Ukraine’s opposition has enough fighting spirit to drive Victor out quickly. Or better yet, if Ukraine were to break into a civil war, that would be perfect.”

Gao Yang laughed and said, “Hey, could you tone it down? That expression of yours, coupled with your enthusiasm for Ukraine descending into civil war—it’s heinous! You’re coming off like a thoroughly bad guy, a very, very bad guy. I mean, some thoughts are better kept to yourself rather than said aloud.”

Rafael scratched his head and replied with a grin, “But aren’t we far from being good people? Come on, we’re mercenaries, aren’t we? Mercenaries naturally hope for more conflict—that’s perfectly normal. But you’re right; it’s better to keep certain thoughts private instead of voicing them everywhere.”

Gao Yang pointed at the TV screen, where heavily armed soldiers had appeared, and asked gravely, “What unit is this? I didn’t catch what they said while talking to you.”

Yelena sighed and said quietly, “It’s the Ukrainian Golden Eagle Special Forces.”

Gao Yang murmured, “Golden Eagle Forces. I’ve read their profile before. They’re under the Ministry of Internal Affairs, meaning only the government can command them—not the military. Ukraine’s government still has control over the situation, so all we can do is wait. The moment the current administration loses all means to wield military force will be our real opportunity to act.”

Rafael nodded and said, “I get that—if there’s a military presence, there’s still order; and if there’s order, we can’t plunder Ukraine freely. Alright then, let’s hold off until Ukraine completely crumbles.”

Gao Yang nodded and said gravely, “Logically, Victor shouldn’t fall completely overnight. However, things are unpredictable these days, so let’s have everyone prepare for the possibility of sudden changes. If the situation in Ukraine develops faster than anyone expects, it wouldn’t be entirely shocking. We aim to be fully prepared for drastic developments.”

Rafael murmured solemnly, “Understood. So, what do we do now?”

Gao Yang smiled and said, “Now? Now, we continue our vacation. Let’s complete our journey. Who knows how long it’ll take for Ukraine to descend into the level of chaos we’re waiting for?”

Rafael muttered under his breath, “I feel like it could happen in just a week or two—the fire in Ukraine might turn everything to ashes.” (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is the greatest motivation for me. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)