Mercenary’s War
Chapter 1280: 1263 More Useful Than Money

Chapter 1280: Chapter 1263 More Useful Than Money

Gao Yang’s goal was simple: he wanted to be fully armed while traveling across Ukraine without worrying about running into any trouble.

Shava no longer looked as rustic as the first time Gao Yang met him. Although he was wearing a slightly outdated suit, it actually made him seem more normal.

As for Gao Yang’s request, Shava didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he began stroking his chin and calculating.

Alyosha walked up to Shava with a grin, handing him a cigarette Gao Yang had just given him. After lighting it with the lighter Gao had just gifted him as well, he smiled and said, “Big Brother, what kind of business is this? Can’t it be done?”

Shava rolled his eyes at Alyosha and said irritably, “Always so hasty—you never learn. Huh? What kind of cigarette is this?”

Gao Yang chuckled, “Huaxia cigarettes—not easy to get here. I’ll bring you guys some later.”

Shava nodded and then, with a solemn look on his face, said to Gao Yang, “The things you want—vehicles are easy to get, uniforms are even easier, and so are credentials. But wanting to move freely across Ukraine without being stopped is a bit tricky. Right now, tensions are high.”

Gao Yang was here to do business with Shava, not to beg him. He simply shrugged and smiled, “That’s why I’m asking if you can get it done. If not, I’ll just have to buy it from someone else.”

After taking a few hard drags of his cigarette, Shava shook his head at Gao Yang and said, “The stuff you need, I can mostly handle, but one thing—if you want to move freely across the whole country and you’re pretending to be Ukrainian soldiers, that’s different. You’ll need deployment orders. With those, you can go wherever you want, no problem. But deployment orders are complicated. You can’t carry orders for Vinnytsia and then end up in Chernikov. Your request is too broad. If you want to go from Kiev to a specific place, that’s manageable. But what you want—freedom to move everywhere—is very tough.”

The military is different from other groups. If Gao Yang and his team were traveling across Ukraine as civilians, there’d be no problem. But since the war hasn’t fully broken out yet, driving around with a pickup truck loaded with cannons is definitely asking for trouble. Given the urgency of dealing with the Iron Madonna trap, disguising themselves as military personnel was the only way to move fully armed and unimpeded.

Gao Yang simply made his request; whether it could be fulfilled was Shava’s problem. So he said nothing, continuing to smile at Shava.

Shava flicked away his spent cigarette butt, clapped his hands firmly, and said gravely, “Give me ten minutes, and I’ll let you know if it’s doable.”

Gao Yang checked his watch and then smiled, “Sure, no problem.”

Shava glanced around and said loudly, “Whether it works out or not, at least our transaction has been pleasant. I must treat you to a drink.”

Discussing business over drinks wasn’t exclusive to the Huaxia people. Gao Yang smiled and said, “Once the deal is closed, definitely drinks on me, partner. I’ve got some private reserves with me—best damn booze in the world.”

Shava grinned, “Alright, let me try your liquor. Let’s eat at your hotel since it’s close by. You go up first; we’ll meet you later.”

Gao Yang nodded, pointed at the truck packed with weapons, and said to Shava, “With all this stuff, it doesn’t feel right to stay at the hotel anymore. Got any spots you’d recommend for us?”

Shava frowned, “Plenty of places, but there’s no need to move just because of this stuff. If you trust me, I can drive the truck away for you. When you need it, just give me a call and I’ll deliver it quickly.”

Gao Yang smiled, extended his hand to Shava, and said, “Great, then I’ll trouble you with that. See you later.”

After saying goodbye to Shava, the three of them returned to the hotel. On the way, Gao Yang lowered his voice and said, “There’s a lot to handle right now. Let’s see if Shava can meet our requirements. I’ll go upstairs and call Angel and Krulney to check in. You two handle the other preparations.”

After finishing, Gao Yang thought for a moment, looked at Li Jinfang seriously, and said, “Make sure to drink them all under the table.”

Li Jinfang replied firmly, “Understood.”

After returning to his room and making several calls, Gao Yang confirmed there was no way to take action that day. He then stepped out just in time to see Little Donnie carrying a case of whiskey from his room—whiskey from Jansen’s family, the most premium kind.

Gao Yang walked over, took out two bottles from the case, and said gravely, “Put the rest back—two bottles are enough. Eileen, Eileen, give me some of your cigarettes.”

Eileen and the others were scattered across three street-facing rooms, monitoring everything happening outside earlier. But now, there was no need.

Eileen handed Gao Yang a whole pack of cigarettes and asked solemnly, “What happened earlier?”

After opening the pack, Gao Yang dumped most of the cigarettes out, leaving only four boxes. Then he smiled, “A little misunderstanding. Nothing serious. Here, the rest are yours. Cigarettes aren’t as precious in bulk. We’re off to have dinner with Shava. Since you haven’t shown your faces yet, there’s no need for you to go.”

After speaking, Gao Yang grinned at Little Donnie and said, “Hurry and ship over a batch of cigarettes and liquor. These things are sometimes more useful than money here. Can you pull it off?”

Little Donnie shrugged, “Piece of cake. Air freight—get here tomorrow.”

By the time the three of them arrived at the restaurant, Shava was already there. Perhaps not wanting to seem distrustful of Gao Yang, he didn’t bring anyone else except for Alyosha.

When Gao Yang saw Shava, he walked straight over, sat down across from him, placed the bottles on the table, and smiled, “Try this—Scotch whiskey.”

The food hadn’t even been ordered yet, but the liquor had already been poured. Gao Yang was the first to raise his glass and smiled, “To friendship.”

After downing their drinks, Shava nodded repeatedly, “This is good stuff. Really good!”

Gao Yang laughed loudly, looking proud. “Of course it’s good. This liquor is rare—limited edition—only 99 bottles a year, 5,999 British Pounds each! But the real trick isn’t the price; it’s buying two bottles.”

Shava and Alyosha’s eyes lit up. They were doing pretty well for themselves, but it was clear they hadn’t reached the level of gangster bosses with grandiose airs.

“That expensive?”

Shava and Alyosha said in unison as their gazes locked onto the bottles. Gao Yang laughed heartily, pushed an almost empty cigarette pack forward, and said, “Not many left—try it out. If you like it, I’ll get you more later.”

(To be continued. If you enjoyed this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation votes or monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation! Mobile users, head over to m.qidian.com to read.)