HLM – Chapter 949 Mercenary

Compared to his university days, Li Xing had changed a lot. He had always been strong, but now his build was even bigger. His head was shaved bald, yet it didn’t give off a rough or delinquent vibe—rather, it made him look honest and straightforward.

The moment Hou Haibo got out of the car, he shouted, “Xing Ye!”

Back in university, because Li Xing was loyal and liked to take on the role of the big brother, their classmates called him “Xing Ye.” It also had something to do with Li Xing’s fondness for watching Stephen Chow TV shows.

Seeing him, Li Xing grinned: “Hou Ye, you came personally to pick me up? I’m a little overwhelmed.”

Wang Bo said, “Get in the car first. It’s too cold outside.”

“Bage, long time no see! Haha, you’re still so thoughtful.” Li Xing rubbed his hands together as he hurried into the car. He was lightly dressed and truly freezing.

Hou Haibo laughed: “Everyone calls him Mayor Wang now. You could even call him ‘Wang the Tycoon.’ We dare not use nicknames like back in university anymore.”

Li Xing laughed, clasping his fists in greeting: “Sorry, Mayor Wang. Which town are you in now?”

Wang Bo replied, “Don’t listen to him rambling. Call me whatever you like. Names are just labels; as long as people understand the meaning behind the label, it’s fine.”

He knew Hou Haibo had deliberately reminded Li Xing, fearing it might anger him. But Wang Bo didn’t have such a petty heart.

Among their classmates, Hou Haibo was closest to Li Xing. Back in school, Hou Haibo was a bit timid, almost like Li Xing’s sidekick, and Li Xing had always taken care of him.

Hearing Wang Bo’s words, both Li Xing and Hou Haibo laughed. Those words reminded them of university life.

Fengcheng was a small city. After a brief chat, they arrived at Zhou Haojie’s new house.

By now, it was late, winter nights were cold, and most guests had already left. Some classmates had gone too, leaving only a few close friends.

Zhou Haojie was waiting outside with a cigarette. Zhang Rui took it from him: “Don’t smoke. Now that you’re married, it’s time to have kids. Hey, the car’s here.”

Years apart had not diminished the bond among these university friends. Their relationships had been sincere, without any entanglements of profit, and Li Xing had helped them a lot back then.

Li Xing got out of the car, and Zhou Haojie led them inside. “Haven’t eaten yet, right? I’ve heated some wine. Xing Ye, I remember your tolerance clearly. Tonight, we won’t stop until drunk.”

“I appreciate it, Old Zhou. But I’ve quit drinking. How about giving me two cigarettes? Smoking keeps me warm too,” Li Xing smiled.

“Really quit?” Wang Bo asked in surprise. This old friend used to drink at least a pound of strong liquor.

Li Xing nodded: “Quit. I swore in front of my father’s grave.”

Hearing this, they couldn’t persuade him to drink anymore.

After entering the house, Li Xing handed a red envelope to Zhou Haojie: “Things aren’t going well right now, not much money. Just a little token.”

Zhou Haojie took it without looking: “Just coming is enough. Honestly, didn’t expect you to show up.”

Li Xing smiled: “I’m a bit late. I had bought a plane ticket, but due to a military exercise, air traffic control canceled the flight. Had to take the train instead, so I got here late.”

He showed a plane ticket.

Zhou Haojie patted his shoulder: “Time doesn’t matter. You’re here. That’s what counts, brother.”

Hou Haibo lit a cigarette for him and said, “Xing Ye, haven’t contacted each other for so many years. Your appearance is really unexpected. Seven or eight years since we last met, right?”

Li Xing exhaled a smoke ring and smiled bitterly: “When you guys graduated, I took leave from the regiment to come back to school. Something like today. Things went awry, timing was off, and by the time I returned, you had all left.”

He pulled out his wallet, containing a few photos. One showed an empty dormitory.

The room was neatly arranged, with only one line of bold calligraphy on the main wall:

“The sword is not yet sheathed, yet upon leaving the door, one is already in the Jianghu!”

“That’s A’Du’s writing. You still remember our dorm location!” Hou Haibo laughed, tears glistening in his eyes.

Seeing the calligraphy, Wang Bo also felt a rush of emotion. After graduation, he had thrown himself into the capital, battered and bruised by the harshness of the city. But eventually, fortune turned, and he soared.

Fan Dong came over and draped an arm around Li Xing’s shoulder: “Enough talking, let’s eat. No wine, just tea. Drink tea instead, until we’re stuffed!”

Li Xing said, “Old classmate, I owe you for some things back then. I was too concerned with my pride…”

“Hey, hey, stop with that nonsense. Old classmates meet, eat, and drink,” Fan Dong interrupted.

It was clear that these years had been tough for Li Xing. His hands were covered with calluses. Perhaps, as rumors suggested, he had even been in prison.

During the meal, Hou Haibo brought up the topic.

Li Xing paused, then laughed heartily: “Who said that? False! Damn it, making up lies about me! But I did leave the regiment early, went abroad, and became a mercenary. I’ve been to several Middle Eastern countries, Syria, and Egypt.”

Everyone was shocked. Wang Bo exclaimed, “You were a mercenary?!”

“Yeah, four years as a mercenary,” Li Xing said. “I was basically a deserter in the regiment. Something happened at home, and I wanted to go back to handle it, but it offended someone powerful.”

“I was scared to death, had to sneak abroad to work. But working didn’t pay well, so I decided to strap my life to my belt and become a mercenary.”

“Later I realized, damn, being a mercenary was actually safer than working illegally abroad. Don’t look at me like that—you’ve been brainwashed by TV and movies. Real mercenary life is boring, miserable, and monotonous.”

Everyone grew curious. Zhou Haojie asked, “Tell us more. Mercenary life boring and miserable? Must be full of insane action!”

Li Xing wolfed down some tenderloin: “Hey, mercenaries are human too. Humans fear death. My team was a bunch of cowards. In battle, we’d just fire a few shots to show off, then hide and idle, aiming for French nationality.”

“Really? And… did you… you know?” Fan Dong wiped his neck nervously.

“Not at all. The only thing was in Syria, we broke a few militia legs. Honestly, how can mercenaries stand against regular armies? We never dared confront them. Their firepower could obliterate us in seconds.”

“Why come back then? Earn enough?”

Li Xing smiled bitterly: “On the contrary, brothers, you don’t make much as a mercenary. I fled before because my family offended the city’s top official. This year that official fell, so I returned.”

“What now, what will you do?”

Li Xing said, “Do what? Work construction. I’ve been on construction sites for eight months. You know, I have no university diploma, no military discharge papers. Hard to find decent work.”