Chapter 13: 13: The Trustworthy Blue Hat

The flight went smoothly, looking out at the vast savannah of South Sudan from the cockpit was a far more delightful experience than the suffocatingly hot misfortune at Kamu.

Joe Ga decided that in the future he would shuttle between Ad-Damazin and Kamu, aiming to stay in Ad-Damazin as much as possible.

Since his client base had already stabilized, he no longer needed to nervously approach Mine Bosses at Kamu restaurants when they were in a good mood and strike up conversations like when he first started.

There was a circle of businesses investing in Sudan because of Kamu's port in Sudan, where materials from China could be relayed, thus quickly forming an information-sharing network among investors in Sudan and South Sudan.

The name 'Hu Lang' could be easily found within this network by anyone who took the time to inquire.

Private mine operators or enterprises in remote places all had needs for security.

Unfortunately, security personnel in this area earned only one to two US Dollars per day—how could they be expected to risk their lives fighting unruly Tribes with such meager pay? Not running away and selling you out was already a show of professional ethics.

The private bosses daring enough to invest in South Sudan were ruthless folks; naturally, they were happy to buy a few guns.

They weren't afraid of the local government because they not only provided jobs but also paid taxes.

Also, due to the adaptable nature of the Chinese people, they generally managed good relations with local government officials, but they really couldn't handle the numerous Tribes, and in fact, the local governments couldn't manage those Tribes either.

In such situations, those bosses almost always chose to buy guns without hesitation to ensure their own safety.

In the past three years, Joe Ga had never had any issues with the items he'd sold, so his credibility was good and his reputation had even spread to circles of bosses in Ethiopia, Central Africa, and Chad. He didn't need to stick to Kamu anymore; a necessary visit once in a while was sufficient.

Ad-Damazin, with its agreeable temperature and enchanting scenery, appealed to Joe Ga even more.

What was best, though, was that Ad-Damazin was close to Ethiopia; if the right opportunity arose, he could tap into that market.

Now that he had no worries back home, he started to aspire to take a high-end route.

He decisively abandoned the petty methods of the past, faced the financial power of the big tycoons head-on, and would no longer rely on AKs as his main product.

Perhaps after working for another couple of years, he could return home in glory, honestly find a wife, and live out the rest of his life in happiness.

Joe Ga enjoyed the beautiful scenery for several hours. When the airplane's indicator was about to align with the destination, he forcefully woke up Sayram, who was sleeping soundly, and called out, "Wake up, we've arrived. Do you want me to handle the landing?"

Revitalized, Sayram rubbed his eyes, applied some menthol oil under his nose, then after shivering, he took hold of the joystick and took control of the plane.

He circled in the air near Wau and quickly located their destination, then the plane began to descend.

Finally, on a relatively smooth rural dirt road, they safely completed the landing.

Aside from never having enough to drink, Sayram was reliable.

When the plane landed, two relatively new pickups carrying fuel drums drove over.

Not only did they need to refuel the plane, but one of the pickups was also a second-hand Island Nation model that Li Wei had asked Sayram to help purchase; in this region, these pickups were very cheap.

For 4000 US Dollars, Joe Ga acquired an essentially disposable Island Nation pickup.

Because Joe Ga promised to give them the vehicle after he was done with it, the locals who came to meet them were very enthusiastic.

Due to accent issues, communication was not very smooth. The local people basically all spoke English, but sometimes their accents were really bizarre, making it hard to understand.

Joe Ga squeezed out a smile to greet Sayram's friend, then pulled out a large bag of candy to distribute to the children who gathered around. Next, he signalled Karman to load several boxes filled with ammunition onto the pickup truck.

He warned Sayram not to drink today and that they must set off to return to Ad-Damazin the next morning. Then, Joe Ga jumped into the vehicle, pulling Karman and the ammunition away from the farm towards Wau.

The roads were mostly built with Chinese aid and were very well maintained, so Joe Ga's vehicle could travel fast.

On the way, they passed a large refugee camp and then a UN peacekeeping camp. Joe Ga, feeling bold, stopped at the edge of the camp, rolled down the window, and greeted a group of blue-shirted soldiers tending a vegetable garden. Surprisingly, he was enthusiastically handed a large bag of vegetables.

To be honest, Joe Ga was very moved. On the road, Karman, curious and noticing Joe Ga's exceptionally good mood, asked, "Boss, why are you so happy? Are those soldiers your friends?" S~eaʀᴄh the ηovёlFire .net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

Joe Ga shook his head and responded, "No, they are fellow countrymen and certainly reliable ones at that. If I ever encounter trouble here, they'll be the first ones I'd turn to for help."

As he spoke, Joe Ga suddenly paused, then shook his head and added, "Of course, I shouldn't really consider myself a good guy right now, so it's best not to trouble them."

Karman, somewhat puzzled, asked, "You trust the military?"

"I trust our military!"

Hearing Joe Ga's firm response, Karman nodded and said, "I've heard about those soldiers. They are different from other countries' peacekeeping troops. They've built more roads for remote villages than the southern SD government, and all for free.

It's a pity Africa doesn't have such an army!"

Joe Ga didn't want to discuss the military issues with Karman. Africa is a place full of fantasies where people can be either very innocent or very cruel, lacking a reliable government. For Africa people, having an army could be a disaster.

It's really no joke, the military governments in Africa are generally very terrifying!

Karman's sentiments didn't last long, as Joe Ga's vehicle soon stopped at the front of a Chinese restaurant.

Checking the time, Joe Ga took out his phone and made a call. In just a few words, Lu Jun, whom he hadn't seen for a few days, quickly came out of the restaurant.

Seeing Joe Ga in the driver's seat, Lu Jun enthusiastically opened the car door, smiling and saying, "Since Brother Wolf has come, you must come in and have something to eat and drink."

At another time, Joe Ga might have agreed, but he still had over a hundred kilometers to cover, so he could only apologetically say, "Lu Jun, I still have clients to meet today, so I'll have to pass on your offer.

We can get together another time. If you need anything, just call me directly.

Not to hide it from you, this is my first time on this route, but the first time means there will be a second. Next time, whatever you need will be easier."

After hearing this, Lu Jun first stuffed a package containing a hundred thousand in cash into the car; then he said with slight regret, "I wanted to have a meal with Brother Wolf, but it seems we'll have to wait until next time."

Seeing the polite manner in which Lu Jun spoke, Joe Ga hesitated for a moment and then said, "Lu Boss, you still need to be careful here. Even though a peace agreement was reached, the Karman tribesmen militias aren't very reasonable."

Lu Jun listened and nonchalantly waved his hand, saying, "The small gold mine I'm in charge of is just for show, it doesn't matter whether it's mined or not.

Most of my family's investments here are in agriculture, teaching locals how to farm. As long as we don't interfere with the oil pipelines, there are no conflicts with the locals."

Joe Ga wasn't too optimistic about the carefree Lu Jun. Southern SD isn't a place where reason prevails. Who knows, the Karman president might have a spat with the Benno vice-president and turn the place back into hell.

But they weren't that close, so it wasn't Joe Ga's place to say much. Besides, if the other guy had extraordinary abilities, speaking out of turn might make him the butt of jokes.