Mercenary’s War

Chapter 2368 - 2344: Change

Gao Yang is a mercenary.

Everyone in Satan is a mercenary, there’s no doubt about it.

Mercenaries fight for money, regardless of the type of battle, but mercenaries definitely fight for money, no matter how easy or difficult the battle.

Fighting for money can also be understood as fighting for interest, which means that no matter how nice-sounding the words are, no matter how many deeds of keeping promises have been shown, as long as they encounter risks far outweighing the rewards, mercenaries are likely to retreat.

In the end, fighting for money is for living to enjoy the rewards gained by taking great risks, so if they really encounter a task with extremely high pay but certain death, Satan will definitely not proceed with it.

Undoubtedly, they won’t take on tasks confirming certain death, but for tasks already accepted, if found the risk far exceeds the gain and might lead to certain death, then they can only choose to abandon it, placing professional ethics and reputation as secondary.

There is another way to carry on with high-risk tasks rather than opting out, that is to increase the pay, raise it to a level proportional to the risks, then even tasks confirming certain death might be undertaken.

There are many people in this world who would risk their lives for money, for various reasons, such people are never lacking, but Satan is not among them; they truly don’t need to die for money.

Under Gao Yang’s leadership, Satan hasn’t accepted tasks for money for a very long time.

Although they haven’t made little money, it wasn’t earned in the mercenary way.

For a long time now, Satan has been fighting, but purely for survival, though these battles come with decent returns, they certainly don’t qualify as tasks.

When fighting for survival, naturally one doesn’t consider risks or rewards, nor can they consider them.

Satan hasn’t been in their proper business for a long time, but this time coming to Yemen for combat is a true return to their roots.

Only, in Yemen the task has no employer.

Or rather, for the task in Yemen, Satan’s employer is themselves.

Hiring themselves to undertake high-risk, high-reward missions in Yemen, if successful, they can retire as wealthy; if not, everything ends.

But regardless of who the employer is, whether themselves or others, no matter how big the risks or rewards in Yemen, a task remains a task.

Tasks are there to choose, choose to fight or not fight, to retreat or not retreat.

Therefore, for the battle in Yemen, Gao Yang must adhere to one principle: never sacrifice everyone’s life in Satan for this task.

If things are impossible, then withdraw quickly, absolutely must avoid casualties.

If the risk exceeds the rewards, then withdraw quickly.

If the rewards far exceed the risks, even if knowing from the start that success is certain but demands numerous lives in exchange, Gao Yang’s choice is still just one: withdraw.

Because for Gao Yang, every person in Satan is incredibly important to him, no amount of money can compare, so ensuring the safety of every action in Yemen is his principle and the tone of the Yemen battle.

Having set the tone, what Gao Yang will do in the upcoming battle becomes quite evident.

Ensure safety, let others take the dangerous matters first, if there are cannon fodders, then utilize them to deplete the enemy’s strength rather than sacrificing his own people.

If someone familiar with Gao Yang sees his current approach, they’ll certainly say you’ve changed.

Indeed, Gao Yang has changed, becoming more realistic and more cold-blooded than before; he definitely wouldn’t sacrifice his own blood or life for some strangers who merely fight alongside him.

It’s actually quite odd if Gao Yang never changed, people are bound to grow, and Gao Yang has so many good mentors and friends around him.

By good mentors and friends, it doesn’t necessarily mean they only teach good things, does it?

For Gao Yang, who are his good mentors and friends? It’s Yarebin, Morgan, Nate, Grand Ivan, and many others living life on the edge of a knife; can such good mentors and friends really teach Gao Yang virtues like humility and courtesy?

Therefore, Gao Yang’s choice is among the most common in mercenaries, truly nothing strange about it.

Why do people hate mercenaries? Because mercenaries are inherently the kind of people especially reviled!

Thus, as a mercenary, Gao Yang’s hard-hearted and cold-blooded nature is normal, correct.

The present Gao Yang would gratify Yarebin, who’d surely say delightedly that the lad can be taught.

If Gao Yang kept his virtues, maybe Yarebin would have shot him, because for Yarebin, a young man full of chivalry under his teaching who doesn’t change over time would be deserving of death.

Gao Yang has already changed, the most affected are not those around him, such as Satan Mercenary Corps members, for he never changed nor will ever change towards them.

The most affected are those temporary comrades around Gao Yang, the old Gao Yang would definitely choose to lead Satan into the most dangerous fight seeing heavy casualties among temporary comrades, often feeling guilty towards Satan’s comrades for this.

Now, Gao Yang would merely watch those unrelated to him dying one by one, never swapping them for his own members to risk.

Though in his heart, Gao Yang does feel quite tormented.

Because the second attack by the Dagger Assault Team also failed.

Two attacks, two failures, the price was twenty-seven deaths and over thirty injuries.

This number of casualties isn’t really large, but it depends on the place; in Middle Eastern battles, a fierce fight with a dozen deaths is normal, truth be told, people here are better at playing with explosions than fighting hard with real weapons.

The heavy casualties of the Dagger Assault Team made Salim somewhat unstable, but after several hesitations, he held back from discussing anything with Gao Yang, though he decided if the third attempt leads to similar casualties, he’ll have to say something because he can’t watch Houthis Armed Forces die continuously.

As for Gao Yang, his heart is tormented because sending people to death ultimately leaves him feeling painful and helpless, rather than joyful, even though the two utterly failed attacks by the Dagger Assault Team provided him great insights into the enemy’s combat style, approximate strength, and deployment.

If insisting on safety, to avoid any risk, Gao Yang should essentially send the Dagger Assault Team to launch several more attacks, because although they may fail to succeed, he could injure the enemy in their counterattacks during the Dagger Assault Team’s offense; doing this a few more times, when Satan personally initiates the attack, it would certainly be much safer.

However, Gao Yang’s progress is ultimately limited, he knows the right action to take, but his tormented conscience or habits restrain him from proceeding.