The originally mundane question suddenly made Jillian's face change drastically.
"Have you been secretly observing me all along?"
"Does that even need observing?"
Gu Ji grinned as he wiped all the blood off his face: "When Jamie was carried away by the military medic, apart from the bodies of the thugs lined up, was there anything else in the open space that the crowd had cleared?"
Jillian's eyes kept changing, "Who sent you here exactly? Who's backing you?"
"Didn't I already say, the former Seoul, South Korea local..."
"I'm asking about now! Just a local Police Headquarters couldn't reach this far into Africa!"
Jillian furrowed her brows, tinged with anger, "Jamie and I not only revealed our bottom card but also helped you deal with the thugs, yet you still haven't revealed your true identity. Tell me, is this how your organization cooperates?"
"Alright then..."
Gu Ji pondered for a moment, "I'm from 7472."
"7472?"
Jillian was visibly startled by the numbers, "What kind of organization number is that? I've only heard of South Korea's 707th Special Operations Camp..."
Gu Ji's expression suddenly turned serious:
"Codename 7472, known as 'the special forces among special forces', selects members from elite mil-pol special operations, mainly undertaking special mission tasks, conducting counter-terrorism and anti-infiltration, and I'm one of the members."
Jillian carefully pondered each word, her pupils suddenly dilating, "Codename 7472, you didn't mention South Korea, could it be..."
"Stop! Those who know, know."
Gu Ji suddenly interrupted her, squinted his eyes, and turned around to fumble with the spare ammo pouch on a soldier's body without speaking further.
It's not that he was trying to act enigmatic, but he was afraid that if they continued to lock eyes, he might suddenly break the tension and burst into laughter.
Indeed.
The whole background story of "special forces" and "combat elite" was entirely fabricated, even the "codename 7472" was something he made up on the spot from his university dormitory room number.
However, humans can sometimes be strange; the more absurd something is, the easier it is to believe.
Jillian was slightly stunned, "Alright, I won't press further about your identity, but you should at least tell me why you suddenly took action, right?"
Gu Ji finished changing the magazine, cocked the gun, took a phone out of his pocket, and flashed a few photos he had taken.
Seeing the figures in the photos again, Jillian was very agitated, but after observing for a while, she finally noticed the side profile of a black man in casual clothes next to a few white men in suits, remarkably similar to Colonel Nefid, including the soldier standing by his side who closely resembled the ones they had just confronted.
"So they were in cahoots..."
Jillian was astounded.
Actually, from the moment the government troops didn't find Cohen, Gu Ji had his suspicions. Such a large terminal building, yet such a tiny place, and even after deploying an entire regiment, they found nothing after over half an hour. It's enough to fool a simpleton!
The first wave came so slowly, and then the second wave so swiftly, with the military focusing their efforts heavily on the second-floor international passenger zone, as if afraid people would flee.
Most importantly, either Nefid was too careless, thinking that the role Gu Ji was playing hadn't captured him, or he was overly confident in his military prowess to blatantly lead him away, even reminding to "bring all personal belongings," wasn't it obviously to destroy evidence!
Luckily, his photographic memory didn't go to waste.
"I've shared all my intelligence. Now it's your turn..."
Gu Ji put away his phone, walked to the armored vehicle's back, pulled the latch, kicked it open, and climbed out.
The afternoon sun was slightly dazzling; adapting for a moment, he began to survey his surroundings. Around him was desolate, barren yellow soil covered in weeds, with a few acacia trees scattered about. Looking carefully to the east, the shadow of the airport terminal could be faintly discerned.
It seems they really planned to find a secluded place to eliminate us.
After a moment of inner conflict, Jillian finally stepped out of the vehicle and spoke up, "Actually, Jamie and I came here to investigate the issue of humanitarian aid funding misappropriation. Last year, the United States Agency for International Development provided nearly $400 million for post-war reconstruction in Ethiopia in humanitarian aid. But in April this year, FBI headquarters received an anonymous report: someone in the foundation was suspected of embezzling funds, amounting to $220 million."
"Since the matter impacts diplomatic image, the higher-ups decided to investigate secretly. We've found people in the foundation connected with the Luoao Rebel Army, likely involved in interest transfers, but from your photos just now, it's clear the matter isn't that simple. This involves the PM Company and even the government forces!"
Through her explanation, it became clear that PM Company is a renowned private global high-tech military company in the United States, one of the top ten defense contractors in the world, and a major player in the aerospace, defense, and security fields, with 180 factories worldwide, mainly selling missile defense systems, military drones, and autonomous driving products.
"It seems the massacre of the Amu Tribe and the Laird Airport shooting aren't merely the actions of the Luoao Rebel Army."
Saying this, Gu Ji went to the cockpit and retrieved two phones from Nefid's body—one a military issue, and the other a black, heavily encrypted line requiring facial iris, fingerprint unlock, and a password to access.
"Exactly."
Jillian pulled out her phone and revealed a photo she had stealthily taken at the airport—a tattoo of an eagle grasping a globe and anchor on the inside of a thug's arm, "The Global Eagle is a fundamental element in traditional tattoos for all US military branches, with the anchor symbolizing the sea and land."
"The United States Marine Corps?"
Gu Ji's eyelid twitched. He had initially been puzzled as to why an unknown armed force in Ethiopia would have so many highly tactical soldiers; it turns out they had outside assistance.
"They should be retired mercenaries, a mess stirred by PM Company."
Jillian curiously asked, "While using your tactical headset to eavesdrop during their conversation, didn't you find anything suspicious?"
"It seemed that apart from that bald, tattooed thug, the others spoke English much more fluently than the native Ethiopian language..."
Across from Ningzhou Police Academy is Normal University, where Gu Ji once dated an English major girlfriend during his sophomore year, spending time learning English together, so his grasp on accents and intonation was fairly adept.
PM Company sent mercenaries to assist the Luoao Rebel Army in massacring government civilians, with government officers involved behind the scenes.
But what's in it for the government forces?
It was likely a personal operation of Colonel Nefid's; otherwise, he wouldn't have sent his troops away and brought trusted guards to silence witnesses.
At that moment, the conversation between the middle-aged policeman and the afro-headed man from the second actual checkpoint round suddenly resurfaced in his mind.
Gu Ji felt like he had grasped something, a sudden inspiration flared: "According to my information, the Luoao Rebel Army has connected with the Tigre armed forces, preparing for an all-out war against the government forces. Could it be that PM Company is stirring the pot in secret, aiming to thrust Ethiopia back into large-scale civil war, its goal being to open up the African arms market?"
"Highly likely!"
Jillian's pupils dilated instantly, "Now it's no longer safe here; I'll contact the United States Embassy immediately..."
Just as she pulled out her phone.
[Hidden Objective: Finding the Golden Truth Completed!]
[Calculating Level Settlement Statistics...]