Give the big stick first, then the carrot.
To get the other side to obediently spit out information, a single threat of violence and death is not the best method.
The world is never short of one-dimensional guys, and you may not get the information you want if you only use violence and death threats.
And it is at this point that appropriate material temptation becomes necessary.
Sixty thousand dollars in a bag doesn't count as an amazing material temptation for someone living in a developed country.
But for these terrorists living in Afghanistan, that $60,000 is enough to completely change their lives.
With the 60,000 dollars, they could have smuggled themselves to other countries and started a normal life again, instead of staying in this shithole mountainous area and living in fear.
Many people assume that terrorists join terrorist organizations because of their faith.
But the truth is that, except for those terrorists who are not so short of money, most of the terrorists go down this crooked path because they are so poor that they can't even make ends meet anymore.
People, they always have to live!
Don't expect people to have any high morals or sentiments if they can't even live.
Looking around at the bodies of their companions and at the dollars in the bag, these terrorists made a quick choice.
Granted, everyone is a freedom fighter against the U.S. military, but it's not like they're in the Ten Rings gang.
Sacrificing one's life to keep a secret for the Ten Commandments Gang is a fool's errand.
A few minutes later, Russell had the general intel.
These terrorists in front of him weren't sure exactly where Tony was being held, but the Ten Rings gang probably had strongholds in those places.
There are three strongholds in all.
The worst luck is just three runs.
Not much of a problem.
Russell pulled out the map to check where the terrorists had said they were, then put it back away.
"Thank you for your cooperation with the dollars in the bag, just ..."
He scanned the thirty or so terrorists who had fallen to their knees, as if deciding who to give the dollars to.
But that is not the case.
As he spoke, an arm-thick black tentacle sprang out of his back.
As these terrorists watched, Black Tentacle picked up the Gatling machine gun that he had set aside.
This is ...
Just as these terrorists were looking with incredulity at the black tentacles gushing out from his back, the Gatling machine gun opened fire.
Da da da da da da da da ...
Fierce gunfire erupted, and bullets flew at the terrorists like a torrential downpour.
These terrorists didn't even have a chance to get up before they were swept to pieces by the Gatling machine guns.
Once all the terrorists in front of him had been sent to Allah with Gatling machine guns, Russell stood up and picked up the bag from the ground.
The $60,000 was indeed what he used to tempt these terrorists.
But temptation being temptation, he didn't think about giving them that money.
It's all hard-earned money that he's earned under fire!
He wouldn't have hesitated if the money had been spent on Diana.
But spend it on these terrorists, he's a hundred percent reluctant.
After picking up the bag, a few more black tentacles surged out of him, picking up the rocket launcher, rifle, sniper rifle, and other weapons he had brought with him.
After walking back to his SUV parked a few hundred meters away from the village, he started the vehicle and headed towards the nearest Ten Rings gang stronghold.
Somewhere in the mountains.
One of the Ten Commandments gang's strongholds.
The dimly lit cave.
Tony, who had just been asked by the Ten Commandments gang to make a Jericho missile, sat in front of the fireplace and looked at the flames in front of him with a forlorn expression.
At his feet sat a battery for vehicle use.
The battery was connected to a solenoid in his chest, stopping the shrapnel from entering his heart.
"Stark, your people must be looking for you, but inside the mountains, they'll have a hard time finding this place."
"As you just saw, those weapons out there are your handiwork, your life's work has fallen into the hands of those murderers, and that's how you want to leave the world?"
"Is this the final defiance of the great Tony Stark?"
Ethan, wearing a suit and thin-rimmed glasses, sat next to Tony and said slowly.
"Why should I even waste my energy, they'll kill me sooner or later, and even if they don't, I'll only live for a week."
Tony pointed to the electromagnet on his chest.
The electromagnet in his chest had saved his life for the time being, but that would only last a week at best.
After a week, the battery runs out of juice and the shrapnel enters his heart, leaving him to die in agony.
"All the more reason for you to get a grip, then, isn't it?"
Ethan continued.
Maybe it was being talked to by Ethan, more likely it was Tony's desire to live that had risen up.
No one wants to die somehow, and that's especially true of Tony, who has grown up accustomed to a life of capitalist depravity.
There was a great life waiting for him out there, and he wasn't going to die a painful death in a cave in Afghanistan.
Tony's eyes regained their sparkle and a self-help plan quickly flashed through his mind.
Ten minutes or so later.
"If this is my workroom, I want the place to stay well lit."
"Welding table, welding equipment, helmet, goggles, crucible, two sets of cutting tools ..."
Tony spoke his demands to Ethan, who translated his words to the Ten Rings terrorists.
Tony's side was feverishly rearranging the cave and preparing to save himself.
Russell, on the other hand, drives to the first stronghold of the Ten Rings gang.
The first stronghold was not very far from the village he had just been in.
It's only like an hour or so if you drive there.
The distance isn't too far, but the road conditions here are not typically bad.
To make matters worse, he was now driving an off-road vehicle with a ride that was not considered comfortable at all.
Russell feels like a rally driver right now, driving an off-road vehicle that's not at all comfortable, barreling down pristine mountain roads where people are rare.
Using a "Scandinavian" pendulum to shift weight, Russell, who doesn't normally do much mountain running, drifted down a dusty mountain road.
If it weren't for the fact that there were no drains on the mountain roads here, he would have wanted to try the big-name drain overcuts.
Relying on driving skills that were rough with some finesse, it only took Russell an hour to arrive at the first stronghold of the Ten Rings gang.
After a nice dump stop, the already not very superior performance of the SUV made an unbearable sound, and a constant white smoke drifted up from the hood.
Before he could even get out of the car, members of the Ten Commandments gang over a hundred meters away opened fire towards him.
Bang Bang Bang Bang ...
Bullets hit the car like rain, and the sound of clanking and crashing continued to ring out.
He was still a kilometer away when the members of the Ten Commandments Gang in the stronghold spotted him.
It's actually pretty hard not to notice.
The flying dust kicked up by the buggy's wild ride and drift pointed out his location as clearly as a sign.