In a small town called "Nuhud," on the edge of Darfur.
Two military trucks were parked in the desert 5 kilometers outside the town. Though covered with a green tarp, Joga's pickup truck wasn't suited for crowded places. After downing a bottle of mineral water in the passenger seat, Joga took out his phone and called Mr. Huang.
"Hello, Mr. Huang, I've arrived. I'm 5 kilometers north of Nuhud, at an abandoned village. It should be easy to find."
Mr. Huang's voice on the other end was excited. "Okay, okay, I'm on my way."
Joga hung up and turned to Kaman. "The client will be here soon. Get changed and put on your bulletproof vest. Don't complain about the trouble; we need to look professional."
Dressed in desert camouflage with a sand scarf around his neck, Kaman nodded, stepped out of the truck, and retrieved his gear from the back seat: tactical vest, AK-74, six magazines, hunting knife, pistol, radio, and a fisherman's hat. Within minutes, this black guy transformed into a professional elite, looking at least ten times more intimidating than he did before.
The only downside was that Kaman was too thin to really project menace.
Niss was in worse shape; she was too good-looking, and even in military attire, she still looked like a young woman, lacking the intimidating aura of a battle-hardened killer.
The legendary aura of someone who has killed many seemed completely absent. If you didn't spend time with Kaman and Niss or look closely at their eyes, you wouldn't sense their violent pasts. Instead, you might see Kaman as simple and Niss as shy.
Among the three, only Joga, standing at nearly 1.9 meters tall, had a commanding presence, but as the boss, he lacked subordinates who could uphold his authority, which was quite frustrating for him. Even with two additional subordinates, it seemed they weren't much help in business negotiations.
If Joga were negotiating with dangerous individuals, and if he couldn't hold his own, it would be like announcing a "welcome to the black market" sign above his head.
Joga wasn't carrying his rifle but had opted for a simple tactical vest with two pistols strapped to his right leg and lower back. Looking at Kaman leaning against the truck with his AK-74, Joga joked, "I need to find someone who looks like a killer to stand behind me. Otherwise, people won't be scared of me. That 'Buffalo' from Damazin would have been perfect, but you took him out with one slash."
Kaman frowned and replied, "'Buffalo' was just a hot-headed fool. Guys like that don't last long in a fight."
Joga laughed, "But people would be afraid when they saw him. Most people are good-hearted and not inclined toward violence, so a strong appearance can be intimidating. It's beneficial for my business. Having someone with a fearsome presence around would make negotiations easier."
Kaman wasn't used to Joga's logic and shook his head. "Kindness supported by violence has meaning. A strong appearance doesn't work against real warriors and can even provoke conflict. Someone like 'Buffalo' wouldn't do. If you don't mind using women, there's a female hunter from the 'Kusoa Tribe' who fled from Central Africa. She should meet your needs. 'Buffalo' wouldn't last a single slap from her."
Joga understood that Kaman approached work from a practical standpoint. For Kaman, excessive strength was meaningless because even if you had an eight-pack, it wouldn't stop his knife. More importantly, excessive strength meant more energy consumption, which was a burden for someone constantly on the move across the grasslands.
Joga had only made a joke, but Kaman had actually suggested a candidate. The female hunter from the Kusoa Tribe, named Ayu, was someone Joga had seen from a distance but never interacted with. Women who took on male roles in Africa were quite extraordinary, and Ayu's story was legendary.
In the Kusoa Tribe, both men and women were typically very strong. The men naturally had six-pack abs and armored chests, but they treated women in a very primitive and harsh manner. When Ayu was pregnant and about to give birth, according to tribal tradition, she had to squat alone in the yard, supporting herself with a stick. After a difficult childbirth led to the baby's death, she was subjected to inhumane abuse by her enraged husband. Despite being weakened by childbirth, she managed to kill all the men in her household with her bare hands and escape into the grasslands, where she survived.
After wandering for years, Ayu was taken in by a small Ernul tribe, which eventually disappeared due to a war with the Kadin. Ayu then ended up in Damazin, eventually becoming one of the few female hunters in Africa.
When Joga first saw Ayu from a distance, he thought she was a man. Her strength was the only impression she left on him. Now that Kaman had mentioned her, Joga had a new idea.
Originally, Joga planned to open a helicopter rental company in Damazin, but now he wondered why not start a hunting company or even a safari tourism company. Regardless of the business prospects, having such a company would allow him to legally carry firearms and use helicopters freely.
The most interesting part was that Damazin was close to Ethiopia, so he could establish companies in both places and buy land to build bases. Running back and forth between the two locations would provide convenient answers to many otherwise difficult-to-explain issues.
Damazin already had available personnel. With only two hunters in the area, and if he brought Ayu on board, Joga could monopolize the hunting market in Damazin. Foreigners going there often sought local officials, and the arrangements for food, lodging, and transportation were a hassle for the locals, who struggled to satisfy their clients.
Joga thought he could expand further, building some lodges and a general store to sell daily necessities and safari essentials. If he could obtain a 'gun permit' in the name of the hunting company to sell or rent rifles, that would be even better. Damazin was different from Khartoum; it was remote and far from oil fields, so no one paid much attention to it.
With some money to bribe local law enforcement, as long as the company genuinely benefited the local community, opening such a business shouldn't be too problematic.
As Joga was lost in these thoughts, several vehicles quickly approached them.
Niss instinctively withdrew and found a place for cover, fulfilling her role as a sniper.
Meanwhile, Kaman, realizing the boss's needs, stood straighter with his AK-74, trying to appear more professional behind Joga.
Joga watched as Mr. Huang got out of the lead vehicle, followed by a white man and several obviously tough young men.
He smiled and walked up to shake Mr. Huang's hand, saying, "Mr. Huang, I didn't let you down. The goods are in the truck. Do you need to inspect them?"