"The H2 has malfunctioned, and we must return. The original plan is now useless. We're only responsible for extracting the three of you; the others will have to retreat via the ground."
A Team's member shouted into Long Zhan's ear, his voice rising above the chaos.
"Retreat via the ground?"
Hearing this, Long Zhan's heart jolted. His first thought was concern for the others still inside the building, but that worry quickly gave way to a surge of excitement.
"I thought there was no hope left, but fate seems to have granted me another chance."
Having resigned himself to giving up on the idea of earning some "extra income," Long Zhan now realized there was still a possibility of laying his hands on the gold Samir had looted. His heart began to burn with renewed fervor.
What he did next perfectly embodied the phrase, "Men die for wealth, birds die for food."
Without hesitation, he abandoned the opportunity to return safely to the base. Unfastening the safety rope he had just secured, he flipped over and slid down the spiral staircase toward the ground.
A Team's member, stunned by Long Zhan's behavior, yelled in disbelief, "What are you doing? Are you crazy?"
"My teammates are still down there. I can't abandon them and leave on my own. We're a team, and no matter what, we fight together."
Long Zhan shouted back, his tone firm and unwavering. His words carried a conviction that left no room for doubt.
And indeed, that conviction was genuine.
While the thought of making a profit lingered in the back of his mind, Long Zhan's other sentiments were entirely heartfelt.
Despite harboring no goodwill toward the U.S. government, as a soldier and a member of a team, he held the utmost respect for every one of his comrades.
A man can be greedy for wealth, lust, or power, but he must never cross his moral boundaries—this was Long Zhan's life credo.
Hearing Long Zhan's words, A Team's member didn't offer any further attempts at persuasion. Instead, he raised both his thumbs high in admiration.
At that moment, Long Zhan's fearless decision to risk his life and refuse to abandon his teammates earned A Team's member's utmost respect.
Meanwhile, Brock, who was preparing to board the helicopter, saw Long Zhan descending and stepped aside from the landing zone in confusion. "What are you doing? Why are you coming back down?"
According to the original plan, Brock and Long Zhan were to escort the hostages to the rooftop and then evacuate with them.
The remaining five members, including Jason and Sonny, were tasked with escorting Samir and would later return to the base on another helicopter.
"There's only one helicopter left, and the others have to retreat via the ground. I can't leave Clay and the others behind. I need to help them."
As Long Zhan answered, he backed away toward the stairwell. By the time he finished speaking, he was already at the door.
He put his night-vision goggles back on, quickly checked his weapon for issues, disengaged the safety, and slipped into the stairwell.
Recalling the layout from memory, he sprinted toward the underground tunnel entrance on the first floor.
His choice of words had been deliberate, highlighting his bond with Clay, a fellow newcomer, before mentioning the rest of B Team. This way, his reasoning seemed natural, avoiding any hint of abruptness.
"Damn it!" Brock cursed as he processed the news. Frustrated, he flipped off the helicopter, venting his anger at A Team's inability to complete their mission.
Abandoning his own evacuation, he gripped his weapon and charged into the stairwell after Long Zhan.
Team spirit. Brotherhood. A bond unbroken.
This unyielding camaraderie, where teammates are treated as family, has always been at the heart of the Navy SEAL ethos, ingrained in every operative.
If even an outsider like Long Zhan could disregard safety and throw himself back into danger, how could Brock—a long-standing B Team member and close friend of Jason—turn into a deserter?
In this moment, one of the purest human emotions was on full display.
Long Zhan and Brock made their decision: they would stand alongside the rest of B Team to see the mission through. The news of their refusal to board the helicopter soon reached the command center via the pilot's report.
Hearing this, Eric and Mandy, who had been on edge, finally felt a sense of relief.
Especially for Long Zhan, a newcomer acting in an auxiliary capacity, his bravery and loyalty toward his comrades elevated their evaluation of him once again.
If they had merely seen promise in Long Zhan before, now they held him in the highest regard.
It was an unreserved recognition of him as a first-tier DG combatant.
---
In the basement.
Jason, leading Sonny and Trent, moved cautiously forward. At the corner, he glanced to the left and spotted a gray curtain blocking the passage.
Light filtered through the edges of the curtain, revealing that the area beyond was brightly lit.
It was almost certainly a basement.
"You go left, I'll go right," Jason signaled to Trent with tactical hand gestures, wary of alarming Samir.
"Got it," Trent nodded in acknowledgment.
Jason resumed watching the curtain, stealthily approaching it. He stopped at its edge, raising his left hand to silently count down with three fingers.
Three... two... one.
As the final finger dropped, Jason swiftly pulled the curtain aside with his left hand, stepping in with a single fluid motion.
His rifle immediately trained on the mid-right, ready to fire at a moment's notice.
Trent followed close behind, slipping through the curtain with practiced agility, his weapon aimed at the mid-left.
Behind the curtain was indeed a basement, and Samir—their target—was hiding inside.
The sudden intrusion left the two sides momentarily frozen, their gazes locking.
Samir, upon seeing the armed U.S. operatives, leapt to his feet in terror, his eyes wide with fear and panic.
Jason's heart sank as his gaze landed on Samir's attire.
Around Samir's torso was a belt of cylindrical objects, connected by wires to a central circuit board. In his hand, he held a white cylindrical device with a conspicuous red button.
It was painfully clear what this was to anyone with a shred of sense.
If Samir detonated the explosives on him, no one in the basement would survive. They would all be buried beneath several meters of rubble.
Jason had no intention of dying here, and he was certain that Samir was not a genuine martyr.
This confidence was one of the reasons Jason had dared to come down and capture him.
Now, reading the fear and hesitation in Samir's eyes, Jason was even more convinced that he didn't want to die. There was a real chance to talk him down and avoid a violent end.
Jason decisively shifted tactics. Instead of issuing threats or shouting commands, he raised his rifle toward the ceiling, doing his best not to agitate Samir.
In a calm, soothing tone, he began to speak, "Hey, buddy. Relax. No need to panic. Let's talk this through."