Mercenary’s War

Gao Yang expressed his views on miracles and also made his attitude clear, which is that he will continue to make the greatest effort to search for Hammer’s whereabouts.

Yarebin remained indifferent, calmly saying, "Miracles do happen, but the reason they are called miracles is because they occur so infrequently, so never count on a miracle to happen, as I’ve taught you."

"I know miracles don’t happen every time, but as long as it’s not confirmed that Hammer is dead, there is still hope. With hope, one must strive; miracles may not occur every time, but what if this time it does, and we’ve done nothing? Teacher, the prerequisite for a miracle is that we have put in the effort."

Yarebin sighed, his tone no longer indifferent, but rather painfully said, "Gao, you are very stubborn, I can’t change you, but this time is different."

If Hammer were still alive, it would certainly mean rescuing him at all costs, and if he were dead, the aim would be to retrieve his body at all costs. This is Gao Yang’s style, and Yarebin clearly knows it.

After a pause, Yarebin said quietly, "Hammer, he’s not quick-tempered, but he likes adventure, he likes to walk on the edge of danger, which means Hammer’s methods are full of unpredictability, so,

when carrying out espionage tasks like intelligence gathering, subversion, assassination, and infiltration, the executor needs to be given a very high degree of freedom and the authority for instant decision-making, this is unavoidable, no one can foresee what situations they might encounter. Hammer is not suited to carry out tasks alone, nor is he suited to be used as a field operator. The best way to use him is to give him a clear order, tell him where the boundaries are, and not to cross them."

After slowly explaining Hammer’s personality issues, Yarebin paused again and then said somewhat wearily, "Many years have passed, I’ve known Hammer won’t change because personality doesn’t alter with age, but I feel like the opponents now are different from before. Hammer always wanted to take on those tasks I once refused to let him undertake. I’m old, he’s old too, I wanted to give him a chance to fulfill his long-standing desires, but I was wrong."

Gao Yang said urgently, "No, teacher..."

"Don’t interrupt me. Having Hammer handed over to you was to fulfill his desires because he might not have the same opportunity later. But I never told you how to use Hammer, nor did I tell you about his personality flaws. This is my mistake; I admit the error and take responsibility for Hammer’s death. Gao, don’t blame yourself for Hammer’s death, it’s not related to you."

Gao Yang said softly, "But teacher, Hammer isn’t dead yet. He might really die, but until we confirm it, who can say that a miracle isn’t going to happen?"

Yarebin said, somewhat sorrowful but extremely confident, "Hammer will certainly die; this is his basic quality as a Black Demon. I know Hammer has personality flaws, but I also know that Hammer is absolutely one of the best Black Demons. He would not allow himself to survive when escape is impossible. In this, I have faith in him."

Yarebin was gradually stripping away the last remnants of hope Gao Yang had.

Yes, as a Black Demon, how could one permit oneself to be captured alive?

Gao Yang gave up and remained silent.

Yarebin said with a hint of sadness, "As for the body, I don’t care. Do not pay any price for a corpse; we’re atheists, no one cares how a corpse with no consciousness is dealt with after death. I, Hammer, all the same, when we joined the Black Demon, everyone prepared their minds for everything. Trust me, how one is handled after death is not within our consideration."

Gao Yang still said nothing because he didn’t know what to say.

Yarebin continued rambling, "So then, don’t waste any resources on a corpse, it’s meaningless, it’s not worth it, just let it be."

The heart of Gao Yang, already in despair, seemed to have been injected with a strong dose of encouragement, and he regained a glimmer of hope. Hence, he resolutely said, "I was already in despair, but your words reminded me, teacher, since we haven’t seen Hammer’s corpse, we can’t say he’s dead."

Yarebin was about to speak, but this time Gao Yang hurriedly said to avoid being interrupted, "Teacher, I believe in the abilities of the Black Demons, but as long as they are human, they will inevitably make mistakes. If failing to commit suicide was a mistake by Hammer, could it be he failed for some reason? What if he was captured alive? Teacher, you say Hammer is certainly dead, and without evidence, isn’t that absolutism? Isn’t that empiricism?"

Yarebin lightly laughed, "You’re right, that indeed is absolutism and empiricism. But, my good student, I like that you have independent thinking capabilities and that you have your own principles, but this time, this time..."

Gao Yang knew Yarebin was not as indifferent as he sounded, because if Yarebin didn’t actually care about Hammer’s fate, he wouldn’t be talking so much.

Yarebin was advising Gao Yang, while also persuading himself to accept the fact that Hammer was dead.

Gao Yang said softly, "Hammer alive is my man, dead is my ghost. If he lives, I must rescue him; if he dies, I must bring back his body."

Yarebin seemed somewhat annoyed as he raised his voice slightly, "I agree with your efforts to confirm Hammer’s fate, but I absolutely forbid you to act irrationally just to retrieve Hammer’s body. Listen to me, when a person dies, there’s nothing left!"

Gao Yang firmly said, "If Hammer is still alive, even knowing that rescuing him might cost many lives, I must save him, teacher. We do not fight for our country; we have no backup. If I don’t care for my brothers, who will? Teacher, if I don’t care for them, who will care for me when I’m in dire straits? Since I know that no matter what happens, my brothers will save me, then as long as it’s my brother, if he’s in danger, I must save him, even if it costs many lives. This isn’t a math problem of one for a few, this is our survival philosophy."

Gao Yang and Yarebin engaged in an argument, a clash of two ideologies.

For the cold-bloodedness of the bigger picture, for the warmth of personal loyalty, who’s right? Who’s wrong?

There’s no right or wrong, just which path you choose. If Yarebin thought like Gao Yang, he wouldn’t be fit to be the leader of the Black Demons. If Gao Yang were to learn to Yarebin’s manner, he wouldn’t be fit to be Satan’s commander.

Ultimately, Yarebin sighed slowly and softly said, "I’ll send Rostotsky and the others to you; I only hope you do your best when things arise but also know when to stop. I have nothing more to teach you; take these two sentences as my final advice."

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