Deng Shiyang hadn’t yet come up with a plan when Harris returned, jogging around the crowd to came the M-Gator.


    Bending down, Deng Shiyang asked, “Where are your men?”


    “They’re assembled and ready, but I didn’t want to provoke the black soldiers, so I left them on standby in the camp,” Harris replied, lifting his shirt to reveal a radio clipped to his belt.


    “Good,” Deng Shiyang nodded. He gestured toward the medics and said, “That man won’t make it. Arrange for a plane and get a vehicle to transport him out.”


    Harris hesitated, giving him a questioning look.


    “I don’t want anyone dying here and giving them an excuse to cause trouble,” Deng Shiyang explained. “I’ll tell them that the man is severely injured and needs to be taken to Gaborone for treatment.” He paused and added, “Just make sure he’s taken away as soon as possible.”


    “Understood,” Harris nodded, stepping aside to use his radio.


    “Listen up,” Deng Shiyang said loudly, drawing the attention of the black soldiers.


    “The injured man’s condition is serious, and we’re preparing to take him to Gaborone. Rest assured, we will do everything we can to save him.”


    After Semler translated this into Portuguese, the crowd erupted into noise once again.


    Deng Shiyang waved impatiently, waiting for the commotion to die down before asking Semler, “What do they want now?”


    “They’re saying they don’t trust us and want to go with him,” Semler replied.


    “Let them pick two representatives to go, but only to the airport,” Deng Shiyang said, pressing his fingers to his temples. “The plane can’t hold more people, and they wouldn’t be of any help there anyway.”


    Just then, a cream-colored Toyota Land Cruiser 79 pickup pulled up near the training ground. Two black men in orange vests jumped out, carrying a stretcher, and quickly loaded the injured soldier into the truck bed. Harris instructed the medics to get in the truck bed too.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    “Time is short. Tell them to decide quickly who will go,” Deng Shiyang said.


    Semler argued with the group of soldiers, urging them to make a decision. After repeated prompting, two of the oldest black soldiers were chosen and, accompanied by Harris, climbed into a Mitsubishi Pajero that followed the Land Cruiser 79 as it left the camp.


    With the injured man taken away, the remaining soldiers had no reason to continue protesting and soon returned to their barracks under Semler’s persuasion.


    Watching the crowd disperse, Deng Shiyang felt a slight sense of relief. He jumped down from the vehicle and pulled Semler aside. “These men are likely to stir up trouble over this. We need to find a way to keep them calm.”


    Semler nodded.


    “Here’s what we’ll do,” Deng Shiyang said after a moment’s thought. “Delay the scheduled training for now and let them rest. Have the boiler room provide hot water early, and tell the kitchen to prepare a better dinner—but never has the wine.”


    “I’ll handle it,” Semler replied, running off.


    Originally planning to escort him back, Deng Shiyang pressed his lips together, then instructed some staff to clean up the training equipment and drove back to the camp in the M-Gator.


    He parked in front of the office building, walked inside, and used the satellite phone to inform Harobi of the incident. The resulting reprimand was harsh.


    Harobi’s scolding was difficult to bear, and Deng Shiyang knew he had no defense. The incident had been partly due to Semler’s negligence in not halting the training when the machine gun malfunctioned, but Deng Shiyang had suggested the overhead live-fire training and approved the setup and equipment. Now, he couldn’t shirk responsibility as the manager.


    Harris returned to the camp before dinner and immediately found Deng Shiyang to report. “The man passed away on the way to the airport, but I managed to keep it under wraps.”


    “You did well,” Deng Shiyang said, giving Harris a light pat on the shoulder. “This accident happened because I failed to oversee properly. I’ll report it ‘truthfully’ to Harobi.” He emphasized ‘truthfully’ to reassure him.


    “Technically, I bear some responsibility as well,” Harris replied, though Deng Shiyang noticed a look of relief on his face.


    After a brief pause, Harris asked with concern, “Is there anything else I can do?”


    “Ensure the boiler room supplies hot water early for the next few days, and tell the kitchen to make the meals more substantial,” Deng Shiyang said. “Also, tighten security around the camp, especially in the barracks and the armory.”


    “I’ll take care of it,” Harris replied.


    Deng Shiyang glanced at his watch and said, “That’s all for now. We’ll discuss the rest when I see Semler later.”