Time swiftly moved into the sixth week, the belated "Cristo" finally arrived at Richards Bay port.


    The day before docking, Sernechevich had already prepared an entry report in accordance with the regulations of the "Commercial Port Authority Management Ordinance," detailing the specifications of the "Cristo" and faxed it to the Richards Bay Port Authority for entry approval. This procedure was something he had done many times as a first officer, so it was routine. However, knowing what the cargo was this time still made him nervous.


    Shortly after Johan Schlink secured the transaction, Daniel Company submitted an arms sales application to the South African government, along with an “End User Certificate” issued by the Burundian government. The documents made their way through the Treasury, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense over three weeks of bureaucratic processing, accumulating additional paperwork as they passed through various departments. By the time the approval was granted, the application had grown from a few pages to a thick dossier. The military-green crates containing weapons and ammunition were then transported from the “Daniel Land Systems” munitions factory to a designated hazardous materials warehouse in Richards Bay.


    Now, the approved application was enclosed in an official South African government document pouch, delivered to the office of the Richards Bay Port Authority, where it sat on the desk of Director Mosini Otu.


    Otu took the hefty dossier from the pouch and leafed through it absentmindedly. He was well aware that such arms deals had to pass through strict scrutiny by various departments, and any document reaching his desk for final approval was little more than a formality. Everyone knew about Daniel Company’s strong ties with the South African government, and if there were any real issues, they wouldn’t be for a port authority director to handle.


    The document pouch contained an array of files, each vetted by the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Treasury. The Ministry of Defense confirmed there were no prohibited advanced weapons in the shipment; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessed that supplying the arms to Burundi would not harm South Africa’s international interests; and the Treasury simply checked with Standard Bank to ensure that an adequate dollar credit line had been received.


    After skimming the papers, Otu glanced at the wall clock, which read 11:58. Through the glass partition, he saw that his colleagues were starting to pack up for lunch. He quickly signed a departure notice on an application for an outbound ship submitted by “Carl Augusta International Trade Company,” then walked out of the office, calling a few friendly coworkers to join him for lunch.


    After lunch, Semler gathered the black soldiers at the training camp’s shooting range.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Due to safety concerns and significant opposition, the planned “artificial target exposure” training was ultimately scrapped, replaced by an eight-day combat course.


    “I believe that in the previous training, you’ve already learned basic aiming and shooting methods. Today, we will cover combat techniques,” Semler said, standing in the clearing of the shooting range. He wore a tan short-sleeve T-shirt and desert-pattern camouflage pants, with an AR-S rifle with its magazine removed slung across his shoulder by a single-point sling.


    “Now, I will demonstrate the basic weapon handling positions.” He placed the rifle butt against his shoulder and held the gun at an angle toward the ground, explaining to those gathered around him, “This is the most commonly used ready position, known as the ‘ready’ stance.”


    He raised the muzzle slightly and pivoted his torso while holding the rifle, saying, “When scanning for targets, don’t just turn your head—align your muzzle with your line of sight. As soon as you spot an enemy, switch immediately to the aiming position.” He raised the rifle to eye level, placing his right index finger on the trigger guard.


    “Remember, unless you are in the aiming stance, do not place your finger on the trigger. This is important and must be practiced repeatedly until it becomes second nature.” While explaining, he demonstrated switching between the ‘ready’ and ‘aiming’ positions a few times.


    After having them practice for a while, Semler called one of the black soldiers to the clearing. “In previous training, you’ve learned standing and prone shooting positions. Now, I will teach you another commonly used stance—the kneeling position.” He directed the soldier to turn around and take a knee facing away from the group.


    “This one-knee stance is common but has a drawback.” Semler nudged the soldier’s heel, causing him to wobble.


    “When in the kneeling position, your body weight rests on the rear leg. Just using your knee and toes for support makes your stance unstable.” He knelt down, extending his right foot flat so that his shin and the top of his foot were on the ground. “This increases your contact area and lowers your center of gravity, preventing wobbling.”


    The surrounding soldiers nodded in understanding.


    Semler stood up and moved to a wooden wall used for cover during shooting exercises. He leaned slightly out from behind the wall, exposing his right shoulder and head while aiming his rifle outward.


    “This is how you use obstacles for cover when shooting, and you should already be familiar with it,” he said. “This position minimizes exposure, but if someone is standing behind me and I need to take cover suddenly…” he abruptly ducked back behind the wall.


    A sharp clatter sounded as the rifle barrel hit the wall.


    “As you can see,” he said while lowering the muzzle and pulling it behind cover.


    “In confined spaces, a long barrel can hinder movement,” he explained, holding the rifle horizontally in front of his chest and pointing to the AR-S’s folding stock. “When you’re in such conditions, this stock becomes a burden.” He quickly folded the stock.


    “In close-quarters combat, experience, reaction, and firepower are more crucial than precision.” He returned to the wall, leaned slightly out again, and pushed the rifle forward using the sling to stabilize it.


    “Using a sling allows you to push the gun forward with both hands in one motion, making your response faster and handling more flexible in tight spaces,” he said, demonstrating how he swiftly retreated behind the wall, his movements noticeably smoother than when the stock was extended.