Chapter 26: The Old Soldier, the Old Gun.

The bullets, after piercing through two doors, made the tools on the shelves clink and clatter, but Gao Yang and his group had no way of stopping the people outside from shooting.

When the gunfire ceased, someone outside started shouting something in Arabic, which Gao Yang couldn't quite understand, but he could tell there were at least three or four people shouting.

Malik whispered, turning to Gao Yang, "They're telling us to open the door, or they'll set the house on fire."

Malik's words were mostly in English, but peppered with some Urdu vocabulary, which luckily Gao Yang could roughly understand. He shook his head and replied quietly, "Don't buy their bull. If they come in, they're just going to kill us. We must protect ourselves now. Do you have a gun?"

"No gun, but what if they really do set the house on fire?"

Bob said in a low voice, "Believe his word, and don't open the door no matter what. Otherwise, we are definitely dead. They won't burn the house down. What do you think they are, robbers taking advantage of the fire or militants who just want to kill?"

Malik hesitated, then said, "I think they're not here to rob. If they were robbers, they wouldn't have shown up yet. But militants have no need to target our shop. Could it be they're looking for you guys?"

Gao Yang shook his head, "That's impossible. We arrived here today and don't know anyone. You can ask them what they want."

Malik mustered his courage and then shouted a few words in Arabic. The people outside, upon hearing Malik's words, became even more agitated, started kicking the door violently, and continued shouting loudly.

Malik turned to Gao Yang, "They said someone saw mercenaries sent by Gaddafi here and told me to hand you over. I think they're talking about you. Also, they want me to hand over the money. I guess, they must be looters after all."

The foreign faces of Gao Yang and Bob had brought them trouble, and Gao Yang felt a mix of helplessness and apology, saying quietly to Malik, "I'm sorry, they're indeed targeting us. It seems we've brought trouble to you."

Malik shook his head, "We're friends, friends shouldn't talk like that. I'll tell them they've made a mistake."

As Malik started to speak in Arabic again, after a few words, the response was gunfire, and then Gao Yang smelled a strong scent of petrol. Just as he sensed big trouble, a weaker burst of gunfire came from outside, followed by a few screams at the doorstep.

Gao Yang didn't know what happened, but after several groans came from the doorway, it soon fell silent again, and among the smell of gasoline, the scent of blood was now intermixed.

Gao Yang and Malik exchanged glances, then said in unison, "They've been killed."

Just then, a voice came from inside the house, "Malik, what's happened?"

Gao Yang turned his head in surprise, only to see an old man emerging from the stairway leading to the second floor of the shop. The old man, with sparse silver hair, stooped back, and trembling frame, descended from the second floor, seeming to be at least eighty years old, though he descended not too slowly. But seeing the state of the shop, the old man looked utterly shocked.

Halfway down, the old man stood on the stairs, pointed at the wrecked shop, and asked, "Who are you people? Malik, what has happened?"

To Gao Yang's surprise, the old man was also white. He didn't know what to say, just stared at the old man in a daze, while Malik quickly ran up the stairs, supported the old man, and said urgently, "Go back upstairs, it's too dangerous here, remember what I told you? Yes, just like what I said, it's chaos outside now. You need to go back upstairs. Ah, these two came here seeking refuge, there's gunfighting everywhere outside, many people have died. Just now, people tried to break in, but they're all dead now."

Malik's words were fast and agitated, albeit disjointed, yet the old man seemed to understand, nodded, and then addressed Gao Yang and Bob, "It looks like you'll have to stay here a while. It won't calm down outside for some time, please make yourselves at home."

After greeting Gao Yang and Bob, the old man turned to Malik, "You've done well. We can't let those bastards in. We have to protect our own stuff. To deal with those sons of bitches, you've got to be tough. Come with me, we need to get some things out."

After finishing, the old man turned and tremblingly began to walk back up. Malik made a gesture to Gao Yang and the others to be careful and then followed the old man upstairs.

Gao Yang and Bob looked at each other and finally, Bob couldn't help but say, "What is this old man up to? Forget it, regardless of him, we need to figure something out, brother. We have to get out of here."

Gao Yang sighed and said, "I too want to leave this place, but you've seen the situation outside. I think we would be walking into death if we go out now."

"I need to make a call to my dad. I don't know how things are with him. I have to tell him what happened. I hope he's not in danger. Damn it, why do we always run into this kind of situation when we come out?"

Bob was a bit restless, pacing around in circles, when at that moment, the old man and Malik came out again, only this time Malik was carrying a long case.

Out of respect for the elderly man, Gao Yang and Bob stood at the bottom of the stairs. After the old man came down the stairs, he shook hands with Gao Yang and Bob, then said, "Gentlemen, my name is Fedor Von Brauchitsch. Welcome to my shop. You are safe to wait here until the end of time if that is what it takes. If you need anything, just let me know."

The old man spoke English very well, clear and precise. But upon hearing the old man's name, Gao Yang immediately realized that the man in front of him was German, and more importantly, a nobleman, as his first name was a typical German one and the 'Von' in his surname, while not part of the surname itself, was a sign of his noble lineage.

The old man must have been born into a Junker noble family, a lineage that had received titles in its history. Junker nobles, especially from Germany, often had deep ties to the military, as could be seen by looking at the German field marshals with 'Von' in their names during World War II, which showed the specific role this noble signifier played within the army.

Gao Yang's intuition told him that this old man was no ordinary person. After both he and Bob made brief introductions, Gao Yang respectfully addressed Fedor, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Brauchitsch. If there's anything we can do for you, please just give the word."

Fedor nodded and said, "Thank you very much, gentlemen. Now, let's get out the means to deal with villains before discussing anything else."

Fedor settled himself behind the checkout counter and gestured for Malik to place the case on the counter in front of him. Then, with a key, Fedor unlocked the long wooden case.

Gao Yang's intuition told him that the case would contain guns, and when Fedor opened it, Gao Yang nearly cheered, for it was indeed filled with guns and bullets in parts, but not just one rifle and one pistol—there were at least a rifle and a handgun.

After opening the case, Fedor picked up a rag with trembling hands and, taking out a part, began to wipe it clean.

"Old friend, after so many years, you're making an appearance again."

Though the rifle in the case was still in parts, Gao Yang immediately recognized it by the shape of its butt and muzzle—it was an old gun, the famous Mauser kar98k!

The 98K, Germany's main battle rifle during World War II, is a model known to anyone even slightly familiar with World War II. The pistol beside it was none other than the renowned P38.

Both the rifle parts and the pistol parts were covered with a thick layer of gun oil and preserved very well, looking almost new— even the bullets were wrapped in a thick layer of grease, no signs of rust.

Gao Yang figured Fedor was an old sniper, an easy conclusion considering the case also contained a zf41 sniper scope from early World War II and a 6x30 Zeiss telescope. These two items clearly indicated Fedor's identity as a sniper.

Watching Fedor piece the Mauser 98K together part by part, and finally attaching the scope, Gao Yang could not contain himself. He said excitedly, "Mr. Brauchitsch, were you a sniper in the past?"

After giving Gao Yang a look, Fedor was silent for a long time. Finally, he nodded and said gravely, "Afrika Korps 164th Division..."

Fedor only began the sentence, then stopped, shaking his head. He began pulling the bolt back and forth, and Bob asked cautiously, "So, were you a Nazi?"

Fedor looked at Bob and answered solemnly, "I was not a Nazi. I was a soldier who fought for Germany. But even before the Afrika Korps surrendered in 1943, I had already escaped. A friend told me that my parents had been shot for sympathizing with and hiding Jews; they had hidden my girlfriend in the basement. My brother died in Stalingrad. After hearing this news, I ran away. So, I am merely a deserter."

As he spoke slowly, Fedor loaded the bullets into the magazine, one by one. Once he finished speaking, he worked the bolt and chambered a round.

"After the war ended, I went back to Ruhr. My home was just ruins, my sister had died in a bombing, her body left amidst the rubble. My younger brother died in Normandy. He was part of the SS 12th Panzer Division. He was fifteen when he died and, unlike me, he was an ardent Nazi. He believed my parents deserved their execution and chose to die to wash away the shame my family and I had brought upon him. In the end, he got his wish," continued Fedor.

After finishing his story, Fedor aimed the gun briefly, then added, "Gentlemen, after hearing this old, toothless tale, you should understand my view of the Nazis."