I saw two corpses hanging from gallows, already decomposed under the blazing sun, with flies buzzing around them. The bodies were unrecognizable, appearing as nothing more than two heaps of rotting flesh hanging there! And on the ground, there were large pools of blood, now blackened…
The surrounding soldiers all remained indifferent, seemingly used to such scenes, while Qiaoqiao, pale-faced, finally couldn't hold back and vomited. I quickly grabbed her shoulder and turned her face away.
I sighed and whispered, "I told you not to come!"
Actually, back in Cairo, at Ren Lei's camp, I had planned to leave Qiao Qiao behind. Ren Lei also suggested that I let her stay. But the female bandit absolutely refused and insisted on staying with me. In the end, Ren Lei told me that there wouldn't be any danger. He was just worried that once we got to that place, some things would be quite shocking, especially for a girl, who might find it difficult to adapt.
Clearly, that was indeed the case.
*************.
The entire camp was very large, and I finally saw what this diamond mine, which would soon belong to me or at least part of me, looked like.
There was a hillside that resembled a ring mountain, with a gap dug out in the middle. On the surrounding hillside, many black soldiers were patrolling back and forth with guns at their hands.
Down below, hundreds of Black men were working hard, all shirtless, their thin bodies exposed, looking like refugees from a famine. Many of them had whip marks on their bodies. Outside the mine, under the protection of a group of soldiers with guns, several tables were set up, and people were checking the ore handed over by the miners.
They seemed to be calculating by weight of the ore. I saw some Black miners carrying fist-sized pieces of ore... I don't know how many diamonds were in them, but at least that's what I saw... The ore collector took the ore and threw it into a basket on a scale, glanced at it, and then quickly waved his hand. Then a soldier pushed the miner and threw him a dark, gooey thing, which looked like grain? Or some other kind of food.
Oh, there seem to be a few coins left.
That's all!
As soon as our convoy entered the camp, we stopped and walked. As I walked, I couldn't help but look at the miners; their faces and eyes were all numb. The line of people waiting to exchange ore for food and coins looked like a flock of sheep, while the soldiers supervising them kept sweeping their shadows across the area with their gloomy gazes.
Suddenly, I heard a scream, and then I saw two overseer soldiers rush into the crowd, quickly grab a miner, drag him out, and throw him on the open ground. Then, without saying a word, the two men started whipping him mercilessly.
I couldn't help but frown, but Qiaoqiao had already asked the black man wearing a beret, "What's going on?" She spoke in French, but translated each sentence to me as she spoke.
“Mine theft, this kind of thing happens all the time... These damned pigs, give them food and make them work, and they still dare to steal the general’s mine!”
Looking at these miners who were barely clothed, I suddenly felt a tightness in my chest.
Is this the mine I'm going to buy?
I calculated the annual revenue of tens of millions of dollars before I came here... and that's what it was produced under these circumstances?
"The general is over there!" Berets whispered, then led me over.
It was only after Qiaoqiao reminded me that I understood what he meant. Looking around, I saw a group of black soldiers surrounding a man in a makeshift shed next to the mine.
This man is indeed the General Trapped in the Tower I've seen in photos! However, he looks a bit fatter and more bloated than in the pictures!
The pergola was covered with military tarpaulin, and on the chairs underneath sat Kunta, squinting. His body was nothing like the burly, fierce man in the photograph, who resembled a leopard; instead, he was as fat as a wealthy landowner. However, a cold glint occasionally flashed in his squinting eyes.
To my surprise, in such a wild and untamed place, this General Kunta was wearing a snow-white shirt, and the style of that shirt was clearly designed by a famous Italian designer... I remember George Clooney had an identical one, which seemed to be worth tens of thousands of dollars.
The general leaned back in his chair, a leather whip in one hand, which he lightly tapped. After I walked over, he remained leaning back, listening to the beret-wearing woman whisper something to him.
I felt as if I were being scrutinized by a wild beast, like a lion in the wilderness ready to tear its prey apart at any moment. This gaze enveloped me for about half a minute.
Then he stood up and handed the whip to the guard beside him: "Hello, you must be Mr. Chen?"
He was actually speaking English! This surprised me a bit, even though his pronunciation wasn't very standard. But I could still understand him.
He then took two steps toward me, and I was about to go to meet him when I heard a low growl from the side!
I was startled! Looking to my left, I saw a strong, wild beast lying under the pergola! It was... a lion?
Damn it! That really is a lion! Although it looks a little smaller, like a cub, judging from its size and the fangs it shows when it opens its mouth, such a creature could easily tear apart an adult!
The lion had a chain hanging from its head, and it roared somewhat hostilely when it saw me walking toward the tower.
"Shut up, don't scare my guest." Kunta laughed deliberately, and then he even generously stopped the soldiers who were about to search me, instead giving me a warm hug.
Looking at the tower up close, I realized that this guy has probably really become more corrupt since becoming the head of state. His face is bloated with fat, and he doesn't look as dashing as he does in the photos at all. Especially his lips, which look like two fat sausages hanging on his face...
“General Kunta, hello.” I tried not to look at the lion next to me. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. I think you already know why I’m here.”
“Of course, I’m happy to do business with my Chinese friends,” Kunta laughed loudly.
Just then, a discordant scream came from afar; it was from the miner being whipped by soldiers.
My slight frown was noticed by the tower, who summoned a soldier and asked him a few questions in a low voice. A short while later, the miner was dragged to us like a dead dog.
“I’m sorry, my guest.” Kunta’s tone was cold: “These damned bastards have disturbed my guest, and I will punish them.”
He said something in the local language, and then quickly, the two soldiers who had been whipping the miner were disarmed and dragged to the back to be whipped again—it turned out that Kunta was reprimanding them for doing such a thing in front of a guest like himself. As for the miner, Kunta didn't even glance at him; after he was dragged to the back, a crisp gunshot rang out!
Bang!
The crisp sound echoed through the valley. I saw that Qiaoqiao's face looked rather pale, and I sighed.
Part Three: The Pinnacle, Chapter Thirty: Luxury
Savage! Utterly savage!
This is a true savage zone! I've only been here a few minutes, but I've already realized at least one thing: in this place, human life is worthless!
He is trapped in the tower, and can take the life of anyone on this land at any time!
Although I felt uncomfortable, I didn't show it on my face and just casually asked, "General Kunta, I've seen your mine... Hmm, it seems to be quite large."
"Of course, there are hundreds of slaves working for me here every day... Hmph, but be careful, those damned pigs will steal the ore!"
I was a little puzzled. I pointed to the mine in the distance and said, "Excuse my bluntness... but I see these miners don't even have a complete set of clothes, and the clothes are very thin... how can they steal ore?"
“They hide them inside their bodies.” Kunta smiled cruelly. “These swine are very cunning. They won’t work properly if you don’t use a whip. And these cunning swine have many ways to steal ore… Hmm, they will hide some small pieces of ore inside their bodies. For example, last time someone put a piece of ore in their mouth, and someone even stuffed ore into their anus! Then they secretly take it out to exchange for money.”
I was stunned.
"Last time, someone drank a lot of oil and then swallowed a small piece of ore, which I discovered. I had someone cut open his stomach in front of hundreds of miners! Humph! As for someone hiding ore in his ass... Haha, I had someone stick a red-hot iron rod into his ass, and that guy screamed all night before he died... But after that, these pigs behaved themselves for a few days."
I couldn't help but twitch the muscles on my face as I listened, while Qiaoqiao next to me almost threw up.
Seeing my displeasure, yet seemingly pleased, Kunta waved his hand: "Take my darling to the back. It's hungry. That pig from earlier will be its dinner." A soldier quickly came and led Kunta's lion cub away...
I couldn't help but imagine the lion tearing apart the dead miner's body... and my teeth started to ache.
"Alright, my guest, I think you can rest in my villa for a while, and then we can talk business properly later." Kunta patted my shoulder as if it were a peaceful gesture, and then led us away under the "protection" of a squad of soldiers.
I breathed a sigh of relief after leaving the tower.
Because whenever I get close to this guy, I feel a chill run down my spine... it's a truly malevolent aura! I'm certain this guy is covered in blood! It's the kind of aura left behind by too much bloodshed from killing.
The villa of the warlord Kunta was located behind the mining valley, on a hillside. Reaching this point, I couldn't help but marvel once again at this East African warlord!
Is this a villa?
Before me, in this desolate place that was originally surrounded by mines and rocks, on the hillside, stands a beautiful building!
A round top, a pure white building… Good heavens! This guy actually built this “villa” exactly like the White House in the US!!!
Luxurious white marble... I wonder how many miners were whipped to death to haul it up here.
A thought suddenly popped into my head. As for bulldozers and cranes…
What a joke. Do you think General Trapped in the Tower would spend money to buy those machines?
The villa was surrounded by transplanted pine trees, and a group of neatly uniformed soldiers stood guard around the perimeter, with watchtowers on both sides... These features made this "White House" look somewhat incongruous...
But when I stepped into this villa, I was truly stunned!
The luxury here is so extravagant it could exhaust even the Saudi royal family!
Upon entering the lobby, I immediately saw the gold sculptures on the walls! And I noticed tiny, granular embellishments on a chandelier…
Good heavens, it's all raw diamond ore!!
Then the beret-wearing woman led us into a lounge. It felt like stepping into a wildlife specimen museum!
On the front wall is a huge specimen of an African lion's head, flanked by rows of other animals... leopards, zebras, antelopes, buffalo, and jackals... while a small row of animals, from largest to smallest, hangs on the wall...
That's all ivory!!
The carpet on the floor was made of some kind of animal fur, and it felt soft and deep underfoot!
Bang, bang, bang. After three knocks, two young and clean-cut Black men walked in. They seemed to have received training in this area, entering quietly and meticulously. They pushed a silver food cart, dressed in tuxedos like those of waiters in a five-star hotel, complete with bow ties and white gloves.
"Sir, this is your afternoon tea."
Lifting the plate, I saw a standard English afternoon tea, along with some delicate pastries.
I sighed, and only two words remained in my mind...
luxury!
After only our own people were left in the lounge, I couldn't help but sigh: "Today I've finally seen what a local tyrant looks like."
Qiao Qiao's expression turned hostile: "Brutal, extravagant... Hmm, are all oligarchs in Africa who come to power through coups like this?"
We speak Chinese, so we're not afraid of being eavesdropped on.
"Not necessarily," a man in his thirties among my bodyguards chuckled and replied.
This person wasn't one of my brothers from the inner circle; he was sent by Ren Lei to help me, but he concealed his identity as my bodyguard. He blended in with my men—since all my men are Chinese, the other party wouldn't be able to tell.
I know this person is following me, probably partly as a form of surveillance, which is understandable. What's valuable is that this person is supposedly quite familiar with the situation in East Africa.
“Oligarchs like General Kunta in G country, who seize power through coups, do need to win over the hearts and minds of the people or the military, otherwise their positions wouldn't be secure. But please note, this is Africa! A place of complex tribal and ethnic groups, and also the bloodiest place in the world for genocide and ethnic hatred!” The man said with a bitter smile, “Perhaps we can't understand, but even a small country like G country has more than a dozen ethnic groups! And the hatred between these groups may have continued for generations, starting from the barbaric era! African civilization developed abnormally due to the forced construction by European plunderers. The people here still have barbaric blood, especially those tribes. The mutual killings are something we, from the civilized world, cannot understand.”
He explained carefully: "Every oligarch or warlord who comes to power only wants to win over his own tribe and those tribes that are friendly to him... As for the other tribes in the country, they become targets of suppression, even massacre and plunder! This is the root cause of unrest in many African countries. Think about it, a small country may have more than a dozen ethnic groups. Today, a general from one ethnic group comes to power and wipes out the other ethnic groups. A few years later, a general from another ethnic group wipes out that ethnic group again... This cycle of unrest in Africa over the years has been repeated time and time again!"
He paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "General Kunta is from the 'Tutu tribe,' so he is likely to treat the Tutu people very well, and even his army is composed of Tutu people. As for this mine, according to the information I have, it was originally the territory of the 'Dekakara tribe,' and those miners should all be Dekakara people, so Kunta either slaughtered them or enslaved them."
Seeing my blank look, he laughed and said, "You don't need to remember the names of these tribes. Anyway, there are countless tribes in Africa, and they all evolved from early tribes."
In the evening, General Kunta invited me to dinner. Qiaoqiao, having been traumatized during the day, had no appetite and stayed in her room.
For dinner, we had authentic Western food, and the steak was excellent... Looking around at the luxurious restaurant, every piece of furniture was exquisitely crafted. General Kunta, holding his knife and fork, seemed quite quiet, and I even had a fleeting illusion.
The bottle of red wine on the table is French. Although it's not a particularly fine wine, it's quite rare to find this kind of wine in this place!
Suddenly, I had a strange understanding of this brutal warlord! This man seemed to have a strange fascination with the noble life of Europe. It was clear that everything in his palace seemed to be trying its best to imitate the lifestyle of European nobles.
This is an imitation born from a disadvantaged background, reflecting a complex sense of inferiority.
After setting down his cutlery, General Kunta smiled at me and asked, "How was my English?"
"Hmm, very good." I didn't expect him to ask me this question.
“I learned it from my previous investment advisor. He was American.” General Kunta glanced at me, seemingly casually.
My heart skipped a beat. I knew that the last American was a CIA spy who had been discovered and executed by the Tower.