"This hunting company is yours too?"
Lindsay and Jessica, along with a few other girls, curiously sized up the beautiful, quaint brick buildings in front of them.
Martin nodded. This hunting company was actually a subsidiary of Hellfire Security. Initially, its sole purpose had been to control the trafficking of African goods like animal pelts, ivory, and rhino horn.
Unexpectedly, due to the chaos in West Africa and the rampant spread of poachers, Hellfire was forced to deploy mercenaries and local soldiers to hunt down these poachers. They also formulated strict "wildlife hunting quotas," using force to pressure various West African countries into signing binding agreements.
And so, the hunting company was born—not just to regulate game hunting but, more importantly, to strictly punish poachers. As a result, the number of wildlife deaths in West Africa significantly dropped, ironically making this a net benefit for the region's fauna.
That's why the company was given the sarcastic yet fitting name: Green Hunting Co.
Now, the Green Hunting Co. had secured control over almost all wildlife hunting quotas in West Africa. Aside from themselves and a few indigenous tribes, no outsiders were allowed to hunt on these lands.
Of course, poachers weren't exactly known for following the rules.
Which is why now, they were either dead—or working in Martin's mines.
...
The hunting company even had its own private airstrip.
Martin and the four girls boarded a sleek light aircraft. They rode the small plane out onto the plains.
From the sky, the expected scene of thundering herds didn't appear. Instead, they saw scattered watering holes, speckled with peaceful wildlife, evoking a surprising sense of serenity.
This was nature in harmony with its creatures.
As human footprints faded, nature's splendor struck the girls with profound awe.
"My God, this is so beautiful!"
"Look over there—it's a lion! The lionesses are hunting—run, Little Antelope, run!"
"Hey, look, elephants! Aww, baby elephants too! They look so relaxed!"
"I want to take one home with me!"
The girls chattered excitedly.
With no human interference, time seemed to stand still here—while life pulsed forward, endlessly.
The pilot gently lowered the plane's altitude.
Below, vast green meadows stretched endlessly. The wind parted the grass; goats and cattle dotted the landscape with vitality.
The sound of the plane startled a herd of grazing antelope. They suddenly bolted, their strong limbs bursting with raw energy, bringing the plain to life.
The lionesses, who had been quietly closing in, roared in frustration, abandoning all stealth as they charged after their fleeing prey.
The girls burst into delighted laughter, unaware that they'd just ruined a lion's dinner.
"Drake, go over there. Let's mess with the elephants," Lindsay Lohan shouted to the cabin.
The Black pilot immediately replied, "Yes, ma'am!"
The Little Antelope banked midair. The sudden gusts panicked the elephants below. The baby elephants started running amok, while a bull elephant raised its trunk in anger and flared its fan-like ears.
One baby elephant stepped on its own trunk, toppled over, then looked around with a silly grin—too cute to be mad at.
The girls howled with laughter.
Soon, the plane continued on.
Just another five or six kilometers ahead was their destination: Tarnap, the hunting company's grassland base.
As the plane landed at Tarnap's airfield, a few camouflaged off-road vehicles pulled up.
Leading the convoy was a tall, heavily armed soldier.
"Satan? What are you doing here?"
Martin looked a little surprised.
"One of the elephant herds was hit by poachers," Satan said. "Coincidentally, I've got some rookies under me—I figured I'd let them see some blood."
He gestured to a group of young men climbing down from the vehicles. All were fully geared, a mix of Black and White recruits, each exuding raw, aggressive energy.
"How many recruits have we taken on recently? How's their training?"
"Hellfire has about 400 elite troops now. In addition, we've trained 3,000 men from the Guinean government forces—they can hold their own on the battlefield. They're extremely loyal to you, Boss. Fanatically loyal," Satan reported.
The young soldiers approached Martin and snapped a sharp military salute. "Good day, Commander!"
Though it was their first time meeting him, they couldn't explain why—but they felt a deep, instinctive urge to serve him.
A testament to the power of the Soul binding Array.
Martin gave them a warm nod. "Good to meet you all."
Then he turned to Satan. "Get on with your mission."
Satan hesitated. "Boss, did you bring the ladies here to hunt? You might want to wait a few days until we clean out the nearby poachers."
"They're still around?"
"Very likely. Our scouts say the elephant was killed no more than two days ago. I'm not too worried about you, Boss, but the ladies..."
He glanced at the group behind Martin.
Martin fell silent for a moment, thinking. Then he said, "Alright. The girls will stay at base. I'll go with you."
"Martin, where are you going?" Jessica asked, catching the tail end of his words.
Martin didn't hide it. "There are poachers nearby. You girls stay and rest—I'm heading out with Satan to check things out."
"Will it be dangerous?" Lindsay asked, concerned.
The girls all looked worried.
Martin let out a hearty laugh. "Of course there'll be danger—for the poachers. Don't worry. Just wait for me at base—I'll be back soon."
Since Martin had decided to go out personally, he would, of course, make use of his magical powers.
As long as the poachers were anywhere nearby, he had no doubt he could find them in no time.