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Whether getting famous was a good thing or a bad thing depended on how you looked at it. First, consider why he became famous. Without question, Gao Fei had gained fame because he had shot down so many drones. Next, consider where it happened: the battlefields of Bakhmut. Then, consider how it happened: Gao Fei had been caught on camera by an enemy drone, and the footage was posted online. And finally, consider his status when he got famous: he was a mercenary. A mercenary fighting for Russia in Bakhmut, filmed in action by Ukrainians who uploaded the battle footage to the internet. Here was the problem: could that possibly be a good thing? Everyone knew that fame could turn you into an online influencer, and influencers could make big money, but this was an active war zone—and Gao Fei had no way to leave. Once the Ukrainians realized someone like him existed, would they tolerate him shooting down even more of their drones, or would they pull every string to scramble swarms of drones just to hunt him down and blow him up? Furthermore, fighting as a mercenary for Russia essentially cut off any path for him to return home. Quietly fighting in Russia was one thing; even if his face showed, it might not be catastrophic. But becoming famous on the foreign internet, where the whole world knew Gao Fei was fighting in Russia? If Gao Fei still thought he could go home and live as an ordinary citizen, he was being far too naive. Gao Fei wanted to make enough money to return home in glory, not be forced into exile in a foreign land. For that simple, modest reason, he didn't want fame on the battlefield. Yet as the video began to play, Gao Fei suddenly felt relieved—and at ease. Why? Because the drone had never managed to capture a clear shot of his face. Looking at himself on the screen, Gao Fei felt he was looking at a total stranger. Dressed in Russian military camouflage, wearing a helmet, slinging one rifle across his back and raising another, the buttstock had consistently blocked half his face. Along with his frequent turns, the footage didn't even reveal his ethnicity, let alone expose his identity. "Huh. Oh. Wow, I look pretty damn cool!" His worries quickly evaporated, leaving only admiration for his own heroic posture. But after watching the two-minute clip and realizing his face was completely invisible, Gao Fei started feeling frustrated again. "You can't tell it's me at all. How am I supposed to prove that's me? Make big money off this video? You've got to be kidding." Afraid of getting famous, yet irritated that his vanity hadn't been satisfied—such was Gao Fei's state of mind. Parker said with a solemn face, "It doesn't matter if nobody else knows, as long as I know! Brother, from now on you're my partner. I can give you half the profits." Parker was good at everything, but his skill at painting rosy pictures and making empty promises was truly magnificent. One only had to remember a single fact: Parker was a prisoner who had no choice but to risk his neck for Wagner. Voluntarily defecting and being forced into service were two entirely different concepts. Never mind that Parker was now some staff officer; that only proved he had real capability and Wagner couldn't bring themselves to execute him. It certainly didn't mean Wagner trusted him unconditionally. The Russians were intensely pragmatic: if someone was useful, they used him; if not, they discarded him. If Parker wanted to stay alive, he had to perform frantically. The better he performed, the more valuable he became; and the more valuable he was, the less likely Wagner would ever let him go. Parker had signed a one-year contract because Wagner figured he probably wouldn't survive a year. If he was lucky enough to live until the contract expired, they would simply renew it for him. When Gao Fei's contract was up, there was a chance it would terminate automatically, but for a prisoner like Parker, walking away wouldn't be anywhere near that easy. Gao Fei saw through it clearly, but why bother spelling it out to Parker? "Wouldn't half the profits be too much? No need, really. If you can actually set up a mercenary group, just giving me a high salary will be plenty." Gao Fei was a practical man, but he knew how to deliver polite pleasantries, and what's more, he knew how to serve up pie in the sky right back. Sure enough, sly as a fox and fickle as a ghost though Parker was, he was touched by Gao Fei's expectant look and tactful enthusiasm. "A high salary? How could a mere salary do you justice! It has to be a high salary plus a cut of the profits. With your skills, you have to be a partner!" Parker was thrilled. He glanced around, and once satisfied that everyone was far enough away, he continued in a low voice, "Next, you need to find a way to get rotated off the frontline. I'll figure something out for you." "Great, I'm counting on you." Gao Fei looked at Parker, wearing an expression of pure admiration. "Honestly, I've never seen anyone as incredible as you. Yesterday you were a prisoner, and today you're an officer! Capable people really can thrive anywhere. Following you won't steer me wrong. Parker—no, big brother—you have to watch your back too!" Touched? Delighted? Surprised? Parker was as happy as a child right now. He had met plenty of top operators and skilled men, but an expert as sensible and considerate as Gao Fei was truly a first for Parker. Parker reached out, gripped Gao Fei's hand, and said earnestly, "It's a deal. Once we get out of here, we'll immediately form our own mercenary group—one that belongs to us, to you and me!" Gao Fei pulled his left hand free, clamped it firmly over Parker's hands, and pressed down hard. "Survive! Only if we survive can any of this happen. Let's not waste words on empty talk. Big brother, stay alive! Your situation... I believe you can solve every problem." In truth, Gao Fei was a principled man: what he promised, he delivered; what he couldn't deliver, he never promised. Had Gao Fei agreed to anything? No, Gao Fei hadn't agreed to a single thing. Yet neither had he refused anything. Gao Fei had told Parker to survive—with such heartfelt wishes and hopes, how could Parker think Gao Fei was dodging him? Parker understood dodging the subject, but Gao Fei executed the deflection so naturally that Parker never felt for a moment he was being brushed off with sweet talk. Parker nodded heavily, flashing a confident grin. "I'll be fine, of course. With my skills, whether it's directing small-scale special operations or helping run large-scale engagements, directing artillery fire, or even opening up revenue streams for certain people in Wagner, none of it is an issue. Why do you think they made me a staff officer? Why do you think they kept me around? Don't worry! They can't afford to let me die." Gao Fei froze for a second. Wait a minute. What did Parker just say? It wasn't that his ears were failing him; rather, Gao Fei had seized on a crucial piece of information, but his mind hadn't caught up yet. Directing small-scale special ops? Countless people in Wagner could do that. Helping run regimental-scale battles? Wagner wasn't short on staff officers. Directing artillery fire? That skill was relatively rare among mercenaries, but the Russian artillery corps had more than enough professionals. The issue was that Wagner's frontline units lacked timely fire support from the regular armed forces, not that Russian artillerymen didn't know how to fire their guns—that distinction had to be kept clear. So what was the most critical phrase? Opening up revenue streams for certain people in Wagner! The way Gao Fei looked at Parker shifted completely. Parker noticed the shift in Gao Fei's eyes. He smiled, offering no direct explanation, but pulled out his mobile phone and continued, "You see, this phone of mine is still very important. Why? Because it has a lot of my business partners in it, and there's no way my head could remember so many numbers. That's why I had to come to the frontline in person to get it back." Gao Fei sensed Parker was explaining something to him—something awkward to state plainly, so he explained it through hints. Yes, hints. Gao Fei looked at Parker with confusion, then finally couldn't help asking, "Parker, since you're so capable, why did you come here in the first place?" "I already told you! There's funding here, there are people here, there's everything I need. Did you think founding a mercenary group just takes a handful of guys? That's the lowest, shittiest tier of outfit. What do I want? I want the best mercenary group!" Parker spoke with grand ambition, but then his tone turned a bit bleak. "To be honest, I have nothing right now. I'm short on cash, short on people, and I'm at the lowest point of my life. That's why I had to come. It's risky, but only here can I quickly rebuild the mercenary group I want—the best, most formidable mercenary group!" Gao Fei naturally nodded and said repeatedly, "Right, you mentioned that." Parker exhaled and held up the phone again. "Look, you're already blowing up online, but there's an issue: whoever posted this video didn't include the location or the time." Gao Fei replied nonchalantly, "That doesn't matter. It's better that they didn't." Parker shrugged. "You aren't truly famous yet, because nobody knows your name. But here's the question: do you want to be famous? There are plenty of ways to do it. We could film it ourselves, record you taking down drones, give you a callsign, and you could use that callsign from now on. But there's a downside—the same old problem. If the Wagner Group learns what you're truly capable of, you can forget about leaving before the war ends." "What do you mean?" "If you want fame, I can manage it. Find an opportunity, shoot a video ourselves, and put it on the web. But the consequence is that you might have to fight for a much longer time." Gao Fei shook his head. "Mm, I don't know whether I should do that. But if I go public, would I be able to make big money right away?" Parker looked constipated. He shook his head, thought for a moment, and finally asked, "Did your earlier bounties get paid out?" "No." "Wagner Group's funding is having issues. There are problems paying out bounties, and you might go a long time without seeing any money, especially in euros or US dollars. So let me put it this way: your chances of staying in Wagner and making big money aren't looking good." Gao Fei had previously assumed that because the battle wasn't over yet, the bounties wouldn't be paid out so quickly, so he hadn't been particularly worried. But now, hearing Parker say this, he immediately grew anxious. "What? No money? They won't even pay out the bounties?" Parker nodded, then said gravely, "Yes, no money. They'll definitely have to pay the bounties eventually, but very likely in rubles. So my advice is to wait a bit and see how things develop before making a decision. My other advice is that you stay on the frontline, so long as it's not somewhere too dangerous, because I am about to bring a change to this place." Gao Fei looked at Parker, puzzled. Parker smiled and said mysteriously, "Next, you're going to switch positions. I've already picked one out for you. Take all your trophies, move everything useful over, and don't ask about anything else. When the time comes, you'll understand. Listen to me—I definitely won't let you get the short end of the stick."