身后枪声不断回荡,但随着距离拉远,独眼恶棍用手枪击中高飞的力度也更大了.
高飞冲出巷子,回头看了一眼.两人都在追赶他,但在那短暂的瞬间,他已经和追兵拉开了十米的距离.
转入主街,高飞不敢停下,也不能回头——他拼命奔跑.
不远处,他看到一辆警车,车窗摇下,他能看到里面的警察.
作为普通中国人,遇到危险时寻求警察帮助是本能反应——无需思考.高飞喊着朝车跑去:
"救命!"
车头朝向他;警官们无需多言便能清楚地看到他.
高飞本能地放下折叠刀,放慢了速度.他双手撑在副驾驶窗户上,停下脚步,喘息着说:"救命!"
警官们看了他一眼,又看了看身后的两个恶棍,再看向高飞,表情异常奇怪.
高飞看着追赶的恶徒——距离迅速缩小.虽然他们没有开枪,但步伐丝毫没有放慢.
看到警察时他们不应该逃跑吗?他们为什么一点都不害怕?
他知道莫斯科警察臭名昭著,尤其是罚款中国人,但这显然不仅仅是罚款.
一闪而过的念头——"蛇鼠,护伞"——如电击般掠过脑海.高飞刚停顿,便迅速行动起来.话未落,他便冲了上去.
副驾驶座的警官伸手去抓,但抓不到他的手臂.
后面的恶棍喊道:"抓住他!"
司机启动了警车.后面停着车辆,车无法倒车,只能左转或右转上人行道追赶高飞.
路缘很高.车选择转入马路,给了高飞宝贵的几秒钟领先.
但两条腿无法长时间甩开汽车.警察很快追上,迫使他在人行道上奔跑,而警车则与他并行穿越一条小路.
警察探出头来,指着他大喊,两个恶棍则逼近.下一个路口还很远——绝望感明显.
这时,高飞注意到前方站着两名士兵.
迷彩制服,头盔,厚重防弹背心,黑色面罩,手持AK-74步枪——他们似乎已准备好战斗.
但还没等他感到宽慰,他就意识到那些只是真人大小的剪影.
他们旁边的广告牌用英文写着:"瓦格纳集团招聘中心",并用一个巨大的箭头指向前路.
他的脑海无法将这家店和士兵雕像联系起来,但他本能地朝它们冲去.
向士兵求助是中国人的本能.在中国安全,这没问题.在国外,这很冒险——但高飞没有放慢脚步.
他用肩膀撞破玻璃门,跌跌撞撞地撞进招募办公室,重重撞上桌子,发出一声巨响,滑过桌面.
很多人以前进过招募中心,但从没人像这样冲进来过.
柜台后面的男人站了起来,一名持步枪的士兵惊慌失措,差点开枪.
高飞看不清里面有多少人,但他注意到一名士兵正朝他瞄准.他绝望地趴在桌上大喊:
"救命!"
他呼吸急促,说着英语,前台的男人听懂了.
他示意士兵放下枪,平静地说:
"这是瓦格纳集团的新招募中心.我是招募官.你想参军吗?"
"瓦格纳?"
高飞消化着,意识到军官会说英语.他停顿了一下,满怀希望地问:
"我有危险.坏人在追我.我能用一下你的电话吗?你能帮我联系大使馆吗?"
军官指着高飞身后:
"我们是瓦格纳的员工,不是警察,也不是外交官.警察在外面.如果你需要报到,我可以叫他们过来."
Through the glass, Gao Fei saw the police had stopped outside. One stood at the door, another walked to the side.
"The Wagner Group provides full protection for its employees. Join us, and you'll be safe."
This wasn't a suggestion—it was opportunistic exploitation in broad daylight.
Gao Fei looked at the officer, who slapped a form on the desk and gestured.
"Sign here, and you can immediately join Wagner."
The officer's finger tapped the signature line:
"I suggest you sign now. The police outside won't protect you."
Gao Fei knew of the Wagner Group—a mercenary group, famous especially since the Russia-Ukraine war began.
The officer's attitude made sense: if Gao Fei had committed a crime, he'd be handed to the police. If not, and he merely faced extortion or minor incidents, Wagner gains a new recruit. No risk, all benefit.
Join the Wagner Group? Precisely, a mercenary group.
No, Gao Fei wasn't interested. He was here to collect debt, not be cannon fodder.
He hesitated, but the officer remained calm.
Finally, a police officer slowly pushed through the glass door.
Gao Fei turned; the officer glared, then spoke rapidly in Russian to the officer behind the desk.
The recruiting officer nodded, then told Gao Fei:
"This officer says you committed robbery. He wants to take you in."
"Robbery? No! It was human traffickers outside! Two of them, they want to kill me and sell my organs!"
The officer smiled:
"I'm not police. I don't care if it's robbery or you're robbed. I only recruit soldiers."
The police whispered back; he didn't intend to take Gao Fei.
Gao Fei picked up the contract, reading it carefully.
Written in Russian and English, it was simple:
No nationality check No background check No age requirement No obligations, no responsibilities, no salary listed Simply confirm voluntary participation
Gao Fei weighed his options:
Hou Yangguo's carotid artery must have bled out; he was probably dead. The "boss" was likely dead too.
If he didn't sign, the police would take him. Even if he ended up at the station, how could he prove self-defense without ID, passport, phone, or money?
The officer's gaze lingered; then he said:
"If you have no service experience, you'll train at Krasnodar's recruit camp, then receive a base pay of €500/month."
€500? Roughly 3,500 RMB.
He smiled:
"Veterans start at €1,000/month. If you have a special skill, verified, you can get €2,000–5,000/month plus bonuses."
Bonuses? Gao Fei's eyes lit up.
He could barely imagine paying off debts, wages, supplier payments, and mortgages.
Gao Fei grabbed a pen and firmly signed an English name.
The officer didn't hesitate, pointing to the police and then the door:
"He's ours now. You—get out!"
The police shrugged and left.
Gao Fei sat down, finally breathing out.
The officer picked up a form:
"Welcome to Wagner. Answer truthfully. Do you have prior military experience?"
Gao Fei hadn't served before. No guns, no experience.
But he answered without hesitation:
"I have five years of service experience—I'm a veteran!"
Why lie? Because frontline positions for new recruits were deadly; veterans were placed further back. Survival rate for newbies? Twenty-four hours in major battles.
The officer ticked the form, then asked about special skills.
Gao Fei's true skill—military theory, forums, tactical knowledge—was useless.
He confidently said:
"I'm an exceptionally skilled infantryman!"
The officer shook his head:
"'Exceptionally skilled' is an evaluation, not a skill. No skills? Take your registration card, don't lose it. You'll be sent to the training center, then assigned."
He instructed:
"On your criminal record, mark none. If asked later, say none."
Gao Fei nodded:
"Thank you, I'm grateful. Can I know your name?"
The officer smiled:
"Osokayev. Wash your face, relax. Good luck"