Super Zoo

Early the next morning, Suming made plans to purchase animals from several zoos in Baghdad. After breakfast with Zhao Yun and Nangong Huang, the three of them arrived at the hotel lobby. Adnan had already been waiting for quite a while, and on seeing Suming come out of the elevator, Adnan enthusiastically strode over to greet him, his face beaming with a joyous smile.

"Adnan, if every Iraqi could smile like you do, then Baghdad would be paradise," Suming thought to himself, What good news has this guy received to be smiling so brightly early in the morning?

"Oh, sir, I experienced the feeling of paradise last night. I didn't realize that sleeping could be so comfortable. The air conditioning didn't make a single noise, the pure hot water was available 24 hours, and I didn't have to worry about armed men breaking in and shooting me dead in my bed. Unfortunately, the thought of my two children still living in that small broken house in southern Baghdad filled my heart with guilt, and it kept me awake for a long time," Adnan said with a tone full of reminiscence.

"Alright, Adnan, if this trip goes smoothly, I will have an additional token of gratitude for you. Then, you can bring your whole family to stay here for a few days," Suming said with a smile, patting Adnan on the shoulder. When it came to such local influencers, it was necessary to win them over. A little extra effort on his part would save him a lot of unnecessary trouble.

"Thank you so much, sir!" Adnan bowed deeply to Suming with a sincere gesture of gratitude.@@novelbin@@

"Let's go," Suming said, glancing at the row of clocks in the lobby. It was already half past eight in the morning, local Baghdad time.

Adnan stepped aside to make way but didn't lead the way. Instead, he said, "Sir, as you can see, Baghdad isn't very safe. The hotel security department offers mercenary services and sells weapons. Would you like to take a look first? Even if you don't hire combat personnel, buying some weapons for self-defense isn't a bad idea."

Suming chuckled. Adnan was not only a devout believer but also a shrewd little civil servant and a somewhat mercenary little townsman, a combination of roles that blended well in him. After spending some time with him, one found him quite down-to-earth and not so dislikeable.

Mercenaries and guns. Suming didn't believe for a second that Adnan wasn't getting a commission. However, clear waters are devoid of fish, and as long as the commission wasn't excessive, Suming didn't mind the trivial amount.

"Let's go have a look. We can't buy them back home, and since we're overseas, let's enjoy ourselves," Zhao Yun quipped from the side.

The Babylon Warwick Hotel's security department was primarily managed by a foreign security company, the so-called mercenary company. With Nangong Huang being an avid reader of online novels, the mention of mercenaries brought to mind 'Blackwater Company.' However, Blackwater's heyday was over a decade ago.

The responsible party for the Babylon Warwick's security was Moran International Security Group, a famous, or rather, the largest security company from Eastern Europe. The company's founder was a high-ranking official from the former Soviet Union's Far East Group and the KGB. Rumors had it that he used to mix with Russian brass.

On the second floor of the hotel's annex, a whole half-floor was dedicated to the security department, which also served as Moran International's branch in Iraq.

Adnan spoke to someone who looked like a hotel lobby manager, and after a few words, the person led the way, explaining their purpose to two Russian mercenaries at the entrance of the security department.

"Oh, to see Huaxia people in this godforsaken place gives me a warm feeling. Ha-ha, go on in," one of the Russian mercenaries laughed as he said.

"Thank you," Suming nodded, uttered a Russian phrase he learned from movies, and then stepped into the security department.

Just as Suming and his group entered, the two mercenaries standing guard outside started talking about them.

"Could that Eastern man who tricked Mother Bear Ludmila be this guy?"

"Who knows? There are many Easterners staying in the hotel," another mercenary, who looked like a polar bear, shrugged. "Still, it's satisfying to imagine Ludmila being snubbed. Can you picture the scene? A man that completely ignores her flirtatious looks and walks right by her to tend to an animal? Ha-ha! If the folks at headquarters knew that 'Dangerous Mother Bear' Ludmila could be disregarded by a man..."

"Keep it down. Ludmila's scheming isn't as big as her... you know what. Be careful, or you'll end up getting sent to help the army attack IS Country," the other mercenary warned in a lowered voice.

As these two were conversing, Suming and his companions, led by the manager, had already entered the security department's interior.

The half-floor had been remodeled to house only two separate large rooms on either side of the corridor. One side was the weapons storage area, and through bulletproof glass, one could see a weapon room of over two hundred square meters filled with various types of firearms. The other side appeared to be for office work and rest—a large open-plan area with semi-private cubicles, unlike the individual offices typically found in Huaxia's institutions.

The office area was bustling with people who looked like ordinary clerical staff in uniform shirts, yet without exception, all wore holsters. Suming was certain that if anyone caused trouble here, the clerks would draw their guns in a second and turn that person into a sieve.

The manager confidently led Suming and his group to the exterior of a cubicle and said to the person inside, "Ma'am, there are a few guests here in need of security services."

In the compartment, a person dressed in camouflage sat with their back to Suming and the others, lazily leaning against a rocking chair, legs crossed on the table, toying with a large handgun that was even bigger than Suming's hand.

"That's fine, I understand. You can go now, the account will be settled with the hotel."

With a swing of their legs, the chair spun around, revealing the face of a quintessential Eastern European woman, with blond hair, two azure eyes, and slightly elevated cheekbones that gave her face distinct lines.

The manager in charge of Moran International in Iraq was actually a woman.

Both Suming and the woman were momentarily taken aback.

"It's you!"

"You!" The woman even spoke in Chinese.

It was indeed one of the two leggy Eastern European beauties Suming had seen by the pool yesterday.

Adnan, standing to the side, asked in surprise, "You two know each other?"

"Of course, by the pool yesterday, this hairless Huaxia man made quite an impression on me!"

Perhaps due to her unfamiliarity with Chinese, the woman's tone sounded odd as she spoke. She stood up and extended her hand to Suming, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Ludmila Mikhailovna Pavlichenko, Director of Moran International's Iraq division and Deputy Security Manager of the Babylon Warwick Hotel."

Her direct and forthright handshake made Suming quite embarrassed. Yesterday by the pool, he had been the one staring inappropriately, yet she had not only refrained from getting upset but had also flirtatiously winked in response. According to the usual script, he should have approached her, but instead, he had simply walked past her towards Xiao Kong, leaving a lady unattended, which was rather rude in a social context.

"Hello, hello! My name is Suming, from Huaxia, and I manage a zoo." Suming hurriedly reached out to shake her hand.

The moment their hands touched, Suming felt a warm and soft sensation in his palm. Indeed, his previous estimation was accurate; the skin of Eastern European women could match that of southern Huaxia women, starkly different from the coarser skinned Western women. Despite the fact that this female director seemed adept with guns and likely had a military background, her touch was still quite comfortable.

"Names from the East are very simple; I appreciate that. If you find my name too long, you can call me Ludmila." A cryptic glint flashed in Ludmila's eyes as her lips curled upwards, adding, "However, my comrades prefer my nickname 'Mother Bear,' sometimes with prefixes, like 'Charming Mother Bear' when I'm in a good mood, or 'Dangerous Mother Bear' in less favorable moments…"

"Ah?" Suming hadn't quite grasped what Ludmila meant when a sharp pain suddenly shot through his hand.

Ludmila's gentle hand suddenly clenched, as if it had turned into a hard iron pincer, pinching Suming's hand fiercely.

Ludmila's 'retaliation' was like a tornado, coming so abruptly and violently. Her hand, which a moment ago was gentle, now became the claw of a bear.

It came as no surprise that this was a woman nicknamed Mother Bear. Suming's body had been doubly reinforced by spiritual power and the Sui water, making him much stronger than the average muscular man and on par with special forces soldiers. But when Ludmila exerted force, Suming instantly felt a heart-piercing pain, his palm bones grinding against each other, on the verge of cracking.

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These military folks really were the type to lick their wounds and pay no mind to reason. It's not like there was some deep, grievous vendetta between them, and Suming was still a guest of the hotel, yet this foreign woman went straight for underhanded tactics!

This upheaval, while painful for Suming, actually put his mind at ease. It was like knowing there was a ghost under the bed; if it never comes out, you're in constant fear, unable to eat or sleep well. But once it shows itself, despite a good scare, you can finally have a sense of relief.

Relieved though he was, the pain was tangible. Ludmila was not pulling her punches, and in just the blink of an eye, Suming's forehead was beaded with sweat, his facial muscles spasming together, half his body numb as if he had Parkinson's disease.

In the large office, the clerks coming and going had noticed the scene. Rather than intervening, they stretched their necks to watch with glee. It seemed it wasn't the first time Ludmila had done such a thing, as her security company colleagues were all ready to enjoy the show, waiting to see this unfortunate Eastern man's embarrassment.