Chapter 38: Foreboding

Arthur was ready to sleep when John knocked on his door.

Since they returned from the aerial reconnaissance, the atmosphere had been somewhat tense. However, Arthur did not expect John to come to him with two knives.

Arthur felt a bit nervous seeing the knives, as John had been teaching him knife skills, but when he saw that John was holding real knives, he relaxed. After all, John wouldn't be using real knives for practice at this time.

"Are these new? Knives are necessary in the rainforest," Arthur asked, reaching out for one of the knives. John handed it to him, but instead of leaving, he stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

"Is there something else?" Arthur asked.

John's expression was serious as he nodded. "Yes, I want to practice with you again."

"Now? With real knives?" Arthur asked in surprise.

John suddenly became angry and said sharply, "What's wrong with real knives? There are sheaths. What are you afraid of? Do you think I'll kill you?"

With a disdainful wave of his hand, John positioned himself with a knife in his left hand and a sheathed short knife in his right, very seriously instructing Arthur, "Remember, Rubber's combat style is from the army. He likes to hold the knife in reverse, with the blade facing out. This grip..."

"Wait a minute!" Arthur interrupted John, looking puzzled. "Why are you telling me this now? I know you want to defend the honor of martial arts, but... isn't this unnecessary at this time?"

Looking annoyed, John said, "You don't understand. Shut up and listen to me. Rubber's fighting style and habits focus on seizing every opportunity to create more wounds on the enemy. When you thrust the knife... stab me, but slowly."

They had planned to have a knife fight with Rubber, but since deciding to go treasure hunting, both John and Rubber had little time and mood for it. So John was making the most of his time to teach Arthur knife fighting. It was completely different from the single-knife and long-spear techniques Arthur was familiar with. John's knife fighting involved aiming for fatal areas with every move, which was completely different from Arthur's previous training.

Arthur had practiced martial arts for half his life. Even though it was a new technique, his reflexes were quick, and his moves were accurate. He had already mastered the simple moves John had taught him.

However, the biggest difference between combat techniques and routines for actual combat was that combat techniques could not be practiced alone. They required a partner to be effective. Practicing alone would only turn it into another routine.

Normally, John would practice with Arthur, but that was supposed to be after the treasure hunt. Yet, here he was, simulating Rubber's usual fighting style against Arthur, which seemed a bit strange at this juncture.

Nevertheless, Arthur held the knife and slowly thrust the sheathed short knife toward John.

John pressed down with his right hand, and the blade cut fiercely into Arthur's forearm. Then he said sternly, "Rubber's movements are fast, and so are his reactions. If you thrust directly at his abdomen, he can cut your tendons and blood vessels with one stroke, even if your arm isn't severed, you won't have the strength to hold the knife. Then, he will block with his left arm."

He extended his left arm in a blocking motion in front of Arthur, then continued with a direct strike to the face, making a few feint strikes in front of Arthur's eyes, saying, "He will attack your face. At this point, he will raise his knife in his right hand and cut your carotid artery, severing your trachea, making you unable to speak or struggle, losing consciousness in ten seconds, and dead within a minute."

The sheath was made of thick engineering plastic, so it wouldn't hurt even if it scraped against the neck, but Arthur's neck was covered in goosebumps.

After retracting the knife, John said seriously, "Rubber is a retired army man. His unit mostly faced enemies wearing bulletproof vests. So, his combat techniques rarely include stabs to the trunk. Instead, they focus more on slashing actions, which seem to abandon the most powerful stabbing attacks of daggers and short knives, but can still make you lose mobility and be deadly in a short time."

"What if I do this?" Arthur slowly moved the sheathed knife toward John's neck. John blocked with his left hand, possibly risking a cut from the blade, but he lowered his body slightly and made a cut on the inside of Arthur's thigh. Then, swinging the knife from bottom to top, he cut Arthur's right arm, which he hadn't retracted in time, and finally, he pointed the knife tip at Arthur's eye.

"First, cut the major artery in your leg, causing rapid blood loss, then cut the major artery in your arm, and, depending on the situation, stab through your eye socket to reach your brain, or cut your carotid artery. When he makes the second cut, you lose mobility, but by the third cut, you're already dead."

Arthur sighed softly, nodded, and said, "I understand. Continuous and rapid infliction of wounds, while not instantly fatal, is still deadly."

John nodded and said in a low voice, "Encountering someone who holds the knife in reverse grip is basically like this."

Arthur continued, "We hold the knife in the standard grip. You taught me that stabbing must be fast, accurate, and fierce, the pinnacle of martial arts. But can this kind of combat defeat Rubber?"

John sighed softly and said, "Combat skills are not about good or bad, it's about who trains better, who is faster, who is stronger. Rubber has advantages in his combat style, but also weaknesses. His style is more effective against people with guns and bulletproof vests. The short knife combat I'm teaching you has a wider range of applications, suitable for any kind of opponent. But one thing is certain, our short knife combat must be faster and more accurate than the opponent. Before the opponent cuts your blood vessels and tendons, you should stab his neck with one stroke, then there will be no problems."

Arthur smiled and said, "Very targeted against Rubber."

"Just target him. This guy has always lacked respect for martial arts. As for other opponents... you have to understand, that if you can solve it with a pistol, don’t use a knife; if you can solve it with a rifle, don't use a pistol; if you can solve it with a cannon, don't use a rifle. You get it?"

"I get it, I do."

John waved his hand impatiently and said, "But Rubber must use a knife, even a practice knife will do. Come on, continue. You can stab me any way you like, just a bit faster."

Arthur didn't use the knife to stab John. He said seriously, "Why are you telling me this now, John? Do you have a bad feeling about something?"

John suddenly became irritated. "What bad feeling? What are you talking about?"

"Since we came back, no, since you said you saw someone, I've felt that something is not right with you, John. What's wrong? It's just seeing a figure. Even if you didn't see wrong, even if you saw someone, so what?"

John was silent for a moment, then waved his hand again. "What bad omen? You don't understand anything. I just... I just, shut up and stab me with the knife!"

Arthur said seriously, "I don't know what you're thinking, but let me tell you what I think. John, even if there is someone there, it doesn't matter. We can..."

"You know nothing!" John became impatient. He looked at Arthur disdainfully and said, "You've never been to the rainforest, so you don't know what it means. The place we're going to is dozens of kilometers away from the nearest town. It's a swamp, not suitable for human habitation. So, no one would go there to fish, no one would go there to log, and not even drug traffickers would go there to plant coca! So, seeing people there means danger, extreme danger!"

Arthur sighed and said, "I understand that seeing people there means danger, but what's the problem? John, we can give up. We can just go back."

"Give up? Haha, give up?"

John's expression became fierce. He said in a low voice, "How could we give up? This is our only chance to get rich, our only chance. How could we give up?"

"Whether it's mercenaries or PMCs, they make a lot of money..."

"Make money? Bullshit!"

John angrily interrupted Arthur. He said contemptuously, "Where did you get the illusion that mercenaries make money? That PMCs make money? Only the bosses make money. In this world, the richer you are, the more money you make. People like us, uneducated, brainless, only good at fighting, are just cannon fodder, consumables. You can't get rich even if you fight for a lifetime. All you can get is the price you deserve for your life! Even I, who didn't study much, understand this. Don't you?"

After saying this fiercely, John poked Arthur's chest with the knife tip and said in a low voice, "Greenhorn! You must remember, that life is worthless! Working as a cashier at McDonald's for a month can earn you at least two thousand dollars, but patrolling with a gun can only earn you four thousand! That's the value of your life!"

Arthur remained silent. John moved the sheathed knife to his head and tapped it hard twice, causing Arthur pain.

"You are a smart person. Don't sell your life if you can use your brain in the future!"

After saying that, John seemed to deflate. He took a deep breath, then suddenly turned around and said, "I won't talk to you anymore. Let's go to sleep. Be smarter in the future."

John put his hand on the door handle, but Arthur said softly, "Wait, don't rush."

Arthur took a step forward and said softly, "John, if we find the treasure, will you kill me?"

John was stunned for a moment. He let go of the door handle and turned to look at Arthur, looking surprised. "Why would you think that?"

"Normal people, people with a little bit of brains, people who understand human nature a little bit, would have this concern, right? There are four of you, but I'm just a greenhorn. Killing me would mean each of you could get at least tens of millions of dollars. Wouldn't you do it?"

John was silent for a moment and said, "Captain is very rule-abiding. That's why we partnered with him for this. Although he is not capable and is very stupid, he is not the kind of person who would harm comrades and partners. If he were, we wouldn't be risking our lives with this idiot."

Arthur was stunned for a moment and said, "Captain is stupid and not capable? Isn't that wrong?"