Chapter 98

"Mr. Muhammad, I'm a bit confused," Osama said to Muhammad as they walked on the rugged mountain path, with the stars shining above.

Ever since Muhammad entered Osama's world, Osama had been wholeheartedly following Muhammad, and Muhammad had taught him everything, allowing Osama to grow rapidly in a short period of time.

Now, as Osama asked Muhammad, Muhammad immediately and without hesitation replied, "What are you confused about?"

"Faheem won't last much longer; he has lost too much blood," Osama said. "And you, you have to take a great risk to find a doctor for Faheem. By the time we return, Faheem might already have met Allah..."

"We must do our best," Muhammad said. "Faheem is the second-in-command of the Panjshir guerrillas, and he is someone we need to unite with. Osama, you must remember, if we want to completely drive out the invaders, we must unite, unite all the Afghan brothers who can be united!"

Muhammad's words were somewhat stern, and at the same time, he was deep in thought.

Osama had a special quality about him. In his mind, he did not seem to place much value on human life, which was why he strongly advocated for human bombs. Moreover, Osama had put this into practice. During the last operation, Osama himself had turned into a human bomb, and it was thanks to his human bomb that their side had managed to escape.

Every life is invaluable, and when necessary, one can be willing to die. However, whenever possible, one should protect every life. Muhammad wanted Osama to understand this point to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past.

A person's character is determined at birth, but it can also be influenced by various subtle factors later on.

As Muhammad walked, he thought deeply and vaguely sensed something.

Was Osama's human bomb intended to fight against the Soviets? No, it was something Osama had long prepared for! More precisely, he had prepared it before coming to the Panjshir Valley!

What was Osama's purpose? Thinking about this, Muhammad finally asked, "Osama, what's the story behind your human bomb?"

Hearing Muhammad's question, Osama chuckled, a proud smile on his face. "Mr. Muhammad, when you decided to come to the Panjshir Valley, I was afraid these guerrillas might pose a threat to us. If they tried any tricks, I would take them down with me."

Osama didn't see anything wrong with this. The conflict between the Pashtuns and Tajiks had been going on for a long time, and Masood was a shrewd guerrilla leader. Muhammad's coming here didn't seem promising to Osama. If Masood tried to merge their guerrillas, he would make him pay!

Muhammad felt a chill. He had come to unite these guerrillas, and fortunately, the talks had been relatively smooth. If there had been any conflict, and Osama had used a human bomb, his reputation would have been ruined. How could he unite other guerrillas then?

Without unity, Afghanistan had no future. Now, with a common enemy, this was the best opportunity.

Muhammad's goal was not just to drive out the Soviets. He was also concerned about Afghanistan's future, which would affect the world's future...

"But now, Mr. Instructor, I understand," Osama said. "We are gradually merging other guerrillas and becoming the most powerful force in Afghanistan!"

Osama's words... Muhammad glanced at Khawaja, who was carrying a sniper rifle and remained silent. However, his expression showed pride. This guerrilla group, under his command, had struggled to fight Soviet tanks, but under Muhammad's leadership, they had become an absolute powerhouse.

Following Muhammad was exhilarating!

Moreover, almost everyone believed that Muhammad was the most suitable leader sent by Allah. In every battle, Muhammad had always turned danger into safety. This time, he had survived the Soviet helicopter's rocket attack unscathed, all thanks to Allah's protection.

"Mr. Muhammad, finding a doctor isn't difficult," Osama said. "A few months ago, the Crescent Association rescued a doctor from Kabul, and the Service Camp helped the doctor escape to the Panjshir Valley."

Hearing this, Muhammad became excited.

The Crescent Association was an organization from Saudi Arabia that provided medicine and food to the war-torn region of Afghanistan. It also secretly supported the guerrillas. The Service Camp was Osama's organization, which continued to operate even after he joined the guerrillas. The Crescent Association helped the doctor escape from Kabul, and the Service Camp helped the doctor reach the Panjshir Valley.

"At the time, the situation was urgent, and the Service Camp planned to send the doctor to the Jalalabad mountains. However, we happened to be moving here, so we decided to let the doctor stay temporarily in the Panjshir Valley," Osama said.

Osama had his own motives. Their guerrilla group needed a doctor, and there was one readily available. They had initially planned to bring the doctor back directly, but since their guerrilla group had moved here, they decided to let the doctor stay.

The doctor had intended to join the Panjshir guerrillas, but Osama hoped the doctor would become their guerrilla group's doctor, so he delayed the process.

Hearing Osama's words, Muhammad was very excited. Bringing out such a doctor would be more suitable than trying to capture one from the Soviets. A captured doctor might be forced to perform surgery, and who knew if they would be willing? A slight deviation during surgery could cost Faheem his life.

"Where is he now?" Muhammad asked.

"Astana," Osama said.

The Panjshir Valley is rugged, with high mountains and sparse population. The Panjshir River flows between the mountains, and where there is water, there is life. In the middle of the Panjshir Valley, there is a small but vibrant plain, Astana.

The river runs through the center of the town, dividing it into two parts. The town's traffic is connected by a stone bridge in the middle.

The stone bridge is ancient, and some of the town's elders remember it being the same as it is now when they were young. The moss covering the bridge seems to tell the story of its long history.

On both sides of the stone bridge, a few government soldiers stood lazily.

They wore the gray-brown winter uniforms of the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan, with red trim on the cap, collar, and shoulder straps, and a Soviet-style belt buckle with a five-pointed star symbolizing the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan. They wore gray military boots and carried AKM rifles with ammunition pouches on one side and a Soviet steel helmet without camouflage on the other.

After standing for a while, the sun came up, and they looked around, finally sitting on the steps of the stone bridge, impatient.

The higher-ups are really sick. It's so safe here; why do we need to stand guard everywhere!

It's said that the guerrillas attacked Ruha two days ago, and the division headquarters were bombed. Now, everyone has to be more vigilant.

But... Ruha is where the Soviet division headquarters are located, so the guerrillas naturally targeted it. Astana, although a significant town, is guarded by government troops, and some of the soldiers even know the residents, making their relationship more friendly.

The Soviets drove their tanks directly into Ruha's fields, causing the residents to be very resentful. The government troops here just stand guard and don't do anything extreme, so the guerrillas won't come here to cause trouble.

"Ouch, my tooth hurts," a soldier sitting down suddenly clutched his face, his right cheek swollen.

"What's wrong?" someone nearby asked.

"My tooth hurts, it's really painful," he said, his words muffled by his hand.

"There's a doctor in town, I heard he's quite skilled. You should go see him," another soldier said. "Turn the corner ahead and walk a few dozen meters, and you'll find him."

Is there a doctor in town? The soldier with the toothache couldn't help but say, "I have a relative in this town, and I've never heard of a doctor. The entire valley only has a doctor in Ruha."

"He's been here for a few months, and he's quite skilled. Moreover, his fees are low, and many people from the surrounding areas come to see him," the soldier said.

The soldier's tooth still hurt, so he stood up, clutching his face, and prepared to go in the direction the other soldier had mentioned.

At that moment, the sound of a car engine came from a distance, and they quickly stood up, watching a military vehicle drive by, filled with Soviet soldiers.

What are they doing here? They moved aside to let the military vehicle pass over the stone bridge and turn at the next street corner. The direction seemed to be the same as where the soldier was going.

"Quick, surround the area! Go in and arrest them!" A Soviet sergeant jumped out of the vehicle and shouted to the others, "The doctor who escaped from Kabul is hiding here! Arrest him!"

They had received information from an informant that a doctor had appeared here. After comparing the details, they discovered it was the doctor who had escaped from the hospital in Kabul. This doctor must have connections with the guerrillas! They couldn't let him go!

The Soviet soldiers jumped out of the vehicle and ran towards a small courtyard, their guns pointed at the house.

Inside the room, a bearded man heard the commotion and was startled.

He was dressed in the typical Afghan rural attire: a long shirt, loose pajama-like pants, and chappals. He wore a hat on his head, and because it was cold, he also had a brown blanket over his shoulders.

Before he could grab the hidden pistol from his medical kit, the wooden door was kicked open by a pair of booted feet.

"Dr. Khalid Akram, you are under arrest!" (To be continued...)

PS: Thank you to these three friends, tofu, deaf, and that feeling, for their support! Especially to the friend "that feeling" for becoming the master of South Asia. To show my gratitude, I will add two more chapters this afternoon!

Thank you to all my friends for your votes and support! I continue to ask for monthly votes, subscriptions, and favorites!

Chapter 99: Finding the Doctor:

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