War: A Business

Chapter 59: Station

    Weeks later, I was sent back to my homeland, or rather, the special administrative state.

   I arrived just days ago from New Russia. I'm still jetlagged even after I arrived in the urban district of Bonifacio.

   We were still fixing our communications, but, Boss assigned me and my forces to oversee the defenses being built on the outskirts of Nueva Maynila, near Mongolia.

   He'd informed me that hostile activity now leaks through our borders, from the Gobi Desert, so the regional government proposed to the federal government that the ancient Great Wall must be reinforced, and once again be available for military use.

    My forces will assist and supplement the local forces in quelling any riots caused by the supposed "desecration" of the ancient wall, and any form of militant disorder. Also, this region is severly undermanned, so the government paid us to maintain a military presence in the area until a battalion of government troops will be stationed here.

   As the highest ranking officer in this base, I can freely travel anywhere I wanted.

   Today, I woke up in 3:15 in the morning. The sky is still dark as asphalt.

    I had thought to contact my wife, but I have recently learned that there is absolutely no time difference between here and the mainland, I decided to do that later.

   I decided to head out to the nearest train station to the town of Bonifacio, after I changed my clothes; now wearing a marroon polo shirt paired with black slacks.

   I left my room, navigating the corridors of the headquarters. I run down the stairs and headed outside the reception area.

   As I walk further to the entrance of the base, a sentry saluted me from his guard house.

   I stopped in front of the concrete guard house.

"At ease." I ordered him.

   His posture slackens, and sat down on a plastic chair, and entertained himself on a electronic tablet.

   I traveled the path of paved dirt. Only fields of grass surrounded the road. On the dim horizon, I saw the lights from reconstruction of the wall, being dimmed by the light fog.

    I stopped on a humble road; the asphalt crumbling. The other side of the road is packed with stores, wet markets, apartments and houses, all in bad condition.

   I looked left and right to check if there are cars approaching. After that, I stroll on the pedestrian crossing. I headed straight to the mouth of the chaotic mess of the wet markets, because the station is in the other side of this place.

   I walked amidst the local crowd. Thankfully, I blend in perfectly. I did not even look like fully Filipino, or Chinese. I'm just a mixture of both.

   The buildings were caked in dirt and grime. Vendors were selling different goods; some were selling meat, swinging the flies away. People sang away inside the karaoke bars, their slightly altered voices echoing adding to the chaos of vibrant noise. Chinese and Filipinos, living in one place toghether, makes it more interesting, amidst the tensions between us and them.

  I saw the train station up ahead, only blocked by crowds. I checked in my right pocket if my ticket is still there. Thankfully I felt a smooth texture. The familiar stench of sweat and odor of many people didnt bother me.

   I skirted through the loose crowd, until I broke free from the crowd. I walked towards the glass doors of the small building.

   The inside is noticeably cleaner than the outside, probably because most of the outskirts are noticeably poorer than near the capital. It is also empty,only because it is too early in the morning.