Chapter 150: BARGHEST
“The boss sent you? Damn—no wonder you went that hard!”
Vilet rolled her eyes and rubbed her sore shoulder.
Zed glanced at her and said flatly, “If I’d actually been serious, there would be three bodies lying here right now.”
Vilet’s expression stiffened. She didn’t argue—because he wasn’t wrong.
She only muttered quietly, “So what if you’re strong…”
“I want to know how the counter-espionage intelligence unit relates to the PROJECT team.”
Kiwi ignored Vilet’s antics and looked straight at Zed as she asked.
“We’re separate from the PROJECT squad,” Zed replied. “We handle cleanup and assassination. Your team is responsible for open combat operations.”
Kiwi nodded after hearing the explanation.
“So Roland didn’t send you here just to test our strength, did he?”
“That’s right. The Boss asked me to help you learn how to properly control your power. As for destruction—there’s no need. He can already use his abilities. Unfortunately, there’s a clear performance gap. Still, that ability can make up for part of the deficit.”
Zed nodded and glanced at Pyke.
Pyke had already calmed down. Even with an emotional module installed, he was still an AI—he could regulate his emotions if he wanted to.
“So… special training?” Kiwi asked.
“Yes.”
“When do we start?”
“Now.”
...
“Admiral Jamde, Kurt Hansen reporting!”
Hearing the report, Jamde stopped what he was doing and looked at the young, handsome man before him, frowning slightly.
This man felt different from what he’d expected.
He’d assumed Hansen would be Myers’s dog—but now it seemed he was someone capable, with that distinctly old-school military bearing.
“Very well, Colonel Hansen. You’re already aware of the details of this operation, correct?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Then let me see what you can do. Go.”
Jamde nodded and issued the order. Hansen didn’t hesitate—he saluted, acknowledged, and left.
After a moment of consideration, Jamde instructed his subordinates to cancel Hansen’s so-called “welcome ceremony.”
“The New United States forces were advancing into Southern California. Most people chose to stall, offering excuses and avoiding decisive action. But… there were always a few idiots blinded by short-term gains.”
They chose to oppose the New United States forces.
In reality, most of Southern California knew the New United States army was unstoppable, so they took no real action. As for those fools…
Everyone else was more than happy to let them throw away their assets—one less competitor, after all.
Jamde understood their thinking perfectly, which was why he had arranged a small skirmish for Hansen as a kind of “welcome.”
A large-scale battle was out of the question. After all… if even a small battle went wrong, those who’d been sitting on the fence would start getting ideas.
But after meeting Hansen, Jamde changed his mind.
This kind of man… might actually be useful. As a fellow soldier, compared to Myers, Hansen was clearly the better choice.
“Hey, boss. How’d it go?”
Lindell grinned as he asked Hansen.
“Not bad. At least the people up top seem decent for now. Just don’t know if they’ll turn into idiots again later.”
Hansen stepped forward, patted Lindell on the shoulder, and sat down nearby.
“Lindell, you should really consider removing some of your cyberware. Your condition isn’t looking great.”
“Don’t make such a fuss, boss. I’m in great shape. Even the medics don’t have an issue with it—no need to worry.”
Lindell flexed his bicep and flashed a wide grin.
Hansen shook his head. He knew exactly what those medics were like. That was why he’d had the unit’s own medic examine Lindell—who turned out to be dangerously close to his threshold.
Still, Hansen didn’t say anything more. It was Lindell’s choice. At the end of the day, he was just the man’s captain.
“Bennett. We’re up tomorrow. Tell the brothers to get ready.”
“Understood.”
A tall man whose face looked like a white bone mask nodded. It wasn’t a mask—it was his actual face.
Just as Hansen started checking his gear, a blond man with a mohawk tilted his head toward him.
“Yuri, what is it?”
Hansen leaned against the railing and handed Yuri a cigarette.
“Have you decided which side you’re on yet?” Yuri asked, lighting Hansen’s cigarette before lighting his own.
“You actually care about that? That’s not like you. Usually Murphy’s the one who comes to talk to me about this.”
“They all care, actually. Especially Bennett. They just don’t say it out loud. But I’m curious—you know I can’t keep things bottled up.”
Yuri smiled and shrugged helplessly.
“Haha, that does sound like you. As for sides… good question. I don’t like either of them. I’m on my own side. But if I had to choose, I’d go with the New United States.”
Hansen tilted his head, thought for a moment, and answered.
“Just like I figured. Then you’d better be careful not to drag the brothers down with you.”
“Relax. You know me.”
Hansen patted Yuri on the shoulder, stubbed out his cigarette, and returned to the tent.
“So? What’d he say?”
Murphy and Bennett walked over and joined Yuri.
“Bennett, you know what kind of person he is better than anyone.”
“Looks like we guessed right. He’s still the same Hansen.”
Murphy shrugged.
“And that’s exactly why we’re willing to follow him,” Bennett added.
“What about Farida? Did you talk to her?”
“Her? Forget it. She’s not one of us. According to Hansen, she’s on the New United States side.”
“You’re really not going to try convincing him? If we don’t have someone up front taking the heat this time, things could get ugly. This operation isn’t like the old days.”
“If you think you can persuade him, go ahead. I don’t have a problem with it.”
Yuri shrugged.
Bennett and Murphy shook their heads.
“Looks like we’re all on the same page, then. Let’s head back and get some sleep. We’ve got a fight with those Southern California guys tomorrow.”
Comments (0)
Please login or sign up to post a comment.