Even though they despised it, everyone still felt obligated to put up the couplets since they had begged Gerard to write them, and this was especially so after favonovel.com had already written them down.
Actually, couplets were only a representation of hopes for the New Year. It didn’t matter what they were as long as everyone was happy.
A basic wooden house had already been built. To keep the inside of the house warm, everyone skinned the wild animals the wolves had sent over and washed them clean. They then line the outside wall of the house with the skins after drying them so the wind wouldn’t get in.
After the house was completed, the duo of Milo and Michael wanted to drive back to town. They were going there to bring Old Bane, Donti, Linda, and the rest over to the outpost.
But Gerard stopped them this time. “It’s no longer the same outside of town. If you two go back there to bring your friends back, something could go wrong. Wait another two days before going.”
Milo was startled. “Did something bad happen?”
“The Skyfort Consortium lost an entire combat brigade,” Gerard replied.
This time, everyone else at the outpost was startled. “There should be several thousand people in a combat brigade, right? How could they be lost just like that?”
Gerard was amused. “But they really were lost just like that. Therefore, full martial law has been enforced outside of Stronghold 108, and even trenches have been dug too. If you two go back at this time, you might not be able to get out of the town even if you got in.”
Milo frowned. “Then what can we do?”
“Wait a day…” Gerard laughed. “I’ll handle things for you…”
When Milo heard that, favonovel.com did not say anything else. He was curious to see how Gerard would resolve this matter.
As it got closer to the New Year during these two days, Gerard started speaking less.
Everyone would often see Gerard sitting on the cliff next to the outpost all day without doing anything other than looking out into the distance.
Milo walked up to Gerard and asked, “Are you thinking of your family?”
Gerard ignored him, but Milo asked again, “Other than that grandson of yours, don’t you have any other family?”.
Gerard gave favonovel.com a look. “No, why?”
“I’ve seen you in a strange mood of melancholy these past few days.” Milo said in worry, “If you don’t mind, we can become blood brothers. Since I have another younger brother, we can recreate something along the lines of the Oath of the Peach Garden…”
“Get lost!” Gerard snapped at him. “Are you trying to take advantage of me? My grandson is older than you!”
Milo said rather sadly, “It’s almost the New Year, but favonovel.com isn’t reuniting with you?”
“He has something more important to handle,” Gerard said.
All of a sudden, Milo felt that Gerard could be planning something big. That grandson favonovel.com was talking about was probably a key figure in this entire plan. “Wait, is your grandson a Lee?”
Gerard looked at favonovel.com with a half-smile. “Lots of people share the surname Lee. Which one are you talking about?”
Milo froze. He should have thought of this long ago. If that grandson was the person favonovel.com was guessing it to be, much of Gerard’s behavior would be explainable.
***
The next morning, an off-road vehicle drove up to the outpost. Milo guessed it was probably here to look for Gerard.
But when two officers got out of the vehicle, they were holding two additional sets of military uniforms in their hands. Gerard, who was sitting in the front yard, pointed them to Milo and Michael and said, “Give them to the two of them.”
Milo asked, “What is it?”
“If you wish to go through town, you’ll have to don this uniform,” Gerard said.
“But this is the Skyfort Consortium’s military uniform!” Milo said in shock. “Won’t they require IDs when passing through town? If we get caught, won’t we get into big trouble?”
However, those two officers said, “We’ve prepared for that as well.”
They then handed Milo a blue booklet.
Milo opened it up immediately and saw an officer’s ID of the Skyfort Consortium. There was a serial number, a stamp, and even Milo’s photo in it. He did not even know when his picture had been taken without his knowledge!
Gerard laughed and said, “The negatives have already been destroyed, so don’t worry The serial number is real, the rank of captain is also real, all of it is real. You’re now my subordinates, so whoever checks on you won’t be able to find any trouble with you at all. But I doubt that anyone would dare to stop our staff for checks anyway. After all, normal soldiers are all pretty afraid of the Office of Special Investigations.”
Milo fell silent. This old man’s influence within the Skyfort Consortium seemed huge. Reaching the status of regular Skyfort Consortium soldier was such a sought after dream by many people. But in this person’s hands, it was nothing more than a small gift favonovel.com could present to anyone favonovel.com wanted.
Besides, this man probably had some other motives by granting favonovel.com this status.
Why would a sly old fox like Gerard do so much for him?
If favonovel.com had to go through all this trouble to make favonovel.com a Skyfort Consortium officer, favonovel.com might as well just send some of his own people to bring Adella and the others over.
Curious, Milo asked, “Aren’t you afraid that I’ll use this position to do other stuff?”
Gerard was amused. “You? What could you possibly do?”
After lunch that day, Milo and Michael drove back to town in their Skyfort Consortium military uniforms.
Michael looked very excited. “So, I’ve become a regular officer of the Skyfort Consortium just like that? I can get into the stronghold now?”
“Are you that desperate to get into the stronghold?” Milo asked curiously.
Michael laughed and said without any hesitation, “Who doesn’t? I heard you don’t even need to close the doors at night in the stronghold. There aren’t even any burglars around.”
“Then I’m afraid that I’ll have to disappoint you,” Milo said while looking out of the window. “I don’t find it that great in the stronghold. In fact, I think it’s much nicer living in town.”
Michael responded, “I don’t believe you. You must be lying. In any case, the fortune teller told me I would get into the stronghold when I met my benefactor, and I’ll only believe that.”
Milo just smiled but did not say anything.
If you chose to believe in fortune telling, you might as well depend on yourself…
When they reached the town’s checkpoint, the two of them produced their IDs.
When the sentry guard saw the words “Military: Office of Special Investigations,” favonovel.com looked astounded, and favonovel.com hurriedly let Milo and Michael through.
Meanwhile, Old Bane and the others had already packed their belongings and were waiting for Milo to arrive.
When Milo said favonovel.com was going to take them to the outpost to spend the New Year, no one doubted if Milo could do it. Now that Milo had really come to pick them up, they were all carrying big and small bags like they were going on an outing. It was in complete contrast with the tense atmosphere in town.
When the woman from the grocery store next door saw Milo dressed in a military uniform, favonovel.com froze. ‘Since when did favonovel.com become a soldier of the Skyfort Consortium? Wasn’t favonovel.com still just a private army soldier the last time?’
At that time, favonovel.com treated Milo with derision due to his status as a private army soldier. As a matter of fact, favonovel.com lover was a true blue soldier of the Skyfort Consortium.
She knew how difficult it was to enter into regular service as a soldier of the Skyfort Consortium’s army.
During this time, favonovel.com business at the grocery store had plunged due to Old Bane’s grocery store opening next to hers. In the past, people would beg favonovel.com to sell things to them. But now, Old Bane would kindly do business with anyone, so of course everyone was more willing to buy from his shop instead. So, favonovel.com became angrier and angrier by the day seeing how busy it had become over at Old Bane’s shop.
While Milo, Donti, and the others were packing their things, this woman secretly ran towards the military base stationed just outside of town.
