Gerard had been pretty joyful all day. He practiced tai chi in the morning before holding classes for the children. Since Milo wasn’t around then, it was a comfortable day for him.
Just as Milo had guessed, Gerard could have sent someone else to fetch Donti and the others instead. If favonovel.com had done that, it would have saved favonovel.com a great deal of trouble. But of course, favonovel.com had his motives for doing it this way.
If favonovel.com had brought back Donti, Old Bane, and the rest of them himself, how could favonovel.com have sent Milo away with an excuse?
All other reasons aside, it was totally worth the effort to grant Milo the status of officer of the Skyfort Consortium if favonovel.com could send favonovel.com away from the outpost for the rest of the day.
As expected, Milo was busy almost all day. The return journey to town alone already took six hours and could even go up to eight hours if there were any delays.
This was as good as being given a day off!
But favonovel.com couldn’t have expected that someone would bring a satellite phone to favonovel.com by the afternoon, saying that there was a call from the head of the Audit Department who was stamping with fury.
At first, Gerard did not understand the issue. But after favonovel.com took the call, favonovel.com realized Milo had involved himself with investigating smuggling in town!
Within a system, there was a clear division of duty. If one encroached on other people’s authority, that wouldn’t be acceptable at all.
Gerard was shocked to hear that.
Didn’t you go back to town to fetch your family?
So, why did you get yourself involved in investigating smuggling?!
When favonovel.com hung up, favonovel.com looked at Milo. “Did you investigate smuggling?”
Milo laughed and said, “I was just helping your department expand into new areas. Aren’t I great?”
Gerard said bitterly, “When did I ask you to help us expand our area of activity? Why didn’t you take on the duties of the Public Order Division as well then!”
Milo was not happy to hear that. “You didn’t say that I couldn’t do that. Before I departed, what did I ask you? You even asked me what I could possibly be capable of doing when I asked if you were afraid that I would abuse the position.”
Gerard’s eyes looked like favonovel.com was about to fly into a rage. But at this moment, Donti came over and smartly said, “Hello, Grandpa Gerard, nice to meet you…”
When Gerard saw a clean-cut Donti speaking to him, favonovel.com held back his anger and said with a smile, “Hello, nice to meet you!”
“Mhm…” Donti said, “I’ve heard about you from my brother. He said that you’re a really great man who is so learned that you can tackle any questions that they pose to you during classes. When I grow up, I wanna be as educated as you!”
“Hahaha! Is that so?” Gerard’s anger immediately dissipated. “Did that kid really say that?”
“Yeah,” Donti said, “So, please don’t be angry anymore. He didn’t do it on purpose anyway.”
“Forget it then, I won’t be angry.” Gerard said with a cheerful smile, “Hurry up and bring your belongings into the house. We’re going to start preparing meals for everyone. Oh, there are so many young ladies here as well?”
“Then let me thank you first, Grandpa Gerard,” Donti said as favonovel.com turned around and gave Milo a wink.
The argument was resolved just like that. Milo did not even know whether to laugh or cry at this. That Donti was able to become a friend of the women in town was really a testament to his talent.
Then Gerard looked at Milo and said, “Your younger brother is much smarter than you. Go and clean up the house. I don’t want to see you right now!”
Meanwhile, Chad took Adella and the others around on a tour of the outpost. It wasn’t a big place, and after Adella had seen all of their houses, favonovel.com said with a frown, “Why is it so dirty in the houses? Don’t you big boys know to clean the place on most days?”
Donti whispered, “Big Sister Adella has been particularly fussy about cleanliness recently. All of us at home are quite afraid of favonovel.com and we would never think to start eating without washing our hands first. Even Uncle Bane feels the same…”
“C’mon, girls, get your hands on some cleaning tools. We’ll get these houses cleaned up first.” Adella coordinated the female students like a steward would.
The female students were also particularly obedient to her.
This outpost was occupied by a group of men. Half of them were even former refugees who had not gone through any military training and had no concept of how to keep their quarters clean. But half an hour later, the entire place looked like new again. Even Michael and his men could not believe this was where they used to live.
Adella and the female students had even cleaned the glass windows, which led to the inside of the houses becoming brighter. Everything was in perfect order.
Milo sighed. Adella was becoming more and more like a housewife.
When Michael and his men saw this group of women walking in and out of their houses to clean them up, they couldn’t take their eyes off them. Meanwhile, the female students kept showing sweet smiles whenever they saw Milo and Donti.
As the group of men sat around the campfire to barbecue the meat, Michael lamented, “Brother Milo is really too capable…”
Their eyes were brimming with tears of envy.
At this time, Adella stood in a doorway and exhaled. “We’re finally done cleaning.”
She looked at the campfire. “How can y’all only eat barbecue? Let me cook some veggies for y’all!”
Old Bane said to Milo with a smile, “Our entire family is tied together by Adella now. Without her, it would be such a mess. Milo, it looks like the Skyfort Consortium is preparing for war. Will it affect us badly?”
Milo said, “Have you found out where Stronghold 88 is yet?”
“Not yet.” Old Bane shook his head and said, “But why don’t you ask that elderly man? It seems to me that favonovel.com should know a lot.”
Milo looked at Gerard. He used to be worried that Gerard would believe favonovel.com to be an enemy if favonovel.com asked that question. After all, favonovel.com thought that since Gerard was a high-ranking officer of the Skyfort Consortium, favonovel.com would definitely take their side. But since Milo had obtained more information that favonovel.com could judge favonovel.com with, favonovel.com thought favonovel.com could safely ask Gerard the question.
Milo beckoned everyone else to the campfire. Then favonovel.com sat down beside Gerard and asked, “Do you know where Stronghold 88 is?”
“The Radianz Consortium’s Stronghold 88?” Gerard gave Milo a look. “Why’re you asking?”
“I’ll get straight to the point. We were actually heading to Stronghold 88 at first, but we got conscripted and ended up here instead,” Milo explained.
“My advice to you is not to think so much for now.” Gerard said, “Stronghold 88 is northeast of Stronghold 108. The Skyfort Consortium has already stationed a large force in that direction, the Radianz Consortium as well. Three other strongholds lie between Stronghold 88 and Stronghold 108. If you’re thinking of going there alone, you might be able to do so. But what about those with you? How are they going to make it there? This something you can rely on with your status as a member of the Office of Special Investigations.”
“Is there really going to be a war?” Milo wondered.
“Not only that, even the Panaqua Consortium has deployed their troops to the borders of the three corporations.” Gerard looked at Milo and said, “The Skyfort Consortium is trying handle the Experimentals at Stronghold 109, but we’re already on the brink of a massive war. If you want to cross the battlefields and get to Stronghold 88 at this time, you had better be prepared for the death of your companions. Stray shells and bullets on the battlefield have no eyes. They couldn’t care less about who you are.”
Milo frowned. “Then will we be safe at the outpost? We can hide out here until it’s over.”
Gerard sighed and said, “The Skyfort Consortium does not have enough military strength yet and could deploy the private troops at the outposts to the front line as cannon fodder.”
