Chapter 327: Reprimand

In the Middle East Commander's office at the Pentagon, west of Abraham, Admiral Gawain glared with fiery eyes at the young man nearby who was toying with a sailboat model, his demeanor nonchalant.

“Michael Wood! Is this your answer? Your reason for disobeying orders and attacking Nasava City?”

“What else could I do under the circumstances, Admiral? If Sayyid Abdul were arrested by the South Babylonian Republic, it would be an international scandal. Then not only I, but even you, Admiral, would be blown to pieces by that bomb! Unlike you, the folks at the CIA have praised my decisiveness.”

“That’s because they don’t have to bear the pressure from the President.”

Admiral Gawain had nearly chewed the end of his cigar to pulp: “You could have waited twelve hours for us to go through the attack approval process. Instead, the Army Chief of Staff practically slapped the documents in my face.”

“Twelve hours later? Who knows what might happen?”

Michael Wood let out a laugh, walked over, and sat down in front of Admiral Gawain: “Admiral, I was wrong in this matter, but you know the situation was urgent, right? It’s not something unforgivable.”

“But what about your looting in Nasava City? Someone reported to the Inspector General’s office, proving that at least nine hundred million gold shields in cash and gold were pocketed by you and some officers of the 7th Brigade.”

“That’s not true.”

Michael Wood’s face, too young for a legend, showed no trace of shame: “This is an insult to me! Admiral, as far as I know, they have no evidence to accuse me, and the CIA has vouched for me with the Inspector General.”

“But we all know what really happened!”

Admiral Gawain’s expression shifted between gloom and uncertainty, finally letting out a sneer: “Do you think you can act like nothing happened after such a principled mistake?”

He then handed a document to Michael Wood. The latter took it, glanced at it, and raised an eyebrow: “Transfer order? Reporting back to the Pentagon in a month—another case of a promotion in name but a demotion in reality? That’s unfair to me.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t do anything about it.”

Admiral Gawain tossed the chewed-up cigar into the trash: “The civilian bureaucrats in this building handle officer promotions, and now you’ve offended them badly. I suggest you lie low until they think you’ve been tamed.”

…

Three minutes later, when Major General Michael Wood walked out of the Middle East Commander’s office, his adjutant, Captain Virginia, immediately approached. He remained silent, following closely, until they left the Pentagon before asking: “Major General, things don’t look good, do they? I heard you arguing inside; the whole floor echoed with Admiral Gawain’s roars.”

“Just bluffing, putting on a show for the higher-ups.”

Though Michael said this, his face showed some helplessness: “In a month, I’ll be transferred to the Defense Logistics Agency as deputy head of the audit department. Damn it, what do I know about auditing? I need to find a new boss, Virginia.”

“Major General? Are you really leaving the military, leaving the 7th Brigade?”

Captain Virginia’s eyes showed sorrow and frustration: “I told you before, Michael, you were too reckless. You should have waited for explicit authorization from the Joint Chiefs of Staff.”

“So I deserve it.”

Michael Wood’s reaction was calm: “Don’t look like the sky is falling, okay? Working for private companies, I can at least make money openly, many times more than now. You know? There’s an Eastern saying: ‘Seek benevolence, and you shall get it.’ That’s me now. Do you think there’s still a place for me up there after that incident? So Virginia, I wouldn’t have lasted in the military anyway.”

Captain Virginia looked helpless, truly at a loss with a superior who was determined to prioritize making money.

And when he heard the phrase “after that incident,” his expression dimmed. Indeed, as Michael said, there was no future for him in the military.

Although three years ago, during that sudden incident, Michael saved the lives of 700 soldiers and enjoyed high prestige in the 7th Brigade, he had touched the raw nerves of many bigwigs at the Pentagon. In comparison, the 7th Brigade’s unauthorized attack on Nasava City seemed trivial.

So even though his superior had a record of outstanding achievements and had entered the legendary realm at the age of forty-five, he still remained stuck at the rank of major general.

“So, Michael, have you found a new employer?”

He thought that if his superior really couldn’t stay in the military, he and many colleagues would unhesitatingly choose to follow.

“Several big companies have invited me, but I didn’t agree. Though their salary offers were tempting, the positions didn’t satisfy me.”

Michael Wood shook his head and stepped into his official car: “But I plan to go to Atlanta to check out a company called Sunrise Retail. They’re looking for a chief security officer.”

“Sunrise Retail?”

Captain Virginia looked puzzled: “A big company? I’ve never heard of it.”

“Of course you haven’t. It’s a recent startup. I heard it just received a nine hundred million gold shield investment from the Mitchell Group a few days ago.”

Michael Wood took some newspapers from his document bag and handed them to his adjutant: “The one I’ve marked.”

Virginia quickly flipped through them. Since his superior had highlighted the key points, he soon found the relevant content.

“A company with only a few dozen stores? Michael, are you sure? It doesn’t match your status. It’s like a dragon entering a rat’s nest. Your colleagues will laugh at you, Major General. Andre Lee Wiltonstein? If it were the Wiltonstein family, that would be one thing, but the paper says he doesn’t count as a real Wiltonstein; he’s rejected by all his kin.”

“It’s mediocre now, but the future is uncertain.”

Michael Wood’s lips curled slightly: “They run an electronics chain, bringing several electronics brands together for sale. Even with just seventeen stores open, their daily net profit exceeds six million gold shields.”

“But I feel this model will face fierce competition, right?”

Captain Virginia clearly had sharp insight: “Especially when expanding to other regions. Hmm, I think even in Atlanta itself, if they don’t have strong backing, it will be hard for them to hold their ground.”

“That’s why they need a strong security chief. I plan to go to Atlanta first and take a look.”

Michael Wood looked at another newspaper, at the photo of Li Mochen on the front page, a glint of fervor in his eyes: “You know? A friend told me that this kid named Andre has the aura of a king!”

“Huh? A king’s aura?”

Captain Virginia looked utterly bewildered, completely at a loss.