RBCT Chapter 15 Li Wei's Medal
Chapter 15 Li Wei's Medal
On the gilded five-pointed star, the shield of Minerva, the goddess of wisdom, has been pierced by nails, and the hanging anchor claws have faded somewhat.
Li Wei had something exactly the same, which was his "honor" after he returned alive from the abandoned village.
It now seems that Claude, like him, doesn't take this "honor" to heart, and even... is quite hostile towards it.
Li Wei raised his hand, pinched the nail, and tried to pull it out.
Even with his static force of 70 kilograms, the nail didn't budge.
The resentment runs deep...
As Li Wei was thinking this, Wesker had already finished his call and returned.
"You finally got the answer? Why did Claude leave the army?"
"Unauthorized action led to mission failure, resulting in the annihilation of the entire tactical squad, and forced retirement."
"Is this Thomas's fart?"
Li Wei didn't believe a single word of it.
Wesker, on the other hand, shrugged as if he had seen it all before.
"This is the 'official' characterization. Thomas's version is that the frontline commander's misjudgment at the time led to the deaths of Claude's men. Afterwards, that idiot colonel used his connections to shift the blame onto Claude and his men. This resulted in Claude's men not even receiving 'compensation' after their deaths."
"To support the orphans of his comrades, Claude left the army and America to become a mercenary. Thomas couldn't find out what happened after that, but until last month, each of the orphans had an extra two million in their accounts, totaling ten million."
This is a difficult situation...
Li Wei inhaled sharply, as if he had a toothache.
"You don't think he's a bad person, so you're having some trouble with him?"
Wesker said, glancing at the medal of honor.
He was a little jealous because he didn't have any.
"When he points his gun at innocent people, he has already crossed the line... which makes him even more difficult to deal with."
"So, this medal is a declaration of war?"
"It was 'persuasion to surrender'... He was reminding me that those bureaucrats were not trustworthy."
After finishing his sentence, Li Wei ignored the medal and turned to leave.
I'm not standing here for those stupid bureaucrats, but to protect my friends.
Unmoved, Levi did not forget to call out to Wesker.
"Get on the helicopter and go to the hotel to set up surveillance."
"Hasn't Claude already evacuated? Why would he make multiple moves in one day? That doesn't make sense. Why doesn't he go back to that presidential suite, have a drink, and get some rest?"
Despite his complaints, Wesker kept up with the pace, much to his dismay.
"Claude's style is counterintuitive. When you think he's unlikely to reappear, that's when you're most relaxed and most likely to fall into his trap."
Upon hearing Levi's words, Wesker felt as if he had been struck by lightning.
"So, I won't have a chance to enjoy that massage sofa for the next few days?"
"Thomas gave you six million in total, couldn't you just go back and buy one yourself?"
Levi didn't turn his head, while Wesker took another step and then let out a heavy sigh.
"Money is like a lover; it's always better to use someone else's than your own."
Li Wei couldn't help but roll his eyes, but ultimately didn't refute it.
"That fucking makes perfect sense!"
"Of course, I once dreamed of going to university and becoming a philosopher."
"But ultimately it stopped at 'having thought about it'? Because you didn't like it?"
"Because I didn't get enough points! Li Wei! Your words are really hurtful!"
Five minutes later, the helicopter took off, and Li Wei closed his eyes to rest, holding his gun.
What he faces next is not a simple "battle," but a hunt. He must seize every moment to keep himself in top condition.
Just then, the satellite phone Thomas provided rang.
Wesker answered immediately, but seemingly worried about disturbing Levi's rest, he listened more and spoke less, mostly just saying "uh-huh" to let Thomas know he heard.
The call lasted about ten minutes, ending just as the helicopter landed and Li Wei reopened his eyes.
"The driver was bribed, but Claude was careful and contacted him using a public phone."
"He didn't use his own account to make any purchases after returning to America, so Thomas's usual channels couldn't find anything."
Wesker summarized Thomas's phone call in just two sentences.
"Where is the driver?"
As Li Wei stepped off the helicopter, he asked questions.
"He's under control, but he knows nothing... Haha, he never expected that $50 would bring him not 'a passionate Seres culture fan,' but 'conspiracy to murder.'"
"In other words, we can't count on Thomas; we have to rely on ourselves."
Li Wei didn't have time to consider whether the driver was innocent or whether Thomas's behavior was excessive; he simply summarized the current situation in one sentence.
Wesker then took a backpack off the helicopter, pulled out a military-grade energy bar, and handed it to Levi.
"Hopefully we won't get sick of it these next couple of days... Even if it's to prevent the soldiers from eating this as a snack, it doesn't have to taste this bad, does it?"
Li Wei ignored it, took it, tore it open, and stuffed it into his mouth in a few bites.
It has a sweet, astringent, and salty taste, similar to chewing sawdust.
But without a doubt, this two-finger-wide strip is enough to burn calories for an entire day.
"Would you like a cup of coffee to help you relax?"
Wesker then pulled out a military water bottle and waved it at Levi.
Li Wei shook his head and silently assembled and set up the various devices.
Soon, a "makeshift operations room" located inside a tent appeared on the rooftop.
He then set up a multi-functional infrared night vision device and compared the content transmitted from his laptop screen with the floor plan of the Marriott Spring and Autumn Hotel across the street, re-examining some suspicious locations.
"Damn it! That Delta brat actually wanted to go back to the hotel for steak and lobster! I told him to bring some back for both of us when he came back."
After Wesker saw the helicopter off, he grumbled as he slammed two car keys onto the alloy desk that Li Wei had just assembled.
"The Yukon Territory Lange armored version, the same as the presidential guard, one downstairs and one at Jackson Memorial Hospital. He said he'd give both cars to you and me afterwards... Damn, rich people."
After completing two rounds of screening and confirming that there were no problems, Li Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"I couldn't afford to keep them even if they were given to me for free. If you're interested, you can take them all with you later."
Wesker paused, then looked at us with a strange expression.
"Li Wei, you don't actually think... I'd pocket that six million, do you?"
Now it was Li Wei's turn to look up at Wesker with a strange expression.
"Bullshit! I've worked for you for two years, and you haven't even given me overtime pay. And now you're planning to split that six million with me?"
Wesker panicked when he heard about the money being split.
"It's not about dividing money! It's about 'investing capital'!"
Li Wei finally breathed a sigh of relief, confirming that Wesker hadn't gone crazy due to excessive pressure.
"I have no interest in starting a security company with you. You can keep it yourself."
"Screw the security company! I'm talking about 'Lee Wei Gang'!"
Wesker's words didn't bother Levi.
"Even if you say that, I won't cook or clean for you. This is 'rent,' understand?"
Clearly, Levi did not believe Wesker's words.
Wesker was about to explain when he saw Levi suddenly get up, grab his gun, and run downstairs.
Wesker, puzzled, glanced at the computer screen instinctively.
All he could see was the hem of a black leather trench coat, and on the corner of the coat... there was a bullet hole!
"Bullshit!"