Yan Biao was no fool. After reacting to Fang Zhaoâs comment with a momentary freeze, he quickly broke down the pros and cons in his head and concluded that this was an excellent job.
It wasnât that he had never considered his prospects after quitting the military. His initial plan if he retired before 50 had been to become an Indiana Jonesâstyle explorer or something exciting like that. Who knows, he might even discover some treasure and become an overnight billionaire, but considering the severity of his injuries, this was not a realistic goal anymore.
He had considered working as a bodyguard before. Bodyguards for celebrities were paid well. Yan Biao had gotten the lowdown from former comrades who had already retired from the military, but doing bodyguard work for celebrities wasnât a walk in the park either, especially if your employer had a foul temper. They were a major hassle, and celebrities who behaved differently in public and in private were major headaches.
Yan Biao wasnât even 40 yet. By New Era standards, he was just beginning his golden years. He was also restless. The government would naturally find more relaxing work for him. The pay wouldnât be great, but it wouldnât be too low either. He would be able to cover his basic expenses, and the benefits would be great. Still, Yan Biao wasnât content to become a retiree so soon.
From what he had observed so far, Fang Zhao seemed like a reliable fellow. He wouldnât fare too poorly under Fang Zhaoâs wing.
Having been through the outpost attack, Yan Biao knew Fang Zhao was a competent fighter himself, but at the end of the day, celebrities were constrained in what they could do, especially in public. That was where their bodyguards came in.
Yan Biao switched gears quickly and started tooting his own horn. âAs far as bodyguard work is concerned, you canât go wrong with me. In terms of solo fighting skills and professional ethics, Iâm definitely one of the elite if not one of the very best. I know when to turn a blind eye and when to shut up. Where else are you going to find such a great bodyguard? Donât judge me by my condition now. Not to brag, but when I recover and get fitted for better prosthetics, taking on five guys alone will be a piece of cake.â
After finishing his spiel, Yan Biao stared at Fang Zhao, who was sitting next to him silently. He couldnât read his potential employerâs expression and started wondering,  Was that a bit over-the-top?
âWhen can you start?â Fang Zhao asked.
Yan Biao knew he was in play. He continued, âIn most cases like mine, after returning to the home planet, Iâll need to receive treatment at the military hospital. Iâll get fitted for prosthetics and undergo rehab. A conservative time frame would be half a year, but I havenât been on the home planet for a long time. I wonât need to spend that much time with family, but I do need time to catch up on the latest developments on the home planet. Iâll need a transition period. But Boss, Iâm thinking by the time you complete your military service, Iâll be in tip-top shape and ready to go.â
The term âBossâ had come out naturally. Yan Biao was quick on his feet. He didnât feel embarrassed at all.
Fang Zhao nodded. Yan Biaoâs response was pretty much what he had expected. He had thought the matter through before making the offer. Someone who had served as a checkpoint leader was a rigorous thinker. Even though Yan Biao was a bit too smooth, he had his moral standards.
âGet some rest first. Iâll send over your contract later. It will list all the job requirements.â Fang Zhao didnât want to say too much. He got up and prepared to leave. Yan Biao wasnât in the best shape, after all; his energy level was low after surgery and he needed rest.
âWait. Boss, has the base command reached out to you?â Yan Biao asked.
âNot yet.â Fang Zhao could tell that Yan Biao had something to say. He retracted his step so Yan Biao could finish his thought.
âThen they should be reaching out to you soon.â Considering Fang Zhao was likely to become his future boss, Yan Biao seized the moment to make a good impression. âThe identities of the two terrorists who were killed have been confirmed. They are ranked very high on the most wanted list, very dangerous folks. You killed those two terrorists. Add to that the beasts you killed before that, Boss, and you should expect a promotion. You might even get a third-class merit logged on your records. Donât downplay a third-class merit, Boss. Theyâre not easy to come by.â
Fang Zhao didnât seem especially excited. He waited for what came next.
âButâŠâ Yan Biao gave Fang Zhao a glance. âOdds are theyâre going to investigate your gun. If the base command reaches out to you, thatâs what theyâre going to ask you about.â
This was a reminder to Fang Zhao. Whether Fang Zhao would be promoted, whether he would be awarded a meritâit all rode on the gun. If he didnât handle the matter properly, nothing would come to fruition.
âGot it.â Fang Zhao didnât seem worried, nor did he press Yan Biao for more detail. Instead, he asked, âWhat about you? Should I mention you?â
âMe?â Yan Biao gave out a relaxed laugh. The sense of doom in his gaze seemed to dissipate as well. âIn cases like mine, Iâll probably end up getting bumped one rank and become a retired major. Iâll get a bigger pension.â
Yan Biao had performed well as well. Out of the five sentry posts that had been attacked, Outpost No. 23 had been the best protected. It had also sustained the fewest casualties. Of course, Fang Zhao was a big part of the equation, but under Yan Biaoâs command, his men had fended off two attackers. The storage rooms that had been bombed werenât that important. So be it if they were blown up. The command post and the engine room were the key locations, and these two sites had been defended well. Fan Lin and company had also survived the attack. This in itself was a job well done as far as the base leadership was concerned, not to mention that Yan Biao had suffered serious injuries while rescuing a comrade. A one-rank promotion was a given.
Having said what needed to be said, Fang Zhao left Yan Biaoâs hospital room. Even though he was quite tired, Yan Biao was on a bit of a high. He turned and tossed in bed, trying to think of which former comrades had gone into bodyguard work. He could ask them for advice.
Not long after Fang Zhao left, a clinical psychologist showed up.
The psychologists looked up experienced soldiers like Yan Biao from time to time. Retiring soldiers were also subject to exit interviews. Their job was to assess if the soldierâs psychological state was appropriate for their new civilian post and whether they showed any sociopathic tendencies.
After reading Yan Biaoâs work and patient history, the psychologist had been brainstorming for ways to console Yan Biao, but the conversation took a completely different turn than what he had expected.
Yan Biao had his regrets, but he was clearly not depressed. Yan Biaoâs mental state was probably the best out of all the wounded soldiers.
The psychologist was a bit baffled when he left Yan Biaoâs hospital room, even doubting his own professional judgment, so he asked a colleague to drop in on Yan Biao as well. The prognosis was the same.
âHe seems⊠quite upbeat,â the colleague marveled as he jotted down notes from the interview.
Yan Biao hadnât disclosed his conversation with Fang Zhao. He hadnât signed a contract yet, after all, and he hadnât officially retired from the military, so he had decided not to tell anyone about his next move. Still, he was in a totally different mindset now, especially when he got the contract Fang Zhao sent him. His smile then was as wide as a Cheshire catâs.
The contract listed various requirements. Yan Biao studied them carefully in typical fashion and couldnât find anything he took issue with. The pay was especially generous. His pay level during probation was already higher than what he had expected his permanent salary to be. Still, Yan Biao didnât think being a bodyguard was straightforward, that it was easy money, but at least it was better than early retirement. All he hoped for now was a quick recovery so he could start his new job in the best shape possible. Fang Zhaoâs other bodyguard was former special forces, after all. As a retired major once stationed on a foreign planet, he had to measure up as well.
Thatâs rightâin a year, Baiji might become a full-fledged military installation. As a retired major from the Baiji military district, he couldnât afford to lose face.
Just as Yan Biao was looking forward to the next stage in his life, Fang Zhao was summoned to a conference room on base.
As soon as he entered, Fang Zhao saw five members of the base senior command, including Shanta.
The farewell ceremony for the fallen soldiers had concluded. Security protocols for the base and the various outposts had been upgraded. Everything was returning to normal. It was time to tally merits. But some of the candidates for merits who were still on active duty had to be interviewed.
Fang Zhao was the first one.
Under normal circumstances, meetings between the baseâs senior command and rank-and-file soldiers took on a serious tone. The top brass would posture as well, but somehow, they couldnât play their parts in front of Fang Zhao.
After all, Baijiâs advancement in the global development order was all due to Fang Zhao.
When Fang Zhao entered the room, everyone couldnât help but burst into smiles, regardless of the expressions they had intended. It was a lost cause. Every time they saw Fang Zhao, they were reminded of the Baiji power ore, after all. Thoughts of the Baiji ore led to rosy predictions for the planetâs future.
Fang Zhao performed a standard New Era-style military salute in accordance with his service manual.
âSit down first, Fang Zhao. Relax. We just want to have a chat,â Shanta said.
Once Shanta set the tone, the others gave up all pretenses and stopped suppressing their smiles.
Fang Zhao sat down in the chair reserved for him. He wasnât nervous, but he didnât ignore decorum either.
Shanta was secretly impressed. The way Fang Zhao carried himselfâit definitely grew on him. Still, procedure had to be followed.
Shantaâs gaze shifted to the box on the conference table. âLetâs talk about your gun.â The box contained the firearm that Fang Zhao had voluntarily surrendered after the terrorist attack. A quick run of the model and the serial number had already revealed its owner.
âThe gun is my great-grandfatherâs. Itâs for personal protection. Prior to the attack, it had only been fired on a shooting range. It has never been used publicly on the home planet.â
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Fang Zhao said he had taken the gun from his great-grandfather, but he didnât volunteer that it was a gift from Great-Grandfather Fang. The interview was recorded and would be considered along with written material Fang Zhao submitted.
Shanta and company knew very well that even their own kids and grandkids played with their guns before they were licensed to carry. They turned a blind eye as long as nothing serious went down. If they went by the book, the barracks of every military district on every continent would be filled with offenders.
Once they ascertained the identity of the gunâs owner, the senior command had a sense of how to proceed. They wouldnât press Fang Zhao for details. The severity of the offense was up to them. It all depended on the attitude of these senior commanders. If they treaded lightly, then it wasnât a big deal. Not to mention that Fang Zhao had offered a full explanation. Every bullet the gun had ever fired had been accounted for. The logs of the firing range where it had been used could be easily traced. The other bullets had been retrieved from the bodies of the beasts and terrorists that Fang Zhao had shot. The evidence backed up Fang Zhaoâs story.
But a minor refraction was still a refraction. It was impossible to cover up. However, the senior commanders could play it down when applying for a merit on his behalf.
Shanta released Fang Zhao after a brief conversation of about 10 minutes. He then took out the paperwork he had prepared ahead of time and ticked the box next to the item âthird-class merit.â