Sky-cracking Rider

People swarmed the dragon-slaying Pilot at Aircrew Base 911 to dig into his intentions, the more composed ones offering subtle hints while the impatient ones outright offered lucrative salaries and benefits. However, Chen Fei, having collected everyone's business cards, was equally direct in his refusal, leaving no room for ambiguity or wishful thinking.

He who hesitates is lost, and at such a time, any ambiguity could bring disaster once it reached the boss's ears. Anyone indecisive would just be asking to be undercut!

Engaging in such pointless, self-sabotaging stupidity wasn't something Chen Fei was about to do.

As the crowd that had surrounded him finally began to disperse, Chen Fei proactively greeted Zuo Gengming, who was still waiting nearby.

"Let's go for a barbecue, skewer some meat!"

There was nothing to do anyway, and since the other party wasn't overly opportunistic, it seemed like a good chance to make a friend.

"Sure!"

Zuo Gengming caught on and nodded, following along.

Since it wasn't yet mealtime, the barbecue stalls weren't crowded. The charcoal burned with a wisp of blue smoke, offering all kinds of skewers which patrons could grill themselves or entrust to a professional chef.

Chen Fei ordered two tomahawk steaks, letting the barbecue chef take over. The Chen Family certainly couldn't afford such expensive foods, and pretending to be something he wasn't would just ruin the fine meat.

"Thanks, but I'll pass on the steak."

Zuo Gengming had picked up a plate, choosing some chicken wings, large shrimp, gluten skewers, chive skewers, and rice cake skewers for himself. It wasn't just about filling his stomach; he wanted to savor the flavors.

A single tomahawk steak weighed at least two pounds, which was obviously too much for him.

"No, both steaks are for me. I have a pretty big appetite."

Ever since he arrived at Aircrew Base 911, Chen Fei's appetite had increased drastically, along with his strength, but it wasn't unexpected. Eating well and being strong was normal, wasn't it?

If he were eating well without any strength to show, he'd probably need to see a doctor to find out what was wrong.

The two tomahawk steaks would be grilled first, and more could be added if they weren't enough.

"Ah, a good appetite is a blessing!"

Zuo Gengming, quite quick-witted, managed to quickly brush off his embarrassment.

"Can you tell me about Spring Field Defense, where are you from?"

Chen Fei again looked at the business card he had been given. With so many received earlier, reviewing them was necessary to remember any of it.

"Hehe, it's not anywhere big. Over in North America, around the Rocky Mountains, there are two aircrew bases for local patrol."

Zuo Gengming joined Chen Fei at a small barbecue stand, starting to arrange chicken wings and others over the charcoal fire.

Unlike Chen Fei who went straight for the heavy hitters, Zuo Gengming picked out an assortment of skewers for Chen Fei, and with all kinds of seasonings available at the stall, they got to work, amply provided for.

"Two aircrew bases, wow, that's quite impressive!"

Chen Fei realized he had underestimated the other party. It had been a great effort for Boss Hana to acquire Aircrew Base 911, even after a corporate war.

Apocalypse Defense Group, having lost an aircrew base, naturally, was itching for revenge. Despite the internal deal with Hanna Gagel, they didn't miss an opportunity to give the newly-formed Jiu Defense Company a hard time.

Zuo Gengming humbly responded with a smile, "Hehe, not at all, I started it with a few college friends, it's an entrepreneurial venture."

His tone, choice of words, and demeanor had completely Westernized, but he still retained the traditional Eastern trait of modesty over showiness.

The corner of Chen Fei's mouth twitched, 'Look at this, look at this, comparisons really can kill a man.'

After graduation, he was sent to the desolate Xingdu Kush Mountain Area to fight giant dragons, while others started businesses with classmates and contracted not just one, but multiple aircrew bases.

Probing he asked, "Does your family own a mine?"

"Yep, a rare earth mine!"

Zuo Gengming nodded earnestly.

A real mine, and a highly valuable rare earth one at that; even metallic dragons would drool over it.

"Then why bother with military contracting? Isn't mining more appealing?"

If it were up to Chen Fei, he too would go into mining. With rare earths being so expensive and his metal elemental psychic power perfect for extraction and purification, he would likely make a fortune.

As an Economics major, he understood the catalytic role of rare earth elements in the economy, their value and significance far surpassing gold and silver, enough to fundamentally elevate a country's economic standing.

Only by controlling rare earth resources does one have the right to become a powerful sovereign.

Without rare earths, even with vast territories and large populations, a country is but a mirage, its fragility fully exposed by any black swan event.

"Since the world is so vast, I want to explore and venture into business with classmates. Who knows, it could turn into a lifelong career."

Zuo Gengming proficiently grilled his bell peppers and chives, handing them to Chen Fei, his speech now a casual display of showcasing, talking about impressive undertakings in the most ordinary tone.

Chen Fei numbly took the skewers, muttering to himself, "And if the business fails, just go back to inheriting the family wealth."

Zuo Gengming seriously added, "That's exactly the plan!"

He had no intention of boasting, yet the facts simply spoke for themselves.

Art and literature stem from life, and while they transcend it, they aren't always exaggerated. The reality is often more incredible than fiction.

Wealthy families have more resources and opportunities to take all kinds of risks, and even if they fail, it's no big deal. They get back up where they fell. For ordinary people, however, a single fall can mean being down for the count, with no second chances or external support to help them up.

"Have you heard about that Giant Mutant incident a while ago?"

Zuo Gengming watched as Chen Fei heartily devoured his "creation", bringing up a new subject.

Chen Fei finished off the grilled chives in one bite and ventured, "The one with the really long legs, super tall? Stacked up like coins?"

If he hadn't mentioned "coins," one might think he was describing a tall, leggy model.

"Yes, yes, that one! Just popped out of nowhere and caused all the aircrew bases in North America to have their performance bonuses cut by 5% this month. A total disaster out of blue."

Upon mentioning this, Zuo Gengming suddenly found his skewers a lot less appetizing.

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"This bad?"

Chen Fei was stunned.

The Blue Star Global United Defense Committee shouldn't be so stingy, right?

They can't be short of such a small amount of money, can they? They can't be!

"It's exactly this bad!"

Zuo Gengming nodded vigorously, not 5%, even 1% is still a considerable amount of money.

"Damn! They should have given it to me!"

Chen Fei suddenly felt that the skewer he was holding didn't taste as good anymore.

He and Xiao Jiu fought tooth and nail, severely damaging that giant mutant, creating the opportunity for the North American Federation's Sky Knights to deliver the fatal blow.

And yet he didn't pocket a single penny for all his trouble, it was all busywork for nothing.

What's more infuriating is that not only did the North American Federation not appreciate it, they even detained his F-22 "Raptor," forbidding this antiquated jet from leaving the country.

Knowing this, he would have just let that big guy wreak havoc and bleed for miles; better him than me. He didn't get half a cent, so why bother with international friendships?

But Old David must be crying his eyes out by now, his little nest egg for retirement is probably going up in smoke, wiped clean.

"Speaking of which, you also trained with Old David, didn't you?"

Old David's reputation in the military contractor circle is no secret, and Zuo Gengming, being a smart man, hinted at something with his words.

"I was there at the time."

A smart man sometimes only needs a hint to speak volumes, and Chen Fei could of course understand what the other person meant.

Suddenly Zuo Gengming had a bold guess and said, "It wasn't Old David, was it?"

Chen Fei: "Hehe!"

Zuo Gengming: "Hehe!"

The two shared an unspoken understanding, seeing through without pointing it out; it's enough to know it in their hearts.

At this moment, the two tomahawk steaks were ready, cut and served with some side dishes.

"It really smells so good. Old Zuo, won't you have a piece?"

Smelling the grilled beef aroma mixed with black pepper, rosemary, and lime, Chen Fei couldn't help but be tempted. It looked like he made the right choice; the barbecue chef's skills were on point, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and when cut, the pink flesh didn't exude any bloody juices, all the fat came from the marbling of the red meat.

"Uh, okay!"

Zuo Gengming took a piece with his chopsticks, chewed a few times, nodded and said, "Perfectly grilled."

Cooking a tomahawk steak is challenging, especially getting the heat just right, which most people can't do.

After tasting just one piece, Zuo Gengming stopped there without going for a second piece despite Chen Fei's prompt; he knew how to control himself, not excessively indulging in the pleasures of the palate. It's not just that his family owns mines, but they also provided him with a good education.

Putting down his chopsticks, he said, "Some strange mutants have emerged near the Aircrew Base of the Spring Field Defense. If you're not too busy, could you help me take a look? We can discuss the fee."

After beating around the bush for quite a while, Zuo Gengming finally stated his purpose.

"If it's about borrowing personnel, you'll have to talk to our boss, and the same goes for the fee." Continue reading stories on empire

The steak cut by the barbecue chef was just the right size, Chen Fei enjoyed it immensely, each bite melting in his mouth. He turned and gave the chef a thumbs up.

"Sir, your skills are quite impressive, six more pieces, please!"

The barbecue chef smiled and responded with an OK gesture, fortunate to have encountered such an appreciative customer.

Otherwise, it would be a waste of good food on unappreciative eaters.

Zuo Gengming was surprised. "We can talk?"

He had even prepared himself for rejection.

"Earning money, why not!"

Chen Fei devoured a tomahawk steak in no time, cleaning the bone with gusto. Eating meat and gnawing on bones, why not.

Lending personnel and poaching them are two different things. Boss Hanna, who has been pouring money into Jiu Defense and the 911 Aircrew Base, naturally hopes to see some return on her investment. Otherwise, the Gagar Family's fortune simply couldn't sustain such a one-way flow of losses.

"By the way, what about your people? Don't you have anyone competent?"

Chen Fei suddenly stopped his ravenous eating, catching the unspoken implication in Zuo Gengming's words.

"They're all true rookies. They're fine with firepower suppression, but if it's anything more difficult, they just can't handle it."

Zuo Gengming wore a bitter smile.

He and a few close classmates had established Spring Field Defense, based in the remote Rocky Mountains with two Aircrew Bases supporting each other, grinding in the wild. While they trained their team, they also relied on the two Bases to amass more capital, laying the groundwork for the expansion of Spring Field Defense.

However, both the command and combat personnel were terribly inexperienced, only using excessive firepower to solve problems, which indeed worked but kept costs sky-high. Their books showed profits, but it was almost like working for the logistics suppliers. In the long run, it wasn't sustainable, especially when the partners also wanted to earn decently. Otherwise, there would be no point in running the two Bases.

"That's rough!"

Chen Fei shook his head.

This is the disadvantage of small military contractors, with their small scale; it's hard to attract real talent.

When the team is full of loafers just killing time, it's no wonder he'd set his sights on Chen Fei.

A thousand troops are easy to get, one general is hard to find.

The "Genuine Fragrance" Combat Flight Squadron of the 911 Aircrew Base is also considered one of the elite combat squadrons in the industry. Having finally groomed someone of note, it was only natural for them to become a target.

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