Chapter 55: The Kid Who Got Caught While Fishing

  Entering from the back door of Branch 76, Hobodi, wearing a naval commander's cloak, returned to the intelligence room first, picked up the letter on the table and walked into the main hall of the branch.

  Just as described in the letter from Matt, about twenty naval soldiers were lying on the ground with their eyes wide open, more than ten of them had died. One was tied to a pillar, with cloth stuffed into his mouth, and could only stare at everything in horror, the fat big man, Hobodi remembered that he was the arrogant soldier who swept the floor with Matt before, and his name on the military roster was Woods.

  Hobbs stepped in front of him, removed what was in his mouth and asked deliberately: "What happened, Woods?"

  "Matt... Matt's gone crazy. Everyone was drinking together, and then he just snapped and slaughtered all his companions." Woods yelled out in a cracked voice.

  Hobbit untied him and said: "Go get everyone here."

  "Yes...yes!"

  A few minutes later, the half-asleep soldiers crawled out of their quilts in the middle of the night and walked to the hall. After seeing this tragic scene, the sleepiness on their faces disappeared instantly.

  "Woods, step forward and explain." Hobodi ordered the fat soldier of the squad to come out.

  Woods repeated what he had previously said to Hobody, roughly in the direction of these bewildered soldiers, and one by one, the soldiers' faces turned pale with shock.

  Hobodi said, "The situation is like this now. After the clown Baki escaped from prison, our 76th branch had such a thing happen again. Our prestige will definitely be greatly discounted in front of the people. I will report this matter to Colonel Monka, the commander of the East Sea Navy Base."

  "Wait!" A clear and handsome young face suddenly interrupted Hobodi's words, pointing at Hobodi and asking: "I have a question, Lieutenant Hobodi. Since you've been in the intelligence room for the past month, and Sergeant Mate is the only one who has had contact with you during this time, can you tell me what happened to Sergeant Mate?"

  His words sparked a wave of agreement, and even some quick-witted people have already begun to ponder.

  Why did Clown Baki escape that day and Hobodi didn't come out? Is he really a cultivation madman?

  Hoboldi's face was calm as he pulled out a letter from his pocket: "This is what Mate left behind. Woods, you were relatively close to Mate, so you read it!"

  "Yes!" Woods took the letter and opened it, beginning to read under the gaze of many: "I am a sailor. Why did I join the Navy? I still remember my childhood dreams, wanting to go to more seas and see more different people. Why does the Red Earth continent divide the world into two seas? What am I doing now, and what is my dream?"

  I can't stay here any longer, staying here will devour my dreams bit by bit. What a joke, the commander only orders me to deliver newspapers and meals every day. Comrades also do stupid things every day, living in comfort and wasting time. My fate... should not be like this!

  "I've made up my mind, I'm going to sea. Kill those who have wasted my time, yes, kill the Navy, prevent me from regretting it in the future, and leave me with no way out! I'm leaving, on the road to chasing my dreams - Mate."

  The voice stopped there, and Woods let out a low whistle: "I've seen Matt's handwriting before, this is unmistakably Matt's notes. I had no idea he'd been thinking like that all along."

  The young man who had been questioning him lowered his head, clenching his fists: "Not just the commander, but us. Did we drive Maret to this point?"

  "Despicable, even if that's the case. Mate can't kill his comrades for a dream, and he says to prevent regret, has he forgotten the days we spent together?"

  "What's next, sir?"

  "Bury them! Tomorrow post a notice at the gate calling for ten recruits." Hobodi said expressionlessly.

  "Yes!" Every soldier's face looked unwell.

  Six hours later, as agreed, Hobodi appeared at the gate of the 76th Brigade base at eight o'clock in the morning.

  A dense crowd packed the entrance to the base, and no one knew who had spread the news of last night's murder at the base. Many ordinary people asked Hobadi in a hurry: "Is it true that there was a naval mutiny in the base yesterday?"

  "How is Clown Baki doing these days? Aren't you guys thinking of a countermeasure yet?"

  "The soldiers at headquarters can only endure this much? Return the gift I gave you last time."

  Hobodi ignored the disguised reporters, extreme civilians and rich men of the town, staring at the green-haired woman in the crowd, his eyes hinting at something.

  "We are now recruiting ten soldiers for the navy. If you're interested, you can sign up. Of course, first and foremost, your physical skills must be good!"

  "Uh... excuse me, is the recruitment for a secretary on this wall still valid? The date seems to have passed a long time ago..." Mona raised her hand high in the crowd, wearing thick-rimmed milk-bottle glasses.

  "It's effective, but the secretary position is quite strict. If you have confidence, try interviewing."

  "Yes, I'm signing up!" Mona's full breasts squeezed out of the crowd, causing some people around her to swallow their saliva repeatedly.

  "Woods, take this young lady to my intelligence room."

  "Yes!" Woods led Monet into the base, and as she brushed past Hopper, she licked her lips and whispered in his ear, "I'll be waiting for you in the intel room, Master~"

  Hobodi ignored her and looked at the crowd: "Is there anyone who wants to be a sailor?"

  From among the crowd, a half-bald old man with pink head squeezed out: "That... Commander Hobodi, please save my grandson~"

  "Huh?"

  The old man said slowly: "I am from another island, a few days ago, the clown Bakki and the iron rod Yarrita escaped from prison and landed on our island, and even kidnapped my grandson who went fishing outside the city!"

  "What is your grandson's name?"

  "Kebbie! This is his photo!" The old man pulled out a picture of a chubby little boy with parted hair and glasses.

  Hobadi took the photo: "Alright, I'll have someone enlarge this and post it around the Jeko Islands. If anyone sees your grandson, I'll let you know."

  "But my grandson was taken by pirates..."

  "Sorry, old man. You must have heard about what's been going on at our base too? I understand you want to find your grandson, and actually, we don't have any spare soldiers at the base right now either. Putting up posters of your grandson all over the island is already the most we can do. I recommend you go see Rear Admiral Bulinbulin from the 77th branch, he's a very just naval officer."

  "Ah......" The old man sighed sorrowfully.

  "If anyone wants to join the Navy, don't forget to come to the base to enlist." Hobody turned around and looked at Woods who was coming back: "How's that woman?"

  "She should be able to meet the commander's requirements, she categorized the files very quickly." Woods inwardly reported with a sour tone "And her figure is also great"

  "Alright, I'll go take a look. You're recruiting soldiers here!"

  "Yes." Woods hastily replied.

  He had previously crossed paths with the Commander, but now that he'd been appointed, it seemed like the Commander had taken notice of him since Matt's death. In that case, Matt's death... hmm... might have actually been a good thing for him? Wood thought to himself with a guilty conscience.