109: Chapter 108: The Fifth Person 109: Chapter 108: The Fifth Person Gao Yang was extremely shocked because he had not expected that Frey, this seemingly immature boy, would also be someone who had taken a life.
Looking at the shocked Gao Yang, Frey spread his hands and sighed, “There was no other way, sir.
The situation was pretty bad.
Four months into her pregnancy, Ella was beaten by her father until she miscarried.
It was dangerous, I had to find a way to get money so she could go to the hospital.
That’s why I killed someone.
Sir, I can kill and I dare to kill.
Please let me serve you.
I’ve said it, I can do anything.”
Gao Yang was even more shocked.
Frey was only seventeen, and Ella was just fifteen or sixteen, but they had almost had a child.
He gaped, “Just how old are you and your girlfriend?”
“I’m seventeen, Ella is fifteen, sir.
My age is not the problem.
If not for the accident, I would have become a father last year.
As you should know, a man who has become a father dares to do anything.”
Gao Yang nodded and said with a wry smile, “It seems your age really isn’t the problem, but being a mercenary isn’t that simple.
Moreover, it’s very dangerous.
Your mother definitely wouldn’t want you on the battlefield.
I can help you leave for another country.
I’ll make it so you can take your mother and girlfriend with you and then you can find a legitimate job.”
Mrs.
Smith looked at Gao Yang with gratitude and sobbed, “He’s right, Frey.
You’re too young.
You can’t be a mercenary.”
Frey smiled and then said with a firm expression, “Staying here, I’ll die even sooner.
I’ve killed for drug dealers; they’ll always make me kill.
If I refuse, they’ll kill me.
Mom, you’re right.
Even if I go to work abroad, what can I do?
I will still be at the bottom, still making a meager income.
I don’t want to live like that anymore.
I must earn big money!”
After pondering, Gao Yang asked, “Mrs.
Smith, could you tell me what happened today?
Why did Frey get into a fight?”
“Ella’s dad was drunk again, beating her up.
When Frey heard poor Ella crying, he wanted to rescue her, then as you saw, they got into a fight.”
At that moment, Ella couldn’t help bursting into loud sobs and choked out, “My dad wanted me to become a prostitute.
He said those black men like white women and that I could make a lot of money if I sold myself.
When I refused, he beat me up horribly.
He also threatened to kill Frey, so no one could stop him.
And he, he also…”.
Upon hearing Ella’s words, Frey’s face instantly turned to anger as he yelled, “Damn it, why didn’t you say so earlier?
I’ll kill that bastard!”
Yelena, too, had a face full of rage and whispered to Gao Yang, “You should have stepped on him.”
Ella, still sniffling, said, “He’s my dad.
When he’s not drunk, he’s not like this.”
Frey angrily said, “But he gets drunk every day, every single day!”
Gao Yang fell silent.
Mrs.
Smith wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent, quietly shedding tears.
Meanwhile, Yelena gently shook Gao Yang’s hand and whispered, “I think you should really give him a chance.”
Gao Yang nodded and then said to Mrs.
Smith with a grave voice, “Madam, I would like to hear your opinion.
You mentioned leaving this country; I’ll find a way for all of you to leave.
Afterward, you can rely on your own efforts to survive.”
With a grave tone, Frey said, “Being a mercenary pays.
I’ll be a mercenary.
Other than that, I can’t make money.
Mom, even if we leave South Africa, I’ll still be a mercenary.
I swear I will provide you and Ella with a high-class life.”
Mrs.
Smith shook her head and sighed deeply before saying to Gao Yang, “He’s always been this stubborn.
He’ll definitely go become a mercenary.
Sir, I trust you.
If Frey really decides to be a mercenary, I want him to follow you.
That way I’d feel a bit more at ease.”
Gao Yang nodded and said, “Okay, understood.
I need to make a phone call and discuss it with someone.
If no one objects, Frey can come with me.”
Gao Yang and Yelena left the shanty and made a call home.
Natalia answered.
After confirming that Glolov had returned home and both Lee Jinfang and Cui Bo were also there, Gao Yang asked Natalia to notify them to gather around the phone for a conference call.
Gao Yang and Glolov had already agreed that if they were to recruit a new member, they needed the approval of all four of them.
No one liked the idea of trusting their back to someone unreliable, so now Gao Yang needed to see what the others thought.
Once everyone was together, Gao Yang said directly, “I’ve run into a bit of trouble.
Someone wants to become a mercenary with me.
I’d like to know your opinions.”
“Is he reliable?”
“Who is he?”
“What can he do?”
Each person asked a question.
After carefully considering, Gao Yang said, “It’s the son of my friend, named Frey.
He’s that South African white man’s son who sat next to me on the plane.
I mentioned him before, not sure if you remember.
His son and wife are in a terrible situation, so his son really wants to be a mercenary.”
With a careless tone, Cui Bo said, “Oh, I remember, the previous owner of your knife, right?
Do you think the kid is reliable?
If you think he’s reliable, that’s enough.
Why even ask?”
“He seems reliable, I suppose.
But it still has to be proven through deeds, can’t guarantee it right now.”
Glolov said, “It’s only through verification that we’ll know whether he’s reliable or not.
What can he do?”
“He doesn’t know anything about fighting, which I find a bit troublesome, but he has killed before and seems brave enough.
If we let him join, what should we assign him to do?
And how much should we pay him?
Glolov, you have experience, and I want to hear your thoughts.
Of course, if you all oppose his joining, we won’t need to consider this.”
Glolov immediately said, “Battle skills can be learned and it really won’t take that long.
I need an assistant marksman, so he can be mine.
That way, someone can help me carry extra ammo and spare barrels, and then I can switch to a machine gun with better sustained firepower.”
“What about the price?
How much do we pay him?”
“He’s a newbie and doesn’t know anything, so to start, $100 per day and during combat, anywhere from $300 to $1000 per day, depending on his performance.
He might even earn bonuses.
What I’ve quoted is the highest rate for a newcomer in a mercenary group.
Of course, you can set your own price.
I don’t think Toad and Rabbit will have any objections, and neither will I.”
Gao Yang immediately said, “Good, let’s do as you’ve suggested.
He’ll be our first employee, and I hope he won’t disappoint me.
Alright, that’s settled.
I’ll hang up now, and we can talk about the rest once I’m back.”
When Gao Yang returned to the room and saw Frey, he said with a serious face, “I need to make the conditions clear first.
First, as long as you join us, you must obey orders unconditionally, whether on the battlefield or not.
Second, absolute unquestioning obedience.
Third, still unconditional obedience.
If you can do that, then we can discuss your salary.”
Frey immediately replied, “Sir, I trust you.
If it’s your command, I swear I will obey unconditionally, on my father’s soul.”
Gao Yang nodded and said, “Good, let’s talk about your salary.
Considering you’re new, you’ll get $100 per day within the mercenary group during peace time.
If there’s combat, your salary will be between $300 and $1000 per day, depending on your performance.
Exceptional action might earn a bonus.
This is the highest treatment in the mercenary world.
Of course, you can still choose to refuse.”
Frey’s mouth hung open in amazement.
“Are you saying I’ll get $100 per day even if we’re not fighting?”
Gao Yang nodded and answered, “That’s right, $100 per day.
Of course, if we pay you and you run away when it’s time to fight, we’ll reclaim the money we gave you.”
“My God, Mom, did you hear that?
A hundred dollars a day, that’s almost a thousand Rand a day!
My God, if there’s combat I could get $300, F**k, of course I’ll do it, I have to, I’m not an idiot!”
Gao Yang cleared his throat and said, “Please note that it’s at least $300, a minimum, and I hope you’ll strive for the maximum, and then aim to earn even more.
A mercenary’s salary has no ceiling, and it all depends on your performance.”
With a determined look, Frey said, “Sir, thank you.
you’ve given me an opportunity, and I swear, one day you will be glad of your decision, I swear it!”
Having settled the matter with Frey, Gao Yang clapped his hands and took out another two thousand dollars, saying, “Two thousand dollars, your advance pay.
Take it.”
Frey hesitated and glanced at his mother, but seeing Mrs.
Smith also hesitating, he wasn’t sure whether to accept Gao Yang’s money before his mother spoke.
Seeing Frey’s reluctance, Gao Yang said with a smile, “Alright, this is an order.”
Frey immediately caught the money from Gao Yang and handed it to his mother.
Gao Yang approved of Frey’s action, nodding and saying, “Good, now you’ve earned your first sum.
You can use this money to improve your living conditions.
I suggest starting with relocating to a better neighborhood, at least.
Don’t worry, I can advance Frey’s pay; money won’t be an issue.”
Frey looked at Ella and asked, “You can’t stay, can you?”
Ella whispered, “If I leave, what will happen to my dad?
He might die of drunkenness sooner or later.”
Gently, Frey said, “If you stay, I guarantee you’ll die before he does.
Darling, there’s nothing to hesitate about.
If your dad’s a scumbag like that, better dead.
Unless you want to keep getting hit, don’t stay.”
At the mention of getting hit, Ella shuddered violently and then quickly said, “I’ll go with you, and never come back.
Never.”
Now that Ella was sorted, Frey and his mother started to pack, but they were so poor they had almost nothing to pack, just stuffing some old clothes and documents into a suitcase before moving.
Frey’s personal belongings were limited to a baseball glove, a bat, and two baseballs.”
“Are you moving out?
Congratulations, never come back to this damn place.
Ella, my dear, I hope you can forget about this wretched place and your father.”
“Lucky folks, I envy you.
Think of us when you’re gone, but the farther away you get, the better.
Don’t ever come back.
Farewell.”
As Gao Yang helped carry the suitcase out, almost everyone who saw Frey and his mother greeted them, all with more or less the same message.
When they reached the place where Ella’s father had fought with Frey, Ella’s dad was still lying on the ground, moaning.
Suddenly, Ella broke free from Frey’s hand, ran into the trailer she had lived in with her father, and brought out a very old Teddy bear and a picture frame.
Ella handed the Teddy bear to Frey and opened the picture frame, removing a photograph of three people.
She sobbed as she tore off her father’s part of the picture and threw it on him, then turned and walked away without a second thought.
Watching Frey comfort Ella as they walked ahead, Yelena suddenly let go of Gao Yang’s hand, hurried over to Ella’s dad, and kicked the bastard hard between his legs, then walked off nonchalantly, pride on her face amid the screams of Ella’s dad, arm in arm with Gao Yang.