210: Chapter 208: To Take or Not Take.
210: Chapter 208: To Take or Not Take.
Gao Yang warned himself desperately not to look too excited and spoke in as neutral a tone as he could manage, “I’m not very clear on the skill requirements for a military medic, so may I ask what combat experience you have?
Or, what kind of treatment experience do you have?”
Bruce replied earnestly, “I possess all the skills a military medic should have, but I also excel at surgical procedures not typically required for medics.
I’m not a pharmacist, but I have a deep understanding of medications, which includes, but is not limited to, the drugs used for battlefield first aid.
Additionally, during my five years of service in the Navy, four of those years I was assigned to the Marines, where I was stationed in Iraq for two years.
I returned home and was discharged in June of ’09.”
Gao Yang nodded and said, “Sounds like the kind of medic we need.
So, what kind of rescue experience do you have?
I mean, if someone on our team is seriously wounded in battle, can you perform the necessary treatment?
I’m referring to successful treatment.”
Bruce nodded gravely, “During my two years in Iraq, I conducted twelve battlefield treatments, eleven of which involved gunshot wounds from snipers.
However, among these, only four were hit in places not protected by body armor, resulting in severe injuries.
The most serious case was a headshot; I only administered preliminary treatment and succeeded in getting them to the hospital alive, and they all ultimately survived.
There was also one incident with a car bomb attack, where I performed emergency surgery on a severely wounded casualty, who was amputated but still survived.”
Gao Yang’s excitement grew.
A qualified medic with combat and practical experience, this Bruce was a treasure.
He had to be kept at all costs.
Now, if Bruce refused to join his mercenary group, Gao Yang would be the one crying.
Just as Gao Yang was about to extend an invitation to Bruce, Bruce shrugged and said expressionlessly, “Besides being a medic, I can also serve as a combatant.
I am familiar with VBSS operations, which are very similar to CQB (Close Quarter Battle).
I’m not especially skilled in long-range wilderness combat, but I can still be a competent infantryman.
So, I can double as a medic and a combatant.”
VBSS refers to a naval tactical pattern mainly used for intercepting and inspecting vessels, or for forceful attacks to seize them.
Indeed, naval VBSS and army CQB do have similarities; aside from one being at sea and the other on land, both involve indoor combat.
If Bruce is proficient in VBSS, then he is essentially proficient in CQB as well.
What Gao Yang felt was nothing short of finding a treasure.
He immediately asked, “Do you have any salary requirements?”
Bruce hesitated for a moment before speaking solemnly, “Perhaps you should wait until I’ve finished before deciding whether to discuss salary.
I have a criminal record and was just released from prison recently.
Also, I wasn’t honorably discharged but expelled due to using morphine distributed within the military.”
Gao Yang was stunned.
He couldn’t understand why all these medics seemed to have issues with drugs.
Glolov’s best friend was ruined by drugs, and now, when a medic finally appeared, he turned out to be an addict as well.
Seeing the shock on Gao Yang’s face, Jack said with resignation, “Bruce, you didn’t need to mention that.
I don’t think Gao and the others would care about your criminal record, right, Gao?”
Gao Yang asked subconsciously, “What did you go to prison for?”
Bruce gave a wry smile, “Manufacturing narcotics.
I think I told you I’m also a decent chemist, albeit self-taught.
After my discharge, I was imprisoned for making drugs, but I only used them myself and didn’t sell them.
So, when I was caught, I received a lighter sentence, and I was just released last week.”
Gao Yang said gravely, “Actually, I’m completely uninterested in your criminal record.
What I care about is whether you’re still using drugs now.”
Bruce chuckled bitterly, “Of course not, pal.
There’s no way to use drugs in prison, and even though drugs exist there, I couldn’t afford them.
So, whether by force or by choice, I’m clean now, and I have a very strong intention to quit completely.”
Gao Yang reflected for a moment before speaking firmly, “Sorry, but I must consult with my team to see if they are willing to accept you.
Can you give me a few minutes?”
Bruce shook his head, “Please wait, could you first tell me about your company?
I want to know if there’s a future for me working with you.
Of course, by ‘future,’ I mean money.”
Gao Yang smiled slightly, “We are not security contractors, we are mercenaries.
As for income, it’s unstable, but you have the chance to strike it rich.
However, if what you are expecting is a reasonably high fixed salary, we can offer that as well.”
Bruce’s face lit up with interest, and with a hint of nervousness, he asked, “As salary, could I get between eight to ten thousand US dollars a month?”
Gao Yang and Jack both laughed.
Jack patted Bruce on the shoulder and said, “Buddy, he would be extremely happy to give you the salary you’re asking for.
But trust me, don’t make that choice.
If you really want to make money, absolutely don’t settle for a fixed salary, no matter how high it seems.”
Gao Yang added with a smile, “Pal, if you join us, I can guarantee you a salary of fifteen thousand US dollars a month right now.
But as a team, I don’t want to see you feeling discontent while the rest of us count a bigger share of the earnings.”
A monthly salary of ten thousand dollars is considered high anywhere, even for military contracting work.
But now it seemed the earning potential exceeded his imagination.
Bruce’s eyes brightened as he said, “I’m looking forward to working for you.
Of course, that’s if you’re willing to take me in.”
Gao Yang nodded and said, “Please wait a moment, I need to discuss this with my people.”
Gao Yang took Yelena by the hand and left the indoor shooting range.
As soon as they were out of the range, the usually composed Gao Yang immediately started to walk briskly, almost jogging, until he found his team members, who had finished cleaning their guns and were chatting leisurely.
He said anxiously, “Guys, did anyone see the person who entered the shooting range with Jack just now?”
Cui Bo, curious, said, “No idea, what’s up?”
Glolov shrugged his shoulders and replied, “Jack greeted me, that’s his friend, what about it?”
“He’s a military doctor, Navy, but he ran around with the Marines.
He spent two years in Iraq, and now he wants to join us.”
The eyes of everyone around him lit up instantly, and Li Jinfang asked in surprise, “What’s there to discuss?
This guy is a gem!
Aren’t we short of a military doctor?
Getting exactly what we need when we need it, isn’t our luck just a little too good?”
Gao Yang forced a smile and said, “Hear me out.
Hmm, if there wasn’t a problem, I would have snagged him already.
The only issue is, this military doctor is addicted to drugs…”
Everyone was taken aback, then all eyes turned to Glolov, as all knew about Glolov’s issue with military doctors who used drugs, especially those addicted to drugs.
If Glolov wasn’t willing to let the man join, they would rather look for another military doctor than let their own people have conflicts.
After a moment of silence, Glolov heaved a sigh and said, “The key is whether he is still addicted or not.
If he is, I won’t work with such a person.
If he’s quit, then I can accept him, but I’d prefer to talk to him first.”
Gao Yang nodded and said, “He just got out of prison.
He claims he’s quit already.
I think it’s better if you talk to him.
Also, there’s another thing.
This guy is Navy, familiar with fighting on a ship, and Little Donnie just found us a job that also involves working on a ship.”
Upon hearing about working on a ship, Li Jinfang immediately showed a troubled expression and said, “On a ship?
Brother Yang, I’m like a duck on land.
Will I manage if we’re on a ship?”
Cui Bo also looked distressed and said, “Brother Yang, I can swim, but only the doggie paddle.
Splashing a few meters should be no problem, but where are we heading?”
Gao Yang waved his hand and said, “To Somalia, to be precise, the Gulf of Aden.
We’ll talk about this later.
Glolov, you should go talk to that military doctor now.
His name is Bruce.
You can go by yourself, I won’t join you.
You know what a good military doctor looks like and what a drug-addicted military doctor looks like.
Anyway, see how you feel about it.
If you think he’s a good fit, then bring him on board.
If not, we’ll just keep looking; no big deal.”
Glolov stood up, said in a deep voice, “Alright, I’ll talk to him.
Also, I think the job in the Gulf of Aden isn’t bad.
It’s our first time working with Little Donnie, we better be cautious.
We can use this low-risk mission to try and get things working smoothly, as we still can’t fully trust him just yet.
Alright, let me know your decision about going to the Gulf of Aden.
I’ll wait for the update.”
After Glolov went into the indoor shooting range alone, Cui Bo immediately asked, “What do you guys think, will the Old Russian let that military doctor join?”
Gao Yang smacked his lips and shook his head, saying, “I doubt it.
The Old Russian probably already has his doubts.
Otherwise, I would’ve made the decision to have Bruce join already.”
Frey, however, shook his head and said, “No, I disagree.
I think Big Dog will definitely let Bruce join because don’t you guys think Bruce looks a lot like Big Dog’s deceased friend?
I think out of nostalgia for his friend, Big Dog will let him join.”
Li Jinfang immediately shook his head and said, “No, it’s precisely because he looks like his deceased friend that the Old Russian won’t let him join.”
While they were discussing, Jack came back alone.
Upon seeing Jack, Bob quickly asked curiously, “Why are you out here?
How did it go between Big Dog and your friend?”
Bob shrugged his shoulders and said, “They decided to talk it out alone, so I got kicked out.”
Gao Yang laughed and said, “Let’s leave them to it.
Jack, could you recommend a handgun that’s suitable for a girl?
It’s for my girlfriend.” (To be continued.
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