Chapter 254 - Unspoken Rules and Crusade (2/2)

A small cafe with thick brotherhood brewed.

In the meeting room of the European recruits’ residence, both sides of the long conference table were filled with the participants from the recruit tournament. The silent atmosphere pressured any berserk impulses silent.

At the end of the conference table, the leader of the participants, Major General Okosa glanced at all the recruits in the conference room with a gloomy expression. Everyone else focused on the space in front of them as no one dared to look up to see the cold stare of the Major General.

Today is definitely a gloomy day for the European recruits.

The defending champions of pistol shooting competition for many years only placed third today with only one point! In the past, the European recruits got at least three points from getting first place in this event! Occasionally, they would get the second place as well, walking away with five points directly.

Even in the history of the Recruit Tournament, Europe has had a six-point record sweep in the pistol shooting competition.

However today, they only got third place with a pitiful one point. This kind of result was enough to make all the European recruits disappointed for the whole day.

But, the bad luck of the European recruit team didn’t stop there.

Compared with the one point gained from the pistol shooting competition, the European recruits were more discouraged by the aerial combat team.

This European aerial combat team was recognized as the top favorite among the other military regions. Even the Trash Team that was rarely praised others had commented pre-game that this team of European recruits sent to participate was the team with the highest skills and ability ever to have been deployed throughout the history of Recruit Tournament.

Such a champion-worthy team had withdrawn from the tournament without informing him, the Major General. He only knew about it after he had woke up.

As for the reason? Okosa asked around for the whole day and finally figured out parts of the reason. On the night before the match, the East Asian military sent someone to provoke the European aerial combat recruits and with a complete sweep in terms of points, destroyed the confidence of the aerial combat team.

Shameless! Sinister! Mean!

When he learned the reason for the withdrawal, Okosa quickly thought of these three words in his mind.

The Recruit Tournament was linked to the dignity and honor of the various military regions.

There had always been cases of demolition between sides that occur outside of the tournament.

As long as there were no backstabs or injuring of the opponent with an ambush during the period of the tournament, this trivial matter that undermines the bottom line of the game rules should not be a problem.

On the contrary, the majority of the military regions encourage their recruits to provoke recruits from the other continents. If you could eliminate the opponent’s confidence before the match, it would be something that the commanding officers would be very happy to see.

It had almost become a hidden rule in the Recruit Tournament.

The European aerial combat team went to East Asia’s aerial combat team with the intention to get a taste of the oriental beauty as well as to crush the opponent’s confidence.

In this usual clash based on the unspoken rule, however, had resulted in something that never occurred before: the withdrawal from the tournament.

In the history of the Recruit Tournament, there was yet to be a recruit team which arbitrarily withdraw from the tournament just from the provoking process.

Okosa was clear that there was no wall that could cover the wind completely [1]. Even if the European recruits didn’t announce their withdrawal, why didn’t the East Asian recruits spread the withdrawal rumors around?

In the past Recruit Tournament, the East Asian recruits always appeared to be in a lethargic and weak state compared to the European recruits. In almost every event that both of them participated, they never had an advantage.

Now with just one provocation from the East Asian recruits and the European Aerial Combat Team withdrew from the tournament? With such a hot issue, why didn’t they boast about it?

Even if it wasn’t announced publicly, it would surely be spread through various private channels. He believed that everyone in the entire Recruit Tournament would know about the withdrawal soon.

When that happens… Okosa’s foresaw a dark future. How am I going to face the other leaders from the other continents? It’s highly likely that I’d probably end up as the laughing stock when they see me.

“No! We need to bounce back!” Okosa slammed the table with both his fists. With a fierce glance, he looked at the recruits. “Where are the recruits from Caesar?”

“Gen… General…” A stuttering recruit replied, “The recruits from Caesar sent someone and submitted a leave application to research more about the opponent.”

“Research?” Okosa’s angry eyes became calmer. “Although the attitude shown towards this meeting is inappropriate, to act upon the disadvantageous situation we are facing is very good, very good. All of you listen now, our goal is not to finish with second place in this Recruit Tournament. Our goal is to dominate the Recruit Tournament and emerge as the champion! So, in all of your next game all of you must work harder, do you understand?”

“We understand! Sir!”

Listening to the enthusiastic replies from the recruits, Okosa nodded with satisfaction. He raised his hand and gently rubbed his chin. He whispered, “The impact of the aerial combat team is very damaging and we must recover from this situation. We can never let those East Asians take this opportunity to make a fuss about it.”

Okosa leaned against the back of his chair and stared at the ceiling of the conference room. It’s already an opportunity for me to lead the team this time. If we get excellent results, I can finally get that promotion to be a lieutenant general.

But if the results turn out to be bad or if I’m unable to reverse this after-effect influence from this terrible withdrawal situation of the Aerial Combat Team, I am afraid that I will die with the Major General rank in this life.

“A rematch…” Okosa frowned slightly. “Aerial combat is probably no longer an option. So, why not have a match using mobile armor?”

Okosa suddenly sat up straight and ordered the assisting commanding officer who sat beside him, “Go! Immediately get me the information regarding the East Asian participants for the mobile armor competition.”

The assisting commanding officer hurriedly left and returned quickly with the requested information placed on the table in front of Okosa.

Okosa carefully read the collected data but he was still not at ease. He read the information three times thoroughly as a smile slowly began to appear on his face.

The mobile armor recruits were the same as the aerial combat team recruits, where they must be soldiers who had completed the recruit period and had serviced each unit for a year before participating in this event.

In the past, the champion throne of the mobile armor was always held by the American recruits.

This term, as the European team plan to be the overall champion, they had set their eyes on being the mobile armor champion since the beginning. Once they had completed their recruit period, the recruits with the most talent will be selected to join “Crusade”, the mobile armor team that the European team takes the most pride in, to learn and practice.

“East Asia’s mobile armor team is the ‘Red Dragon Army’?” Okosa smiled with his eyes. “Red Dragon Army” is indeed very powerful, but these recruits are not like our European recruits who immediately joined “Crusade” upon completion of the recruit period. These recruits from the “Red Dragon Army” had the longest term served with less than three months…”

Bam…

Okosa slammed the conference table strongly with his right fist, sending a vibration that made the cup on the table leave the table surface and make a crisp impact sound upon its return to the table.