47 The Tyranny of Fatty (1/2)

Staying silent for a moment, Mickey turned towards the distant, brightly lit grand hall. Milan was currently looking towards their direction with concern. Sighing, he said, “First Lieutenant, can you accompany me for a walk?”

Damn, you are a lieutenant general and I’m merely a first lieutenant! Could I ever say no to your request? Tian Xing Jian nodded simply before going with Lieutenant General Mickey for a walk around the garden on the cobblestone pathway.

“First Lieutenant, your name is Tian Xing Jian, right?” Mickey had long heard from Milan of this name that was famous within the Supreme Headquarters.

“That’s right, General.”

“Chinese?” Mickey and Tian Xing Jian took another small road.

“That’s right, General.”

Mickey waved his hands before laughing, “Don’t call me general. This is a private talk between us, and I’m also Chinese. Since you are Milan’s friend, you can just use the traditional practice of calling me uncle.”

Tian Xing Jian had an expression as if a weight had just been lifted off his mind. Talking to a general in a formal manner was one of the things he feared the most. Climbing upwards along the railings, he said with a mouth full of honey [1], “Hehe, Uncle.”

“How did you get to know Milan?” Lieutenant General Mickey asked in a casual tone.

“I’m also a student of Teacher Boswell, so I can be considered as a disciple brother of Milan,” Fatty said simply, trying his best to give a more trivial and vague answer.

“Oh?” Mickey was startled. Turning over to look at this fatty, who had an appearance that did not match who he was, Mickey answered in disbelief, “Professor Boswell has high standards for taking someone as his student.”

Tian Xing Jian laughed and did not answer that question. He had a silly look, showing himself as someone really capable.

“Before coming here, I’ve already heard about your matters over at the Supreme Headquarters,” Lieutenant General Mickey patted Tian Xing Jian’s shoulder before praising him, “For you to have saved over 200 people, you are very capable. This isn’t something an ordinary person can do. Your actions, battle tactics, and schemes along with the few ambushes planned were done in a splendid manner. The military institutes in the capital have even prepared to put your doings into the curriculum as examples used to teach the future generations.”

Tian Xing Jian felt sort of overwhelmed with the flattery. He said while scratching his head, “I am truly honored. Actually, I had been just messing around.”

Mickey shook his head. “Don’t undervalue yourself. The Supreme Headquarters have already investigated the Battle Record Devices of the special scouts. Your battle tactics and schemes as well as the deceptive signal showed how well-versed you are in these areas. Both the location and the time of the ambush were both grasped very accurately too. You are brave with your combat plans, taking on an original approach using the resources currently in your hands. As a commander of the special scouts, you might be able to easily conceal yourself from the enemy, but for you to apply this on a team of over 200, this isn’t something that’s easily done.”

Usually, the more praised someone received, the happier he would get; however, Fatty began feeling more and more frightened the more he heard. Praising this father so much implied that the next time when there’s such an operation, he might just be the first person to be chosen. For a moment, he did not know how to undervalue himself and could only comment, “It’s all due to luck.”

The two walked over to a fountain before stopping right in front of it. In the night, the mountain peak looked truly breathtaking. Lieutenant General Mickey laughed, “Actually, I had two people whom I wanted to see when I came here this time. One of them is my daughter, and the other is you. Who would have thought that this is how we would actually meet, and neither have I ever thought that you would even be a friend of Milan.”

Thinking of his previous actions, Tian Xing Jian felt awkward. He rubbed his nose before hearing Mickey continuing with his words. “For Milan to stay here in Jialipalan, I truly worry about her since girls are easily injured in times of war.”

Mickey turned around and gave Tian Xing Jian a serious look. “Can I ask you for a favor?”