Chapter 236
Chapter 236
Seeing that Briar was unharmed, Ashton finally relaxed enough for some small talk.
God only knew how panicked he had been when he received Riley’s distress call from the villa.
No matter how capable she was, Briar was still unarmed while the others had weapons. In a fight of four against a squad of over a dozen mercenaries, Briar and her group were bound to suffer a major loss.
If he had received more than one distress call from Riley, Ashton wouldn’t have just brought a few bodyguards; he would have mobilized a squad from the mercenary organization.
He had rushed over in a panic, only to find the mercenaries bruised and battered, obediently squatting to help grill fish.
Meanwhile, the young woman he had been worried about the whole way was casually sitting nearby, playing a game and waiting for her food.
Although the scene was bizarre, Ashton quickly accepted it.
What truly reassured Ashton was seeing the stunned reactions of Riley and Artemus.
He figured it wasn’t the mercenaries who had bullied Briar, but rather that she had given them a one–sided beating.
Ashton patted her head. “They dared to kick over your fish grill,” he said. “They definitely deserved a beating.”
The pain in the leader’s chest intensified. “Mr. Wade, please spare us this time. We will stay far away whenever we see this young lady’s car from now on.”
What is a mercenary’s code?
The mercenary’s creed was simple: if they could fight, they fought; if they couldn’t, they ran. Making money always came second to staying alive.
After all, without their life, how could they make money?
This was the golden rule that had allowed their small mercenary squad to operate and remain active on the border for over a decade.
He never took those so–called big–money jobs, the kind that promised a fortune. They were far too dangerous. Sure, he might earn it, but he wouldn’t live long enough to spend it.
He only went for the ones paying a few million – easy to collect the final payment, and the jobs weren’t too demanding.
Even if they lost a man or two during a mission, it wouldn’t impact the squad’s overall strength.
When facing a major power like the top mercenary organization on the border, the leader knew exactly what to do to escape with his life.
19:15 Thu, Sep 18
Chapter 236
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The leader respectfully offered the grilled fish, now cooked and covered in chili powder, to Briar with both hands. “Your grilled fish is ready.”
Briar raised an eyebrow. She had seen cowards before, but never mercenaries this spineless.
Still, Briar took the grilled fish and had a bite. “Good, this tastes pretty good. Go ahead and grill the rest.”
The leader looked so grateful that he was practically ready to get on his knees and thank Briar.
Ashton gave Briar a questioning look; this wasn’t the ruthless boss who had taken them down, but a sweet, understanding girl.
However, the leader understood the rules of the street: respect the strong. Briar had softened her tone, but until Ashton gave his approval, they were not out of danger.
So, the leader stared expectantly at Ashton, waiting for him to speak.
Ashton looked at Briar. “You’re letting it go?”
Briar shook her head. “It’s not a big deal. We can let it go. Besides, their grilled fish is pretty good.”
That last part was the real point.
Ashton waved his hand, sending the leader off to grill the fish.
The leader beamed with joy. The crisis was averted, and their lives were spared.
The other mercenaries were also ecstatic. While Ashton was undeniably ruthless, he was a man of his word and would never resort to underhanded tricks.
Briar pulled Ashton aside to wait. The ever–observant Ian brought over a folding chair for Ashton to sit on. “Mr. Wade, have a seat.”
Ashton glanced at Ian. “You must be well aware of how powerful Briar is, aren’t you?”
Ian glanced at Briar. “Whether or not I’m clear on Briar’s strength depends entirely on her.”
In other words, instead of trying to get Briar’s secrets out of him, he should just ask her directly.
It looked like Briar’s display of skill today had really caught Ashton’s attention.
Jan just wondered when Briar would reveal her other identity as an elite instructor for the DDC Vanguard Mercenary Special Operations Base.
Given Briar’s open and casual approach, it was only a matter of time before her identity was revealed.
Ashton was at a loss for words.
Briar lowered her head to eat her fish, pretending not to hear the conversation between Ashton and Ian.
As long as she denied it, Ashton couldn’t force her to confess.
19:16 Thu, Sep 18
Chapter 236
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Besides, she wouldn’t voluntarily reveal her identity again before the Graham brothers were caught.
Otherwise, her identity as an elite instructor at the DDC Vanguard Mercenary Special Operations Base must never be exposed.
And she wouldn’t be able to personally take the Graham brothers away after capturing them.
Ashton shook his head and lifted Briar’s head, which was almost buried in the grilled fish. “Alright, I won’t ask. Just eat and be careful of the bones.”
Briar picked out a boneless piece of fish and held it to Ashton’s lips. “Ashton, you have some too.”
Ashton ate the piece of fish from between Briar’s fingers. “Okay.”
The leader of the men, who was quick on the uptake, hurried over with grilled wild vegetables and fruits for the two big shots to cleanse their palates.
Riley and Artemus watched Ashton and Briar sit down to eat the grilled fish, their minds reeling.
If the timing had been better, they would have cornered Ian and demanded answers.
They thought, ‘How on earth did Ian manage to get in with someone as powerful as Miss Jennings?
They wanted to get in with her, too!
A full forty minutes later, the leader and his men had finished grilling all the fish they had caught, along with the wild vegetables and fruits they had gathered.
They even carefully extinguished the charcoal fire to prevent ash from falling on the cooked food.
They also neatly put away the unused seasonings.
The leader clutched his chest with one hand and asked respectfully, “Mr. Wade, Miss Jennings, can my men and I leave now?”
Briar glanced up at the leader, her expression impassive, but he still did not dare to show the slightest disrespect.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
The leader of the group said, “My name is Ismael Patel, and our mercenary team is the Invincible Tiger Squad. If you ever need us in the future, just let us know.”
As he spoke, he fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a crumpled business card with the contact information for the Invincible Tiger Squad.
Briar took the crumpled business card, glanced at it, and nodded. “Alright, you can go now.”
Hearing this, Ismael and his men felt as if they had been granted amnesty, immediately scrambling toward their car.
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Chapter 236
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Those with broken legs were carried by their comrades as they all rushed to get out of Briar’s sight as quickly as possible.
Briar was speechless, thinking, ‘I haven’t even done anything to them. Why were they so afraid of me?‘
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