Chapter 123: Sketchy Buisness
"I need weapons."
Leo lowered his voice.
"Machine guns. Rocket launchers. Rifles. Anything powerful."
"If you know someone who can get me advanced weapons, connect me with them."
"Don’t worry. I’ll pay."
Rex fell silent. He seemed to think seriously for a moment. Then—
His eyes lit up. He leaned closer.
"Hey... I have an idea."
"Why don’t we discuss this somewhere private?"
Leo looked at him for a moment before nodding. The two stood up. Rex naturally grabbed his bowl before following Leo.
"Damn, this is delicious." He took another bite. "Where did you even get this meat and these vegetables?"
Leo didn’t answer.
The two stopped beside Leo’s truck. Rex closed the gap between them, dropping his voice to a whisper.
"Hey, you know those military guys?"
Leo nodded.
"I know where some of their supply depots are."
Leo’s eyes narrowed slightly. "Supply depots?"
"Yeah."
"Food. Ammunition. Firearms."
"Maybe even some heavy weapons."
Rex looked around before lowering his voice even further.
"Of course, those places are heavily guarded."
"But I have an idea."
Leo remained silent.
"We will go and create a commotion on the military’s command centre ."
"While the guards are busy dealing with the situation, you take a few people and raid the depots."
Rex smiled. "Afterward, we split the spoils."
"Seventy-thirty."
Leo looked at him. Rex waited expectantly. Leo remained silent. Rex frowned.
"Hey."
"Why aren’t you saying anything?"
Leo still didn’t answer. Rex pressed on.
"Come on. Think about it."
"You get weapons."
"You don’t have to pay anyone."
"You don’t even need to owe anyone a favor."
Still no response. Rex became slightly nervous.
"Hey, don’t suddenly start talking about morality."
"I know this sounds sketchy."
"But those military guys aren’t exactly saints either."
Leo finally opened his mouth.
"Oh, I don’t care about any of that."
Rex’s face brightened. "I like the idea."
"See? I knew—"
"But..."
Rex froze. Leo tilted his head.
"If you’re giving me seventy percent of the spoils, shouldn’t you discuss that with the others first?"
Rex had just stuffed another mouthful of food into his mouth.
Cough! Cough!
He nearly choked. "What?!"
He stared at Leo. "I was talking about us taking—"
"I’ll take the seventy percent." Leo cut him off.
Rex’s eyes widened.
"I’ll raid the locations alone."
"I won’t need your people."
Rex opened his mouth to protest. "Hey, wait—"
Leo raised a finger. "If you bargain with me..."
Rex snapped his mouth shut.
"...the price goes up to seventy-five percent."
Rex stared at him in disbelief. "Where did you learn to negotiate like that?"
Leo smiled faintly as a certain shameless System came to mind.
"A horrible guy."
Rex’s face became strange. "Who?"
"No one."
With that, the two returned to the campfire. By the time they arrived, everyone had already been served food and was eating. Valentine glanced curiously at Leo and Rex. She opened her mouth. Before she could ask—
"I reject."
Everyone turned around. Cyrus was sitting beside the campfire. His expression was firm.
"I reject."
Leo raised an eyebrow. Rex slowly turned toward him.
"Captain..."
Cyrus pointed at both of them. "Whatever you two discussed."
"I reject it."
"As the captain and leader of the Freedom Convoy, I reject it."
Leo glanced at Rex. Rex sighed.
"Captain... you don’t even know what we discussed."
Cyrus shook his head.
"Looking at your face, I already know."
Rex pointed at himself.
"What does that mean?"
"You’re planning something shady again."
"And I refuse to support any more of your sketchy business."
Leo slowly turned toward Rex. "Is this guy serious?"
Rex sighed helplessly. "Don’t mind him."
He leaned toward Leo and whispered. "He’s the only one in the convoy with this kind of mental defect."
"I know how to handle him."
Rex adopted a disappointed expression. He shook his head sadly.
"Captain..."
"Out of everyone here..."
"I thought you would be the first person to support my plan."
Cyrus frowned. "What do you mean?"
Rex’s expression grew serious. "Do you know what the military did yesterday?"
Cyrus blinked. "No?"
"That Bear guy."
Rex slammed his bowl down dramatically. "He insulted Atlas."
Atlas, who was currently stuffing his face with food, slowly looked up. "Huh?"
"He said horrible things."
Rex continued. "Absolutely horrible things."
Atlas blinked. "What things?"
"See?!" Rex thrust a finger at him. "He’s too traumatized to even remember!"
Atlas lowered his head and muttered, "Really?"
Rex’s face twitched. "...Yes, Atlas."
Atlas nodded. "Oh."
Cyrus frowned. "Rex, what are you talking about?"
Rex pressed forward. "Atlas told me yesterday how much he respects you."
"You always protect him."
"You always stand beside him."
Rex turned toward Atlas. "Isn’t that right, Atlas?"
Atlas nodded innocently. "Yes."
"The Captain is my idol."
Rex dramatically spun back toward Cyrus. "See?!"
"See what?"
"Loyalty!"
Cyrus’s expression became complicated. Rex pointed toward Atlas again.
"Atlas!"
"Tell the Captain what that Bear guy did to you yesterday."
Atlas frowned. He thought for a long moment. Then—
"I don’t remember."
Rex slapped his hand onto his knee. "Look!"
"The poor guy has blocked the memory from his mind!"
Atlas stared at him. "Did I?"
"Yes!"
"Oh."
Atlas scratched his head, a confused look crossing his face. "I see."
Everyone nearby fell silent. Even Leo had to look away. Rex pivoted to a new target.
"Not only Atlas!"
He pointed toward Nina. "He even pushed Nina!"
"He was about to beat her!"
Nina’s eyebrow twitched. Beat me?
She was about to object when she noticed Rex discreetly rubbing his thumb against his fingers.
Money.
Her eyes narrowed. She understood perfectly. Nina put on a sorrowful expression.
"Yes..."
"He pushed me."
Rex nodded. "He did."
"And then?" Nina looked at Rex.
Rex widened his eyes meaningfully. Nina understood.
"He was about to hit me."
Rex nodded rapidly. "Yes!"
"If Grandpa Jiro hadn’t intervened..."
Nina placed a hand dramatically against her chest. "I don’t know if I would have survived yesterday."
Grandpa Jiro nearly spat out his drink. Leo slowly looked at Nina. Rex had apparently infected her with shamelessness.
Cyrus’s expression turned serious. Rex seized the opening.
"See?"
"I can lie."
Cyrus nodded. "That much is obvious."
Rex’s expression darkened. "But Nina and Atlas wouldn’t lie!"
Cyrus looked at them. Atlas nodded. Nina nodded as well.
Cyrus fell silent. Then he asked, "But what does any of this have to do with your plan?"
Rex sat up straight. "Oh."
"My plan was for you..."
He paused. Cyrus narrowed his eyes.
Rex coughed. "I mean... us."
"My plan was for all of us to go confront the military."
"Demand an explanation."
Cyrus frowned. "And?"
Rex spread his hands. "And demand compensation!"
"We could ask them for weapons."
"Then give those weapons to this guy in exchange for him treating us to this meal."
He pointed toward Leo.
Cyrus stared at him suspiciously. "Then why were you discussing it privately?"
Rex froze. His brain seemed to stop working. Leo watched with interest.
For several seconds, Rex said nothing. Then—
"Oh."
He nodded. "You’re right."
Cyrus blinked. Rex turned toward everyone.
"See?"
"What do I always tell you?"
"Our Captain is incredibly smart."
Cyrus’s suspicious expression lingered. Something still felt wrong. But before he could think about it further—
Rex attacked again. "Captain."
Cyrus looked at him.
"Don’t you think Atlas and Nina deserve justice?"
Cyrus’s expression darkened. Rex pointed at Nina.
"Leave Nina aside."
Nina’s eyebrow twitched.
Rex pointed at Atlas. "Think about Atlas."
"Didn’t you say he’s like your younger brother?"
Cyrus slowly turned toward Atlas. Atlas looked back while chewing a piece of meat. "Huh?"
Rex’s voice grew passionate. "Can you really sit here peacefully while someone bullied your younger brother?"
Cyrus’s expression grew heavy. Seeing the effect, Rex poured more fuel on the fire.
"As a captain..."
"As Atlas’s idol..."
"As his older brother..."
"Don’t you think you have a responsibility?"
Cyrus clenched his fist.
"Where is your sense of responsibility?"
"Where is the dignity of the Freedom Convoy?"
Rex pointed dramatically into the distance. "Can any random dog or cat come here and bully our people?!"
Cyrus stood up. His eyes burned with determination.
"No!"
Rex’s eyes lit up. "That’s right!"
Cyrus clenched both fists. "Let’s go!"
"Let’s teach that Bear guy a lesson!"
Rex threw up both hands. "Whoa! Whoa! Captain!"
Cyrus turned toward him. "What now ?"
Rex pointed at the food. "Let’s finish the meal first "
"Justice requires a full stomach."
Cyrus was speechless.