I, who was eager to retire, became an Imperial General.

Chapter 35 He's my dear family!
The Maslow family?
John?

John Maslow?!
The moment Dick heard the name, his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the black-haired, black-eyed Imperial dog before him, his heart churning with a stormy sea.

At this moment, he no longer cared about his current predicament; instead, he was filled with unprecedented panic and disbelief.

Wasn't this guy the target of the assassination plan secretly agreed upon by my father and the Allied forces?

The enemy should have led their troops to Bahamut Town, how did he end up here? How could he possibly be here?!
Could it be that there are Imperial agents within the Allied forces, and their assassination plan has been exposed?
No, no, no, how could you do that!
This shouldn't be happening!

The moment the thought crossed his mind, cold sweat instantly soaked through Dick's clothes. The intense fear and horror made it difficult for him to even breathe.

He looked at John Maslow, who was looking at him with a gentle, humble smile that seemed to appear only when talking to a friend.

At that moment, Dick realized that the so-called smile was nothing more than a fake performance deliberately presented to him by the other party.

What truly hides beneath the other party's hypocritical, smiling mask is undoubtedly a man with bared fangs, who enjoys toying with people's hearts and minds, driving his prey to the extreme of fear.

Then, taking the opportunity, it swallows the prey whole, skin and bones, and amidst the squeaking of flesh and the wailing of the soul, it grins savagely, savoring the taste of its prey, and emitting a chilling laugh!

This guy.

This guy is a demon in human skin!

"Why is this idiot staring at me like that? Has he gone mad from anger at my sudden betrayal?"

Looking at Reddick, whose face was deathly pale and whose body was trembling involuntarily, as if he had epilepsy, John couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

But after putting himself in that position, John thought that if he were happily riding in a car, eating hotpot and singing songs, dreaming of soon heading to the Kingdom of Victoria with military funds, completing his mission, taking office, getting promoted, and making a fortune...

What if they were robbed by a group of bandits halfway through their journey and forced to become their prisoners?

If it were him, he would definitely find it hard to be happy; it would be good if he didn't despair to the point of committing suicide on the spot.

Therefore, Warrant Officer John, who was good at understanding people's clothes, could also understand this.

However, considering that this idiot still has the possibility of being a 'suspected' Allied spy, he could be someone who helps him complete his plan to switch sides.

Therefore, John felt it necessary to have a good chat with this old man who might become his future colleague, and also to find out what this fool really was.

This will determine his subsequent attitude towards this guy.

In any case, it wouldn't hurt to be friendly to this guy.

Even if Redick is really just an ordinary, unscrupulous businessman, it wouldn't be unreasonable to give him a smile in consideration of the gold he sent.

After all, to put it bluntly, every industry needs to focus on service!

Otherwise, how can we achieve the goal of sustainable development?
Thinking of this, John immediately put on a standard smile, then, under Dick's trembling gaze, he reached out and patted the other's shoulder before speaking gently:

"Don't be so nervous, Mr. Reddick. Actually, I am also very interested in business. And you happen to be a businessman. Isn't that a coincidence? I happen to have some business questions that I would like to ask for your opinion on."

"Although I, John Maslow, consider myself to have some business talent, theory is just theory, and only practice can lead to true knowledge. So, you, who have been in business for many years, are my senior in this regard, and I must humbly learn from you."

"Furthermore, rest assured, all of us Imperial soldiers are very upright and act in accordance with the law. Unless you have truly deceived me and betrayed my trust in you, we will not harm you or your family or do anything so heinous."

“After all, we only use force against our enemies. Every person who is loyal to the Empire is a member of our Imperial Army. And as family members, we should live in harmony, right?” After saying that, John looked at Reddick with a kind expression.

At the same time, they kept their eyes glued to the other person's expression, afraid of missing any detail.

He wanted to use this rhetoric to determine whether this idiot was truly the 'ally' he had been longing for.

Is this a threat?
This must be a threat!

If he were to reveal even the slightest action unrelated to his identity as a 'merchant,' this devil would surely have him killed!

Feeling John's 'cold' gaze, Reddick's dagger instantly shrank to the extreme in a fit of intense panic, and his proud spear turned into a miniature balloon.

Under the oppressive force of this domineering aura, he almost suffocated.

But he also knew very well that this was an interrogation of him by the devil John Maslow.

The other party has become suspicious. If he wants to live, or even protect his family, he must, no matter what, perfectly respond to any possible questions from the other party as a 'merchant'.

Only in this way could he have a chance to save his family!
Spurred by this sense of mission, Redick barely overcame his fear and forced an almost abstract smile onto his face:

“Yes, Warrant Officer John, we’re all family. Family members should help each other. I’m very, very happy to be able to discuss business with you, really!”

Happy? Are you serious?

But I feel like your smile is a little forced.

Sure enough, you idiot, you're just a lackey of the Allied forces, aren't you?
Ahem, no, I misspoke. This dear Mr. Reddick must be an upright and kind Allied friend, my true family!

Haha, in that case, wouldn't my job-hopping life as a warrant officer be within easy reach?
John's eyes sharpened instantly; he had 'seen through' Reddick's true identity.

However, he also knew that he could not reveal his attitude at this time.

After all, his dear Reddick ally would certainly be terrified at the threat of a bunch of Imperial dogs, and would definitely doubt his claim of loyalty to the Allies.

This is normal, after all, he is currently a commander of the empire, and there is a strong trend for him to become the number one lackey.

But Warrant Officer John, who was eager to abandon the darkness and join the light, also knew that later, when he and his dear ally had a long talk in the Hell Truck, he would subtly reveal his longing for the Allied forces.

The other party will surely understand that he is not an Imperial dog, but a true Allied faction member.

At that time, he only needs to find some reasons to keep the other party in line. When the Allied forces realize that the military budget is short and send someone to contact Reddick, he can take advantage of the situation to meet the Allied high command he has been longing for and thus complete his dream of switching sides!

Ah, what a perfect plan.

No wonder, he's simply a genius!

Imagining the wonderful future he had envisioned, John's smile deepened, and he immediately invited the trembling Reddick to get into his jeep together.

Next, he was going to have a good talk with this dear ally.

……

(End of this chapter)