Luo Kai jogged all the way to the sports school before his mood gradually calmed down. Young people might be impulsive when it comes to relationships, but mature men would consider relationships and responsibilities more. He was lonely in this world, and he treated himself as a passer-by. He didn't want to be involved too much.
…
Originally, he thought that it would be easy to apply for leave, but he didn't expect that the sports school's leave system was very strict, especially for long vacations of more than three days. The parents had to go to the sports school in person to make an explanation. Luo Kai didn't have any parents, and he was too lazy to look for Liu Hou, so he simply skipped class.
When he got home, he took out the thin face-changing mask and gently put it on his face. The temperature of his skin gradually melted the mask, and the whole mask disappeared in a short while, as if it had melted into his skin.
Luo Kai was a little surprised. He hurriedly looked for a mirror, and what he saw was an unfamiliar sallow and thin face. His cheeks were sunken, and his jaw was high. He looked like a homeless man who had been in a state of hunger for a long time. Even Luo Kai himself wasn't sure if the person in front of him was still himself!
Tiger Head Slope was located in the southwest of Dragon Ocean City. In the early years, it was an unmarked graveyard. As the city expanded, it was transformed into a large cement factory. Later on, the cement factory closed down, and it became the home of some homeless people. After the Dragon Shark Pirates came, they drove away all the homeless people who had settled down here. They simply renovated the old factory and made it into a military camp.
The Dragon Shark Pirates weren't as simple as a group of robbers. The continents were at war all year round, so many people had no choice but to look for a home at sea. In the beginning, the pirates were just some homeless people. As time passed, there were more and more pirates.
Currently, the base camp of the Southern Sea pirates, the Scattered Stars Islands, was actually a country controlled by a few large pirate gangs. The Dragonshark Pirates were only one of them. The other pirate gangs were already used to life at sea and were unwilling to return to land. Only the Dragonshark Pirates were ambitious. They wanted to infiltrate the land and establish a real pirate kingdom.
In the early years, the pirates in Seongma Province were dominated by the Dragon Shark pirates. Now they wait for another opportunity. Their short-term goal is to completely occupy a county city. The Jiu Yuan farm has secretly joined forces with them. Longyang City Lord Lang Zhengnan is bent on reaping the benefits of the fisherman. He even wants to compete for the position of the next Lord and reach an alliance with them. Once Blackstone is completely defeated, the Dragon Shark pirates will completely control Longyang City.
However, all of this depended on whether the frontlines were defeated or not. If the army led by Highlord Duke Ivan lost or won a pyrrhic victory, the situation in the kingdom would change drastically.
… …
The entrance of the barracks was extremely deserted. Although the Dragon Shark Camp was vigorously recruiting, the people of Longyang County hated pirates. No one was willing to come here to enlist. There were only some local ruffians and some refugees who could not survive.
Luo Kai disguised himself as a refugee. After explaining his intentions, a Big Beard pirate immediately rushed out of the gatehouse. First, he hammered Luo Kai's chest. He felt that the muscles were solid and did not look like a sick person. He immediately smiled and said, "Okay, I'll take you. What's your name?"
"Luo Hao."
Luo Kai pretended to be in pain and rubbed his chest. He didn't expect it to be so easy to get in. He didn't even ask about his birthplace or address.
"My name is Black Tiger. I'll be your commanding officer from now on. Follow me."
Big Beard led him into the barracks with satisfaction. The place was dirty and messy. There were some simple shacks everywhere. Dirty water flowed between the shacks. The smell of feces and urine filled the air. Soldiers in messy clothes were gambling in groups of three to five. Yelling and cursing filled the barracks. This made Luo Kai feel like he had returned to South Tooth Island. How was this a barracks? It was clearly a refugee camp!
Along the way, Big Beard explained the situation here. Unlike other armies, the Dragon Shark Camp did not have any strict military discipline and rules. The soldiers here received the best treatment among all the Official Army. The newly enlisted soldiers could receive a salary of nearly two thousand star dollars per month. If they performed well, they would receive various bonuses and subsidies. The only requirement was to obey the orders of their superiors.
Luo Kai nodded submissively. However, he was secretly rolling his eyes. Was an army without military discipline still an army?
After passing through the messy barracks, they walked into the inner part of the camp. The environment here was slightly better. Some of the original factories had been converted into dormitories. It should be the residence and logistics department of the higher level pirates.
After walking into a large factory that looked like a warehouse, Big Beard suddenly stopped and said, "Oh … I forgot to tell you. After joining the Dragon Shark Camp, you have to donate some blood every month. Don't worry. We have good food here. You can make up for it in a week."
Luo Kai was greatly surprised, "Why do I have to donate blood? Sea … Dragon Shark Camp still operates a hospital?"
Big Beard impatiently pulled out a set of military uniform from the warehouse and said, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. Anyway, you are now a soldier of the Dragon Shark Camp. You have to follow the rules here."
After putting on the loose military uniform, Big Beard led him to the 'dormitory', which was actually a shack. The shack was empty except for four thin and weak men. They were all newly recruited soldiers. Big Beard was their squad leader. Normally, a squad should have at least ten people, but this squad only had six people including Luo Kai. No wonder Big Beard was so enthusiastic. It seemed that he was seriously short of manpower.
Looking at the soldiers under his command, Big Beard laughed out loud and said, "From now on, we are all brothers. I don't have any rules here. Your daily task is to take care of your bodies. After a week, we will officially start training. If you drag me down by then, don't blame me for being rude."
Big Beard simply scolded them and left in a hurry. A dark and skinny young man excitedly asked Luo Kai, "Brother, where are you from? My name is Er Ga. We are so lucky. I thought the pirate camp would be terrifying. I didn't expect the conditions to be so good. We don't even need to train!"
Luo Kai forced a smile and nodded. After giving a simple name, he laid on the hard bed and thought about how to deal with it. According to the agreement, once he sneaked into the Dragon Shark Camp, Li Gui would find a way to contact him. Right now, he could only wait passively.
He felt a little uneasy. The source of his uneasiness was the blood donation that Big Beard mentioned. Why did they force all the soldiers to donate blood?
Could it be that the Dragon Shark Pirates ran into trouble at sea and suffered a lot of casualties, so they wanted the soldiers on land to donate blood?
The food here was really good. There was wine and meat. Although the wine and meat were limited, it was enough to satisfy one's appetite. At night, Luo Kai went out for a walk. Most of the soldiers here could only stay in the front area of the camp. The back area was very strictly guarded. One had to have a certificate or a senior officer to go in.
As soon as he returned to the shack, a man wearing a pirate hat was standing at the door. After seeing him, he immediately shouted, "Recruit, come with me."
Luo Kai pointed at himself in confusion, "Me?"
"Yes, it's you. Come with me!"
The status of a pirate soldier was much higher than a recruit. If he didn't go, it might arouse suspicion. Luo Kai hesitated for a while, but then followed.
The man in the hat had a high status. He walked smoothly all the way to a building with the sign of the logistics and equipment department. The security here was even stricter. There were even hunting dogs in charge of searching. Everything on Luo Kai's body was taken out. Fortunately, he didn't bring any money this time. Otherwise, he would have been exposed.
Even the three-bladed military knife hidden in his calf was found. The knife was shining coldly. At first glance, it was obvious that it wasn't an ordinary weapon. The guard immediately asked with vigilance, "Where did you get this?"
Luo Kai remained calm, "I picked it up outside the camp."
The guard looked at him suspiciously, then turned his gaze to the man in the hat.
The man in the hat shook his head, "It's okay. Maybe some bastard accidentally lost it. You guys keep it first."
"Yes, sir!"
They walked into the building and passed through a corridor. From time to time, a group of armed soldiers would pass by the corridor. When they saw the man in the hat, they would stand at attention and salute.
The two came to a small enclosed room. The man in the hat locked the door and sat at the table looking at Luo Kai. Suddenly, he chuckled, "You're Mr. Li's man, right?"
Luo Kai straightened his back and said coldly, "Who are you?"
"Haha, it doesn't matter who I am. But Mr. Li told me to take good care of you. I heard that you're quite capable. I'd like to see it."
Luo Kai's mind was racing. Was this person a friend or a foe? If he was a friend, why was he so unreliable? This wasn't a place to compare notes.
The man in the hat was a little impatient. He waved his hand and grabbed Luo Kai's shoulder. His hand was like lightning, and his momentum was extremely fierce.
Luo Kai's shoulder shook slightly. He didn't avoid it. Instead, he moved forward and actually met it with his shoulder.
With a ripping sound, Luo Kai's new military uniform was immediately torn apart. However, the man in the hat didn't feel good either. He only felt that the place he touched was like a steel plate. His finger bones hurt, and at the same time, a strong force surged. His body couldn't help but take a few steps back. He only stopped when he leaned against the wall.
"Good skill. Mr. Li said that you've only been practicing physical skills for a little over two years. Is that true?"
Luo Kai's expression changed. It seemed that Li Gui had told him everything that had happened on South Tooth Island. He asked seriously, "Who are you?"
The man in the hat didn't answer. His expression became more and more excited. He looked at Luo Kai as if he was looking at a delicacy. He licked his lips greedily and said, "As expected, only people who have been injected with high-grade genetic medicine have such strong learning ability."
Luo Kai's expression changed greatly. He now knew the value of high-grade genetic medicine. It could be said that its price was comparable to that of a country. A small southern country like Seongma Province didn't have such medicine. Even in Higashimogami Province, only the royal family and the top nobles had the qualifications to use it. Shui Sou had once said that he had been injected with genetic medicine when he was young. This was most likely the reason for his body's strong recovery ability. This was his biggest secret, and now someone had revealed it!