Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 612 - 620 Talent Reserve

Chapter 612: Chapter 620 Talent Reserve

Yang Yi looked towards Jethro and said, "Sorry."

Jethro shrugged his shoulders and replied, "It’s fine, actually I don’t like it either."

Yang Yi then turned to the tall black man and said in a deep voice, "Join me."

Jethro stretched out his hand and said, "That, uh, well, never mind, you say it..."

Yang Yi said sternly to the black man, "Join me, and at least I sure as hell won’t make you eat like a dog."

The tall black man opened his mouth, then said solemnly, "But..."

Yang Yi said indifferently, "What are you worried about?"

The tall black man hesitated for a moment, then said, "Ferdinand won’t agree."

"He will."

Without hesitating this time, the tall black man immediately nodded and said, "Okay."

Zhang Yong smacked his lips a few times, shook his head, and said, "You’re too direct, you should at least ask some questions, it’s not too late to speak after getting it clear, hey, what’s your name?"

The tall black man immediately said, "Tuya Rio."

"From which country?"

"Sierra Leone."

Zhang Yong touched his chin and said, "Hmm, Sierra Leone, how old are you this year?"

Tuya Rio obviously feared Zhang Yong, he answered Zhang Yong’s questions promptly, and very respectfully at that.

"24."

Yang Yi was taken aback and said, "24? Not 34 or 44 years old?"

"No, 24."

Yang Yi looked Tuya Rio over and said, "Well, you sure grew up fast then."

Zhang Yong laughed and said, "Normal, just looks a bit older, Tuya Rio, answer my question honestly, have you killed people?"

"Yes."

"How many?"

Tuya Rio tilted his head to think, then said solemnly, "Used to kill a lot, can’t remember how many, recently, not so many, about a dozen, I guess."

Zhang Yong frowned and asked, "When was that ’used to be’?"

"During the war."

"You fought in the Sierra Leone Civil War? You were a child soldier?"

Tuya nodded and said, "Yes, I was tall, started fighting at eight until I was twelve, then I went home, and then after I got with Ferdinand I started killing again."

Yang Yi couldn’t help asking, "Why follow Ferdinand?"

"He pays."

It was all about the money, a reason so simple and direct.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Yang Yi asked, "How long have you been with him?"

"Six months."

Xiao Ran also had many questions she wanted to ask, so she said loudly, "You’ve been with them for six months, and now that you’re injured, no one cares about you?"

Tuya wore an innocent expression and said, "I don’t know why, but I think, maybe, they don’t like me..."

Zhang Yong gave Yang Yi a meaningful glance, and then whispered to him in Chinese, "This kid is a child soldier. You know that Sierra Leone isn’t really at war anymore, but when it was, things got really vicious, and child soldiers were common. However, those who’ve been child soldiers usually have some mental issues, and their personalities are twisted. Why keep someone like that around?"

Yang Yi glanced at Tuya and replied quietly, "He can fight."

Zhang Yong disagreed, saying, "These days, being able to fight is worthless. Besides, he’s only big and strong, that’s it. Can’t I fight too? But when I’m on the battlefield, I still have to be cautious. Killing him wouldn’t even cost a bullet. If you feel sorry for him, that’s fine, but why bring him into the team? With such a noticeable presence, what good could he do? Moreover, both his arms are broken, so he’ll be useless for at least half a year. Why bother keeping him for nothing?"

Zhang Yong’s points were valid, and Yang Yi understood them, but after looking at Tuya again, he answered quietly, "It wouldn’t be bad to have him around just for show."

Indeed, being big offers no advantage on the battlefield, where guns are the weapon of choice and the strongest man can be downed by a bullet. Furthermore, a large body consumes more energy, offering no advantage in stamina. At most, great strength only means carrying more, but even being able to fight doesn’t count for much on the battlefield, so the idea of employing Tuya as a mercenary seemed unnecessary.

As for Tuya becoming a spy? That was nothing short of a joke. No matter the disguise, his size made him stand out like a landmark building, making it even easier to get caught if taken out.

In ancient times, when battles were fought with cold weapons, Tuya would have been a treasure, a mighty warrior if not a general. However, now, speaking honestly, he might only be useful in a brawl, not in real warfare where he’d hold no advantage over Ferdinand’s subordinates.

Actually, it became evident that if Tuya were of any significant value, he wouldn’t be treated the way he was now.

The more Zhang Yong spoke, the more disheartened Yang Yi became. Looking at Tuya again, he also felt there really was no need to keep him.

What was most important was to find out whether Tuya had any bad habits. Some children who had been soldiers were likely to have twisted psychologies that might not adjust even in peacetime. If Tuya used drugs, then there was truly no point in keeping him.

Yang Yi studied Tuya closely for a moment and then suddenly asked, "What have you done since the fighting stopped?"

After thinking, Tuya answered, "Logging, gold panning, diamond mining, uh, carrying loads. I’ve done a lot of different jobs."

That sounded like he might be a normal person. A psychologically abnormal person probably wouldn’t have been able to hold down those jobs. So, Yang Yi said gravely, "How did you meet Ferdinand?"

Tuya’s face showed a trace of unease, and after a moment of silence, he said, "I worked as a porter. I carried more than the others, then someone called me ’gorilla’, and we fought. I punched out all his teeth with one blow. They pointed guns at me, and I grabbed one. Then Ferdinand asked me if I’d ever been a soldier. I said yes, and he offered me a lot of money to work for him, so I agreed."

"How much money did he offer you?"

"A thousand US Dollars a month, now it’s two thousand."

Yang Yi was speechless. He looked around at the others and said, "That’s quite a sum. So you... uh, can you read?"

Tuya shook his head.

An illiterate. Well, that was to be expected. In Sierra Leone, a civil war raged during the years Tuya should have been in school. It would have been strange if he could read and write.

Frowning, Zhang Yong said, "An illiterate, eh? That’s really of no use. If you feel sorry for him, just give him some money and send him on his way."

Yang Yi shook his head, "Don’t be so quick to dismiss him. He may not seem useful now, but as a reserve of potential talent, he is not bad. Who knows if he might be useful later? Invest in people; observe his character while he’s recovering. If he’s suitable, keep him; if not, let him go. It’s just half a year at most; it won’t cost much."

However, Anton laughed and said, "I’m quite interested in this big fellow. Hey, Tuya, have you ever trained in boxing?"

Tuya shook his head, "No, never trained in anything."

Zhang Yong frowned and said, "Considering his age, it’s already too late to start training now. But this guy’s physical fitness is freakish; maybe he could actually achieve something. Hey, why are we even considering this? Even if he does get good, what’s the point? Is he just for show?"

Yang Yi said solemnly, "Trident could use a strong man who’s intimidating just by being there. Consider it an investment in potential talent. While he’s healing, we can observe whether his character is suitable. If it’s not, let him go, and that’s that. It won’t cost much for just half a year."