Spy-x-War Showdown
Chapter 696 - 702: Of Course, Choose to Forgive Her

Chapter 696: Chapter 702: Of Course, Choose to Forgive Her

Yang Yi didn’t have a very good first impression of Woody.

After handing his briefcase to Rodriguez behind him, Yang Yi took two steps forward, extended his hand, and smiled after shaking hands with Woody,

After inviting Woody to sit down, Yang Yi took a seat on the large sofa in the center, and Jethro, without being asked, directly sat down beside Yang Yi.

It was evident that Jethro was also very interested in Woody. However, since Trident was the one hiring, he refrained from asking too many questions even though he was eager to observe.

Although Yang Yi was now a mercenary, mercenaries also value personal privacy. A first meeting with the boss is supposed to include full disclosure, and with Jethro, an outsider present, there was a risk that he might leak someone’s privacy in the future. So even though Jethro was Yang Yi’s boss now, he should have excused himself if he were considerate.

But Jethro really didn’t want to leave; he just wanted to quickly understand Woody’s background.

Yang Yi didn’t hold back either; this was not a time for pleasantries, so he looked at Jethro seated next to him and gestured with his eyes for him to go elsewhere.

Jethro looked somewhat embarrassed. If Yang Yi didn’t mind, he would have stayed and listened, but Yang Yi had already used his eyes to send him away, and Jethro, who had been around the underworld for a long time, naturally felt it inappropriate to stay any longer.

"I’m going to go rest for a bit. Oh, remember to fill me in later."

Jethro awkwardly stood up, made his excuses, and reluctantly left. After Jethro had gone, Yang Yi spoke in a deep voice, "Woody, introduce yourself, starting with your work experience."

With his fingers interlocked and his arms resting on his legs, Woody looked at Yang Yi. He was probably observing Yang Yi as well. After a couple of glances, he spoke in a low voice, "I enlisted in 2001, joined the United States Army 101st Airborne Division, and after receiving medic training, participated in the Iraq War in 2003, where I conducted multiple battlefield medical evacuations. I was also commended for bringing back two seriously injured comrades. In 2004, the 101st Division withdrew from Iraq, and I returned to the States with the unit."

Yang Yi didn’t rush to ask more, but Woody’s expression turned strange as he spoke.

After a moment’s silence, Woody continued, "My service ended in mid-2004, and I chose to be discharged. Later that year, I got married and soon had a child."

At this, Woody fell silent again, his expression quite peculiar, and thus Yang Yi understood that Woody’s family must have encountered problems.

As expected, after taking a deep breath, Woody went on, "Life became quite difficult after the birth of my child; I had little money, and my experience as a combat medic didn’t help me find a well-paying job. Yet, I truly missed my days in the military, and gradually felt that I was more suited for army life, so I decided to return to the service."

The fact that he had just had a child, but returned to the military not long after getting married was not particularly strange, but Woody hadn’t mentioned his wife at all.

Woody continued in a low voice, "I rejoined the service, but not as a combat medic. I sought better opportunities, so I applied for the medical program at the George Military Academy with a scholarship from the army, and I obtained my bachelor’s degree to become a field doctor. During this time, my second child was born."

Another extended period of silence ensued, and Yang Yi was growing impatient because prolonged silences were not a good sign during an interview with a new boss. However, Yang Yi now understood that Woody must have stories buried in his past, so he decided to wait.

Finally, Woody continued, "I returned to Iraq in 2008 and was back with the 96th Combat Support Hospital of the 101st Airborne Division. No matter how my unit was reassigned, I always stayed in Iraq because that’s where the combat allowance was. In 2011, I got transferred to the Green Zone and stayed there until 2013."

Woody fell silent again, but thankfully this time, it wasn’t for too long, and then he continued, "The salary wasn’t very high, but there was an allowance. I had served in a frontline hospital for so long that it interrupted my further education, which meant my medical skills didn’t progress much. Although I was very proficient with the kind of injuries and illnesses that present in a war zone, these skills weren’t very useful in local hospitals back in the States. So last year, I requested to be sent back home, and at the end of last year, I applied for discharge. Then I joined a hospital in Los Angeles as an emergency doctor, while simultaneously trying to pursue further studies to qualify for a higher position. That’s my work history."

With Woody’s history, Yang Yi was quite satisfied.

In the United States, medics are called medics, and there are two kinds of them. One kind comes with a gun and a first aid kit and fights alongside soldiers, shooting at the enemy and treating the wounded. The other kind works as doctors in field hospitals, performing surgeries. Hence, although the title is the same, the former is the true medic in the sense of the word, while the latter is actually a military doctor. Woody was familiar with both roles.

There shouldn’t be a problem with professional skills, but Woody’s resume, although not very impressive, and unlikely to fetch a very high salary in a major American hospital, ensured that his skills were undoubtedly suitable for an emergency doctor. His salary would definitely be at a high-income level. Therefore, Yang Yi needed to know why Woody was willing to abandon his wife and children, give up a stable job with a high income, and switch to an extremely dangerous new job.

Yang Yi glanced at Zhang Yong and then pointed at him, "Did he explain to you what you would be facing with us?"

Woody nodded and said in a low voice, "He did."

At this moment, Zhang Yong coughed slightly and then said softly, "Well, it’s like this, uh, Woody is obviously out of options, so you don’t need to worry about it."

Yang Yi frowned and asked, "Out of options, how so?"

Zhang Yong awkwardly scratched his neck and then said in a low voice, "It’s a bit complicated to explain. Let me think, um, you could say I picked Woody up because he was a homeless man. As to why he became homeless, it’s better for him to tell you himself."

Yang Yi looked at Woody again and said, "Given the nature of our job, I can only ask you to tell us why."

Woody clasped his hands together tightly, then said softly, "I got divorced, and then I went bankrupt. Is that enough?"

Yang Yi shook his head and replied, "I’m sorry, but that’s not enough. I don’t mean to hurt you, but you have to tell us."

Woody took a deep breath and said, "I came home, found my ex-wife in bed with another man, and then... that was it."

Chris’s face lit up with sudden comprehension, and he couldn’t help but interject, "Oh shit, buddy, of course, you should have chosen to forgive her."