The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 147: Planning Life

Chapter 147: Chapter 147: Planning Life

"Alright, I promise you," James Brown and Melody Yoody locked eyes for a full minute before he finally caved in. In his life, only Melody Yoody could force him to agree to something with such a strong approach. Even if someone like Lucy Campbell forced him to do something, he wouldn’t go through with it. Childhood sentiments made it impossible for James to harden his heart and reject Melody; besides, his reluctance to get involved in emotions was primarily because he reserved this unique emotional space for her.

"Great! We’ll go and register tomorrow then," Melody’s words once again brought a wry smile to James’s face. "What’s wrong? Did you just agree reluctantly?"

James immediately shook his head and then seriously said, "Melody, since I’ve promised you, I won’t go back on my word, but emotions are emotions, marriage is marriage. Marriage really is a lifelong commitment, and I don’t know if we can truly adapt to each other’s lives, so I... hope we can seriously consider our matter and not rush into it. This is being responsible to you and also to myself. Do you want us to end up married and then constantly arguing over incompatible personalities, eventually parting ways with sadness?"

As a mayor, Melody Yoody’s path may have been paved by her family, but her personal abilities were incontestable, always able to swiftly judge if something was right. Today was only a forceful approach to James after all these years, having seen him again and being overwhelmed. Nevertheless, she was clearly aware that what James was saying was completely correct.

"So what do you suggest?" Melody questioned James.

James once again lit a cigarette, took a few drags, and said, "I think we can start by dating normally, getting to know each other again. After calmly considering our compatibility, we can then make this decision. How does that sound?"

Melody, looking squarely into James’s eyes without blinking, asked, "Then how long do you think it will take for it to be appropriate?"

"There’s no fixed time limit. It could be a year or half a year, but it could also be a month. As long as you truly decide you want to marry me, I will marry you."

"Okay! Let’s do that then," Melody immediately agreed quite readily.

From James’s words, she completely understood. James had not hastily agreed; he had wanted her to reflect, not both. From this point alone, James hadn’t changed; he was still the same, caring for her and not wanting her to get hurt.

Seeing Melody’s reaction, a smile spread across James’s face. His first love had grown so much over the years and no longer acted as unreasonably as she did as a child.

"By the way, when I return tomorrow, help me sort out the job situation. You transitioned from the military, how come you didn’t get a job placement?"

James replied, "I turned it down."

"Then were you not an officer but an enlisted soldier?"

"Yeah, just a soldier." Although Hawk Squad had a high rank, James was just a deputy commander in the team, hardly any sort of official.

"No wonder, but that’s fine. Normal resettlement is common. If you had already been placed, it would have been difficult for me to intervene. Now that you haven’t, I can use this excuse to place you in our town. As long as you work hard, you could move up to a head position in two or three years. After that, I can pave the way for you. I believe that within ten years, before you turn thirty-five, I will make sure you reach a senior departmental level."

Seeing how earnest Melody was in planning his future, James was startled and hurriedly said, "No, no, I don’t want to be an official. Don’t worry about the job for me."

Melody suddenly furrowed her brows and asked, "So you don’t want to be an official. You want to do business? That’s not bad either. Official-business collusion, then, let’s do that. As long as my career goes well, it will be easy for you to make money in business. I’ll look into it and see what business would be good to start now, something that won’t cause gossip but will allow your business to be profitable from the start."

James couldn’t help but give a bitter smile and said, "Melody, can we not be like we were as kids, with you planning everything I do?"

"I’m not planning for you," she countered. "I’m just helping you plan your life."

"I am an adult man with my own ideas and likes. How I go about doing things, I want to be in control."

Melody Yoody stared at James resolutely and declared, "Okay, I promise you. You can do whatever you like. Does this work for you?"

James heaved a sigh of relief. "Good."

Melody immediately followed up with another question. "So what do you want to do? Can you tell me now?"

As a member of Hawk Squad, his rank was directly that of a colonel. In regular military units, this was sufficient to hold a division-level officer position. To transition into a role in YODC City, he would have been at least at the level of a T District chief. But he didn’t want that – being an official felt boring to James.

As for business, James really wasn’t in need of money. Upon transitioning from military service, he had received a substantial resettlement sum. Moreover, over the years while carrying out missions, he had received bonuses and had some gray income from special tasks, which often amounted to even more. These accumulated funds meant that James didn’t have to worry about money for a lifetime, and he certainly didn’t want the burdensome trouble of getting into business.

He hadn’t touched that money. Now, earning a modest salary, living month to month on that income, he found his life satisfying.

However, he didn’t want to discuss these matters with Melody. He didn’t want money or power to change the special bond between them.

With a light chuckle, James said with a smile, "I haven’t quite decided what I want to do yet."

"How can this be acceptable? You’re already 26 years old, this is prime time for a man to start a business. No, no, I must help you plan your life. Of course, I’ll respect your opinion and help you plan around things you enjoy. You must think hard these next few days about what you really want to do; you can’t continue to waste your life away."

Watching Melody Yoody like this, James Brown was reminded of her as a child; back then, she would make study plans for him in the same manner, leaving no room for his objections. Now it was the same, except she was planning his life.

The method was the same, but James felt uncomfortable this time. As a child, he found her guidance enjoyable, but now it felt like pressure.

"Melody Yoody, here you are! Everyone’s been looking for you," David Johnson strode over with a cheerful smile, glancing at James Brown. Although he found it strange that Melody was chatting in private with such an average guy as James, he didn’t think much of it—it wasn’t as if they could be imitating each other. Most likely, James had seen her by chance and simply struck up a conversation.

David Johnson’s arrival interrupted the conversation between James and Melody, which slightly irked her. However, she still responded with a smile, "David and I were just chatting here. Is something the matter?"

David Johnson laughed, "The Township Chief Smith disappeared on us, and without you, the conversation just isn’t complete. We need you back there."

"Yeah, you’re the star of our class now, Township Chief Smith. Hurry up and have a good chat with everyone."

Melody wanted to say something, but James Brown spoke up, "You seem to have your hands full with work, Township Chief Smith. Let’s get going."

Melody and James had always had an unspoken understanding. While fiery in their high school days, they never let their classmates catch on to their closeness—only David Johnson occasionally caught them shopping together, which led him to suspect something more than ordinary between them.

Now, Melody immediately understood that James didn’t want to reveal their relationship, and she gave him a harsh look, "Hmph, then you better make a good impression. Don’t disappoint me," she said, walking forward in her high heels.

The private room also had a karaoke setup, and everyone was gathered around singing. As Melody entered, Amy Smith stopped singing abruptly and called out loudly, "Melody Yoody, where did you run off to? It’s your turn to sing a couple of songs now."

Melody smiled graciously, "No problem, let’s have a blast singing."

"Township Chief Smith, you’re in a good mood today, aren’t you? Normally, you’re not this eager," Amy Smith said, surprised by Melody’s demeanor.

Taking the microphone, Melody replied, "Can’t I be in a good mood today?"

Excitedly, Amy Smith said, "Of course! We’d be thrilled if Township Chief Smith is in high spirits. How could we not be?"

The other classmates laughed and applauded. Melody would make time to gather with them every year and a half; although informal, she had never seized the mic like this before.

David Johnson gave James Brown a weird look; he couldn’t believe that James could rekindle anything with Melody. There was an impassable gulf between their statuses. When younger, David could believe that love could conquer all, but years of work experience taught him the ephemeral nature of love in the face of reality. And with a character like Mayor Melody, whose future career was boundless, how could she possibly be together with James again?

So he concluded that seeing James again had merely stirred Melody’s youthful sentiments momentarily, but once she calmed down, it was impossible for them to be together again.

Melody had a beautiful voice, and she sang wonderfully. As a student, she had been active and proficient in singing and dancing. Since becoming a leader in recent years, she often had to maintain a composed image, making such passionate singing rare.

Everyone could sense that Melody’s mood was different from usual, but nobody suspected it had anything to do with James. The applause that broke out during her singing was fifty percent due to her status and the other fifty percent purely attributed to her singing.

"Hey James Brown, do you still have any of those cigarettes from last time?" one of the classmates came over and grinned as he asked James for a smoke.

James took out his cigarettes and said, "Yes, go ahead and have one."

"Really? You didn’t get these from the overhead bridge again, did you?" The classmate, surprised, took a cigarette and quickly lit up.

"You guessed it, I went back there and bought a whole carton."

"Still as cheap?"

James laughed heartily, "Cheap, sure, but does it still taste the same as before?"

In reality, for most smokers, the taste of ordinary cigarettes wouldn’t vary much; those costing over fourteen dollars taste roughly similar to each other. Only the true aficionados can discern subtle differences and appreciate the good stuff, which is often just about the prestige that comes with an expensive brand.

With James’s provocation, everyone tried the cigarettes and began to notice a difference from the last time, eventually concluding they were counterfeit.