The Supreme Soldier in the City
Chapter 447 - 454: 4 Mischievous Friends

Chapter 447: Chapter 454: 4 Mischievous Friends

John Brown handed the gift to Emily Jenkins and immediately said, "Emily, alright, you should head home. My friends are here now, so I won’t be seeing you off."

Emily Jenkins let out an "oh," then asked, "Big Brother Brown, are you going home tonight?"

"I... won’t be back."

Emily Jenkins pouted and said, "Oh, then I won’t get to eat the food you cook tonight. I haven’t eaten your cooking in days."

Martin Miller and the others, hearing Emily Jenkins say this, were further convinced that she and James Brown were cohabitating. Otherwise, how else would she eat his cooking? Martin let out a mischievous laugh and said, "Emily, if you don’t mind, how about we head over to your place tonight for some free dinner?"

Emily Jenkins immediately brightened up and said, "Sure, sure, you are welcome anytime."

James Brown immediately frowned and said, "No way. We have other plans. Emily, hurry home now. Go straight home and don’t wander around."

Emily Jenkins reluctantly agreed, pouting slightly before she left.

James Brown pulled Emily Jenkins aside and whispered, "Emily, don’t tell Gina or Lucy Campbell about seeing me."

"Why? Oh, are you sneaking out to have fun?" Emily Jenkins was initially confused but quickly covered her mouth, snickering.

James Brown sighed and said, "It’s not like that. You’ll understand when you see Gina. But you must listen to Big Brother Brown—don’t mention seeing me, and don’t mention seeing them either."

Seeing how serious James Brown looked, Emily Jenkins instinctively nodded.

James Brown still didn’t feel at ease and added firmly, "Also, don’t show anyone the stuff they gave you. Even though it’s fake, if someone sees it, they’ll think it’s real. If the wrong people find out you’re carrying something so valuable, you’ll be in trouble."

Emily Jenkins stuck out her tongue and said, "You’re right. I can’t tell the difference, but wow, they made it look real."

"Yeah, keep this in mind—pretend you didn’t see me today. Whatever happens, don’t tell Gina or Lucy Campbell. Got it? Or else Big Brother Brown won’t cook for you again, nor will I consider you a friend in the future."

Emily Jenkins quickly nodded vigorously and said, "Okay, okay, I swear I’ll keep it a secret. I definitely won’t tell Sister Gina or Sister Emily."

"Not just them. Don’t tell Sandra or anyone else either."

Emily Jenkins stuck out her tongue again and said, "I was just about to ask if I could tell Sister Sandra."

James Brown was startled. Luckily, he reacted fast. Otherwise, Emily Jenkins, who couldn’t keep a secret, would surely spill the beans to Emily Lopez.

"When Big Brother Brown is back, I’ll make sure to thank you properly, cooking up all sorts of delicious food for you. Just remember that, okay?" James Brown offered Emily Jenkins a figurative carrot.

"I promise," Emily Jenkins nodded repeatedly, finally leaving under James Brown’s concerned gaze.

After Emily Jenkins left, James Brown brought the group to a hotel.

Gathered in a single room, Martin Miller complained, "Hey, Boss, you’re being stingy. We’ve come all the way here, and you didn’t even invite us to your place as guests."

James Brown chuckled bitterly, "What home? Your big bro here is officially homeless now. All we’ve got is this hotel."

"No way," the group looked at James Brown with disbelief.

James Brown knew he wouldn’t be able to hide the truth from them and confessed, "My wife kicked me out, so now I’m without a roof over my head."

The group was momentarily stunned, then burst into laughter. Martin nudged James Brown with his shoulder while suppressing his laughter and said, "Let me guess, your wife caught wind of you sneaking around with that Emily girl?"

"No, not that. Emily Berns—she showed up with my child. My wife wasn’t going to stand for it."

"Emily Berns? Wasn’t she the girl clinging to you back when we were on that mission years ago? Didn’t she turn into a celebrity later? When did she have your kid?"

During that mission, Martin Miller had also been present and tried to win over Emily Berns himself, though she showed zero interest in him and only had eyes for James Brown. This rejection had irked Martin, who later found out about James and Emily’s relationship directly from James.

"Just that one time, and she got pregnant. Then, without telling me, she gave birth to the kid," James Brown said, clearly disheartened.

Martin’s eyes widened before he gave a thumbs-up and said, "Boss, you are the man! I mean, what devotion must she have to secretly have your child despite not even being able to find you? That’s deep love right there."

The other three were unaware of James Brown’s past with Emily Berns and now looked at him with admiration. Mark Smith said, "Wow, Boss, I’m seriously impressed. I’ve been a fan of Emily Berns too. Who would’ve thought she’d already given birth to your kid? You better get me some signed photos."

James Brown sighed and said, "I can’t stand the sight of her now. Let’s drop the subject."

Martin Miller lightened the mood and said, "Alright, let’s leave it. Now that we’re here, Boss, shouldn’t you treat us to some fun?"

James Brown cheerfully replied, "Absolutely, I’ll make sure you guys have a blast tonight."

The group wasn’t interested in serious discussions. Even though Joseph was a formidable figure, with a team of five here, they didn’t consider him a major threat—not out of arrogance, but true confidence in their abilities, bolstered by their bond with James. Right now, the priority was catching up with old friends.

These guys had visited high-end spots in the Capital of SSUP and across the world, leaving their mark at luxurious venues. In YODC City, James Brown didn’t even bother taking them somewhere fancy; instead, he brought them straight to a roadside barbeque joint. There, they stripped off their jackets, bared their arms, and dug into grilled meat and cheap beer—it was pure indulgence.

Since returning to YODC City, James Brown hadn’t enjoyed such carefree camaraderie. With these comrades, he could relax completely, letting his army-instilled frankness shine.

Martin Miller suddenly raised his glass and said, "Boss, now that we’re tipsy, isn’t it time we found a place for some livelier entertainment?" He winked at James Brown.

James immediately understood and laughed—back in the day, after finishing missions, their go-to for unwinding involved nights at clubs, bars, and other such places.

"Sure, it’s on me tonight. Have fun however you want!"

"Haha, Boss, you really know how to take care of us. Lead the way!"

James opted against taking them to places like L Hotel, where people knew him. Bringing these four back wasn’t about flaunting; he wanted to keep a low profile and avoid recognition.

Instead, he took them to a sauna lounge where they indulged in a soak. After unwinding, they moved upstairs for foot massages. The four extroverts couldn’t resist flirting with the female masseuses—charming, seasoned Casanovas that they were—and soon had them giggling uncontrollably.

"Hey, bring us some girls," Mark Smith casually said.

The lounge staff immediately came over and asked, "How many would you like, sir?"

Mark Smith replied, "Can’t you see there are five of us? Get five."

James Brown quickly waved his hand and said, "No need for five—four is fine, I don’t need one."

Martin Miller and the others looked at James Brown like he’d grown a second head. Martin snickered, "Boss, you’ve been kicked out by your wife, and now you’re acting all virtuous? Come on, even married men need to let loose once in a while."

James Brown exhaled a smoke ring and said, "I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. I’m done with that sort of stuff. You guys go enjoy yourselves."

"Boring!" All four of them flashed James their middle fingers. Despite James’s resistance, they dragged him into a private room and had the staff bring in company.

James didn’t argue further, knowing his friends wouldn’t let him off the hook. But he had lost interest in such encounters. When the girl arrived, he simply asked her to massage his legs and struck up a casual conversation.

The girl found it odd, but earning money without needing to "serve" was fine by her.

In the room, James’s thoughts wandered to Emma Campbell. If Emma hadn’t met him back then but someone else instead, he shuddered to imagine what kind of path her life might’ve followed.

Thankfully, Emma avoided a misguided path and ended up with him. Still, James couldn’t shake the uncertainty about whether his vague, undefined relationship with Emma was truly in her best interest.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside—footsteps sounding chaotic and intent. James’s brows furrowed; such a sound usually signaled unwelcome trouble.

Though not expecting Joseph’s people to locate them so soon, James doubted it could be that. After all, experts on par with those Joseph had lost were rare on his side. A large-scale move against James seemed unlikely.

"Police! Nobody move!" The door burst open, followed by a commanding shout. James Brown couldn’t help but laugh bitterly—what were the odds of being caught up in an anti-vice raid?