"Child."
Wang, who was sitting in one of the chairs used by the cadets to play cards, had taken off his helmet and tactical mask. He had Asian features, specifically Chinese, with a slightly round face and brown eyes that curved slightly upwards. He was around thirty and his appearance was reminiscent of a smiling fox.
"He he, you seem surprised. Don't worry, give up and I won't make things difficult for you."
****
No possibility.
That was what his instincts were screaming at him. He knew that, faced with this cheerful-looking man, the only thing that awaited him if he faced Wang would be failure and perhaps a beating.
Alex looked in all directions. He knew that he no longer had companions who could cover him; he had no one to support him. Everyone was in their own struggles.
"And good?"
With the same smile, Sergeant Wang looked at Alex. What Alex thought he had also analyzed; he knew it would simply be playing with the cadet's mind.
"Your two teammates have been neutralized, the patrol team as well, and I guess your other teammates, judging by your exhausted appearance, haven't made it…"
Wang saw symptoms of collapse on Alex's face. A few more words and he would give up on his account without the need for confrontation.
"So, little cadet…"
With a soft smile of what seemed like compassion, Sergeant Wang advanced towards Alex, who already had a defeated expression.
"Give me the package and everything will be over."
"I-I, b-but my classmates…"
"Yes, I know, you have worked very hard. No one can blame you for your efforts. Don't worry, give me the package and you can rest."
Sergeant Wang was already in front of Alex. He only needed to stretch out his hands to be able to settle the issue, but Wang was a man without compassion. He wanted an unconditional surrender; he wanted a surrender on Alex's part. Obviously, he did not want to destroy the boy, but teach him that in life, things don't always go the way you want.
This was the way they had taught Wang. Raised by a military family, compassion was not in his dictionary. That's why his parents gave him the name
****
"Haaa… putting a monster like that with children who don't even have a month of training…"
This time it was Lieutenant Nicolau who spoke. He felt that it was a little unfair for the captain to have subjected the children to this type of test, with only one week of training.
"...Captain García, I agree with Lieutenant Nicolau. I feel that it is not fair for the cadets."
Elizabeth, who was watching the screen, smiled slightly as she listened to the two lieutenants. She had a completely different opinion on the matter. Everyone, even she for a moment, had forgotten a crucial piece in this game that seemed like a unilateral defeat.
Even with all the surprises received, a game of chess is only won by cornering the enemy king. But as they say, even the best of pilots can lose the wheel from time to time.
Elizabeth did not answer her lieutenant. She was more focused on seeing the piece that had escaped everyone, even her for a moment. When she saw what was happening, she smiled and asked her lieutenants.
"Do you know who Konrad Hermann Joseph Adenauer was?"
The captain's question left them confused. They didn't know what the question was about now, but when they saw the smile on the captain's face, they knew that she wanted to convey something that had escaped them.
"No, Captain."
"Konrad Adenauer was a German chancellor…"
"You don't need me to remind you what Germany was, do you?"
Abatino and Nicolau shook their heads. The Confederation had only existed for three years, of course, no clarification is necessary. So the captain nodded and continued with her monologue.
"... As I was saying, he was a chancellor of Germany, specifically the first chancellor of West Germany. He was known for being one of the founding fathers of the European Union, and one of his most famous quotes was 'Luck is an arrow launched what does it target in the one who least expects it'
The lieutenants looked at each other in dismay. They didn't know why they were being educated about history now, but they still continued to listen to their captain, who seemed like she had more to say.
"Now tell me, lieutenants, if you look at the screen right on the camera that focuses inside the gym, what do you see?"
With a big smile, Elizabeth turned away from her and pointed to the screen where the camera was focused.