HOTD! Busujima's Step Brother-Chapter 81 – Taking a Stroll Seems Nice

Morning arrived and Sergeant Brown once again visited the tent.

"Good morning, Busujima. Major General asked you to meet him in the tent." The soldier greeted me. "Please, follow me."

"Alright." I answered and followed him to a large white tent. The entrance flap opened when we arrived and Major General John Mason welcomed me inside.

The man sat at the desk, holding a file in his hands, reading through it.

He seemed like he hadn't slept yet, but there was also a cup filled with steaming hot coffee next to him. Perhaps he drank some to keep awake.

When I entered the tent, he looked up from the documents he was holding, putting it down on top of the desk.

"You're here." He said, putting his hands together, "I have contacted the main base and told them about the virus and the situation. I was just waiting for your arrival."

He motioned me to sit on the chair in front of him, then continued to speak, "There was a little problem with the helicopter, but that should be resolved by tomorrow."

"I understand." I nodded. "So, are you willing to help?"

"Yes, and I will personally take responsibility if anything happens to you during your stay here. And we have punished Private Harjun for what he did last night."

I raised my eyebrows.

Last night? Did something happen?

Seeing the girls sleeping soundly, it didn't seem like something serious. Saeko was also there to guard everyone. I decided to trust my sister's judgment and kept quiet for now.

"Alright. Thank you for helping me."

Major General John nodded and said, "No, no. Thank you for letting me know about this. We will do our best to help. That keycard is pretty useful for us."

"I'm glad to hear it." I smiled at him. "I will hand the virus sample and information I have to the Chicago base when we arrive. Is that okay with you?" I asked, making sure that everything went smoothly.

"That would be perfect."

With the problem of transportation handled, we continued talking for a while. He talked about the recent zombie attack, how many people they lost during the attack, and so on. The situation wasn't as bad as it could have been. They managed to contain most of them in time, but still suffered losses.

Surprisingly, the outbreak in the US was a day later than in other parts of the world.

"Busujima," He suddenly called out, looking at me intently, "You are a smart kid. I don't want to offend you by asking this question, but I have to." He took a deep breath and exhaled it out, "Can I ask how you get all that information about the outbreak? About Umbrella, the keycard, the virus, the secret lab, the bio-weapon."

Hearing that, I only smiled and said, "I will explain it in detail to the people in Chicago. But most zombies are dead if you destroy their brain. Or the others have weaknesses that stand out. That's all I can say for now, sir. You will receive a report on the virus sample once the Chicago base is done researching it, no?"

"Yes, of course. I just want to ask if there is something you know about this disaster." He shook his head and looked up at the roof, as if thinking deeply about something, then looked at me again, "Never mind, forget what I just said."

Telling him everything here would just throw away my chance to get to Chicago. It wouldn't be wise at all.

What if he suddenly cancelled the transportation and pointed guns at us? We could fight and escape, but that would waste our time. So I decided not to say anything for now.

"Okay, I understand." I said calmly. "Is there anything else I need to know before leaving?" I asked politely.

Major General shook his head, "No, not really. Just be careful while you're in the field." He stood up from his seat. "There are a lot of zombies out there."

Of course there were. But I felt like he wanted to warn me to be careful of something else, something that he didn't want to mention openly.

'What a cryptic guy.' I thought and replied to him, "Thank you. I appreciate your concern."

And with that, our conversation ended.

The meeting with Major General was short, but it gave me some useful information. I was now more aware of what we were facing.

Not to mention, the girls last night had told me everything about what happened to this base, which made it easier for me to get a better understanding of how bad things were here. They even told me that the Major General was a good man, so there was nothing to worry about him.

Though he seemed like the type of person that would sacrifice himself and others to get what he wanted. A real soldier.

I left the tent and returned to where my friends were waiting for me. On my way, I accidentally bumped onto Tania and Lucy.

"Ah, morning!"

"Looking good in the morning, Daiki. What were you doing?"

They both wore a big, friendly smile when they saw me. I noticed how they kept their eyes glued on my body while trying to hide their embarrassment.

"Oh, good morning to you too." I replied, giving them a small bow. "You are both early, aren't you? How are you feeling today? Yesterday's activity must've made your body sore, no?"

Lucy blushed a deep shade of red and averted her gaze from mine, while Tania grinned widely and circled her arm around my neck.

"Don't underestimate an active soldier, you brat! Take this for pretending to be a freaking virgin!"

"Ouch, don't pull me too hard. I am delicate." I played along. The truth was I didn't even feel the pain. Her grip wasn't strong enough to hurt me, but I didn't want to make her feel bad by letting her know about that.

After playing for a while, she released me from her choking and chuckled. I decided to shift the topic because I noticed their gear.

"By the way, why are you fully geared?"

"Morning patrol, of course. We always search for more survivors." Tania explained, "We are searching around the town in the north today."

"Then, be careful. I will see you around, Tania and Lucy." I waved goodbye to them. "Oh yeah, Tania, don't forget our little deal from last night."

She smirked, "Yeah, yeah, don't worry, I got this."

After parting ways, I returned to the tent.

The first person to greet me was Saya. She crossed her arms and pouted at me.

"What?" I asked, confused by her reaction.

"Hmph! I don't know! You should figure it out yourself!" She said, her face flushed and she stomped out of the tent.

'What's her problem?' I wondered as I walked inside.

Perhaps she saw my exchange with Tania and Lucy?

I was still confused, but it wasn't a big deal. She would tell me sooner or later anyway. This little tsundere had always been like this.

"Welcome back, brother." Saeko greeted me with a smile.

"I am back. And I bring some good news." I said with a smirk, "They will take us to Chicago in a few days. Our transportation is on the way."

Hearing that, everyone was excited. Saya ran back in and joined us, sitting next to Miss Shizuka who had a wide smile on her face.

"That's great." Miss Shizuka clapped her hands and exclaimed, "Fufufu, I wonder if Rika will escort us personally. It's been so long since I last saw her."

"Miss Rika, huh." Saeko mused and smiled. "I want to meet her too. I am curious what kind of woman she is."

"Who is Rika?" Saya questioned.

Miss Shizuka smiled and answered, "She's my best friend and a sniper of the SDF, a special force soldier. She is very good with her guns. If you see someone with tanned skin carrying a rifle bigger than their own size, it's definitely Rika."

The girls began to talk among themselves. They were all excited and couldn't wait to leave.

At that moment...

[Make your choice!]

Enjoy your small talk with your girls. It's a fun activity outside of physical relation! (Reward: 50 Shop Points) Taking a stroll in the encampment seems fun. You might learn more about the military situation! (Reward: 100 Shop Points) Nah, I'd love to walk outside. Staying inside an encampment for a long time will drive me nuts. (Reward: 250 Shop Points + 1 All Stats)

Okay, what the heck had happened?