CHAPTER 510: CHAPTER 474: STRIVING FOR MY TRUST

Mountain Eagle received a call from Blood Fox and immediately refused to communicate with Thomas.

This guy is now key because Mountain Eagle himself definitely doesn’t have the time or the manpower to investigate the possible kidnapping victims’ whereabouts.

However, Mountain Eagle definitely can’t let this guy know he’s interested in taking the commission; otherwise, if the guy pushes his luck, Mountain Eagle might end up having to help find the target. Because you took the money, you might not even end up with any favors in the end.

Let the Green Nature Foundation pressure him to investigate. If this guy wants to find clues, he’ll have to seek help from Brown Bear Camp.

Seeking help and cooperation are two different concepts!

Mountain Eagle is not familiar with this guy, not even a friend, so of course, he wants both money and gratitude!

After shaking off Thomas, Mountain Eagle had his assistant, Daria handle them for a bit, no need for deliberate lying. This professional investigator simply synthesized the existing intelligence and locked onto Russian Mission...

Because that’s an external force’s transit point, their stationing and resupply are all in that place.

If they captured hostages, whether for detention or transport, that location would definitely be most convenient.

Thomas and his crew, although they got thrashed at Brown Bear Camp, sat on the camp’s speedboat with thousands of thanks after their meal and went to Russian Mission Town.

After all the kids at the camp fell asleep, Mountain Eagle let Butcher and Pigeon escort him to cross the river by boat to the wetlands on the opposite side, and he tried the cold water therapy again.

He wasn’t clear about his own condition; he only knew that soaking in the icy water made his body feel a bit more comfortable, and he could clearly feel his muscle condition improving.

This was much more effective than bleeding or taking medicine!

Last time, he soaked in the ice water for three hours; this time, he simply soaked until the next morning.

Alaska’s summer nights are very short, about five hours or so.

Normal people would probably be ready for the crematorium doing this, but Mountain Eagle felt more and more comfortable the more he soaked...

When the next day’s sun came out, Mountain Eagle climbed back onto the boat refreshed, bringing back several big fish caught by Butcher and Pigeon at night to the camp.

Making fish soup, cooking porridge, frying eggs, grilling meat, he took advantage of the best time of his day to prepare a lavish breakfast for the kids.

After breakfast, the pain attacked again; this time, Mountain Eagle didn’t choose to force himself to move, but wrapped in clothes, he sat on the lounge chair, remotely controlling Crow. Through the aerial view, he surveyed Earth while basking in the warm Alaska summer sun.

Then time, like sand in the palm of a hand, slipped away unknowingly.

No one in the camp noticed anything wrong with Mountain Eagle’s condition; the sawmill was still roaring, everyone was still laughing and joking.

Only Miranda noticed something amiss because this professional bodyguard sensed an inner tension behind the relaxed exterior.

The Butcher, who was always with the boss, was gone; also missing were the sniper Pigeon and the two temps, Donkey and Sealion, who arrived with her yesterday.

Miranda had already completed a detailed scouting of the camp and had drawn up a defense plan centered on the main house.

But until noon, she didn’t submit this ’homework,’ worried she might have overlooked some critical detail, which would lead to her disqualification.

What she didn’t know was, when her team showed proficient care for the children and managed to scout the camp without others noticing, they had already passed 80% of the assessment.

The final 20% wasn’t about their capabilities but about whether they could be trusted.

After lunch, Miranda hesitated for a long time in the main house, but eventually, just before the 24-hour deadline, she chose to submit her ’homework.’

She refused Tiffany’s company and, accompanied by Red Sparrow, found Mountain Eagle basking in the sun and handed over a stack of plans.

"Sir, this is the defense plan for the camp you wanted..."

Mountain Eagle took the plans, glanced at them briefly, and put them on the side coffee table...

Miranda felt humiliated; she frowned and said in a deep voice, "Sir, if you’re not interested in us, you could just say it outright."

Mountain Eagle heard her, waved his hand, picked up a pen, and made three marks on the plan...

Watching Miranda’s expression suddenly become very strange upon seeing these marks, Mountain Eagle smiled and said, "I guess these three marks represent counterattack launch points, defense focal points, defensive blind spots...

I can even find the marks you quietly made on the ground yesterday!

If you weren’t here to apply for a security position, if it weren’t for Tiffany vouching for you, seeing your approach, I might think you were a spotter sent by the opposition."

It was then that Miranda realized Mountain Eagle had been observing them all along, and very closely.

Looking at the languid posture of the boss, Miranda hesitated for a moment and asked, "So did we pass?"

Mountain Eagle shook his head and said, "No, you’re from the Special Service Bureau, so you should understand what’s most needed between a bodyguard and the protected person?

Sometimes just showing professional competence isn’t enough; nobody wants to live in tension 365 days a year."

Miranda fell silent for a moment and then said, "Trust!

Only with mutual trust can a bodyguard be most effective..."

Mountain Eagle nodded and said, "I might want more..."

"You should be able to tell, I actually don’t need a bodyguard..."

Speaking, Mountain Eagle looked at Miranda’s puzzled expression and said with a smile, "My current physical condition is only temporary, and I think the sudden loss of physical advantage is not a bad thing for me.

Because it allows me to focus on observation and thinking, and this can effectively counteract the physical pain."

Miranda, frowning, said, "If you don’t need a professional bodyguard, then what do you want us for?"

Mountain Eagle glanced at Tiffany, who was standing in the distance looking towards them, and with a smile said, "It’s because someone thinks something should be done for me, someone believes I’ve taken on too much responsibility alone, so I need companions to share the burden."

Speaking, Mountain Eagle looked at Miranda’s complex expression and said with ease, "Don’t get me wrong, just because I didn’t think of it initially, doesn’t mean I’m not welcoming of outstanding people to join my team.

I indeed do not need a bodyguard myself, but my wife and my children do.

In the future, my wife may frequently travel back and forth between East University and Alaska, and maybe even Thailand.

She can’t take care of too many children by herself, so I want to find her a few bodyguards who can help her with problems and ensure her and the children’s safety.

Tiffany told me about your resume, and I’ve also reviewed your profile...

You were the highest-scoring female graduate from the Special Service Bureau training camp, and during your career at the Special Service Bureau, except for that last time, it was all zero errors.

You are excellent, and apart from combat ability, your other qualities are even stronger than those of my most trusted fellows.

But you should understand that convincing me to trust you, to entrust my wife and children’s safety to you, is far more critical than other qualities."

Miranda then understood what Mountain Eagle meant, and she said in a deep voice, "What do I need to do to earn your trust, or meet your requirements?"

Mountain Eagle listened, looked at the time with a raise of his hand, and said with a smile, "You have about thirty-some hours left.

I can tell you in advance, a team of about 30 people will come to attack my camp.

Butcher and the others have other tasks, so they won’t appear when those people launch their attack..."

Speaking, Mountain Eagle glanced at the STER team members strolling not far off, and with a smile said, "You can think about what resources you have to deploy now, and what resources do you need my help coordinating?

You need to leverage all your abilities, coordinate and integrate the available forces, then execute a counter-assault and completely annihilate the opposition.

By the way, this time the opponents are rather fierce, so we don’t have the usual verbal warning phase, only a do-or-die confrontation.

I’ll give you 5 minutes to consider; if you accept the challenge, then you can make your demands."

Miranda listened and said without hesitation, "I accept..."

Speaking, she furrowed her brow, thought for a moment, and said, "Since you already know the opponent’s plans in advance, first and foremost, I require the children to be moved to a safe place.

You definitely won’t refuse that, because your own children are here too..."

Mountain Eagle nodded in approval and said, "No problem, there are enough boats at the dock, you can notify Shasili to get ready, and they’ll be transferred to a temporary camp in the wetlands across from here.

Anything else?"

Seeing that Mountain Eagle was so accommodating, Miranda thought for a moment and said, "I need to create a sense of urgency in the camp, so they will be willing to cooperate with me.

I need enough weaponry and tools to strengthen the defenses around the camp."

Speaking, Miranda looked at the shedding Balang lying at the foot of Mountain Eagle and after a moment’s thought said, "I don’t have time to set up alarm devices around the forest, I need these dogs as sentinels..."

Mountain Eagle, decisively nodding, said "As you wish!"

Speaking, he turned back and called to a tent not far away, "Daria, give them the equipment..."

Wearing geeky-looking Glasses, Daria who had been busily working on her computer, stood up, gestured to Miranda with her finger, then turned and entered her tent, coming out with three large bags.

Miranda watched Daria’s gesture, looked at Mountain Eagle who was obviously well prepared, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded firmly, saying "I won’t disappoint you!"

Mountain Eagle knew too well how to add incentives to someone responsible, and with a smile said, "Not just me, but Tiffany who recommended you, and Camel who took you in.

If it weren’t for them, you wouldn’t be standing before me...

Of course, whether you can land the job still depends on your performance in the next 36 hours.

If you succeed, you’ll earn a well-compensated job!"

Miranda, upon hearing this, did not respond, but Red Sparrow, who had been standing below the platform, made a face and said, "An annual salary of thirty thousand doesn’t sound well-compensated!"

Mountain Eagle glanced at Red Sparrow, the untamed woman, and said with a smile, "If all your necessities during the work period are provided by the boss, and two-thirds of the time will be in locations where the cost of living is far lower than in the United States, does an after-tax annual salary of thirty thousand still seem too little?"

Red Sparrow, surprised, said, "Our clothing, food, housing, and transportation is all covered by you?"

Mountain Eagle said with a smile, "When necessary, I can even pay for your child custody lawsuit.

I’m not particularly generous as a boss, but believe me, no other boss will respect their employees’ needs like I do."

Red Sparrow looked at Mountain Eagle with surprise and said, "You mean, if we do a good job protecting your wife, you’ll help us..."

Mountain Eagle gestured with his hand and said, "Maybe you won’t even need my help, because my wife is a quite caring person..."