Chapter 158: Chapter 157: The Distinctive Cook

The FAST Tactical Helmet must be one of the highest-rated helmets Joe Ga had seen.Equipped with a tactical rail, it conveniently allowed the attachment of night vision equipment, as well as distress signals and IR reflective markers, which were only visible under low-light night vision devices—ideal for friend-or-foe identification during night operations. These were, of course, just the basics. What Joe Ga liked most were the sound-amplifying earmuffs. They looked like a pair of large headphones, but once put on, you'd realize they're very considerate in their protection capabilities. They could filter out most of the piercing noise while not causing users to miss quiet sounds around them. Their unique sound pickup system could even create the illusion of enhanced hearing. The earmuffs were equipped with a microphone and could be directly connected to the communication system for squad communication. This was the most practical helmet system Joe Ga had ever seen. If he hadn't experienced its effectiveness firsthand at the defense exhibition in Tunisia, he would never have believed that such large headphones wouldn't impair hearing but would instead make one more alert in complex environments. After distributing the new gear to those present, Joe Ga smiled and said, "Starting tomorrow, let's go out and familiarize ourselves with the nearby terrain and environment. The mercenaries aren't infallible, we need to give them some time to adapt." As he spoke, Joe Ga glanced at Ayu, who was focused and intent, and said with a smile, "Actually, I'm giving myself some time. Dragon Gecko always described jungle warfare as extremely daunting, and I certainly trust his judgment. That's why I've given myself 15 days to adapt. Ayu, if you want to join me, there's no problem, but first you need to come up with a call sign for yourself." Ayu stood up without hesitation and said, "'King Kong', that's what the white guys call me." Joe Ga looked at Ayu, his lips forming a naturally dignified curve, and nodded, "Alright then, 'King Kong' it is. Let's assemble tomorrow morning first to get used to the training grounds, and then in a couple of days, Karman will take us into the jungle for a tour." ...... S~eaʀᴄh the Nôvelƒire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The rainy season in Africa had ended, and the climate at the border between Central Africa and Congo was delightful. With pleasant temperatures and fresh air, aside from the extreme poverty, it was an excellent place to live. Waking up in the morning to run a few laps at the training ground, Joe Ga looked at the mercenaries from around the world and the veterans who were accumulating strength and regaining their condition. After running five kilometers, they hurriedly headed towards the direction of the canteen. Curious, Joe Ga followed the crowd towards the canteen, sniffing a familiar smell before even arriving. Two enormous stainless steel pots were placed under the porches on both sides of the canteen entrance. Old Bull, along with his younger brother Tony, stood beside one of the pots. Urged by a few old men, he proudly lifted the lid, and a stimulating aroma emerged. Joe Ga heard Old Bull's proud cursing up ahead, pushed his way to the front out of curiosity, and then saw the stainless steel pot filled to the brim with a thick stew of beef offal. Joe Ga didn't know Old Bull's secret recipe, but the strong scent of white pepper was incredibly enticing and made one's mouth water. The oldest one there, 'Cobra', holding his own food container, loudly urged Old Bull to fill it with a large bowl of stew, while Tony, holding two pieces of flatbread that were at least 20 centimeters in diameter and half an inch thick, pointed to the other pot and said, "Open it up, give me some of the good stuff..." Whether it was just an illusion, Joe Ga felt that Tony, the foolish kid, seemed to have become a bit smarter. At 'Cobra's' urging, the kid playfully stood at attention, saluted, and shouted, "Yes, sir!" As Tony lifted the lid off the other pot, an overpowering aroma nearly overwhelmed the smell of the beef offal stew. It was also a pot of beef offal, but it included tendons, marrow bones, and the most classic ingredient—bull pizzle. Connecting with the crowd, Tony took up a large pair of scissors and, amid laughter, chopped the bull pizzle into chunks before stuffing them into the flatbread Cobra had torn open. Those who were more particular would use the lid of their lunchbox to hold the marinated beef offal. When Tony served them, they would always make eyes at him, hinting that he should add more of the potent cuts to their portion. Old Bull was now smug as could be. He filled a large bowl with beef offal stew for his friend Sanderson, then gestured to Tony to take care of his 'uncle.' Afterwards, Old Bull looked at Joe Ga with pride and said in Mandarin, "These foreigners at first didn't like to eat beef offal every day. They're just fellas who haven't seen the world. I just gave them a little education about the concept of 'you are what you eat', and they were convinced. Now they eat it with great gusto every day." Joe Ga glanced inside the canteen, where several drowsy black guys were delivering beef that had been butchered completely into the kitchen. Thinking that his base with fewer than a hundred people actually consumed two cows a day, plus a large quantity of vegetables—more expensive than the meat—made Joe Ga feel a bit of a pinch. They are all comrades who crossed mountains and seas to help you fight for territories, and they are soldiers who have to take up arms and risk their lives in battle. You can't mistreat them when it comes to food and drink. Beef isn't expensive here in Central Africa; buying a live cow only costs 350 US dollars, and if you buy in bulk, the price can even be negotiated down. However, apart from onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, other vegetables like lettuce, cucumbers, and carrots are not cheap. Even if Joe Ga were wealthy, facing daily expenses of around 1,000 dollars, he couldn't help feeling anxious. This is just less than a hundred people. According to Karman's plan, in the future, there would need to be at least an additional 400-500 people here. By then, just the cost of food might amount to four or five thousand a day. He was truly grateful that he had kept the old cook; this cook not only knew how to cook, but also utilized every part of the food to the fullest extent, greatly saving on the base's expenses. If it weren't for him, the food expenses at the base might have doubled. Actually, Joe Ga underestimated the old cook a bit; having worked in the army's kitchen crew for 12 years, he knew exactly how to ensure proper nutrition while controlling costs. Ten US dollars per person per day for food costs is definitely high for a country with an average GDP of only 200 dollars. When the number of people increases and the variety of food becomes richer, and after the purchase volume of ingredients grow, the old cook can control the daily food and drink expenses to around 5 dollars per person, while keeping everyone happy with their meals. Patting the old cook's shoulder with force, Joe Ga smiled and said, "I'm counting on you. The food can't be too bad, and we should save where we can, of course. But, we also must spend where it's needed. After breakfast, let's go together to Bangassou for a stroll. Their Minister of Defense promised to provide part of our food supplies, and now I haven't even seen a hair of it. This isn't acceptable, right?" When the old cook heard this, he shook his head and said, "Forget about the troops in Bangassou. Their lives are so miserable that I can't bear to watch. Hundreds of people live on cassava leaves every day, scraping by on tolls to make ends meet. If we count on them for food, we'd starve to death." Hearing this, Joe Ga stepped aside to make room for the old cook to work, then curiously said, "Is it that bad? If soldiers can't even fill their stomachs, how can the politicians live in peace?" The old cook shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head, "I'm not sure about that, but recently when I went to the farms and villages near Bangassou for purchases, I saw several groups of rebels or opposition armed forces. I don't understand; if soldiers really can't get enough to eat, wouldn't they be forced to turn into bandits? That's what 'Water Margin' is like, isn't it?" Joe Ga was startled and said incredulously, "You mean to say that there are not only drug traffickers nearby, but also the presence of rebels?" While the old cook filled a big bowl with beef offal soup for someone, he nodded and said, "I'm not sure about the details, but I've heard from Xiao Hei, who helps out in the canteen, that the Bangassou garrison and the Peacekeeping Troops can only look after so much area. Just a few kilometers outside the city, there are opposition armed forces. I've heard that those opposition forces are decent enough, getting by on 'protection money,' and they actually defend the towns when drug traffickers harass them! However, if they're too far from the towns, without the support of a stronghold, they're no match for drug traffickers with their firepower." As he spoke, the old cook seemed to remember something, and he said with some dissatisfaction, "In my opinion, those opposition members are really forced into that situation. They live a hopeless life; isn't this the very definition of troubled times?" Before coming to Central Africa, Joe Ga did his homework. The 'chaos' in this God-forsaken place didn't develop over one or two years. Chaos, greed, selfishness, and ignorance—these by-products of poverty have turned the political ecology of this region into a dire state, naturally making life hellish for the ordinary people. Xiao Hei, who helps out in the canteen, might be living in a town under the shelter of the opposition armed forces. Compared to drug traffickers, these opposition forces at least know how to win over the people's hearts and wouldn't aggressively fleece the sheep, realizing that in crucial times, those 'sheep' could also take to the streets to bolster their cause. This matter was actually irrelevant to Joe Ga, but if there were not only drug traffickers in the jungle but also camps of the opposition armed forces, then his workload in the future would increase. Indiscriminate killing was definitely not the way to go, as Karman had said, "Violence that is restrained, purposeful, and humane is the only kind that can last." Besides, the most crucial point was that if he killed too ruthlessly, the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces would not turn a blind eye. As someone who was becoming a person of wealth and status, not generating any fundamental conflicts with such top-tier officialdom was a basic principle. When most people had finished their breakfast, Joe Ga, carrying the bowl of beef noodles 'specially supplied' by the old cook and topped with a generous portion of braised beef offal, confirmed their plans to drive to Bangassou after breakfast and then entered the dining room in a good mood. But he had only eaten half of his noodles when he saw Sanderson, who came from the Rangers, arguing with four robust men bearing diamonds, along with the old soldiers from Seville, and veterans from the jungle recruited by Karman. The big-scarred 'Hemostatic Forceps' jumped onto the table as if he wished to stir up chaos, stripped off his jacket to reveal just a tank top, and began to shout and jump like a cheerleader at the old soldiers. Joe Ga scanned the soldiers around him whose mood was becoming more and more heated. Looking at Karman, who seemed to be taking it all in stride, he asked curiously, "What's all this about?"