NOVEL NEXT Chapter 150: Schemes
Gasps filled the room. Some generals looked at Silas with doubt, others with curiosity.
Silas only chuckled again. His lips curved into a small smile, but his eyes held no warmth.
"That will not be a problem," he replied. His hand moved, pointing directly at General Janet.
"General Janet holds the catalogue of all the reserves. Every grain, every box, every sack of rice has been recorded. As long as she has that record, I cannot cheat. When we retrieve the food, it will be counted, and there will be no room for fraud."
General Janet blinked, then nodded slowly. "Yes… that is true. The catalogue is in my hands. If Silas brings back the food, I can confirm everything."
Murmurs spread around the table.
'He thought it through,' Conard realized, his respect for Silas growing. 'This boy is sharper than most generals.'
Frank's face turned red. His hands clenched under the table. He wanted to argue more, but Silas had left him no opening.
'If I press too hard now, others will suspect me,' Frank thought bitterly. 'This kid is dangerous. Too dangerous.'
Silas ignored his glare. Instead, he turned toward General Daniel, his expression steady. "General Daniel, please approve my proposal. Let my team and I go alone. We will retrieve the food reserves and report everything back to General Janet for record keeping."
The room went quiet again. All eyes were on Daniel. He had not spoken yet, his brows slightly furrowed.
Daniel opened his mouth, ready to give his answer, but before he could, General Miller leaned forward and cut in.
"No," Miller said firmly. "We cannot allow Captain Silas and his team to go alone. I am against it."
The sudden interruption caught everyone's attention. Heads turned, eyes shifting from Miller to Silas, then back again.
Silas stayed quiet, his face calm, though his fingers tapped lightly on the table.
General Miller's gaze flickered for a brief moment toward Frank. It was quick, but not quick enough. Several generals noticed it. Frank's eyes blinked rapidly, a silent signal. Miller caught it, and his lips twitched as if he had just been given a plan.
"Last time," Miller continued, his voice louder now, "the medicines were completely looted. By the time the truck reached the base, everything had vanished. Every single box. How can we trust that this time nothing like that will happen again?"
The room grew tense. Some generals frowned, while others waited to see how Silas would respond.
Silas lifted his head, his voice steady and calm. "I already said I will take responsibility. If the food reserves get stolen, I will use my private stash to make up for the loss. The military will not be harmed."
Miller opened his mouth to argue, but Silas kept going, his tone sharper now.
"And let me remind you," Silas added, "last time I was still able to provide medicine, even when there wasn't any left in the neighboring cities or even most states. Yet, medicine was delivered because I made it happen. If I could solve a problem that difficult, then compared to food, which I already have under control, there will be no problem this time."
Gasps and nods moved around the table. The other generals looked at Silas, some with surprise, some with respect.
'He is right,' several thought at once. 'The boy kept us alive last time when there was no hope. If it is food, then it should be even easier for him.'
Even General Daniel, who had been silent until now, slowly nodded. He didn't want another chance for someone to interrupt. His voice came clear and strong.
"I approve it. Captain Silas will go with his team. No objections."
Frank's teeth clenched as his wrist tightened under the table. He could feel his plans slipping. Desperate, he quickly spoke up.
"In that case," Frank said smoothly, "I propose that one of my subordinates join Captain Silas. This way, we can all be sure. There will be no tricks, no secrets."
Everyone froze, waiting for Silas's answer.
Silas turned his head, his voice even colder than before. "I will not explain for the third time. Since you keep crossing my bottom line, General Frank, I will explain this matter directly to the higher authorities."
Frank's fist clenched so hard it hurt. He knew what that meant. The last time, the higher authorities had stayed quiet only to punish the Blackthorn family. But this time, if he kept pushing, they would not stay silent. They might even strip him of his position.
'If I protest more, I will be finished,' Frank thought bitterly.
Forcing a smile, he waved his hand. "There is no need then. Since Captain Silas is so confident, I will trust that not even a single packet of food will go missing."
Silas chuckled lightly. "I know."
He didn't look at Frank again. His eyes moved to Daniel and then to the other generals. Soon after, the meeting was adjourned.
The moment the generals began leaving, Daniel stood and called, "Captain Silas, meet me in my room."
Silas followed without hesitation. Inside, the mood changed. Daniel's expression was grim, the weight of unspoken worries heavy on his face.
"What about the information I asked you to look into?" Daniel asked quietly.
Silas closed the door behind him. He was silent for a moment, then finally spoke.
"From what I have gathered, the strongest soldiers in this base, along with several powerful individuals, are being lured away. One by one, they are ending up in General Frank's group. A mysterious force is behind this. They call themselves the Black Vultures."
Daniel's brows lowered, his eyes dark. "The Black Vultures…"
'So it has begun,' Daniel thought, anger boiling inside him.
'The higher-ups already told me they were planning a secret tie-up with the military. But why would they poach men from my side and give them to Frank?'
He knew the truth, but he hated admitting it even to himself. The higher authorities feared his family. They believed the Blackthorns might dethrone the military one day and build their own rule.