After returning home, Camille grabbed Shire and asked numerous questions: How is the army, how is the food, how are the living conditions, and so on.
It seemed as if Shire had been away for two years rather than two days, and previously she had never cared about the army, but now she was actually asking about the army’s routine.
Even more excessive, she still wouldn’t let Shire go out alone.
"Wait until your father comes back and takes you!" Camille said seriously, "It won’t take long, I’ll call him!"
"Mom!" Shire protested, "There are soldiers everywhere along the way, and I am also a soldier!"
As he spoke, Shire patted the revolver at his waist, although he hadn’t learned to use it yet.
However, that did not matter, Camille didn’t know this, she simply believed that as long as the trigger of the revolver was pulled, it would make a sound and kill the bad guys.
This made her feel that calling Dejoka back indeed wasn’t necessary.
"Alright, Shire!" Camille agreed.
Her eyes were full of reluctance, if she couldn’t do anything in the factory, she might continue to cling to Shire.
"Go and come back quickly!" Camille instructed, "You need to rest!"
"I will!" Shire said goodbye to Camille and walked out of the house.
This time the neighbors regained their original enthusiasm, and Shire received their greetings and praise all the way, there were even women throwing flying kisses at him, making Shire straighten his chest and appear more like an adult.
The soldiers he encountered along the way also saluted him one by one, their eyes carried a hint of strangeness, as if they couldn’t connect this 17-year-old kid with "officer".
Shire walked along the road toward the factory, and when he turned a corner there was a short blind spot, suddenly a car swerved out from the other end and nearly hit Shire, luckily the driver braked in time.
"Are you crazy?" The driver began to curse first, "Watch where you’re going, you bastard!"
The driver was being unreasonable, as Shire was walking on the right side of the road without any issues, the car was obviously going against traffic, and it was a case of drunk driving, Shire smelled alcohol amidst the dust.
Then Shire recognized the driver as Pierre, the person he should call uncle.
Pierre also recognized Shire, he seemed very interested in Shire’s military uniform, after sizing him up from top to bottom, he began to laugh somewhat incoherently, the laughter and expression made him look like a lunatic:
"So it’s Shire, sorry, I didn’t... recognize you just now! Look at you, you are... a soldier now!"
Pierre staggered out of the car, stood still, burped, it looked like he wanted to vomit but didn’t.
Shire quickly stepped back to avoid him.
"Come to think of it, you... should thank me!" Pierre supported himself on the car to avoid falling.
"Why?" Shire’s tone was sarcastic, "Is it because you guys put me in the army?"
"No, no!" Pierre shook his head with a smile, "You think it’s just the army?"
Shire looked at Pierre puzzled, he didn’t know what he didn’t know, or was this purely Pierre’s drunken rambling?
Pierre laughed again like a fool:
"Look at that, you don’t know anything!"
"I know your father, Shire! I... know what kind of person he is, and of course I know what kind of woman he likes!"
"So, I found your mother from the small town and hired her, made her our family’s maid..."
"If I hadn’t done that, you probably wouldn’t exist, right? So... shouldn’t you thank me?"
Pierre spent all day mingling with different women, he was an expert in this field, it was easy to make Dejoka fall hopelessly in love with a maid.
But Francis was someone who cared deeply about social status and matching backgrounds, he would never let his younger son marry a maid, thus the conflict started.
Everyone knew the result, Dejoka was kicked out early and lived a life of discrimination and poverty, while Pierre could sit on Francis’s inheritance.
But Shire wasn’t angry, he nodded, "I do indeed owe you thanks, Pierre!"
Pierre wanted to say something more, but several soldiers called out from a distance, "Officer, is everything alright?"
"Everything’s fine!" Shire shouted in response.
Perhaps Pierre realized Shire was not to be messed with, he muttered a few words, climbed back into the car, waved provocatively at Shire, and drove away.
Lauren hurried over, nervously asked, "That drunkard, he didn’t hit you, did he?"
"No, he didn’t!" Shire shook his head, "I’m fine!"
Then he walked towards the factory without turning his head.
Lauren glanced in the direction the car left, recognizing that it was related to Francis’s family, he sighed, not daring to say much, then turned and followed Shire.
Shire slowed his pace, turned his head and asked innocently, "Major, I want to know the age limits for military service?"
"18 to 46 years old!" Lauren replied, his tone gradually becoming stiff, "As a lieutenant, you should know that!"
Then he added, "You are an exception, though it doesn’t make much sense..."
Lauren thought Shire’s question meant he wanted to know why he had to serve at 17.
Shire didn’t speak, paused for a moment and asked again, "Can I recommend someone for military service?"
Lauren was stunned, recommending someone for military service? That was a fresh idea, but...
"I suppose you can!" Lauren nodded, "As long as he meets the criteria!"
"Of course!" Shire said confidently, "Adult, male, 43 years old, unemployed, should he join the army?"
"Indeed so!" Lauren replied, "Unless there are special circumstances!"
Then Lauren asked, "What’s his name?"
"Pierre!" Shire answered calmly, "Pierre Bernard!"
Lauren froze, that’s Shire’s uncle, the drunk driver just now!
Lauren laughed, confidently said, "Good idea, Shire! I can also instruct the troops to give him ’special treatment’!"
Shire responded with satisfaction.
Pierre had messed with the wrong person, he should know he was the least powerful and capable among everyone.
He was nothing but a playboy, a self-indulgent heir waiting for inheritance, the reason he hadn’t received a draft notice was because Francis had tampered with it.
However, this tampering was easy to uncover, especially when the investigator was Lauren.
Francis didn’t even know about this, by the time the draft notice reached Pierre, it would be too late...
Tampering before the draft notice was issued was easier, once issued, forcibly retracting it could incite public anger, as it would mean civilians could also evade service, then no one would go to the battlefield, a price no one could afford!
Would Grevy and Arman, these traditional aristocrats, intervene for Pierre?
Would the party leader and legislator help the capitalist’s son evade military service?
Once reported by the newspapers, Grevy and Arman’s political careers would be over!
So, no one could save Pierre.
Shire was eager to see Pierre’s expression when he received the draft notice!