Chapter 33: Recruiting Lee Christmas
Seeing William's inquisitive look, Gareth explained, "The underground section of the London Library houses a classified archive with various personnel files."
"Can I access these classified files now?" William asked.
Gareth nodded, "Consider it a perk for insiders. Many of these records are maintained by our noble families' secret forces. I can grant you access to some of these files."
"But William, many of our people know your true identity now, so you must be discreet. Some of the old-timers are just waiting for you to make a mistake," Gareth added with a teasing look.
William was annoyed by Gareth's jest. "Damn it, Gareth," he grumbled, not understanding why they insisted on him setting up some covert unit. The group had been inactive for a decade.
"Is it really necessary for me to form a team? Can't you just give me an identity? I don't want to deal with all this hassle."
Gareth lowered his voice and spoke seriously, "If the Earl of Oxford had his own heir, you wouldn't have to deal with this. The W Group's formation would have been his responsibility. But he missed his chance, and with no heir, there's too much uncertainty. No one wants him to know our secrets. Coupled with Henry's arrangements, this duty falls to you, his heir. Having this identity makes it easier to use official channels for many tasks."
"William, our current situation is dire. Many want to replace us. We need strength to protect ourselves. Many among us have secret units like yours. We're just ensuring our survival. Only with power can we feel secure."
Gareth's words left William deep in thought. "Yes, everything people do fundamentally boils down to survival. Even without the system, reborn, I had too many opportunities to become a billionaire. To protect my wealth and family, I need my own power. This is a chance to build my strength, just like Gareth and his peers."
William realized that he had to think about guarding against hidden threats. Magic wasn't omnipotent, and he didn't want to be exposed to the public eye like mutants in the movies, becoming a global enemy. Too many people would want to seize his magical power.
But if it came down to life and death, William wouldn't hesitate to strike. After all, this was a movie world, not his previous life's peaceful China. If things got too dangerous, he'd open a portal, take his mother Lena, and disappear, only to return for revenge later. He wanted to see who could withstand a relentless, magical adversary.
After parting with Gareth, William felt more at ease, understanding why they insisted on him forming a team. It was just about creating a semi-private militia within the government. With so many justifications, it seemed Gareth and his peers were indeed in a tough spot, forced to conceal their strength.
As long as their interests weren't threatened, these hidden units were legitimate government forces. But if someone tried to eliminate Gareth and his allies, these covert groups would become their defensive blades.
William drove to the London Library, flashed his electric company ID, and was led to the underground archive by a staff member.
After being shown how to use the computer, the staff left him alone. William browsed the database, finding files on police, military, and even mercenaries. Curious, he opened the mercenary files and, to his surprise, recognized a familiar face.
It was a middle-aged man with a Van Dyke beard, a stoic expression, and a body full of muscles. He had a skull and raven tattoo on his arm and wore a beret, looking like someone not to be trifled with.
The file identified him as Barney Ross, skilled in combat and storming enemy lines, with a quick-draw technique that could fire six shots in a second. His team was called the Expendables.
William was speechless. This was Sylvester Stallone's character from the movie "The Expendables." In this world, he was really called Barney Ross.
His team members included Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Caesar (Terry Crews), Toll Road (Randy Couture), and Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren).
This was an unexpected surprise. William couldn't help but smile at the familiar face of Stallone.
The team comprised a commander, an SAS member, a close-combat specialist, a long-range weapons expert, an explosives expert, and a sniper. Although they were older, each was a top-tier operative with a perfect mission completion rate. Their fees were high, starting at $1 million per mission.
William decided to pull up the full files on the Expendables and found Lee Christmas' details. He picked up the phone and called him.
The phone rang a few times before being answered. "Hello, who is this?" Lee Christmas' voice came through.
"Hello, Christmas. My name is William Devonshire, MI6 Security Supervisor, soldier number S1967726, Lee Christmas. Do you have time to talk?" William decided to use his real name, knowing that his identity was already known to some due to the Devonshire family's longstanding control of the W Group.
"Bloody hell, how do you know my name? And did you say William Devonshire? The Earl of Oxford's heir, the billionaire? Are you joking, mate? That's not funny. Pick a more believable identity next time," Christmas scoffed and hung up.
William smiled and dialed again.
"Didn't I tell you to stop bothering me? Keep this up, and I'll come over and kick your ass," Christmas threatened.
William didn't waste words, directly stating, "Lee Christmas, real name Jason Statham, born July 26, 1967, at Mary Hospital, London. Studied Wing Chun, Karate, and Taekwondo. Joined the British Army in 1987, transferred to SAS three years later. Participated in 31 combat missions before retiring due to injury in '97. Joined Barney Ross's Expendables half a year later. Your parents work in London, and you have a sister in Manchester with three kids. You're skilled with throwing knives. Jason Statham, shall I continue? I have your parents' names and addresses here too."
"Alright, sir. Soldier S1967726 reporting for duty. What are your orders?" Christmas was shaken. His SAS records were supposed to be classified, not accessible to just anyone. Being a mercenary, he feared enemies knowing his family's details. This must really be MI6.
But why would they need a retired mercenary like him?
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