Chapter 52 Chapter 52

A witness to the vicissitudes of history.Impressive architectural style.Efficient operation and management. Puller, walking towards the Army and Navy Club, had this idea of ​​the place in his mind.The club is located on the west side of North 17th Street in downtown Washington, DC.Puller nodded to the valet who was taking care of the parking, and walked in.After walking up a short set of steps, Puller looked to the left of the hall and then to its right.He was wearing a green military uniform.The Army is phasing out the most common green and a small amount of white uniforms, replacing them with new blue uniforms.This replacement actually traces the origin of the U.S. military uniform and returns to its tradition.As early as the American Revolutionary War, the Continental Army wore blue uniforms to defeat British opponents who fought to maintain the colonial system in red uniforms.Blue was also the uniform color of the Union Army during the American Civil War.

Two great wars, two great victories. The military is happy to associate today's military image with the glorious past. Puller generally only wears military uniforms for major military events and special occasions.During interrogations and questioning, Puller never wore uniform with ranks.He recalled how the officers under investigation had dismissed him when his rank was a sergeant.After he became a warrant officer, that didn't happen anymore. However, soldiers with a lower rank than you may also file allegations through lawyers that you used your rank to intimidate the client in person.So Puller wore plain clothes most of the time.In tonight's circumstances, however, Puller felt that he should dress modestly.

The main restaurant of the club is on the right side of the lobby, and the general service desk is on the left side.Puller ignored the two sides, went straight to the front stairs, and went up two steps at a time. There was only one reason why he came here early.He didn't want to passively wait for someone to recognize and find him.He wants to find them beforehand. He went up to the second floor and checked his surroundings.There are meeting rooms and a small dining area.Puller knew that the third floor was the library, where a desk still bears bullet holes.In a conflict with the Cubans, American soldiers turned the table on its side and used it as a cover.A century ago.

Another spot on the second floor caught Puller's attention. a bar.If you're looking for a military member away from camp to spend some spare time, you'll probably check out the bar first. He looked into the bar through the glass door.There were four people sitting inside, all men.One was in the Army, one in the Navy, and the other two were in suits with their tie knots undone.The four of them were talking about some papers, maybe they came to the bar to continue discussing the content of the meeting just now. They sure weren't the ones sending him the cryptic texts. He then started looking for a location to conduct surveillance, and found it without difficulty.The bathroom next to the hall on the second floor has a not too large entrance and exit hall, and the doorway is open.It has a large coat mirror hanging on the wall facing the hall.Puller stood in front of the mirror, realizing that it was the ideal place to monitor the entrance to the bar.

If someone entered the bathroom, Pooler standing in front of the mirror would be assumed to have just come out; when these people came out, Pooler could pretend to be grooming himself in front of the mirror or be busy chatting on his cell phone. He checks his watch.Seven o'clock sharp.At that moment Pooler saw her. She is wearing military uniform.Puller had figured this out because the text messages described the time in military language.Soldiers pay attention to accurate punctuality, which has become an inherent quality of soldiers through long-term training. She was in her early thirties, slim, of medium height, with short black hair that set off her pretty face, a pair of silk-rimmed glasses, a blue military uniform, and a military cap on her right hand.Puller noticed her epaulettes, the silver stripes indicating her rank as lieutenant.In the U.S. military, there is a distinction between officers and warrant officers.She was an officer, a rank above Pooler.Her appointment was approved by the President of the United States, while Puller's appointment was approved by the Secretary of the Army.If he is promoted to Warrant Officer 2, he will also receive a commission from the President.But in the military rank sequence of the US military, his status is still lower than those of real officers.Those officers came from places like West Point, the Academy, and ROTC, but Pooler didn't.He was a specialist; the officers were considered generalists.The army is the world of the latter.

①Warrant officer (warrant officer): The system of warrant officers varies from country to country.The U.S. military ranks are divided into three separate systems: officers, enlisted officers, and warrant officers.Warrant officers are professionals in technical and tactical aspects, and are divided into grades one to five, with grade five being the highest.Warrant officers serve for life, but are not promoted to other officers. She looked into the bar through the glass door.Puller rushed to her in a few strides. "You want to speak to me alone, Lieutenant?" She turned sharply.Probably just due to the training she received as a soldier, her cry of surprise was temporarily converted into a gasp of cold air.

She stared at Puller.The heel of a female soldier's shoe should not exceed three inches, and she took the upper limit.But next to Puller, she still looked like a child. Seeing that she was silent for a while, Puller checked the name tag on the right side of her military uniform. "Lieutenant Strickland? You want to speak to me, don't you?" He turned his gaze to the left again, carefully looking at the badge of qualifications on her chest.There was nothing surprising, and Puller hadn't expected it.The Army's strict rules restricting female service members from the front line make it difficult for them to build meritorious service in combat.Honor is always accompanied by blood.

Puller noticed that she was also looking at the rows of seniority badges on his chest, and her eyes widened as she read about battle experience and military honors. "Lieutenant Strickland," he called her name again, softer, "would you like to talk?" She no longer avoided his gaze, and her face began to calm down. "I'm sorry, I didn't think so, I mean..." "I don't want to wait for someone to find me, Lieutenant. I'd rather find out first." "Yeah, of course. I can see that." "How do you know where to text me?"

"friend's friend." He pointed to the stairs. "There's room for talking uninterrupted there."