Volume 3: My days in a college fraternity Chapter 155 The Great Dennis
In the garage of Tommy's residence, the hood of the antique C2 was opened. Tony was leaning his upper body inside to check the condition of the parts, while Tommy was taking out different tools from the toolbox and handing them to his brother as requested.
"I don't think I'm cut out for studying, Tommy. Maybe I'm more like my dad. I didn't inherit my mom's wisdom. When mom was alive, she always had various ways to solve problems at home. You're obviously the one in the Hawke family who's more like mom." Tony took the wrench Tommy handed over, unscrewed a screw and threw it aside, and took the opportunity to look at his younger brother and said.
Then he bent down and continued to work: "I mean, I'm willing to help you, but I don't have a brain as smart as yours. I didn't even finish high school. What's more exaggerated is that if you give me a map of the United States without place names written on it, I don't even know where Maryland is on the map."
Tommy picked up the cracked old screw and played with it in his hand. "The United States Naval Academy, the United States Air Force Academy, and the West Point Military Academy, according to relevant congressional laws, U.S. senators, representatives, and congressional representatives have two places for recommendation for admission without examination each year. As long as the recommender is between 18 and 24 years old, in good health, and a citizen of the United States of America, you can be admitted with the recommendation letters of those big shots. It's amazing, right? This is the magical America. Damn grades, that's not important."
"Are you talking about college or joining the army? It sounds like the recruitment conditions are no different from those for American soldiers." Tony replaced the screws, stood up and looked at Tommy, asking with some confusion:
"Could it be a scam? Maybe they lied to you and said they could let me go to college with a letter of recommendation, but in fact, they threw me directly into the army and sent me to those military bases overseas to rot. After all, politicians often do deceptive things."
Tommy threw the screw towards the trash can in the corner, but his aim was a little off and it hit the can, making a noise.
He twisted the black oil stains on his fingers and said to Tony, "Actually, there is a slight difference. Without a recommendation letter from a congressman, you can only be tricked by the government into joining the army and growing old. However, with a recommendation letter from a congressman, you can go to the Naval Academy, and the time you spend studying at the Naval Academy will be counted as part of your service. From the day you enroll, you are already a naval officer, although you are a trainee officer. However, those soldiers of the same age who have no recommendation letters and are growing old in various bases, if they have the chance to meet you, they need to salute you and call you 'sir.'"
"That is to say, with the recommendation letter, I can enroll as a college student and a trainee officer even if I can't read? I won't be expelled because of poor grades?" Tony looked as if he had heard a fairy tale, with an incredible expression: "This is too fucking bizarre, me? A guy who dropped out of high school and can't even spell the word navy can go to college and become a naval officer..."
Tommy smiled and nodded. "As long as you don't commit rape, prostitution, murder, treason or other crimes that violate U.S. law during your school years, you will basically not be expelled. You won't be expelled even if your grades are poor, because there is a small additional clause on your recommendation letter to distinguish people like you from those who entered the Naval Academy through their own efforts. The additional condition is that you need to accept the Navy's call-up after graduation and serve in the Navy for at least three years. You were recommended because you are determined to serve your country and to protect the great America, so you got this opportunity. So no matter how bad your grades are, the Navy will not let you go in vain. They will find opportunities for you to contribute, even if it's just to let you help the Navy repair cars."
"I go repair cars for the Navy? I'm doing exactly the same thing after graduating from college as I would have if I hadn't gone to college? Then what on earth did I waste four years of my life for?" Tony couldn't help laughing when he heard what Tommy said.
"No, I won't let you repair cars after graduation. As long as you stay in school for four years, you can get the rank of warrant officer. Four years later, I will help you arrange a good position. Every time you are promoted in the future, I will arrange a good position for you. I will do my best to help you prepare enough chips to impress your superiors. Now is 1984. In my fantasy, you will be a captain in ten years, a colonel in twenty years, and if there is no better development in thirty years, you may only be a poor admiral. If you develop well..." Speaking of thirty years later, Tommy did not continue, but handed Tony a beer and then changed the subject:
"Of course, the future is too far away. When you report to a university, you need to make the SSD fraternity members of that school like you and regard you as a brother they are willing to trust and make friends with. You don't have to worry about spending money to maintain friendship. You are not short of money. You can take those people to parties and rides every week, lend them money, and don't even ask them to pay it back. You just need to make them always respect you as the most generous and righteous brother, and make them unable to refuse something you ask them one day in the future. That's it."
Tony took the beer and took a sip. "If an organization like SSD hangs out on the streets, it's called a gang. It's only in college that it's called a fraternity. Am I right in understanding it this way?"
"Of course you can. You need to become a core figure in the SSD university gang. After I finish investigating the profiles of the SSD members of the Naval Academy, I will give you a list and tell you which people you need to focus on maintaining relationships with." Tommy opened a beer for himself and said to Tony.
Tony lowered his head with some disinterest: "Actually, I'm going to school for you, right? You decide everything about me. I'm just a puppet in the circus, and you control me by holding a few strings."
"Some time ago, I finished reading a best-selling book called Twenty-Four Billys, written by Daniel Keyes. The story didn't attract me, but I deeply agreed with what the psychopathic protagonist said. He said that only wise men with great wisdom can manipulate and change the fate of themselves and others, and the execution of the plan can be left to the fools who trust him. I don't want to manipulate you to be a clown, Tony. I need your help and trust. What I want to manipulate and change is the fate of the Hawke family. The prerequisite for changing the Hawke family is that only one brain in the Hawke family can be responsible for thinking, and the rest of the people are responsible for execution." Tommy walked up to Tony, raised the beer in his hand, and looked at his brother:
"I know it's uncomfortable to have others make decisions for you, but the Hawke family can't keep going like this. Will your children inherit your auto repair shop or your father's shipbreaking yard? Will they continue to stay in Warwick and repeat our childhood? The Hawke family can change their lives and social status."
Tony picked up his beer and clinked it with Tommy's. Then he took a sip and said with a smile, "So, America needs an officer who doesn't know how to spell the word Navy to protect it? This is the funniest joke I've heard this year."
"My business will grow bigger and bigger. When it is big enough, even if I have done nothing wrong, trouble will surely come to me. So I will need the protection of powerful people. If possible, I hope the person who protects me is my brother." Tommy looked at Tony, slowed down his speech, and said seriously.
Tony looked down at the beer in his hand, then looked up at his brother in front of him. He hesitated for a moment before saying in all seriousness, "You know, my dear brother, I have no interest in what you said before, but your last sentence is very correct. If trouble comes to you, your brother will always stand in front of you. Yes, I mean, I will go. From the moment you were born in the Hawke family, I have the responsibility to protect you."
"Thank you, brother." Tommy said to Tony.
Tony exhaled a breath of alcohol and digested the news that he was about to become a college student and a midshipman. Then he smiled and asked, "Seriously, Tommy, does your business that makes money by selling software or books need to be so complicated?"
"I don't do business. I'm a country farmer who grows mushrooms ." Seeing Tony's face relax, Tommy also breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Do you know how to grow mushrooms? Feed them the most shit, hide them in a dark corner, and wait patiently for the harvest."
After listening to Tommy's words, Tony thought about it carefully for a while, but still didn't understand. He looked up at Tommy and said, "So... am I a mushroom, or a fucking shit?"
"Try not to mention that you are Italian. You can take the initiative to state that you are German. This identity will make it easier to socialize in military academies." Tommy did not answer Tony's question, but changed the subject.
"So, what should I do? Find some textbooks and review my lessons for school?"
"That's right. First you have to go home and tell Dad and Ashley that you are going to college, and then wait for the recommendation letters and acceptance letters to arrive." Tommy said to Tony.
"I will transfer 200,000 to you first to cover the cost of your socializing with SSD members. If it's not enough, feel free to call me."
Tony couldn't help but widen his eyes when he heard this number. "Two hundred thousand? It's enough for me to drink with a group of people from the time they enter college until they die."
"You'll know when you get there. Two hundred thousand is just the basic social expense for a year. If anyone needs your help, call me and I'll help you decide whether to help him. After that, it's ..." Tommy patted Tony's shoulder. Before he finished speaking, the maid Dorothy came over from outside the garage with a cordless phone:
"Mr. Hawke, there's a call for you. It's Mr. Dennis Herbers."
"Okay, thank you for your reminder, Dorothy." Tommy took the phone from the other party and said, "Hey, Dennis, you guys must have had a lot of fun in Los Angeles these days, right? Otherwise, why have you been... What? What the hell are you doing? Can't you... Just pray for your own good? I'm not God, I can't save you. Not only can I not save you, I'm even thinking about how to explain to others so that they can believe that I don't know you! Idiot! I'm... You're a fucking genius, Dennis! I often tell others that Dennis has a brain comparable to Einstein's. Wait for me, I'll get there as soon as possible."
After Tommy hung up the phone, Tony asked Tommy curiously, "What happened?"
"That guy Dennis was wandering around and went to El Monte, Los Angeles, where he guest-starred as a coach for a team in a community children's football game." Tommy sighed, closed his eyes and thought for a few seconds before speaking.
Tony asked in confusion, "It sounds like this guy finally did something meaningful. So what made you so excited just now? Did he beat up the coach of the opposing team?"
"No, it's worse than that. That idiot slept with the mothers of three child players within six hours after the game. That community is a military community. Those who are alone in empty houses are the wives of active-duty American soldiers stationed at various bases. Do you understand what I mean? I'm trying to raise funds for veterans, and my best friend is fucking their wives." Tommy opened his eyes and said to Tony:
"When the three young mothers were chatting with each other, they found out what the bastard had done, so they teamed up to hold him there and make him compensate them for the losses they suffered from being deceived. Otherwise, they would lock him in a room, feed him some aphrodisiacs, and let the old and ugly women in the community line up to enjoy him and use him as a gigolo to make money."
"So Dennis asked you to rescue him?" Tony frowned slightly. "My suggestion is to wait until he is fucked by ugly girls for a week before rescuing him."
Tommy shook his head. "No, he saved himself. He just asked me to do a small favor. He hoped that I could take out some money and lend some principal to those women. He also promised that those women would pay me back. Then I found that he did a really good job in this matter."
"What's the matter? Are you good at fucking the wife of an American soldier?" Tony asked with a complicated expression.
Tommy let out a long breath. "Dennis plans to let them buy prescription drugs on the pretext of mailing them for their military husbands. Soldiers are more likely to suffer from various mental illnesses due to the special nature of their jobs, so it is more convenient for them to buy drugs, and it also prevents them from being unable to integrate into the social environment. The U.S. Military Act allows family members to take their medical records to the pharmacy to help buy drugs on their behalf. They can buy more prescription drugs than ordinary people and don't have to worry about investigations by the Drug Administration. In other words, as long as Dennis is willing, he can immediately become the largest drug dealer in the El Monte military community, and all military families are his subordinates."
"Then why did you rush over?" Tony felt a little regretful when he heard that Dennis was not ravaged by the ugly woman. He put the empty beer bottle aside, turned around and walked back to the car, continued to check the car, and asked.
Tommy held the phone and muttered to himself, "I'm going to stop him. I know what bait I should have Jim use to attract powerful people."
After thinking for more than ten seconds, Tommy called Jim Manz and said, "Jim, I have an idea for a more sincere plan, a prescription drug assistance plan for military personnel. To put it simply, military personnel and their families should have discounts or exemptions when purchasing prescription drugs, and the method should be more convenient. I think that senior military officials, ordinary soldiers, congressmen, and pharmaceutical companies will all like this plan. What do you think?"
"How the hell did you come up with such an inhumane plan?" Jim took a deep breath after listening to the call, and then blurted out: "All soldiers become drug dealers? Buying prescription drugs in large quantities with discounts or exemptions, and then selling them to people who need them more at black market prices?"
Tommy looked at the front yard of his house outside the garage and said, "We are just helping them. As for what they do with the drugs, none of us can do anything. After all, America values freedom, and we have no right to interfere with them."
"Yes, everyone is happy. Everyone likes this plan, except the original drug dealer." Jim smacked his lips and responded, "I will design it based on this idea. Goodbye."
"He fucked a soldier's wife and tricked her into becoming a drug dealer." After hanging up the phone, Tommy walked out of the garage and suddenly felt better:
"Dennis is absolutely qualified to be president, and the people need him to lead America to greatness and immortality."
