Giancarlo dragged the middle-aged man out by his hair. The latter struggled hard on the ground. The alcohol's effects were long scared away.
"Save me! Save me!"
The old man anxiously looked for help everywhere, but no one wanted to bring trouble upon themselves.
"Take people to search his house thoroughly. Raising such an unrestrained son, he's definitely been arrogant all along."
Victor "saw" that the man's family ran a logistics company and was once a senior partner of the Tijuana drug cartel.
I haven't even gotten around to settling accounts, and you jumped out yourself.
If I don't finish you off, would I still be Victor?
Casare nodded.
Victor looked at the Milia siblings, took a towel from a waiter's hand, personally wiping their faces. Squatting down, he said gently, "Don't worry, no one can bully you."
"Thank, thank you!"
These two children who lost adult protection were like dust floating in the air. This world was very civilized, but also truly cruel!
Could people like them protect themselves?
Human trafficking, organ trafficking, even more disgusting dealings all happened to these orphans.
Victor touched their heads, stood up, and clapped his hands.
Everyone fell silent, putting down their utensils to watch him speak.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I'm honored to introduce these two to you - Milia and Ruskinya. Perhaps you've heard their surname Gorostiza. Their entire family sacrificed 17 people for Mexico's cause. No! 18 people!"
"Their most beloved brother, Nikolaos Gorostiza, sacrificed himself in heroic combat, only 23 years old!"
"He fell on the frontline of Mexico's anti-drug cause."
Milia bit her lip, trying not to let tears fall, while her brother directly cried out loud.
"Nikolaos Gorostiza is not alone. There are many like him. They love Mexico, love this land that raised them. They're willing to sacrifice for it. They left this world, but they left as heroes - unwavering, never retreating. Their names will be forever engraved on Mexico's glorious anti-drug history."
Victor was emotionally stirred. "But I will not allow any person or organization to trample or insult their relatives. This is mockery of Mexican society!"
"My officers and I will provide protection for all sacrificed personnel's families throughout Mexico. Orphans and elderly will be provided free support. Over 10 welfare homes will be built in Mexicali. External harm they suffer is the greatest hostility toward me, Victor!"
"In righteous causes, people will always fall. We raise their flags, shout their names, and charge forward. Mexicans never fear sacrifice!"
Thunderous applause filled the hotel.
Those gentlemen and ladies feared his caliber, expressions varied. Some even exchanged glances with indescribable meaning in their eyes.
While other sacrificed military police families wept.
Victor embraced them, comforting them. He was surrounded in the center.
At this moment, people filled the space behind him!
"He really can act." At a table near the corner, a young man wearing a watch worth tens of thousands of dollars curled his lips, telling his companion.
But his hands honestly applauded.
"Does he want to be Mexico's president?" Someone sneered. Everyone wasn't stupid. Victor's televised speeches about anti-drugs, treating martyrs well, equality for all - weren't these concepts to cater to certain people?
"Him?" The young man who spoke first smiled disdainfully, perhaps jealously. "Just a lucky police officer."
"Let him be arrogant for now. He won't last long."
"Do you have some information?"
The young man lowered his voice. "He destroyed Tijuana. All of Baja California is under his control. Do you think Colombians will agree?"
"They have 15% of their goods annually shipped by sea from Mexicali port into California. There's over $2 billion in profits here. Pablo's Medellín Cartel won't let him go."
This had some logic but was also nonsense upon reflection.
For Medellín to come in, they'd have to cross eight countries including Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and Guatemala.
If you sent small-scale people over, what use would that be?
Might as well believe Duke Victor would lead his anti-drug forces south.
The young man's words made companions subconsciously nod, inflating his vanity. "Just wait and see. His destruction isn't far off!"
After this banquet ended, Victor arranged for officers to escort military police families to their hotels.
Who could guarantee there were no more drug dealers in Mexicali?
The collusion ran too deep.
Even roadside dogs might be drug dealer informants.
Victor washed his face and found Alejandro in his room, cigarette in mouth.
"I can't stay in Mexicali long."
Alejandro raised an eyebrow and nodded, smiling. "I thought you'd be stationed here. This is much better than the island."
"I'm still Guadalupe Island Police Chief, but I think you should move the Security Department here. Bring all EDTV forces over too. I'll also rotate officers for 'study and advancement.'"
"Mexicali still has many troops that can be reorganized. Pay sufficient salaries, improve benefits. Then this Mexicali will be under our control."
Victor worked so hard to conquer this - how could he just give it away?
At worst, control from behind the scenes.
Alejandro nodded. "On the anti-drug path, I think we need more like-minded people to join!"
"Especially publicly."
"Then call on them to take positions in Mexicali. After all of Baja California is recovered, we can send these people out to serve as local officials."
"Mexicali has 2 million people. This place isn't easy to manage." Alejandro sighed.
"Not easy to manage? Those with big tempers were all pressed by the head and thrown out by us. Now only small troublemakers remain. You can use mass mobilization tactics, have people supervise each other. As long as someone reports, give them material rewards. There are people willing to do it for money."
"Even when necessary, you can find some people in neighborhoods or rural villages to establish militia self-defense organizations. We provide weapons and ammunition ourselves, but strictly control - don't allow private ownership. Give some subsidies, make them peripheral members of our anti-drug system."
Victor almost poured out everything in his mind.
But actually militia organizations would appear on a large scale in Mexico around 2010, because they didn't trust the government. Moreover, groups like Jalisco New Generation and Los Zetas used increasingly brutal methods.
Mexican drug cartels extorted money from almost any legal or illegal enterprise, sometimes attacking or burning ranches, farms, or shops that refused to pay. Many people would rise up in resistance, but this would lead to massacre!
So they established their own protection organizations - so-called militias.
Buying their own weapons, protecting their own homes, then forming... new drug cartels. Without money to purchase supplies, they had to join drug trafficking.
But Victor wanted to keep militias within controllable limits. That would be different.
Ah!
This clothing - add some yellow at the appropriate time.
At this time in the Humvee heading to the hotel.
Giancarlo touched Milia's hair. The latter's gaze looked into the distance through the window, while the brother in the back seat held chocolate. The sweet taste let him briefly forget the pain of losing his brother.
"Brother Giancarlo."
Suddenly, Milia turned her head, eyes looking at him, crying. "Can you... adopt us?"
"I can wash clothes, I can also mop floors, I can also cook."
Giancarlo's mouth half-opened. Looking at her hopeful eyes, his heart softened. "Following me, you'll probably suffer hardship."
Milia shook her head. "Not afraid of hardship."
Giancarlo sighed and smiled, hugging them. "Alright, then from now on you follow me. I'll be your brother."
(End of Chapter)
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