"You're the Clown?" the aide exclaimed in surprise, his eyes hardening as he whispered into the boss's ear.
"I like that nickname," Jeff Bennett said with a forced smile.
"I've come to take my man home."
He glanced at the bodies sitting distantly and nodded to the two subordinates behind him, who then walked over.
"You want to take the bodies?"
"He'll be buried in the intelligence agency's cemetery."
Luigi Cardona nodded as if struck by a thought, "We found a photo of him with a daughter; the drug trafficker won't..."
"Don't worry, his daughter is studying on Guadalupe Island."
In Mexico, that is the safest place.
After all, it's the "Emperor's" rise to power; you could encounter problems everywhere else, but there? All are die-hard loyalists.
Jeff Bennett narrowed his eyes, "If we don't retaliate for our man being killed, when the Governor returns, he would scold us."
Intelligence departments are usually petty.
If you poked a hole in the sky in Mexico, Victor would patch it up for you.
What is there to fear!
As for not finding the murderer?
Is the organizational structure complex?
If everyone killed, wouldn't it be simple?
Luigi Cardona glanced at him, feeling the ferocity of the other.
The total population just surpassed one hundred thousand.
In the military school classroom.
Victor's godson, number-one fan Santos, was frowning and looking at the female classmates and teacher outside, surrounded by a few men in military uniforms.
"That's News Intelligence Service uniform, look at the badges on their chests," his buddy Campos nudged Santos' arm.
"Could it be trouble at Anna's home? I heard her dad works in the secret service."
Santos turned and glared at him.
About ten minutes later, Anna was taken away by the intelligence officers, and the teacher returned to the classroom.
"Teacher, what happened to Anna?" Campos, always the provocative one, immediately raised his hand to ask.
The teacher looked down at the students and said softly, "Anna's father has sacrificed himself."
Murmurs of shock rose from the students.
"Teacher, how did he sacrifice himself?"
"You'll find out later," the teacher clearly didn't want to dwell on the subject, "Alright, let's continue with the lesson."
The rest of the class was listless, nothing said was taken in.
At the end of the school day, as Santos and Campos were walking home, the latter suddenly looked up, "What if one day, I die in action?"
"How is that possible!"
Santos, visibly upset, said, "Don't talk nonsense!"
Campos, head bowed, said, "But come next February, we have to join the reserve army, and anyone could die."
"I don't want you to speak these ominous words!" Santos pushed him angrily, "Otherwise, I'll hit you."
Campos looked at him, then erupted into a carefree laugh, "Right, when we're old, we'll be riding motorcycles across the Latin American region together!"
But Santos' heart was heavy; he ran straight home without looking back, despite Campos calling after him.
Once home, he locked himself in his room.
His mother knocked on the door from the outside.
But Santos, lying on the desk and holding a candy box with his father's badge inside, said, "Dad, if I die, what will I leave behind?"
"Anna's dad is gone, but he didn't leave anything behind, and when everyone forgets about him one day, there won't even be flowers for him on the Day of the Dead."
Santos shook his head vigorously, "I'm not scared, I'm not afraid, I swore to be the Godfather's leading soldier, I'm just afraid that when I die, I will be forgotten."
"No, that won't happen!"
As he was struggling with his thoughts, his mother knocked on his door, "Santos, Mr. Victor called for you."
He flung open the door, "Really?"
Santos ran to the phone, nervously calling out, "Godfather~"
"Hahaha, my boy, today is your birthday, happy birthday," Victor said with a laugh from the other end.
"You... you remember it's my birthday?"
"Of course, I haven't forgotten. I've prepared a gift for you, I'm sorry I can't come to your birthday."
"I hear you're doing great at school; that's terrific—a real man is rising. Study well; our future endeavors need you, and I need you too," Victor said.
Santos responded excitedly.
After hanging up the phone, his mother arrived with a box, "This is a gift from the Governor's Mansion."
He tore it open impatiently.
Inside was a wooden badge reading: To the bravest warrior of the future!
"So cool!" Santos happily pinned the medal to his chest, his eyes sparkling as he hugged his mother, "I know, no one will forget me!"
"Someone else is also thinking of me, Mom."
"If we make the ultimate sacrifice, there will definitely be people who remember!"
Victor, of course, had no idea his "small" act had caused a shift in Santos' mindset.
He was the same with any student.
With over 17 military schools in the Northern region, hosting more than 20,000 students, the Governor's Mansion had a special department to address the family issues of these students and provide care in their lives.
For example, giving little gifts on their birthdays.
To let everyone know, Mr. Victor cares for you all.