Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 138 "Blooming in the Center"?
Quetzaltenango.

In the presidential suite on the top floor of the Rantham Pradesh Hotel, Lopez stared grimly at the documents on the table.

Since his last live television appearance, his approval ratings have plummeted, and no amount of public relations efforts have been able to reverse the trend.

Although current polls show that Lopez has a slight advantage over other candidates, this advantage is not enough to reassure him.

Who knows what unexpected things might happen during the election?
There was no way around it; the "evidence" presented in Milton's live television broadcast was simply too substantial, too direct, and too convincing.

Lopez is able to maintain such a high approval rating because his foundation is so solid. Some voters are still skeptical and choose to believe him for the time being.

"That bastard Lyman, that beast, he actually had a trick up his sleeve! He deserved to be suffocated by Milton!"

"Grey!" Lopez slammed the annoying documents on the table. "Didn't I tell you to mitigate the damage as soon as possible? It's been half a month, why is my approval rating still dropping?!"

As the manager specifically responsible for Lopez's public relations and campaigning, Grey always performed her duties admirably.

But this time, it didn't work!

Grey said with a hint of helplessness, "Mr. Lopez, the fact that you are still in first place in terms of approval rating among all the candidates is already the result of our best efforts."

"That live stream had a really big negative impact... Some things can't be solved by publicity alone."

"Think about Pablo Escobar of Colombia. He was originally the popular choice, but just because of one photograph, his dream of entering politics was completely shattered..."

Grey didn't finish her sentence—the nature of Lopez's case is far worse than Pablo's, and the fact that Lopez is still in first place in the polls is truly a publicity miracle.

Lopez slammed his fist on the table and said, "I don't want to hear any excuses right now. I want solutions, solutions!"

Grey sighed and said, "We've done everything we can to promote you personally. Now all we can do is shift the blame."

"How exactly should we shift the focus of the conflict?"

Grey said slowly, "Find a way to shift the voters' attention away from you and onto Milton."

"go on."

“The root of all the problems you’re facing right now is Milton,” Grey explained. “By finding a way to stigmatize Milton, we can shift the focus away from this problem.”

"Hmm... You can continue to escalate the war. War has always been a 'good means' to divert attention from problems, but you may need to consider the cost."

If you can't clear your name, then attack your opponent.

It's a fairly common, but very effective, tactic in voting games.

Lopez ate a slice of watermelon: "What should we do? There are quite a few people outside who consider Milton a hero."

Even though the government has declared Milton a rebel, it doesn't change that mindset.

Few people would have any goodwill toward a military government whose rule is crumbling, let alone believe their fake news.

"To smear him, we need to find some dirt on Milton, but... well, Milton seems to be wary of this kind of thing. The people I sent to investigate almost disappeared as soon as they arrived. There's a high chance they were arrested."

Lopez nodded: "So, war is the only option left? I'm already organizing an encirclement and suppression operation, isn't that enough?"

“Not enough.” Grey shook her head. “There’s less room for maneuver in a war that’s too low in intensity… If you want to achieve something quickly, it’s best to increase the intensity of the war.”

"As long as the number of dead increases, I can fabricate some news, such as Milton's army being extremely cruel, and add some numbers to stir up emotions."

"Moreover, those soldiers who died also had relatives and friends... They may not have had any hatred towards Milton originally, but after the war, they did."

"The more people die, the deeper the hatred accumulates—they don't care who started the war, they only hate the person who shot and killed their family members, namely Milton."

"And among all the candidates, who has a grudge against Milton? That would naturally be you, so your approval rating would naturally go up."

Lopez nodded repeatedly, "Great, this is good, this is the right way to do it! Grey, you're a genius!"

Aside from being a little expensive, this is a perfect plan!
On the other side, Lopez's deputy, Iker, asked, "Mr. Congressman, what do you intend to do?"

“Mobilize, recruit soldiers,” Lopez said without hesitation. “Isn’t the goal to build up hatred? Then recruit more soldiers to fill the gaps, and let more people die.”

"This is a good opportunity to continue cutting off Milton's connection with the rebels and strengthen this defensive line... No, I want to launch a full-scale attack from the center, simultaneously suppressing the rebels to the north and Milton to the south!"

"Anyway, I've already reached an agreement with the Russian arms dealers. Let's send two-thirds of our old infantry fighting vehicles and tanks up there."

"I want to see how those rebels who can't even afford AKs will resist my tanks, how they will resist my artillery, and how they will deal with my armor."

Iker was somewhat alarmed: "Mr. Congressman... this will be very costly!"

Lopez used to cherish these "broken" tanks. Even if one was destroyed by the rebels, it would make him tremble with heartache.

Now they've actually sent them all out to fill the gaps?

Although the rebels are poorly equipped, they still have some anti-armor measures, so their losses will certainly not be small.

“As long as I can win the election, I can easily earn that money back,” Lopez said coldly. “Besides, the Americans have already agreed to let me import more advanced tanks, so these old tanks can be used up.”

"The thought of those damned rebels sacrificing countless lives, trading their lives for their lives, finally taking down a few tanks and armored vehicles, thinking they could hold the position, and then seeing the desperate expressions on their faces as new tanks charged in, makes me very happy and excited."

“I can also use this heavy loss to threaten and intimidate people in other military districts, making them bleed with me as well—you know, the rebels aren’t just targeting me; if they really win, no one will escape.”

“Grey, you immediately put out a recruitment pep talk. I want to see a lot of people register today, and I want to see these people sent to the battlefield.”

Grey nodded and said, "Yes."

Lopez continued, "These people don't need training. Once they're conscripted, they're sent straight to the battlefield to be scouts, to do dangerous work, to act as bait, to provide cover for my elite troops... Basically, they're made to do all the dirty work, the hard work, and the death-defying work."

"Also, hire those mercenaries who are willing to risk their lives for money... and assign them the dirty and hard work."

"Contact the special forces and have them plan another massacre. I think those rebels have been living too comfortably for too long and have completely forgotten our methods and that they should be afraid of us!"

“The rebels, Milton… I will wipe them out completely in the Great Sweep.”

Iker thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Congressman, what about the peace agreement? I heard it was almost finalized, wasn't it?"

Lopez gave a cold laugh: "To hell with the peace agreement, I'm not signing it."

"They were just a pack of stray dogs destined to be wiped out, and they were already on the verge of defeat. If it weren't for the sake of international influence, who would sign a peace agreement with them?"

"If they don't want to sign, then don't sign."

As a powerful figure with influence on the front lines, Lopez has the ability to manipulate others and disrupt peace talks at any time.

Moreover, others had no choice but to follow suit—for a simple reason: everyone had participated in the massacre, and no one could escape once the ship capsized.

Iker continued, "Mr. Councilor, local budgets may not be sufficient to support a war of this intensity. It is estimated that there may be..."

"Did you include military pay and pensions?" Lopez raised his hand, interrupting Iker. "How did you calculate it?"

Iker paused for a moment, then replied, "It's... calculated like this. We estimate how many people we can recruit, what the expected casualties are, and then it's just simple math." "Does the amount of compensation depend on the number of casualties?" Lopez slammed his hand on the table, exasperated. "Who told you this twisted logic?"

Iker was even more bewildered: "Sir, it's best not to delay the payment of the compensation, otherwise something bad might happen."

“I never said I would delay payment,” Lopez sighed. “Instead, I wanted to clearly define the ‘rules’ for the payment of the pensions—that only soldiers who died on the battlefield are eligible to receive pensions, and that’s fine.”

"But what if they didn't die directly on the battlefield? For example, if they were blown to pieces by enemy machine guns and their identities couldn't be confirmed, then they would be considered missing, not killed in action. Wouldn't that part of the compensation be withheld? If their family and friends come to ask for it, we can simply say that their fate is still uncertain and that the compensation can only be approved after the war is over and the battlefield is cleared."

"For example, those soldiers who were shot but did not die immediately on the battlefield, but were taken to the rear and died despite rescue efforts, are not considered to have died in action and therefore do not receive 'death benefits'."

"Even if they really die on the spot, they can pretend to be resuscitated first, and then they can save the money, right?"

Iker asked cautiously, "Sir, what if their families come demanding compensation? What you're doing might seem plausible on the surface, but many people might not accept it."

Others are not fools.

At this moment, Grey spoke up: "I have a plan. We can use some fallen soldiers who received compensation to do a lot of publicity and suppress the voices of others."

"As for the part that still can't be contained, we'll deal with it in stages. Those who come to ask for compensation aren't all for the same reason... We can tell the families of the soldiers who died from serious injuries that dying in the rear doesn't qualify for the death-in-action compensation, but they can get a smaller amount of compensation, on the condition that they don't pursue it further and that if they refuse this negotiation, there won't be another chance."

"In this way, this group of people was separated."

"In the end, things can be turned from big problems into small problems and small problems into nothing."

Lopez laughed heartily, "Great! Doesn't that solve a large part of the budget problem? Besides, they're busy getting compensation, so they definitely won't care about wages. We can choose not to pay them the month they died in battle."

"And the food. These soldiers filling in the lines don't need to eat too well. Let's cut the food budget by two-thirds."

"If there is still a shortfall in the fiscal budget, then I will use my own money to make up for it."

“Well… Milton has basically taken control of all land trade with Mexico now. Since we can’t collect the taxes from that part, we’ll just add some tariffs to the port city of Ciampelli to make up for the deficit.”

As a seasoned politician, López spoke eloquently and, in a few swift strokes, magically slashed a huge amount of the terrifying spending.

Grey nodded: "Got it, I'll get on it right away."

Lopez took a deep breath and stuffed the unpleasant-looking documents on the table into the shredder.

He really went to great lengths to achieve this dismal approval rating.

With the frontal offensive plan in place, the next step was the howitzer that Lopez had been longing for.

"The matter of the D-20 howitzer should be basically settled by now, right?"

Iker smiled and nodded: "Yes, Mr. Congressman, the transport ship has already left port, but because it is a smuggling ship, it needs to be transferred. It will arrive at our port in 10 days."

“Very good.” Lopez was looking forward to this day. “When the time comes, my army will attack Malacan and bombard Akoch with howitzers. Let’s see how Milton will resist me.”

"Oh, right... let's also inform Guzman and ask him to organize a group of people to help us from Mexico."

“The most important city for Milton between Mexico and Guatemala is Tapachula; all goods shipped from Mexico pass through this city.”

"Isn't Milton protecting his trade routes like an iron barrel? Then let's not attack his trade routes, but directly disrupt the border cities on the Mexican side!"

"We're attacking from the front, the Sinaloa Group is attacking from the rear, and there's constant bombardment of his base by howitzers. How long do you think Milton can hold out?"

Iker smiled slightly: "In no more than a month, he will have no choice but to abandon his base and flee to the deep mountains and forests to fight a guerrilla war, just like those rebels."

"Hahaha!!!"

“Isn’t Milton very powerful and proud? Didn’t he reject my goodwill and peace? I’d like to see if he’ll call me and beg for peace when he’s being chased around like a dog.”

Iker laughed along, and after a while, he continued, "By the way, Mr. Congressman, speaking of howitzers, I've received some unusual news these past few days, but it shouldn't be a big problem. Would you like to hear about it?"

“Speak.” Lopez slammed his hand on the table, a hint of displeasure flashing in his eyes. “This howitzer is key to bombing Milton, the most important weapon to dismantle his base. We must be absolutely cautious.”

Iker chuckled sheepishly: "It's nothing serious... It's just that recently, some staff at the dock reported to the police that some suspicious individuals have appeared, seemingly trying to buy information about a flight and find out when it will arrive."

"We suspect it was someone sent by Milton."

"Sir, we have already increased the police and security forces there, so there shouldn't be any problems. I think it's a minor matter."

The reason Lopez only sent two-thirds of his armored forces to attack the rebels was because the remaining third was needed to ensure that the howitzers could be safely transported out of port.

“Heh.” Lopez narrowed his eyes and leaned back in his armchair. “It seems Milton has also realized that this howitzer poses a great threat to him. Judging from this, he’s definitely going to cause trouble.”

Iker thought for a moment and suggested, "How about we simply impose martial law on the port for the next ten days or so? Hmm... because of that TV broadcast incident, some of the dockworkers might be unhappy with you and willing to sell out relevant information."

“Are you crazy?” Lopez shook his head violently. “The border is controlled by Milton. This port is very important to us now. Now is the time to spend money. Do you know how much panic your declaration of martial law will cause? Do you know how much money it will cost us?”

If normal trade at this port is affected, Lopez will have no choice but to import goods from other people's territories.

Wouldn't they be charged an exorbitant price?

"Then let's maintain the status quo? Milton can't possibly break in anyway. We've deployed scouts along the route from Akoch to the port, so we can react immediately if he makes any move."

“No, we can annoy him.” Lopez sneered. “Tell those people they can take the money, but don’t tell them the real information. Just pick any shift. That way, Milton will receive countless different messages.”

"Even if someone were to betray me, and Milton did get the right information, he would have no way of distinguishing between what was true and what was false."

"In this way, we can both deplete Milton's funds, prevent Milton from obtaining the real information, and save the high cost of martial law."

"Let Milton have his own headache! He's not qualified to touch my howitzer."

Iker nodded repeatedly: "Boss, you're really too smart! Milton must be so angry that he can't sleep at night after spending so much money to buy all this garbage intelligence, hahaha!"

"Everything's arranged... Let's go to the dock, take a look at my new yacht, relax a bit, and let those bitches come up with me. It's all Milton's fault, he made me buy this even worse yacht."

Iker quickly followed: "Mr. Congressman, your helicopter is undergoing maintenance. Would you like to take a car there?"

"Then let's take a car."

Lopez stepped out of his suite, took the elevator to the hotel lobby, and saw a large crowd gathered outside—reporters and members of the public with puzzled looks in their eyes.

Of course, there were also many hateful and angry glances.

“Mr. Lopez!” A well-built female reporter, wearing a short skirt and clothes that were clearly a size too small for her, immediately stepped forward. “I’m a reporter from Quetzaltenango TV. Could you please answer a few questions for me?”

Lopez's eyes immediately flashed with covetousness. He turned and whispered to Iker, "Find a way to tie her to my yacht later."

Lately, he hasn't wanted to give interviews or answer those awkward questions that leave him speechless. But... he wouldn't mind teaching this tactless reporter a lesson.

We must give her a good beating on the ship, then sink her into the sea...

Lopez straightened up and said, "Go ahead and ask."

(End of this chapter)