Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 181 Neurotoxin
Brandon nodded emphatically and said, "I understand!"

Milton waved his hand: "Then go ahead and do it—make sure everyone sees that following Lopez is a dead end, while you can live a good life here."

Flora sat at the table and asked, "'Tax collector,' what are you planning to feed them?"

“Watch your posture,” Milton remarked, then replied, “Of course, it should be food that is easy to obtain, relatively inexpensive, and provides a lot of calories and a feeling of fullness. Biscuits, flatbread, or thin porridge will suffice to keep them alive for the time being. We can’t expect them to eat the same military rations as the army, can we?”

Flora stood up and sat down in a chair: "For a moment just now, I almost thought you had transformed into Mother Teresa."

Mother Teresa, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979, truly deserved it, a completely different case from many other laureates whose awards were influenced by political factors.

“That’s impossible. I have many considerations when it comes to helping refugees.” Milton shook his head. “Being able to rule a territory and being able to rule a territory at low cost are two completely different concepts. To develop an economy, low-cost rule is an absolute and indispensable factor.”

"After the war ends, the most important thing is to develop the economy and start a positive cycle."

"Our cycle of robbing money from drug dealers and other warlords and then throwing it into war is unsustainable."

"Moreover, they are indeed innocent victims of the war."

Even disregarding all that, and considering only the benefits, as long as we keep them alive and help them through this difficult time, won't they create something more valuable than this rice and flour in the future?

Flora waved her hand impatiently: "Oh, oh, I know, I know, I was just teasing you! I know you're not the same kind of person as those warlords!"

Hearing these things gives me a headache.

If she didn't have headaches, would she have managed to run a company like this?

“Alright, let me rest for a bit,” Milton said. “From the beginning until now, our war with Lopez has always been in an ‘indirect’ state. We’ve gained our current advantage by crippling his wings, carrying out special missions, exhausting him… and so on.”

"But in this last match, we'll have to go head-to-head no matter what."

"The fighting is either in Port Champelli or on the rebel front."

"I haven't slept all night, and my brain is a complete mess right now."

"Wake me up if anything happens."

By tomorrow at the latest, I will have complete control of the port, unlock various new functions on the panel, and Lopez's army won't be coming... It's a good time to rest.

"Okay, goodnight, goodnight."

Flora waved, got up and left the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind her for Milton.

Milton immediately lay down and forced himself to sleep.

Milton had slept for more than ten hours when a gentle knocking on the door woke him up—unlike the previous hurried knocks, the frequency of the knocking this time clearly indicated that the matter was not so urgent.

Milton slowly got up from the sofa, glanced at the panel to make sure the new features weren't unlocked yet, and then began to slowly change his clothes.

"what's up?"

Brandon's voice came from outside: "Boss, someone wants to see you."

"Who is it? If it's one of Lopez's men, then I really admire him. With a brain like his, how has he managed to survive until now?"

Brandon quickly denied it, saying, "He's not one of Lopez's men. That man said he... came from Guatemala City."

Guatemala City is the capital.

In other words, the government sent someone to Milton—although the government of such a country is at best a warlord.

Milton became interested: "Oh? That's interesting. You have something so important to discuss with me, yet you didn't call ahead to let me know, and instead just sent someone over?"

“Perhaps… they want to see the most authentic Champelliport?” Brandon tried to guess their intentions. “Perhaps they are worried that if we call ahead to inform them, we might make some preparations, preventing them from seeing the true impact of the war on us.”

Brandon was quite emotional when he shared his conjecture.

He had hardly ever left the town of Malacan in the first half of his life, and his understanding of the outside world mainly came from newspapers and television in bars.

Guatemala City may not be considered a major city on a global scale, but for Brandon, it was a big city he had only heard of but never seen.

I never imagined that one day, officials from this city, who could represent a country to some extent, would take the initiative to come to my door.

Before, when he and Lopez had beaten a dog out of its head, the people in Guatemala City didn't say a word, clearly just watching the show.

Finally, someone has been sent up.

It seems that even the government believes that Lopez's chances are over, or at least that Milton has the ability to rival Lopez.

“Yes, that’s certainly possible.” Milton agreed with Brandon’s guess. “If we replace Lopez, we’ll have to make contact with him in the future, so it’s normal to get to know him beforehand.”

Brandon's voice then came from outside the door: "Hey boss, why don't you go see her?"

“It’s not me going to see her, it’s her coming to see me,” Milton corrected. “I have a plan for what I’m going to do today, and she came to see me on her own.”

"What is the president? Even if the president comes to my place, he still has to pay me taxes, let alone someone who is just sent by the president."

What position does she hold in the government?

Brandon, clearly well-prepared, immediately replied, "He is a senior official in the Department of Defense, head of military liaison, who is frequently dispatched to coordinate relations with other warlords."

"That sounds pretty reliable, so I'll go see him. It'll be good to see what the government's attitude is. I'm going to take a look at the blockade later. If you want to see me, just wait for me there."

"it is good!"

Twenty minutes later, Milton changed his clothes, finished his meal, and before leaving the temporary command post, he glanced at the hospital across the street.

It's busy, but everything is running smoothly, and there haven't been any medical overload incidents yet.

The man who had previously appeared on television to bring his seriously injured daughter to the hospital for emergency treatment was walking out of the hospital with an empty lunchbox in his hand, apparently having just delivered breakfast to his daughter.

The man spotted Milton from afar, his eyes lighting up with delight, and he quickly waved, "'Hell Tax Collector' Mr!"

Milton resisted the urge to storm off, nodded slightly in that direction, and asked, "How have you been these past two days?"

This man is quite representative of the refugees, and knowing his current situation reflects, to some extent, the current order of the city.

“Very good!” the man replied without hesitation, a hint of disbelief flashing in his eyes. “I… after I saw you the day before yesterday, I went to the relief station for a bite to eat, and found a job that afternoon!”

I originally thought that after being ravaged by war, Champelli would be mostly reduced to ruins, but who would have thought that the order here would be so well maintained!
Some shops did suffer losses, but security was immediately restored in areas occupied by the "Pan-Madre Group".

Many shops that kept their doors and windows closed in the morning tried to reopen for business in the afternoon. Not only did they not encounter any accidents, but there were also far fewer thieves and robbers!
The damaged facilities needed repairs, and manpower was needed in many places. Surprisingly, the man found a job with a decent income.

Even more shocking was the sight of heavily armed soldiers standing beside large cooking pots, distributing food to civilians at the relief station!

Has the world gone mad? Shouldn't it be the other way around, with heavily armed soldiers forcing civilians to hand over their food?

The man couldn't comprehend this scene he could never even dream of, but he didn't feel any aversion to it.

Milton was very satisfied: "That's good—in the future, try to say less about feeling cursed. There are no curses in this world, only people who steal your hard work, and only thieves and robbers. It's that simple."

The man didn't understand, but the past two days had greatly impacted his worldview: "I understand now, thank you, thank you!"

The minor incident did not affect Milton's plans. He soon arrived near his car, where Brandon and Flora were already waiting for him, each holding a newspaper.

Milton got into the back seat of the car and asked, "What are you looking at?"

Flora sat down next to Milton and shoved her newspaper into his hand: "It's not something that can be explained in a sentence or two, come and see for yourself."

"The Wall Street Journal? Oh, a Republican-leaning media outlet, then I guess I know what it is."

The Republican Party is currently in opposition... With the midterm elections approaching, attacking the ruling party is an essential part of the process.

Milton has already provided a ready-made handle against us!

Sure enough, Milton was amused by the headline on the front page at first glance.

[The CIA's disastrous overseas operation: another Bay of Pigs moment for the Democrats, but even more humiliating]

According to anonymous intelligence officials, approximately two days prior, on September 20, 1994, 16 CIASAD agents were ambushed while attempting to infiltrate a local military base in Guatemala. The enemy annihilated the entire US team with zero casualties!

[A member of the House of Representatives called it "yet another Bay of Pigs moment for the Democrats"—while the 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion, planned by the Kennedy administration, failed and resulted in at least 176 Cuban casualties, this time the US military failed to inflict any substantial damage on the enemy, not even a hair on their head!]

This may not be the CIA's most devastating operation since the Cold War, but it is certainly the most humiliating. Not only because the enemy suffered no losses, but also because of the massive scandal behind the operation.

The DEA has immediately released details of the operation and submitted irrefutable evidence proving that they, in conjunction with local law enforcement, were preparing to launch a crackdown on transnational drug cartels in Mexico… This is sufficient proof of the incompetence and corruption of the current government.

[This administration colluded with evil foreign forces, ultimately resulting in 16 stars being placed on the CIA's Hall of Fame—an undeniable tragedy.]

The parliament is prepared to question all officials involved, several members have declared their intention to impeach them, and a large number of citizens are demanding that the officials involved in this incident be held legally accountable.

[...And just a year earlier, in 1993, the "Black Hawk Down" incident had occurred! The Clinton administration, having only been in office for two years, had already suffered several humiliating military defeats.]

Senator Charles Grassley criticized the Clinton administration's drastic cuts to the defense budget, which resulted in outdated equipment for Secret Service agents. He argued that the savings were used to appease environmental groups while sending agents to their deaths in obsolete gear. He concluded by saying, "...end the rule of incompetents with your votes."

【…】

Later on, the Republicans also revealed their true colors and started lying, turning the issue into a partisan struggle.

Milton was too lazy to read any further after seeing this.

Flora added at the opportune moment: "This administration is doomed. Eric, the CIA agent who came to us before, is also doomed. I wonder if he can withstand the barrage of criticism from the parliament."

The issues in the parliament are fraught with traps and rife with murderous intent; one wrong move and you could face serious trouble.

"Tsk, this is nothing!" Milton almost laughed himself to death. "Eric alone can't possibly shoulder such a heavy responsibility. The real show will start when reporters flood the White House and give the White House press secretary a hard time."

"Eric hasn't had time to deal with us lately."

Flora took the newspaper back and reminded him, "Although he doesn't have time to deal with us, the CIA certainly does... They absolutely hate you."

“Let them hate,” Milton said, looking out the window. “I need to inspect my troops and the stability situation.”

A quick glance revealed that all the soldiers were in high spirits; despite it being morning, not a single one showed any signs of dozing off.

Milton even saw many locals being stopped outside the military camp's restricted area, seemingly trying to find a way to join the army.

Many people who received food at relief stations know just how good the food was for Milton's army.

The food at the relief station was just enough to keep people from starving. Many people also wanted to eat military rations. As long as they could live a better life, what was the big deal about beating Lopez? Beat him until he shits himself.

Outside the numerous checkpoints, one can see refugee camps and food trucks with smoke rising from their chimneys.

Milton took out his telescope and looked in that direction.

In the distance, many more refugees were pouring in, while nearby, guards were constantly checking people and letting them into the city.

Inside the refugee camp, the order was excellent. Everyone lined up obediently, waiting for breakfast—although it was just a bowl of thin porridge, it seemed to move them deeply and make them feel extremely anxious.

Looking into the city and further afield towards the town of Malacan, many people felt a subtle comparison.

How could the area under the rule of a man who was touted as a "devil from hell" be so wealthy?

There is enough food to provide for these "enemy camp" people?
How good must his quality of life be in his native country?

“Not bad, the order is very good.” Milton nodded. “It’s starting to look like a regular army.”

Milton got out of the car and toured the interior of the military base.

It has indeed slightly changed the appearance of the Latin American army. At least on the surface, it is no longer lax, no longer demoralized, and no longer lacking in military discipline.

What pleased Milton most was that the military camp did not send a large number of soldiers to flatter him or gather all its resources to curry favor with him because of his arrival; instead, they showed the utmost respect for their superiors.

very good……

After he had almost finished reading, a soldier walked over and gave Milton a solemn salute.

"Sir, the head of the military liaison department of the Ministry of National Defense, who came from the capital, is here. He's outside the base right now. Would you like to see him?"

Milton tapped the table, somewhat displeased, and said, "As an envoy, he should have explained his purpose first. He just came to see me like this, without saying what it was about or letting me prepare. Isn't that a bit too impolite?"

The soldier immediately saluted: "I'll go ask right away, please wait a moment."

After the soldiers left, Flora added, "You really like to establish your dominance first, don't you?"

“Of course.” Milton glanced sideways. “As the de facto supreme ruler of a region, my position is at most slightly lower than that of the president. In principle, an official of his rank has no right to meet with me.”

"There's actually such a saying..."

The soldier returned quickly and said, "The official said the government wants to establish a stable, peaceful, and mutually beneficial bilateral relationship with us. Specifically, we need to come up with several mutually acceptable solutions."

"She brought over several proposals today."

Milton simply nodded: "Okay, let her in—remember, make sure to do the most thorough security check, block out all electronic signals in the surrounding area, and you all need to be properly protected during the check."

"Finally, we have an X-ray machine, right? Let's check her body to see if she might be carrying any explosives."

While it's unlikely that an official of that rank would carry out a suicide attack, Milton was known for his extreme caution.

"Yes!"

Just as the soldier turned around, an update notification suddenly appeared on the panel.

At this point, a notification appeared... the port of Champelli was finally declared his territory and completely occupied!
Milton was delighted and immediately looked away, opening the panel.

[The host has gained actual control of Champelli Port; the panel has completed this upgrade.]

[New Feature Unlocked: Battlefield Cleanup. After a war, numerous landmines, unexploded shells, and other debris will cause significant inconvenience to city construction. To facilitate construction, after a war ends, the host will be able to obtain detailed coordinates of all weapons planted by our side.]

[Host currently owns a port]

[New dock-related features unlocked. The host can now exchange for some civilian and military ships in the panel (submarines are not yet available for exchange due to the port's size and the protagonist's limited power).]

Individual grenade launchers no longer require red points to redeem...

The military vehicle "Tank" has been unlocked; the host can now redeem certain tank models.

【…】

With a port city in hand, Milton has unlocked so many wonderful things that he doesn't have time to look at them all yet.

It wasn't that he didn't want to look, but before browsing Taobao, he should first quickly clear up things in the city to ensure an absolutely safe rear.

"The counter-espionage system has been activated, and we can also find out the remaining enemy forces that are hiding the deepest."

"Let me see which other rats are hiding."

After a quick search, Milton's eyes widened suddenly.

"Holy crap, the CIA even has two safe houses in the city?! Even a small city in such a small country has been infiltrated like this?"

The CIA's operations in Latin America are far more extensive than Milton imagined.

It is estimated that quite a few "projects" were placed here, but after Milton and Lopez started their war, they presciently removed or destroyed a large amount of data and "equipment".

There were also some contraband items inside, such as "marijuana" and "illegal documents," but they had lost their tactical and strategic significance.

"Unfortunately, we arrived a step too late."

However, Milton wasn't too disappointed.

After confirming that there was nothing else in the safe house, Milton continued to browse the various information provided on the panel, especially the Level 1 contraband.

Prioritize resolving the most troublesome issues.

Suddenly, Milton's gaze lingered on the name of a contraband item, fixing on it intently.

[Level 1 Contraband Found in Host Territory: Novichok (A-232)]

Novichok… Upon seeing this word and the following A-232, Milton paused for a moment.

Three seconds later, he almost jumped off the chair.

Damn it, damn it, damn it!

Novichok refers to a series of nerve agents developed by the Soviet Union in the 1970s and 1980s. The most powerful batch was extremely toxic, colorless, odorless, and highly volatile, making it a true weapon of mass destruction!
Among the most powerful batch, the name A-232 was prominently listed!
The structure of Novichok was made public in 1980.

What else could this thing be used for besides targeting Milton, given that it appeared in Champellicoe?
To ensure that this substance can kill the right person at the right time and in the right place, it requires strict control and cannot be handled by the average person!
The CIA is really taking revenge overnight, isn't it?!
Just then, the soldier in charge of the inspection returned.

"Report: The examination is complete, including internal examination. No abnormalities were found. Shall we let her in?"

Milton almost turned and ran, but he suppressed his intense fear and calmly stood up, ordering, "No! Now, immediately take her into custody and isolate her from the outside world!"

"Declare a state of emergency and immediately send reinforcements from other areas, equipped with nerve agent protective suits, to provide support."

"All personnel at the base have been evacuated to the upwind area."

"Notify the hospital to immediately bring antidotes for Class A poisons to support the military camp. Medical personnel must have appropriate protective measures against poison."

"Everyone, including myself, went to the hospital immediately after the first aid for further examination and treatment."

Milton, seeing the stunned soldiers and Flora, roared, "This is not a drill! Follow my orders, now!"

(End of this chapter)