Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 202 The Curse (End of this volume)

"The great 'Hell Tax Collector' has arrived today in his loyal Quetzaltenango!"

As the army marched into Guatemala's second-largest city, many who had spoken on the last day, or even in the last hour, before the city fell finally changed their tune.

But Milton was not in the city at this time; instead, he had returned to the place where the story began, which was also his base of operations, Malacan.

After capturing larger cities, the main base will indeed need to be moved; there's no way around it.

The original supporting facilities will be retained, and a backup administrative team will also be left behind. However, Milton himself and his core team are prepared to move to a larger city after the war.

Many people in the town were already feeling lost and disappointed.

After several months, they finally started living a normal life. There were no more loan sharks, no more worries about being robbed on the street, and no more protection money to pay. Some shop owners even openly displayed large quantities of groceries outside their shops to grab business!
If the whole family works hard, they can live well and their children can go to school without worry.

Everyone knows that it was that terrible Milton who made them live this kind of life; he is the undisputed "Godfather".

...But now, the people who made them live this kind of life are about to move away.

Neo, the boy who was so passionate about learning that he became addicted to reading, along with Leah, whom he had saved, the grocery store owner, and others, were all spontaneously organizing a "Victory Day Parade" near Central Park.

“Your people don’t want you to leave.” Flora, who had returned to town with Milton, glanced at the celebration outside the window and sighed, “You’re truly loved…”

Milton was speechless for a moment: "What do you mean they don't want me to leave? It's just that their thinking is too rigid. They still think that going out is a very risky and costly thing... How far is it from here to Quetzaltenango? Once Malacan Airport is semi-military and semi-civilian, they will know that the idea of ​​staying in one outpost is outdated."

"It's good to go out more."

Flora laughed: "Not bad! You're finally starting to act like the head of the household, finally realizing that money isn't easy to earn. Now you're even asking for the measly amount of money for a plane ticket?"

"Enough with the nonsense." Milton slammed his hand on the table. "'Warwind Company' has been helping with construction in Tapachula lately. How many orders have they taken? How much money have they made? Send some over quickly to support the establishment of the new government."

Flora panicked: "Wait! This, that..."

"Consider it a loan from the company. Forget about this and that, just find a way to scrape together a few million dollars." Milton patted her shoulder, silencing her. "Don't worry, I'll earn it all back."

"Sigh... I'm doomed, I'm completely on your pirate ship now."

"Why bother with all this on Victory Day?" Milton was unusually relaxed. "By the way, have you caught the lobbyists yet? What kind of trap did that deadbeat Lopez set for me?"

After capturing Quetzaltenango, Milton activated the battlefield cleanup and counter-espionage functions on his control panel. He did manage to catch a few big fish trying to take advantage of the chaos and collected 100% of their taxes. However, Milton did not believe that these big fish were worthy of giving Lopez enough cash flow to support a month of high-intensity warfare.

"They're still on the run, but not for long," Flora reported. "They're about to be caught. Based on what we know about them, we should have the results by tomorrow at the latest. If you really can't wait, just go get some sleep."

“Alright.” Milton nodded. “What about the rebel leaders? When will they arrive?”

Milton's main purpose in returning was to discuss the future with the rebel leadership.

In wartime, due to the basis of cooperation and other reasons, it is more efficient to be outside the same system.

But after the fighting, we can't stay divided like this forever.

"I estimate it will be another half hour. Well, the Guatemalan 2nd Infantry Brigade has been almost completely wiped out. I heard that charred corpses have floated down the Seguala River, scaring the local residents crazy."

"Look at the TV, isn't it playing right now?"

"Look at this ghostly filter, plus this huge pile of corpses, your already terrible reputation is going to be even more terrifying."

"By the way, how do you plan to govern the cities you've captured?"

Milton thought for a moment and said, "Just like in Malacan, security must be improved. We must do everything we can to cover the entire city with the Sky Eye system."

How does the economy plan to recover?

Milton rubbed his head: "I do have an idea..."

"what idea?"

“I know of a mysterious Eastern power where many daily necessities are very cheap, and they love jade… It just so happens that we produce jade and fruit here, so perhaps we can trade. The key is to keep a low profile, not to openly discuss this matter, and absolutely not to involve any politics. It’s enough to have cooperation with suppliers there.”

"Don't forget, we have some American equipment on hand, they might be interested...hehe."

"This way we can also earn some foreign exchange. By the way, we must find a way to diversify our money into various foreign exchange reserves, including precious metals and foreign currencies. We should buy as much gold as we can."

"Take all important livelihood and public services under government control, but do so in a gentle manner so as not to scare away technical personnel."

"It was launched, but only for one month. Everyone could buy a limited amount of food and necessities near the government-run granaries every day. In fact, these things were not that scarce to begin with. It was just that some people who were profiting from the national crisis were taking advantage of the situation."

Flora raised an eyebrow: "You're not going to just arrest these people who are profiting from the national crisis and send them to the guillotine? Good heavens, a merciful 'hellish tax collector'?"

"Huh?" Milton sneered. "Arresting them isn't enough. Arresting them only means confiscating their grain, collecting a bunch of fines that have been smuggled out... and in the end, they'll be imprisoned and forced to eat my food. That kind of punishment isn't enough! For those who profit from the national crisis, that kind of punishment is a reward!"

"Let me tell you, in order to prepare for this war, I have stockpiled (exchanged) a lot of food—a lot."

"The methods used by these people who profit from the national crisis are nothing more than relying on their financial advantage to buy up all the grain available on the market, artificially creating scarcity, and then selling it at high prices to make a fortune. To this end, they even go so far as to borrow money and take out loans."

"Let me tell you, as long as they dare to buy grain, I dare to sell it. I'll sell as much as they buy, until I bankrupt them. Of course, I need to watch out for foreign powers and prevent foreign capital from getting involved, otherwise my inventory may not be enough."

Those who profit from national disasters will inevitably take advantage of the chaos to buy up all the available grain on the market, disrupting the market and forcing people to buy grain only from Milton's granaries with ration coupons.

Little did they know that with their financial resources, they simply couldn't consume that much grain. Milton's granary supply was rock solid, and no one bought the unscrupulous merchants' high-priced grain, resulting in all the grain they bought at high prices ending up stuck in their hands.

When their cash flow dries up and they are forced to sell off their grain, Milton can buy it all back at a low price, and then arrest these people...

At the same time, it also allows the price of goods to return to a simple supply and demand relationship.

Flora nodded: "That sounds good... So, lastly, and most importantly, what do you plan to do about the currency? Don't tell me you're still planning to use the quorum, and don't tell me you're planning to use the dollar."

"The main reason is that you were more restrained than anyone imagined. You didn't indiscriminately rob local businesses; you only took out those who were doing illegal business. So most people didn't panic and flee, and even those who did came back secretly."

Milton shrugged: "You see me not taking much, but I actually took at least 60% more—it's just that the more honest companies have meager profits and support a lot of people at the bottom, so I seem to be very restrained, and it seems that the vast majority of people haven't been robbed."

"How much money can you make from processing bananas into canned goods, mining, screwing screws, and making packaging? There are many people in need, but the profit is small."

"Drug trafficking, prostitution, casinos, loan sharking, human organ trafficking, arms smuggling, medical corruption, legal corruption... How much profit is involved in all of these? And how many people actually participate in the distribution?"

"That's why that Bordeaux guy is so confident. He's right, on paper, his influence in the local economy is indeed very strong, and he's running a huge black market business—the question is, does this income have anything to do with the people at the bottom?"

“I looted them all, and they thought it would have a huge impact on the economy and cause large-scale unrest in the city. In reality, the vast majority of people didn’t even realize that I had robbed them.”

This is the illusion of many people involved in illicit activities and financial capital: they think the world can't function without them.

Milton continued, "As for currency, let's anchor it to a type of food at a price slightly higher than the market price for now. In my territory, money can always buy food and will never become worthless paper—that's enough. Our military government's credit and territory don't support any major moves for the time being; as long as things are stable, that's fine."

"At the same time, abolish the circulation of all other currencies on our territory, including the US dollar."

"By the way, absolutely, absolutely do not put my head on banknotes, absolutely not!"

"Tsk."

Flora shook her head sarcastically and asked, "There's another question: after you've completely destroyed the black market, what will you use to fill the void?"

“Hmm… Your question is a timeless problem.” Milton sighed. “They can indeed earn a lot of foreign exchange by selling drugs and organs. After the organ is removed, their foreign exchange income will definitely decrease. There’s nothing we can do about it.”

"Actually, I don't really care. If I run out of money, I can borrow some from drug dealers. The most important thing is that, no matter what, my men need to have jobs. As long as the unemployment rate goes down, everything will be fine."

"In the early stages... let's sell some weapons to the surrounding areas. Then, we can tacitly allow the production of generic drugs and snatch some food from the medical complex."

"In the end, we can only continue to export fruits and resources for now... We only have so much land, it's too early to build any kind of industrial chain. As long as we can earn enough foreign exchange to stabilize the economy, that's enough."

"..."

After chatting for a while, Brandon finally came in.

"Boss, the rebels have arrived."

Flora immediately got up, expertly drew the curtains to a slit, arranged the chairs and other furniture asymmetrically, and stood in the shadows.

The atmosphere, which had just been cheerful, suddenly turned into a "godfather"-like one.

When Lark, Juan, and the others entered Milton's office, that feeling of facing a "hellish tax collector" returned once again.

The man in front of them may be a soldier standing on the same front as them, firing the enemy with the same machine gun, but at the same time he is also a "hellish tax collector"!
Lak did not sit down, but said sincerely, "'Hell Tax Collector,' good afternoon... With your help, we have finally won, which can be said to be the only victory in 30 years."

Milton calmly replied, "Victory is far from over. We have only defeated the Lopez warlord and barely gained a foothold in four provinces."

Lak's smile had never been so genuine: "But from the moment the war began, our strategic goal of victory was this—to completely crush the government forces on the main battlefield, to prevent the government from conquering us by force, and to secure a place in the future new government and parliament through strength, thus guaranteeing the interests and voice of our local people." "I never imagined that one day we could go even further on this strategic goal."

“You, all by yourself, starting from scratch, accomplished in just four months what we couldn’t achieve in 30 years. Your undeniable achievements and results prove that your abilities and insights far surpass those of our resistance.”

"Most importantly, your kindness and rationality made us all feel what respect means. When Juan was on his deathbed, and everyone was prepared for him to sacrifice himself, when he returned with three truckloads of supplies, when you went to great lengths to have the transport planes take him to our airport, and when your fighter jets appeared over our battlefield, those soldiers who had lost their parents and children cried for the first time."

"Everyone firmly believes that under your leadership, we will go further, and the stronger you become, the better our lives will be."

"Therefore, after a unanimous vote by the War Council, the National Revolutionary Alliance, a military organization, will be dissolved within a week. This week is mainly to ensure a smooth handover of military control."

"Executive, legislative, and judicial powers will also be handed over to you. Whether it's personnel appointments and removals within the civil service or the troop movements, the formal handover will take place in a week."

"I believe you can lead us out of the shadow of massacre and bring us true freedom."

Milton was speechless for a moment.

Damn it?

They just gave it all away?

Milton's original idea was simply to take over the army, as a unified and coordinated army would be far more efficient than the Allied forces.

There's no rush for administrative power right now.

They just gave it all away as a package deal?!
Milton was a little embarrassed... Although Vevetenango province is poor and full of rotten land, it is rich in resources and has many experienced soldiers who have absolute hatred and loyalty to the government forces.

However, Milton didn't stand on ceremony. He nodded and said, "I accept your offer—your current civil servants are fine, I won't touch them for now. You locals govern yourselves and pay taxes to the central government according to the current laws. But I will establish an independent oversight system separate from the administrative system to ensure the integrity of the civil servants. This system also exists in the territories I occupy, it's not a targeted attack."

"Similarly, you and Juan shouldn't rush to retire. Your army is very strong in combat effectiveness, discipline, and fighting spirit... Change the unit number, I will still need soldiers like you on the battlefield in the future."

Lak laughed heartily: "I knew we hadn't trusted the wrong person! Don't worry, we're ready to be deployed at any time!"

At this moment, the panel also began to change slightly.

This shows that the rebels' people and territory are beginning to shift from "allied forces" to "directly controlled forces"!
“Let’s go back and focus on developing the economy first.” Milton waved his hand. “After 30 years of fighting, recuperation is the most important thing. If you have any security needs, you can call the ‘War Wind Group’. They can handle business very well.”

“If you really need a budget but can’t come up with the money, you can apply to me. Don’t be so hesitant.”

"Go back, celebrate the victory, relax... but don't forget, the war is not over yet, we are still surrounded by the enemy."

"Among them are your enemies, the president who directly instigated the civil war and orchestrated the massacre, Efrain Rios Monte. He is still alive and well, and his family's warlord forces have even formed an alliance with the current president—a military alliance against us."

Before leaving, Lak solemnly nodded: "We await the day you lead us to destroy him."

After Lark and the rebel leaders left, the office curtains were immediately drawn open, and Flora and Brandon, who had been standing there dumbfounded for a long time, quickly sat down in front of Milton.

Brandon was somewhat astonished: "The rebels just packed themselves up and handed themselves over to you, my God..."

Flora laughed and said, "Actually, they themselves also had that indescribable feeling. They struggled for 30 years and still couldn't get what you got in 4 months... Plus, your policies treat everyone equally, so they probably gritted their teeth and just gave it all away."

"So, how many people do we have on hand now?"

Milton did a quick calculation: "Originally, my heavy combined arms battalion had 800 men... Many of the thousands of rebels were militiamen, people who had to join the army after their homes were destroyed. If we deduct those, the elite force that can be left in the end will probably only be around 1000."

"In the end, it came to less than 2000."

Brandon, a former police officer, never dared to imagine such a number exceeding four figures: "Holy crap, an army of 2000!"

2000 men is just a regiment, not a large army... It's just that Milton didn't use the division system, but the brigade-battalion system.

“The most important thing is not that having a lot of people is useless.” Milton shook his head. “We have a huge shortage of key technical personnel. Before, we could support a combined arms battalion and the current flight formation. We had to draw technical personnel from airports and factories all over the country to barely make up the number of technical troops.”

"It's only an extra 1000 people, which doesn't actually improve our combat effectiveness much."

"We need to develop quickly so that we can monetize the combat power of these 1000 people."

"Alright, let's go...back to Quetzaltenango. Await the interrogation results and prepare to clean up the mess Lopez left us."

Milton went out with his men, and as soon as he arrived at Central Park, he spotted a familiar figure in the celebrating crowd.

The girl who almost got beaten to death by Lopez when she tried to get compensation for her brother.

She has recovered very well; there is no trace of injury on her face, and her complexion is rosy and full, indicating that she has no problems with eating and drinking.

"'The Godfather'!" The girl's eyes lit up, and she handed Milton a bouquet of flowers. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Milton smiled a genuine, satisfied smile and asked, "Where's your father? Didn't he come with you?"

"Him... I heard a while ago that he and someone else found a gemstone or a rare metal mine and went to pan for gold to try their luck. I didn't ask for the specifics." The girl smiled beautifully. "That's just how he is. As soon as things get better, he talks all the time about fulfilling his dreams of being an adventurer and a gold prospector, about getting rich."

Milton didn't dwell on it: "Be careful... How have you been lately?"

“I have experienced what true freedom is. Thank you, Mr. Godfather.”

Milton waved his hand and said, "Let's go, have fun."

"Goodbye, Mr. Godfather!"

"..."

Once on the plane, Milton nudged Flora and asked, "You tell me, what is freedom?"

Flora was taken aback by the question. After thinking for a moment, she replied uncertainly, "Is it freedom if everyone can do whatever they want under a set of rules? And if you act for a specific goal, is that not freedom? Actually, I don't really understand. I just want financial freedom."

"What's wrong? Are you concerned about these things? Are you going to study philosophy?"

“Hayek’s line of thinking, huh?” Milton chuckled. “It’s actually a bit biased. I think freedom stems from oppression… But it doesn’t matter. I’m a warlord, I don’t care about these things. It’s just that the girl just now made me a little emotional.”

Milton soon returned to the port city of Champelli.

News also came from Quetzaltenango that members of the lobbying group have been arrested and are currently under emergency interrogation; results are expected soon.

Milton sat down at his desk and, while waiting for the results, opened the panel to check the current status of his territory.

After Lopez's defeat and death, his territories lost the will to resist, and Milton was constantly taking over new territories, with a constant stream of new smuggling intelligence coming in.

[The Koatpek area is now fully under control. Panel functions unlocked... Smuggled goods discovered...]

[Completely under control...]

Just as Milton was enjoying the pleasure of the "coloring game," there was a sudden knock on his office door.

The soldier reporting was extremely flustered: "'Godfather,' 'Godfather,' it's urgent!"

Milton frowned, turned off the panel, and asked, "What is it?"

"A curse, a curse! The territory we just occupied... it seems like someone's been cursed?"

Milton roared, "What curse? No spirits are allowed on my territory! Speak, what is it?"

The soldier was still somewhat shaken: "A group of gold prospectors stumbled upon some strange metal and decided to dig it up to sell for money... but, but, not long after, their skin developed redness, blisters, burns, ulcers, and even necrosis! Here are some photos, take a look!"

Milton had a bad feeling. He leaned over and saw a familiar face – the girl's father!
Indeed, his body was covered in ulcers, a truly horrific sight, as if he were cursed.

Suddenly, a notification appeared on the panel.

[Completely under control...]

[Level 1 prohibited substances discovered: Plutonium-239, Iodine-131, Cesium-137...]

"'The Godfather,' Mr. Godfather!"

"The interrogation results are in!!!"

"..."

(End of this volume)

P.S.: This is eye-opening! Besides the US, are there any other companies advertising during the military parade? I was getting a shot at the hospital today and laughing at the same time. This is the epitome of fundamentalist capitalism! I didn't laugh when they were walking by, but the moment the ad came on, I couldn't help but laugh out loud, hahaha.

(End of this chapter)