Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 236 Pinkerton

Flora became interested: "What tactics? Where do you plan to attack first, Coca-Cola? To give them a surprise attack?"

Judging from the enemy's troop deployment, it seems they have basically abandoned the deployment at the reservoir and concentrated all their defensive forces at the oil and gas field and the administrative center.

Milton was also a little helpless: "I can only say that they made the right bet this time... Unless the situation forces me to, I really don't plan to make Coca-Cola my first target. The risk of uncontrollable attacks is too high. Besides, they are not completely undefended. Don't treat American companies like fools."

“If they didn’t have real strength, companies like ‘United Fruits’ or ‘Coca-Cola’, which practically plunder the local land, would have been driven into the sea by the locals long ago.”

"As far as I know, Coca-Cola has hired three of the world's top PMC companies to provide them with private armed security services."

PMC... Milton and Flora's jointly owned Warwind Company, also known as PMC, is already a powerful regional security company, but it still lags far behind the world's top companies.

Flora gritted her teeth: "Which three?"

“Securicor from the UK, Group 4 Falck from Denmark, and Securitas from Sweden,” Milton said casually, glancing at the intelligence report in his hand. “I don’t need to elaborate on the prestige of these three, do I?”

The first two will merge soon, and will remain one of the world's top three PMCs for at least 30 years. The infamous "Blackwater" rose and fell, but this company is still there, demonstrating its profound heritage.

Sekelida may sound unfamiliar, but it has a branch office called "Pinkerton Detective Agency," and the name "Pinkerton" alone speaks volumes.

In order to maintain its monopoly on Mexico's water resources and continue to sell Coca-Cola at a price higher than water, thus sustaining exorbitant profits, Coca-Cola certainly cannot be a company that simply does honest business.

It is only because COFCO occupies the core of China and is being squeezed so much that it is so obedient.

In the past, they even dared to add drugs, such as cocaine, to Coca-Cola!

“…Alright, they’re certainly not pushovers.” Flora said upon hearing the names of the three competing companies. “Hmph, just wait and see, our ‘War Wind Company’ will be able to rise to their level!”

"From this perspective, attacking Coca-Cola is indeed very risky, as it could easily drag a whole bunch of random companies into the mess."

“These PMCs belong to three large companies in different countries, and Coca-Cola itself is an American company. It’s clear that they have some big shots at the top. If they make a slight move against the local Coca-Cola, it will immediately involve a global conflict.”

With its big fist and its attempt to resemble a mop covered in poop, it's indeed difficult to deal with.

However, Milton will not forget this matter... Once he takes over the Chiapas state government, he has plenty of ways to turn the local Coca-Cola into a good boy.

Milton nodded slightly: "What we're left with is a choice between two options: the oil and gas field, or Tustra... And my idea is to be more pragmatic and go for the oil and gas field first."

"I don't want to fight a battle to defend Moscow."

Flora nodded gently: "So how do you plan to fight? They seem to have been scared off by you. They feel that the defensive forces on both sides are about the same, so they're not going to gamble anymore."

“The opportunity I mentioned before is right here.” Milton clapped his hands. “Chiapas is extremely rich in oil and gas resources, but most of the profits go to the federal government. When the economic environment was still good, everyone could tolerate it… Now? Now it’s an economic crisis, and the people of Chiapas are a powder keg that could explode at any moment.”

"If they can sell oil, why would they sell poppies?"

"As long as this anger is ignited, as long as Vic marches under this banner, the Mexican army will forget about recruiting many reliable people locally. This is the contradiction of the reactionary government, the comprador government—their interests conflict with those of the vast majority of people, including soldiers and police, yet they want to rely on these people to protect themselves?"

"I have already sent people to Palenque, and as expected, there will now be a lot of public calls to bring the oil and gas field interests back to the state."

Milton paused for a moment, then said, "Moreover, the Mexican economic downturn is not over yet, and has not even reached its climax—in my judgment, the Mexican peso will plummet again this December, and not just in the slow and steady decline of the past few months, but overnight, it will become worthless."

This was certainly not Milton's judgment, but information from a previous life—on December 19, 1994, the Mexican government announced a 15% devaluation of the peso, and within three days the peso had fallen by nearly 50% against the dollar.

Logically speaking, dragging things out would be an advantage for the large state government of Chiapas... but this period of time is defying common sense.

"Speaking of the economy, there are two things," Brandon, who had been diligently taking notes without interrupting, spoke up. "But they're not very urgent. Boss, do you have time to hear the report?"

Milton nodded. "Go ahead."

"The first thing is that in our country, food prices in Quetzaltenango continue to rise, and almost everyone can only buy food through government channels... The Arsu government is like a gambler who is blinded by greed, and has even started issuing bonds."

“Hmm… the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) turmoil has affected the entire Americas. Arsu will probably be overwhelmed with inventory soon.” Milton wasn’t too surprised. “What’s next?”

Brandon replied, “The railway engineering team you contacted has already sent an exploration team over, and they are currently surveying in Vevetenango… From what they’ve said, well, they say they ‘agree in principle to build it,’ but they seem a little uneasy about our political and security environment.”

Is that okay? !
They don't understand the art of Chinese, but how could Milton not understand it? "Agree in principle" means "needs further discussion."

This is no small matter!

Milton couldn't wait for the railroad to be completed; he didn't want to delay it at all.

"Where's the helicopter? Fly it back to Vevetenango." Milton stood up. "Also, get a military truck over here, and stuff it full of dollars! We'll need it later!"

"Flora will stay here to guard the front lines. Brandon will come back with me."

"...Okay, got it!"

"..."

Soon, Milton boarded a UH-1 helicopter and flew to Vevetenango.

Fortunately... the signs of war have been largely eliminated.

Milton boarded the Hummer that was already waiting on the tarmac, and led the military trucks loaded with cash behind him, speeding towards the planned site of the Vevetenango train station.

More than ten minutes later, Milton arrived at the construction site, which had been leveled and fenced off, and saw a very conspicuous inspection team.

The core team leader was a man in his fifties with graying hair, which was neatly combed. He often wore a faded blue Zhongshan suit, with a fountain pen and a blue notebook clipped to his pocket...

There were also some engineers in their thirties, mostly wearing dark blue overalls with measuring tapes and geological hammers hanging from their waists.

Apprentice technicians, logistics personnel... they all carried the same kind of canvas backpacks.

And most importantly, translation.

At this moment, the translator was talking to Veronica, and the communication between the two sides seemed to be going smoothly.

As they chatted, Veronica said something, and after the translator finished relaying the information, the expedition team turned around with slight surprise and looked at the convoy approaching them.

Everyone saw a capable and young man leap off a Hummer, surrounded by many guards who were clearly loyal to him.

Judging from his appearance, it seems he has just come from the front lines.

The lead engineer, Jin Kang, looked at Milton and asked, "Is that Milton?"

A hint of pride appeared on Veronica's face: "Yes!"

The translator could tell that the person who could actually make the decision had arrived, and stepped forward, intending to build a bridge for communication between the two sides.

Jin Kang looked at Milton, inwardly reflecting on the stereotypical image of the Latin American warlord, and then introduced himself: "Jin Kang, Changsha Railway Institute, Senior Engineer of China Railway Fourth Bureau, hello."

The translator was about to start translating when, unexpectedly, the warlord from Lami, who was associated with terrifying local legends, spoke even faster than him.

“Milton, Chief of the Tax Office.”

All the language was Chinese.

It wasn't that Milton was deliberately showing off, but in 1994, Spanish translation was generally not a problem for communication, but when it came to various technical terms, local slang, local customs, etc., it wasn't enough to just be fluent in Spanish to translate perfectly.

The way a word is expressed may differ in different Spanish-speaking countries, which could lead to huge errors in engineering projects.

Milton, whose native language is both, is actually the best choice to do this translation.

"Ah this..."

Milton ignored the stares of those around him, who were looking at him like he was a monster: "Welcome to Vevetenango. Thank you for coming all this way to inspect the railway project. This railway is crucial to the economic development of Guatemala and the entire region. It will connect resource-producing areas with markets and is our hope for escaping poverty... Hmm, my subordinates just reported that the inspection team's intention is 'to agree in principle.' So, what are your concerns?"

As a native speaker… Jin Kang was taken aback, but he made a judgment about Milton while remaining calm and said, “Actually, it’s not a consideration of the project itself, but of the political environment. Well, to be honest, we are very worried that a change of government or policy changes will affect the stability of the project.”

Milton said, “I understand your concerns. But at present, the area surrounding the railway construction site is under my control, and the political situation is stable—we are not a provisional government, we have established a lasting system of governance, and our enemies, those compradors, are as fragile as Chiang Kai-shek’s government, and it is only a matter of time before they fall.”

“Even in neighboring Mexico, my allies occupy a considerable amount of territory, and no enemy can take an inch.”

This example is very direct... Jin Kang took a deep breath: "How can we ensure the safety of personnel during construction? We are still worried about the threat of war and the safety of funds. How can we guarantee that?"

“I will have special police provide the construction team with the most comprehensive security,” Milton said. “They have the most advanced body armor, the most advanced American equipment, and helicopters and drones providing intelligence from high above—no one on the construction team will fall before they all fall.”

"As for the issue of fund security..."

Milton clapped his hands, and several soldiers immediately got to work, opening the hatch of the military truck and lifting the canvas.

Inside, stacks upon stacks of US dollar cash, piled high like mountains, were laid out before everyone!

The visual shock and impact left the audience speechless for several seconds.

"I have the project funds ready. They are right in front of you and will always be there. You can take away the corresponding portion as each stage of the project is completed... You can bring the cash back directly by plane or ship. How about that? Are you still worried about the safety of the funds?"

Jin Kang looked at Milton and said sincerely, "I can feel your sincerity, really. I personally strongly believe that this project can be carried out."

The payment arrived the very next second the project was completed—that's incredibly generous of them. Milton added, "During construction, efficiency is paramount. I will clear all obstacles for the railway construction... Of course, the technical staff are yours, but I will hire locals for the unskilled laborers and support personnel."

Encountering someone who doesn't use bureaucratic language and is all about getting things done is a truly pleasant experience. Jin Kang smiled and said, "The exploration shows that the terrain here is complex, and the construction period may be extended."

"That's alright, I have a solution, I'll show it to you later."

"it is good……"

"..."

After everything was agreed upon and they were having a casual meal, Milton quietly took two steps closer to King Kong, making sure no one was around.

"Take a step to speak."

Jin Kang put down his chopsticks and smiled from the bottom of his heart: "Who taught you Chinese? It's really standard, you speak it very well."

“Self-taught.” Milton skipped over the topic and lowered his voice. “I also want to buy some other machines. Mr. Jin, could you help me contact someone? The money will be transferred immediately.”

"What machine?"

“As you can see, the currency we use in our occupied territories is our own ‘border region currency’,” Milton said. “Printing banknotes is completely different from ordinary printing; it requires specialized technology, machinery, and materials. I plan to purchase a batch… After all, banknotes are our lifeline, and we can’t always rely on imports.”

Jin Kang remained silent for a long time after hearing the clearly pronounced "border region currency." He gave Milton a strange look before nodding and saying, "I understand. I can try to ask for you and let you know as soon as I have any news."

“Okay, thank you for your help.” Milton shook hands with him. “That’s all for now. I have to go to Mexico. The drug cartels there are too rampant… If anything happens, contact Veronica. If you really encounter difficulties, call my hotline and I’ll handle it personally.”

"This railway is extremely important to us."

Jin Kang nodded seriously: "I understand."

After finishing his meal, Milton got into his Hummer and left the construction site.

Brandon, who had been holding back for a long time, finally couldn't hold back any longer: "Boss, how come you know everything? You even know Chinese? When I heard you say that last time (Chapter 44), I thought you were just bragging... By the way, what did you and that engineer talk about just now? Why were you being so secretive?"

Milton replied, "I asked him to buy a batch of printing presses that can print money, that's all."

"Oh! Great! From now on, we can produce our own money..."

“Wrong… To be honest, it’s not a big deal if we have to import banknotes.” Milton shook his head. “I bought the printing press not mainly to print our own border region currency.”

“Ah, that’s…” Brandon was about to ask instinctively, then his eyes widened suddenly, “Holy crap, boss, you’re not thinking of printing counterfeit money, are you? You’re going to print gulcairs?!”

That's ruthless! First, they caused the Alsu government to go bankrupt, then they injected a large amount of counterfeit currency, and with the economic impact of the North American Free Trade Agreement, the already fragile Guatemalan economy is likely to collapse in an instant!

At that point, even enemy-occupied territories might have to use Milton's "border currency"!

Who said Milton only knows how to fight? His underhanded tricks and dirty tactics are incredibly vicious!

No, in other words, what was printed was not counterfeit money at all, but "real money." Except for the serial number not matching, it was a counterfeit money that was no different from real money.

……

Palenque, Chiapas, Mexico.

This resource-rich city, which should have been very prosperous, is now completely filled with violence and anger.

A man is walking down the road, holding up a sign.

"Give us back our oil!"

"Get out, you bloodsuckers of the federal government! The oil belongs to Chiapas!"

"President Salinas took the oil but left us the poppies. They stole the oil and then accused us of condoning drug traffickers; he took bribes from the drug traffickers but made us bleed!"

"..."

The slogans also included many headlines such as "Stolen oil = Our hunger!"

During this period, the peso plummeted, agricultural products were flooded with American goods, and poverty and chaos swept through this already impoverished state... If people could still tolerate it before, after seeing the Tapachula government raise the banner of "taking back the oil" and break through the federal government on the front lines, they were finally willing to stand up and speak out for their own interests.

The man held up a sign and shouted at the top of his lungs as he followed the marching demonstrators to the street below the city hall.

He raised his voice and shouted, "Impeach the current state government and put Vic in power!!!"

At the same time, a rotten egg was thrown at the Palenque City Hall.

Everywhere you look, you see people with anger and resentment in their eyes... Even the police look at the people with sympathy in their eyes.

"Phew..." The man was tired from shouting and put the sign down slightly. "That should be enough. I should be able to get the 'Hell Tax Collector's' food."

Yes, this man had sided with Milton long ago.

This large-scale demonstration was also secretly organized and instigated by them.

"As long as we succeed, as long as we can force the federal government to show weakness, our lives will definitely get better."

"The drug problem will definitely be completely solved."

The man counted the money in his hand, calculating how much more he could give to those who were so poor they couldn't afford to eat—he wasn't going to starve like many others; he still had some savings and food, but he resolutely threw himself into the cause of resistance.

After the morning's demonstration ended, the man bought some expensive food and took it home.

When his wife saw that he had returned safely, she was both worried and reproachful: "Tok, how many times have I told you, we still have food at home, don't go out, it's very dangerous!"

Tok laughed several times, pointing towards the distant oil and gas fields: "You don't understand, this is a great undertaking! Why are we poor? It's not because we don't work hard, it's because bad people stole what rightfully belonged to us! Now, I'm going to take it back!"

“You saw those drug dealers from CJNG. Do you want our children to encounter them while they are at school?”

"The sun is about to shine on this dark land, and I will welcome it!"

The wife angrily banged on the pot: "There are so many people outside, they don't need you! Why are you going to join in the fun?"

Tok teased his still very young and innocent son, and smiled: "If I don't join in the fun, it might be our child who has to in the future, my dear."

Tears welled up in his wife's eyes: "I just don't want to lose you..."

"Alright, alright, I'll be fine. I'm just a pity about my life." Tok finished his lunch, offered a comforting remark, picked up the sign again, turned, and went out. "I'm going to organize the next march. Now is the best opportunity!"

Soon, having regained his energy, Tok took to the streets again with his sign, joining the demonstration and slowly pushing his way to the front.

The city government has remained silent, but playing dead is useless in a protest of this scale.

Many lawmakers have even wavered, considering aligning themselves with voters, changing their stance in the legislature, or even impeaching the current mayor and instead supporting a reformist candidate.

However, at that moment, billowing dust suddenly appeared in the distance.

Ahead on the street appeared menacing drug dealers wielding automatic rifles, heavily armed soldiers, and tanks with cannons large enough to fit a human head!

And the direction in which they pointed their guns was precisely at the marching and demonstrating crowd.

An officer stood on the vehicle and shouted, "Stop the illegal assembly immediately!"

"This is a rebellion! This is organized sabotage against our government!"

"Everyone, go home! Repeat, everyone, go home! Otherwise, you'll face the consequences!"

Upon seeing this scene, the marching crowd scattered, and many people turned and fled.

Even the ranks behind Tok were greatly shaken...

The massive demonstration was on the verge of collapse and turning into a joke!
Tok strode forward and demanded sharply, "Federal soldiers, tell me, where is our bread?"

The officer looked at the ant in front of him and couldn't be bothered to pay any attention to him: "Step back."

Tok pointed at the extremely brutal drug dealers of CJNG, who had even killed the mayor, and then questioned, "You stole the oil and left it to us?!"

"We want to take back what is rightfully ours!"

"The robbers who stole our wealth are now standing at our doorstep, accusing us of being traitors and of an illegal assembly... We cannot back down!"

"Everyone, if we back down today, our children will be the ones to take their place tomorrow. We cannot back down!"

Many of the marchers dispersed, but a small group eventually gathered together. Some were resolute, some were hesitant, and some had intense fear in their eyes.

But in the end, they all resolutely headed towards the army.

The next second, the sound of machine guns rang out on the street.

Boom boom boom!
(End of this chapter)