Taxes are only within machine gun range!

Chapter 318: A Limited-Time, Never-Repeatable Tourism Project

Two days later.

News of the fall of Guatemala's capital has spread throughout the world... Although there has been no official confirmation of the collapse of the old government, everyone knows that a "new nation" has been established.

The entire Latin American political landscape is likely to experience a massive storm.

At this moment, countless eyes around the world are focused on this country that has been fighting for decades without making the news, and on the enormous changes it has brought about.

Of course, some countries have already issued statements of condemnation, accusing the outbreak of civil war of causing enormous harm to Guatemala and its people, seemingly giving a fair and impartial assessment of both sides...

But the Arsu government has now vanished, and it's clear to anyone with eyes to see where this accusation truly lies.

However, this is no longer a problem for the people of Guatemala City.

In the short few days of the government transition, they personally experienced that the legends about "hellish tax collectors" were not unfounded.

Wealth, freedom... and brutality.

Various convoys, workers, and experts entered Guatemala City almost seamlessly. Since Guatemala City itself had not experienced war and because the city's population had plummeted, many people found work almost the next day and began to receive stable wages.

Food and daily necessities were gradually delivered to the city, quickly stabilizing the high prices.

New government officials are also working to collect the Qochar and exchange it for the new currency, the "Border Region Currency," at a 1:1 ratio...

Of course... there were also some very horrific scenes. Many gang members who used to bully them, as well as many former officials, military officers, and drug dealers, were brutally dragged out, allowing many people to witness firsthand what execution by cannon fire meant, and what it meant for blood to flow like a river after a single shot.

Several workers responsible for installing surveillance cameras in the city were squatting in a corner eating their boxed lunches when they saw the scene in front of them and couldn't help but shudder.

"This is terrible... Look over there, isn't that 'Madam Shi's' property? Now there's not even a trace left."

"So what? She colluded with the conscription office, deliberately dragging all the men in a family away, forcing the women and girls in the family to sell their bodies... and at a fucking low price, barely enough for them to pay off their loans! Otherwise, gangsters would come knocking on their door to threaten them!"

"Forget about 'Madam Shi's' businesses, look at that woman over there, that should be 'Madam Shi' herself, right? I heard she tried to board a plane a couple of days ago but failed, hahaha... Looks like she's going to be in trouble now."

While the group was having an enthusiastic discussion, they suddenly saw a soldier kick the bound "Madam Shi" off the chariot. The chariot then started moving, dragging her along the road. At first, she struggled, but her struggles gradually weakened until only a long trail of blood and a mangled corpse remained on the ground.

Such incidents were occurring on every street corner of Guatemala City...

This also includes the slums that were abandoned by the old government.

……

Bang bang bang!
There was a slightly hurried knocking at the door of a house where only a mother and daughter remained.

The house was incredibly dilapidated, with gaps between the wooden planks in the walls, allowing light to see clearly through. Some areas were barely filled with tattered cloth and mud, but they still couldn't keep out the cold wind.

The corrugated iron roof was riddled with rusted holes, its edges were curled and deformed, and several heavy stones were piled in the corners to secure the iron sheets and prevent them from being blown over by strong winds.

The fact that there wasn't even a single extra piece of firewood in the entire house was enough to show how poor they were.

"Vanessa...you, hide right now! It's probably the mob coming to collect a debt!"

"Mom, didn't they say the new government is here? Didn't they say the gangsters have all been wiped out?"

"Silly child!" the woman sighed. "Aren't gang fights common? Isn't it frequent for one gang to be wiped out by another? But has our debt decreased?"

The new government is naturally the same... They just finished a war, spent so much money to occupy the city, drive out the gangs, and achieve victory. How could they not inherit their debts and enjoy the fruits of victory?
Boom boom boom!
The knocking started again, this time more urgent than before.

"Quick, hide! I'll think of something..."

All the men in her family were sent to the battlefield, and death notices were sent out one after another. Not long ago, after her husband's death notice was also sent out, she even considered committing suicide.

But for the sake of her child, the woman wiped away her tears and tried to find a way to support her broken family.

As for the so-called compensation, there was no sign of it at all.

The woman urged her child on, not daring to neglect these members of the "Pan-Madre Group," whom Arsu described as devils, and went to open the door. She was frantically trying to come up with excuses and reasons to see if they could grant her an extension on her debts…

Crack... The door was pushed open, and just as expected, there were several intimidating armored vehicles outside, and many soldiers who looked like men you wouldn't mess with at first glance.

The woman stood frozen in place.

Because the soldier standing in front of her... she recognized him.

Her husband!

Wasn't he supposed to have died on the battlefield? Why is he back before her eyes? Why... why has he suddenly transformed into a soldier of the new government?!

Tears welled up in her eyes almost instantly: "You..."

The soldier gave his wife a reassuring look and said in a businesslike tone, "The new government does not recognize any illegal loans. All illegal loans will be directly cancelled and will not need to be repaid. Madam, please register your specific debt details. For financial stability, all debts will be officially cancelled after clear registration."

"All debts have been frozen and are now in the investigation phase."

The woman fought back tears, took the documents, read them over and over again, and wrote something with trembling hands.

After she finished writing and handed the documents back, she couldn't help but look up at her husband's face again—he had a new scar, but he looked healthy and energetic, and his equipment looked expensive, so it seemed that he hadn't been bullied in the new place.

Great, great...

At this moment, the woman's goodwill towards the new government reached its peak, and she suddenly understood why so many people did not react with much resistance when they heard of Milton's arrival.

Knowing her husband still had a mission, she quickly turned around, grabbed a relatively clean towel, wiped away her tears, and tried to wipe her husband's shoes.

To the woman, this was perfectly normal... In the past, when soldiers came, they had to do more than just shine shoes; they had to do even more terrible things.

Then, the woman saw a look of terror in her husband's eyes.

The next second, a roar that didn't belong to her husband came: "What the hell?! What are you doing?!"

A sergeant rushed over, grabbed the soldier by the collar, and said in a trembling voice, "Do you want our platoon to be publicly criticized? Do you want us to be called the shoeshine squad, shoeshine platoon, shoeshine company from now on?! Can you imagine the scene where 'The Godfather' walks over and shouts at us, 'Oh, isn't this the shoeshine company?!'" The soldier's lips twitched, and he quickly explained the situation in a low voice.

After hearing this, the platoon leader released his grip, his expression softening slightly.

"Remember, we are not the old army. The people do not need to grovel before their own army. This kind of thing does not need to be done again."

"After registering, I'll leave. I'll try my best to finish handling all the matters in this community today."

"Yes, sir!" The soldier nodded and smiled. Seeing the platoon leader turn and leave, he gave himself a little time to talk to his family. He turned back to his wife and said, "We'll talk about the details when I get home... Don't worry, Mr. 'Godfather's' army is very, very good. I've earned some money. We can have food, we can rent a better house, and we can take the kids to activities..."

"Wait for me to come back! I'll take you to events in the capital!"

This time, "Wait for me to come back" was no longer a farewell and comfort before death, but a simple statement.

The wife nodded and watched her husband follow the convoy, going door to door to cancel the debts.

"..."

……

presidential palace.

At this moment, Milton was sitting in the Presidential Office, handling various matters, and at the same time, he opened the panel to check the various newly unlocked redeemable items.

Even though he had not yet unified the country and three warlord forces were still clinging to life, after the capital fell, the territories that once belonged to Arsu no longer had the will to resist. Milton swallowed up the entire territory under the control of the old government, and most of Guatemala was completely controlled by the new government!

With its operations in Chiapas, Mexico, Milton can be said to have truly wielded the power of a nation!

Tank production line... fighter jet production line... cruise missile production line... space launch base design plans... military satellite purchase rights... ballistic missile production line...

In addition to military facilities, there are various civilian options, such as the production of medical devices and generic drugs, and various refineries.

It's truly dazzling.

However, Milton did not exchange indiscriminately... Many things look good, but at this stage, exchanging them would only lead to losses, bankruptcy, and a whole chain of problems. The road to industrialization is long and cannot be accomplished simply by purchasing.

It's best to leave the specific development path to the experts to discuss.

Of course, the most crucial military industry cannot be judged by its economic impact. Even if it means losing money, it must be built up independently. Only by being able to produce weapons independently can we preserve the fruits of victory in the challenges ahead.

That world's number one hegemonic nation will probably send someone to negotiate with Milton soon... Everyone knows how arrogant they are.

Milton will not be met with negotiations, but with orders and demands.

If the new government of Guatemala does not align with Guatemala's interests, a barrage of swift and decisive strikes, blockades, and sanctions will follow.

In the end, there might even be military action!
Even with the addition of the panel, Guatemala, a single country, is powerless to cope with such a blow.

It must have its own military-industrial complex, and must possess advanced equipment that is at least in the second tier, forming a truly systematic system. Combined with the various raw materials that can be exchanged on the panel, it must ensure that even if it faces a complete blockade, it can still have the national strength to barely resist, in order to truly gain a foothold.

Similarly, there must be a sufficient scale to force sanctions to cease.

After unifying the country, Milton could not stop. He had to seize the window of opportunity presented by the collapse of the Soviet Union and continue to exploit its legacy. He had to use every means possible to unify the power of at least the whole of Central America before he could be considered truly successful.

An alliance similar to the European Union, a military organization similar to NATO...

Milton's next target is very simple—Honduras!
This country is currently in a state of great turmoil, with a high number of military coups. 1995 was the historical peak of conflict between the civilian government and the military. If we can seize this opportunity, many things will be much easier in the future.

The most important thing now is to quickly establish a completely unique and secure defense system of our own.

"Fortunately, there are security measures in place for the control panel, so external forces have almost no way of knowing where my arsenal is located..."

Milton was quickly planning his future in his mind when the phone suddenly rang on the table, interrupting his process.

"Hey?"

The voice on the other end of the receiver was relaxed and at ease: "'Godfather,' good afternoon. There are two things... First, Eunice, on behalf of the Ubico family, has applied for a flight route to our area; second, an engineering team from China has also arrived in Guatemala City, seemingly wanting to see our 'limited-time event.'"

The Ubiko family...

They tried to bet on both sides, but ended up becoming the side that was only going through the motions, which is now a bit awkward.

“No problem, come on over.” Milton chuckled. “After all, it’s a limited-time and never-to-be-repeated tourist attraction, so it’s good for our distinguished guests to see it.”

"Roger that!"

"..."

Shortly after hanging up the phone, Luz walked in, his face beaming: "Boss, it's done! Congress has voted to repeal the current Constitution, and President Arsou has signed it... We, we did it!"

The abolition of the Constitution meant the complete collapse of the old government!

Because the framework of the nation no longer exists! In name, the nation has been handed over to Milton!
A border inspector performed such a remarkable feat...

After calming his agitated emotions, Luz continued, "Well, also, Arsu... the Constitution has been repealed, so he should be called the former president now. He said he has done everything he was asked to do and hopes you can keep your promise."

“No problem, I’m a man of my word.” Milton chuckled. “Is everything settled on the tourism side?”

"Don't worry, it's all done."

“Then let him out and let him face the judgment of the people.” Milton lowered his head slightly and continued working on his documents. “I’ll give him three minutes to explain himself… his speech time. After that, there will be a vote to decide whether to let Arsu go or to punish him.”

"If it's the latter..."

"So a real-life battle royale is about to unfold in Guatemala City."

"Those who haven't come yet should hurry up. This kind of event might only happen once in a hundred years. If you miss it, you'll miss it for the rest of your life."

(End of this chapter)