I was a general in South America

The formation of the 5th Division into a rapid reaction force was an order from the U.S. Southern Command.

Manizales is a crucial stop on smuggling routes from the south to Medellín and Bogotá.

To prevent infiltration, a large number of young officers were promoted.

Lucas's father was a bodyguard for the current commander of the Amazon region.

Thanks to the last ripples of his father's legacy, he graduated from Columbia Military Academy and achieved his current success.

You can't teach it by others, but you can teach it once and for all.

After carrying out several large-scale military missions, one can easily adapt to the Colombian atmosphere.

"Lucas, that Herrera?"

As the Hummer drove along the road, Moreno, still puzzled, asked a question.

Luigi González Moreno.

They had been working on his family farm since his grandfather's generation, so they were like half-brothers.

Lucas chose to inherit his father's military legacy, so naturally he arranged for his own people to follow him.

The more chaotic a country is, the more it needs to rely on its historical foundation...

Don't believe that here, only those who dare to fight will win; those who dare to risk their lives will only win with bullets!

They won't tell you that Pablo Escobar controlled 60% of Colombia's smuggling routes before he started trafficking drugs.

They certainly won't tell you that this drug lord's godfather... was the former Colombian Minister of Finance.

Lucas rolled his eyes at him, annoyed. "Do you want to drive around on patrol every day?"

The local police force is severely understaffed; taking action against them will only make things worse.

Moreover, it's impossible to tell whether the entire police system is run by good guys or bad guys, so it's better to keep one well-known bad guy around.

"Are you serious this time, or is it the same as before? Can we succeed?"

Moreno felt a little uneasy seeing what had just happened.

He understood that these farmers didn't care what they grew; they just wanted to have enough to eat.

"Yes, we will drive the drug traffickers out of Colombia, including those Americans, just like Simón Bolívar did."

Lucas looked out the window at the lush trees, his voice soft but firm.

Because he knew the Americans were serious!

The military Humvees they drove, and all the other vehicles they were equipped with, were active-duty US military equipment.

Otherwise, relying on government military spending, it would be difficult to even equip grassroots troops with Toyota pickup trucks.

Colombia, as a beacon of democracy, serves as a forward outpost for the US military to exert influence in South America.

Just last year, a photo of Pablo Escobar smiling as he transferred drugs with the local military government at a Nicaraguan airport reached the White House desk.

During this special period, it's practically tearing at the Americans' lifeline.

Thus, the extradition treaty, which had been stalled for many years, was reopened for negotiations, and the U.S. Southern Command spared no effort in providing military assistance to Colombia.

"Then I'll buy a piece of land in Cali so that my parents can return to their hometown."

"Find a few more beautiful lovers...?" Lucas teased with a smile, watching his brother envisioning the future.

"Lucas, you know my heart has long belonged to Leila Martinez."

In Colombia, hope is the only weapon.

The Colombian woman Moreno mentioned is the newly crowned Miss Universe.

pat..

He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and said to Moreno, "Don't worry, I'll make Leila sing 'Conquer' in front of you."

...........

As soon as the four Humvees drove into the outpost camp, they saw a truck parked on the parade ground.

As soon as Lucas jumped out of the car, a man wearing a beige short-sleeved shirt and with slicked-back hair ran over.

"Sir, this is the road repair cost." Leon Costa pulled an envelope from behind his back and quickly handed it to Moreno. "There are also some cigarettes and alcohol in the car."

Moreno did not reach for the envelope, but instead turned his gaze to Lucas.

Only after Lucas nodded slightly did he take the things from the other man's hands, then shouted and led the soldiers toward the truck.

The envelope was taken away, and Costa's heart finally settled: "Sir, I..."

Lucas waved his hand to interrupt him, and Costa, unsure of what he meant, had no choice but to swallow his words.

My heart, which had just settled down, has already soared to the heavens again.

He glanced at the fully armed soldiers around him, sweat pouring down his forehead.

About ten minutes later, Moreno ran back and shook his head slightly at Lucas.

Costa, whose heart was in his throat, broke out in a cold sweat upon seeing this.

I'm already picturing myself riddled with bullets.

"From now on, call me Lucas. Come to my tent and taste the fine wine you just brought."

"Hey, Costa, don't just stand there."

Costa only snapped out of his daze after Moreno nudged him, forcing a smile that looked more like a grimace.

"Sorry, I was feeling a bit homesick just now."

My legs feel a bit unresponsive...

Lucas held his wine glass, looking at the somewhat uneasy smuggler in front of him.

It seems the show of force just now worked...

Leon Costa, a Cali native, does business in Manizales.

Very clever and quite bold, he followed the people from Kitani to their door.

I don't know where they found out, but they know he rejected Kitani's people.

It also provided intelligence that the Manizales drug cartel, led by Chatani, was planning various demonstrations in an attempt to incite riots.

They hoped to gain Lucas's protection in exchange for this, and the reason they approached him was that he had not chosen to cooperate with the drug lords.

In Colombia, this would be a bizarre excuse, but for Lucas, it led to an opportunity for collaboration.

Information about Herrera and others was also gradually transmitted by him.

Moreno was just sent to check if the other party was smuggling anything in.

Collaboration between military forces and smugglers is considered an unspoken rule in Colombia.

It's important to understand that this country is not only plagued by drug lords, but also embroiled in a civil war, and its inflation rate is currently as high as 20%.

Under the mandatory military service law, one should not cooperate with smugglers to earn extra money.

Soldiers are expected to live on a monthly government salary of 17500 pesos, which is about $50.

Once on the battlefield, you never know who your gun will be pointed at.

"The wine is very good. If you encounter any problems in the future, you can contact Moreno."

Lucas put down his glass and said that this also meant he was willing to temporarily protect Costa.

"But I hope you remember what I said."

"Don't worry, Lucas, I'm a legitimate businessman, which is why I don't want to get involved with those people."

Costa felt his legs stop shaking and he stopped sweating, so he quickly picked up his wine glass and downed it in one gulp.

"However, my men saw soldiers enter the Hasana nightclub yesterday."

"Hasana Nightclub?"

"Yes, that's one of Kitani's strongholds."

As Costa spoke, he noticed Lucas's smile fade, and realized he had said the wrong thing, but since he had already come this far, he could only grit his teeth and finish the sentence.

They were getting along well just a moment ago, but suddenly the atmosphere became tense.

Our relationship is like a rollercoaster...!

Lucas looked at him for a few seconds, then his expression returned to normal. He picked up the bottle and poured wine into Costa's glass, as if nothing had happened.

"Finish this drink and head back... Manizales isn't safe lately, tell your people to be careful."

"I...I understand, Lucas."

He watched Costa's hurried departure, resting his chin on his hand in thought.

Smugglers are surprisingly keen on intelligence about drug trafficking organizations.

However, everyone has secrets.

At least for now, his role is more useful than his secret!