I was a general in South America

The South American people's love for their land is perhaps only comparable to that of the great powers of the East.

Due to over three hundred years of colonization, Native Americans were almost completely wiped out, essentially evolving directly from local slavery to colonial slavery.

This resulted in a complete lack of civilizational progress in this fertile land.

Even if Simón Bolívar brought about national independence, in essence, the comprador class transformed into slave owners of a new era.

The new generation of slave owners who got rich first especially loved to buy farms and estates in places far from the city.

On the outskirts of Manizales, there is an Italian country-style manor.

The neon lights flashed, making the neatly trimmed lawn look colorful. In the center of the lawn, a long table was set up, covered with all kinds of food, desserts, drinks and wine.

At the far end of the table, a band wearing oversized straw hats stood beside the speakers, lazily playing and singing Spanish songs.

Waiters in white shirts and black vests carried trays as they swayed and danced among the crowd, serving champagne to the celebrities chatting outside the dance floor.

If a reporter were present, they would be absolutely surprised to find that most of the men and women dancing at the party were socialites from Manizales, as well as government officials and their families.

On the second floor of the manor, a figure kept shaking the liquid in a glass, looking down at the crowd immersed in joy.

Four men in suits sat on the sofa with solemn expressions, constantly sucking on their cigars, but their eyes remained fixed on that figure's back.

Just half an hour ago, news about Hasana's nightclub arrived.

Lucas, far away in the military camp, had no idea that he had spoiled the VIP's party.

Joshua Cross adjusted his glasses and, seeing that the other party remained silent, calmly said, "Alex, the city government cannot directly interfere with the military. These are special times, and we don't want to see our business affected."

The voice just fell

Thud...

Ronan Einar pulled out his gun and slammed it on the table, glaring menacingly at the other three: "This is fucking provocation! You're still thinking about business? Without us, you wouldn't even get a single dollar."

"Only bullets can make the Manizales people understand that this is our territory!"

"Shut up!"

Alex Ennar, who was standing by the window, turned around and stopped Ronan from speaking. Then he raised his glass to the mayor, whose face looked rather grim.

"I'm sorry, Mayor Joshua, but he and Andrei are brothers, so it's a little hard for me to accept right now."

Ronan opened his mouth to retort, but seeing his brother's gaze, he could only mutter something under his breath and down a glass of wine to cool down.

Alex seemed unaffected, and said calmly, "The road from Manizales to Medellín passes through Lucas Franco's territory for a section."

"The cost of manual handling would reduce our business revenue by 50% to 60%. It is because of Kitaya's existence that you all have the largest mansions, the most beautiful women, and a continuous stream of wealth."

Their tone was as calm as if they were telling a story, but with each additional sentence, the three men, led by Joshua, furrowed their brows more.

Alex smiled, took a sip of his drink, and said with a hint of inquiry, "Whether it's US dollars, women, or power, the Ennar brothers will never be stingy if it can sway Lucas."

Andrei didn't die, but it was as if he were dead.

He received a gift from Lucas: a dead hyena would be forgotten the next day, but a living hyena would always remind those around it.

The methods of Lucas Bolivar Franco.

The politicians, bloated and complacent, haven't yet grasped that they're facing an outlier.

If he could bribe Lucas, he could personally send Andrei there.

Colombia has no shortage of gunmen who will kill.

Silence fell in the room. Alex threw the problem back at them, and Congressman Dominic Read said in an unfriendly tone.

"Alex, we warned you in advance that it was Andrei who acted on his own and disrupted the plan. The senators in Medellín are actively lobbying to stop the extradition clause, which has failed, including the start of the senator elections, all of which require huge sums of money."

"You must understand that the military's doors will only open to us if Pablo returns safely to Colombia."

"According to my understanding, the rapid reaction force is directly under the jurisdiction of a committee composed of the six regional commanders. All operations do not need to go through the national committee, but are directly approved by the president and then submitted to the U.S. Southern Command for coordination."

The implication is simply that we are not at that level, whether through bribery or any other means.

The Kitani Group got itself into trouble, so it has to deal with it... but the money owed can't be less!

The Medellín Cartel is just a general term; in reality, it is a criminal organization controlled by three families, headed by Pablo Escobar.

They monopolize the channels and connections, ensuring your goods travel unimpeded.

Kitani was one of them, which is why he cooperated in creating riots in Manizales.

The usually composed Alex was unusually annoyed, both by Andrei's unauthorized actions and by Pablo Escobar.

The drug dealer started talking about his political ambitions, saying that things wouldn't be like this if he hadn't run for that damn Congressman.

They already own everything in this country, and even the ties-wearing elites in Congress can't refuse the dollars they offer.

For the sake of selfish ideals, everyone should bear the consequences.

Perhaps sensing the oppressive atmosphere, the usually taciturn Police Chief Leon Drake spoke up: "Alex, I can only apologize for Herrera's situation."

"I have never doubted our friendship; Herrera would never do something so foolish."

Alex waved his hand and his smile returned, seemingly unconcerned. He wouldn't let a worthless hyena affect a police chief who still had value.

Seeing this, Leon Drake was quite pleased and then said with a rather smug tone, "Gentlemen, things may not be at their worst yet."

"My son-in-law Herrera is in Lucas's jurisdiction, which means we can keep track of his situation at all times."

"Moreover, Alex, the commander of the first team, has replied that he agrees to meet. It seems that the commander-in-chief of the rapid reaction force has not yet been determined. This may be our opportunity."

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone raised their eyebrows slightly.

Agreeing to meet means cooperation, and when there's a mountain of US dollars piled up in front of you, no one can resist the temptation!

Moreover, letting them fight amongst themselves is a trick that never fails.

Only Alex was still thinking about something, but there wasn't a better way at the moment, so trying Derek's method wouldn't hurt.

He then raised his glass: "Thank you, Derek. Gentlemen, continue to enjoy the party, and don't forget to take the little gifts we prepared for you when it's over."

Everyone stood up with satisfied smiles, as if everything had returned to normal, and the ripples caused by Lucas seemed to be just a minor episode.