Chapter 1966: Chapter 825: Old Friends from Mexico Have Gotten Smarter!

"This will be very dangerous," Sara was worried.

"That’s why we need to operate carefully." Allen nodded, "Information will be aggregated to me through encrypted channels, and I will screen and verify. Once confirmed as authentic, we can anonymously provide it to the police, or... if the police do not act, we can consider other ways to ’remind’ those drug traffickers that Liverpool doesn’t welcome them."

"Other ways?" Sara looked at Allen’s calm face and suddenly realized that this man, who always appeared as an expert organizer and strategic advisor, might have powers and means she wasn’t aware of.

"Non-violent, for now." Allen did not answer directly, "But we must prove to the residents that the ’Congress’ can not only protest and give speeches but can also take practical action to solve their most pressing issues. Otherwise, we’ll never break through the blockade of the existing political framework."

Sara was silent for a long time. She knew Allen was right. But the path forward would become increasingly dangerous and increasingly distant from her initial vision of a "fair and square" constitutional reform.

"First take the step of transparency and offering rewards," she finally said, "As for the rest... we’ll see."

...

Mexico City, "Feathered Serpent Temple."

Bramo reported to Victor the latest situation of "Skull and Snake" and "Black Pearl" drugs in Congo, Scotland, West Africa, Bosnia and Herzegovina, especially the rapid rise of Mamadou’s power in West Africa and the sinister signs of "experiments" by the group in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"They’ve evolved quickly."

Bramo summarized, "From scattered drug dealing and robbery, they’ve begun shifting towards semi-militarized and territorial control. In West Africa, they attempt to replicate our successful model elsewhere, but the goal is to establish a drug kingdom. In Bosnia and Herzegovina, the purpose is unclear but more dangerous. These people directly interfere with and pose potential threats to our plans." 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Casare cursed: "These bastards, their home was raided by us, and they ran outside under the banner of Mexico, behaving recklessly, damaging our ’civilized progress’ image! Boss, let me take people to Africa, I guarantee to eliminate these cockroaches within a month!"

Victor did not immediately answer.

He walked to the global situation map, looking at the red dots marked as "drug traffickers’ active zones" and "Black Pearl circulation areas." These red dots, like viruses, adhered to the wounds and gaps created by the collapse of the old order.

Victor slowly spoke, "They are viruses. You can kill cockroaches, but viruses mutate, spread, and exploit the weaknesses of the host. Our past cleansing forced them to leave Mexico but also allowed them to spread globally and... evolve into new forms in more chaotic and less constrained environments."

He turned around: "Directly sending our people to eliminate them is costly, risky, and easy to be accused of ’interfering in internal affairs’ or even ’exporting violence.’ More importantly, it addresses symptoms rather than the root. As long as poverty, unrest, and governance failures exist in the world, such viruses will continuously grow."

"Then what? Do we just ignore it?" Casare asked anxiously.

A calculating glint flashed in Victor’s eyes, "They now want to become warlords, want to control regimes? Fine, we’ll help them."

Bramo and Casare were both stunned.

"Bramo, through our intelligence network in Africa, especially those local powers having commercial dealings with us, anonymously provide the intelligence of the Mamadou Group to their competitors, or... those local religious leaders, tribal elders who are deeply opposed to the drug trade. Provide detailed locations of their movements, warehouses, weapon storage points. Let them fight."

"Additionally."

Victor continued, "Let our media resources begin reporting the ’tragedy’ of Sangar Town in West Africa, emphasizing the cruelty of drug lord warlords, the suffering of the people, and the incompetence of the local government. Mold Mamadou and his ’Black Pearl’ into public enemies of African people. Urge ’international community attention,’ ’provide humanitarian aid.’

Casare sort of understood: "Boss, you intend to kill two birds with one stone and stand on the moral high ground?"

"Not just that." Victor shook his head, "When they fight to a standstill, or local people’s fear of drug lord warlords reaches its peak, we will then step in. In the name of ’humanitarian aid’ and ’technical support,’ offer assistance to local ’legitimate governments’ or ’trusted local leaders’—including food, medicine, and... ’light security equipment’ and ’community drug prevention training.’ Help establish order, remove tumors."

"Are we sending people?" Casare asked.

"No troops, send ’civil security advisors’ and ’social development experts.’" Victor said, "Nominally to help restore order and develop the economy, actually to establish our influence and intelligence network. Meanwhile, ’incidentally’ help local development of some genuine, sustainable cash crops to replace poppies. Of course, the acquisition and processing of these cash crops can be handled by companies we hold a stake in."

Bramo quickly noted down, "In this way, we clear disruptive drug lords, earn a reputation, establish new cooperation channels and supply chains, and avoid the negative impact of direct military intervention."

"What about those in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Scotland?" Casare asked.

"The group in Bosnia and Herzegovina, purpose unclear, possibly more dangerous." Victor contemplated, "Let the Europeans worry. ’Accidentally’ leak the intelligence we discovered at the ’Old Brick Factory’ to intelligence departments of the European Union or NATO. Remind them, besides geopolitical conflicts, some darker things are breeding in the Balkans ruins. Let them increase anti-terrorism and anti-proliferation resources investment to share the burden."

"As for Scotland..." Victor paused, "That’s our critical foothold, cannot be disrupted. Provide McTavish with more direct support. Tell him we can offer a skilled ’anti-drug and security advisory team’ to help clear internal tumors and potential disruptors. Terms... can be more favorable, but Scotland’s future financial regulation and data sovereignty need to be more open to us. Also, warn him, pay attention to internal security, some ’old friends’ might have returned in a different way."

He walked to the control panel, looking at the complex situation chart on the screen: "The emergence of these drug lord warlords is a byproduct of the old world’s collapse period, it’s also a test of our new order construction ability. We can’t be led by them nor ignore them. We must utilize them, consume our opponents, and create reasons and spaces for our eventual intervention. Chaos can be a ladder, just see who climbs faster, climbs steadier."

Orders were swiftly transmitted.

A net targeting the emerging drug lord warlords across the globe began to be cast in a more covert and sophisticated way. Not simply violent clearance anymore, but intelligence manipulation, public opinion guidance, proxy wars, and economic substitution combo strike.

The world continued collapsing and rebuilding amidst chaos.

...