The Imperial Hunter Chapter 43 - Starving Port (5)

“Perucho, I understand you’re worried about Mexico and the cartels, but if their plan was to kidnap me, they would have done it long ago.”

“Presidente!”

“Think about it. This port isn’t ideal for exporting drugs; the Plaza’s main source of income will ultimately rely on tourism. They make money from selling drugs to foreigners, collecting taxes from shops catering to tourists, operating casinos, and even arranging prostitution.”

“…”

“Would someone like that kidnap a businessman trying to bring in a wave of tourists to Puerto Vallarta? Not unless the Plaza’s boss is planning something big and trying to escape. Am I wrong?”

“Well, that’s true, but…”

The reason I hadn’t taken the threat of a Plaza armed attack seriously despite all the money I’d spent was precisely this. Hepe, responsible for a Plaza, wasn’t someone with the vision to rise without being cut down. Even if they stormed in en masse, they’d be cut down by the security team eventually.

“Every business involves risks, you know?”

I repeated my words from our first meeting, and Perucho’s gaze fell. He understood logically but couldn’t shake his fear from his heart. So, I put on a reassuring smile while suppressing my inner laughter.

“I’m safe. But Perucho, you’re not. So, please wait for me here.”

“No, I can’t!”

“Yes, you can.”

It would be troublesome if this burly man overheard the conversation inside. The recorded conversation was going to undergo some devilish editing, so if the parties to the conversation made any claims, they would sound like sinners offering flimsy excuses. However, this man’s testimony could turn the tables.

Perucho needed to see and hear only up to this point—me being invited by the Mayor to meet Hepe from the Plaza. That’s why I touched on Perucho’s weakness.

“What will happen to Maria if you do something wrong??”

A surprised reaction from Perucho.

“If something goes wrong with you again, how should I look at Maria? If I find her a job, will she accept the favor from someone indirectly connected to her father’s death?”

In the end, Perucho nodded, accepting my terms. Satisfied with how my supporting cast was working just as I wanted, I walked toward the Mayor, who was waiting for me.

“Have you been waiting long?”

“The conversation seemed to go on for a while.”

“It was just a minor personal matter. Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Chellino.”

“Well, well. Even though we have a connection, you take a lesser government official like him so seriously. There’s a certain level of compatibility between people. Anyway, Don Huan, no matter how you look at it, you’re overly magnanimous.”

“That’s an exaggerated assessment. Anyway, shall we go in? Your guests are waiting.”

“Of course, let’s go. This way!”

Mayor Chellino and I walked side by side, passing through the gate made of iron bars. Inside the gate, the pathway was an independent entrance shared by nine luxurious mansions. Armed guards patrolled the relatively short pathway back and forth, briefly acknowledging the presence of the Mayor and me.

The rear entrance of “Casa Sueños Del Mar” was located to the left at the end of this pathway. Even though a servant was waiting, the Mayor personally opened the door for me.

“Welcome to my home, Huan.”

“Casa Sueños Del Mar” had a layout with two separate structures flanking a courtyard in the middle. The side facing the entrance was a guest house, while the side facing the sea was the main residence. The door connecting the courtyard and the main building was tall, reaching up to two stories, and its roof was supported by four white columns. The walls were painted pale cream, and the roof had Mediterranean-style red tiles. The garden was covered with lush green grass, and in between, there was a swimming pool with blue tiles, creating a striking contrast. Just from what you could see, it was already a beautiful living space. The fact that it was enclosed by walls on all sides, ensuring privacy, was another advantage.

The Mayor seemed somewhat embarrassed by this grand mansion.

“This place, it’s a bit embarrassing to invite guests to my modest home.”

Yes, it only had five bedrooms, which wasn’t a lot for a mansion. Although each bedroom was larger than a typical house in the slums, such discrepancies were common in Mexico. In that regard, Mexico wasn’t the worst country. I reassured the Mayor.

“Chellino, you’re in a public office, after all. You haven’t had many chances to handle big money. Also, it’s not just about the size of the mansion. The wind and the sea here are a beauty that even money can’t buy in Korea. Honestly, I envy it, so you can be proud.”

“Oh, really? Hahaha! It feels good to hear that, even if it’s just empty praise!”

Before entering the main building, some men, whether they were the Mayor’s people or sicarios from the cartel, used metal detectors to scan our bodies. The metal detectors were malfunctioning because I had momentarily interrupted the current flowing to the sensors.

Afterward, the Mayor entered the main building with a smile. Inside, the Mayor introduced the people who had been waiting.

“Please, say hello to Huan here. This is ‘El Juego’ and ‘El Tiro’ of the ‘Sinaloa Cartel.’ I apologize, but I can’t disclose their real names.”

Juego and Tiro. Juego had the classic slicked-back hair and wore semi-transparent sunglasses. He had a good physique and looked like a fashionable guy from the streets. Tiro, on the other hand, was slightly shorter, had a larger head, and his body was heavily muscled; he looked like a “damned” man. They stood up from their seat and shook hands with me courteously.

“I’m Huan. Nice to meet you.”

“I’m El Juego. I’m the boss of this port.”

“I’m El Tiro.”

As I shook hands with them, Tiro furrowed his brow.

‘Does this guy sense something?’

When two different magical fields overlap, an ability user with a mana circuit could indirectly sense the presence of another ability user or awakened being by feeling their mana being suppressed, causing their own power to weaken.

However, El Tiro seemed uncertain about me. This was due to my efforts to suppress my magical abilities as much as possible, a skill that only a true mage who could manipulate their circuits freely could achieve. In the end, El Tiro whispered something to El Juego, more like a warning look toward Suyeon and Kyung-tae than me. While receiving that gaze, Suyeon spoke to Kyung-tae in Korean.

“I’ll take the left and the front, you take the right and the back.”

The two, who had similar roles as bodyguards, stood at a distance from me. It was either to prepare for a situation where I had to exert maximum control strength over magic power, or it was due to their cautiousness to not provoke the Mayor and cartel executives from a distance between them and the door.

The Mayor looked at me with a sly smile.

“Don Huan, you’re not surprised to hear about the identities of these two?”

I replied nonchalantly.

“I understand the uniqueness of Mexico well enough. As long as you do business in this land, I expected to eventually meet with cartel representatives.”

Apparently, my attitude was quite unexpected, and the Mayor invited me to sit down with a strange expression, not knowing whether to laugh or be surprised.

“Haha… Let’s sit down and talk.”

Four people, including the Mayor, took their seats around a sturdy wooden table with no seams. My position, with the courtyard obliquely behind me, provided a good view of the interior.

El Juego, with a mischievous look, spoke in a low voice.

“You’re an unusual person. A regular businessman who isn’t afraid of us, and a devout believer who doesn’t despise us.”

The Mayor chimed in.

“That’s right. It’s quite surprising how calmly he’s taking all this, considering how wary I was of him.”

“Wary? Wary for what?”

I asked, and the Mayor shrugged.

“Even if Don Huan here were to be disappointed with Chellino Baquillano, it wouldn’t be anything out of the ordinary.”

To this, I loaded up a retort and turned my head.

“Disappointed? Not at all. I already told you. I understand Mexico’s uniqueness well enough.”

At this point, El Juego spoke up again.

“Could you tell us what you mean by Mexico’s uniqueness?”

“It’s simple. The cartels aren’t evil.”

“Huh. And the reason?”

“I believe that saving people is good, and killing them is evil.”

“Wait a moment. Are you saying that our cartel saves people?”

“They kill and save, but if you compare the two, they save more. Ultimately, it’s about the quantity left, which is good. If there’s a positive result, it’s good, and that’s enough. In a world where people live, there can’t be perfect goodness. I prioritize results.”

“I don’t like liars.”

“I don’t like liars either.”

El Juego chuckled softly.

“Speaking sincerely, it seems your perspective and analytical skills as a businessman have many issues. Are you seriously making these remarks without realizing that we are distributing relief supplies all over the place? You don’t see that obvious intention?”

“Regardless of the intention, doesn’t it practically help the situation?”

“Looks like I come here to talk to an idiot. You’ve underestimated us with your simple calculations. Do you know how many people are dying in the United States because of the drugs we provide?”

“Yes.”

“But?”

“As long as you don’t sell drugs, Americans won’t have access to drugs, will they?”

My slow response, despite being a bit of nonsense, actually contained a lot of truth.

The Golden Triangle in Southeast Asia, especially the Wa rebels (United Wa State Army) connected to China, had been producing fentanyl recently, known in the United States as “China White,” which had gained tremendous popularity. This drug required only one-fifth the amount of cocaine for a single use, and at a minimum, it was only one-two-thousandth of the cost, making it easy to smuggle. It was highly profitable, and in terms of its effects, addictive qualities, and side effects, it far surpassed cocaine.

The Chinese Triads smuggled vast quantities of China White into the United States every year, enough to kill the entire U.S. population several times over. It was quite a comical situation, but realistically speaking, the huge quantity of cocaine going from Latin America to North America was essentially keeping many Americans safe from China White, which was far worse.

“I also do business in the United States, and I understand how that country works. The more you know, the more profit you can make. If cocaine disappears, another drug will take its place, won’t it?”

El Juego, who had listened quietly, now pushed back with a cheeky smile.

“Go on.”

“In the end, demand leads to supply. As long as Americans want drugs, someone will supply them. Most likely, the Chinese will take on that role.”

“That’s true. You seem to really understand. But what does your business have to do with it?”

“I may have failed, but I explored the insurance sector once. And even there, I often helped the poor and sick. I couldn’t ignore their circumstances.”

Narcotics were a luxury favored by those who had a hard life. Even the impoverished residents of North Korea indulged in methamphetamine, which helped them forget their hunger.

El Juego, who had listened to my fluent lies, twisted his lips into a wry smile.

“Damn Chinese. That damned China White! Do they think we’re so stupid that we don’t make fentanyl? What the hell are they thinking? They’re so blinded by immediate profits that they kill all the customers!”

He clenched his fist and shook it, similar to how Italians gather their hands when talking.

“Even if we kill them, aren’t new guys going to fill the void if we don’t kill them slowly like we do? It’s all because of those short-sighted guys that our people on this side are also talking about handling fentanyl!”

This reminded me of Chinese fishing vessels that engaged in illegal fishing in the world’s seas. The Chinese fishermen from the Red Continent, who dried all kinds of fish species from their own fishing grounds, were now destroying the waters of other countries with their densely-knit driftnets. Their fishing methods had no future; it was just about today’s profit.

They were a horde of locusts worshiping gold.