Chapter 45: Handled with Care

Milton returned to the underground bunker beneath the pharmacy and stroked the PKM machine gun back and forth several times.

Just as Brandon and Veronica’s expressions were about to turn odd, Milton finally put down the machine gun with reluctance, waved his hand, and said, "Veronica, stay here and keep watch over the pharmacy; Brandon, you go attend the commendation ceremony, and stop wandering around aimlessly."

"Boss, do you want to use my car? Didn't you already give yours to Horne?"

"No need." Milton refused to use Brandon's beat-up car, which hadn't even been sent to the shop yet. "I'll buy one myself. You hurry up and get your own car fixed."

Veronica and Lutz both rode motorcycles, which Milton was even less likely to use.

They had money on hand to buy a new car now, but because they had far too much cash, they were currently experiencing a slight bout of decision paralysis.

So in the end, Milton still had to pick out a vehicle himself.

Since buying a civilian vehicle didn't require red points anyway, Milton simply opened the system and began browsing.

Brandon looked radiant. "Alright, then I'll head out first and see how much bonus the police department is willing to give me... Well, who knows, maybe I'll even get promoted to sergeant, haha."

Watching Brandon's clunker drive away, Milton lowered his head, opened the interface, and browsed the automotive market.

"They're all used cars, and the selection isn't complete... It's still because our faction is too small; many rewards have exchange restrictions."

Milton glanced over the list, seeing mostly familiar vehicle models.

Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Buick...

Yet the vast majority were sedans and pickup trucks.

What Milton wanted to find was a genuine off-road vehicle to serve as his personal ride—in a country with relatively underdeveloped infrastructure, a car with superior passing capabilities could sometimes prove immensely useful.

"The supply of off-road vehicles is very sparse. Nissan Patrol, Ford Bronco..." As Milton browsed, a particularly eye-catching vehicle suddenly caught his eye.

A Land Rover Defender 90, equipped with BFG all-terrain tires and retrofitted with a 5.0L V8 engine!

Now that was a good car, and it had massive modification potential; installing a machine gun mount on the roof would be no problem at all.

Because it was a used vehicle, it had a few minor flaws, but overall, it was in absolutely pristine condition!

The only minor issue that couldn't be optimized was that this car drank gasoline as fiercely as a hooker drank tequila... Even when driving on the highway, fuel consumption was a staggering 18 liters per 100 kilometers.

"No, wait, the fact that it's expensive is my problem, not the car's."

Having lingered on it for so long, Milton knew this Land Rover Defender was the ride of his heart.

Gritting his teeth, Milton clicked on the detailed information for the Land Rover Defender and looked toward the listed price.

Even though he had mentally prepared himself, Milton was stunned for quite a while.

"Nearly 500,000 points?! Even if these aren't red points, isn't this price a bit too absurd?!"

Subtracting the red points he couldn't touch—which needed to be saved for purchasing armored vehicles—Milton currently had a total of just over 500,000 regular points on hand.

On the black market, a Land Rover Defender of this year and condition would cost at most less than 80,000 US dollars. Of course, vehicles of this caliber were usually priceless and unavailable.

The price tag of 500,000 points was indeed terrifyingly high.

"...Still better than taking the points to the grave with me." Milton felt a pang of regret in his wallet, but ultimately chose to make the exchange. "I suppose it's reasonable. Everything redeemed through the panel comes with fully legal paperwork, and that alone is worth a fortune."

After a brief and painless bout of internal struggle, Milton spent the 500,000 points.

[Exchange successful. Since there are other people present in your current garage, this vehicle will appear in a temporary uninhabited location. Please retrieve it within 20 minutes. The address is located at...]

Unable to suppress his eagerness, Milton casually bid farewell to Veronica and walked briskly toward the vehicle pickup point indicated on the panel.

A few minutes later, inside a small grove of trees, Milton spotted a tall, boxy shape covered by a canvas tarp.

Suppressing his excitement, Milton pulled off the tarp, revealing a brand-new, olive-green Land Rover Defender.

Just like anyone who had just picked up their beloved car, Milton first walked a circle around it for an inspection: factory-installed roll cage, front steel brush guard, tubular rear bumper, and a retrofitted snorkel. Excellent!

Front and rear rigid axles, coil springs, Bilstein steering damper. Excellent, absolutely fantastic!

The air conditioning and CD player seemed to be aftermarket additions, but the cooling effect was good, and the CD player was a Sony unit with great quality.

After ignition, the sound emitted by the mighty V8 heart was utterly melodious.

Every angle was a feast for the eyes.

This was the feeling of loving a car!

"Soft-top convertible... There might be potential for bulletproof modifications later, but I'm out of points and cash for now, so this will have to do."

Knowing what his current priority was, Milton quickly regained his composure and drove the new vehicle toward the "Quick Chop" Chinese restaurant.

The car's rugged styling, roaring engine exhaust, and obviously exorbitant price tag attracted the gazes of numerous people along the way.

Parking the car properly, Milton stepped inside the restaurant.

The owner looked like a person of mixed Chinese descent. Seeing Milton walk in, he hurriedly stepped forward to welcome him, offering a ingratiating smile. "Sir, what would you like to eat today?"

Even if he didn't recognize Milton, he knew that anyone driving a vehicle like that was definitely not someone to be trifled with.

He was already prepared to be stiffed on the bill.

What Milton felt nostalgia for was his homeland; he didn't hold any special sentimental attachment for overseas Chinese. He pulled out a 200-quetzal banknote and said indifferently, "Book your restaurant for two hours. Everyone else leaves right now. I'll pay the bill."

Who wouldn't be thrilled to eat a free meal? The other customers raised zero objections, immediately packed their remaining food into plastic bags, and swiftly cleared out of the restaurant.

Seeing the 200 quetzales handed over to him, the restaurant owner felt a surge of delight—earning 200 just for a mere two hours of closure, this gig was totally worth it.

"Sir, please have a seat, have a seat. I'll go pour you some water, just tell me whatever you'd like to eat. I'll fetch the television remote for you right now, watch whatever you like!"

Sigh... In the end, he still had to endure Americanized Chinese food.

Looking at the unappetizing menu, Milton ultimately ordered a plate of chicken chow mein and stir-fried broccoli with beef, which he found relatively acceptable.

As for the television channel, Milton didn't change it—conveniently, the local news was currently being broadcast.

"Local councilman Lopez de Mendoza has promised that if he is elected to Congress, he will promote pharmaceutical-related reforms locally. He pledged that his reforms will protect the patents and interests of pharmaceutical companies, allowing them to develop more medicines for treating illnesses; at the same time, he will accelerate the privatization process of medical insurance."

"He claims that doing this can increase the variety of medicines and significantly reduce medication costs."

"Currently, Lopez's approval rating has exceeded 48%..."

"A prison break has occurred in Marakan Town, and the inmates have not yet been located..."

"..."

"A major drug smuggling case has been cracked in Marakan Town, with several police officers killed in a gang attack. It is reported that the Green Vine Charitable Foundation has been exposed in a major scandal regarding this smuggling case, with multiple high-ranking executives arrested."

"The local court stated that they severely condemn and will not condone such criminal behavior. Several high-ranking executives of the Green Vine Foundation may face prison sentences of under one year, hefty fines, and steep bail amounts."

"Several executives stated that they were completely unaware of their employees' actions and will hire lawyers to defend their legitimate rights and interests."

"The police department has decided to commend several heroic police officers..."

"..."

Milton forked up a mouthful of noodles and shook his head slightly—the "major scandal" that had caused countless deaths, including those of children and pregnant women, was being handled with such a slap on the wrist.

One year? Milton was certain these people wouldn't even need to set foot inside a jail cell.

The local border patrol, police department, and courts were all their people. Even if they were caught red-handed, and even if the charges were airtight, what of it? To them, this was nothing more than the write-off of a single project.

Milton watched the news for a little longer. As the time approached 15:30, a tall man walked in from outside and took a seat at the table.

"Mr. Milton, the 'Hell Tax Collector'? I'm here for the interview."