Chapter 55: A Charming Moment in Journalism

Upon hearing these words, the inspectors' faces first showed astonishment, followed by deep terror.

"Wait! You..."

"Spare me, and I'll tell you where my money is..."

Bang, bang, bang!

Milton and his companions gave their answer with gunfire. Bullets poured into every part of the three men's bodies, turning them into sieves within a single second.

The three men went straight to sleep.

Flora emptied two-thirds of her magazine and, while performing a tactical reload, asked with a hint of sarcasm, "Is this kind of disguise really useful? Aren't we just fooling ourselves?"

The disguise was far too crude and the methods far too clumsy; surely it wouldn't fool anyone, right?

Milton didn't reply. He strode into the warehouse and began searching through a specific storage zone—he remembered that somewhere around here, the checkpoint had stored a considerable number of confiscated cameras.

Soon, Milton located the corresponding section and spotted a few dust-covered cameras.

Ah, found one: a Kodak DCS 100 digital camera with a storage hard drive. It works.

Only then did he speak up: "You don't understand. What the truth is doesn't matter; what matters is how it's reported. Do you understand what I mean?"

Take a few pictures of the corpses of the local inspectors and the Fankan Gang members together, capture the tragic state of the scene, and immediately publish a piece of journalistically artful news titled "Fankan Gang Attacks the Checkpoint." That would be enough.

Whether the Fankan Gang actually attacked the checkpoint doesn't matter. Making everyone believe they did, and leaving the checkpoint unable to clear its name, is what's crucial.

As it happened, he had previously met a Russian journalist who looked like he was desperately short of money. They might just be able to collaborate.

Even the checkpoint itself, upon seeing this rumor, would have to swallow their broken teeth along with the blood—having the corpses of the Fankan Gang and the inspectors lying together means acknowledging this rumor is still better than admitting the checkpoint colluded with a criminal syndicate.

Flora sighed as she walked outside and approached a bunker near the garage: "Where on earth did you learn all this...? I feel like your methods are so dirty. Aren't you a 'righteous' tax officer?"

"The righteous tax officer was already hanged from the traffic light by them," Milton said flatly as he arrived behind the bunker as well. "So I came. This is what they chose for themselves."

As for where he learned it... isn't that obvious? He learned it from Western imperialist countries like yours, didn't he?

"Fine, fine!" Flora shook her head. "Then how are we going to fight next? Dynamic entry straight into the garage? There are important supplies inside the garage; shall we try using flashbangs?"

"I'll try to trick the door open first," Milton replied. "If that really doesn't work, we'll force our way in."

This garage had no other exits, and breaking through the walls wasn't something that could be done in a moment, so there was no fear of anyone escaping through another route.

In reality, the inspectors and Fankan Gang members inside the garage had likely already lost the will to resist.

Still, one had to be cautious.

Facing the door, Milton raised his voice:

"People inside, you have 15 minutes to drop your weapons and surrender, and we can still talk."

"If you don't open the door, we'll shell the place."

"You know we brought heavy artillery, you know we know how to use it, and you know I'm not threatening you, but stating a fact."

"Countdown starts now."

After shouting, Milton lowered his voice and spoke into his walkie-talkie: "If they don't surrender after 10 seconds, we storm the place immediately."

"Copy that."

There was a medical truck inside, equipment Brandon could use, and inventory that could resolve the pharmacy's shortage of medicine. How could Milton possibly shell it with artillery?

However, the people inside didn't know that.

After a countdown of seven or eight seconds, the garage door was pushed open.

A man in military uniform and two Fankan Gang members retreated timidly from inside.

Milton and his two companions, hidden on the flanks, suddenly lunged forward, smashing the butts of their rifles into the backs of the men's heads multiple times while quickly dislocating their wrists and arms.

Making sure the enemy had completely lost the capacity to resist and that there was no one else in the garage, Milton dragged the men inside, preparing for interrogation.

As he turned the face of the inspector in the military uniform, Milton suddenly found him looking somewhat familiar.

It seemed... he had seen him at the checkpoint before!

He had seen him in Station Chief Varta's office—he was Varta's confidant!

To think they had caught such a big fish?!

"Mr. Carlos, long time no see."

Hearing this voice, Carlos abruptly turned his head, straining to look at Milton's masked face.

This truck transaction was of vital importance with immense benefits, and Carlos stood to gain a great deal from it, which was why he hadn't attended the celebration banquet, choosing instead to oversee this secret handover.

Who could have guessed that just as the handover began, the checkpoint would be attacked?

And the enemy actually dared to bring artillery to bombard the checkpoint!

Earlier, Carlos had been speculating whether the remnants of the Cocoa Gang had completely gone mad, launching a final act of revenge against the Fankan Gang and the checkpoint.

Yet the problem was that although the station chief's combat force had been pulled away, the garrison troops left behind still possessed considerable strength—they had machine guns and rocket launchers, and they held a fortified stronghold. Unless more than 20 people came equipped with heavy firepower, how could it possibly be taken?

For gang members fleeing in all directions, weapons were either a trump card to continue dominating in other regions or commodities to be sold for cash.

In an organization with cohesion as poor as a gang's, it was impossible that so many people would still be willing to act as funeral companions after the gang collapsed.

But now, a terrifying, humiliating possibility that Carlos didn't even dare to imagine suddenly surfaced.

"Milton?!"

"Are you out of your fucking mind? Do you know what you're doing? Let me go right now! This is an order, you're courting death!"

"Without me and Mr. Station Chief, you wouldn't even be qualified to stand here and talk to me right now! How dare you point a gun at me?"

"Let me go, did you hear me?"

Carlos, who had managed with great difficulty to learn how to act like a "gentleman," now had a ferocious expression on his face, revealing his true nature.

He was one of the masters of the checkpoint! How could he be humiliated and treated this way by a stray dog that came from outside to beg for food?

Carlos completely refused to accept that he had been struck down by a side dish on the dinner table!

Bang!

Milton drove a 7.62 bullet into Carlos's kneecap, giving his answer.

For carbon-based life forms that failed to grasp the situation, bullets and rifles were the best calming devices.

Carlos seemed completely unprepared for the fact that Milton would actually dare to shoot a superior. He sat in a daze for quite a while before a shrieking, pig-slaughtering scream burst from his throat.

"Ah—woo..."

Milton stepped heavily onto his head, pressing his wails back into his stomach.

"Carlos, you are currently conducting an illegal cross-border transaction with an illegal organization, having betrayed the interests of the checkpoint. You are suspected of treason, and the evidence is conclusive. I am the inspectorate chief of this checkpoint, and I have the right to use any means necessary to uphold the legitimate interests of the checkpoint."

"From now on, I ask, you answer. Any unnecessary movements and phrasing will be regarded as resisting law enforcement. From the moment you hear this declaration, silence will be deemed consent; otherwise, it will be treated as resisting law enforcement and suspected treason. Do you understand?"