In the ten days that followed, Pablo intensified his plotting against Cristo.
He no longer contented himself with simple manipulation of reports.
He began using Lorenzo.
Lorenzo was the perfect tool for this kind of work. Smart enough to understand what was asked of him without everything being explained. And ambitious enough to execute without hesitation.
On the first day, Pablo asked him to watch Cristo closely. Not directly, but from a distance. How many boxes he received daily. How many of them he sent back claiming damage. Who he spoke with during breaks.
Lorenzo returned in the evening with a short verbal report. He did not ask why. He just said what he saw.
On the third day, Pablo began manufacturing evidence.
Not real evidence. He did not need it. He needed sothing to convince the director.
He prepared a forged paper that looked like an internal report from the reception departnt, handwritten, showing that Cristo was receiving commissions from a certain supplier in exchange for favoring his goods despite their poor quality.
He did not place the report in the director's drawer. That would have been stupid.
He gave it to Lorenzo.
"Keep this paper. Do not show it to anyone until the ti cos."
Lorenzo took it without asking. He put it in his pocket and nodded.
On the fifth day, Pablo asked Lorenzo to "overhear" a conversation between Cristo and one of the suppliers in an alley behind the factory.
The conversation did not happen, of course.
But Lorenzo returned to the factory with a worried face and said to Pablo in a low voice: "I saw Cristo receiving an envelope from a man I don't know."
Pablo nodded. "That is important. You might need to tell the director about it."
Lorenzo looked at him. He understood the ssage.
On the seventh day, the director began to show signs of annoyance.
He summoned Pablo to his office in the morning.
"The numbers in the reception departnt are not improving."
"I know." Pablo said quietly.
"Cristo has worked with us for a while. There were no complaints about him before."
"Perhaps because he was not monitored enough before."
The director looked at him. He was thinking out loud now.
"Do you have anything to tell about Cristo?"
Pablo paused for a second. Then he said:
"I have nothing to say. But if other matters appear, I will tell you."
He did not say more. That was smart.
The director nodded and let him go.
On the ninth day, Lorenzo ca to Pablo. He said: "I think I should speak with the director."
Pablo looked at him. "About what?"
"About things I have seen. About Cristo." He paused. "Things I cannot remain silent about."
Pablo smiled inwardly. Lorenzo was smarter than he expected. He understood his role perfectly.
"Alright. If you feel it is your duty, do it."
That sa day, Lorenzo entered the director's office.
The eting lasted twenty minutes.
Pablo was not there. But he knew everything that was said afterward.
Lorenzo told the director that he had seen Cristo receiving money from a suspicious supplier. He showed the forged paper that Pablo had given him. He said he had heard whispers among the workers about "bribes" in the reception departnt for months.
The director listened. His face changed from annoyance to cold anger.
He did not make an imdiate decision. But doubt turned into conviction for him.
---
On the tenth day, the director summoned Pablo and Tom to his office.
He was sitting behind his desk, his hands clasped in front of him. His face showed nothing but seriousness.
"I have a decision." He said without preamble.
Tom looked at Pablo. Pablo looked at the director.
"Cristo will leave his position at the end of this week. I haven't told him yet. But he will not stay. The worker Lorenzo told he saw him receiving bribes and brought evidence."
He paused for a mont.
"Now, we need a replacent for him. Soone the factory trusts and who understands fruit."
Tom spoke first.
"I have a candidate." He said confidently. "A man from outside the factory. His na is Renaldo. He worked in quality control at two different factories. He knows fruit well. And we can trust him."
The director looked at him.
"How do you know him?"
"I worked with him years ago. An honest man."
Pablo was silent. He was calculating.
Tom wanted to place his own man. Because Tom thought of his own interest too. Every position controlled by a friend of Tom ant greater influence for Tom in the factory.
Tom owed nothing to Pablo. On the contrary, Pablo owed him because he had recomnded him to the director in the beginning.
This was the ti for Pablo to speak.
"I have a candidate as well."
Tom turned to him with slightly narrowed eyes. He did not expect Pablo to stand in his way.
"Lorenzo." Pablo said quietly. "He has worked at the factory for seven years. He knows fruit because he has touched it every day. And he is the one who ca to the director with evidence against Cristo. That is proof of his honesty."
The director looked at Pablo. He was thinking.
Tom interjected. His voice was sharper now.
"Lorenzo is not a manager. The fruit reception position needs experience in administration and auditing."
"Lorenzo knows fruit more than any manager from outside the factory. And his experience inside the factory itself ans he will not need ti to learn the internal politics."
Tom paused for a second. Then he said in a quieter but colder tone:
"What is your interest in Lorenzo, Pablo?"
Pablo looked at him with the sa calm.
"My interest is for the reception departnt to work efficiently. Lorenzo has proven his efficiency. And he has also proven his honesty by reporting Cristo's corruption."
Tom did not reply. He looked at the director.
The director had been silent throughout the exchange. His eyes moved between the two n.
He opened his mouth.
"Lorenzo."
Tom fell silent.
"The factory knows him. And he ca to . And Pablo's previous track record in recomndations... Daniel was his recomndation. And he is doing well."
Tom nodded slowly. His face did not change, but sothing began to form in his eyes. New caution.
"Alright." Tom said. "Lorenzo."
The director stood up.
"Lorenzo starts next week. Pablo, tell him."
"I will."
---
They left the office together. The hallway was quiet.
Tom walked beside Pablo with heavy steps. Before they reached the end of the hallway, he stopped.
He looked at Pablo. His face was still calm, but his voice had changed slightly.
"You played this well."
Pablo did not reply.
"Lorenzo is not your genius discovery. Lorenzo is who you want."
"Tom, you recomnded your friend. I recomnded who I know. We both want what is best for the factory."
Tom laughed a short, cold laugh.
"What is best for the factory." He repeated the words as if tasting their flavor. "Alright. We'll see."
Then he continued walking and did not look back.
Pablo stood in his place for a second.
Tom had beco cautious of him.
He no longer saw Pablo as a talented child needing protection. He saw him as another player on the chessboard.
And this was sothing Pablo did not want.
He continued walking toward his section.
---
In the evening, Pablo sat in his small office.
The papers were in front of him, but he did not look at them.
He was thinking.
Lorenzo was now the fruit reception supervisor.
Daniel was the night shift supervisor.
And he was in charge of the day shift.
Three sensitive positions under his direct or indirect control.
And the embezzlent continued in secret.
In the past month alone, it had exceeded three hundred thousand.
And this number would rise soon.
He opened his small notebook that no one saw.
He wrote new nas in his list.
Not fake nas this ti.
Real nas of people who could be exploited soon.
Then he closed it and put it in his inner pocket.
He stood up and turned off the light.
The factory was under his control more than ever before.
But Tom had beco cautious of him.
And this ant that the coming days might be more complicated.
He left the factory in the darkness.
The road was still long.
But he knew where he was walking.
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