In the middle of the night, four people gathered in the juice section office.
Pedro's old office.
Now it had beco Pablo's office.
The walls were still the sa, the drawers still held so of Pedro's old papers, but the person sitting behind the desk had changed.
Pablo sat behind the desk. In front of him, on the three chairs, sat:
Daniel, the night shift supervisor.
Lorenzo, the fruit reception supervisor.
Kavor, the new supervisor of Pablo's old section.
The room was small for these four bodies, but no one complained.
Pablo opened his small notebook and placed it on the table.
"This month."
The three looked at the notebook.
They began speaking one by one.
Daniel first.
"Overti at night gave us two hundred and thirty thousand."
Lorenzo second.
"The damage deduction in reception increased more than usual. Four hundred thousand exactly."
Kavor third.
"Worker attendance in Pablo's old section... so nas are still working without actually being there. Three hundred and seventy thousand."
Pablo added the numbers quickly in his head.
One million.
Then Pablo added.
"The juice section this month gave us an additional four hundred thousand."
The total: one million four hundred thousand Beli.
He paused for a mont.
"The first million is mine. The remaining four hundred thousand is for you."
He looked at the three.
No one objected.
Daniel used to receive thirty thousand weeks ago. Now his share of this four hundred thousand alone exceeded one hundred thousand.
Lorenzo used to be a simple worker. Now he was the reception supervisor, and his monthly inco from embezzlent multiplied his official salary several tis over.
Kavor used to be just a hardworking worker that no one noticed. Pablo placed him in the position of supervisor over an entire section. And he was now getting money he had never dread of before.
The three knew one thing: none of this would continue without Pablo.
Pablo closed his notebook.
"You know why you are here. Not because you are the smartest. Not because you are the most experienced. You are here because I chose you. Because I trusted you. Because I gave you an opportunity none of you ever dread of."
No one replied.
"If you want to continue like this, and if you want your numbers to rise every month, then you must listen to my words and follow my orders. Not because I am harsher than others. Because this is the only way we can ensure that everything does not collapse."
Daniel nodded first.
Then Lorenzo.
Then Kavor.
Pablo extended his hand. He shook each of their hands.
"We et here at the sa ti next month."
The three left one by one, each heading in a different direction so as not to attract the night guard's attention.
Pablo remained in his office for a mont.
He looked at the notebook. One million four hundred thousand in a single month.
In Verona, he would have needed years to gather this amount.
And the numbers would increase.
He closed the notebook and put it in his inner pocket.
He turned off the light and left.
---
The next day, while Pablo was reviewing the juice section papers in his office, Marco entered.
He did not knock. He no longer needed to.
He sat on the chair opposite Pablo without speaking.
Pablo raised his head.
"Do you have sothing?"
"Yes."
Pablo waited.
Marco began.
"In the last few days, three different people approached ."
"What do they want?"
"One said he was from the 'Black Skulls' gang. They work in smuggling and theft at the eastern port. He asked to join them."
He paused.
"The second was from the 'John Gang'. Small street gangs. Drugs and intimidation."
"And the third?"
"The third was alone. He said he was looking for strong people for a 'big project' he didn't explain."
Pablo looked at him.
"And what do you think?"
Marco thought for a second.
"I don't know. I don't want to leave you. But my strength... I feel like I can do more than what I am doing now."
Pablo was silent.
He was thinking.
This could be exploited.
"Marco, I want you to join one of them."
Marco looked at him with surprised eyes.
"What?"
"One of the small gangs. Choose the one that seems weakest and least organized. Join them."
"Why?"
"Because I want to know how these gangs work from the inside. And then... we take control of them."
Marco understood slowly.
"You want to infiltrate them."
"No. I want you to join them and beco one of them. Learn their ways. Learn their nas. Learn their weaknesses. Then when the ti cos... either you take control of them or you destroy them."
Marco was silent.
He was thinking about what Pablo said.
Not afraid. Just calculating.
"Alright. I will do it."
"Choose a small gang. Do not attract the attention of the big gangs. Learn first, then act."
Marco nodded.
"Tomorrow I will go to the 'John Gang'. They are the smallest and least organized."
Pablo nodded.
"Co back to every day and tell what you see. Do not do anything important without telling ."
"I understand."
Marco left the office.
Pablo remained thinking.
Street gangs could be very useful if used correctly.
And Marco was the key.
---
That sa day, at the eastern port of Naraka, Tom was standing next to one of the ships ready to sail.
He was reviewing the papers of the latest shipnt.
But his mind was not on the papers.
He had heard the news that morning.
Pablo was now responsible for the juice section as well.
Not just the main fruit section. Not just the two shifts. Now the juice section too.
Every section was under Pablo's control.
Pablo was a fourteen-year-old child.
And Tom was a man in his fifties, the export manager, a man of experience.
But he was afraid.
Tom stood looking at the sea without seeing it.
He was thinking.
"The director trusts him. The numbers improve with him. Everyone who opposed him disappeared."
He stopped at this word.
Disappeared.
Jordo disappeared from the factory after threatening Pablo.
Cristo was fired for bribery after reports from Lorenzo... and who was behind Lorenzo?
Pedro disappeared suddenly. No body. No trace. Just disappeared.
No one could prove that Pablo was behind any of this.
But Tom knew.
He had no proof. But he knew.
Tom looked at the sky.
"What do I do?"
He asked himself in a low voice.
Two options.
The first: go to the director. Tell him his concerns. Warn him that Pablo was taking control of everything. That people had disappeared. That this child was not what he seed.
But...
The director trusted Pablo. The numbers spoke for themselves. And any accusation without proof would make Tom look like a jealous man afraid for his position.
And worse... if Pablo really was behind Pedro's disappearance... what would he do to anyone who tried to stand in his way?
Tom had seen what happened to Jordo. Seen what happened to Cristo. Heard about Pedro's disappearance.
He did not want to be the next.
The second option: join Pablo.
Cooperate with him. Make him an ally. Perhaps get a share of the profits. Perhaps keep his position. Perhaps...
But Tom was a man. A man who built himself on his own. He did not want to bow to a child.
Tom stood on the port pier.
The wind was cold. The ships moved slowly. The sailors shouted.
But Tom heard nothing.
He was drowning in his hesitation.
He had not decided yet.
He put the papers aside and lit a cigarette.
His hands trembled slightly.
Not from the cold.
He was afraid to go to the director.
And afraid not to go.
He remained standing, looking at the sea.
He did not find an answer.
Not today.
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