Felix completely ignored the outstretched hand, his gaze sweeping over the faces of the impeccably dressed officials before him, and directly interrupted the governor's speech:
"From now on, under the authority of the Military Control Committee, all of you are temporarily detained. Without permission, you are not allowed to leave the city hall by even a step."
These words were like a splash of cold water in hot oil, causing a sudden stir and suppressed exclamations among the crowd.
Although they had anticipated this, hearing such an order that was almost akin to imprisonnt was still hard for these typically privileged officials to accept.
A middle-aged man standing at the back, wearing gold-rimd glasses, forced a smile on his face. He was the head of the State Treasury, nad Emilio Salcedo.
He stepped forward half a step, rubbing his hands, his tone pleading:
"Mr. Gonzalez, isn't this a bit… You see, my wife just gave birth yesterday, and she's still in the hospital. The child was born prematurely and the situation is quite unstable. Can I… can I go back and see them first? Just for a mont, to arrange things at ho. I promise to return imdiately to face the investigation!"
He spoke sincerely, even with tears in his eyes, trying to move the young "imperial envoy" with familial emotions.
Felix said nothing, nor did the muscles on his face move an inch. He rely turned his head slightly, those cold, unblinking eyes staring straight at Emilio Salcedo.
Damn, is there sothing on my face?
The smile on Salcedo's face froze, his mouth involuntarily twitching.
He felt the other person's gaze piercing into the depths of his fear. The pressure contained in that gaze far exceeded his imagination, making his scalp tingle, a chill running up his spine.
His throat moved, the words he had prepared in his mind could not co out, and ultimately, under that silent stare, he reluctantly lowered his head, not daring to et it again, quietly retreating back into the crowd, his body still trembling slightly.
Only then did Felix withdraw his gaze, as if he had just warded off a buzzing fly.
He spoke again, his voice even colder than before:
"Anyone else have any objections? Or want to go ho? I can have soone send you back."
Um…
Back to grandma's house.
The crowd was dead silent.
Everyone looked at each other, but no one dared to speak, not even daring to breathe heavily. Several of the more ntally fragile individuals were already trembling at the knees.
Felix raised his wrist and glanced at the simple yet precise military watch, "To the conference room."
The governor looked at Felix's young back, then at the sharp-eyed soldiers around, and could only sigh.
In the main conference room of the city hall, on either side of the heavy mahogany long table, the officials sat upright or stiffly in high-backed chairs, no one daring to move lightly, only the sound of breathing and the occasional gulp of nervous saliva were particularly clear in the silence.
Felix sat in the seat that originally belonged to the governor. Without looking at anyone, he casually tossed a thin folder he carried onto the polished table, creating a light "tapping" sound that made everyone's heart skip a beat.
That was a summary of intelligence divulged in a very short ti after Diego Rojas surrendered, enough to overturn the entire upper echelons of Michoacán.
The nas, numbers, and transactions within, each were stained with blood and filth.
Felix opened the folder, casually pressing a finger on it. He lifted his eyelids, his gaze sweeping over the anxious and uneasy faces below, and then he spoke:
"Emilio Salcedo."
"Here! I... I am!"
The head of the Treasury who had just used the premature child as an excuse to sneak away, jumped from his chair as if electrocuted, raising his hand high, his face pale.
Felix showed a faintly appropriate "surprise," raising an eyebrow slightly: "Oh? You're the head of the Treasury?"
Before Salcedo could manage a smile, Felix's gaze fell on his instinctively withdrawn wrist, adding:
"Rolex, quite a nice watch."
Those light five words made Salcedo shiver all over, shrinking his right hand behind him as if electrocuted, while his other hand hurriedly went to tug at his suit sleeve, trying to cover the expensive watch, a clumsily panicked gesture, his lips trembling, unable to utter a word.
Felix no longer looked at his pathetic state and finally leisurely opened the folder, his gaze landing on one of the pages, as if confirming sothing, then recited without lifting his head:
"In the past year, state financial records show 6.47 million allocated for special disability benefits and agricultural ergency aid, but investigations found no disabled individuals received money, and no farrs got aid. Where did the money go?"
He paused, "Also, under your na, registered to your wife, your mistress, your distant relatives, even your household maid, there are 32 properties distributed across Cancun, xico City, Los Angeles, and the seventeen luxury cars in your garage, from Ferraris to Rolls-Royce—where did these co from?"
"I… I… this..."
Emilio Salcedo was trembling like soone with Parkinson's, cold sweat pouring from his forehead, stamring, his eyes avoiding, his mind a complete blank.
Felix watched him, without any expression on his face, rely nodding slightly. He beckoned to Salcedo with a finger, his voice remaining calm:
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