The Beginning of Chaos
The Beginning of Chaos
Jake spoke, his cold expression remaining unchanged. "I apologize too. I was in the wrong... We've always searched for our opponents' weak points and exploited them to reclaim previous buildings, but... it seems I made a mistake this time, one way or another."
"You didn't make a mistake," Bruno replied. "But we are setting aside the Commercial Complex for now. Instead... we are moving to reclaim the fertilizer factory first."
Jake’s eyes widened in surprise, and he asked in a bewildered tone, "Why must we give up on reclaiming the Commercial Complex?"
"Because reclaiming it right now is nearly impossible," Bruno explained. "The Capital Guards are currently at the peak of their activity. It would be far too dangerous."
"And are the Northern Forests outside their reach?"
"Their presence there is practically non-existent. We need to use that to our advantage."
"But how? We haven't even thought of a plan to reclaim it."
"You don't need to worry about that. Preparing the plan to reclaim it will fall on my shoulders."
"Ah... It seems you don't fully trust me," Jake said, a bitter edge to his voice. "After rejecting the plan I worked so hard on, now you're telling me I won't be drafting plans anymore."
"The situation is critical right now, Jake. I don't even intend to involve you in the reclamation operation."
"You won't involve me? Why?"
"You must not meet Charlie."
Bruno’s phone suddenly rang. He picked it up, glanced at the screen, and whispered, "It's Eric."
With that, Bruno turned around and left the room.
Jake was left thoroughly irritated, anger and disappointment written all over his face. Daniel could clearly see it—given how hard Jake had worked and how enthusiastic he had been about drafting the previous plan, it was only natural for him to be upset, and no one could blame him.
Daniel placed a comforting hand on Jake’s shoulder and whispered, "It's alright."
Jake snapped, as if he had been waiting for the right moment to explode. "He should just come out and say he wants to push me out of everything! Say it directly! Why does he have to act so offensively?!"
Daniel murmured in surprise, "For the first time..." Then he raised his voice slightly, "For the first time, you're speaking disrespectfully... and about the Leader? You've always spoken of him with the utmost respect."
"I've had enough," Jake said impatiently. "I really can't stand this anymore."
He turned and strode out of the room, his wide, heavy steps betraying the depth of his rage and hurt.
Daniel rushed after Jake, repeatedly calling his name until they reached the outer gate. Jake turned his head, his tone sharp with anger as he directed his words at Daniel: "Don't follow me."
Then, he walked out of the building.
In the central hall, Bruno raised his phone to answer. "Hello, Eric. How are things on your end?"
Eric’s voice sounded noticeably anxious on the line. "Not good."
Eric was leaning against the massive wall of a nearby building, surrounded by several men. Andre was there too, leaning against the wall with his firearm held in a defensive position, scanning their surroundings with tense anticipation.
Eric continued, "Something bad happened. You might not believe it, but... the Guards raided the house under the pretense of finding drugs. Unfortunately, they either found some inside or brought it with them... I really don't know! What matters is that we're currently on the run and being hunted."
"Dammit...!"
Bruno slammed his fist against the wall beside him.
Daniel was standing at a distance, watching him. He had come over to inform Bruno about Jake walking out, but upon seeing the Leader's sheer rage and distress, he decided to retreat.
Walking back, Daniel quietly prayed for the day to pass in peace.
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"Is everyone alright?" Bruno asked, his voice laced with anxiety.
Eric looked at the men around him. "I had already sent some of the men back to their homes as you instructed. As for those who remained with me at the house, when the Guards decided to arrest everyone, a few of them resisted and tried to fight back. But it ended with them being captured... They took about six men, including John. The Guards are heavily armed, so naturally... they overpowered us. If you had only allowed us to use our firearms, we would have wiped them off the face of the earth."
"A murder charge cannot be compared to a drug charge," Bruno stressed. "We must avoid that at all costs, Eric. So please, follow my orders."
"But I genuinely feel defeated," Eric admitted bitterly. "You know how much I hate this. I ran to preserve the remaining men and obey your orders, but fleeing? Just thinking about it makes me sick to my stomach."
"We won't be defeated, Eric. I promise you that," Bruno assured him. "But I can't win this alone either. So keep yourselves safe as much as possible. Now... take the men you have and head toward the Southern Villages, to our usual spot. Make sure to move in absolute secrecy."
Bruno ended the call and took a deep breath, looking around the building. It was eerily quiet; only about fifteen people remained inside.
Despair seemed to be creeping in. For Bruno, the safety of his followers had always been the ultimate boundary guiding every step he took. But now, their freedom was being stripped away, and he found himself powerless to stop it.
Konar and Thomas were eagerly waiting for his downfall.
Though he tried to scale the mountain once more, the obstacles on that rugged path were only multiplying.
Bruno whispered to himself: "Should I take a step back?"
The faint sound of soft laughter broke his train of thought. Two boys were teasing each other as they came down the stairs. Seeing Leader Bruno, they stopped laughing and walked down quietly. They looked around seventeen years old, perhaps even younger.
As Bruno gestured for them to approach, they came closer.
"Don't you two have homes to go to?" Bruno asked.
One of them replied, "We don't. The others who have homes have already left, following your orders."
The other boy spoke up bravely, a bright smile on his face: "We really love this building. You told us this was our home... so will you let us stay here and keep working under your command? We trust you... Leader."
Bruno realized the boy was trying to comfort him with those words.
He smiled gently and replied, "I won't betray your trust. But I will prioritize your safety above everything else."
"We'll stand by you until the very end!" one of them said enthusiastically, while the other added:
"If it weren't for your help, hunger would have finished us off long ago. So let us repay the debt, Leader."
Bruno reached out with both hands, patting their shoulders, and whispered, "Thank you, both of you."
Bruno entered his room to find a man waiting for him, seated on the floor with his face lowered, covered in scars. It was Konar's traitorous follower—the one Bruno had requested to see earlier.
Bruno sat on the sofa, eyeing the man coldly. "Call your master."
He tossed a phone onto the floor, which the man picked up with trembling hands.
Taking a deep breath to suppress his inner fury, Bruno repeated, "Call your master, just like you usually do...!"
The man’s voice trembled with sheer terror. "What... should I... tell him?"
Bruno raised his voice in anger, gesturing around the room. "Tell him about the sheer chaos he has caused! Tell him he succeeded in making me anxious and terrified! Tell him he is on the verge of victory... and that he cleverly uncovered my weak point and exploited it well!"
The man listened to Bruno in absolute horror.
Bruno lowered his tone, his voice turning cold and sharp. "Tell him that... and fake happiness in your voice. Make him feel how thrilled you are about what has befallen us... Then, once you're done... return to your normal state, before I change my mind about sparing what's left of your face."
The man nodded frantically in fear and dialed Konar’s number.
On the other side, Konar was walking down a wide corridor inside the government building, with Aaron following close behind. They passed a small public library along the way, and Konar remarked, "This is the public library. The books inside will answer your questions."
His phone rang, and he brought it to his ear. "Yes?"
The man took a deep breath, trying to fake confidence. "It's me, sir—your loyal follower, Stephen."
Hearing those words, Bruno, sitting across from the man, curled the corner of his lip into a cold smirk, whispering to himself, "Quite the talented actor..."
On the other end, Konar replied with sudden recognition, "Ah, I remember you... So you're still alive. What's the news?"
"I have wonderful news for you, sir," Stephen reported. "It seems victory is finally on your side...!"
Aaron stood there silently, watching Konar and listening to the call, which lasted about a minute.
Once Konar hung up, he turned to Aaron, placing a proud hand on his shoulder. "Just as I told you, Aaron... victory is ours!"
Konar excitedly began recounting what he had learned about Bruno's dire state, practically glowing with satisfaction.
With every word he heard, Aaron's inner rage burned hotter. He wasn't entirely sure if what his father was saying was true, but seeing Konar's arrogant smile was enough to infuriate him. This man caused the deaths of so many, destroyed countless lives... and he still stands there smiling like a fool.
This man has completely stripped himself of any sense of fatherhood, Aaron thought bitterly.
Konar interrupted his thoughts, saying, "Since I'm in a good mood, I'll grant your request. I'll allow you to join the Reception Department. Even though it doesn't suit you at all and is completely idle—I was actually considering abolishing it."
Aaron replied coldly, "The department suits me since I studied social relations. I'll head there now."
Aaron turned toward the "Reception Department"—a section of the government building meant to welcome visitors and foreign delegations from neighboring countries.
When Konar described it as "idle," he wasn't exaggerating. The country was in total isolation from its neighbors, having fought three consecutive wars with the three surrounding nations, which resulted in a complete severance of diplomatic ties.
Thus, no delegation—nor even a single visitor—was ever received in the country. At most, it was occasionally used to host leaders from local cities.
Yet, Aaron specifically wanted to work there...
His sole reason was to get close to "Robert"—his father's only true friend and the keeper of all his secrets.