Chapter 142: Dear Casanova
Back at the Commando Vermelho compound, the remnants of the TCP attack smoldered, but Nicolau Silva’s focus had entirely shifted. With Jose, his former right-hand man, now a lifeless heap in the jungle, a new, terrifyingly effective enforcer had arrived. Nicolau was utterly captivated by Ciano, the giant "tribesman" who had single-handedly decimated the TCP forces. He would make Ciano his new right-hand man. His enforcer.
Nicolau was invested. Since Ciano supposedly hailed from the Amazon depths, he began to meticulously teach him their language, their ways, the intricacies of the cartel’s operations. What Nicolau didn’t know was that Ciano was equally invested, albeit for entirely different reasons. Through the contact lenses Lina had crafted for him, an automated translator seamlessly fed him Brazilian Portuguese in real-time, allowing him to understand every word Nicolau uttered. He couldn’t yet speak it, but he understood.
This unique situation—being perceived as an invaluable, uncultured powerhouse from the jungle—made it easier for Ciano to gain Nicolau’s trust and rapidly ascend the ranks within Commando Vermelho. His primary objective, beyond becoming Nicolau’s enforcer, was to solidify his position to protect the specific Amazonian area where Richard’s next underground base would be constructed. This rapid integration would also allow him to subtly gain the trust of key members within the cartel, identifying and recruiting loyal and competent individuals to the Praetoriani Siderum order.
His immediate mission: conquer the TCP, the very threat he had just helped repel. He would systematically dismantle their operations, absorb smaller cartel factions into Commando Vermelho, and eventually consolidate control over Brazil, preparing for the inevitable confrontation with the formidable PCC. In the meantime, he would learn every inner working, every intricate operation of Nicolau’s vast criminal enterprise. Knowledge was power, and Ciano was now a sponge, absorbing it all.
Meanwhile, the CRVT - Richie, now a mere shadow parked in a vast, cloaked clearing within the Amazon rainforest, began its monumental work. Below it, a gaping maw, large enough to swallow an entire stadium, opened into the earth. If Lina hadn’t configured the stealth drones to emit a perfectly synchronized projection field above the opening, creating an illusion of an unbroken forest canopy, even the most advanced satellites would have spotted the massive, unnatural void in the pristine Amazon.
At the base of the colossal hole, AMFS drones, silent and tireless, were already de-atomizing stone and soil at an astonishing rate, pulverizing bedrock into fine atomic feedstock. Behind them, another wave of specialized drones moved, re-atomizing the raw material into gleaming, ultra-dense steel walls, expertly reinforcing and shaping the colossal cavern that would soon house Richard’s next underground complex.
Richard stood at the edge of the opening, peering down into the unfathomable depth. He felt a peculiar vibration, a low hum, around his very core. Looking down, he realized it was emanating from his own body. The sheer scale of the hole, unnervingly large, made him feel small. He looked at Lina, who stood beside him, her cyan glowing faintly as she monitored the intricate processes. A rare, almost imperceptible smile of pride touched her lips.
"You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?" Richard asked, a wry amusement in his voice.
Lina’s smile widened, a clear affirmation. "Yes, Sir Richard. Immensely. The scale of this project is... optimal."