“I’ve heard there’s a mole among us,” said the man who had just entered, his voice calm yet firm. “It’s not wise to conduct a large-scale investigation about what happened, nor is it prudent to immediately report that there’s a traitor among us. We might scare the snake and alert them.”
The Don turned to him, recognizing the voice of his trusted advisor. “Consigliere, what do you see in this situation?” he asked, seeking the counsel of his advisor.
The Consigliere walked forward, and the two men stepped aside, realizing they were blocking his path. Once he reached the front of the Don, he began to speak, his tone measured and thoughtful.
“Don, we must tread carefully,” the Consigliere began. “A direct approach might only serve to alert the mole. Instead, we should consider a more subtle strategy. We need to create a controlled environment where we can observe and identify unusual behavior without raising suspicion.”
The Don listened intently, nodding as the Consigliere continued.
“First, we should limit the information flow. Only a select few should be privy to sensitive details about our operations. This way, we can narrow down potential leaks. We should also plant false information and see where it leads. If it reaches our enemies, we’ll have a better idea of who the mole might be.”
The Don’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. “And what about our businesses and cash houses? How do we recover from this blow?”
The Consigliere paused, considering the options. “We need to rebuild our operations quietly. Start by securing new locations for our cash flow, ones that aren’t linked to us. We should also diversify our fronts, making them less obvious and more difficult to trace back to the Familia.”
He continued, “As for the public perception, we must control the narrative. Use our connections to downplay the incidents, making them seem like isolated events rather than a coordinated attack. This will buy us time to regroup and strengthen our defenses.”
The Don nodded in agreement, impressed by the Consigliere’s insight. “Your strategy is sound. We will proceed as you suggest. Your wisdom is invaluable to us.”
The Consigliere inclined his head respectfully. “Thank you, Don. Together, we will navigate through this storm and emerge stronger.”
The Don nodded before turning to the two men. “You two, gather a few trustworthy people under your command and conduct a secret investigation. Be discreet and thorough; mistakes are not an option,” he instructed firmly. The two men agreed immediately and left the room to carry out their orders.
….
Meanwhile, in a private villa purchased by Lucas for meetings between the Abate and Mercado families, people were already gathering. At that moment, a group of six arrived, accompanied by Lion and Tiger, escorting a man in a suit. As they entered the villa, Lion gave a command, “Take him inside and lock him in a room. I’ll question him later.” Mr. Gray was promptly taken to a room.
“Welcome back, Master!” shouted the group in unison as Lion and Tiger approached the crowd. Lion and Tiger surveyed the room, noting that everyone was present. “Congratulations to all of you on the success of your first mission,” Tiger announced, clapping his hands, which was met with cheers and applause. The group was elated, feeling that their training had paid off.
“For now, everyone should rest and eat. We won’t launch another attack immediately to avoid arousing suspicion from the enemy. Continue with your training,” Lion added.
“But don’t worry; because of this incident, it won’t be a month before we execute our next operation. Focus on your training and learn more. Remember, you’ve only faced a low-level operative; there are more formidable ones above them,” Tiger reminded them.
“Alright, everyone, take a break and eat. Tiger and I will review the documents to determine our next steps and how to use them against our adversaries,” Lion said before clapping his hands. At his signal, several people came out carrying an abundance of food, setting it before the group. “Dismissed!” Lion and Tiger said in unison.
“Thank you, Master!” the group replied before happily starting their meal. The Abate and Mercado families united as if they were one family, with Jose and Vladimir joining in the feast.
Lion and Tiger then entered the villa, carrying a thick ledger and documents to study and report to Lorenzo. They knew that Lucas was currently on vacation with his family, and Lorenzo was executing Lucas’s orders. In truth, everything Lorenzo was doing had been pre-planned according to Lucas’s instructions.
Upon entering the villa, Lion set aside the documents, knowing they had something more pressing to address. “Take us to the room where the man is,” Tiger instructed the person who had locked up Mr. Gray. The group proceeded to the room where Mr. Gray was being held. As they entered, Mr. Gray, visibly frightened, fell to his knees and began to plead.
“Boss, please let me go. I’ll tell you everything I know,” Mr. Gray said, his voice trembling with fear.
“Tell us everything you know, and I’ll let you go,” Tiger replied coldly.
Mr. Gray nodded eagerly, like a dog seeking approval, and took a deep breath before speaking. “I’m just a front. There are bigger players behind me. If you don’t believe me, I have a recording on my phone,” he said, pulling out his phone and playing the recording.
Lion and Tiger listened intently, exchanging glances as they absorbed the information. After the recording ended, Lion asked, “Where, when, and who are the people involved in this?”
Mr. Gray hesitated but then began to describe the hidden bosses, providing vague descriptions without naming names. “They’re powerful, influential, and they operate from the shadows. They have connections everywhere, and they speak in a language I don’t understand when communicating with the top boss.”
Lion and Tiger took in the details, realizing they still didn’t know the identity of the ringleader, but they had gathered enough information to start tracking them down.
“This is a syndicate from another country that’s set up base in Italy,” Lion concluded, piecing together the clues from Mr. Gray’s account of the foreign language used by the person giving orders.
Tiger nodded in agreement. “This information is sufficient. I think this man knows where their leader is.”
“People like this are easy to track,” Tiger added confidently. “Based on the language he mentioned, I know where they’re hiding.”
Lion nodded in agreement. “Exactly. In that area, there are only a few influential people, so it will be easy to identify those involved.”
At that moment, Tiger’s phone rang. He pulled it out of his pocket and glanced at the screen. Seeing who was calling, he looked at Lion. Lion also looked at the phone, and they both smiled when they saw who was calling.