The streets were already cleared of corpses and trash.

  All the wounded had been sent for medical treatment.

  Returning to the last corner near the barracks, Antonio found the main gate surrounded by tens of thousands of people.

  Banners of all colors were raised high, covered in protest slogans—he couldn’t even see where the gate was.

  “Executioners! Butchers! Stop this now!”

  “Bernardo, kill yourself to atone for your crimes!”

  “A military that points guns at its people is evil!”

  ……

  As for the shouting, it rose and fell in waves. Antonio couldn't even make out what they were specifically yelling.

  The few hundred people at the back of the crowd saw an officer bringing a neat squad of soldiers and surrounded them without a second thought.

  They screamed slogans, waving their banners.

  Someone even spat in Antonio’s face. Antonio didn’t dodge or reach out to wipe it. He simply barked an order to the three hundred soldiers following him:

  “Attention!”

  “Salute the people!”

  A standard military salute. Perfectly synchronized movements. Watching the army’s submissive reaction, the protesters looked at each other in confusion.

  “Count off! Aside from today’s meal money, how much cash does everyone have on them?”

  “52!”

  “216!”

  ”17!“

  ……

  "Squad leader, total the amount; you'll be reimbursed by the finance office. Everyone else, listen up: take the money and buy water and bread. Distribute it to the people!"

  “About face!”

  Before long, Antonio’s soldiers brought back hundreds of crates of water and a massive pile of bread, stacking them on both sides of the street to hand out to the crowd.

  Nearby shop owners also joined the donation surge. Some gave meals, some gave bread, others donated various dry goods and biscuits.

  The protest crowd contained many hungry people, and they flocked over to receive the food.

  The man who had spat earlier squeezed through the crowd to find Antonio. “General, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have spat on you.”

  Antonio smiled. “I wiped it off long ago.”

  After distributing the food, the protesters spontaneously opened a narrow path for Antonio, letting him lead his soldiers back into the barracks.

  In the office, Bernardo leaned back in his leather chair, eyes vacant. Seeing Antonio salute at the door, he only rotated his chair slightly, his posture otherwise frozen.

  Antonio handed over the casualty summary for the day. Bernardo didn't even look at it, tossing it aside.

  “Garrison already reported to the Secretary of Defense and the President. Naturally, he gave me a copy too.”

  “I see.”

  Antonio saluted, about to leave.

  Bernardo finally straightened his spine. “Nothing else to say? About those gang lackeys protesting outside, for instance?”

  “In my opinion, they are all people. Whether they’re gang lackeys, I haven’t checked,” Antonio replied flatly.

  Bernardo frowned.

  Antonio responded with a faint smile.

  “Why do you think the same way as the President, Antonio?”

  “Commander Bernardo!” Antonio replied in a low, concerned tone. “Have you seen today’s papers? I mean every paper available on the street. I just counted in the office: out of 31 newspapers, only the Defense Daily believes the protesters are gang members.”

  “Among them, 27 papers believe the army should not have appeared with guns on West Gate Street last night. Even if the situation there got out of control, that was the police’s job. They believe the army was illegally present, and now that hundreds of soldiers have been killed in the attack, they claim it’s the army’s own responsibility.”

  “24 papers explicitly stated that citizens attacking an illegally suppressing army is a victory for freedom.”

  “Enough already!” Bernardo slammed the table, yelling.

  “I always summarize for you… if you don’t want to hear it, then forget it…” Antonio mumbled, feigning a hint of fear in his voice.

  “Then keep summarizing.”

  Antonio thought Bernardo was letting him go.

  You want to keep listening? Then I won’t hold back.

  “Your current attitude—isn’t that going against the people? Even if the people can’t vote for a military district commander, they can vote for the President.”

  "The current Secretary of Defense was carried over from the wartime period, but what about the next term? He will be appointed by the President, Commander Bernardo."

  Antonio leaned close to Bernardo’s ear, his voice barely a whisper.

  “I mean, we need to leave ourselves an out. If you declare these protesters are gang members, imagine how the media will write about you? If even I take your stance, it won’t just be the media and the public hating us. Even the President and the Secretary of Defense will be wary of us, since we’re the First Military District, controlling the provisional capital.”

  He kept saying “us,” and Bernardo’s anger indeed softened.

  “Then what do you say we do?”

  “Admit fault. Push the blame onto the dead division commander. Forgive the gangs with a tolerant attitude, because gangs are also part of the populace.”

  “Admitting fault would make me look like an incompetent commander! No way!”

  Bernardo thought Antonio would correct or argue with him, but Antonio merely saluted.

  “Yes, Commander Bernardo!”

  “Wait, why aren’t you saying what the consequences would be if I don’t admit fault?”

  Lost your confidence? Antonio smirked internally.

  “If you don’t admit fault, the public will probably surround the Ministry of Defense as well.”

  Bernardo rolled his eyes, annoyed. “They already have.”

  “Huh?” Antonio feigned ignorance.

  “So what are you rushing for? The public and media can’t tell who came up with the bad idea. You only bear half the blame, but if you admit fault, it becomes 100% your responsibility.”

  “Whatever. I think I’ll go have lunch. It’s noon already. I’m exhausted and starving.”

  “I haven't slept since last night.”

  “Yawn...”

  After a long yawn, Antonio saluted.

  Without even asking for permission to leave, he turned and strode out of Bernardo’s office.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  “Half the blame? Bad idea?” Bernardo watched Antonio’s receding back, getting more confused by the second. “What kind of talk is that?”

  The way Antonio kept himself completely clean from this mess... the more Bernardo thought, the more it felt wrong.

  After pondering for over ten minutes, Bernardo suddenly realized that he hadn't had lunch either. He quickly trotted off, eager to catch up with Antonio.

  “Huh? Commander Antonio? He grabbed a lunch box and said he’d eat in his room. Left ages ago. He also mentioned that without Commander Bernardo to eat with him, he felt quite bored.”

  Lito was picking only the good things to say now.

  Even if some of those "good things" were his own inventions.

  Anything to keep this easy job—good pay, meat every day, and rubbing shoulders with officers.

  “Aw, I was too slow.”

  Bernardo slapped his forehead, feeling a bit frustrated.

  He started reflecting. Antonio really was helping him analyze the situation; it was only because he lost his temper and slammed the table that Antonio started being vague and non-committal.

  He began to feel that Antonio was incredibly sharp. A disaster this big in the military district, yet the guy had zero responsibility. He’d definitely be the one to benefit most in the future.

  No way. Even as the top man of the district, he had to keep a guy like Antonio on his side.

  Forgetting lunch, Bernardo ran to knock on Antonio’s door.

  After knocking for half an hour with no answer, he resorted to shouting: “Antonio! Antonio!”

  A dozen officers lived in this hallway. They stepped out of their rooms, stifling laughs as they saluted Bernardo.

  Antonio was actually eating in his office.

  Mimi appeared at the door, the two massive mountain peaks on her chest trembling with every step. She swayed her hips, knocking on the door with an enchanting grace.

  Antonio swept a glance over her. Just as he looked away, his eyes were pulled back—completely against his will.

  Truth be told. This face was exceptionally young and delicate, and the "muscle" on her chest was far too well-developed. It had indeed been a long time since he had been cared for by a woman.

  "Commander, hee-hee."

  "Come in," Antonio replied, his mouth still full of rice.

  Mimi gave him the call log for the half-day: “Two from the Ministry of Defense, one from the President’s office, and six interview requests from military journals. But there was one call... from a socialite, surprisingly.”

  “A socialite?”

  Antonio feigned a daze. How could a socialite know an officer’s direct office line?

  “Who?”

  “Lady Vivienne!”

  “Impossible!” Antonio shook his head, a mouthful of rice in his cheek. “I’ve never even been to that... what is it... The Crystal Palace...”

  "But on the phone, she insisted on speaking with you."

  “Oh!” Swallowing his rice, Antonio had an epiphany. “Yesterday, or was it the day before? I almost crashed into her car at the base gate.”

  “But I didn't actually hit her car.”

  Antonio tilted his head, thinking. Mimi tilted hers too.

  “No, there’s an affair!”

  “What?” Mimi’s eyes widened.

  “Lady Vivienne being here—she must be having an affair with some officer. Oh, right, right! Division Commander Ramon’s son and daughter were in her car.”

  “Ah...” This news was explosive. Mimi could already imagine the shock on her friends' faces when she told them.

  Mimi had heard rumors from her friends that Ramon had a mistress, but she never expected it to be Lady Vivienne.

  If Ramon needed Lady Vivienne, why wouldn't Antonio need me?

  Mimi didn't believe that bullshit about Antonio liking men. She had caught him many times—every time he looked at her, his eyes were glued to those large "excess fats" on her chest.

  If she could prove Antonio liked women, she’d get a promotion and a fat reward. Plus, she’d get to sleep with a hunk like Antonio for free.

  Three birds with one stone.

  Maybe she could even become a Division Commander’s wife.

  Ever since someone offered to pay her to sleep with Antonio, Mimi had been losing her mind over the secret photos she took of him.

  "Commander, Ramon is so old and has both a wife and a mistress. Why don't you have even one woman?"

  Antonio’s eyes widened slightly.

  Mimi’s eyes widened in sync. "Isn't it true?"

  "Don't I already have you?"

  Ah! Mimi’s heart felt like a massive lotus flower in full bloom!

  She was already imagining how to pounce on him and pin him down on the bed...

  It seemed Antonio was thinking the same thing. Tsk, tsk. That lustful little look in his eyes—he could devour her at any moment. Who said this hottie liked men?

  “There’s one more thing,” Antonio said suddenly, right as Mimi was lost in her fantasies. “Who gave you permission to enter my office and answer my phone?”

  Mimi: “...”

  Damn it. This handsome guy had ordered that no one was allowed in his office without permission.

  “I... I...”

  “Your punishment is to help Madam Sweet for a week. Not firing you is me giving you face.”

  “Go this afternoon! And don’t let me see you around here again, understood?”

  Antonio spoke casually, but Mimi’s legs went weak. Madam Sweet? That woman wouldn't just cut off her legs—she’d probably poke her eyes out.

  Madam Sweet was the person in this entire camp who hated Mimi the most.

  After Mimi left, Antonio let out a long sigh.

  He didn't want to lose the daily pleasure of watching a woman sway her hips either, but Garrison had explicitly pointed out that Mimi was a spy.

  If Mimi wasn't a spy, then it only proved that Colonel Garrison was lying.

  But if Mimi was a spy, then his Office Director—Colonel Maxim—was also under suspicion. After all, Maxim was the one who recruited her.

  Not wanting to overthink these annoying matters, Antonio stepped out of his private office and into the main hall. He caught Tom’s eye and gave him a subtle look. Without a word, Tom quietly slipped out of the office.

  When Tom returned, he whispered into Antonio’s ear, “I personally saw her meeting privately with Bernardo’s Office Director. ”

  Antonio nodded.