Hiding in a safehouse, Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán received the news: a new council had been formed—and under its name, war had been declared on the Sinaloa Cartel.

“What? A council? Those bastards didn’t even include me—and they made something like that? And what?! They’re declaring war on us?”

El Chapo smashed everything in the room, venting his fury.

His subordinates could only stand still, unable to intervene.

After destroying furniture like a madman, he finally calmed down enough to tear open a cigar and light it.

For a moment, the only sound in the room was the crackle of the flame.

He exhaled slowly, then spoke through clenched teeth.

“What were you all doing? What the hell were you doing?”

“......”

“The Milenio Cartel gets a seat on the council? The bastard who killed his own boss becomes the new leader—and one of the five members?”

More than the council’s creation, what enraged him was the defection of organizations ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) that had once followed Sinaloa.

It started with ten cartels—but that number would only grow.

All three major cartels, except Sinaloa, had joined.

“El Mencho, was it? Some nobody I’ve never even heard of is now the boss of the Milenio Cartel?”

“Yes, Chapo. They say he killed the boss on the spot during the council meeting and took the position. Everyone there confirmed it.”

Information from inside the council had already leaked to Sinaloa.

Which meant at least one of the attending cartels was secretly in contact with them.

“And that crazy bastard Amado is still alive?”

“Yes.”

El Chapo let out a long breath of smoke.

Even if he was a relic of the past, Amado Carrillo Fuentes still carried immense influence.

Without him, El Chapo believed he could devour the council at any time.

But as long as Amado remained its center, that wouldn’t be easy.

“We need to call a meeting too.”

“...That’s dangerous. The government is actively hunting you. Even if we’re careful, someone attending could be spotted.”

“So what? Sit here and wait to die? I’m El Chapo! The drug king of Mexico!”

“Even so, it’s too risky. We can’t trust any cartel anymore. Even those who once laid everything bare before us. No one can be trusted now.”

His emotions raged—but a thin thread of reason held him back.

“...Fine. Then we’ll convene a Sinaloa leadership meeting. We prepare for war.”

“Yes. I’ll notify everyone.”

“Keep the numbers minimal. No phones—send messengers.”

“Understood.”

“Leave. I want to be alone.”

Left alone, El Chapo drew deeply on his cigar.

The sunset outside stained the room red, thick smoke filling the air.

“...To think it would come to this.”

But his despair didn’t last.

“First, I take out El Mencho. That bastard can’t be left alive. I’ll show them what happens when you betray us.”

He crushed the cigar into a broken table and called his subordinate again.

“Put a bounty on Mencho’s head.”

“A bounty?”

“Yes. Tell everyone—$100,000 to whoever cuts off his head. Spread it to every cartel.”

“...Understood.”

“Make sure the council hears about it too. Who knows? It might stir conflict.”

“I’ll handle it.”

When the subordinate left, El Chapo stared out into the dark.

Night had fallen.

But his eyes burned with madness.

* * *

A few days after the council’s founding, I summoned El Mencho.

“Have you fully taken control of the cartel?”

“Those who opposed me—I fed them all to the dogs.”

So that’s how he earned the nickname “butcher.”

He had always been ruthless.

He had just been waiting for the right moment.

“Good.”

“Charlie... may I ask something?”

I nodded.

“Why did you give me that opportunity? I still don’t understand.”

He wasn’t even a notable figure yet.

He had only attended that meeting as a bodyguard.

But I had recognized him.

‘Either kill him here—or push him forward and make him mine.’

I had chosen to test him.

“Your eyes. I liked them.”

“...That’s it?”

“Why would I need another reason? I’m not the Mexican government. Even if I killed all of you, I wouldn’t feel a thing. Have you ever seen a child feel guilty for crushing ants?”

El Mencho’s expression stiffened.

“The reason I didn’t is simple. No matter how many bugs you kill, they keep coming back. Did the cartels disappear after Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo was captured? No. Without a center, they fragmented—and grew even larger.”

I looked straight into his eyes.

“If I make you the top of the Mexican cartels—what can you give me?”

He didn’t know exactly who I was.

“I came to Mexico at the request of the U.S. government to deal with the drug problem. That means if I want, I can turn any of you into wanted criminals—council or not.”

That was one of my control mechanisms.

Ramos’s execution force would apply direct pressure.

Those who resisted in hiding would be hunted through U.S. and Mexican authorities.

“I don’t care about making money from drugs. If they can’t be eliminated, I’ll control them. What can you offer me?”

Silence.

Then—

“...You’ll make me the top?”

Desire flashed in his eyes.

“Yes.”

He hesitated only a moment.

Then he stepped aside—

and dropped to his knees.

“...I heard this is how loyalty is sworn in the East.”

He bowed his head to the floor.

“I will be your loyal dog until the day I die.”

Loyalty.

Not a bad answer.

“Words are cheap. Prove it.”

“How?”

“Through action. Make me believe you. Do that—and I’ll push you to become chairman of the council.”

He rose immediately.

His eyes now burned with naked ambition.

“Once Sinaloa collapses, I’ll give you half its territory. So—what do you do?”

“I lead the charge in the war.”

I nodded.

“Good. Show me. Make your name known—through action.”

“I won’t fail your trust.”

I showed him the future he could have.

Now he couldn’t let go of my hand—even if he wanted to.

Because desire always dulls reason.

After giving him further instructions, I sent him off.

* * *

On the way back, El Mencho sat in silence.

‘Me... becoming the godfather of Mexico?’

His heart pounded.

“Mencho.”

“What is it, Eric?”

“Did it go well?”

“They couldn’t have gone better.”

“Can we trust him?”

“We have to. Without him, we’d never have taken the cartel this fast. He needs us too.”

“...If you say so.”

“Gather everyone. We’re hitting Sinaloa.”

“What?! Are you insane? How do we win that fight?”

“We’re not trying to win. What matters is being the first to act on the council’s decision.”

“...Still...”

“This is an opportunity. If we want to rise fast, we take risks.”

Eric bit his lip.

But Mencho didn’t waver.

“...Fine. I’ll prepare.”

“Wake me when we arrive.”

Mencho leaned back and closed his eyes.

They were almost at their base—

BANG!

The gunshot snapped his eyes open.