Thug and Idol: 10X Rewards Second Identity System

<We are here. This is where you will stay low until the storm blows over.>

"Here" was a hostel in the center of the city. Although Tristan had already arranged the rooms and the payment, the receptionist was still staring with large eyes at the sudden amount of people going inside.

Then he remembered the generous tip left by Tristan and looked away.

Tristan nodded, more to himself than anyone, and went to organize the unpacking.

Eventually, the essential items were moved from the cars and inside the hotel, and people separated into rooms—there weren't 14 free rooms, but there were enough rooms for 14 people.

[Hidden task complete: ensure the safety of Rafael's family. Reward: your PP increased by 1500!]

Tristan blinked in surprise at the notification, then smiled.

Standing in the emptied hotel hall, Tristan thought now he can finally tell Rafael that his part was done, and go on with his not-hidden tasks.

Before he could leave, though, he was approached by an elderly woman—Rafael's mother.

Mrs. Villanueva, a short and wide woman, looked up at Tristan through her rectangular glasses. There was worry in her expression.

<Are you going to leave now, Mr. Tristan?>

<Yes. You should be safe here, as long as you stay inside the city. You can even call Rafael if you want—but not right now. Wait until tomorrow.>

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Tristan had checked the phones of the Villanueva family for bugs and viruses, and he was going to tell Rafael to change his phone as soon as he contacted him. Just in case—Tristan doubted it was really tapped.

Cuatro Angulos was more likely to plant spies in Rafael's surroundings.

Mrs. Villanueva nodded.

<I just wanted to thank you, Mr. Tristan. I'd never think that Rafael will make friends like you in America. Are all American people as handsome and well-mannered as you?>

Tristan raised his brows at this.

<I was just repaying a debt. Really…> He shook his head. <Rafael is a smart person—he would never be friends with people like me. He wouldn't want you to be my friend, either.>

Hell, Tristan Gemello wouldn't have wanted to be friends with Tristan Hayes if he wasn't Tristan Hayes himself. That'd be inviting danger to your doorstep—deadly danger.

Most people weren't prepared to deal with deadly danger.

Mrs. Villanueva chuckled. Continue your adventure with empire

<Don't be so humble! I know you are a good person at heart, no matter what you are, well… doing. My Rafi has an eye for people—he wouldn't have helped you otherwise. So, please, have this. So God will watch over you.>

She pulled a gold chain from her pocket, from which dangled a golden cross. It was a small, but well-made thing, with a detailed figure of crucified Jesus.

The chain was relatively new, but the cross was tarnished with age. It was an antique, at least half a century old, and from the wistful way Mrs. Villanueva looked at it, had a lot of sentimental value.

Tristan had convinced—manipulated—many people to give him their endless trust and obedience, including this woman. But people rarely had reasons to be actually grateful to him. Whenever he helped, it was mostly a side-effect of achieving his own goals.

Now he felt strangely touched.

It was the kind of people which, he felt, he could get addicted to. Pure, sincere gratitude. Not to be mistaken with adoration or worship.

Tristan gently took the woman's wrinkled hand and closed it around the cross.

<Keep it, Mrs. Villanueva. I don't think crosses change whether or not God watches someone, and this one clearly means something for you.>

The old woman's eyes began tearing up. Tristan stepped away from her, knowing that he just made her even more grateful.

Tristan shuddered inwardly, rejecting the feeling.

He was too addicted to power and fame to become addicted to gratitude, too. The latter was counterproductive to the former two, anyway—there was no reaching power or fame without walking over heads.

<Goodbye. Remember my instructions, Mrs. Villanueva.>

Tristan left at that, ignoring the heartfelt goodbyes told at his back.

***

Next day.

The Operation Claw was finally on track with no distractions. Which meant that Tristan's car was currently parked in a field, and he was catching the mobile connection for his laptop and waving away mosquitoes.

He was so deep in Cuatro Angulos territory that going on main roads by day was going to make them noticed. Because of that, the team was camping in the middle of nowhere again, waiting for the dark.

Tristan used the time to read reports of the man who was processing the raw text and voice data the viruses gathered from Cuatro Angulos electronic devices. Tristan also helped his intelligence officer to process some of that data.

Cuatro Angulos has noticed the Villanueva family's disappearance, and started an investigation—but it was about avenging four dead cartel soldiers, not about Rafael.

As far as the boss of Angulos cared, he had enough blackmail material on Rafael by this point to keep him under his thumb ten times over.

Tristan smiled to himself.

'By my estimate we are going to arrive at the Angulos shipyard in another day… I think it's time to show this man his mistake.'

He closed the reports for now to leave a message to Someone You Knew.

[You can kill the target as soon as you are able to.]

Fifteen minutes later, the assassin responded.

[Then expect him to be dead in an hour.]

Tristan raised his eyebrows.

'It might be some time before they find the man's body, but I will be able to check the time of death later.'

***

Later.

The man who was commonly referred to just as "The Boss" of (Cuatro) Angulos was found dead in his remote villa. A 4.46mm bullet shot from two kilometers away was lodged between his eyes.

Time of death was found to be 34 minutes after Tristan received the message, based on the camera footage which showed the breaking window.

***

Next night.

And now the entire cartel was buzzing like a kicked beehive, and Tristan was about to deal his own blow.