Salello was carried away on a stretcher and spent three days recovering in the medical ward.
By the time he was able to walk again, he had already lost the authority he once held over the base, relegated to the status of an ordinary organization member. Over the past three days, he had done a lot of reflecting. If he hadn't been blinded by self-interest and grown accustomed to his own arrogance, he wouldn't have ended up in this state. From now on, he would have to be careful; if he made another mistake, he likely wouldn't even be able to save his own life.
As for Caesar, who had usurped his position, Salello felt no resentment. On the contrary, he found himself feeling a bit of admiration. If he hadn't initiated the provocation, he wouldn't have been suppressed and beaten so thoroughly. Losing face due to a lack of strength was a fault he could blame on no one but himself.
Besides... who could have imagined that such terrifying power was hidden beneath that highly deceptive, harmless face? If a powerhouse like that were to take control of the branch, it might actually be a stroke of good fortune.
During Salello's recovery, Tequila's support for the new leader was evident to everyone. Despite being away from Mexico for a long time, Tequila demonstrated impressive cohesion and influence. Combined with the fact that Sake—who had performed brilliantly in the initial mission—followed Caesar's lead, more and more members began to recognize his status.
Of course, there were some "hard bones" who still didn't take him seriously in private.
In their view, this so-called new leader might be a good fighter, but in a place like Mexico where street brawls were everywhere, martial arts were the cheapest commodity. Furthermore, since taking over, all he seemed to do was eat, drink, and have fun—did that look like a man with qualified leadership or initiative? And then there was that white hair; even his eyelashes were white. No wonder he wore sunglasses—he probably had albinism...
This faction often engaged in heated discussions in private, but the moment they glimpsed that ghostly white shadow, they would fall silent in unison, obediently greeting him as "Leader."
At the very least, they didn't want to end up coughing up blood like Salello.
At this moment, the former leader they were discussing was silently performing the menial labor of hauling supplies. "By the way... where's Javier? Where did he go?" Salello suddenly felt something was off.
As his most trusted confidant among confidants, Javier hadn't visited him once over the past few days; he was nowhere to be found. If it were a matter of rushing to pledge loyalty to the new leader... no, he wasn't that kind of person. Was he away on a long-term mission?
the member beside him scratched his head, indicating he didn't know.
Just as Salello was lost in confusion, a young girl with black, shoulder-length hair approached him. Seeing her, the member nearby shuddered and quietly took a few steps back.
Even in this branch full of terrorists, this girl stood out. It was said that during her first assassination mission, the sight of her blushing and shyly apologizing while her face was covered in blood... was quite terrifying.
Sake spoke softly to Salello: "The Leader wants to see you. There are things to discuss."
Salello's whole body stiffened. Surely it wasn't because the Leader hadn't finished beating him and wanted to find an excuse for another round? However, he no longer had the right to refuse.
A2001 Base, Core Members' Living Quarters.
Sake knocked on the door: "Lord Caesar, Salello is here."
"Come in~" came a signature lazy voice.
Entering the leader's office that he knew all too well, Salello was depressed to see that his former room had been completely transformed. The decor leaned toward a mix of Japanese and Chinese styles; while it looked quite nice, his heart still ached.
Gojo Satoru had a lollipop in his mouth and was lounging lazily in the executive chair that used to belong to Salello. His feet were propped up higher than his head. Hearing Salello enter, he adjusted the sunglasses on his nose and looked up: "How's the body? No major issues?"
"...It's fine now. Thank you for your concern." Salello forced a smile.
Seeing that he was behaving sensibly, Gojo Satoru got straight to the point: "I've just arrived here and I'm still unfamiliar with handling administrative affairs. I need an assistant by my side. You'll be in charge of assisting me for the time being. How does that sound?"
"I... I'm willing!" Salello had thought he would be lucky just to keep his life; to be given such an opportunity was naturally an unexpected joy. It seemed Gojo Satoru didn't care at all about his previous contempt and provocation.
With such a capacity for tolerance, he had truly underestimated the man.
"Don't get happy too early. There's another matter waiting for you."
"What is it?" Salello's heart skipped a beat as he watched Gojo Satoru get up from the chair.
"Well... you'll know once you follow me."
Outside the interrogation room.
The scent of blood that hadn't yet dried permeated Salello's nose, and a sinister wind made him feel a bit cold. Having been the leader for so long, he knew this place all too well.
As a massive multinational criminal syndicate, the Organization always dealt with rival forces trying to plant "rats." Whenever an undercover agent or a traitor was caught, they would be thrown into the interrogation room and handed over to members skilled in questioning to pry their mouths open.
A realization immediately flashed in Salello's mind. Could it be... a traitor? And if it was related to his own mistakes... then it must be someone close to him. Thinking of the missing Javier, Salello didn't dare think further.
"I don't know! I don't know anything! AHHHHHH—"
The scream coming from one of the rooms crushed his last bit of hope. That was definitely Javier's voice.
After a while, Tequila's towering figure emerged from inside. He said with frustration, "Leader, he's still the same. He refuses to say anything."
Javier's identity had been an accidental discovery by Gojo Satoru. On the night he replaced Salello, while habitually scanning the area's information, he happened to "see" Javier sneakily making a phone call outside.
The behavior was somewhat suspicious. Gojo Satoru, having nothing better to do, wanted to test him, so he called him in to discuss the topic of organization moles. The result was exactly as expected.
Despite a calm exterior, Javier's increased heart rate, tense muscles, and the constant aura of anxiety and fear gave him away. Perhaps he could have fooled anyone else, but how could those minute reactions and vibes escape the Six Eyes?
Gojo Satoru: I really am a genius at criminal investigation~ (sigh)
"Salello, you have the nerve to show your face here?" Tequila's face darkened as he cursed without holding back: "You couldn't even detect a rat right under your nose. What the hell are you good for?!"
Salello remained silent, his face flushed red—it was hard to tell if it was from guilt or rage at his confidant's betrayal.
"Heh, as I thought... you're the biggest traitor to the organization," Tequila sneered. "Once that guy rats you out, the Boss will never let you off."
Salello steeled his resolve and knelt directly before Gojo Satoru.
"Please, Leader, see the truth!" he shouted. "Although Javier and I were close, I had no idea he was a mole! I swear I have never betrayed the organization!"
Salello knew very well that if the Boss handled this, he would die a miserable death. His only chance at survival was to seize this moment and plead with Caesar.
"That's enough." Gojo Satoru wasn't like those old traditionalists in the Jujutsu world; he didn't care for people kneeling. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "I'll interrogate Javier personally. Then I'll know if you're a traitor or not."