The air in the warehouse felt like it had been sucked out of a vacuum. Chano didn't move; he just stared at the name on the screen until it felt like it was burned into his retinas. General Ricardo Valderama.
"Master... the cross-reference is done," Elijah's voice crackled through the speakers, sounding hollow. "The order to 'erase' your unit in Singapore? It came from a high-level NSO terminal. But look at the digital fingerprint, Master. It wasn't just a bureau order. It was a personal hit."
Philip, who was mid-polish on his bike, stopped dead. "Valderama? 'Tol, isn't that the family that basically owns San Pedro? The uncle of that brat, Lance?"
"The very same," Chano said. His voice was so low it was barely a vibration.
"Wait, Master!" Elijah's panic spiked. "Why the hell did you live in San Pedro for two years if you knew it was their turf? That's not just risky, that's insane! You were practically sleeping in their guest room!"
Chano leaned back, the blue light of the monitors making his eyes look like chips of flint. "In Tagalog, Elijah, we have a saying: 'Ang pinakaligtas na lugar ay ang ilalim ng ilawan.' The safest place is right under the lamp. Valderama is a narcissist. He'd never imagine the man he 'killed' five years ago was two blocks away, eating pares and fixing cracked phone screens for his own constituents."
The Long Game
"So you weren't just hiding. You were scouting," Marco said, his arms crossed over his chest.
"I spent two years dismantling them from the inside out," Chano replied. "Every land title they stole, every bank transfer they hidden—I've been mapping it from that little shop. When I exposed Lance at the plaza, it wasn't just about saving Nena's bakery. It was a flare. I've been building a digital bomb under that family for years. Lance was just the fuse."
"Pucha, 'tol! You used the nephew to flush out the General?" Philip let out a jagged laugh. "So the General is the one bankrolling the Scorpions to get your master key back."
"Exactly," Marco added. "L is the hunter, but Valderama is the one holding the leash. And now he knows his ghost didn't stay dead."
The Target: The National Archive
Chano stood up, his movements precise and deliberate. "Valderama keeps a 'Ghost Ledger'—a physical backup in the Old Manila Archive Building. It's got everything. Every bribe, every hit, every operation the Scorpions ever did for him. If we get that book, the Valderama legacy doesn't just crumble; it evaporates."
"But Master, that building is a tomb!" Elijah warned. "And tomorrow is the National Heroes Gala right across the street. Security is going to be breathing down everyone's necks!"
Chano turned to Bella. She was standing by the server racks, her CEO mask firmly back in place. "Bella, you're invited to the Gala, right?"
"Aragon Global is a platinum sponsor," she said, a small smile playing on her lips. "Every heavy hitter in the country, including the General, will be there."
Chano adjusted his worn-out baseball cap. "Perfect. Philip, find me a suit. Something cheap, something that screams 'local laborer' who got lucky with a raffle ticket. Marco, you're my shadow. Bella... you're taking me as your charity guest."
"Master, why do you have to look like a beggar?" Elijah giggled. "You're a legend! Dress like one!"
"Because, Elijah," Chano said, heading for the door. "The more they look down on me, the less they see me coming. It's time the General learns that the 'technician' he ignored is about to delete his entire life."