In the morning, Antonio pushed open the door, dressed in his crisp, sharp uniform.

He had a dream or two last night, but he had plenty of rest and looked radiant.

Dante was already waiting at the door. According to habit, he should have saluted Antonio and said good morning.

But today, he leaned in directly to speak.

"Commander Bernardo sent word. He wants you in his office the moment you wake up. It seems very urgent."

Go the moment he wakes up?

Very urgent? Not even letting a man eat breakfast?

Last night he was still guessing that Bernardo had started to doubt his loyalty; he didn't expect that early this morning, Bernardo would start making moves.

Antonio had a faint sense of unease in his heart.

He didn't show the anxiety on his face，and gave Dante a faint smile: "Then, let’s go."

After knocking, a warm "Come in" came from inside. Antonio pushed the door open to Bernardo’s office himself, still giving a standard salute upon entering.

Bernardo greeted him with a beaming smile, shaking Antonio’s hand. "You tried to see Ramon yesterday? Why didn't you tell me beforehand? I could have had them let you through."

Antonio: "..."

"Follow me. I’ll take you to see Ramon right now." While speaking, Bernardo pulled Antonio’s hand, about to walk out the door.

Seeing Bernardo acting so close to him, Antonio didn't dare to not give him face. He said in a low voice: "Commander, it’s not that I wanted to see Ramon. It’s Caspar, Ramon's subordinate, who insisted on seeing him. I heard it was requested by Ramon's daughter... That girl even sent me a latex seat cushion. It’s quite comfortable."

"Since I accepted her gift, naturally I had to bring that what’s-his-name, Caspar, in to take a look..." Antonio had a haughty expression, disgusted that the gift was too small and acting like not getting in had nothing to do with him.

"Only sent a cushion? Their family is too stingy, isn't it?" Bernardo was still pulling Antonio outside. "Then we’ll finish breakfast together first, and then take Caspar in to see."

"Alright... Ouch, Commander, I'm wearing leather shoes, I can't run fast..."

Antonio didn't know where the old man got the mood and energy. He was dragged into the officers' mess by the old man, where he simply ordered two eggs and a bowl of porridge for breakfast.

While eating breakfast, the old man asked him mysteriously again:

"Antonio, I helped you today. You have to promise me one thing tomorrow, right?"

Antonio’s heart skipped a beat.

"What thing?"

Tomorrow was Saturday. It was agreed to go to the old man’s house for drinks. Although Vivienne said she had found a double for Antonio, Antonio still felt his scalp tingle.

This old man wouldn't mention such an excessive request right now—like going to his house tomorrow to drink, and then going to bed with him after the drinks, would he?

"Commander, aren't we just drinking together tomorrow? What other good thing is there?"

"There is!" Seeing Antonio proactively mention drinking together tomorrow night, the old man became even more excited. His smile and voice had a sense of willful boyishness. "It’s your first time being a guest at my home. It should be grand. You must accompany me shopping during the day tomorrow to buy the things we like to eat."

Accompany an old man shopping?

Antonio didn't know whether to laugh or cry in his heart. He promised very reluctantly: "Then you have to let me go out for the day today for me to agree. I have some private business to handle today."

In fact, he didn't need the old man’s consent to go out.

The old man was curious about any of Antonio’s affairs: "What private business?"

"I’m going to visit that Land Bureau official. Those people are saying I want to kill him. I’m determined to go to the hospital to see him. Doesn't that exactly prove that the rumors about our First Military District are just lies?"

"That works. After seeing Ramon, you go ahead." The old man answered casually while eating his egg.

After finishing breakfast.

Under Bernardo's leadership, Antonio and Caspar walked into the secret underground interrogation room together.

At the end of the dim corridor, turn left again. In a small cell with a light on at the far end on the left, Antonio indeed saw Ramon again.

Ramon was still sitting on the bed, looking down and counting his fingers.

He hadn't shaved for two or three days and looked much more haggard than before.

Regarding these three people who arrived, Ramon only looked up and glanced once, then lowered his head again.

His eyes were very hollow.

"Chief, Tatiana asked me to bring some things." Caspar raised a hand-carried bag.

Ramon didn't even look. He waved his hand and said coldly: "Take it away."

"Chief, I’m putting it here. I can't take it away. Tatiana put a lot of effort into sending this in."

After Caspar finished speaking, he reached through the iron bars and placed the bag on the floor of the cell, but Ramon still didn't even look.

Caspar finished the business so quickly.

Bernardo was very satisfied. He handed Caspar a cigarette.

It was truly rare. Caspar was Ramon's subordinate, and Ramon was now locked in a cell, yet Ramon's rival and superior was now giving Caspar a cigarette.

Caspar respectfully took the Commander’s cigarette, holding it with both hands, not knowing whether to put it in his mouth or keep it as a souvenir.

He looked at Bernardo with bloodshot eyes, his expression complex.

In the moment these two people were sharing the cigarette, Antonio noticed Ramon move.

He looked up and jerked his chin at Antonio, his gaze sharp.

What did that mean?

The back of Antonio's left hand felt the touch of a crotch and a zipper, as well as a faint, soft mass... He subconsciously withdrew his hand. Looking back, he saw the old man’s suggestive smile in the dim light.

This old man, taking advantage of the dim walkway, pressed his entire body close to Antonio, almost kissing Antonio’s face.

Beside them, Caspar saw the two commanders being so intimate in front of him. His eyes were filled with unease and embarrassment.

Damn it!

Antonio maintained a strained, half-hearted smile. He wanted to nudge Bernardo’s arm with his elbow, but ended up poking the old man's soft belly.

"Why don't you give me a cigarette?" Antonio teased. He actually didn't know what words to find to hide the embarrassment.

Bernardo spoke with a cigarette in his mouth, his voice sounding like it came from a muffled jar. "You don't even smoke."

Antonio became unhappy. His whole face turned cold, and he pointed a finger at Ramon.

"Do you know? He just opened his mouth and cursed me! Although there was no sound, the lip shape was cursing, meaning 'go die'."

With the help of the light shining from the cell, Bernardo saw Antonio’s expression clearly.

A bit indignant?

Throwing a childish tantrum again?

With Caspar present, Bernardo seemed to really not want to cause trouble. He pulled Antonio toward the exit:

"Forget it, forget it. Don't bicker with him. You are the Deputy Division Commander now and have my trust. He is nothing."

The three people left the underground secret room just like that. It felt like the whole process didn't even last five minutes.

Caspar hadn't even spoken a single private word to Ramon. This man...

Antonio silently thought in his heart, why would Tatiana trust this man so much?

After bidding farewell to Bernardo and Caspar, Antonio could finally go out.

He was wearing civilian clothes today: a mature-looking dark grey T-shirt, a pair of inconspicuous military pants, and grey sneakers.

Although the combination was very strange, Antonio indeed had no other good-looking pants. His salary had been entirely snatched away by Madam Sweet.

Tom also wore civilian clothes.

But Dante was not. He was wearing a set of special forces fatigues given to him by a coach from the National Security Bureau. The crotch of these clothes was particularly loose, very suitable for Dante’s big jumps and fighting with thugs.

At the Sangreza Medical School Affiliated Hospital, Antonio quickly found out Salazar’s room number.

The door was open. Only Salazar was inside, packing his luggage.

Being discharged, Salazar was in a good mood.Moreover, two newly met friends had just called and said they would come to the hospital to see him off.

The doctor said as long as he moved around at home for a few days and didn't let the intestines and the wound pull together, it would be fine.

The three people entering from the ward door made Salazar startled for a moment: "Who are you looking for? Wrong door, right?"

"Are you Salazar? Hello, my name is Antonio." Antonio immediately extended his right hand after introducing himself.

Salazar also reached out his hand.

He had already seen that Antonio was an officer. Not only were the military pants obvious, but the little soldier next to him was even wearing special forces gear.

Whether he knew him or not, he was an officer anyway; shaking hands was definitely right.

In case he really could strike up a friendship, he could also use it to scare people who wanted to assassinate him.

"But, how do you know me?"

"Some media said I wanted to murder you. I specifically came to see you."Antonio nodded to the person behind him. Tom placed a small bag of prepared apples on Salazar’s bedside.

Salazar didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Why would an officer kill him? What low-standard reporters, spreading rumors randomly.

Instead, it allowed Salazar to earn a bag of apples.

Fruit was very expensive. The skyrocketing grain prices forced farmers to cut down fruit trees to plant grain. Now, those who could afford to eat fruit were not ordinary people.

And these apples from the North were even more expensive.

However, Salazar felt that if he accepted the fruit, it would make his image in Antonio’s eyes very bad:

"Commander Antonio, if there really is such a rumor, it is I who brought you trouble. How could I have the nerve to accept the fruit?"

"It’s okay. Meeting for the first time, I’d also feel embarrassed to come empty-handed." Antonio replied faintly.

At this time, two more people came outside the door.

Evangeline and Fabian. One was a nun and the other was in a suit, yet as they stood together, anyone who took a casual glance would think they were a couple.

Walking close together and having tacit little expressions, their smiles were both kept in sync.

"Receiving a discharge gift and still don't want it? Then give it to me." Evangeline thought Antonio was a relative or acquaintance of Salazar, and reached out to Antonio for the apples in a teasing tone.

Antonio actually handed that bag of apples to Evangeline. He remembered this girl standing in the corner of the auction venue. "I recognize you."

"Ah?" The tall and handsome man in front of her—his sudden sentence made Evangeline completely dazed.

What did "I recognize you" mean?

It was clearly the first meeting.

"Could you be mistaken? Sir, I don't know you at all." Evangeline cried out in a low voice.

Fabian felt Evangeline was being bullied. He blocked in front of Evangeline and said a bit angrily:

"Actually, it is I who recognize you, Commander Antonio."

It was Antonio’s turn to be dazed. He indeed didn't know this young man in front of him who also had very good looks.

"You recognize me? Who are you?"

"Hey, I just recognize you anyway." Fabian calmed down, thinking of the consequences of exposing his identity; the Madam would definitely scold him for being meddlesome. His tone softened. "Naturally, I recognize you. You were in the newspaper for that church auction that day."

"Oh!"

Antonio suddenly understood.

A man remembering the matter of him participating in the auction of the mine on the newspaper was, in Antonio’s view, definitely up to no good.

He had an extra sense of wariness toward Fabian.

Evangeline also developed a sense of wariness toward Antonio. That auction had too much inside information; Antonio wouldn't want to ask her about the details of that day, would he?

Coincidentally, Fabian had to mention this matter; she couldn't let him continue speaking.

The three mutually wary people—their gazes intertwined. Antonio smiled faintly: "I wanted to ask you, was there really an auction held that day? When I got there, Sebastian told me the auction was already over, and then I inexplicably ended up with a share of equity."

Evangeline was lost in thought. She hesitated for a full minute.

The priest told her she should treat people honestly, but honesty would bring her trouble, and there might even be a danger to her life.

That man Sebastian was gentle on the surface but actually had many tactics in his actions. Take the matter of the donation alone: this man could manage to first announce a donation of 400,000 US dollars to the media, and later he explained to the Charity Federation that he actually intended to donate grain and had misspoke to the media.

Then later, after the public opinion on the donation cooled down, he simply donated less than 100,000 US dollars worth of materials.

The priest had asked Sebastian if he would continue to donate the balance.

Sebastian actually said he would make it up during the next disaster.

After struggling with her thoughts for a long time, Evangeline still decided to tell the truth: "They indeed did not hold an auction.I hope you don't tell anyone that it was me who told you."

Antonio nodded, thinking in his heart that this bag of apples was worth it.

Antonio later took his two subordinates to have an early lunch outside before continuing to drive to Vivienne’s mansion.

What surprised Antonio was that the young man he just saw at the hospital would actually be Vivienne’s lover.

The two of them were holding hands and loosening the soil in the flower pots in the yard. Seeing Antonio's arrival, they both looked over side by side.

There was a clear trace of panic in Fabian’s eyes.

Vivienne walked forward to greet their guest.Fabian deliberately lingered a few steps behind, shaking his head at Antonio from an angle Vivienne couldn't see. He clearly didn't want Antonio to mention what had just happened.

Antonio smiled and faced Vivienne: "Where did you say the man who can be my double is?"

More chapters here:：https://www.32novel.com/novel/book/10