novelraw Chapter 356: Mexico Also Has Its Own Emperor of Ten Thousand Taxes
Chapter 356: Mexico Also Has Its Own Emperor of Ten Thousand Taxes
If the earlier demand for "half of their revenue" was merely a looming headache, many of those hearing his current words wished they could clamp their hands over their own mouths!
Some of these corporations had been plundering the country's mineral wealth for centuries, their relentless excavation continuing right up to the present day.
Neither the Mexican-American War of the past nor the subsequent wars of independence had ever managed to shake the sweeping power of these multinational titans.
To them, the Mexican Government of any era was little more than a deaf, blind, mute, and crippled entity. Even when official executive orders were handed down, they held as much weight as scrap paper.
Without genuine power, the government naturally had no way to touch the interests of these multinational companies.
But now, staring at the middle-aged man named Carl and the plain yet distinctly Mayan attire he wore, every single corporate executive found themselves struck dumb.
Before arriving, they had thoroughly researched the local situation, aided by media reports detailing the recent battle.
A staggering thirty thousand drug traffickers had been slaughtered on this very soil. They were used as offerings for sacrifice, presented as gifts of devotion, and piled high to form the foundation of a grand ritual sacrifice.
In a religion that still practiced bloody ritual sacrifices, there was no shortage of uses for that many corpses!
Consequently, no one dared to cross this man or provoke his ire. Instead, they spoke with careful deference."Respected Mr. Carl, we lack the authority to make such a monumental decision. Please allow us to return and discuss this with our high-level officials!"
Almost everyone echoed the exact same sentiment, and each of them silently swore an oath. If their companies ever sent delegates here again, they would rather quit on the spot than return to this nightmare!
It was sheer terror. Negotiating with a normal cartel meant parting with money, but negotiating with this man meant risking both their wealth and their lives!
But Carl was not easily fooled. Reading the panic in the executives' eyes, he knew exactly what they were scheming. He shook his head. "There is no need. Right here, in front of everyone, you will call your high-level officials!"
"Make my conditions perfectly clear to them. If anyone refuses, that is fine too. We will simply track them down, one by one, and settle the score on our own terms!"
Carl opened with a blunt threat. He had spent time studying the rhetorical habits of that Golden Hair next door, realizing the man possessed no profoundly brilliant political strategy. He merely relied on the sheer might of his nation to apply maximum pressure!
If a mere secular nation could apply such overwhelming pressure, why couldn't he? After all, he had the deities of the Americas backing him!
Left with no choice, the executives reluctantly initiated video calls, aiming every single camera directly at Carl.
In truth, the actual decision-makers of these corporations had been anxiously awaiting updates. Thus, regardless of which country they were based in, the connections went through smoothly, bringing the indigenous leader onto their screens.
Before the board members could even voice their confusion, Carl's steady voice rang out:
"I am Carl. I am a servant of the Eagle God and the current provisional ruler of Northern Mexico. Since your subordinates lack the authority to resolve this matter, I have come to speak with you directly!"
Carl calmly introduced himself and immediately laid out his demands. He spoke without a shred of hesitation or reservation.
However, just as he finished, he added one final note. "Do not assume this is an empty boast. If you doubt our power, just look out your windows, or check your local media networks!"
He raised a hand. "Alex, let Atlas out to give them a demonstration!"
Alex nodded and let out a sharp, piercing whistle. In the blink of an eye, an unimaginably colossal serpent materialized just outside the conference room.
Around them, independent media journalists went into a frenzy, their cameras clicking and rolling as they captured the terrifying spectacle!
They broadcasted the actions of the Apache Tribe to the entire globe, streaming the grim reality of the city live to an audience of billions. The world's undivided attention on Northern Mexico granted these reporters unprecedented surges of web traffic.
Naturally, the sudden reappearance and terrifying display of the giant serpent was instantly uploaded for all to see.
In the modern era, information traveled at the speed of light. Within barely two minutes, the expressions of the corporate leaders on the video feeds turned exceptionally grim.
"Yes, that serpent from Miami is Atlas! It is the divine pet of the Rain God Tlaloc, and a manifestation of the power we wield!" Carl's voice echoed with chilling authority. "I trust you understand exactly what I mean. Do not entertain thoughts of fleeing or reneging on your debts! I will not entertain excuses. I expect you to either hand over half your monthly revenue or pay the necessary reparations. Of course, if you refuse to pay, I will simply send Atlas to collect it personally!"
"I imagine that even your vaunted deities would be wise enough to grant our gods a measure of respect, wouldn't you agree?"
It was a naked, unapologetic threat, delivered with absolute bluntness!
Carl had even calculated the geopolitical ramifications on a mythological scale. Even if the various nations truly had deities backing them, which of those divine beings would eagerly wage a divine war against these people? Who would willingly lock horns with a faction of barbaric, blood-sacrificing lunatics?
What was worse, the indigenous faction actually had the moral high ground!
The ubiquitous skeletal remains of the Original Inhabitants scattered across this stolen continent provided an unassailable justification. Even if a divine war erupted against foreign gods, the Apache tribe's cause was historically and karmically justified!
Besides, did these multinational mining companies even have deities or transcendents backing them?
They had engaged in far too many despicable, underhanded deeds over the centuries. They hardly dared to associate with orthodox religious sects, terrified that a self-righteous paladin might find them utterly repulsive and obliterate them in the name of "justice."
Consequently, despite their massive secular influence and staggering global wealth, they were entirely defenseless when faced with a genuine transcendent threat.
In the end, the mining company completely folded. "Chief Carl, we agree to your first proposition. From this moment on, half of our monthly mineral revenue will be delivered to you in full!"
They had no choice but to yield. They had entrenched themselves in this nation for far too long, and a massive portion of their global profits originated from these very mines. Most importantly, the profit margins on raw minerals were so obscenely high that retaining even half the revenue still left them comfortably in the green!
Their investments in this region were staggeringly deep. If they genuinely attempted to withdraw, the sheer magnitude of abandoning their heavy assets, heavy machinery, and industrial infrastructure—never mind any demanded reparations—would deal them a devastating financial blow!
Once the first major player capitulated, the rest predictably followed suit. One by one, the corporations voiced their submission. Having leeched astronomical fortunes from this nation, how could any of them bear to abandon such a lucrative market?
Even the executives whose companies would genuinely operate at a loss under these new terms gritted their teeth and announced their absolute compliance.
They had no alternative. None of them doubted for a second that the nightmarish monster responsible for the catastrophic tsunami in Miami could easily summon another devastating tidal wave right on their own doorsteps.
And this time, it was highly unlikely that a convenient cardinal would be waiting in their cities to erect a miraculous barrier and save their lives.
Crushed beneath this overwhelming deterrence, they had no choice but to forcefully swallow this cake with glass shards, even if it bled their profit margins dry.
"It appears everyone is in agreement? Excellent!" Carl finally broke into a satisfied smile. "Then our fruitful cooperation shall continue. While I have you all here, I would like to extend an official invitation. I invite each of your organizations to attend our grand sacrificial ritual one week from now!"
"During this ritual sacrifice, we will formally declare war against every drug cartel on the continent. Every drug trafficker, every cartel associate—they will all be branded as our mortal enemies!"
"Furthermore, this grand ritual will herald the glorious resurrection of our ancient civilizations—the Mayan Empire, the Aztec Empire, and the Inca Empire! The faithful followers of our deities shall once again reclaim the lands blessed by the gods!"
Hearing his passionate declaration, the corporate representatives present in the room and those watching through their cell phones exchanged utterly bewildered glances.
Was it really just a ritual sacrifice? And not some thinly-veiled intimidation rally designed to flex their newfound power? They found that extremely hard to believe!
Regardless of their skepticism, everyone sensibly accepted Carl's invitation. Since they had essentially just agreed to pay extortionate protection fees, they figured they might as well play along and act like allies.
After all, this was a genuine transcendent faction! And since this faction was still in its infancy, rising from the ashes of a fractured region, wouldn't it be incredibly advantageous if they could get their foot in the door early?
The sharpest minds among them already realized the inevitable truth: the future of the world belonged to transcendent power. The coming epoch would undoubtedly be the Era of the Extraordinary!
If they could be the first to secure a VIP ticket into the Era of the Extraordinary through this indigenous faction, their multinational empires—many of which wielded more wealth and influence than small sovereign nations—might just forge an unprecedented path to supreme power!
At that thought, the eyes of several executives lit up with newfound excitement. The mood subtly shifted, and a few even began enthusiastically discussing the logistics of attending the ritual sacrifice.
Caught up in their greed, not a single one of them noticed the utterly frigid, calculating gleam hidden deep within Carl's eyes.
The descendants of the tribe were often the most uncompromising isolationists. Had they not been, they would never have clung so stubbornly to a homeland that seemed destined for perpetual ruin.
Thus, while these corporate vultures were scheming to leech transcendent power from his people, he was already plotting how to seize absolutely every single asset they owned on this continent!
'Keeping you around is only necessary to maintain short-term stability for the sake of this nation's future,' Carl thought coldly. 'But once absolute stability is achieved... Hmph!'