Capítulo 1461: Chapter 691: Angsa Guanlong Scions!_2

The advisor immediately handed over the document, with a barely perceptible sense of relief in his tone: “A formal diplomatic note from the Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs, inviting you to attend their Independence Day celebrations on September 16 in Mexico City.”

Little Bush grabbed the document, his bloodshot eyes swiftly scanning through the official jargon.

September 16?

Still more than half a month away? The flames of impatience flickered inside him again. Was this damned Victor deliberately stringing him along? But he quickly suppressed the emotion.

He understood that this was their way of controlling the pace and telling him: Why rush? The initiative is in my hands now.

His throat moved slightly, “Reply to them, I will attend on time.”

“Yes, sir. I will arrange it immediately.” The advisor nodded and turned to leave.

“Wait!” Little Bush suddenly called out to him, rubbing his aching temples as his mind raced even in extreme fatigue.

The advisor stopped in his tracks, looking back in confusion.

Little Bush pondered for a few seconds, his eyes flickering, then lowered his voice: “Issue a non-public directive to the relevant domestic departments to immediately lift all special control and inspection measures against Mexican residents within our borders. Suspend all previous actions.”

He paused, lowering his voice even more: “Also, tell certain people, especially those groups and militia organizations that are jumping high on the Texas issue, to keep quiet for now. The government should not have any public or private contact with them, at least not until I return from Mexico City. Avoid unnecessary complications.”

I fear Victor might misunderstand.

The advisor was momentarily stunned, he solemnly nodded: “Understood, sir. I will handle it with extreme caution.”

“Go ahead.” Little Bush waved his hand wearily.

This is really damn frustrating.

…

Victor deliberately postponed the negotiations to after Mexico Independence Day on September 16, not just to humiliate Little Bush or demonstrate dominance.

This precious window of nearly a month was critical for him to digest Texas, consolidate power, and turn raw deals into accomplished feats. He wanted Bush to see an established fact when he arrived, a Texas where the flames of resistance had been largely extinguished, and a new order was taking root.

Orders were issued from the National Palace in Mexico City, quickly translating into actions on Texan soil through encrypted radio waves and loyal couriers.

The patrol intensity and frequency of the Mexican Army were elevated to unprecedented levels.

Especially in rural and peri-urban areas, the breeding grounds for resistance, UH-1 “Huey” and Mi-17 helicopter formations roared overhead almost around the clock, with their deafening noise serving as a psychological deterrent.

From helicopters skimming low, gunners’ cold eyes and the dark muzzles of guns scanned every field, road, and house below.

Any suspicious movement could result in a burst of warning gunfire or direct ground troop sweeps for a thorough cleanup.

To completely eradicate the groundwork for “swarm” attacks, Victor instructed the Texas interim administration to implement a grassroots control system derived from ancient Eastern wisdom but modernized — a variant of the baojia system.

A “Double Baozhang System” was implemented in towns and urban neighborhoods.

The main baozhang position was taken by Texans with some local prestige willing to cooperate, while the deputy position was filled by well-behaved, surrendered individuals known as “traitors” who had been integrated into the system.

The two monitored each other, jointly responsible for population registration, material distribution, intelligence gathering, and security maintenance within their jurisdictions.

If any area experienced an attack event without prior warning or clues provided afterward, both the primary and secondary baozhangs would be held accountable, facing either deprivation of supplies or imprisonment.

This system significantly exploited human selfishness and fear, forcibly extending administrative influence to the grassroots cellular level.

The effects were obvious and brutal.

To protect themselves and avoid implicating family and neighbors, many ordinary residents who had initially remained silent were now forced to actively monitor and report anomalies in their surroundings.

Trust further collapsed, but attack incidents did indeed drop sharply.

The rebel forces lost their most crucial cover and supply source—the silence and tolerance of the populace.

The magic power of money continued to ferment.

With sky-high bounties on the line, informing became rampant. In late August, a secret tip from Fredericksburg, a “model town,” directly led to a major victory.

An informant accurately provided the location and activity patterns of key leaders of the “Lone Star Brotherhood,” entrenched in the surrounding mountains, a stubborn and highly combative group.

The Mexican Army’s 5th Airborne Brigade’s elite assault team launched a precision night raid.

The fierce firefight lasted less than half an hour; the Brotherhood, including its top commander, a former Texas Ranger Captain Jackson Jack Hollyfield known for his extreme xenophobia and bravery, along with seven core members, were all killed.

When Hollyfield’s body was dragged out, it was nearly riddled with bullets, but his face remained twisted with incredulous anger.

The Mexican authorities unceremoniously transported Hollyfield and several other heads’ bodies to Austin, staging a “display” in the square in front of the State Legislative Building.

Swarms of reporters captured the once arrogant resistance leaders now cold and disgraced endings.

Photos appeared on the front pages of all Mexico-controlled media, with mocking headlines: “The Lone Star has fallen, the end of the resisters!”

This delivered a devastating blow to the morale of the remaining resistance forces and sent a message to all Texans: the hardest bones have been gnawed; the rest is just a matter of time.