Chapter 53

Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 53

"Hey!"

"Yeah!"

"Drink up!"

The four friends, Jerry, Brandon, Andres, and Karlos, were drinking together, joined by another friend, Domingo, a truck driver who delivered machinery and equipment across the province. He was often busy, so whenever he managed to join them, the group felt complete.

"Since you have free time, how about buying us more drinks?" Brandon joked.

"I already bought a case of beer, that's enough for all of your thirsty throats," Domingo replied.

The five men laughed and continued their drinking session as the night breeze carried, accompanied by sound of crickets.

"By the way, I'm not sure if you've heard, but the police recently raided a drug den in our region. I was near the crime scene and saw the officers detain almost 100 people in one night. The scene was filled with sirens and handcuffs," Domingo murmured.

"Really? Why haven’t we heard about it?"

"Yeah, that operation would have been broadcast on TV. That’s big news." Jerry added.

"Shh, this is just between us. Don’t tell anyone else." Domingo glanced around and leaned closer.

"I heard the drug den was owned by the Patong family," he whispered.

"You’ve got to be kidding me."

"Really? The Patong family? Lang Patong is currently the governor of Timog-Kanluran province. And now you’re telling me that the current leader owns a drug den? That’s a stretch." Even Andres was shocked. Rumors about politicians were common, but this one carried serious weight.

"Listen first. There are rumors that the news of the raid was suppressed because the Patong family might have been implicated. The people detained had information that could badly affect the family. To cover it up, the story was buried as if it never happened."

"How did they do that?"

"I don’t know, connections, money, threats, blackmail. A powerful family like the Patongs has the resources. They can probably do it."

The five men sighed, struggling to believe that the governor of their province could be a drug tycoon. The thought made their drinks taste bitter.

To lighten the mood, they switched topics, talking about their days and jobs. They also teased Karlos about his luck recently catching Bluefin Tuna and salmon. They didn’t know exactly how much he earned, since Karlos kept quiet, but they noticed he had bought a brand-new television and renovated their second shop, a clear sign he was doing better than the average fisherman.

"So when are you going to build a house?"

"Once we have enough savings and the timing feels right."

"You guys are lucky. I’m still living with my parents," crossed-eyed Brandon sighed. He was the only bachelor among them. Even Domingo had a serious girlfriend.

"That’s why we said you should try betting on lottery tickets."

"I do that almost every day. If I calculate how much I spent this year, it’s probably around 8,000 pesos, and I haven’t won a single peso back."

"Damn, that’s a lot."

"Yeah, don’t even talk about it. At this point, I’d be happy if I struck gold."

"By how?"

"I don’t know."

They laughed, voices echoing under the night sky, a moment of carefree friendship.

.........

......

...

When Karlos returned to the kubo, he heard the television and confirmed that Maya was still awake, patiently waiting as always.

"You’re back. Come, you need to drink water."

"Hm."

As always, Maya tended to her drunk but affectionate husband. Karlos gently kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine. Even drunk, he was dangerous in the sense that his touch could melt away her irritation.

Karlos tended to be touchy and cuddly when drunk, but fortunately, drinking water and eating food quickly sobered him, a quirk Maya had come to rely on.

Once Karlos was sober, he stayed up with Maya to watch a telenovela before they slept together, their night ending with intimate hanky panky that sealed the day.

.........

......

...

Larry groaned as he sat up, his head still aching, but feeling better than yesterday when he could barely open his eyes from dizziness.

"Looks like you’re doing fine," Roman said, noticing his cousin from his mother’s side waking up.

"How long did I sleep?"

"A whole day, that’s what Alfred said."

"I see... Thank you, Roman."

"So what happened? I just received a call that you were found floating in the sea by a fisherman."

He passed a glass of water to Larry, who drank it quickly, still thirsty.

"It’s a long story."

"Is it confidential?"

"No, but I’m not sure if you want to hear it. It might put you in danger."

"I’m from the Alejandro family. One of the richest families in the country, worth billions. I swear, they won’t touch me."

"Alright, if you say so." Larry lay back, staring at the ceiling.

"That bastard Lang Patong hired people to drive my car into a cliff. I survived, but I was swept into the waves. Fortunately, I found a floating log and stayed afloat all night. A fisherman saved me, I thought I was going to die."

"As expected. That’s why I say being a policeman brings nothing but danger, especially for a righteous one. Rich people hate your kind," Roman joked.

"Oh, fuck off. I’m not doing this for righteousness. We have to dethrone the Patong family. I even had to bypass the Police Chief to raid Lang Patong’s drug lab."

"And look what happened, you almost died." Roman shrugged. "Is your family really that desperate to have the governorship of Timog-Kanluran?"

"Yes," Larry said.

"Dealing with drug crimes is one thing, but your father also targets the governor’s position."

Larry Araneto’s father was the current Vice Governor of Timog-Kanluran province.

The Patong and Araneto families had been fighting for dominance for decades. Araneto had weakened because the Patong's grew richer through illegal activities, particularly drug creation and trafficking, which expanded their influence.

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