Seeing Nacho, Dexter sat up on the sofa.
Nacho maintained his usual "I'm a tough guy" posture—eyes wide, expression cold and hard.
Seeing that Nacho wasn't speaking, Dexter smiled. He didn't speak either, just casually pulled out his pack of cigarettes and lit one.
Let's see who breaks first. I've got nothing but time.
They stared at each other for a short while.
Finally, Nacho broke the silence. "I can work for you, but I need you to do something for me first."
Dexter exhaled a cloud of smoke, instantly understanding Nacho's angle. He grinned. "Get rid of Tuco?"
Although Nacho still couldn't figure out how Dexter knew so much, he was past the point of being surprised. He nodded. "Yeah. I'm partners with Tuco. As long as Tuco is alive, even if I want to work for you, I can't."
Dexter knew exactly why Nacho wanted Tuco gone.
Nacho was running a side hustle behind Tuco's back to make extra cash. Meanwhile, Tuco was hitting the crystal meth hard, becoming increasingly erratic and paranoid.
That paranoia meant that if Tuco even suspected Nacho of anything, he would kill him without hesitation.
"Sit down first. It feels weird with you standing over me like that," Dexter said calmly.
Nacho hesitated for a moment, then sat in the chair in front of the desk.
"Have you thought about what happens after Tuco is killed?" Dexter took a drag of his cigarette and asked.
Nacho's expression remained cold. "Of course."
Dexter smiled. "Then I have to tell you, you're thinking about it wrong."
"First, I know exactly why you want Tuco dead."
"Second, once Tuco dies, the Salamanca family will definitely send someone to investigate. At first, maybe you won't be suspected. In fact, the Salamancas will very likely put you in charge of finding the killer."
"If that investigation leads back to me, I will kill you without hesitation. Did you think about that?"
Nacho had thought about it. His expression didn't change. "Make it clean. Make sure it can't be traced."
Hearing this, Dexter's smile widened. "Nacho, when it comes to the criminal underworld, you're clearly still an amateur."
"If I kill Tuco in this city, no matter how 'clean' I make it, someone will absolutely find out it was me."
Nacho didn't react immediately. "Who?"
"Gustavo Fring," Dexter dropped the name casually.
Nacho's expression finally cracked. A look of genuine surprise washed over his face. "You even know about him?"
Dexter smiled silently, maintaining an air of mystery. He didn't answer directly but continued, "Let me paint a picture of what happens after I kill Tuco."
"The Salamanca family will send people to Albuquerque because they are obsessed with 'family,' and Tuco is a Salamanca."
"There's a high probability that the person they send will be Hector Salamanca."
"Whoever comes, they will throw everything they have into investigating Tuco's death."
"Suppose this Salamanca can't trace it back to me. They will inevitably go to Gustavo Fring and demand that he find the killer."
"Gustavo Fring will comply. And he will definitely find out it was me."
"The reason is simple. This is Albuquerque. Gustavo Fring is far more terrifying than you think. He essentially runs this city."
"When Gustavo Fring finds me, I'll probably die. As for you? You will definitely die."
"Do you understand?"
Nacho was even more shocked now, his eyes widening further. "You know Gustavo Fring that well? From what I know, he isn't as powerful as you say."
Ignorance is bliss, I guess.
Dexter was amused. He smiled and shook his head. "You don't know him like I do. In front of him, the Salamanca family is just a bunch of clowns."
"You don't have to believe me. But you'd better start believing, or you might accidentally lose your life."
Nacho fell silent, staring unblinkingly at Dexter.
After a long pause.
"Tuco has to die. Otherwise, I'm dead."
"Whatever happens after that... I'm willing to gamble."
Nacho spoke with absolute conviction.
Dexter shook his head again, smiling. "Why does Tuco have to die? Essentially, you just need to get rid of him. For example, what if Tuco went to prison for a few years? Wouldn't that solve your problem?"
"He can't get busted for the business. If he goes down for that, I go down too. The police know we're partners," Nacho countered, having naturally considered and rejected this option.
"Simple," Dexter said with a smile. "Tuco is a lunatic. We set a trap and get him arrested for something else."
"You can do that?" Nacho asked.
Dexter nodded with a smile. "Fifty thousand dollars. I'll arrange it."
Fifty grand was nothing to Nacho. "It has to be perfect. No loose ends that lead back to us. Or we're both dead."
"Relax. I'm a professional," Dexter smiled.
Nacho stared wide-eyed at Dexter for a good while before nodding. "Deal. You handle Tuco, and I'll work for you."
"Trust me, this will be the smartest decision you've ever made," Dexter said.
Hearing that tone, Nacho raised an eyebrow, a flicker of irritation crossing his face, but he held it back.
Dexter didn't care. He stood up. "Let's go then. Take me to see the spot you picked out for the hit."
Nacho didn't say anything but stood up immediately.
Soon.
They got into their respective cars and drove off slowly.
Dexter drove quietly, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
Naturally, the crow followed above.
As they drove.
The crow suddenly sent a message: a car was following them.
Dexter instantly guessed who it was. Honestly, he was a little surprised.
Gus's men are already tailing Nacho?
That son of a bitch is good.
So, this meant he had officially entered Gus's field of vision.
Interesting.
As Dexter thought this, he checked his rearview mirror, locating the tailing car.
It was a bit far back.
He could only see a blurry outline of the driver. He couldn't make out the face clearly.
The face looked unfamiliar; he didn't recognize it.
But judging by the guy's stern, joyless posture... Heh, undoubtedly one of Gus's people.
After all, Gus's henchmen shared a common trait: they all looked like someone owed them a few million dollars. It was annoying.
Dexter didn't mind. After a brief glance, he withdrew his gaze and focused on driving.
They drove for about half an hour.
They arrived at the location and parked in a vacant lot diagonally across from a small Mexican restaurant with a yellow sign.
They got out of their cars.
Nacho didn't waste time or words. He went straight to the point. "Every Tuesday, Tuco and I come to this restaurant to collect..."
Nacho explained the routine.
Dexter listened quietly, smoking his cigarette.
Today was Thursday. Four days until next Tuesday.
No rush.
"Alright, I got it. Keep in touch. See you next Tuesday," Dexter said, turning to leave.
Seeing this, Nacho quickly called out, "What exactly are you planning to do?"
Dexter smiled. "It's better if you don't know. Otherwise, you might give it away."
Nacho frowned, thought for a moment, and said, "Okay."
"Find some time tomorrow to drop the money off at my place," Dexter said as he walked away.
...
It was getting dark. Dexter didn't go back to the law office but drove straight back to the hotel.
Gus's man was still following him.
Dexter ignored it as usual, going about his business. He returned to the hotel, took Daijiu out for a walk.
After walking the dog, he went back to his room, showered, and watched TV.
Gus's man continued surveillance outside the hotel for over two hours.
At 10:00 PM.
The henchman pulled out his phone, called Gus, and gave a detailed report.
Gus listened expressionlessly. "Put a tracker on Dexter's car. Find out everything about him."
"Yes, sir."
The call ended.
Sitting in his small office, Gus began to think silently.
---
A new day.
Dexter went to the underground parking lot as usual, walked to his beat-up second-hand Corolla, opened the fuel cap, and yanked off the rubber ring beneath it.
Voila.
A tracker.
Heh.
Gustavo, you idiot.
Dexter chuckled, put the rubber ring back, and drove to the courthouse.
On the way, the crow didn't spot anyone following.
That was normal. After all, the tracker was already in place.
Arriving at the booth where Mike worked, Dexter stepped on the brakes and smiled at Mike. "I've got a job. Fifty thousand dollars. Interested?"
Mike looked at Dexter without expression.
For the moment, thanks to the fifty grand from the last job, Mike wasn't strapped for cash.
But money was something his daughter-in-law Stacey and granddaughter Kaylee needed a lot of.
Fifty thousand wouldn't keep that mother and daughter comfortable for very long.
Mike pursed his lips, hesitated slightly, then pointed in a direction. "Park the car in that corner."
Dexter didn't say more and did as told.
A moment later.
Mike left the booth and sat in the passenger seat next to Dexter. Still wearing that stern face, he asked, "What's the job?"
"Set a trap. Send someone to prison," Dexter said concisely.
Mike raised an eyebrow slightly.
The job sounded simple. Not worth fifty thousand dollars.
"Who is the target?" Mike asked.
"A drug dealer. Tuco Salamanca. His background is pretty serious. You can look into it when you have time," Dexter knew Mike would investigate anyway, so he was upfront about it.
"I will investigate," Mike said. Then he added, "I'll give you an answer after I look into it."
"Okay," Dexter responded. "Within three days."
Mike didn't say more. He got out and returned to his booth.
Dexter drove on, parked closer to the courthouse building, and got out to start his morning of public defense work.
Honestly, dealing with all sorts of scumbags and hearing about bizarre crimes was actually quite entertaining.
Dexter didn't hate this life.
---
HHM Law Firm.
Since coming into work that morning, Kim had been swamped with the Sandpiper Crossing case. Extremely busy.
While she was working, for reasons she couldn't quite explain, Kim suddenly felt an uncontrollable wave of irritation. She couldn't focus.
What exactly happened to Jimmy and Chuck?
And what Dexter said yesterday... Is becoming a partner at HHM really what I want?
Sometimes, people are like that.
Once a thought pops up, even the firmest resolve can begin to waver.
After feeling agitated for a while and failing to calm down, Kim decided to go to the underground parking lot for a cigarette to clear her head.
After a few puffs, she calmed down a bit.
After a brief hesitation, Kim took out her phone and sent a text to Dexter: [What are you doing?]
[At the courthouse. Just finished a case. I won,] Dexter replied.
[Congratulations,] Kim smiled involuntarily.
[Aren't you busy?] Dexter asked.
[Came out for a smoke,] Kim replied.
[Run into something annoying?] Dexter asked.
Kim hesitated again before replying. [Work stuff. I have to go back.]
[Bye,] Dexter replied.
Kim put her phone away. Standing in the darkness, leaning against the wall, she continued to smoke in silence.
Finishing the cigarette, she took a deep breath.
Kim straightened her clothes, walked to the elevator, and went back upstairs to continue working.
In a flash, it was lunch break.
After a quick lunch, Kim found Howard and asked about Jimmy and Chuck.
Howard hadn't received any updates. He shook his head, maintaining a strictly businesslike demeanor. "I'll keep following up with the police. If there's news, I'll let you know immediately."
The police had basically made their stance clear yesterday.
Jimmy and Chuck were missing, and they had been missing for a long time. There was a limit to what the police could do...
Kim thought for a moment. "Maybe we could hire a private investigator."
Hearing this, Howard shook his head without hesitation. "We are lawyers. That approach isn't suitable for us."
Kim felt helpless.
Private investigators were expensive. If HHM didn't pay, she couldn't afford it.
"If we just let it drag on, it'll end with nothing..." Kim said.
"Kim," Howard actually didn't care much about this. If Jimmy was dead, he was dead. As for Chuck, he was just a business partner, not family. If he was dead, well, he was dead. "I know you and Jimmy were friends, but there is really very little we can do about this."
"Focus on your work. Wait for the police results."
Faced with these words, Kim didn't know what to say.
"Let's leave it at that. I have things to do. I'm going," Howard said. Without waiting for Kim's response, he walked away hurriedly as usual.
Kim turned to watch Howard's retreating figure, shook her head helplessly, and sighed silently. In her heart, she knew that Jimmy and Chuck would probably just vanish like this, never to be found.
Sigh.
Kim felt a mix of sadness and headache.
---
Mike was investigating.
Tuco Salamanca was easy enough to look up.
After identifying Tuco, Mike dug deeper into the people around him and his background.
By nightfall.
Mike had learned about the Salamanca family in Mexico. Consequently, he became hesitant about the job.
Tuco Salamanca was cartel.
Getting mixed up with the cartel for fifty thousand dollars was definitely not worth it.
But...
The Salamanca family was ultimately in Mexico. And based on his investigation throughout the day...
Mike was certain that given Tuco's madness, this job would actually be very easy to pull off. In other words, this was an easy fifty grand.
Take a beating, get fifty thousand dollars...
More importantly, he could send a vicious drug dealer to prison, make a contribution to society, and perhaps atone a little for his own past...
Mike hesitated for a long time, but he was leaning toward taking the job.