Francisco and his friends traveled by bus. Jose got off at his station.
"Meet me Tomorrow ," Francisco said with a smile as he and Angelo left.
Vero didn't waste time.
After taking Jose's photo, he ran it through the department's database. Using facial recognition AI, he quickly found a match—Jose's national ID.
"So, he lives here. Good." Vero turned off his computer.
The next morning, Jose met Francisco and Angelo in front of the city park.
"What are we doing here? Are we selling them like street vendors or something?" Jose asked, confused.
"Just watch," Angelo said as he and Francisco walked into the park.
"I've got a question. If the cops have been watching them constantly, how the hell haven't they been caught yet?" Jose asked, brows furrowed.
"That's a good question," Francisco said, juggling the ball casually.
"Actually, the cops have tried everything," Angelo began. "Undercover agents, surprise raids with trained dogs, checking the customer list every week, even monitoring the owner's bank accounts and transactions. But they found nothing. Do you know why?"
"Why?" Jose looked at Francisco.
"Because a smart dealer never keeps his money in the bank," Francisco replied. "And before any raid, the owner is already prepared."
They stepped onto the soccer field. Several teams were playing nearby.
Jose noticed something.....one of the players, a well-built guy, had the exact same small soccer ball as theirs. He was playing with ten others.
After a while, that player stopped, and his teammates took a break.
Just then, Francisco kicked his ball hard, sending it flying into a bush.
"Ahh! Sorry about that!" Francisco grinned.
"You idiot, what did you do?" Jose was about to run after it, but Angelo stopped him.
"Relax, everything's fine," Angelo said with a smirk.
One of the resting players stood up. "I'll get it for you," he offered.
"Thanks," Francisco nodded.
"Wait… what are you..." Jose trailed off as he noticed how calm Francisco and Angelo were.
A couple of minutes later, the ball was returned.
"Here you go," the player said.
"Thanks," Francisco replied casually.
"Alright guys, that's enough for today. Let's go," one of the group members said.
"Yeah, we should head out too," Francisco agreed.
As they walked away, Francisco handed the ball to Jose. "Here. When you get home, tear it open."
"Huh? Why?" Jose asked, taking the ball.
"Just trust me. Do it," Francisco said, patting him on the shoulder.
At home, Jose went into the washroom, the ball clutched in his trembling hands.
"Should I believe him? What if this is a setup? What if he's trying to frame me?" Jose placed the ball on the floor.
"No, I should return it," he muttered, picking it up and stepping out.
"Hah… what am I even scared of? I chose this path myself. Why am I hesitating now? Screw it. Let's just do this."
He stabbed the ball with a knife.
"Hssssss…..."
Gas hissed out, but nothing else.
"What the hell…?" Jose blinked. The ball was empty.
"Is this...… a normal ball? Did Francisco lie? Was this all just a joke?"
He collapsed onto the floor, laughing bitterly. "Oh Jesus...… that bastard. He pranked me."
Then he remembered the guy with the identical ball. And how Francisco let someone else retrieve it.
"Wait a second...… was that...…?" His laughter stopped.
The days passed.
Vero kept tailing Jose from a distance.
Where did he go? Who did he meet?
It didn't take long to figure out. Every night, Jose visited a hospital.
Interesting.
Vero made a few discreet inquiries and found out Jose's parents were admitted there. A long-term case.
Medical bills.
A clear motive.
It all fit.
A week later, Jose heard a knock on his door. It was Francisco.
"Here.....your share," Francisco said, handing him a gift box from his school bag.
After Francisco left, Jose opened it.
It was filled with chocolates.
"Is he stupid? Did I really get involved in all this... for this crap?" Jose muttered, throwing the box aside.
He went to eat his lunch, fuming.
Later, when he'd calmed down, he bent down to pick up the scattered chocolates.
But then his fingers brushed something else.....bundles of money hidden among the treats.
"What the...… did he…...?" Jose's hands trembled as he picked up the notes.
"That bastard pranked me again," he muttered, then burst into laughter.
"Now I can treat my parents….... without begging anyone." His eyes welled up with tears of joy.
Two months passed.
Vero continued watching Jose, but suddenly....Jose disappeared.
No hospital visits.
No school.
No usual routines.
Gone.
Something wasn't right.
Vero visited the hospital where he'd last seen Jose. Pretending to be an old friend, he approached a nurse.
"Oh, they're not here anymore," she said.
"What do you mean?"
"Transferred. They were moved to a higher treatment facility."
Vero frowned. Jose had been struggling to pay even the basic hospital bills. And now he had the money for advanced care?
That didn't add up.
Still undercover, Vero went to Jose's last known address...his aunt and uncle's home.
He knocked. The door creaked open.
A woman in flashy jewelry eyed him suspiciously.
"Who are you?"
"I pass by here often," Vero said politely. "Used to see a boy coming in and out, but haven't seen him in a while. Just wondering if everything's okay."
The aunt snorted. "Hmph. You tell me. He hasn't come begging for money in two months. Not even a phone call. Just one letter saying he'll return what we gave him."
Vero's pulse quickened.
He repaid them? In just two months?
He kept his face neutral. "Must've found good work, huh?"
She scoffed. "If he did, he sure didn't bother to tell us. Too busy now, I guess."
That was all Vero needed to hear.
He stepped outside, lit a cigarette, and headed back to his car.
He had enough now.
Back in his apartment, Vero pinned Jose's photo on his bulletin board.
Then, he started connecting the dots.
Jose was poor → Needed money for medical bills.
Jose met Francisco & Angelo → Started running with them.
Two months later → Paid off debts & vanished.
Where did the money come from?
Only one answer.
Drugs.
Jose had fully stepped into the business.
Vero leaned back, staring at the chart.
This wasn't just a part-time hustle.
This was a full transformation.
Jose wasn't just desperate anymore.
He had become something else.
And Vero was going to find out exactly what.