Leo's warning left Emily slightly unsettled. She didn't know exactly why, but she had a vague sense that Leo was working tirelessly for her family.
She nodded gently, her eyes tinged with gratitude. Standing on tiptoe, she kissed Leo softly on the lips.
"Thank you, my love. I'll wait for you here."
Leo went to the post office and mailed a letter addressed to James, the editor-in-chief of the Pioneer Tribune.
He asked James to help him gather information about the SAT exams and college admissions in the U.S.
After all, it was 1945, and aside from James, Leo had no better way to obtain such information.
He wasn't worried about whether James would help.
Having known each other for years, Leo knew James was a man who hid his warmth behind a cold face—and he remembered kindness.
It had been Leo's frontline war reports that propelled James from the mailroom to the editor's desk.
James hadn't helped with previous matters only because doing so would have cost him dearly.
Gratitude aside, he wasn't a fool. Helping Leo publish that book had already been the furthest he could go.
But now, all Leo needed was some basic info—books and documents James could gather with ease. It was a simple favor James would not refuse.
After mailing the letter, Leo stepped into the nearby telegraph office.
Though it was still early morning, the small room was already packed.
A crowd of small to mid-sized grain merchants had gathered, all waiting for updates on the futures market.
Since most of them didn't have phones at home, they used the office's lines to monitor price changes.
The room was thick with smoke and heavy tension—after all, fluctuations in grain prices determined the fate of their fortunes.
Glancing at the phone wall completely blocked off by the crowd, Leo gave up on using the telephone.
Instead, he turned his attention to the rows of telegraph cubicles on the side, where a few bored operators sat.
Eventually, Leo's eyes settled on a young woman—clearly a new employee.
Back straight, she clutched a worn instruction manual and practiced diligently, keystroke by keystroke.
She was the perfect choice. With a limited social circle, she was unlikely to leak anything he sent.
Leo needed to send a message about purchasing timber—a matter that affected many lives and required the utmost discretion.
"Excuse me, beautiful miss, may I know your name?" he asked.
"N-Noviny," she stammered, blushing slightly under Leo's handsome gaze.
"Nice to meet you, Noviny. I need your help to send a telegram."
Hearing that she'd be sending a telegram, Noviny quickly shook off her dreamy expression, lifted her head, and said nervously,
"Uh, sir, I just started today. I'm not very fast at typing yet—it might take a while."
"My message isn't long. Besides, you've got to start somewhere—why not with your first real assignment?"
Leo smiled warmly, pointing to the instruction manual in front of her.
His tone calmed the girl. She nodded seriously, ready to follow his instructions.
Leo pulled out a notebook—not a diary, but a dense record of names, dates, and short notes.
This was his second greatest treasure from the war, after the gold: connections.
The pages were filled with meticulous details, mostly people Leo had saved in battle.
He flipped straight to the final few pages—ones marked with different numbers of stars beside the names.
Unlike the earlier entries, these pages recorded dark histories.
Leo's finger paused on one name: White Lavaux.
War reveals human courage and loyalty—but in the shadows, it also uncovers betrayal and greed.
During a mission behind enemy lines, Leo had once caught Lavaux—then a naval logistics officer—making a secret arms deal with an enemy intelligence agent inside a hidden cave.
Leo still remembered how the spineless Lavaux had panicked. He'd confessed everything even before interrogation began.
Leo knew Lavaux was simply trying to survive.
But Lavaux was also very clever.
As a "black glove" operative, he understood that once his betrayal was exposed, the people backing him might prefer to see him disappear.
So, Lavaux worked hard to prove his value.
Leo spared his life, and in return he got priority access to supplies during the war—and now, something even more useful.
Lavaux was Canadian. His family owned a massive lumber business.
Even better, they held shares in a railway company that had excellent relations with major American rail lines.
With access to timber, train cars, and shipping lines straight to Richmond, Lavaux was the perfect man for the job.
Leo dictated:
Dear White,
This is your friend, Leo Valentino. At present, I urgently need 1,000 cubic meters of lumber shipped to Richmond within 15 days.
I believe you will not refuse this request, as it concerns the deep friendship between us.
We both wish each other well—and hope to avoid any unpleasant outcomes.
Looking forward to your response. Please act quickly.
Your loyal friend, Leo Valentino.
"It's been sent, Mr. Valentino," Noviny said.
Leo pulled out his wallet and slid a ten-dollar bill across the desk.
"Thank you for your help. Consider this your tip, Miss Noviny. I believe we're now friends—and as a friend, I ask that you keep today's message confidential."
Before Noviny could respond, Leo gave her a wink and walked out of the telegraph office—
leaving the young woman stunned, staring at a tip equal to a full week's pay.
Outside, Leo ran into an unexpected acquaintance—his uncle's son, Lucas.
After a brief exchange, Leo learned why Lucas was there: he was sending a telegram to his uncle in New York.
Apparently, their family planned to move there.
"What about the grocery store?" Leo asked.
At the question, Lucas lowered his head in embarrassment.
His heart was a mix of emotions.
The store had once been fiercely contested by his father—taken from Leo's grandfather through cunning and effort.
It held deep family history.
Now, they were giving it up just because it had lost a little money.
For the thin-skinned Lucas, it was a humiliating turn of events.
As he watched Lucas enter the post office awkwardly, Leo frowned.
That grocery store, one of the last Valentino family heirlooms, might soon fall into the hands of his adoptive father, Ricardo.