"I would like to discuss how we can work together, improve our relationship."

Eduardo gazed back unblinkingly, his face devoid of any expression.

"I recall making a proposal in the meeting yesterday that you rejected, Presidente. Your words were clear and direct."

"I wasn't rejecting your proposal, merely putting it aside. Now that we're alone, I'm willing to listen to your reasoning, to hear what you have to say." Isabella replied.

Eduardo considered her for a moment, his face unreadable, before stepping around the desk, his movements unnervingly precise. His fingers brushed lightly against the mess of folders before picking one up, as though he had memorised its location among the chaos. He flipped through it with mechanical efficiency, his expression unreadable.

"Perhaps I did not make my proposal clear enough. Enhanced surveillance, Presidente, is not a singular program but a comprehensive strategy," he began. His voice was calm, devoid of inflection, yet every word carried an air of authority. "It integrates monitoring communication lines, embedding informants in key areas, and utilizing the latest advancements in signal interception."

Isabella leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the chair's armrests. "I understand the necessity, Minister, but it must be implemented carefully. It cannot devolve into indiscriminate oppression."

Eduardo paused, closing the folder with a soft thud. His gaze shifted to her, cold and unfeeling. "Oppression, Presidente, is a crude instrument. What I carry out is precision—a scalpel, not a club. Our measures would have target subversive elements alone. But that is now impossible, not without the funding you denied. No, if you want results now, I would require more... autonomy."