Chapter 815 Seeds of Hatred
Chapter 815 Seeds of Hatred
”Hurry up!”
”A bunch of useless things!”
”Haven’t you eaten yet?”
The docks were filled with the rude roars of the supervisors and the cracking of whips.
The workers carrying boxes were like donkeys walking upright, working back and forth between the deck of the cargo ship and the dock warehouse without complaint.
Not to mention the salary of eight silver coins an hour and eating from the same pot, even stopping to rest for a while here is a luxury. If you want to go to the toilet or drink a sip of water, you have to ask the supervisor for mercy.
This is Xifan Port.
It is also the West Port that players joke about.
Here, a healthy slave only costs 1,000 dinars.
Even though the population has become so cheap, merchants from Triumph City still prefer to rent.
In the eastern part of Zhongzhou Continent, many survivors have a “fantasy” about the Legion that distance creates beauty, and believe that the Legion is actually very disciplined.
However, in fact, it is only because they have come into contact with too few Willant people and do not understand the nature of these guys.
Every old resident of Fallen Leaf City knows very well what the Willant people looked like when they first came to the River Valley Province, and what they looked like after being beaten.
The reason why they behaved so well in the east of the Central Continent was simply because they were hurt. If
it were Xifan Port, which was far beyond the power projection range of the Alliance, they would not even act.
But what’s interesting is that even though they have tried very hard to exploit the locals, they are still a little bit smaller than the nobles of the native province of Borneo. So much
so that General McLen couldn’t help but sigh every time he passed by here, he was too kind when he was in the River Valley Province, and he didn’t squeeze out the potential of the local survivors at all.
The residents living in the area are mainly Willant people, followed by merchants from places such as Silver Moon Bay, as well as local nobles and some free people
in Borneo Province. Since the local area does not prohibit slave trade, some nobles from the state of Lowell migrated here after the fall of Golden Gallon Port.
As for the players, they are almost invisible here.
After all, there is neither an airport nor a save point opened by a big boss. It takes more than ten or twenty days to come here from the port of the alliance, and another ten or twenty days to go back. If you
die here once, not only will the unsaved experience points be reset to zero, but all your equipment and property will be destroyed. The risk and benefit are completely disproportionate!
However, although this place is a chicken rib for players, it has a completely different meaning for the people of Willant.
Since the civil servants of Triumph City borrowed this territory from the Empire, they brought clean streets, beautiful houses and bright street lights here.
Bennott and other civil servants have high hopes for the development prospects of the local area.
Even if the nobles of the Empire have become pedantic and stubborn, I think no one should be able to refuse the decent life of civilized people.
They can influence the nobles of Lion State through the abundant life of Xifan Port, and then influence the nobles of Tiandu through the nobles of Lion State.
They don’t expect to educate the guys here to be civilized, and they are not interested in charity, but they need an ally with enough deterrence to share the pressure from the Alliance for them.
On the port paved with gravel bricks.
A bearded Willant frequently looked at the diamond-studded pocket watch in his hand, his face full of anxiety.
His name is Yarman, a businessman who deals in sugar and tea. His main business is to send the sugar and black tea produced in Xifan Port to Kaixuan City and the ports controlled by the Southern Legion. Occasionally, he also plays the role of a slave trader.
According to the original plan, his fleet should set off to the “Eternal Night Port” on the southernmost side of the Great Desert of the Southern Legion in the morning, and then detour to the west of the Central Continent to bring the fine tea and sugar cubes back to the port of Kaixuan City.
However, plans cannot keep up with changes.
Just yesterday, a piece of news released from the Governor’s Office made the Willant merchants in the entire Xifan Port boil!
The Legion’s expedition to Haiya Province has ended, and a large number of equipment stranded on the front line are on sale at a discount!
As long as you spend 10,000 dinars to buy a voucher from the Governor’s Office and pay a certain amount of deposit, you can pack and transport the treasures piled up in Haiya Province at an ultra-low price of less than 10,000 dinars per ton!
The only requirement of the Governor’s Office of Xifan Port is that these arms purchased through vouchers must be shipped back to Xifan Port!
And the object of sale must be the Xifan Port Weapons Reserve Bureau or the Empire!
Although this condition means that the selling price will be suppressed to a certain extent, it still cannot stop the enthusiasm of the Willant merchants in Xifan Port.
After all, the price of less than 10,000 dinars per ton is too attractive, which is equivalent to giving it for free!
They have been doing business for so many years, and have never seen arms sold by pound!
Even if the good things have been picked up, and only some bullets are left, it is still more than 50% profit.
And if you can buy the Conqueror tank of the Eastern Legion, the profit will be doubled!
Such a profitable business, Yarman will certainly not miss it. Although he has no way to do arms business, does this kind of business with eyes closed need any way?
What’s more, if it doesn’t work, he can sell it to the Weapons Reserve Bureau of Xifan Port, so he is not afraid of smashing it in his hands.
Praise His Majesty the Dollar Marshal!
Praise Governor Huye!
This is almost obvious, the Governor’s Office of Xifan Port sent them a New Year’s gift!
However, as luck would have it, it was not only Alman who thought so.
The entire Xifan Port was like crazy, and the berths of the docks were packed to the brim.
The workers on the dock had just filled the boat and had no time to eat a bite of dry food. They were immediately urged by the supervisors to unload the goods into the warehouse. If they were a little slower, they would be whipped.
But even so, facing the strong demand for loading and unloading, the coolies’ desperate efforts still seemed to be a drop in the bucket.
It was the fault of the slaves themselves. After all, they were too hardworking and too cheap, so that the port of Xifan Port could not use electrified loading and unloading equipment at all. If there was such a peak in demand, they could only push themselves.
Because there were too many ships eager to unload, the port office and the “labor agencies” had to go to nearby manors and plantations to mobilize a group of slaves and serfs.
Looking at the busy dock, the bearded captain said with a frown.
”At this rate, I’m afraid we won’t leave until tomorrow morning,”
Alman said without hesitation.
”Too slow, we have to set off today anyway!”
The captain’s brows twitched violently, and he looked at him with a wry smile.
”I understand your eagerness to get rich, but… you have to consider the practicality.”
”Practicality?” Alman rolled up his sleeves and looked at the captain with sharp eyes, “I’ll tell you what practicality means! Boxes and bundles of munitions are piled up in Haiya Province, and they are weapons of the regular army! Those rubbish in the east have never been so generous! Merchant ships on the entire route are running there. If we go too late, we won’t even get a sip of soup!”
Facing the aggressive gaze, the captain swallowed his saliva.
”Well, even if these coolies can unload the goods before dark, do we have to go with an empty ship-”
”That’s right, we will go with an empty ship!” Alman interrupted him without hesitation, and continued excitedly, “Except for supplies, we don’t need to bring anything! There is no time for us to hesitate and walk past. We are not going to do business, we are going to pick up money! Picking up money, do you understand?”
At this point, Alman softened his tone and patted his captain on the shoulder.
”Prepare as I say. You will definitely benefit from this business… I can assure you that your share of this business will be at least 1 million dinars!”
Hearing this generous reward, the captain subconsciously held his breath and nodded his neck unconsciously.
”Okay…”
1 million dinars!
The ransom of a thousand captains is not that high!
Compared with this property, going home for the New Year is not worth mentioning.
Watching the captain leave, Alman continued to cast his eyes on the lion foreman beside him, and his warm smile immediately collapsed.
”How long will it take to empty my fleet?”
Facing the urging of the Weilant master in front of him, Naji wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a smile on his face.
”I’ll ask the supervisors to hurry up and try to finish the work before tomorrow—”
”Try to finish it?”
Alman raised his eyebrows, stared at him, and said word by word, “I don’t care what method you use, you must unload all the goods before dark!”
When Naji heard this, the sweat he had just wiped off immediately broke out on his forehead again.
”Hey, before dark, sir, it’s only three hours away from dark—”
”That’s your business.” Alman didn’t even look at him, and said coldly, “The maximum time limit is eight o’clock in the evening. If you can’t do it, I can only talk to your boss—or my partner.” Hearing this
, Naji felt a slight chill on his back.
Although he was a member of the Lion Clan, he was just a commoner, and compared to those big men with titles, he was nothing.
Therefore, even if this request sounded a bit difficult, he could only grit his teeth and said it with a stiff upper lip.
”I’ll find some more people…”
”Go.”
Alman waved his hand impatiently, shooing this guy away like a fly.
It turns out that urging is effective.
Under the desperate urging of the overseers, the slaves put in all their efforts and actually cleared the last two ships before the sun sank into the sea level.
Naji was anxiously preparing to ask Lord Alman for credit, but was blocked by the crowd in front of the dock.
I saw a group of coolies gathered in a circle on the narrow dock, and a skinny guy was lying on the ground in the middle, foaming at the mouth and twitching.
This guy was too thin, and his skin was tanned black and red by the sun, just like a smoked sausage.
Naji pushed and squeezed into the crowd, kicked the guy on the ground, and saw that he was no longer moving, so he looked at the dock workers next to him and asked.
”What’s wrong with this guy?”
A tall and thin man said with his head down.
”His name is Orisa–”
Before he finished speaking, he was whipped on the forehead and staggered back a few steps. Fortunately, the worker next to him held his arm and prevented him from falling into the sea.
Blood oozed out from the turned flesh, covering his eyes and half of his face, which was shocking.
The man seemed to be stunned. He touched his forehead and stood there in a daze.
”Who cares what he’s called? Drag him off the dock! Damn it! Don’t you know how busy it is today! Don’t you all block here!” Naji yelled and cursed, and pointed the whip in his hand randomly, shouting away all the workers who were surrounding him. The crowd
blocking the dock finally dispersed, and the port returned to its usual busyness.
Looking at the wooden box that had sunk into the sea, Naji’s mouth twitched in pain.
It’s a pity for the good tea…
One bag is worth half a month’s salary for him.
Fortunately, he didn’t have to pay for the lost goods. These bigwigs had long expected the clumsiness of these rough guys, and the loss of one or two boxes of goods was within the acceptable range.
Otherwise, even if they sold him, they couldn’t afford the compensation…
The reprimanded laborers carried the poor man named Orisa to the labor registration office. This was a routine procedure. The names of the dead had to be crossed out, otherwise they would be considered runaway slaves and their entire family would suffer.
The staff at the registration office checked the list and found that this guy was not a slave at all, but a freeman.
Of course, he was just surprised.
After all, freemen without land may not live more comfortably than slaves.
Especially if the former has a family to support, they may be full of dirt.
”Are there any relatives here?”
Everyone looked at each other and shook their heads, indicating that they didn’t know where this poor guy lived.
The staff was too lazy to bother, and when they heard that there were no relatives here, they closed the registration book in their hands.
”Let his family come.”
A laborer couldn’t bear it and asked humbly.
”…What should we do with this man?”
The staff rolled his eyes.
”He’s dead, find a place to bury him, he can’t come back to life.”
He continued to urge.
”Move out quickly, don’t stop here and get in the way.”
The two guards stared at this place, and the workers who carried Orissa here could only carry the body out again.
A group of people stood on the street at a loss, not knowing where to go. They thought about whether to look for his family first, or find a place to bury him first.
Anyway, people have to be buried in the end. Isn’t the red soil in the suburbs prepared for this?
Everyone sympathized with Orissa’s experience, and couldn’t help but be surprised that this old guy who usually didn’t say a word was actually a free man who had redeemed himself.
No wonder he worked so hard!
Some people showed envy on their faces.
After all, if you die as a slave, you get nothing. However, if a freeman dies, his family can at least get compensation.
Although 800 dinars is not much, it is a huge sum of money for them.
This is one of the few benefits that the Willant people have fought for them.
However, although some people are envious, some people look at the direction of the port with hatred.
Most of these people are converts to the Silver Moon Sect.
Most of them are listeners of the “Silver Gospel”, and most of them have heard the “Awakener Bol” translated and recited by Mr. Melgio, a pastor from Silver Moon Bay.
That is their enlightenment reading for literacy.
Although they have never been to the Stone City, they clearly remember how people there did it.
Perhaps it was because of the extreme anger that a flame finally burst out of the suppressed silence.
”Look, this is the so-called ‘freeman’…”
A hoarse voice floated out of the crowd, and a tall and thin man came out.
He was the man who was whipped on the dock before.
The shocking scar was printed on his forehead, dyeing the white gauze red.
Seeing the hideous appearance, people couldn’t help but take two steps back, with expressions of fear on their faces. But
the man didn’t stop, his hoarse voice gradually became hysterical, completely releasing the anger in his chest.
”They took everything from us and then labeled it! One thousand, ten thousand, one hundred thousand… Xilan coins or dinars, go buy it! Use our blood, use our sweat, to buy what originally belonged to us! To achieve their greatness and wisdom!”
”Then… when we finally buy back what originally belonged to us, when they finally squeezed the last drop of our blood, we can lie in the red soil like Orissa.”
There was silence all around.
The desperate fate was suffocating.
If in the end there is nothing left worth mourning, then what is the point of their hard work?
What free people…
that fat bait was a scam from the beginning!
Perhaps it was the silence of the crowd that gave him the courage to continue speaking. He clenched his fists tightly and asked the people around him a soul-searching question.
”Tell me! Why should we buy things that belong to us!”
”But what can we do…”
Finally, a suppressed complaint came from the crowd, breaking the silent silence.
Looking at the restless crowd, the man did not retreat, but shouted out in a rush.
”What can we do! Bol has already told us what to do! We must unite!”
”Then what?”
This time he did not speak, because someone in the crowd shouted for him.
”Do you even need to ask this! Of course, we should take back what belongs to us!”
Angry roars came one after another, and the emotion of revenge was superimposed in the contagion.
The increasing number of people dulled the fear, and the thousand pillars that sealed their courage seemed to disappear.
Even the most timid people had an expression of uncontrollable anger on their faces at this moment –
and hatred!
”This matter is not over yet!”
”That’s right!”
”Orisha can’t die in vain!”
”They must pay the price!”
The voices of the people talking at once became louder and louder, and finally attracted the guards of the port area.
Although these guards rarely enter the slums outside the port area to enforce the law, it is a special period after all. The whole dock is short of people everywhere, so how can so many people be allowed to gather here to make trouble?
The foreman Naji was leading the guards. He held the whip he had used before tightly in his hand and shouted at the workers who had gathered together.
”What are you doing here! It takes so long to lift a person? Why don’t you get back to work!”
Everyone was getting emotional, and someone in the crowd shouted.
”We quit!”
”Quit it? Ha! You are rebelling!” Naji’s eyebrows were raised, and the whip in his hand snapped and whipped up, but he didn’t hit the guy who made trouble, but instead randomly hit a passerby who was watching the excitement, and even blew the man’s eyeball.
People were seen kneeling down with their eyes covered in pain, and blood was flowing all over the floor.
Seeing the blood, the crowd was in an uproar. Thousands of people gathered on the road, shouting and surrounding Naji.
Naji had never seen such a scene before, and he was also frightened. He couldn’t help but take a step back.
But he soon found that he was too scared too early.
There was a “pop” of gunfire behind him. The guard holding the ripper rifle fired several shots into the sky without a word.
”Pop!”
The gunshot was like cold water poured on the iron, and the hot emotions were extinguished with a sizzling sound.
This is not the Stone City after all.
Bol is not from the province of Borneo.
The people who were excited a second ago showed fear on their faces and fled in all directions. In a moment, the street was clear.
Naji was also confused for a moment, then smiled and looked at the officer with a high nose bridge behind him.
”Hehe… Sir, I told you that these guys are as timid as mice and can’t cause any big trouble.”
The Willant police officer glanced at him with disdain and silently loaded his rifle.
He was from the Southern Legion and had been a colonial guard for more than ten years. He had suppressed at least two or three violent caves. The most intense one forced them to move out the 902mm heavy artillery.
The situation here is indeed rare. Once the gunshots are heard, it’s over without a single person dying.
Of course, he is very satisfied.
But –
it also makes him look down on them to some extent.
…
The night of Xifan Port gradually deepened, and the evening breeze blowing from the sea to the port was slightly cold.
The riot at the door of the Labor Registration Office did not affect the busyness here at all.
The docks were still busy coming and going, and the glittering windows were still magnificent.
The phrase “We quit” seemed like a joke.
It was a pity for the passerby whose eyeballs were blown out. He wanted to complain about his grievances but couldn’t find anyone to talk to.
Finally, all preparations for departure were made. Standing at the port, Alman was reluctantly bidding farewell to his family.
”…It’s the birthday soon. Can’t we wait until the holiday is over before going?” The little girl in a floral dress pouted slightly, her dark brown hair tied in a princess braid, just like a real princess. The
second weekend of January every year is the birthday. For the Willant people, this is a more important festival than the New Year.
It is said that it is the day they were born, and it is also the beginning of all glory and legend.
That is why, no matter how busy they are, the Willant people will choose to set aside this day to stay with their families.
Alman originally planned to do so, and even planned to return to Triumph City to participate in the birthday celebration.
But unfortunately, the bigwigs in Triumph City gave too much…
Alman touched his daughter’s head and said with a doting look.
”Be good, wait for daddy to come back and bring you a gift.”
”Um…” Ruby said reluctantly with a pout, “Your taste is too unique, how can you give your daughter a mutant head specimen.”
”Haha! Sorry! Daddy was inconsiderate!”
Alman smiled and picked up his lovely daughter, making her giggle and spin several times in the air before putting her back on the ground.
He gently scratched his daughter’s nose and continued in a doting tone.
”Then what gift does my lovely Ruby want?”
Ruby’s eyes sparkled and she said immediately.
”I want to go and play with my sister An Suya!”
An Suya is the daughter of Earl Sharma.
The latter is a prestigious nobleman in Lion State. Not only does he have a plantation of tens of thousands of acres in the suburbs of Xifan Port, he also has an extremely wide social circle in Tiandu. He is also Alman’s business partner.
Every time he discusses business, Alman will bring his daughter with him.
Ruby doesn’t know how big An Suya’s manor is, and she doesn’t care much, but she is impressed by the maze-like garden.
Every time she went there with her father, she would play hide-and-seek with Ansuya and other children in the manor.
Hearing such a simple request, Alman touched his daughter’s head lovingly.
”Okay! Dad will take you there when we get back!”
He paused and said with a smile.
”Of course, Dad still has to bring gifts… My lovely Ruby will stay at home and look forward to it!”
Speaking of which, after this trip is over, he also plans to contact Earl Sharma to see if he can use some power to make this batch of goods more valuable.
Then he will take his daughter to disturb that guy.
”Come back soon!”
The little girl stood on tiptoe and kissed him on the cheek, then ran back to her mother.
Patting her daughter’s hand gently, Margaret looked at her husband affectionately with a charming smile on her face.
”Be safe on the road.”
”Don’t worry! This is not the first time I run this route! Wait for my good news!”
After giving his wife a kiss, Alman grinned and stood back on the dock with his suitcase.
”See you next month! Wait for me!”
After saying that, he followed his captain and his men onto the deck, looking back every three steps, and gradually walked away with the long whistle sound.
At the same time, on the street less than 500 meters away from the dock, a mother and daughter came to the door of the labor registration office.
Since the dock does not recruit female workers, few women appear here.
Unless there is a situation…
People unconsciously made way, and the hunchbacked woman said thank you while holding the little girl’s hand tightly, and hurried to the counter. The
staff on duty before had already gone off work. This time, a young man with a slicked back hair was sitting here, eating melon seeds while talking and laughing with his colleagues next to him.
Many small nobles who are neither high nor low like to place their children here to work.
After all, Tiandu is too far away for them, but the Willant people in the port area are right in front of them.
Especially the positions in the labor registration office often deal with the Willant people.
If you can get the appreciation of the Willant people, it is equivalent to a step to heaven!
The little girl stood on tiptoe, poked her head out from under the counter, and spoke before her mother.
”Where’s my father?”
Hearing the timid voice, the young man smiled and turned his head to ask.
”Your father? Who is your father?”
The little girl continued.
”Orisa… He is very tanned. The priest of the Moon Church said that his lungs are not very good and he always coughs.”
Worried that the staff didn’t know what her father looked like, she tried her best to gesture his portrait with her hands.
However, because the description was too abstract, the only effect was to make the young man sitting behind the counter more and more impatient.
”Sorry… I’m bothering you.”
The hunchbacked woman was much more silent. She first pulled her daughter to signal her not to talk anymore, and then found a crumpled paper ticket and hurriedly put it on the table.
It was a proof of identity.
Her husband earned it with his illness, and it was also the only thing that could prove that they had no owner.
Seeing this certificate, the impatience on the young man’s face eased a little. He flipped out the list and compared it with the name on the certificate to look up the name, and indeed found the name Orisa.
”It’s the worker who registered here last month.”
”The name sounds familiar… Oh, it’s the one that was just delivered!”
The colleague sitting next to him remembered it, then smiled and opened the drawer, took out a pre-wrapped purse and threw it on the counter.
”I was just telling you about this! It’s the old guy who worked himself to death…”
Hearing the “clang” sound, both mother and daughter were stunned, and the sound was buzzing in their ears.
The hunchbacked woman’s lips moved, and finally she silently put away the bag of money and held it tightly in her hands.
At that moment, her body seemed to shrink even smaller.
Not wanting to stay here for a second, she hurriedly left the counter holding her daughter’s hand, escaped from the suffocating atmosphere, and went to the street outside. The
evening breeze blowing from the port area was particularly cold.
Looking at her mother with her dark eyes, the girl asked in a low voice.
”Where’s Dad…”
The mother who always responded to her on weekdays did not speak this time, but quickened her pace and pulled her towards home. Her gently shaking shoulders seemed to be suppressing something.
As if she finally understood where her father had gone, the little girl lowered her head and stopped talking, but she did not cry either. She just held her mother’s calloused hands tightly.
Her father always hoped that she would grow up sooner, and she was always confused about what it meant to grow up, but now she seemed to finally understand a little bit.
She also has two younger brothers who are much younger than her.
She has to learn to be strong.
The mother and daughter passed by the church of the Silver Moon Church, like a drop of water falling before a storm, silently blending into the silent night.
Standing at the door of the shabby church, Melgio sighed softly as he looked at the injured laborers, and bandaged the wounds of these poor people with other priests.
He wanted to help these poor people.
But he was worried whether he had hurt them.
”Silver Moon Goddess… please protect your poor believers and keep them from misfortune and disaster.”
Please protect me too, so that I won’t make a mistake that I will regret…
His index finger touched the silver moon hanging on his chest, he whispered softly in his mouth and prayed devoutly in his heart.
He always had a bad premonition.
Something big was going to happen in Xifan Port…
(End of this chapter)
