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墨書 Inktalez
Lao Han set down his wine glass, feigning calmness as he grabbed a handful of peanuts. He tossed one into his mouth, appearing unhurried.
“These gentlemen are looking for this team to help them find a rare treasure,” Lao Han explained leisurely.
“Rare?” Lao Ma chuckled at the remark. “The vast ocean is full of rare treasures. Lao Han, stop teasing us and just get to the point.”
Da Fu also seemed somewhat disinterested, nodding in agreement. “Exactly. If it’s too big of a deal, we won’t be able to handle it anyway. We might as well just chat over drinks to pass the time.”
Lao Han chewed on the peanuts and filled their glasses again, puzzled. “Don’t rush me. These bosses are not ordinary folks; they’ve been dissatisfied with several teams already. One of these big investors is none other than Lao Jiang!”
Both Lao Ma and Da Fu looked surprised at the mention of that name.
“Lao Jiang? Which Lao Jiang? Could it be that one…” Da Fu asked, still uncertain.
“Which other Lao Jiang could it be?” Lao Han replied impatiently, looking disdainfully at Da Fu. “Of course, it’s…”
Before he could finish, Lao Ma interjected, “The behind-the-scenes big boss of ‘Sparrow Nest’ White Pearl, Jiang Wu?”
Lao Han clapped his thigh in appreciation and pointed at Lao Ma, nodding repeatedly. “That’s quite a big investor, isn’t it?”
Da Fu nodded. “Yes, quite significant. But what exactly are they looking for?”
Lao Han shook his head. “I don’t know the specifics, but I do know it’s some kind of critically endangered species… I heard that if they succeed, the reward will be substantial.”
With that, Lao Han extended one hand palm up.
"Five million?" Lao Ma stared at the palm, momentarily stunned, trying to guess.
Lao Han shook his head.
"Fifty million?" Da Fu Ge also found it hard to believe.
"Five hundred million," Lao Han said calmly.
This figure left Lao Ma and Da Fu Ge silent for a moment; often, the higher the reward, the greater the risk involved.
Unable to contain his impatience, Lao Han quickly asked, "What? Not interested?"
The two remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.
"Isn't that amount enough?" Lao Han said, a bit anxious. "You guys have quite the appetite; you think this reward is too little?"
"That's not it," Lao Ma waved his hand. "Our Fei Hu Battle Team isn't particularly strong. The chances of us taking on such a big contract alone are slim; we might end up losing everything."
Da Fu Ge nodded in agreement. "First of all, our Special Operations Team consists of average mercenaries; we have no Generals or War Gods. We've come this far by knowing our limits and adhering to integrity."
Lao Han nodded as well, agreeing with their stance. He didn’t push further but rubbed his thigh and said, "Alright then, since you're not interested, I won't press you. However, you will be heading to Sparrow Nest's White Pearl for a break later. You might want to gather some information about this matter. Right now, all Special Operations Teams are going crazy, converging on these Hai Shang Tang locations, hoping to secure this big contract."
"Okay. Thank you, Lao Han." Lao Ma raised his cup and clinked it again with Lao Han's.
It is a good thing to share such news, even if there is no real benefit; it doesn't hurt to take a look.
After getting Lao Han drunk, Lao Ma and Da Fu Ge stepped onto the cold deck. They lit a cigarette and leaned against the ship's railing, gazing at the pitch-black Sea Surface. Occasionally, the lights of other vessels passed by in the distance.
"What do you think?" Da Fu Ge asked Lao Ma.
"Every investment comes with both risks and rewards," Lao Ma replied meaningfully.
"Shall we go take a look?" Da Fu looked at Lao Ma, understanding his implication.
"Let's not tell the others in the team just yet," Lao Ma said, taking a puff of his cigarette, feeling somewhat drowsy. "'White Pearl' is a must; at least we need to handle the artifacts brought out from Liushadao there."
With that, he tossed aside his cigarette, stretched lazily, yawned, and headed back into the cabin.
"I'm going to take a nap. Wake me when we arrive."
He left this remark for Da Fu, who continued smoking on the deck.
Da Fu Ge shook his head, then also discarded his cigarette and tightened his cloak.
"Damn it, why is it so cold?"
He cursed under his breath and quickly made his way back into the cabin, where the heating was already on, at least warmer than outside.
The frost in the cabin where Lu Fei Fan was resting gradually warmed up under the influence of the heating. His breathing became steady and even, and his complexion appeared smoother than before, as if he were unaware of what had happened to his body. The frost in the room continued to dissipate.
When he woke up, it was due to hunger. He had no idea how long he had been asleep, but as he prepared to look for something to eat, the sound of the ship's horn echoed through the air. The ferry had been rocking on the sea for several hours and finally returned to the magnificent Juhai Great Wall!
Lu Fei Fan stepped out of the cabin and stood on the swaying deck, gazing at the grand maritime wall before him. It reminded him of the Great Wall from his own era, which, while also impressive and sprawling, could not compare to the towering structure in front of him. Building a wall in the midst of towering mountains was one thing; constructing one against the tumultuous sea was quite another. Yet both served a similar purpose: to fend off external threats.
However, one was meant to guard against foreign human races, while the other defended against ferocious sea beasts.
The canal entrance of the Juhai Great Wall was crowded with ships waiting to enter and exit. Several sturdy gates rose along the narrow passage of the city wall. If they were to close, it was uncertain how many vessels would be left stranded outside.
There were many such passages for ships to come and go, and in emergencies, these gates would be firmly shut.
Of course, there were fees for ships entering and exiting, which constituted one of the sources of funding for maintaining the Great Wall by the Free Federation. The financial audits were conducted independently. There had been proposals from certain Free Federation legislators to reclaim independent financial authority over these walls, but ultimately, this matter faded away. The legislator who proposed it mysteriously fell victim to an assassination, and in the end, only a scapegoat was executed for the crime.
Since then, no one dared to mention it again, highlighting just how deep the waters ran here.
Lu Fei Fan had no desire to delve into the darkness and intrigues of politics. He was born a soldier; only the era had changed, along with its circumstances. Since fate had brought him to this world, there must be a reason behind it.
After passing through the Great Wall, the ferry docked at a port where Lao Han settled accounts with the horse team before waving goodbye.
However, Lu Fei Fan noticed a peculiar sight: a large group of crew members on the ferry wore sorrowful expressions as they watched members of the Fei Hu Battle Team waving goodbye from shore. Their heartbroken looks seemed to wish that all members of Fei Hu Battle Team would remain on board.
"You guys..." Lu Fei Fan looked at Da Biao, seemingly guessing the outcome of last night's card game.
"Hehe." Da Biao wrapped an arm around Lu Fei Fan's neck, boasting proudly, "Those guys almost lost their pants!"
"Ah?" Lu Fei Fan stared at him.
"Hahaha, it was exhilarating! They probably won't dare to gamble with us again. That Lao San nearly pawned his daughter to me!" Jiu Ye, the burly man, rubbed his hands together excitedly, his eyes bloodshot and still buzzing with energy from a sleepless night, like a riled-up beast.
"Great! Now we have money to buy some good stuff at the Pearl. Qin Qin, what do you like? How about I buy you a few sets of lingerie? We can head to the Pearl right away." Cai Bi patted the bulging pockets of his coat, looking like a big fat sheep ready for slaughter.
Qin Qin shot him a glare and then kicked him, clearly annoyed and choosing to ignore him.
"Weren't we supposed to let them win? Why are you guys..." Lu Fei Fan recalled that the captain had instructed them to give these fellows some benefits when they boarded.
"This is called baiting. By winning this time, they'll want to gamble with us again next time. You don't understand a gambler's psychology," Jia Jia chimed in while fiddling with a new toy. Lu Fei Fan glanced over and saw two golden daggers.
"What do you think? Want me to give you one? I managed to snag their First Mate's entire set of daggers," Jia Jia grinned mischievously.
Lu Fei Fan could imagine the First Mate's dark expression and shook his head; it was better to pass on that.
"Let's go." Up ahead, Da Fu and the horse team paid the head tax at Juhai Great Wall and received their Intermediate Hunting Area Pass. The group made their way through the bustling crowd at the dock.
As Lu Fei Fan and the others walked along this dock street, the pier had been built into a several thousand-meter-long street within the Great Wall. Ships lined both sides, each different from the last. Some were adorned with bright lights and flowing drinks, where countless scantily clad women beckoned passing customers. Many mercenaries returning from sea were dragged aboard those ships, which served as both dens of vice and tombs for heroes.
"Come up, Brother."
"Are you here to play?" Two young women, looking to be in their twenties, were heavily made up and draped in a blanket, reaching out with delicate hands to pull at passersby from the window.
Cai Bi watched, saliva practically dripping from her mouth, until Fu Qinqin kicked her forward.
Only then did Cai Bi reveal a cheeky smile, covering her backside as she followed the crowd onward.
Aside from the brothel, there were various restaurants transformed from oil tankers into bustling eateries, where the aroma of food wafted through the air. The sounds of clinking glasses and laughter drifted from the deck of a cruise ship, mingling with what might have been the echoes of shattered dreams. Several drunken patrons stumbled down the gangway, and one of them slipped, falling with a splash into the water.
"Oh no! Someone fell into the water!"
"Where?"
Splashing sounds followed—
Three or four people jumped into the water from both the shore and the boat to rescue the unfortunate drunkard.
Beep beep—
The sound of sirens blared as two teenagers rushed past in the crowd, even bumping into Lu Fei Fan. He glanced back to see a team of uniformed officers hastily pursuing them.
The roar of engines filled the air as a few seagulls were startled by a Federal Fighter taking off from the Great Wall, quickly darting toward the masts of other vessels.
Under the amber glow, ships moved in and out of the dock like schools of fish, while people bustled along the streets. The cruise ships moored at the shore occasionally sounded their long horns, creating a lively scene beneath the city walls that resembled a flourishing ukiyo-e painting. The sea was vast, and the wind was gentle with clouds drifting lazily.
Yet often, beneath the surface glamour lay a stench of decay. As for when the cries of despair in this era would sound, it was not something those toiling away wished to concern themselves with.
However, the cavalry led everyone onto a black ship. This vessel appeared to be a repurposed decommissioned warship, marked with a large iron gun insignia.
As they boarded, Lu Fei Fan noticed that those coming and going all had bulging backpacks. Some individuals glared menacingly at the members of the Fei Hu Battle Team boarding the ship, while others avoided confrontation by stepping aside as they followed those ahead.
The moment Lu Fei Fan stepped onto the ship, he was taken aback. This three-story cruise liner had been transformed into a military supply ship. As soon as Lu Fei Fan and his companions entered the service hall, a staff member approached them promptly.
She guided Lu Fei Fan's group to a table and then, maintaining a professional smile, the female attendant came over with a virtual tablet, waiting for the cavalry's orders.
Lu Fei Fan pulled out his pistol and slammed it on the table.
"Fix my Kamas Pistol and provide two hundred rounds of ammunition!"
"Certainly. Is there anything else you need?" The woman nodded and softly inquired, her delicate fingers swiftly recording these requests on the virtual tablet.
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