pappabearbooks Chapter 78, First Batch of Goods, First Bloodbath
Chapter 78, First Batch of Goods, First Bloodbath
Without wasting any words, Isabella had her men place a bag of gold coins on the table.
The bag was opened, and the gleaming gold coins shone in the candlelight, making Pierre squint.
"You've seen the sincerity," Isabella said succinctly.
Pierre picked up a gold coin, bit it with his teeth, and weighed it in his hand. His smile became incredibly genuine.
"Charville rifles, the latest batch, just arrived from Nantes. Four hundred rifles, with matching ammunition and bayonets included. For the sake of these lovely little things and our long-standing friendship, the price is ten percent below market value."
The transaction proceeded exceptionally smoothly.
That evening, in one of the busiest taverns in the harbor, Isabella booked the entire second floor for her crew to celebrate their fruitful voyage.
The sailors drank cheap wine in large gulps and sang vulgar ship songs loudly.
Isabella leaned against the window, watching the bustling crowd below, but her mind was already planning her flight back to Boston.
After a few rounds of drinks, "Bloody Hand" Juan pretended to be drunk and vomiting, then quietly left the celebrating crowd and went into a dark alley behind the tavern.
At the end of the dark alley, a pirate with a scar on his face and a black eyepatch over his single eye had been waiting for a long time.
"Juan, what's your decision?" The one-eyed pirate's voice was hoarse, but it carried a hint of irritation.
"That Easterner turned our Queen into a docile messenger," Juan spat, his voice full of contempt.
"She forgot we're pirates, wolves of the Caribbean! Not anyone's watchdogs!"
"Captain Broken Bones admires your courage. As long as you bring that shipment of weapons, your position on the ship will be second only to his," the one-eyed pirate coaxed. "The Blackbeard flag will once again fly over these seas, instead of being a lackey for the British and Orientals."
"Tell 'Broken Bones' to have his men wait for me off the coast of Nassau in the Bahamas." Juan clenched his fist.
"Once I've dealt with those fools still loyal to her on board, the 'Viper' and that arsenal will be my gift to the new captain!"
Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in Boston, at Oak Bay Estate.
Fiona was standing in Levi's study, with three people in front of her, each with a different expression.
A middle-aged man with a limp, named Finch, was originally a bookkeeper at the dock warehouse. Finn broke his leg for stealing copper coins from the accounts.
But he has a secret ability: he can remember every string of numbers he has ever seen and every word he has ever heard.
A thin, unassuming young man named Bart was a waiter at the Green Dragon Tavern. He was most skilled at imitating all kinds of accents he had heard, whether it was the curses of Scottish sailors or the complaints of French merchants, he could imitate them perfectly.
The last one was a homeless boy named Sam, who was only thirteen or fourteen years old. He had no surname, and his greatest skill was being able to find a place to sleep in any corner of the city without being noticed by anyone.
"These are the people you chose?" Li Wei scanned the three men.
"Yes, sir." Fiona handed over a document. "Finch will be in charge of memory and analysis, Bart will be in charge of infiltration and data collection, and Sam will be in charge of surveillance and communication. I've named this group 'Dragon Eye'."
"Very good." Levi flipped through the documents. "What's their first task?"
"Construct a map of the underground power dynamics in the Caribbean," Fiona replied. "I had them stay in various taverns in the dock area for three days."
Li Wei's gaze fell on the lame Finch.
Finch was a little nervous. He leaned on his cane and pulled out a roll of messy drawing paper from his pocket.
"Mr. Li... Mr. Li." He unfolded the paper, on which a bunch of crooked lines and symbols were drawn in charcoal.
"This is all the information I've heard in the past three days... those sailors are drunk and they say whatever comes to mind."
He pointed to a dot on the paper, "This is Tortuga Island, where 'Broken Bones' Ballow is based. He was the former helmsman of 'Blackbeard' Edward Teach, and he commanded three ships, the most famous of which is the 'Queen of Vengeance'."
He pointed to another spot, "This place, Nassau, is their main dumping ground for stolen goods. Recently, 'Broken Bones' Barlow has been recruiting. One of his men, a one-eyed fellow, appeared in Fort de France last week..."
"And Juan's cousin, the first mate of the Viper, lost all his money in a tavern last week and boasted that he would soon make a fortune and become a junior officer on the Queen of Vengeance."
As Finch spoke, he connected seemingly unrelated points on the map with trembling fingers.
As he finished speaking, a simple but clear map of the pirate forces and a potential link from Fort France to Nassau appeared before Livy's eyes.
Li Wei looked at the picture, then glanced at the secret report Fiona had just received regarding Isabella's arms deal in Fort France.
He didn't speak, but simply tapped the table lightly with his knuckles.
Tap, tap, tap.
The air in the study grew increasingly heavy with each rhythmic tapping.
"Fiona".
"Yes, sir."
"Inform Mr. Andrew Gage that I have received a 'very reliable' message." Levi's speech was calm and devoid of any emotion.
"A group of pirate remnants known as 'Blackbeard' are planning to attack the 'Hope Merchant,' flying our Union Jack, near the Bahamas in three days. I suggest that the Governor General's Office dispatch the 'Vigilant,' the fastest ship available, to set up an ambush in that area in advance."
Fiona's pen flew across the paper, and she didn't ask why.
"Furthermore," Levi stood up and walked to the nautical chart on the wall, "order Captain Sean that our new ship, the 'Sea Dragon,' needs to conduct a long-range trial voyage. Destination: the waters off the Bahamas."
He paused for a moment, then turned to look at Seamus, who had been standing silently in the corner.
"Seamus, you and your twenty brothers also board. Take the best equipment."
"Understood," Seamus replied in a muffled voice.
"Sir," Fiona finally couldn't help but speak up, "Shouldn't we just inform Captain Isabella directly? There's a traitor on her ship."
"notify?"
Li Wei turned to look at her. "How will you notify her? By carrier pigeon? Fiona, on the high seas, any uncontrollable contact is deadly. Trust cannot be established through words, only through facts."
He walked over to Fiona and picked up the sketch drawn by Finch on the table.
"What I want is not a partner who escaped a disaster because I warned him. What I want is an absolutely reliable ally who has personally experienced betrayal and whom I pulled out of a desperate situation."