Heavy Bribes

Early the next morning, Lin Qi, bursting with energy and vigor, charged into Enzo's room and stuffed a huge handful of snow into Enzo's bed. Still suffering from a hangover, Enzo let out a bloodcurdling shriek and scrambled out of the covers in a panic.

After Lin Qi put him through that, Enzo was wide awake. He hurriedly took a bath and changed into a fresh outfit, then tucked into a hearty, generous breakfast. Belching contentedly and chewing a mixture of betel nut and tobacco, he followed Lin Qi and his father. Surrounded by more than a dozen guards, the group set off in carriages and on horseback, making an imposing procession as they headed down from Black Mountain Beech Mountain.

The great clans of Dunkirk all lived near the hills of Black Mountain Beech Mountain. The only exception was the family of Mayor Baron Miro, who lived in a residence attached to City Hall. As the supreme authority in Dunkirk Port, Baron Miro was a complete outsider. His ancestral home was not in Dunkirk, and so, despite having served as mayor there for a full ten years, he had not purchased a single property in the city.

Seated in the spacious, luxurious carriage, Blackbeard puffed on a thick cigar and introduced Baron Miro to Lin Qi in his deep, booming voice.

Baron Miro's failure to purchase property in Dunkirk did not mean he was as pure as driven snow. On the contrary, he was extraordinarily greedy. But he deliberately cultivated an image of extreme integrity, and so he had always lived in the mayor's residence, provided free of charge by the empire.

According to the intelligence Blackbeard had gathered, however, Baron Miro had swallowed up a great deal of land in his hometown, Blackstone City, less than three hundred miles from Dunkirk. He had bought seven fertile estates, and in the past ten years alone, he had purchased nearly a hundred maids.

"The old man's getting on in years! He's seventy, and it's time he retired and enjoyed his golden years!" Blackbeard waved his foot-long cigar, puffing out smoke as he declared, "Honestly, if he doesn't retire soon, then he, or his son, or his daughter, or his wife is bound to have an accident when their carriage horses go wild!"

"He has to retire!" Blackbeard narrowed his eyes and snorted. "He's raked in more than enough over the years. He has to retire. What good do you expect a seventy-year-old relic to do for Dunkirk? I, on the other hand, would bring tremendous growth to the city if I became mayor. Dunkirk's economy would soar, and everyone would make money."

Lin Qi immediately said, "Of course, as long as our family makes money first!"

Blackbeard nodded with satisfaction and smiled at Lin Qi. "Well said. Naturally, that's the first condition. If our family isn't making money, then no one in Dunkirk will make a cent!"

Taking a hard bite of his cigar, Blackbeard mumbled, "Right now, I'm only the chairman of the millers' and innkeepers' chamber of commerce. But once I become mayor, I'll be the chairman of the United Chamber of Commerce in Dunkirk! Then, heh heh..."

Father and son continued discussing how they would make their fortunes once Blackbeard became mayor and chairman of the United Chamber of Commerce. By then, the carriage had reached the city hall in the heart of Dunkirk. Two guards in sky-blue uniforms stood listlessly before the entrance. When they saw the carriage and the dozen or so guards accompanying it, they hurriedly raised their spears to stop it.

Blackbeard angrily threw open the curtain. His face, hidden beneath a mass of beard, appeared at the window, and he snorted at the two guards.

The listless guards instantly broke into broad smiles. They bowed deeply to the carriage and obediently stepped aside. Who in Dunkirk didn't know Blackbeard by now? He was a powerful candidate for the next mayor, and there was practically no one in the city who could compete with him for the position. His influence was simply too great!

Dunkirk was a port city, the empire's third-largest port and its only ice-free harbor in the north during winter. It was the most important hub for the distribution of goods in the empire's north, and indeed, throughout the northern continent. Blackbeard enjoyed tremendous prestige among the sailors and seafarers. He was practically their undisputed king. With a single word, he could determine whether every dockworker in the port had work. What idiot would dare compete with someone like that for the mayor's seat?

"The only problem now is whether that old bloodsucker Miro will put my name forward."

Blackbeard furrowed his brows and exhaled a cloud of smoke, sighing with some frustration. "We don't have anyone in the imperial capital to speak up for us. That's a real headache. If that old geezer Miro recommends me, then the matter's as good as settled."

The carriage stopped in front of the mayor's residence. Two attendants in neat uniforms and gray wigs approached at a slow, stately pace. Their mannerisms and speech were affected and self-important, as though they were royal servants, and they leisurely opened the carriage door.

Blackbeard puffed out smoke and climbed down with his huge frame swaying. Lin Qi tapped Enzo on the shoulder, and the two followed one after the other. Behind them, Butcher Knife dismounted and led the others to open the rear carriage compartment, carrying out a great many items.

The tightly wrapped spices and tea from the East needed no mention; every item was valuable. The silks and brocades were even more precious. When the market was tight in the imperial capital, a single bolt of fine brocade could fetch thousands of gold coins. But what drew the eye most was the set Butcher Knife carried out himself: two hundred and forty pieces, including soup bowls, rice bowls, plates, and spoons. Their color resembled the blue sky, and they were adorned with fine, transparent speckles like raindrops—the celebrated secret-color porcelain.

A set of porcelain like this was in high demand in the imperial capital. It was worth trading to a wealthy grand noble for a fine vineyard of more than a hundred acres. No amount of gold could measure its price. To use gold to assess the worth of such an exquisite set of Eastern porcelain, a work of art in its own right, would have been an insult.

The two attendants knew their wares. The spices, tea, and silks had already widened their eyes, but the exposed set of secret-color porcelain made their breathing suddenly quicken. Their manners grew even more courteous, and they treated Blackbeard and Lin Qi with the same deference they would have shown His Majesty the King.

A deliberately hearty laugh rang out from afar. An old man in a plain black robe, without a single ornament on him, came striding out with his back bent. His gaze swept quickly over the gifts, and a charming flush suddenly spread across his withered yellow face.

"Esteemed Mr. Tigger, you're far too kind! May the gods bless you. I'm sure you'll get your heart's desire!" Baron Miro, a thin, withered old man, beamed with delight.

Blackbeard laughed even more heartily and muttered under his breath, "If I don't get my heart's desire, your whole family will be shark bait!"

After muttering that, Blackbeard spread his arms and strode toward Baron Miro, laughing aloud.