A Heavy Gift to Bribe

The next morning, a refreshed and invigorated Lin Qi rushed into Enzo's room and stuffed a large handful of snow into Enzo's quilt. Enzo, suffering from a hangover, let out a piercing howl and scrambled out of the quilt in a sorry state.

With Lin Qi's disturbance, Enzo immediately felt a surge of energy. He quickly took a shower and changed into a new set of clothes. Enzo, looking dapper in his new attire, enjoyed a hearty and substantial breakfast. Contentedly patting his full belly and chewing on a mixture of betel nut and tobacco, Enzo followed Lin Qi and his son, surrounded by over a dozen guards. The group set off in a carriage and on horseback, heading majestically towards the foot of Black Mountain Beech Mountain.

The prominent families of Dunkirk all resided near Black Mountain Beech Mountain. Only Mayor Baron Miro and his family lived in the mansion attached to the town hall. As the supreme authority of Dunkirk Port, Baron Miro was a complete outsider; his ancestral home was not in Dunkirk. Therefore, despite serving as mayor of Dunkirk for ten years, Baron Miro had not acquired any real estate in Dunkirk.

Sitting inside the spacious and luxurious carriage, Blackbeard, puffing on a large cigar, gruffly introduced Baron Miro's character to Lin Qi.

Baron Miro's failure to acquire property in Dunkirk was not a sign of his incorruptibility. On the contrary, he was an exceptionally greedy individual. However, he deliberately cultivated an image of extreme integrity, which was why he had always resided in the official mayoral residence provided free of charge by the Empire in Dunkirk.

But according to the intelligence Blackbeard possessed, Baron Miro had already annexed a large amount of land in his hometown, the small city of Blackrock, less than three hundred miles from Dunkirk. He had purchased seven fertile manors, and in the past ten years alone, he had acquired nearly a hundred maids.

"This guy is getting old! A seventy-year-old man should retire and enjoy his twilight years!" Blackbeard exclaimed, waving his foot-long cigar and exhaling smoke. "Honestly, if he doesn't retire soon, then someone—either him, his son, his daughter, or his wife—will eventually have an accident with a runaway horse!"

"He must retire!" Blackbeard sneered, narrowing his eyes. "He's profited enough over the years; he must retire. A seventy-year-old geezer, what more can he do for Dunkirk? On the contrary, if I become mayor, Dunkirk will experience tremendous development, its economy will rapidly improve, and everyone will make money."

Lin Qi immediately chimed in, "Of course, that's assuming our family makes money first!"

Blackbeard nodded approvingly, looking at Lin Qi with great satisfaction. "Well said. Of course, that's the prerequisite. If our family doesn't make money, then not a single person in Dunkirk will."

Taking a forceful bite of his cigar, Blackbeard mumbled, "Right now, I'm just the chairman of the Mill and Inn industry guild. But once I'm mayor, I'll become the president of the Dunkirk United Chamber of Commerce! Then, hmph."

The father and son discussed how they would get rich after becoming mayor and president of the United Chamber of Commerce. By the time they finished, the carriage had arrived outside the town hall in the center of Dunkirk. Two guards in sky-blue uniforms stood listlessly at the entrance. Upon seeing the carriage and the dozen accompanying guards, the two guards hastily raised their spears to block the carriage.

Blackbeard angrily pulled aside the curtain, his heavily bearded face poking out the window. He let out a cold snort at the two guards.

The lethargic guards immediately broke into smiles. They bowed deeply to the carriage and obediently cleared the way. Who in Dunkirk didn't recognize Blackbeard now? He was a strong contender for the next mayoral election, and essentially, no one in Dunkirk could compete with him for the position. His influence was immense!

Dunkirk was a port city, the third largest port in the Empire, and the only ice-free port in the Empire's north. It was the most important distribution center for goods in the northern part of the Empire and even the entire northern continent. Blackbeard enjoyed extremely high prestige among the sailors and crewmen. He was almost universally recognized as their uncrowned king. With a single command from him, he could determine the work status of all employees in the entire port. When such a figure ran for mayor, which idiot would dare to compete with him?

"The only problem now is, will this old vampire Miro report my name?"

Blackbeard frowned, exhaled a thick cloud of smoke, and sighed with some annoyance. "We don't have anyone to speak for us in the imperial capital, which is quite a headache. If we could get a recommendation from this old fellow Miro, then things would be practically guaranteed."

The carriage stopped in front of the mayor's residence. Two servants, dressed in neat uniforms, wearing grayish-white wigs, and affecting airs of royal servitude in their demeanor and speech, walked slowly towards them and deliberately opened the carriage door.

Blackbeard, exhaling smoke, strode out of the carriage with his massive frame swaying. Lin Qi patted Enzo's shoulder, and the two walked out one after the other. Behind them, Butcher Knife, who had dismounted from his horse, led his men to open the rear compartment of the carriage and began unloading various items.

The tightly wrapped spices and teas from the East were, of course, all valuable goods. The silks and brocades were even more so; a piece of fine jacquard brocade could fetch a sky-high price of several thousand gold coins in the capital when it was in high demand. What attracted the most attention was what Butcher Knife personally carried out: a complete set of 240 pieces of celadon porcelain, including soup bowls, rice bowls, plates, spoons, and other utensils. Its glaze was as blue as the sky, adorned with fine, transparent spots like raindrops.

Such a set of porcelain was a hot commodity in the capital, enough to be exchanged with wealthy nobles for a prime vineyard of over a hundred mu. Gold coins could not measure the price of such a set of porcelain. For this complete set of Eastern porcelain, which could be described as a work of art, measuring its value with gold coins was simply an insult.

The two servants were also discerning. The spices, teas, and silks had already widened their pupils, but this exposed set of celadon porcelain made their breathing suddenly quicken, and their attitude became even more polite and respectful, as if they were greeting His Majesty the King towards Blackbeard and Lin Qi.

A feigned hearty laugh echoed from afar. An old man, hunched over, wearing a simple black robe without any adornments, strode out with large steps. His gaze quickly swept over the gifts, and a charming flush suddenly appeared on his withered, sallow face.

"Respected Mr. Tigger, you are too kind! May Deity bless you, and your wish will surely be granted!" the gaunt old man, Baron Miro, said with a hearty laugh.

Blackbeard laughed even more heartily, muttering in a low voice, "If my wish isn't granted, your whole family will be fed to the sharks!"

Muttering this, Blackbeard spread his arms and strode towards Baron Miro with a loud laugh.