A Deal with Novia

Jiang Chuan followed Novia into the basement beneath the tavern. Novia peeled off the disguise covering her face, revealing a young woman about Jiang Chuan's age. In truth, she was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, graceful and charming, with stunning looks and a tall, slender figure. Her movements and manner were elegant and refined. Jiang Chuan stared at her, stunned; he had no idea Novia was so beautiful beneath her disguise, and for a moment, he lost himself in the sight.

Novia poured Jiang Chuan a glass of water and asked with a smile, "How did you recognize me?"

Jiang Chuan took the glass with a smile. "Your tattoo. I'm very familiar with the Black Rose's insignia."

Novia looked at Jiang Chuan, puzzled. "Have you dealt with members of the Black Rose before?"

Jiang Chuan's expression darkened. "I have."

Back then, Jiang Chuan had wanted to visit the Black Rose server and flirt with some girls. After all, there were plenty of girls there. But once he was done, he'd been beaten bloody by those high-level players who carried their low-ranked friends. In the Black Rose, that low-ranked player might well be a Master from another server, so Jiang Chuan knew the Black Rose's insignia very well.

Novia smiled at Jiang Chuan. "You said you know who leads the Black Rose? Even the organization's higher-ups don't know who the leader is. Are you saying you do?"

Jiang Chuan smiled. "I'm more than ninety percent certain I know who the Pale Witch is, and I can find her."

Jiang Chuan's words stirred up a storm in Novia's heart. She had only ever heard the name Pale Witch by chance during a conversation among the higher-ups, yet the man before her not only knew who the Pale Witch was, but could find her, too! It was the wish of everyone in the organization. If she could catch even one glimpse of the Pale Witch, she'd have lived a life well spent.

Jiang Chuan smiled. "To be honest, I'd really like to work with the Black Rose. You could say you're the best-informed organization in the world. There are plenty of ways we could cooperate. What do you think?"

Novia shook her head. "I'm only in charge of managing this area of Bilgewater. I can help you here, but I don't even know if there are any other Black Rose members in Bilgewater."

Jiang Chuan smiled at Novia. "If you help me unify Bilgewater, you'll be the only Black Rose member in the whole city. Even if the Pale Witch came here, she wouldn't change my decision."

Novia exclaimed in surprise, "You want to unify Bilgewater?"

Jiang Chuan took a sip of water and said calmly, "That's only the first step. I have to take control of Bilgewater. That won't change."

Novia asked, "Are you trying to become the Pirate King?"

Jiang Chuan blurted out, "Do you want to become the Pirate King's Woman?"

Novia smiled. "The Pirate King? That's a nice title. As for becoming the Pirate King's Woman? I wouldn't rule it out."

Were women in the Western world really this forward? Jiang Chuan shook his head and said seriously, "What I need is a whole city, one built around me—not to be a pirate captain."

Novia smiled. "Gangplank will probably be the first to object. Unifying Bilgewater will be difficult. The city has always been full of criminals and people who fled here after committing crimes in other countries. They'll probably be the first to stand against you."

Jiang Chuan smiled dismissively. "No country was ever founded without bloodshed. I expect you know that better than I do."

Novia looked at Jiang Chuan and smiled. "Then how are you going to deal with Gangplank?"

"He won't last much longer," Jiang Chuan replied calmly. "What we need to discuss now is cooperation. How about this: I'll provide you with top-quality weapons or help you deal with other Black Rose members. In return, you'll gather all the information you can about Miss Fortune in Bilgewater. What do you think?"

Novia shook her head. "No. Gathering information wouldn't be difficult, but there'd inevitably be clues. If other Black Rose members found out, I'd be in serious trouble."

Jiang Chuan smiled. "I've thought of that. You could move your base to Bloodfang Island."

Novia looked puzzled. "Wouldn't that make it even more obvious?"

Jiang Chuan shook his head. "I'm not asking you to give up this tavern. Just open a branch on Bloodfang Island. You could hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and announce that you'll be opening branches elsewhere, too. That would do two things: expand your reach and provide good cover. Once the new tavern opened, you could travel between the two under the pretext of overseeing the new branch. I'll pay for all the future branches. How about splitting the tavern profits fifty-fifty?"

Novia tilted her head and gazed at Jiang Chuan with big, sparkling eyes. "Hmm, that sounds good. Let's do it. I'm really curious who you are."

Jiang Chuan said, "Has no one ever told you not to be curious about a man?"

Novia smiled. "Why?"

Jiang Chuan smiled but said nothing.

Novia put her disguise back on, then left the basement with Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan said to Novia, "There are only a little over seven hundred people on Bloodfang Island. The food left behind by the Bloodfang Gang should last a long time, and we still have plenty of coins, so we shouldn't have any problems for now. The sooner the branch opens, the better. I'll handle Bloodfang Island's defenses."

Novia smiled. "Don't worry. I'll start gathering information on Miss Fortune."

Jiang Chuan smiled. "That's a relief. I'm sure we'll work well together."

There were many reasons Jiang Chuan wanted Novia to open a tavern on Bloodfang Island. In this era, taverns were the fastest places for news to spread. Jiang Chuan planned to open Novia's taverns throughout Bilgewater, surrounding the city with an invisible web. Once he controlled the information coming out of a place, everything would be much easier. Whether he wanted to shape public opinion or spread rumors, he could hurt his enemies without bloodshed. Jiang Chuan wasn't about to pass up such an important tool. Once the first branch opened on Bloodfang Island, he'd be building factories and would need plenty of workers. The tavern could also help recruit them.

By dusk, Jiang Chuan returned to Bloodfang Island and looked over the ruins before him, his brows drawing together. Without craftsmen, rebuilding Bloodfang Island was just empty talk. Houses and city walls alike were urgent projects.

"Good thing the blacksmith's shop on the island is still intact. Otherwise, I wouldn't even be able to build the Steam Engine tomorrow."

Jiang Chuan had also asked Old Jack to come to Bloodfang Island, but Old Jack refused. There was too much clutter in the clinic, and it would be a hassle to move it all, so Jiang Chuan had no choice but to leave it at that. Laurie had led a group of people in bringing the firearms, ammunition, and coins to the island.

Jiang Chuan went to the cafeteria. As soon as he sat down, Edmund came over with a notebook. "President, I've finished counting. Most of these children are local street kids. Some became orphans after the Bloodfang Gang attacked merchant ships and killed their parents. But there are a few exceptions."

"Oh?" Jiang Chuan asked. "What exceptions? Tell me."

Edmund opened the notebook. "More than ten of the children were aboard the same merchant ship. It came from Demacia. They still remember their parents or their home addresses, and one of them belongs to the Crownguard Family."

That caught Jiang Chuan's interest. Everyone knew Demacia was rich in minerals. Its territory was covered in vast forests and held numerous mineral deposits. He and Demacia would have plenty of dealings in the future, so making a connection now would be ideal.