The Hidden Net

Sarah watched the man before her silently, not speaking. Perhaps the man before her was truly worthy of her trust, or perhaps her subconscious was telling her that this person in front of her could be trusted.

Looking at the calm Sarah, Jiang Chuan said, "I will still do as I said, help you get revenge. I will build an empire in Bilgewater, and I need someone to help me manage this empire."

Sarah said in shock, "Unifying Bilgewater is not easy. Even Gangplank couldn't achieve this goal, and there are countless thugs and villains here. It's very difficult to unify this place."

Jiang Chuan chuckled, "From what I know, the four largest powers in Bilgewater are Gangplank, Raven, Old Blow, and Huck. You already have a plan for Gangplank, the most powerful. Leave Huck to me. Huck will be troubled for a while in a couple of days."

Sarah looked at the confident Jiang Chuan, puzzled, "Do you have a good way? Huck is as cruel and cunning as a fat rat on the Slaughter Docks."

Jiang Chuan smiled, "I remember you said something, 'If you cut off the head of a sea serpent, it will grow another one, but if you tame the sea serpent, its nest will become warm and pleasant.'"

"That's right."

Jiang Chuan put away the plates and stood up, saying, "But if you chop the sea serpent into pieces and feed it to the fish, its nest will be even more pleasant."

Sarah looked at Jiang Chuan curiously and smiled, "Then how will you chop him into pieces? A giant sea serpent is not easy to chop. First, you need a sharp knife."

Jiang Chuan smiled, "My knife is sharp enough to chop three sea serpents. Enough about that, what are we doing today?"

Sarah picked up the wide-brimmed hat from the nearby rack and put it on, "Today we're going to see some old friends."

Jiang Chuan chuckled, "Let me guess, Twisted Fate. Indeed, an old friend. Or Graves? And that little boy?"

The bounty hunter's usual smile vanished without a trace, and the cold light in her eyes made Jiang Chuan's skin ache. Sarah said, "How did you know about this? I never let you in on the plan."

Jiang Chuan looked at the beautiful bounty hunter and said coldly, "Don't try to deceive me. I'm not like Twisted Fate, who would risk his life for a few coins. I know your plan very well. What you need to do now is to wait quietly. There's no need to implement your plan so quickly. If you unilaterally start a riot, it will bring irreparable damage to this city, and what I need is a perfect city, not a city in constant riot. You must suppress your desire for revenge and tell Raven to postpone the plan."

Sarah drew her flintlock pistol and looked at Jiang Chuan in fear, "How do you know all this? Who are you?"

Jiang Chuan looked at the flintlock pistol and said, "I've already told you I'm a Summoner. You need to wait until I'm ready before you launch the plan. It won't be long. The Dark Sea Throne will soon stir up huge waves in Bilgewater. You need to wait. I won't interfere with your plan. Strictly speaking, your plan is a mess. Gangplank won't die, and the subsequent riots will be far more severe than you imagine! We must first deal with two of the three: Huck, Raven, and Old Blow! Otherwise, even if Gangplank dies, we still won't get Bilgewater!"

Sarah put the flintlock pistol down on the table, her beautiful eyes emitting a powerless light. She looked at Jiang Chuan and said, "What do you need me to do?"

Jiang Chuan said quietly, "Take your Siren to Bloodfang Island. We need a sturdy steel warship, not a pile of rotten wood! My subordinates have already started acting. You will get a warship larger than the Abyss. Revenge is not as simple as killing Gangplank."

Sarah led Jiang Chuan to the dock, where a large ship was moored. A person in a cloak disembarked and said, "Everything is almost ready. We can start the plan at any time."

Sarah waved her hand, "The plan is canceled. Take the Siren to Bloodfang Island now."

Raven looked incredulous, "Captain, we've been waiting for this day for a long time. Why cancel the plan?"

Sarah said impatiently, "I am the captain, I decide what I do!"

Raven wanted to say something, but seeing Sarah's determined eyes, he said, "Yes, Captain!"

Sarah turned back and said fiercely to Jiang Chuan, "I hope your decision is the right one!"

Jiang Chuan looked at the ship before him and said, "Your Siren will become an indestructible steel warship. Our target now is not Gangplank, but Bilgewater. The entire Bilgewater will be within our grasp. A peaceful Bilgewater is always more valuable than a riotous one!"

Sarah looked at Jiang Chuan and said, "I've entrusted the entire ship to you, don't mess it up."

Jiang Chuan watched the ship weigh anchor and said, "You can trust me. Our goal is the vast ocean."

Sarah gave the chuunibyo Jiang Chuan a look and boarded the Siren.

Instead of returning to Bloodfang Island with Sarah, Jiang Chuan went to Novia's tavern. Novia looked at Jiang Chuan and chuckled, "I heard you've become a lackey for a bounty hunter?"

Jiang Chuan waved his hand and laughed, "I have to conduct on-site investigations to implement the plan. How are things with Huck?"

Novia tidied the tables and said, "I don't understand why you're targeting Huck. His influence is nowhere near as great as Gangplank's."

Jiang Chuan said coldly, "He's also one of the first to stand up and try to carve up the big cake of Bilgewater after Gangplank dies. I have to kill him first before I can consider Gangplank. Right now, they're still suppressed by Gangplank. Once Gangplank is dead, they'll pounce like a pack of hungry wild dogs to tear you apart and drink your blood!"

Novia laughed, "The tavern in Rat Town is already open. I don't understand why you'd open a shop in such a stinking place."

Jiang Chuan nodded, "I'll need you to work a bit harder there. The net is almost woven, and we're just waiting for the right time to cast it. Any news from Black Rose?"

Novia shook her head, "No. It's as if the organization has forgotten about me. But I know I'm not the only one who came to Bilgewater."

Jiang Chuan smiled, "That's for the best. You keep busy then, I have other matters to attend to. This net must be seamless. I'm running to Rat Town every day. Once this is over, I'll have to buy myself some new clothes."

Novia continued with her work. Jiang Chuan walked out of the tavern and looked at the scorching sun in the sky, smiling, "How many big fish will this grand net catch?"

The waters of Bilgewater seemed to already smell the scent of chaos, and the waves grew increasingly turbulent...