After sending Yasuo off, Jiang Chuan began putting his plan into action. If he wanted to establish a foothold in Bilgewater, his first step would be to build a gang or take over one...
###
That evening, Jiang Chuan went to a tavern and asked the Proprietress, "Hey, Proprietress, how come Johnson hasn't been around today?"
###
The Proprietress wiped down a table and said, "He hasn't been here for a while. I don't know when he'll pay me back what he owes, either. That bastard. What about you? When are you going to pay me back?"
###
Jiang Chuan took out a gold coin and set it on the table. "This is a down payment. I'll pay you the rest little by little. So, aren't you going to get me a drink?"
###
The Proprietress happily took the coin and poured Jiang Chuan a large mug of beer. "So, where did you come into some money?"
###
Jiang Chuan drank his beer. "That's none of your business. I want to discuss a deal with you."
###
The coin had naturally come from Old Jack. Jiang Chuan would never forget the pained look on Old Jack's face when he lent it to him.
###
Jiang Chuan's words piqued the Proprietress's interest. She looked at him and said, "What kind of deal? What could a poor wretch like you possibly have to offer me?"
###
Jiang Chuan took a sip of beer, a sharp glint in his eyes. "I heard the Bloodfang Gang has a deal coming up. I want to know what they're trading, and the exact time and place. I'll give you forty percent when it's done. How does that sound?"
###
Jiang Chuan hadn't come unprepared. The Proprietress of this tavern was an information broker who knew everything there was to know in Bilgewater.
###
The Proprietress gave him a seductive smile. "Roland, what good would knowing that do you? The Bloodfang Gang may not be a big gang, but they've got a whole bunch of gunslingers. How are you going to rob them?"
###
As a virgin, Jiang Chuan almost lost control when he looked at the alluring Proprietress. Though she was a woman of mature years, she still had plenty of charm. He imagined she must have been quite the heartbreaker in her youth.
###
Jiang Chuan took a sharp swig of beer to suppress his rising desire. Then he took out a harpoon and smiled. "You must know this harpoon, don't you?"
###
The Proprietress's expression changed. Of course she knew that harpoon. It belonged to Pyke. Who in the Slaughter Docks didn't know the drowned man's name? The Proprietress had seen plenty in her time, and quickly composed herself. "Nobody can work with that madman. He's not even human anymore!"
###
Jiang Chuan put the harpoon away and smiled. "That's not your concern. So, what do you say? All you have to do is provide the information, and you'll get forty percent of the money. It's a good deal."
###
The Proprietress thought it over, then held up five fingers. "Fifty percent! The Bloodfang Gang won't be easy to deal with, and I'm taking a risk, too."
###
Jiang Chuan drained his beer. "Fine. Deal!"
###
The Proprietress smiled. "Lucky for you, I heard about it today. Tonight, at midnight, the third mooring east of the Slaughter Docks, three hundred meters away. Hope you pull it off."
###
Jiang Chuan grinned. "Then you'll be making a fortune tonight!"
###
The Proprietress leaned close to his ear. "I'll be waiting for you."
###
The warmth of her breath against his ear made him terribly uncomfortable. He was hard... Jiang Chuan put away the harpoon and left the tavern. There was still some time before the deal, enough to come up with a perfect plan...
###
After leaving the tavern, Jiang Chuan went into an alley and spoke to the empty air before him. "Midnight, at a mooring three hundred meters east of the Slaughter Docks. I'm counting on you tonight, Pyke!"
###
Before going to the tavern, Jiang Chuan had summoned Pyke. Pyke's mind wasn't clear, and as soon as he appeared, he had tried to kill Jiang Chuan. Jiang Chuan knew another creature was controlling Pyke's mind, so he used Cleanse on him. In the game, Cleanse was a Summoner Spell, and Jiang Chuan could use it too. Just as he'd expected, after being cleansed, Pyke briefly regained his senses.
###
Pyke's shadow emerged from the darkness. "Summoner, I don't know how you drove that damn fish away, but I like being with you."
###
The words gave Jiang Chuan goosebumps. He waved a hand. "We know where the Bloodfang Gang's deal is happening, but there are a lot of them. Can you take them all out?"
###
Pyke swung his harpoon. "I don't think they can kill a dead man twice."
###
Jiang Chuan took out an old pocket watch and checked the time. It belonged to Old Jack, of course. If Jiang Chuan hadn't promised to give him another gold coin once the job was done, Old Jack wouldn't have lent it so easily.
###
The hands settled firmly on twelve. Jiang Chuan put away the watch, licked his lips, and said, brimming with eagerness for the fight, "It's starting. Let's see what Bilgewater's Mauser Guns can do. Don't disappoint me, Bloodfang Gang!"
###
"Johnny! You bastard! Be careful when you move that! If that crate of powder explodes, it'll blow half the docks sky-high!"
###
Twenty Bloodfang Gang members stood fully armed by the docks. A ship from Piltover was moored nearby, and people were busy carrying cargo to and from it.
###
Jiang Chuan and Pyke lay low nearby, watching the people below like two hungry wolves.
###
Jiang Chuan was waiting. That crate of powder was tempting, but he could make powder himself. What he wanted to see was Piltover's firearms!
###
The ship's captain brought a long box out and said to the Bloodfang Gang's leader, "Buddy, it took a lot of effort to get this gun. You know about Hextech?"
###
The Bloodfang Gang's leader grinned. "I knew I could count on you. You even got your hands on a Hextech firearm. How much?"
###
The captain held up five fingers. "Five thousand Gold Coins. It's worth every one."
###
The Bloodfang Gang's leader laughed. "No problem. We've invested heavily in expanding our arsenal this time."
###
Jiang Chuan waved to Pyke, signaling that it was time to begin!
###
Pyke's nickname, "Bloody Harbor Ghost," wasn't for show. True to his name, he came and went like a ghost. By the time Jiang Chuan had finished waving, Pyke had already killed three men.
###
The Bloodfang Gang's leader was caught completely off guard by Pyke's sudden appearance. Everyone in Bilgewater knew that Pyke never left survivors, but he usually prowled the slaughter district. Why was he at the docks today?
###
The Bloodfang Gang's leader shouted, "What are you waiting for? Open fire! Kill that filthy drowned man!"
###
Gunfire erupted across the docks, but Pyke had been right: they couldn't kill a dead man!
###
Half an hour later, there wasn't a single living soul left on the docks. The bodies scattered everywhere made Jiang Chuan feel sick. It was impossible for a modern person to see so many corpses without reacting. Fighting back the urge to vomit, Jiang Chuan walked onto the docks.
###
Pyke looked at Jiang Chuan's pale face in surprise. "Summoner, have you never killed anyone?"
###
Jiang Chuan gave a weak smile. "I've never even killed a fish."
###
Pyke chuckled. "Hard to imagine someone with your incredible abilities has never even killed a fish. But you'll get used to it in Bilgewater. Now, let's see what we've won!"
###
Jiang Chuan counted the goods from the Bloodfang Gang's deal. Besides the Hextech Rifle, there were five crates of powder, five crates of bombs, five crates of Mauser Guns, and ten crates of Gold Coins!
###
Jiang Chuan picked up a Mauser Gun and examined it closely. The weapon in his hands brought one name to mind: the 98k.
###
The Mauser Gun in his hands had a classic bolt-action design and used Smokeless Powder. Though its theoretical range was two thousand meters, its effective range in combat was only around eight hundred. It had served for barely over a decade in human history before being replaced, but in an era of highly advanced industry, even that was proof of its worth.
###
Jiang Chuan put down the Mauser Gun and picked up the Hextech Rifle, studying it carefully. His knowledge of Hextech came only from the equipment in the game; he knew nothing about the specifications of actual Hextech technology. Even Roland's memories contained only hearsay about Hextech firearms.
###
The Hextech Rifle had a long, slender barrel and looked like something from a steampunk world, though on closer inspection, it didn't quite fit the style. Its scope was much like the one in Caitlyn's hands, just a simple piece of glass. Its exact range was unknown, and the captain had brought only twenty rounds, not enough for Jiang Chuan to test its performance. But Hextech combined science with magic, so it surely couldn't be bad.
###
Jiang Chuan stood up and looked at all the loot. Even after splitting it with the Proprietress, he would still make a fortune! Naturally, he intended to keep the Hextech Rifle and Mauser Guns for himself.
###
Jiang Chuan sorted the loot and carried his share to the sewer beside Old Jack's clinic to hide it. Then he went to the tavern. It had just closed, and the Proprietress was still busy tidying up.
###
Jiang Chuan went to the bar. "A beer, the best you've got!"
###
The Proprietress swayed over and poured him a beer. Jiang Chuan smiled. "Five crates of Gold Coins, three crates of powder. There are probably a few thousand coins; I didn't count them. You can send people to haul them away. I've paid off enough to cover what I owe you, right?"
###
The Proprietress stared at Jiang Chuan, eyes wide. Only half an hour had passed, and he had already gotten his hands on the Bloodfang Gang's cargo. That was quite a feat, even in Bilgewater!
###
The Proprietress immediately sent her men to retrieve the loot and powder. With a flirtatious look, she smiled at Jiang Chuan. "That's plenty, Roland. Can you tell me how you managed to control Pyke?"
###
Jiang Chuan drained his beer and smiled. "It's a secret—the one secret in all of Bilgewater that you don't know." With that, he set down his glass and walked out of the tavern. He still had a lot to do tonight...
Before you continue