Bill

Unexpectedly, it began pouring in the middle of the night. Early the next morning, the group drove through the heavy rain toward a small town in Palan Province. As they went on, the road became harder to travel, the asphalt gradually giving way to dirt.

In such heavy rain, the dirt road had turned into a muddy mess, and the wheels began slipping easily. What should have been a three-hour journey took until one in the afternoon before Meng Zu and the others finally arrived.

Wearing a raincoat, Meng Zu stepped onto the muddy road. The weather had put him in a foul mood, and he did not understand why Jack was in such a hurry. "Jack, do we have to rush this much? Why not wait until the rainy season is over before looking for it?"

Jack wiped the rain from his face and explained, "Blood Orchids bloom once every seven years, and their flowering period only lasts half a year. This should be the best time for them to bloom. If we wait until the rainy season is over, the flowering period may already have passed."

Ten minutes later, the four finally reached their destination, a tavern. After asking around, they learned that local captains usually came to taverns to drink. During the rainy season, boatmen were either at home or in taverns. They were told that no captain would risk taking them upstream during the rainy season. If they insisted on going upstream, they could only visit a tavern in a red house and find a captain named Bill Johnson. Only he dared to sail upstream during the rainy season, as long as the price was high enough.

Jack could not make the decision alone. Gale, as the company's review representative, had to come along. Gordon handled the money and needed to pay for the boat rental, so he naturally had to go as well. This place was not as safe as a big city, and all kinds of people could be found in a tavern. For safety's sake, Jack asked Meng Zu to accompany them.

Meng Zu removed the hood of his raincoat and pushed open the wooden door. Compared with the thunderous rain outside, the tavern was no quieter. It was packed with people of all kinds, and noisy voices filled the entire place.

When the four entered, a few people in the tavern merely glanced at them before returning to their drinking and conversation. Looking at the crowd, Gordon suddenly had an idea. "Maybe people besides Bill Johnson would also be willing to take us upstream."

Jack looked over the various people in the tavern. Some of them clearly gave him the feeling that they were not good people, so he asked Meng Zu, "What do you think, Meng Zu?"

In Jack's eyes, Meng Zu was a mercenary who often dealt with people like this, so he had to have experience in such matters.

Meng Zu naturally understood Gordon's plan—he wanted to save some money. He shook his head slightly. "Let's go straight to Bill Johnson. There are all kinds of people here. There's no need to invite unnecessary trouble."

"Mm, then we'll go straight to Bill Johnson."

The four walked up to the bar. The bartender was a middle-aged man. Seeing them, he greeted them with a smile. "What can I get you four?"

Jack asked, "Excuse me, is there a captain here named Bill Johnson?"

The bartender looked Jack over and said with a smile, "Bill Johnson? Maybe there is, maybe there isn't."

The bartender's words left Jack confused. He did not understand what the man meant. Was there a Bill Johnson or not?

"Ahem!" Meng Zu coughed twice. Jack turned and saw Meng Zu rubbing his thumb and forefinger together at him. Only then did Jack understand the bartender's meaning. He took out a dollar and placed it on the counter.

The moment the bartender saw the dollar, his smile brightened. He pocketed the money and pointed at a man drinking alone at a round table in the corner. "That's Bill Johnson."

The four made their way through the crowd and sat down at the round table. Jack spoke directly. "Are you Bill Johnson?"

Holding a beer bottle, Bill looked the four of them over from head to toe. "What do you want with me?"

"I heard you can take people upstream into the rainforest even during the rainy season."

It looked like business had come calling. Bill set down his beer bottle and looked at Jack. "Of course. Provided you're willing to pay."

Hearing that, Jack breathed a sigh of relief. The Blood Orchid was his only hope of turning things around. If no one was willing to take him upstream during the rainy season, he would truly be finished. "How much?"

Bill sized Jack up and thought for a moment before saying, "Fifty thousand dollars."

Bill was a shrewd man. It was currently the rainy season, and all the other shipping companies had stopped operating. The rivers upstream in the tropical rainforest were extremely dangerous during this season. Since these people wanted to go upstream now, they surely had something important to do. No one but him dared risk heading upstream at this time, so they could only rely on him. Thus, Bill decided to name a high price.

"No problem."

Seeing Jack agree so readily without even bargaining, Bill's lips curled upward. He stood and said, "All right. I'll take you to my boat now and give you the keys."

At those words, Gale stood up. "Wait. Give us the keys? You're not coming with us?"

Bill sat back down and said lazily, "It's the rainy season. Going upstream is dangerous. Fifty thousand dollars only covers the boat rental. I'm not willing to risk going with you."

Jack frowned. It was the rainy season in the tropical rainforest. Without a captain familiar with the local conditions to guide them, going upstream would be no different from courting death. "Then how much would it take for you to come with us?"

Bill said, "If you want me to risk going with you, it'll cost a hundred thousand dollars."

Gale was stunned by Bill's outrageous demand and snapped, "A hundred thousand dollars! Are you crazy for money?"

Gale turned to Jack. "Jack, let's find someone else. For fifty thousand dollars, someone will definitely be willing to take us upstream."

"Heh, sure. Go ahead and try. During the rainy season, no one but me will go upstream." Bill looked at Gale and laughed fearlessly.

"This..." Jack was caught in a difficult position. A hundred thousand dollars was not much, but they only needed a guide familiar with the local environment. Bill was obviously treating them like suckers.

At that moment, Meng Zu spoke. "There's no need to agonize over it. The rivers of the tropical rainforest are dangerous and unpredictable during the rainy season. Even locals will not risk going upstream. Perhaps he really is the only one. Of course, once the rainy season is nearly over, more people will be willing to go upstream."

Hearing that, Jack stopped hesitating. He needed to get the Blood Orchid as soon as possible. He said to Bill, "Then a hundred thousand dollars it is. You're coming with us."

"Jack! You—" Gale stared at Jack in disbelief.

Jack cut Gale off directly. "Enough. Don't say any more. I'm in charge of this operation to begin with. As long as we get what we came for, none of this matters."

Seeing that the hundred thousand dollars was his, Bill said cheerfully, "Then, you four, let me show you my boat first—the Bloodthirsty Mary!"