House of Order third floor, Corleone's office.
At this moment, Balman·Byrch Ser is sitting on the chair opposite the desk, his head drooping down little by little.
He was wearing a brand new dark blue velvet coat, with delicate silver thread patterns embroidered on the collar, and the silver-inlaid belt around his waist that he had just bought last month.
This outfit cost him fifteen Gold Dragon, enough to feed an ordinary person in Junlin for two or three years.
But Balman doesn't feel bad at all. After all, he is now Squad Leader of Flea Bottom, taking over the most important job in King's Landing.
Every day, businessmen ask to meet him and entertain him, hoping to get on the Black Hand Mafia line. Even his wife's attitude towards him has changed significantly these days.
It is no exaggeration to say that when Balman was young, he was the most handsome knight in King's Landing. With his long, smooth and dazzling golden hair, his appearance was definitely not inferior to that of Jaime Lannister. It was precisely because of this that Balman, who was born in a side branch of the family, was favored by Falyse.
However, time is not forgiving, and no matter how handsome the knight is, he will eventually grow old.
Having gained weight in middle age and achieving nothing in his career, Falyse has always had a cold face in front of him these years, despising Balman for being incompetent and unworthy of House Stokeworth's noble bloodline.
But recently, as he has become like a fish in water in Jinpaozi, his wife's attitude has not only improved, but she has even taken the initiative to try some... new tricks.
Although Balman has no interest in Falyse who looks like a fish, he still regained some of his confidence as a man.
Smacking his lips and squinting his eyes, Balman, who was lying on the chair, had a bigger smile on his face.
God Mao, this is all thanks to Mrs. Corleone.
"Uh~~~~~" He burped, and the strong smell of alcohol filled the room.
Tonight Cured Meat Street is treating a wealthy businessman, saying he wants to meet "Black Hand Mafia's friend". Of course Balman knows what the other person is planning, doesn't he just want to get a piece of the Flea Bottom pie?
But he is also happy to enjoy it. Anyway, to Master Corleone, he will report those who should be reported, and Balman also knows the right rules and will never introduce people who should not be introduced to Corleone.
It is precisely because he knows where his power comes from that Balman dropped his wine glass and went straight to House of Order from the banquet as soon as Master Corleone wanted to see him.
As for charging a small amount of money and having a small drink... what does that count?
He's not the only one in King's Landing who accepts money but doesn't do anything. Is there anyone who dares to file a lawsuit if he thinks his life is too long?
As long as he hugs Corleone's thigh, not even the Prime Minister dares to touch him. Didn't you realize that he was reinstated within two weeks of his dismissal?
"Hehe..." With the alcohol in his mouth, Balman giggled twice, his head drooped a little further, and his eyelids became heavier and heavier.
In the dream, he was wearing the uniform of Commander of the City Watch, riding a horse through the streets of King's Landing, and people on both sides of the road were crowded cheering and saluting him.
The young and beautiful Queen Marga Li·Tyrell stood on the high platform of the Red Fort wearing a gorgeous skirt and waved to him..
"Balman·Byrch Ser, no, no, it's Commander of the City Watch... No, no, no, it's the Prime Minister...Balman Prime Minister...
He murmured to himself, saliva dripping from the corners of his mouth and dripping on the brand new dark blue velvet jacket.
Outside the window, the moon is gradually setting in the west.
I don't know how long it took.
A scream came from a distance, sharp but very short, as if someone had their mouth covered.
Balman woke up suddenly, opened his eyes, and found that he was still in Corleone's office.
The room was dark, with only a little moonlight coming in from the window, casting pale spots on the floor.
"Hi~~~It's so cold."
Balman shuddered and tightened his coat, and then he noticed that there was no fire in the fireplace.
Logically speaking, there should be a fire in the house on such a late autumn night, but today there were no candles lit in Mr. Corleone's office.
Isn't the adult here yet?
Rubbing his sleepy eyes, Balman tried to wake himself up.
Looking at the door, I saw it was pitch black and there was no movement.
Strange.
Rorge clearly said that Master Corleone wanted to see him, why did he not show up after waiting for so long?
With this thought in mind, he stood up and stretched his stiff neck, walked to the window and looked outside.
The streets of Flea Bottom looked particularly quiet under the moonlight. Occasionally, one or two dark figures hurried past and quickly disappeared into the alley.
Balman was about to turn around when he suddenly caught a glimpse of something in the yard downstairs.
He squinted his eyes, but before he could see clearly, there was the sound of the door opening behind him.
Balman turned around suddenly.
I saw a figure standing at the door. With his back turned to the dim light in the corridor, I could not see his face clearly. I could only see the straight outline of his shoulders and back, like an unsheathed sword.
"Sir Corleone!" Balman hurriedly greeted him with a smile on his face.
The man walked into the room, and the moonlight shone in from the window, reflecting half of Corleone's stern face.
There was no expression on his face, and his dark eyes were bottomless in the shadows, as if they could absorb all light.
As Corleone approached, Balman suddenly smelled a very light smell, which was very abrupt mixed with the coolness of the night.
It smells a bit like disinfectant.
Although Balman was confused, he didn't dare to ask any more questions. He just bowed quickly and said, "Rorge said you were looking for me, sir?"
Corleone did not answer immediately. Instead, he walked behind the desk, sat down on the chair and leaned back. His whole body suddenly fell into shadows, with only a pair of eyes twinkling in the darkness.
"Sit."
His voice was calm, without any emotion.
Hearing this, Balman quickly sat back on the chair. Although his mind was still a little confused, he had basically sobered up from the wine at this time.
"Is it cold?" Corleone suddenly asked without any warning.
Balman was stunned for a moment and shook his head quickly. "Not cold, sir..."
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"No, you're cold."
Before Balman could finish speaking, Corleone interrupted him without any doubt, then tilted his head slightly and said to the door, "Make a cup of hot tea, Rorge."
A low "yes" came from the darkness, and then the sound of footsteps gradually faded away.
Balman opened his mouth and planned to be polite. "Sir, you really don't need to...
"Shh~~~"
But he still couldn't finish speaking, so he saw Corleone put an index finger to his lips.
"No one can refuse Corleone's kindness, Captain Balman."
Corleone's voice came from the shadows, still calm, but seemed to carry something inexplicable.
As soon as these words came out, Balman immediately shut his mouth obediently, but inexplicably felt his back start to feel cold.
After a while, footsteps sounded again.
Rorge walked in carrying a tray with a steaming pottery cup on it.
He placed the cup in front of Balman and walked out without saying a single nonsense word in the whole process.
"Drink."
Hearing Corleone's unquestionable tone, Balman quickly picked up the cup and took a sip.
The tea was so hot that it hurt his tongue.
"Drink it up."
He just took a shallow sip, and Balman was about to put it down when he heard Corleone speak again.
He was stunned for a moment, then raised his head and looked forward, unable to see Corleone's face clearly in the darkness.
Balman, who had not yet understood the situation, swallowed and had no choice but to pick up the tea cup and drink it all in one gulp. The tea was still very hot, but he did not dare to spit it out, so he could only swallow it hard.
"Good tea... very fragrant." There was a burning pain in the throat, but Balman squeezed out a smile and praised it.
Seeing this, Corleone nodded slightly.
Silence fell again.
Balman was fidgeting while holding the cup of tea. He didn't know why Corleone called him, but this silence made him feel uncomfortable. "You look good these days."
Finally, after a while, Corleone spoke.
"The people below told me that they all get along very well with you and the Golden Robes."
Balman was stunned for a moment, then showed a bright smile and echoed, "This is all your credit, sir!"
"You have taken care of Flea Bottom so well that we, the golden robes, can also be honored. Who in King's Landing doesn't know that Flea Bottom is the safest and most prosperous neighborhood?"
"Businessmen are rushing to move their business here, and the money collected by the golden robes is more than ten times what it used to be!"
He became more and more enthusiastic as he spoke, and leaned forward slightly. "Sir, you don't know, now everyone is looking forward to you expanding your business to the next two blocks!"
"Someone is treating you to a banquet today." Faced with Balman's flattery, Corleone just interrupted him lightly.
Balman was stunned again, then nodded honestly and said, "Yes, yes, Cured Meat Street's wealthy businessman Max Hawke, I think our Flea Bottom business will eventually expand in the future, so let's find out the details there first...
He kept chattering, but Corleone didn't speak. He just stared at him steadily with his eyes in the darkness, showing no expression.
I don't know why, but Balman feels a little guilty.
"What day is it today?"
Before he could answer, Corleone asked again, his tone gradually becoming colder.
Balman opened his mouth and finally realized that something was wrong.
"Ten... sixteen...
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"No. 17."
Corleone interrupted again, "The seventeenth day of late autumn."
"Do you know what this date means to you?"
Balman shook his head blankly.
Corleone stared at him for a while, then slowly said, "Today is the day when you are responsible for the night watch at Flea Bottom."
As soon as these words came out, Balman felt that his blood solidified in an instant.
Night watch.
Yes, he is on night watch today.
How could he forget this!
No, to be precise, he didn't forget it, at least before going to the banquet...
"Sir, I... I..." Balman's lips were trembling, unable to speak complete words.
However, Corleone's dark eyes looked steadily at Balman, like looking at a child who had made a mistake.
"Please answer, Captain Balman."
"Have I ever asked for... no! alcohol! during the night watch?"
As Corleone's tone became more intense, cold sweat began to break out on Balman's forehead.
Although Corleone is not his immediate boss, and although Corleone does not have any position in the golden robe, he did mention it when Balman team settled in Flea.
Night watch personnel are not allowed to drink, but they will receive a generous subsidy of three times the day's salary, Squad Leader five times.
Therefore, not only did the golden robes show no resistance, but they all competed for the opportunity to stay on night watch.
But since the income has increased day by day, Balman has begun to look down on these small amounts of money.
In other words... he found that even when he failed to fulfill his night watch duty, the subsidy never stopped.
"I... Master Corleone...
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Balman wanted to explain, but Corleone didn't give him a chance to defend himself.
He just stood up slowly and walked to the window. The moonlight shone on him and cast a long shadow on the ground.
"Do you know why I made Flea Bottom the way it is?"
His back was turned to Balman, and a voice came from the shadows.
"Because of order."
With that said, Corleone turned around, and the moonlight cast a silver outline on his not-so-tall body.
"Order is the most precious thing in the world. It allows the poor to eat, the rich to feel safe, businessmen to dare to do business, and women to walk at night."
"But order is built with blood and money."
"And the first rule of order is... everyone must obey it."
"Especially, those who enjoy the benefits of order."
His voice was still calm, but every word was like a nail piercing Balman's heart.
Balman's legs began to tremble.
Looking into those dark eyes, all the words to explain and apologize were stuck in my throat, and I couldn't say a single word.
Corleone walked up to him and stopped.
He looked down at Balman, his eyes seeming to reveal a hint of disappointment.
"Have you noticed anything strange in Flea Bottom recently?"
Balman, who was in a state of panic, was stunned for a moment.
Something's wrong?
His mind was spinning rapidly, recalling the days when businessmen were vying to treat him to dinner. Falyse's attitude towards him had changed for the better. His subordinates were respectful to him. Everything was so good and smooth. What could be wrong?
"No... no, my lord."
"Oh, right!"
Suddenly, Balman seemed to remember something. "In recent times, children occasionally get lost in Flea Bottom."
"I sent people to check, but nothing was found. Those children seemed to have disappeared out of thin air, without any clues.
He answered like this, but Balman didn't think this matter was very important in his heart.
After all, cases like this are not a big deal in the eyes of Jinpaozi. Before the arrival of Corleone, poor children were lost every day in King's Landing. They were either abducted by traffickers, starved to death outside, or even sold by their families for money.
This kind of thing is so common, who takes it seriously?
"Of course you can't find anything."
But Corleone didn't seem to think so. He scolded coldly, "Because alcohol and vanity have made you lost!"
As soon as these words came out, Balman's face turned red.
He wanted to argue that he was not derelict in his duties, but when he saw those dark eyes, all his words were stuck in his throat.
"Do you know what will happen when such cases accumulate to a certain extent?"
"They'll start to panic."
Corleone asked himself and answered, "They will be afraid that their children will disappear. They dare not go out, dare not let their children go to the streets, and dare not do business."
"Then people began to doubt each other, accusing the golden robe of incompetence and questioning the authority of the ruler."
He paused and said in a serious tone, "That's me, Vito·Corleone."
"Panic is the enemy of order."
"Back then you swore to the Seven Gods, Balman·Byrch."
With that said, Corleone took a step forward and looked at Balman condescendingly again. "You said that there will never be any problems within your jurisdiction. You will live up to my trust in you and protect the order here with your life."
"I trusted you, so I leave the day-to-day security of Flea Bottom to you."
"But what now?"
Listening to Corleone's questions one after another, Balman felt that his legs were starting to feel weak.
Fortunately, he was sitting, otherwise he would have been kneeling on the ground to listen to Corleone's lesson.
But he obviously didn't expect that more important news was yet to come.
"Three hours ago, Tyrion Lannister was kidnapped, right where you were responsible!"
Corleone's voice came from above his head, and Balman's brain exploded with a "buzz".
Tyrion Lannister?
"Sir... sir..."
He raised his head, his whole body trembling, "I... I'll send someone to find him right now!"
After saying that, he stood up and wanted to leave, but his legs softened and he fell to his knees with a groan.
Although it was a bit embarrassing, Balman couldn't care less and struggled to get up, but at this moment, a pair of generous palms supported his arms.
"Get up."
Corleone's voice was steady and powerful, and he couldn't help but lift him up from the ground.
Balman raised his head and saw that there seemed to be no blame in the other person's dark eyes, but he was just looking at him calmly.
"Sir..." He was incoherent and didn't know what to say.
"When looking for someone, you need to know the direction."
Without any nonsense, Corleone's voice sounded again, as if teaching a child who had lost himself.
At this moment, heavy footsteps came from outside the door.
Then Rorge walked in, dragging something in his hand and leaving a dark red trace on the floor.
The smell of blood hit my face.
When he walked to the center of the room and released his hand, the thing hit the ground with a "bang" and let out a faint groan.
It turned out to be a person.
Balman looked down, and then his pupils suddenly contracted.
Fuck!
It's his Deputy!
"Wei...Willis?"
His voice was sharp and he couldn't believe his eyes.
I saw Willis lying on the ground, his face swollen like a pig's head, his clothes torn, revealing purple scars on his body.
He raised his head slightly and looked at Balman, his swollen eyes full of fear.
"Team... Captain... save me..."
"What on earth is this...
Balman was extremely confused, but the voice of Corleone came from beside him.
"This guy's bones are pretty tough. I had to dissect one of his accomplices with my own hands in front of him."
Hearing this, Balman suddenly realized that no wonder Corleone smelled of disinfectant!
Immediately afterwards, Rorge took a step forward and kicked Willis without any explanation.
"Say!"
Willis screamed and lay on the ground gasping for air. After a few seconds, he spoke tremblingly, "These... these days... when the captain is not on duty... it was me... I deliberately sent all my subordinates... away."
Hearing this, Balman's eyes widened. "Why the hell are you pushing people away?!"
Willis didn't dare to look at him, but just lay on the ground and his voice became smaller and smaller. "In this way, those people... have the chance to act...
As soon as these words came out, Balman felt as if someone had a bucket of ice water poured on his head.
Then every time he asked Willis, "Has there been anything unusual lately?", the guy would always shake his head and say "No."
So that's it.
That's it!
"I'll fuck you!!!"
Feeling stabbed in the back, Balman roared and rushed forward to kick Willis in the face.
"I'm so damn good to you!"
"You followed me for three years! I made you Deputy! I'll give you double the money! I fucking treat you as one of my own!"
"You fucking betrayed me! Betrayed me!!"
He scolded and kicked at the same time, using all his strength with every kick.
Under Balman's beating, Willis's ribs made a "click" sound, and the screams suddenly stopped and turned into a violent cough.
Blood foam poured out from the corner of his mouth, glowing strangely black in the moonlight.
"Captain... ahem... sorry...
"Sorry about your mother!!"
Balman raised his foot and prepared to kick it down again.
A hand reached out from behind and grabbed his shoulder.
The force was not strong, but it made Balman unable to move.
"That's enough." Rorge's voice came from behind, low and calm.
Balman struggled for a while, but did not break away. He was just panting heavily, his chest heaving violently, and his eyes fixed on the guy curled up in a ball on the ground.
Immediately afterwards, Rorge pulled him back a step, then walked to Willis and squatted down.
"Tell us, who asked you to do this?" Willis lay on the ground, shaking all over.
Seeing that he didn't speak, Rorge stretched out a hand and pressed lightly on the rib that Willis had just broken.
"Ah!!!" Willis screamed.
Rorge let go and asked again, "Who... asked you to do this?"
Willis gasped for air, his face was covered with tears and snot, his lips were trembling, his eyes looked at Balman and then quickly looked away.
"Yes..
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.. Mrs. Falyse!"