Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 155

No one could answer that question.

Jason had a lot he wanted to say. For example, neither the Wolf nor the Monkey Families were to be trifled with. Even if the two men who were captured withstood torture without betraying them, Bravi and the others present at the time would eventually trace the clues back to them. Moreover, their reckless behavior this time didn’t just affect themselves. It could potentially lead to a major reshuffle of workers in the nearby district, forcing many to lose their jobs. More practically, their current hideout in this abandoned cellar wasn’t as safe as they imagined. It was quite possible that before the auction ended and the ships left the harbor, they might be awakened by a sudden pounding on the door, with armed men standing outside ready to take them away for punishment.

No, this time, with members of the Wolf family injured, the perpetrators would likely pay with their lives.

If they died for this reason, their names wouldn’t even be recorded on the death list, let alone receive any compensation. It would be as if they had lived in vain.

But Jason couldn’t bring himself to say these things. He didn’t want to make these poor men despair. Just as Peter and his companions, despite being on the run and paranoid, recognized Jason and unhesitatingly brought him to their hideout and laid everything out for him, Jason also felt a deep sympathy and regret for them.

This was a natural bond and trust among the people of Paradise Island. Such feelings might usually be overshadowed by the conflicts between Aquinas’s sect, Jason’s Brotherhood, and the merchants’ guild, but once external conflicts outweighed internal ones, a surprising sense of unity would emerge, like rocks revealed as the tide receded.

“Do you really want to leave White Bridge?” Jason asked. “Why not return to Paradise Island? Even the oldest elders there can’t fully explain all the secret paths. Even if the Wolf and Monkey Families do hold their noses and search, everyone would help cover for you.”

“How long would they search?” The man, who had been tending to the injured, spoke in a muffled voice. “We’re like rats, but we can’t survive on scraps from the sewers. Our families don’t have extra food to support us while we hide.”

Jason was silent.

“People like us can’t survive in White Bridge,” Luke said sadly. “This was always destined to be the case. Our ancestors preferred to live half-dead rather than open their eyes and admit it. We have no right to criticize them. If it weren’t for this trouble…”

If it weren’t for this trouble, which turned long-standing self-deceptive fantasies into an inescapable reality.

“You should come with us,” Peter said. “You’re a capable man, Jason. You’re brave and upright, and everyone respects you. Someone like you should accomplish great things. Don’t you wonder what the world outside White Bridge is like?”

“Of course, I’ve thought about it,” Jason admitted. “But if I leave, what about my brother and friends? What about the brothers in the Brotherhood? Sure, they could come with me. Strong men won’t starve anywhere, but what about the elderly, women, and children in their families?”

As a leader of sorts, Jason was used to thinking further ahead than others. He had even pondered Peter’s question on his own: What was White Bridge like originally? Was it divided into Paradise Island and the inner city from the start? Who decided which area belonged to whom?

Unfortunately, the poor had no right to write or learn history. All they could do was accept their fate. But then again, if Jason were content to accept everything, he wouldn’t have asked Eugene to teach him to read and write.

Deep down, he always had doubts. If given the chance, even a small one, he wanted to see the world from the perspective of the inner city, to see if it was the same as what their ancestors had seen.

“Then we can go find a new place,” Luke said excitedly. “We can find a secluded spot, search for water sources, cultivate the land, and if we establish ourselves, we can gradually bring everyone out.”

This idea wasn’t sudden. Everyone was nodding.

“Once we all leave, let those lords fend for themselves! Let them clean their own shoes, milk their own cows, and feed their own horses!” He clenched his fist. “They’re actually just rich wastrels who can’t even drive a carriage. They can’t survive on their own.”

Only Jason remained level-headed. As their thoughts ran wild, he brought them back to reality. “You need to think about how to hide until the auction ends. Where will you get food and water? Even if you tough it out for a few days, there’s no guarantee this place won’t be discovered.”

Peter and the others fell silent. Luke pleaded with Jason, “If you won’t leave with us, can you help keep watch? Peter risked getting supplies, but we can’t guarantee he won’t run into someone next time. And we should stay inside. I know this kind of case is usually handled by Bravi’s top enforcer, a very capable man. He never leaves a clue behind—two years ago, he uncovered the Black Hawk captain’s embezzlement just from a broken wine barrel.”

Jason was startled. “Are you sure?”

Luke nodded. “My brother told me back then but warned me not to spread it. You all saw it—the captain and ship’s doctor were hanged on the mast, starved to death, their bodies turned to mummies before being taken down.” They rarely dealt with big figures, but whenever something major happened in the inner city, Paradise Island would hear the gossip. The shock from that event was intense. No one in White Bridge hadn’t heard of it.

Jason, who worked at the docks, certainly knew about it. The sight of those long-hung bodies terrified many sailors. For a long time, many captains looked sickly.

“If it’s him, it’s definitely not good,” Jason said solemnly. “Stay put. I’ll try to find out more.” This was a risky promise. If caught, Jason could be considered an accomplice. But his inherent sense of duty and protection wouldn’t let him ignore their plight.

……

Alexander hesitated before knocking on Louis’s study door. This was rare. They had worked closely for years, more closely than others, but since returning from Fortuna City, Louis had changed. It wasn’t that his appearance or behavior seemed off, but he seemed to be plotting something, and Alexander was entirely excluded.

He had no right to interfere with Louis’s plans, but as his first deputy for many years, handling communication and orders, being left out felt unsettling.

Louis was waiting behind his desk. Seeing Alexander enter with a stack of documents, he put down his pen.

“Is it done?” he asked.

Alexander nodded, carefully placing the documents on the desk. “Time was tight. There might be omissions.”

That was unavoidable. The Wolf family had a strict hierarchy and a large population. No previous head had ever thought of making a comprehensive list. Family genealogies existed, but collecting them last minute was challenging. Including all illegitimate children added to the workload, but Alexander did his best.

“This wasn’t our task. You’ve done well,” Louis said, flipping through a list casually. “Where did these come from?”

“I bothered Mr. Cameron’s secretary, Terry, all night, begging for the records of newborns receiving blessings from relevant years. Fortunately, he was up for a meeting tonight and hadn’t slept either,” Alexander explained. “There might be gaps.”

The newborn blessing was a Wolf Family tradition, symbolizing encouragement of birth to strengthen the family and welcoming newborns. The number was neither large nor small, with more symbolic than practical significance, always handled by Cameron.

“Gaps are fine,” Louis said, putting the list back. “It’s just to report back.”

Alexander hesitated but couldn’t hold back. “What does Lord Khalif want with this list, sir?”

He knew Louis’s nature. If he felt Alexander should know something, he would tell him without being asked. Asking without being told was somewhat tactless. But he had been uneasy for days, and the continuous overtime had frayed his nerves. If he didn’t ask now, he might explode.

Louis wasn’t surprised by the question. The Holy Grail wasn’t a secret within the family, but Khalif’s assignment to Louis was due not only to his swift decisiveness but also his reticence and being the only high-ranking member not fond of factions. Clearly, that old coot didn’t want too much attention on this matter.

“You’ll know soon enough,” he said.

“But—” Alexander didn’t finish his thought.

Louis, not waiting for him to continue, asked for updates on the warehouse fire and Adan’s attack.

Alexander struggled to catch his breath. “I just looked up from the blessing records to bring these to you. These sensitive things can’t be handed off to others. Do you think I have three heads?”

“Khalif wouldn’t be as lenient as I am,” Louis said. “Every time he meets, he’s like a debt collector.”

Alexander pretended not to hear the clear disrespect. “I’ll check on the warehouse later, but wasn’t it you who checked on Mr. Adan?”

“I told you the result. You need to write the report,” Louis said coldly.

Alexander laughed in exasperation. “Why write a report? You yourself said it’s unlikely anyone, but the Lion Family had such skill.”

“That was just a guess,” Louis said. “Other possibilities exist.”

“Malicious guests? Unlikely but not impossible,” Alexander admitted. “Fine, I’ll include that.”

“Just guests?” Louis asked.

Alexander froze. “Are you implying it could be internal? Such an accusation without evidence…”

“Don’t write it down. I’m just speculating,” Louis said, leaning back and looking at the loyal assistant he’d worked with for years. “Alexander, I remember Fahim arranged the same lessons for you as me.”

“Yes. I’m not as smart, started later, and always struggled,” Alexander replied, unsure why Louis brought this up.

“But you worked hard,” Louis said. “There was one course some Elders opposed you taking, but Fahim insisted. You even complained about having one less course. Remember?”

“That’s because I didn’t know how expensive hiring a teacher was,” Alexander said. “Of course, I remember. They said I wasn’t qualified to learn history.”

“Why?”

Alexander frowned. “Why? They think people from Paradise Island aren’t fit to learn anything, right?”

“No. They didn’t object to you learning arithmetic or grammar, just history,” Louis said. “Because history is against them. White Bridge originally belonged to Paradise Island. The Wolf and Monkey took it. They don’t want Paradise Island remembering that.”

Alexander understood but still didn’t grasp why Louis mentioned it.

“That was long ago,” Alexander said. “Even if memories were passed down, it’s useless. Paradise Island can’t resist, neither then nor now.”

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