Author: 冬瓜茶仙人 / Winter Melon Tea Immortal
Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/
Chapter 166
At first, the warehouse fire seemed like a small rash on the back of one’s hand—itchy but insignificant. However, after just one night, the rash had spread over the entire arm, becoming both painful and itchy, impossible to ignore.
Khalif stared at Cameron with a grim expression.
“Say that again,” he demanded.
Cameron felt a chill down his spine. He hesitated before speaking again, steeling himself. “Adan’s parents reacted strongly to the conflict between a few young men and Paradise Island, dismissing many servants and demanding a meeting with you to ensure the family handles this matter properly.”
In front of Khalif, Cameron tried to downplay the situation, but in reality, Adan’s family had taken several outrageous steps, even openly demanding the head of the family punish Paradise Island. This news spread rapidly among the lower servants, causing multiple physical altercations within hours.
What was worse, Louis seemed resentful about being excluded from the auction management circle and had decided to take a cold stance on the issue. When Cameron sent someone to ask Louis to quell the situation, he found out Louis had simply skipped work, leaving no assistant behind.
Cameron involuntarily glanced around Khalif’s desk, assessing if anything there could be used as a weapon. As Khalif’s fingers twitched, he instinctively stepped back.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Cameron felt a wave of relief, noticing Khalif’s expression changing multiple times before he finally squeezed out a word through gritted teeth. “Come in.”
It was Azman, whom Khalif had tasked with handling all the guests. Normally responsible for White Bridge’s entertainment and leisure, he managed his duties smoothly. Today, however, his face was clouded with worry, and his usually well-groomed mustache drooped. Seeing Azman’s pallor, Khalif knew something was wrong.
“Lord Khalif,” Azman didn’t approach as he usually did. Instead, he shrank back, trying to make himself as inconspicuous as possible.
“Two gambling halls and several hotels experienced strikes this morning. Guests are affected, and complaints are flooding my office like snowflakes,” he said in one breath. “Today’s two auction venues were closed last night and remain unaffected, but if this continues, tonight’s final auction might also be affected—”
Khalif sprang to his feet, cutting Azman off mid-sentence.
This wasn’t just about the auction. White Bridge was the most decadent city on the continent of Doran, offering endless pleasures to those with money—pleasures made possible by the cheap labor from Paradise Island. Despite their immense workload and meager pay, the islanders had never seemed to complain, and both the Wolf and Monkey Families enjoyed the benefits of this labor disparity.
“Have Louis detain the ringleaders,” Khalif said coldly. “Raise the pay to stabilize the strikers. No chaos before the auction ends.”
Azman wanted to ask if the ringleaders referred to the Morris couple or the strike agitators, but there was a more pressing issue at hand.
“Louis is missing,” he said weakly. “When the trouble started on Paradise Island, they were looking for him, but—” No one knew where Louis was. His carriage could be tracked, but only he had the tracking permissions. Although Azman was an Elder, Louis’s subordinates wouldn’t listen to him.
Khalif outranked Louis, but with the chain reaction of strikes like a tidal wave, he couldn’t handle everything personally. Azman had expected Khalif to explode in rage, but instead, he looked oddly amused upon hearing the news.
“Louis is missing?” Khalif repeated, his tone strange, even smiling insincerely at Azman and Cameron’s puzzled looks.
“Have Arthur handle the strikes,” Khalif said, quickly regaining his composure. “Get them back to work—raise the pay if needed. Cameron, you know my limits.”
He roughly pulled off a ring and threw it to Azman. “I’m giving you authority. Ensure everything is peaceful until midnight tomorrow.”
Azman was stunned by this sudden empowerment. It was unlike Khalif’s usual behavior. Without further explanation, they watched Khalif leave the office like a whirlwind.
……
Jim stood anxiously as the tailor marked the last alteration, then removed the expensive fabric from his body.
He was now wearing a white cotton shirt from Laporte Island. It wasn’t luxurious, but the style was trendy—soft like sleepwear, giving a somewhat artistic vibe, unlike the classic stiff-collared shirts.
“Your hair needs a bit more trimming,” a sharp-tongued woman criticized, examining Jim. “The clothes are fine, but your hair is too messy.”
This remark forced Jim to endure more sticky hair gel, the pungent scent making him want to sneeze, but he held it back.
Jim had worn fine clothes before. When he was favored, the young master gave him many silk trousers and shirts. However, when he was driven out, he didn’t take any with him. For one, he probably wouldn’t have been allowed to, and wearing such conspicuous clothes among servants could cause trouble.
Those experiences made him less uneasy about wearing good clothes again, but what made him anxious was the reason behind it.
“If you’re angry with me, it’s understandable,” Jim apologized to Kurt. “I don’t know how to express my apologies for having to impersonate you.”
Kurt was curious. “What kind of person are you?”
Jim: “A poor man from Paradise Island.” He had been in the inner city long enough to hear various derogatory terms, but he knew Kurt wouldn’t say such things. The man, forced into captivity, had a surprisingly good temper, making it easy for Jim to apologize.
Kurt was somewhat familiar with the relationship between Paradise Island and the inner city. Jim, allowed to chat within limits, had mentioned his origins.
“Firstly, this isn’t your choice,” Kurt said. “Secondly, I’m not some holy leader. If I could choose, I wouldn’t want to be an astrologer. This identity wouldn’t offend me, so you don’t need to apologize.”
Kurt hadn’t anticipated that Jim’s role in serving him had this use. Although their appearances differed, their builds were similar. This attentive young man, accustomed to observing various “important people”, was prepared to play the astrologer at the auction.
If he had any doubts before, Kurt was now certain that Khalif didn’t intend to sell him. Not because of any kindness, but because he realized Kurt’s value was far greater.
“I need to inspect the venue this afternoon. Someone else will bring your tea,” Jim whispered, kneeling by the sofa. “If… I get sold, someone else will take care of you.”
Kurt patted Jim’s shoulder, feeling pity. Whoever had educated this boy made him think he should never stand taller than others when speaking. Despite his corrections, Jim hadn’t changed this habit.
“You won’t be sold. This is just to ensure the auction doesn’t fail,” Kurt reassured him. “You’re not an astrologer. If sold, they’d quickly find out, and you’d be killed.”
“Even if I die because of it…”
“You won’t,” Kurt said patiently. “Whoever is tricked will seek revenge, and the auction’s reputation would be ruined. The Wolves wouldn’t be that foolish.”
Jim asked in confusion, “So, I’m just there to show my face?”
Kurt affirmed, “Just to show your face. If things go smoothly, you might even be back in time for supper.”
Jim nearly cried. He truly believed he’d be sold in Kurt’s place and, as Kurt said, wouldn’t survive once discovered. He was terrified, with no one to confide in. His only brother was on Paradise Island, and they hadn’t seen each other for years.
“Thank you. Thank you for telling me this.” Jim clung to the sofa’s tassels, his eyes red. “I was preparing myself—”
Kurt wanted to comfort him but was interrupted. Someone entered, announcing that Khalif had arrived upstairs and would be coming down soon, asking Jim to leave.
Jim quickly stood, wiping his eyes hastily. As he turned to go, Kurt grabbed his coat.
“Mr. Kurt?”
Kurt looked surprised and somewhat hesitant. “Jim, do you have family in the inner city?”
Kurt had noticed an ominous sign on Jim’s face, but unlike astrological calculations, it was based on intuition and talent, rarely used for divination.
“I have a brother,” Jim said. “But he’s not here.”
The person who had entered urged them again. Kurt glanced at the door, then leaned in and whispered, “Find a chance to visit home.”
Jim stared at him in shock, but the person outside couldn’t wait and pulled Jim away. Khalif was already at the end of the corridor, and they barely managed to avoid him by ducking into a side room.
“What’s wrong with you?” the messenger scolded Jim. “Hesitating like that. What if you’d run into Lord Khalif?”
Jim didn’t say anything, but he was deeply concerned about Kurt’s unusual behavior.
If anyone else had made such an ambiguous remark, he wouldn’t have paid much attention. However, given his recent experiences, it was clear that Mr. Kurt was a truly skilled astrologer. The guards and outer servants occasionally discussed how rare and valuable astrologers were on the continent, and how White Bridge was incredibly fortunate to have captured one this time.
For someone like that to urge him to go home… There weren’t many valuable possessions in his house on Paradise Island. As long as he and his brother had enough to eat, they were satisfied. Could it be that something had happened to Jason?
“Don’t think that just because you were chosen as a stand-in, you can get carried away. This job is just for one night. Do you think wearing a fancy shirt makes you a noble?” The man continued to rant, “Don’t forget where we came from.”
“I’m sorry,” Jim quickly said. “It was because Mr. Kurt was still talking to me. I won’t forget where I came from. Even if I forget, the inner city will never acknowledge me.”
“That’s right,” the man said. “The inner city will never acknowledge us. In fact, they don’t care at all about the hardships we endure, so all of this is deserved.”
When talking about the boss behind his back, he instinctively lowered his voice. “The more people who go on strike, the better. Let them see what the inner city becomes without Paradise Island!”
“Strike?” Jim heard a new word.
“You don’t know? It’s all over the place!” The man thought for a moment and realized that Jim, who had been mostly confined underground, wouldn’t have heard the news. As the one responsible for running errands and delivering messages, he often went outside. With Lord Khalif just arriving, the man figured it wouldn’t end quickly, so he let his gossiping nature take over and sat down with the bewildered Jim. “Let me tell you all about it.”
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