nycdaug Chapter 29: Envious eyes turned red!
Chapter 29: Envious eyes turned red!
[Dog Egg's back? Oh dear, wasn't he supposed to be out exploring new markets? Did he come back with a bang?]
[Treat me to a meal, Dog Egg! Don't forget your brothers when you get a big order!]
[Exactly, don't forget your dog when you become rich!]
In less than half an hour, the news of Gou Dan's return spread throughout the area, leaving Gou Dan speechless. He could only look gloomy and play the role of a down-on-his-luck, surrendered poor assassin for most of the day. He didn't even dare to buy a double-layer beef pancake, and only dared to stingily buy a cold bread that looked like a baguette from his previous life and a bottle of cheap dark beer.
If you're going to put on an act, you have to go all the way. There are countless players watching Milandale right now, and Gou Dan knows very well that as soon as he steps into the doors of the upscale restaurant, the news will spread throughout the player network the very next day.
"Dog Egg, I told you before, those Frankish merchants are the most unreliable. It's common for them to discount mission rewards. How many times have they ripped us off? Taking their missions is only for short-term, cost-free tasks. I can't believe you trust them to run long-range missions."
"Brother, I regret not listening to you back then." Gou Dan, with tears in his eyes, accepted a bottle of fine beer handed to him.
"Alright, stop crying. What kind of behavior is this? Where did your once-mighty one-on-one assassin go? You're a disgrace. Here, consider this a welcome-back dinner for you."
"Brother Chicken, let's not say anything more, let's eat!" Dog Egg's eyes were bloodshot, and he was almost ready to kneel down and call the pig's knuckle "godfather" when faced with the pork knuckle delivered by player Fatty Chicken.
The way he wolfed down his food made all the players shake their heads and sigh in admiration. They didn't even have the heart to mock him anymore. Look at how well this kid is doing.
While eating meat with tears in his eyes, Gou Dan secretly observed that, sure enough, driving a Land Rover made him an enemy of the world, while begging made him a good person everywhere.
What's my brother's greatest hobby? Beer, barbecue, and listening to your troubles. If you're not doing well, I can sleep soundly...
Sure enough, the group of people who were usually stingy were unusually generous today, comforting Gou Dan even after he drank several bottles of craft beer, as if they were his closest brothers.
Singing and drinking, the atmosphere was exceptionally touching...
Only a girl carrying a bow and arrows watched Gou Dan coldly from afar, sensing something was amiss.
Wang Gou Dan has an incredibly strong sense of pride, and this isn't the first time he's tried to put on a brave face. Is he really so down on his luck that he has to complain in front of a group of fellow villagers, or... is he hiding something?
She had a feeling that this guy was up to no good!
As the drinking continued until midnight, most of the players were completely drunk and snoring. Only then did Gou Dan stagger to his feet and walk out of the underground black market.
A cold wind blew, and Gou Dan's drunkenness gradually subsided. Gazing at the cold moonlight and the swirling snowflakes around him, he frowned slightly.
He couldn't waste time here. Lord Bright had told him to deliver the letter and return as soon as possible, but he had been in the underground black market all day and hadn't seen a single Frankish merchant, which was very unusual.
The term "Frankish merchants" is not a geographical term, but rather a collective term for unlicensed merchants. These unlicensed merchants are those who do not possess the authorization of their own country's noble lords or sovereigns, and whose identities are of unknown origin. When asked about their background, they all come from Frank, the most prosperous maritime trading city among the Seven Kingdoms, hence the collective name "Frankish merchants."
In this world, merchants are controlled by nobles. No matter how good the business is, the profits are all in the hands of the nobles behind it. Nobles can seize your business at any time by threatening to disqualify you. It is impossible for ordinary people to become capitalists through business. The only thing you can do is give the good business you find to the relatives of nobles and pray that the nobles have a little conscience and will leave you a piece of the pie.
The more capable a merchant is, the less willing they are to be controlled by the greedy nobles behind them. Finding a way to become a black market merchant and engage in smuggling becomes the only path for many merchants who are willing to climb the social ladder and have a business mind.
Frank's merchant attributes are highly compatible with the underground black market, which features unidentified player mercenaries. Most of these employers' missions follow gray or even black routes, requiring a group of capable outlaws.
But today, the Frankish merchants didn't show up at all. The few who came to hire were all stewards of nobles. Such business existed in big cities like Milandil, but without those Frankish merchants, a large portion of the business was lost. Otherwise, why would these guys have time to invite me for drinks and listen to my tragic stories?
Despite Fatty Chicken's frequent disdain for Frankish merchants for their lack of integrity and refusal to accept their long-distance orders, when they are truly short of money, these employers are still their most frequent choice.
"Dog Egg? Where are you going so late?"
A gentle voice appeared, yet it sent a shiver down Gou Dan's spine.
Dog Egg slowly turned around and saw the owner of the voice. He felt a sense of unease. This guy hadn't gone on a mission?
"Can't sleep, might as well look around," Gou Dan said casually. "Besides, I'm out of money, I need to figure out where to get something to eat tomorrow."
"Oh..." The other person nodded. The speaker was a sweet-looking girl. Unlike Gou Dan, whose appearance was too stunning and too lethal, she had the youthful sweetness of a girl next door. Her smile could warm people's hearts, and you wouldn't think she had any bad intentions.
But Gou Dan knew very well that this guy's appearance and personality were completely opposite!
"You're doing so badly?"
"Isn't that right?" Gou Dan said with a wry smile, "Happy now?"
"What are you saying? If you're not doing well, aren't we all happy? It's not like I'm the only one who's happy."
Wang Gou Dan: "......."
"You've come back at an inopportune time. Recently, the Empire has been cracking down on merchants without clear identities, and all those Frankish merchants have gone into hiding, making the black market business very poor."
"Holy crap... no way?" Gou Dan's heart sank. Where was he supposed to find Michelle now?
"I remember the person who tricked you into taking the mission did so under the name of the wealthy businessman Michel, right?"
"Exactly!" Gou Dan blurted out anxiously, "Where am I supposed to find him now?"
"Didn't you fail your mission?" the other person asked with a smile as they approached.
Dog Egg was taken aback, then immediately realized that this guy was notoriously good at extracting information. He had been so anxious that he had forgotten to be on guard. Damn it...
A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately said, "It's a failure, but we've invested so much, and the intelligence on many missions is inconsistent. I need an explanation; we can't just lose everything, can we?"
"That makes sense..." The other person nodded, then said, "But there's nothing we can do. Frank merchants are unlikely to appear on the black market anytime soon. That Lord Michel is a merchant that even the Duke values, so he won't easily show himself in front of us mercenaries. And no one can get close to the mansion in the noble district. After all, you and I are just unregistered people with no status. We can make a living on the outskirts, but it's very difficult to get close to the noble district."
Dog Egg nodded in agreement, but a little smug in his heart. That's your problem. Standing in front of you is Knight Dog Egg, under the command of the Viscountess of the Empire. I'm not one of those unregistered people like you!
It's said that the Marquis of Linus' daughter is getting engaged and has invited nobles from the entire region; perhaps Michelle will be among them.
"How can someone like us possibly get into a banquet like this?" Gou Dan looked speechless, but a thought suddenly struck him. This was an opportunity. He had to find a way to sneak in, but he had to be careful not to let those fellow villagers know his noble knight status!
"That's true..." The other person smiled. "Alright, I need to go back to sleep too. The rent at the ferry terminal has gone up recently. If you don't have a place to stay, you can come to my place. I can let you pay on credit."
"No need..." Gou Dan waved his hand without hesitation: "I'll find a stable myself. I don't want to owe you money."
"Whatever you want..." The other person waved his hand and slowly walked towards the dock, while Wang Gou Dan wandered aimlessly through the streets again and again!
As a level 13 assassin, few in Milandir could track him, but the other party was an exception: Ranger Li Gou Dan, a player with a similar online name to himself, was the most skilled tracker in the circle!
After being cautious for a full hour and confirming several times that the other party was not following him, he quickly headed towards the south area.
Just after Wang Gou Dan left, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows, using his exceptionally long field of vision to monitor the other party's every move.
"You bastard... I knew you wouldn't behave!"
But he was still so naive. If there really was no problem, he should have gone to find a place to stay without hesitation. The more cautious he was, the more suspicious this guy seemed.
She followed them cautiously, and many people didn't know just how sharp her eyesight was. She was hiding something, which was to ensure that she could remain undetected by these fellow villagers from the furthest distance.
Following them, the other party headed straight for the depths of the southern district, which made Li Gou Dan even more puzzled. What was this guy planning to do?
The security officers there are extremely strict. In order to protect the noble class of Milandil, they will check any suspicious people, especially those walking at night. Unregistered people like them will be detained immediately!
Soon, she discovered that Wang Gou Dan had walked into a tailor shop.
It was a large, expensive store. In a bustling city like Milan, there are naturally stores that operate 24 hours a day. However, labor costs are high in such a location, and it is not cheap to hire employees to work night shifts. Therefore, the goods in the store are also quite valuable.
With Gou Dan's wealth, she couldn't afford even a pair of underwear in there. What was she trying to do in there...? Huh?
About fifteen minutes later, Li Gou Dan was dumbfounded to see that Wang Gou Dan actually came out wearing a black suit!
A formal dress?
The dresses in this store?
At least three gold dollars!
This bastard dares to rob people in here?
But half an hour later, she was shocked to find that the store was still operating normally and no one came out to chase after her, so there was only one possibility.
That bastard... he really has money to buy clothes here!
In an instant, Li Gou Dan's sweet face twisted into a grotesque expression, and he continued to follow her like a demon.
She herself might be shocked if she looked in the mirror right now; she looked exactly like a red-eyed demon!
But the more they followed, the more something seemed off. The place Gou Dan was walking in... really was the aristocratic district in the south of the city.
Does she think she can sneak into the upscale district just because she's wearing a dress?
What exactly does she want to do?