Chapter 125: Return to the Imperial Capital

After staying at Enzo’s house for over a day, Lin Qi and Enzo returned to the passenger ship.

At Bar’s command, the ship continued toward the Imperial Capital. With favorable winds, it moved swiftly, and on the third day after leaving Dun Er Ke, Lin Qi arrived back in Borelly’s Dock District.

Standing on the deck, stretching hard, Lin Qi rubbed his hands together cheerfully and said, “Alright, I’ve arrived. Starting today, this will be our territory. Oh wow, the air here in the entire Imperial Capital is filled with the scent of Gold Coins! Oh yeah, as long as we don’t provoke those Dragoons and Copper Helmets, how much money could we make in a year?”

Bar crouched on the ship’s railing, squinting and sneakily scanning the surroundings. He wore a shabby wool coat with the collar pulled up high, covering half his face. Additionally, he had smeared some unnamed ointments all over his face; even Bar’s own parents wouldn’t have recognized him.

Hearing Lin Qi’s exclamation, Bar muttered quietly, “Alright, Young Master, you and Enzo disembark first. We’ll find another way to get off the ship. Well, this is Cripple’s territory, crowded and full of prying eyes. We can’t let anyone know we’ve entered the Imperial Capital.”

After all, they were here to expand their territory, an act that would surely provoke strong reactions from the local factions in Borelly. Though the two biggest bosses, Cripple and The Hunchback, had a long-standing friendship with the Black Tiger Family, if the Black Tiger Family reached into their turf, Cripple and The Hunchback would surely stab them in the back to protect their own interests.

So Lin Qi and Enzo could safely go ashore, while Bar and the others had to sneak into Borelly by other means.

As soon as the ship docked at the pier, over a dozen idle thugs appeared, along with a crowd of burly porters who eagerly approached. A shabbily dressed big man yelled, “Gentlemen on the ship, do you need your luggage moved? Use us! We don’t charge much, and we guarantee your luggage will reach its destination safely!”

Bar jumped down from the railing and grunted, “We’re only making a brief stop. Only two passengers are disembarking!”

Lin Qi cheerfully walked to the gangplank, waving warmly at the porters and thugs. “Hey everyone, long time no see, Happy New Year! Ah, what’s Cripple Uncle up to? Is he still in his secret room counting his Gold Coins? Seriously, ten Copper Coins—who will help carry my luggage?”

The once enthusiastic porters scattered immediately, not a single one willing to help Lin Qi. The thugs, however, laughed and greeted Lin Qi cheerfully; as a friend of their boss, they were quite familiar with him.

Spreading his hands with a bitter smile, Lin Qi shouted, “I’ll complain to Cripple Uncle, I swear I will! By the Gods, you scoundrels refused to carry my luggage—I’ll tell Cripple Uncle about this!”

Hearing Lin Qi’s roar, the porters ran even farther away. Carry Lin Qi’s luggage? Well, that stingy guy would surely begrudge hiring a carriage and make the porters carry everything from the Dock District to University City on foot. And listen to the pay he offered: ten Copper Coins! That’s all they’d get for carrying his luggage, and from what they knew of Lin Qi, he was likely to shortchange them anyway!

The journey was long, they’d have to walk, and they might not even get a single Copper Coin in the end. Unless they were out of their minds, those porters wouldn’t work for Lin Qi.

Letting out a deep sigh, Lin Qi lamented, “Well, I’m famous in the Imperial Capital’s Dock District. What an honor!”

Leo, with a strange smile, brought two large leather suitcases onto the deck. Lin Qi and Enzo had to shoulder the heavy luggage themselves and walked down the creaking gangplank. At Bar’s command, the sailors pulled up the gangplank, and the ship soon left the pier, heading up the Sain River with the wind.

Watching the ship depart and gradually vanish into the snow, the thugs lost interest in it. They didn’t dare bother Lin Qi, just smiled and bowed to him before running off to other piers in the distance. A few cargo ships were docking there, and they might find some profit.

“So unfriendly!” Lin Qi grumbled resentfully. “So unfriendly, it’s a disgrace to the Imperial Capital. Two weary travelers, exhausted from their journey, arrive in the Imperial Capital, and not a single porter is willing to help them out. Should this happen in the Empire’s capital? Cripple needs to keep his men in check!”

Enzo just smiled. If Lin Qi’s bad reputation hadn’t already spread throughout the Dock District, why would the porters refuse to help? Over the past three years, Lin Qi had caused them so much trouble; these hard-working porters had no interest in doing free labor.

“Damn it!” Lin Qi slammed the huge suitcase—half his size—onto the ground and exclaimed, “Let’s go to Cripple’s Tavern for a drink, Enzo. We’re in no rush to go back. First, we’ll have a drink, and then I need to ask around about something!”

Lin Qi’s eyes darted thoughtfully toward a certain terrace on the top floor of Cripple’s Tavern.

Enzo’s eyes lit up, and he whispered with a laugh, “Boss, are you still thinking about those people from The East?”

Lin Qi grinned and muttered under his breath, “Of course. That guy named Jiang Yong—his hands are worth a fortune. Have you ever seen hands more valuable than his? I just need to chop off one of his hands. Hehe, with Uncle Bar and Aunt Lili… oh, it’s just perfect.”

Shrugging helplessly, Lin Qi sighed. “If only Aunt Lili weren’t seasick and lying down the whole trip, I’d love to set Cripple’s Tavern on fire tonight. Ah, that guy named Jiang Yong—his hands are so valuable!”

Drooling, Lin Qi struggled to lift his suitcase and trudged step by step toward Cripple’s Tavern. Enzo cautiously glanced around, picked up his own suitcase, and followed Lin Qi. One after the other, they reached the back door of Cripple’s Tavern. Lin Qi skillfully opened the door and slipped inside.

The back door of Cripple’s Tavern had a unique mechanism. An outsider couldn’t open it without using force, but for those in the know, a slight touch near the latch would open it easily.

Lin Qi sneaked furtively into the backyard of Cripple’s Tavern, just as Cripple, looking equally sneaky, crept down the stairs.

Suddenly face to face, Lin Qi immediately threw his arms out dramatically and rushed toward Cripple with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Hahaha, Cripple Uncle, it’s been a few days—you must have missed me terribly!”