Chapter 7: Visitors from Home

The next day, snowflakes the size of a child’s palm finally drifted down from the dark, cloud-covered sky, covering Borelly City in a blanket of white.

Early in the morning, Lin Qi sat with his legs propped up inside Cripple’s Tavern, in a corner by a table. His feet rested high on the tabletop, a corncob pipe clenched between his teeth as he puffed away, drinking sharp, nose-stinging gin.

The liquor was excellent, Cripple’s treasured stock – a fine import from overseas, a genuinely great brew made by those clever little Goblins. Deep, rich, and aromatic, it held no comparison to the cheap stuff Cripple sold to the tough guys down in the Dock District.

Blowing several smoke rings, Lin Qi gave a burpy sigh. He lifted the large copper mug and took a gulp, warmth spreading through him, making him feel wonderfully cozy and ready to doze off. But he had things on his mind. Forcing himself alert, he half-closed his eyes and scanned the tavern, hoping to spot Jiang Yong’s group from the East who’d been there last night.

Plump lambs. Big, fat lambs from the East. Sure, these lambs seemed like powerful tigers wrapped in wool, but they were undeniably rich enough to make one dizzy. Lin Qi wanted to squeeze some clues out of them, first figuring out just how big their fortunes were. Then, he’d weigh the balance between the thickness of their purses and the strength of their fists. Only then would he decide if they were worth targeting.

Sure, this was the Dock District. Sure, this was Cripple’s turf. And sure, those weird, pale-faced young men seemed hard to handle. But if the wealth on Jiang Yong was tempting enough, Lin Qi absolutely wouldn’t hesitate.

“My Wowo Calls, my Zhazha Calls!” Lin Qi sighed, feeling downcast. He squeezed his money pouch at his waist, painfully aware it had shriveled up overnight, like a lemon sucked dry. He sighed again, then started counting on his fingers.

Being the big brother of the Iron Fist Brotherhood cost a lot. The gang held sway over the entire University City District centered around Berelli University Town. With dozens of core members and several hundred outer brother followers, the Iron Fist Brotherhood ranked high among Borelly City’s players. But Lin Qi was an outsider. He’d only been building power here for three years. His foundations were shaky, lacking a steady stream of income. His money pouch was always flat.

“Eighteen Wowo Calls! Eighteen glittering Gold Coins! They only shared my bed for one night and vanished!”

With a weary sigh, Lin Qi snatched his mug and took another drink. He blew out a thick puff of smoke, then began counting off fingers again, inwardly cursing. Eighteen Gold Coins! Enough for an ordinary guy to live the high life for two or three years! Yet they’d left him in just one night.

What could he do? Some core members of the Iron Fist Brotherhood, young men who were also students at Fifth University, had gotten drunk, brawled with students from rival schools in the street, and got scooped up in one net by the patrolling Dragoons. Bailing them out alone cost eight Gold Coins!

The remaining ten Gold Coins got spent on the outer brothers. Recently, the Iron Fist Brotherhood had clashed with enemy groups. Several outer enforcers had ribs broken. Medical fees, recovery costs, family support payments – it all cost money! Ten Gold Coins flew out of Lin Qi’s pouch like sprightly little birds. Now, his pouch held barely over thirty Copper Coin pieces!

“My dream,” Lin Qi sighed, flashing a bitter smile at Enzo sitting perfectly still beside him, “is for my grave and coffin to be made of pure Gold Coins after I die! But looking at things now, I seem farther away from that life goal than ever! Gold Coins, Gold Coins, sparkling Gold Coins! Frankly speaking, whether it’s the Gods above or the Demons in Hell’s legends, whoever pours Gold Coins my way gets my worship!”

Enzo wiped his nose and gave a forceful sneeze. He gave his big brother a sidelong glance, then spat out a thick glob of deep red saliva. The potent mix of betel nut and tobacco smelled pungent. Lin Qi grimaced, sniffed hard, and sneezed too.

The two clinked their mugs. Enzo took a gulp of his drink and said indistinctly, “Boss, your family’s rich.”

Lin Qi’s face turned stormy. He slammed his corncob pipe hard onto the table, knocking out the tobacco ash. His voice was dark. “Yeah, my old man ought to be loaded. But that’s his money. Not mine. The old man’s strong as a magical beast. It’ll take fifty or sixty years before he leaves that money to me!”

With a long sigh, Lin Qi shook his head. “Besides, even if the old man made an unexpected trip to meet the Gods, I’ve got competition.”

Enzo pursed his lips and stuffed another wad of betel nut and tobacco into his mouth, chewing heartily. His eyes roved over the barmaids. A deliberately charming grin played on his lips as he winked knowingly at them.

It was broad Bai Tian. There were few customers in Cripple’s Tavern. The barmaids were idle by the bar. Seeing the handsome and rugged Enzo flirting, they laughed loudly and boldly. Women of the Dock District weren’t exactly models of chastity. Any interest from a male, to them, was a rare honor.

Lin Qi frowned, sinking into deep thought.

Only eighteen years old, yet already pondering his life, examining the successes and failures of the past eighteen years. Fueled by the alcohol, Lin Qi was planning a grander future for himself. Maybe just making his tomb and coffin out of Gold Coins seemed too miserly? Maybe while he was still alive, he ought to live in a palace built entirely from Gold Coins?

He threw a look of utter disdain at the high-spirited Enzo, busy eye-flirting with the barmaids. “Women, oh women!” Lin Qi sneered. “Enzo! With glittering Wowo Calls, what woman couldn’t you have? Sparkling Gold! Oh, I’d rather have a Gold Coin statue of a beauty lying on my bed than let these frilly annoyances near me!”

Enzo didn’t bother responding. After three years together, he knew Lin Qi’s almost obsessive fixation with Gold Coins. What did this barely feathered kid know about the joys of these lovely females? Enzo took a deep breath, feeling a sudden internal heat surge upwards.

But feeling his own painfully flat money pouch, Enzo forcibly suppressed the surge using the breath-control technique taught by his military academy instructor.

He turned back to Lin Qi and said with unusual seriousness, “You’re right, boss. I suddenly realized that glittering Wowo Calls are indeed lovely.”

Enzo’s words hadn’t fully faded when the tavern door was violently kicked open. A gust of wind and swirling snow rushed in. A voice, coarse, gravelly, and incredibly unpleasant, boomed out: “Cripple! Send someone to find our Young Master. The Old Master sent me with a message. Hey! Wench! Bring grandpa here a drink!”

Hearing the voice, Lin Qi burst into delighted life. He scrambled to his feet, shouting excitedly, “Aha! Uncle Ironhammer! You’ve come!”