Chapter Two

For Baz, this day off was the most relaxing vacation he had ever had in his life.

For someone with free time and a carefree mind, South Port was truly a paradise.

In the early morning, the docks of South Port presented an absolutely unmissable sight. At that time, the ships had not yet docked, the dockworkers had not yet started their work, and the people walking, standing, and sitting on the docks were those waiting to watch the sunrise. Most of them were people who had some money but were not extremely wealthy, just like Baz. They wouldn't miss out on the free enjoyments that South Port had to offer.

The early morning at the docks of South Port was equally bustling.

Everywhere, there were small stalls piled high with fresh fish and live shrimp.

Servants from wealthy households, ordinary housewives, and restaurant staff were bustling around, haggling and bargaining.

As the sun rose high in the sky and the dockworkers began their work, the bustling crowd on the docks gradually dispersed.

Noon in South Port was the most vibrant time of the day. Shops opened their doors one after another, and restaurants had already prepared to welcome the first batch of morning customers.

In South Port, breakfast was not expensive. Baz counted the money in his pocket, deducted the fare for the carriage back to Lai'er, and the remaining amount was enough for him to enjoy himself.

Therefore, without hesitation, Baz found a restaurant near the docks.

For Baz, who rarely had the opportunity to eat seafood, this meal was definitely a top-notch delicacy.

Having satisfied his taste buds, Baz planned to satisfy his eyes next.

There were many free enjoyments to be had in South Port.

Strolling the streets was one of them, but the busiest time on the streets of South Port was in the afternoon, and it was still a bit early.

In the morning, there was a good pastime. Baz saw on the flyers distributed by street children that the largest silk shops in South Port were hosting a singing and dancing performance.

Baz had heard from an old man that these silk merchants often held such performances, where they would find beautiful girls dressed in luxurious silk clothes to sing and dance on stage.

The singing and dancing were nothing special, but the truly enjoyable part was the novel and unique silk garments.

The singing and dancing performance was also free to watch, and sometimes you might even get a free gift.

Baz wouldn't miss out on such a fresh entertainment.

The entire morning, Baz spent his time immersed in these singing and dancing performances.

Although he didn't receive any gifts at the end, he was quite satisfied.

After a hasty lunch, the real highlight of Baz's day in South Port began.

For Baz, yesterday he needed to find new recruits, so he focused on the young shop assistants.

Today, he didn't need to worry about those things.

In South Port, it would be a shame not to appreciate the various and rarely seen goods that were on display. These items could only be seen in South Port because it was a convergence of five directions, and all the goods were brought from distant shores and overseas countries, unseen in other places.

From one shop to another, Baz spent half a day carefully exploring the busiest streets of South Port.

As evening approached, guided by passersby, Baz arrived at a place near the docks.

It was a place that every big city could not do without.

In a narrow alley, there were loud voices everywhere, and you could see prostitutes dressed in flashy and heavy makeup everywhere.

Baz was very familiar with this kind of place.

Baz wasn't there to find prostitutes. The old man had told him that playing this game in South Port was easy to get sick, and it was an incurable disease.

Baz was there for the few gambling houses.

For someone who relied on his wits to make a living, gambling was a skill he excelled at.

Baz's favorite was dice rolling, where the outcome was quickly determined, and he had great confidence in his skills, after all, he was the boss among the gamblers.

In the gambling houses, Baz specifically targeted the eccentric gamblers who came from overseas. He didn't bet much each time, but he always managed to win some.

By the time he left one of the gambling houses, his pockets were fuller.

Baz thought to himself, doing this business in South Port was quite profitable.

In normal circumstances, Baz would never do anything beyond mocking someone with a runny nose, but now he had to find a way to comfort the newcomer in front of him.

"If you didn't steal from the shop, even if I dragged you to the authorities, I wouldn't get any reward. What a pity, what a pity!" Baz said these words while stealing a glance at the young man.

Indeed, upon hearing that he wouldn't be taken to see the constable, the young man visibly relaxed.

Baz knew it was time to reel the young man in. He said, "However, I think you being caught is inevitable. Just now, I overheard someone telling the constable that you would definitely try to escape back home. He instructed the constable to wait at your house to catch you."

"What should I do? What should I do?" The young man lamented, almost on the verge of tears.

Seeing the young man in a state of panic, as if he was about to cry again, Baz seized the opportunity and suggested, "Why don't you temporarily hide somewhere outside? Wait until the situation calms down before returning."

"But I have nowhere to go." The young man still ended up in tears, speaking between sobs.

"Do you know how to write? Can you do calculations? If you understand these, I can take you to my employer's place," Baz proposed.

"I do, I do. I know how to write, even decorative characters. I'm responsible for transcribing all the price catalogs in the shop. I can also do calculations; my arithmetic is good, including decimals. I can do fractions, recite pi, and even perform profit analysis and statistics..." The young man boasted.

Baz was completely clueless about what the young man mentioned regarding decorative characters and pi. His knowledge was taught by the old man, enabling him to read notices, perform basic arithmetic operations, and ensure the loot brought in by his skilled fingers was accounted for accurately. Such knowledge was already quite remarkable within the den.

The young man's claims, however, were beyond Baz's understanding, but it didn't affect him. He nodded and said, "Very well, you should be useful. However, I have some matters to attend to. I'll be back in Lai'er by evening. If you decide to come with me, wait at the stagecoach stop. We'll meet there in the evening."

With that, Baz patted the young man's shoulder and reassured him, "Don't worry, once we reach Lai'er, everything will be fine."

"I'm afraid my family will worry, but I'm too scared to go back home. Can you...?" The young man hesitantly asked.

"What kind of people are in your family?" Baz asked knowingly.

"Although Aunt Jenny isn't my real aunt, we're as close as family," the young man replied.

"In that case, after I finish my business, I can help you deliver a message. Tell me the address," Baz suggested.

The young man, having no better alternative, provided Baz with detailed directions to his home, even explaining the route.

Baz readily agreed.

Leaving the young man, Baz slipped out of a small alley, circled back to his original location, and discreetly followed the young man, carefully observing his actions.

The young man appeared hesitant, taking a few steps forward and then retreating, seemingly contemplating whether to return home. After much deliberation, he finally made up his mind to head towards the stagecoach stop on the outskirts.

Seeing this, Baz finally relaxed. He quietly followed the young man all the way to the stagecoach waiting area. As he watched the young man sit down on a slope adjacent to the waiting area, deep in thought, a weight was lifted off Baz's shoulders.

Turning towards the town center, with plenty of time before evening, Baz could enjoy some leisure time.

Baz didn't forget to visit that shop.

Inside the shop stood an elderly man with white hair, accompanied by a tall, slender young man. The shopkeeper and his assistant stood respectfully beside them. Several onlookers, clearly intrigued by the sudden event, were also present. Such unexpected incidents often drew the attention of passersby.

The young man picked up a glass bead from the shards on the floor and presented it to the elderly man for inspection.

"It seems someone is deliberately causing trouble," the elderly man sighed.

"This has never happened before. How could this be?" the young man inquired.

"Yes, who would do such a senseless thing?" the shopkeeper asked.

"Go to the constable and report this. It's best to let everyone know about this incident. Everyone needs to be more cautious. It seems South City is not as peaceful as before," the elderly man advised the young man.

"Father, rest assured, I will handle it properly," the young man assured.

The elderly man nodded, then turned to the shopkeeper and his assistant, saying, "I understand this isn't your fault. Don't worry, you don't need to be frightened. And that child, go find him, tell him everything is fine. However, in the future, you need to be more careful. Someone is causing trouble in South City, so be cautious in everything."

After saying this, the elderly man lowered his head and glanced at the shattered porcelain pieces on the ground, shaking his head with a sigh, "What a pity for a good item."

Hearing the elderly man's handling of the situation, Baz silently nodded. It was no wonder the elderly man had amassed such wealth; his approach made sense.

Seeing the grateful and tearful expressions of the shopkeeper and his assistant, Baz realized that no matter what happened in the future, these two individuals would undoubtedly remain loyal. A broken plate and an already irreparable situation could still serve such a significant purpose. Truly, astute businessmen were not simple.

Baz pondered to himself when he could reach such a level.

Leaving the shop, Baz hurried to the docks at the fastest speed possible. He wanted to try his luck at a few gambling houses.

Time always flies by when doing something you enjoy. Fortunately, Baz always remembered that he had to be at the stagecoach stop before evening.

Coming out of the gambling houses, Baz was truly satisfied. Unlike yesterday, today he had to rush back to Lai'er. How long it would be until he could visit South City again, he wasn't sure, so there was no need to hold back.

Today, Baz was like a greedy gambler, sweeping through the gambling tables. The increasing stack of money he accumulated made his opponents' eyes gleam with hostility, but Baz pretended not to notice.

The seasoned gamblers and the bouncers watching the scene in the gambling houses kept a close eye on Baz. They knew that those who acted too arrogantly in the gambling houses often ended up floating by the shore the next day, waiting to be picked up by someone else.

As Baz exited the gambling house, a group of disgruntled gamblers with empty pockets followed behind him.

With all his wealth in his possession, Baz had converted all his money into over one hundred and fifty gold coins at the gambling house. Although this money still couldn't buy a carriage, it was enough to gather a horse and four legs. Achieving such gains within three days left Baz quite content.

Now, his main concern was how to shake off the menacing gamblers trailing behind him. For a seasoned finger always prepared to flee, evading a few visibly targeted and anger-clouded individuals was a piece of cake.

Baz simply attracted the attention of one or two plainclothes constables to the menacing gamblers behind him, successfully losing his pursuers.

With his life's largest fortune in his pocket, Baz returned to the stagecoach waiting area.

From a distance, he saw the young man pacing anxiously. Baz could clearly see the relief on the young man's face upon seeing him. The tense expression melted away, replaced by a faint smile.

"You're here. I... I thought you wouldn't come. Did you tell Aunt Jenny that I'm going on a trip with you?" The young man asked urgently.

"Don't worry, I've taken care of it. Your place is quite difficult to reach, with all the mud and unpleasant smell. It's strange how you managed to live there for so long," Baz casually remarked.

The young man believed Baz's words without a doubt, as it proved that Baz had indeed visited his home.

A stagecoach was parked at the station, and Baz and the young man boarded it.

Truth be told, it was the first time in his life that Baz sat inside a carriage. Sitting inside the carriage was indeed much more comfortable than hanging on the luggage rack.

Baz sat by the window, with the young man opposite him. The carriage wasn't full, with two empty seats, so the coachman didn't intend to depart until it was full. Besides Baz, there was an elderly lady sitting beside him, dozing off, and a middle-aged man across from him who seemed impatient, constantly complaining about the delay in the carriage's departure. A young couple sat by the carriage door, whispering to each other as if no one else was around.

"I don't have any money on me. Is it...?" The young man asked nervously.

"Don't worry, I'll cover it for now. You can pay me back later," Baz assured him.

He then suggested, "You must be hungry. I haven't eaten either. I'm not familiar with this place. Why don't you go buy something?" Baz handed a gold coin to the young man.

"You don't need to give me so much," the young man was clearly taken aback by Baz's generosity.

"I have only gold coins," Baz showed him the money from his pocket.

Seeing so much money, the young man's face turned pale with shock. He said, "Be careful. What if it gets stolen?"

Hearing this, Baz almost burst out laughing. He thought to himself, "I'm an experienced thief. Who among the thieves in the entire south doesn't know me? And who doesn't know them?"

But he couldn't say such things to the naive young man.

Baz reassured, "Don't worry, the people on this carriage don't look like thieves. Nothing will happen."

"Still, it's better to be cautious. By the way, how did you come by so much money?" the young man curiously asked.

"Oh, I'm a debt collector. Our employer sends me to settle accounts in South City every month. Today wasn't very successful; I only received less than thirty percent," Baz explained.

"Thirty percent? I see you have around one hundred and twenty or thirty coins. With an income of nearly four hundred a month, what does your employer do? Is the money collected payment for goods or interest?" the young man inquired.

Baz, fearing to reveal too much, feigned impatience and said, "Why are you asking all these questions?"

"No, no, it's just a habit of mine. I like asking questions. Aunt Jenny also said it's not good, and I should change, but I can't. If a wealthy person does it, it's called being studious and will lead to success. But we don't have money, can't afford to go to school, always asking questions can annoy people. I'm not doing it on purpose. Please don't mind, please don't take it to heart..."

Listening to the young man rambling, Baz turned to look out the window. He couldn't help but think that the young man was too talkative, almost like a woman. Did he choose the wrong person? Was this kind of person suitable to be a newcomer?

Baz hesitated.

The young man, sensing Baz's discomfort, wisely fell silent. He jumped off the carriage and quickly ran towards a distant alley. In no time, he returned carrying a basket.

Jumping back onto the carriage and returning to his seat, the young man pushed the basket towards Baz, holding a handful of silver coins in his left hand.

"These should be enough, right? If not, I can go buy more," the young man said, handing the money he had found to Baz.

For Baz, an expert finger, just holding a handful would reveal the exact amount of money. Baz was quite surprised that this basket of food only cost two silver coins, even cheaper than the meals at the budget inn he stayed at the first day.

Seeing Baz's puzzled expression, the young man nervously said, "I absolutely didn't pocket a single copper..."

The young man's anxious demeanor amused Baz, who quickly reassured him, "Don't worry, I didn't doubt your intentions. This basket of goods seems too cheap though."

Relieved, the young man explained, "Here, different items have vastly different prices at different times. What I bought were high-quality pastries made in the morning, which the big stores couldn't sell by evening. So, they sold them to me cheaply since no one would buy pastries at night."

"What about the basket? Will they throw that away too?" Baz found it quite strange.

"Oh, the basket. Any pastries bought from the big stores come with a basket. If you buy a lot, you get a big basket; if you buy a little, you get a delicate small basket. The total cost of all these pastries would usually be at least seventeen or eighteen silver coins, and the cost of the basket is included in that," the young man explained.

"Seventeen or eighteen silver coins," Baz exclaimed. "I'll have to taste what pastries worth seventeen or eighteen silver coins are like."

Baz opened the basket and carefully unwrapped the neatly arranged pastries in cardboard boxes. He tasted each one, while the young man, feeling hungry, picked the pastries Baz had tried and started eating.

"Not bad, not bad. What's this?" Baz asked.

"That's an eel cake, a famous specialty of South City. It's even more delicious when eaten warm," the young man explained.

"I think this is already quite good. And what about this one? It's even tastier than the eel cake," Baz remarked.

"That's a crab meat bun, made with crab meat as the filling. It's incredibly delicious," the young man replied.

"Indeed, incredibly delicious. And what about this one? It's as good as the crab meat bun," Baz inquired.

"That's a curry beef roll. The beef itself isn't extraordinary, but it's flavored with a precious spice called curry, imported from the distant East, making it quite expensive," the young man explained.

"Quite expensive, hmm, worth it. Very much worth it, even for seventeen or eighteen silver coins," Baz remarked.

As Baz enjoyed the pastries, he praised each one. If he had known about such affordable delicacies earlier, he would have enjoyed them every day for the past three days.

The amount of food bought with two silver coins was indeed quite substantial. Before finishing half of it, Baz felt full. After stuffing two curry beef rolls into his stomach, he couldn't eat any more. The young man, with a much smaller appetite than Baz, had barely made a dent in the pastries.

Seeing half a basket of pastries left, Baz pondered how to keep the greedy wolves from discovering them when they returned. Such good food was meant for his enjoyment, and he might give a couple to the old man to earn his favor.

As Baz contemplated, the last two passengers arrived, and the stagecoach slowly began to move.

Sitting inside the carriage, leisurely gazing out the window, Baz experienced a feeling he had never felt before. The sense of relaxation was quite different from the thrill of hanging on the back of a carriage, with the wind rushing past his ears. Traveling inside the carriage, Baz realized that it was a relaxed and enjoyable experience.

Rolling over the roads through the fields, the carriage gently swayed, reminiscent of being rocked in a cradle as a child. The feeling was incredibly comfortable and pleasant.

With a gauze screen in place, the night breeze blowing into the carriage was not as chilly as outside, but rather carried the fragrant scent of trees.

Baz thoroughly enjoyed this experience.

The distance from South Port to Lai'er wasn't very far, at most a two-hour journey. When the carriage stopped at the city gate of Lai'er, Baz was still immersed in the enjoyment of the journey, while the young man nudged him to remind him to disembark.

Stepping off the carriage, the night had completely descended, and they had to navigate the dimly lit path by the faint moonlight.

For Baz, this city was as familiar as could be. Even without any light, he wouldn't get lost.

However, the young man was entirely different. He stumbled along behind Baz, nearly tripping on the uneven road several times.

Baz silently congratulated himself on his foresight for not letting the boy carry the basket of pastries. Otherwise, who knows how much of the good stuff would have been wasted.

Feeling their way through the night road, Baz led the young man to the hideout. Before entering the alley, Baz whispered to the young man, "It's quite late now. I'll take you to meet my employer tomorrow. You'll stay at my place tonight. Don't talk to anyone."

Baz heard a response from behind in the darkness. He took off his coat and bundled up the remaining pastries. As for the basket, Baz casually tossed it outside the alley.

Guiding the young man through the alley, Baz headed towards the hideout.

Inside the hideout, the skilled fingers saw their leader and greeted him, but Baz paid them no attention. He led the young man straight to his room upstairs.

The skilled fingers were puzzled by their leader's unusual behavior today. Those with quick minds understood the situation when they saw the new face behind their leader. However, there were still one or two who didn't quite grasp the situation and tried to ingratiate themselves.

Just as Baz felt awkward and saw the young man's growing suspicion, a voice of an elderly man came from upstairs, "Baz, have you returned?"

Following the voice, the old man descended from upstairs. He glanced at the young man following Baz and said, "You must be tired from the journey. There's much work to do tomorrow morning. Hurry and take your young friend to rest."

"Yes, my employer is waiting for my report tomorrow morning. I should rest early," Baz said.

Upon hearing Baz inexplicably mention his employer, the old man immediately guessed the situation. He smiled and said, "Yes, yes, the employer is eager to see you. You've been away for so long, and the employer will meet you early tomorrow. Rest now. As for this young friend, he can stay in my room tonight. Your room is too dirty to accommodate guests."

Following the old man's arrangement, Baz led the young man upstairs.

Seeing the young man leave, the old man turned to the skilled fingers and said, "You've all worked hard today. Rest early. We have an early start tomorrow."

Upon the old man's instructions, the skilled fingers quickly tidied up. However, a few who didn't understand the situation continued to make noise and play around.

Seeing those unruly individuals, the old man slowly walked over to them, while the clever and obedient skilled fingers had already discreetly avoided him.

The old man suddenly grabbed the throat of one of the most boisterous troublemakers, his lightning-fast action appearing completely out of character for such an elderly gentleman.

Despite the natural smile on his face, the bulging veins, withered yet powerful fingers exuded a sense of calmness. Looking at the poor fellow whose face turned as red as a pig's liver, eyes bulging, no one would think the old man was a kindly figure.

"You young people never understand moderation, never understand how to take care of your bodies. Go to bed early; it's for your own good, for the sake of your health," the old man spoke to all the skilled fingers in a grandfatherly tone full of love and concern.

After saying these words, the old man gently released his grip, allowing the blood that had accumulated in the man's head to flow back to his heart slowly, and the air in his lungs to be exhaled gradually to prevent severe coughing.

In fact, the old man's peculiar smile alone silenced everyone, including the troublemaker who had learned his lesson.

As the old man waved his hand, all the skilled fingers silently returned to their rooms. The entire hall fell into complete silence, and even the occasional light cough was immediately muffled by the thick blankets, only emitting faint and muffled sounds.

Satisfied with the evident effect, the old man revealed a knowing smile, showing that his authority was as strong as ever.

Glancing at his room upstairs, the old man ascended the stairs.

Pushing open Baz's door, he saw the slick fellow lying on the bed, enjoying pastries, with a pile of such goodies on the table beside the bed.

"Crab meat buns, you've made quite a haul in South Port this time, being able to afford such expensive pastries," the old man expressed some surprise at the pastries Baz was eating, "These probably cost you a gold coin." He extended his hand.

Baz pretended to be clueless and handed a fish cake from the table to the old man.

"Don't play dumb. Show me what you've brought back from South Port this time," the old man, still smiling, said leisurely.

"I didn't get much. Don't jump to conclusions. These things aren't worth much. It only cost two silver coins in total," Baz replied.

"Two silver coins? The crab meat buns you're munching on are worth more than two silver coins. If you fill a big basket and get a discount, it would be around twenty silver coins," the old man remarked.

"So, you know about the basket. But you never told me about it or invited me to eat," Baz complained.

"Oh, so you bought a basket? Quite wealthy," the old man remarked.

"I threw the basket outside the alley, but it really only cost two silver coins. If you don't believe me, ask the newcomer. He bought it, and there's a trick to it," Baz proudly explained.

The old man glanced at Baz, nodded, and said, "Next time you go to South Port, bring me some. What's the deal with the newcomer? Tell me all about it."