Zhang Heng had also heard some tragic stories about Roman slaves before.

In fact, the background of Heifan's era was also when the black slave trade was booming, when Zhang Heng led the Jackdaw to attack many slave ships, and saw a ship full of black slaves crowded the bilge, people next to people, like livestock to be slaughtered, and the cabin was full of urine and sweat.

With the help of Laery, Zhang Heng would generally select the most powerful warriors from these blacks after the hijacking of the ship, and absorb them into the pirate group, while the rest were released to some small islands, and the establishment of hidden supply points based on these people played an important role in Zhang Heng's subsequent departure from Nassau and the Royal Navy's maneuvering and fighting, and Zhang Heng even got the title of liberator of the New World, he did not expect that he would one day become a slave.

It was also a slave in the second century AD, a veritable slave society, and the social pyramid structure of Rome was basically aristocracy, commoners, foreigners, and slaves from top to bottom.

The slaves at the bottom were not even called human beings in a sense, but only tools of production or entertainment, as was the case with the gladiatorial performances that were now taking place above their heads, where gladiators fought each other and exchanged their blood and lives for the applause of the audience.

"What are you thinking?" Zhang Heng said to Varro.

"What?" The latter was stunned for a moment before he reacted, "Oh, I'm wondering when it will be our turn to perform on it." ”

"Will we, too?" Zhang Heng was a little surprised, judging from the current work of the two of them, they were basically just doing chores in the arena, especially Varro, the latter's figure was not thin, but his courage was very small, and he couldn't even feed the beasts, if he walked on the arena, Zhang Heng suspected that he wouldn't be able to last even three seconds.

"Of course not now, now we don't know anything, it's just a fool of us to go up, no one wants to see our poor performance, but ......" Varro lowered his voice, "I got a message...... Tomorrow there will be a group of Germanic barbarians who will send us, and then we will go with them to the gladiator school to train. ”

After Varro finished speaking, he looked at Zhang Heng, but he didn't see the look of panic he expected from the latter's face, so he was stunned and added, "You...... Nothing to say? ”

"What am I going to say?" Zhang Heng raised his eyebrows.

"We're going to be sent to the gladiator training camp, where people say it's better to live than to die, they're going to torture us, they're going to whip us all the time, and a lot of people are going to die in training, and then those who survive have to take the test, and those who pass the test will become gladiators, and then they die in the show."

"If you're so worried about your life, wouldn't it be good if you didn't pass the final assessment?" Zhang Hengdao.

"That's the problem, slaves who don't pass are said to be sold to the mines or the countryside to make up for the losses, do you know how the people there treat slaves, they will make you work all the time, work all the time, like an animal, until the day you die, you will never be free." Varro despaired, "It shouldn't be like this, Chickpea promised me." ”

"Who are chickpeas?"

"A slave trader, I have a little friendship with him, after I became a slave, he told me that I would be bought by the nobles of the city, I would run a business, as long as the people who bought me invested me a sum of money, I could let them produce more money, so that when I started the business, I would become a free man again," Varro said with his hands clenched into fists, full of unwillingness and pain, "Why is this happening, why am I being sold here?" I don't belong here......"

"Maybe it's because you're in good shape?" Zhang Heng said, "Were you a businessman before, if you put on armor, you look more like a soldier." ”

"But I've never learned to fight," Varro said, "it's ridiculous, it's a waste that they want me to go to a gladiator school to be tortured when I can use my business skills to bring more wealth." ”

"Heh, if what you're saying is true, maybe you should talk to the owner here." Zhang Heng suggested.

"I tried, I told the overseer about my situation, and asked him to tell the master here." Varro Road.

"And then?"

And then ...... There has been no news until now. Varro put down the rag in his hand and hesitated, "Maybe I should go straight to the master, what do you think?" ”

Zhang Heng didn't rush to answer this question, but asked, "You said that you were a businessman before, why were you sold?" ”

"Don't mention it," Varro sighed when he heard this, "Originally, I was selling antiques, and this business has been doing since my father's time, and our family made a lot of money from it, but then I was deluded, and I heard from a friend that the flax business in Egypt was very good, so I discussed with a nobleman over there to grow flax, and I paid for the land, and then sold it to Rome after weaving it, but my friend was robbed as soon as he got on the road, and the people and money were gone, and what was worse was that I signed a contract with the other party before, If he didn't get the money by the time allotted, I would have to pay him a large amount of liquidated damages, and I tried my best, but I still didn't get enough money, so I not only lost all my property, but also became a slave myself. ”

"Well, what a sad story." Zhang Hengdao.

At this time, there was a deafening cheer, which should have been in the right place for the gladiatorial performance, mobilizing the emotions of the spectators in the stands.

And Varro also made up his mind at this time, "Tomorrow, when those Germanic barbarians are escorted over, everyone will be gathered, and then the master should also show up, I can find him at that time, ask him for business, and if it goes well, I will be able to leave here then." ”

"yes, then good luck." Zhang Hengdao.

"I'm sorry, I can't help you." Varro was a little embarrassed and said, he just described the gladiator school as terrifying, but he was about to jump out of this quagmire when he turned his feet, but left Zhang Heng there, although the two didn't have any friendship, they had just known each other for a long time, they couldn't talk about friends, and they weren't even acquaintances.

But after the previous conversation, the relationship between the two has indeed been brought a little closer, but Varro is now also a mud bodhisattva crossing the river, and it is difficult to protect himself, and he can't care about Zhang Heng's companion.

"It's okay, just remember to tell me the day you get free." Zhang Hengdao, after listening to Varro's story, he was not optimistic that the other party's action would succeed tomorrow, but he also knew that the current Varro had just seen hope, and it was difficult for anyone to persuade him to give up the idea of escaping from the gladiator school.