"I've heard you mention before that the side branch of the Triss family in three generations has established a fairly complete manor territory, and if there is a surplus of grain produced each year, it will be sold to the market through grain merchants. I wonder if there are any mistakes or omissions in my retelling?"

Rufer West gently turned his glass, and the thick rim rubbed against the smooth bar top, hissing like a lullaby from his childhood.

Aldridge nodded, "That's right, Captain West." I just told you once, I didn't expect that after so long, you haven't forgotten, and this excellent memory alone surprised me. I couldn't help but want to show a shocked expression, which was some kind of silent compliment. ”

Rufer West smiled dumbly, "You've changed a lot, and you're much funnier than when we first met." In the past, you were both old-fashioned and strict, and you had strength above the level, not to mention the night watchmen who were trained by you to obey, even I was a little in awe of you......"

Seeing the faint smile on the corner of Knight Tris's mouth, he intuitively felt that he was being led by his nose, and even the topic was off track, Captain West, and then his face was solemn: "The grain merchant who maintains friendly contact with Triss Collar is named Rupert, I'm right." ”

Aldrich was silent, remembering the cold reception he had received, and then nodded slightly, "Yes, he has a good reputation, he has been knighted by the City Hall, established a trade guild based on grain, has many business partners, moved into the Morgan District, where rich merchants are gathered, and successfully entered the upper class of Eastwood City, Lord Rupert Hines." ”

"Do you know his life story? As far as I know, and the information provided by my friends at the town hall, he can be regarded as an example of an upstart who made a fortune by doing business on his own. ”

At this, Rufer West smiled inexplicably, and in Aldrich's eyes, it seemed a little hateful and uninteresting, because such little tricks had no effect on him at all.

"I don't have much curiosity, if you deliberately sell off, please forgive me for not being able to accompany you. "There's no rain outside, and it seems like we're able to keep the night on patrol and continue our duties." ”

As soon as he got up and punched into the air, Captain West, who looked extremely uncomfortable, immediately stretched out his hand to hold back, "It's all my fault, please forgive me for my bad habits." Just had a late-night meal and didn't get enough rest, and as a model of traditional knighthood, you know that doing so can affect our bodies. I don't care, I'm just worried about you and the other Night Watchmen, after all, we're all brothers. ”

To put it mildly, Aldrich was finally dissuaded, and Rufer West took the initiative to restrain his vices and no longer be innocent, "Lord Rupert Hines almost relied on the surplus grain in Tris's territory to resist the dumping of his competitors and gain a firm foothold in the market where the smoke of gunfire is everywhere. How he got on the line of Tris's territory, I still haven't figured it out......"

"A letter of introduction from the name of the company!...... I mean this family, a business agent who has been in contact for many years, and a few introducers with fame and status. Aldrich was well aware of the relationship, so he hurriedly added.

"Uh...... So that's the case, no wonder he was able to rise smoothly, I can kind of find the last piece of the puzzle. "Captain West couldn't help but shake his head, "With those big people to watch, as long as your brain is not too stupid, you can get this far." ’

"According to the records of the Commerce Department of the City Hall, Lord Rupert Hines once operated a business in the distribution of leather, timber and liquor, and then gradually made a lot of money, and at the peak of the sale, sold the property to others, so as to obtain a good return, and made about 5,000 gold oumar before and after, which was enough to be a stepping stone and a stepping stone to open the door to the grain business. However, you may not know that Lord Rupert Hines was the initial start-up capital. ”

Aldrich didn't care: "A shabby fur workshop inherited from father to son, he once told us, I don't know if it's bragging." ”

"Yes, Rupert Hines's father did give his son a fur workshop, but at the same time he gave him fine furs worth eight thousand silver delaves, and a total of sixteen hundred gold oumars. This money is the key, not any 'hard work, struggle', excellent business ability. has a big man to take care of, this money is for a fool, and it can also make him lie down and earn money. ”

Aldrich Triss's face suddenly tensed after listening to Captain West's words, and he couldn't help laughing, he reached out to touch his forehead, and sighed: "I see, no wonder he was able to succeed easily, it reminds me of an interesting little story." ”

Seeing the ideal deputy candidate in his mind, with an unmoved expression, Rufer West felt that he still underestimated him, so he asked curiously: "What kind of story can make you feel interesting, it must be extraordinary, I believe in your vision and taste." ”

"Well, this is a story I heard my father tell me before I went to bed when I was a child, and I always remember it. After a moment of gathering his thoughts, the Knight of Tris spoke slowly: "There is a young man from a peasant family, who is not willing to dig in the fields in the future, so he goes to the richest man in the village and asks the richest man about the secret of business and the way to get rich. The old man, who had been honed for a long time, told the young man how he obtained the first pot of gold when he started his business. ”

Rufu West's ears quickly pricked up, not to mention him, and even a few nearby Night Watchmen with good ears turned their heads faintly, listening to the words of Knight Tris, hoping to gain some 'wisdom of life' from them.

"The old man said: 'On the first day I bought three apples for two coppers, wiped them clean, sold them all for four coppers, and made two coppers without a hitch. The next day I bought six apples for four coppers, washed them as they were, and after selling them easily, I cut off the principal and made twice as much money. On the third day...... the young man could not resist asking, 'Did you buy twelve apples for eight coppers, and then double the money?' The old man shook his head and said. 'It's not. On the third day, I inherited an inheritance of 10,000 gold oumar from my relatives, and then I became a well-respected and wealthy man. ’”

There was an uproar all around, and the eager expressions on the faces of many people were defeated by disappointment. Rufu West, who was the same, quickly collected his thoughts, looked down in contemplation, and seemed to understand, and he looked up to see the approving smile of Knight Tris.

"The story you tell is very different from the secret of Lord Rupert Hines that I have just revealed, and the melody hidden in it is just as wonderful. ”

"That's right! The upper class in Eastwood, those who hold power and wealth, most of them are examples that have nothing to do with the success factors of talent, aptitude, and hard work, on the contrary, birth and family have become the cornerstone of life, so the diligence, struggle, and thrift that ordinary people tirelessly talk about seem to have played a significant role, but they are not the key factors. ”

Aldrich Triss smiled self-deprecatingly, he seemed to be a counterexample of refutation, but far above the level of ordinary knights, it was not a cornerstone of success, and the armband family crest passed down to him by the family was also a stepping stone to open the high society of Eastwood City, but he was not ready enough at the moment.

"Origins divide camps, and families determine classes. Unable to choose their parents, fate determines the future life at the moment of the birth of life, what a cruel world. ”

That may be the truth. Aldridge didn't show any emotion when he heard Captain West's emotion, and from the beginning, he understood it, but it wasn't so clear.

The rhetoric of the two clashed and discussed, and it is difficult to say who brought whom into the ditch. However, in the eyes of others, the depressed Rufer West and the usual Aldrich Triss are not clear at a glance.

The light rain stopped, and the Night Watchman poured out again, led by Aldrich Triss, followed by Captain Rufer West, who was barely bracing himself. As for the thoughtful boar Sain, he also looked absent-minded now, and to be honest, he was indeed frightened by the straightforward discussion between the two.

As the night deepened, the oil lamps on the streets, blown by the terrible night wind, swayed gently, and the alleys that could not be illuminated by the dim lights, the inhabitants of the dark world were once again stupid and stupid. Their sneaky silhouette calmly avoided the Night Watchman, targeting everyone except the poor in the slums.

The shadow of vengeance, the ferocious man who has risen from the dead, opens its venomous fangs and launches a tentative attack on the owner who once raised it. A veteran thief who reshaped his right hand with five poisonous snakes, and a former third-level member of the Broken Mask, Shadow Hand Musk began to fight against the organization that abandoned and even betrayed him.

Located in the southwest corner of Victory Square, behind the Rose Theater at City Hall, a three-storey apartment was originally home to the theater's permanent cast and crew, and the big names kept canary birdcages here. Now, after a venomous snake peeking for days, quietly avoiding the sentry in the open and in the dark, approaching his goal of eagerly devouring the life of his young man.

"Squeak!" The locked door of the backlit apartment on the third floor slowly opened, and there was no sound of unlocking, and it was obvious that the veteran thief Musk's skill in picking locks was not wasted.

Like a cold viper, he slid into the room, squinting slightly, the dull environment did not hinder him at all, and Musk stood beside the cashmere-cushioned bed, slowly stretched out his right hand, and immediately swelled in the tightened sleeve, as if something terrible was wriggling.

Isabel ...... I love!" With a low whisper, the three twisted shadows poked out of the sleeves and gently wrapped around the neck of the woman sunk into the soft pillow, and then tightened it vigorously.

In her sleep, awakened by the sharp pain of her neck crushing, Isabelle, the second leading actress of the Rose Theater, sat up suddenly, without looking at her surroundings, her left hand instinctively slashed at the life-threatening target, and the nails coated with rose essential oil suddenly turned into sharp blades, this hand even Mask, who was very familiar with her, did not expect it, and could only retreat half a step back.

However, when he revealed a fleeting flaw, Isabel seized the opportunity and twisted the poisonous snake around his neck into several pieces with his hands interlaced, and successfully escaped the bad luck of suffocation and even broken bones.

"Ahem...... Ahem!" After a few sharp coughs, Isabel clenched his left hand into a fist in front of him, stood sideways, and stared condescendingly at the uninvited guest.

"It's you!"

More than a dozen venomous snakes attacked like spears, but they were all blocked by a palm in front of Isabelle's arm, and the loose sleeves fell, revealing a kite-shaped tattoo on the outside of the forearm, or branding.

"Shadow Shield!"