"Lord Hodge, thank you for catching the murderer of the merchants, and the Defoe Chamber of Commerce will not forget this kindness. Carter stepped forward and grabbed Hodge's hands, bowed slightly, and said.

Carter's attitude was much better than the initial meeting, and although he had not previously expressed the same exaggerated anger as Galder at Hodge's unannounced invasion of his room, he was ultimately extremely unhappy.

This time, however, he showed Hodge with humility.

He bowed his head, and the hair on his forehead half-hid his eyes, so that no one could see the helplessness in his eyes at this time.

The status of this young man is no longer the same.

He said to himself that Hodge was only a civilian before, and that he hadn't even been officially recognized, and that he didn't need to cater to a civilian even with Leyton's help.

Now, although still a civilian, Hodge has become one of the leaders of Blackstone as Pollitt's appointed intelligence director, and the truly intelligent merchants are not as sharp as Gauld, they know how to hide themselves and avoid conflicts with those in power.

Of course, there was another reason why he was not so confident when he stood in front of Hodge.

After shaking hands and thanking him, Carter took a few steps back, and at this time, another person dressed as a businessman shook Hodge's hand with the same gesture and the same smile, and said, "My lord, the Taura Chamber of Commerce also appreciates your help. ”

Hardy, one of the three vice-presidents of the Taura Chamber of Commerce, is also a close confidant of Galder, and the commitment he makes in his capacity is obviously representative of the entire Toula Chamber of Commerce, and this should also be the result of Galder's instructions.

Hodge shook Hardy's hand with a smile, it stands to reason that Carter was coming on behalf of the Defoe Chamber of Commerce, so the Taura Chamber of Commerce should also be represented by Gould, but he knew very well that the grumpy old man couldn't pull this face, even if he already had his secret.

"The two are too polite, the three honorable businessmen were killed by the murderer, we should be responsible, and it is also our duty to arrest the murderer, but it makes everyone in the Chamber of Commerce frightened. Besides, I didn't do much to do it, and in the end, the murderer was captured by the patrol guards. ”

"We are also grateful to Captain Harlow and Vice-Captain Leiden for their help. The two said in unison.

Hodge waved his hand and said, "Actually, the reason why I came to disturb the two of you today is to apologize to the two of you. ”

"Apologize?" Carter and Hardy looked at each other, both recognizing each other's doubts.

"Yes, I'm sorry. Hodge sighed, "Just last night I received news that the suspect in the case, Eileno, died in the dungeon of the outpost due to illness, and since the murderer has been apprehended, she is already innocent, and it is the property of the two of you, since I ordered the guards to take her in the dungeon, of course this negligence should be borne by me, I am really sorry." ”

It turned out to be this thing.

Both Carter and Hardy breathed a sigh of relief.

"It's just an old and decrepit slave girl, and if she dies, she will die, but she will cause trouble for adults. Carter looked at Hardy with his peripheral eyes, and continued, "What's more, she is already a gift to the Toura Chamber of Commerce, and has nothing to do with the Defoe Chamber of Commerce, so you don't have to apologize to me." ”

Hardy's eyes rolled, and he finally remembered who this Elenor was, he remembered that this slave girl given to Gauld by the Defoe Chamber of Commerce had never even seen Galder's face, and as Gauld's confidant, he also knew that Gauld would never have any interest in a bed slave who was nearly forty years old and no longer pure.

Businessmen like to measure everything by value, and Elenor is of little value to the Taura Chamber of Commerce that there is no need to care, and it would be worth much more than she was to be able to exchange it for a friendship from the new intelligence director.

Therefore, Hardy also hurriedly said: "As Lord Carter said, you don't need to worry, sir. ”

"Thank you both for your generosity, so I feel at ease. Hodge's gaze swirled over the two of them, and he said leisurely, "Then ......"

Carter and Hardy's hearts are tight.

Here, what follows should be the focus of this meeting.

And this point refers to the events that happened in Yasu ten years ago.

It was a felony enshrined in imperial law, and even wealthy merchants could not avoid punishment.

Carter can be said to be the leader of the entire trafficking incident, and when he cooperated with Hodge to stage the five-day confrontation, he already knew that Hodge had found out the truth of the year, and he would naturally be nervous when he saw Hodge at this time, and his attitude became more and more respectful.

And Hardy, although he was completely directly involved, but as Gauld's henchman, he also knew about this matter before he came, and now he relies on Galder, the powerful Taura Chamber of Commerce, and the crime of traffickers is enough to directly destroy the entire Taura Chamber of Commerce.

Therefore, he was also quite uneasy in his heart.

Hodge holds their most important secret, so what exactly he wants out of it is the most important question for the two.

Hodge looked at them with a smile, taking in every subtle expression on their faces, and after a moment said, "Then I'll leave and disturb the two of you." ”

Carter and Hardy were stunned, completely unaware that he hadn't mentioned it at all.

It's just...... Such?

"My lord!" Carter hurriedly called out to Hodge, who was already about to turn away, and said in a low voice, "About that?"

"What's the matter?" Hodge looked stunned, thumping his head, "I beg your pardon, Lord Carter, I've just taken up my post these days, and I'm so busy that I don't remember anything before, and if you want to talk to me, maybe you'll have to let me adjust for a while." ”

"There's something I need to attend to in town, bother, both. ”

Carter watched as Hodge's back grew smaller and smaller until it faded from view, humility faded from his face and replaced by a deep haze.

"President Carter. Hardy said, "Do you think, this Lord Hodge, he really ......?"

Carter took a deep breath and turned to look at him: "Of course he won't forget, this is obviously just an excuse to avoid talking about it, a secret that can grasp the lifeblood of the two chambers of commerce between you and me, such a weighty thing, no one can forget." ”

"He just doesn't mention it now, and it's more serious for us than if he's using it to coerce both of us right now. If it's just a money-loving fool, it's easy for us to tie him up to us, and then he'll be concerned that the secret threatens him as well, and we'll be safe. ”

But he doesn't mention it now, apparently because he wants to make a bigger profit — something that goes beyond money. Such people will not be easily grasped by us, and if we cannot grasp the people who know the secrets, we will be in danger at any time. ”

"It's a terrible thing. Carter made a direct definition.

Hardy nodded, his face equally ugly: "I have the same concern. ”

"It's us who are at a disadvantage right now. ”

Carter sighed uncontrollably.

"Take a step, look at a step. ”

......

"What to drink?" the waiter was wiping his cup with a rag and immediately greeted the guest who had just walked in.

"Is there a liquor that is not so strong?"

"Cherry wine from Vilkan, almost no alcohol. The waiter replied truthfully, "But it will be four times more expensive than ordinary wine." ”

The guest laughed angrily: "What is the reason, alcohol without alcohol is more expensive than spirits?"

"That's why it's expensive. The waiter said, "Otherwise, you can choose to go directly to the herbalist and buy high-purity alcohol, which will be cheaper." ”

"Well, it's not unreasonable. A silver coin was thrown from the guest's hand, and the waiter quickly grasped it in his hand, "Then bring me a bottle." ”

The guests took a seat in the bar, and by this time there were not many awake customers, most of them slumped crookedly in chairs, tables and floors, muttering drunken words.

The only thing who was still awake, except for the waiter who had just entered the door and him, was the bearded man sitting at the table next to him.

After the cherry wine was served, the waiter returned to the bar and continued to wipe the wine glass, and the guest poured himself a full glass, tasted a small sip, and nodded with satisfaction: "You didn't lie to me, it's really not too strong." ”

The bearded man drank all the wine in his glass in one gulp, wiped the sticky liquor off his beard, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear: "Vilkan is a big wine-making city, and the quality of their wine is second only to that of Villefranche Oberre, and the price is relatively more advantageous, whether it is a high-strength spirit or a low-purity fruit wine." ”

The man glanced at the new guest, "But this fruit wine is usually for women, and it is quite suitable for you, a boy who looks prettier than women." ”

The guest smiled and drank the cherry wine, and said quietly: "Is this your way of thanking? If it weren't for my operation, maybe you wouldn't have been able to save your former acquaintance until now, do you think I have a point." ”

"Harlow?"

Harlow scratched his unkempt hair and muttered, "Okay, well, I do have to thank you for that." ”

"What about her, is she settled?"

"Got to a safe place, right in town. ”

"Town?" Hodge poured himself another glass, "I thought you'd send her away, after all, someone from the Dora and Defoe Chamber of Commerce had seen her." ”

"But not many people have seen it, have they?" said Harlow, "and she doesn't go out of the house much, and she says she's used to being in the house, which has been going on for ten years. ”

"Ten years, it's not easy. ”

"It's not easy. Harlow put down his glass, "And the one who hurt her, the one who hurt Asu, is still alive." ”

"Be patient, there are some things that you can't rush. Hodge's wine glass was empty again, "Slaves, merchants, they are all bricks, built into the current tower, it is not difficult to extract the gorgeous bricks from the heights, but if you are too anxious, the tower will collapse, and in the end, the ordinary bricks at the bottom will not escape the fate of broken bones." ”

"It's going to have to be slow. ”

"But they're all going to pay the price in the end, right?"

"Yes, they will all pay the price in the end, and that kind of guilt can only be eliminated by death. Hodge repeated, accentuatingly.

"That being the case. "So what do I need to do?" ”

"Just do nothing, just maintain the status quo. ”

"Nothing?" Harlow couldn't help but glance at him, then quickly turned to him and said in a deep voice, "I remember you telling me that you wanted change, and now you're asking me to do nothing?"

"But I've also said that change is a tough thing and you need to have enough power. Hodge stood up, took the remaining half-bottle of cherry wine, and turned his back to Harlow for one last word.

"Before there is power, no change is the best change. ”