novelAbuy Chapter 74 Catching a Turtle in a Jar
Chapter 74 Catching a Turtle in a Jar
Oak Bay Estate is as quiet as a sleeping giant in the night.
Isabella and her group, like several black shadows, silently avoided the sentries around the manor and nimbly scaled the more than two-meter-high wall.
Their movements were clean and efficient, clearly indicating they were experts in this field.
According to the intelligence gathered during the day, the so-called "Mr. Li" is in the study in the main building of the manor, where the lights are on all night.
Isabella took the lead, moving like a nimble wildcat between the eaves and pillars, and soon arrived at the study window. She cautiously peeked inside, preparing to confirm the target's location.
However, when she kicked open the study door, what she saw was not a panicked businessman, or a few drowsy bodyguards.
She saw an Eastern man dressed in a dark silk robe, sitting calmly behind a desk. In front of him was an exquisite tea set, steaming gently rising from it.
He seemed completely unfazed by the loud noise, simply raising his head and calmly looking at the intruders.
To his left stood a man as burly as a mountain, his honest eyes devoid of any emotion as he silently gazed at her.
To his right, a woman with long blonde hair held a small but deadly crossbow. The tip of the bolt gleamed with a ghostly blue light in the candlelight, and it was already firmly aimed at Isabella's heart.
The entire study was filled with a faint aroma of tea and a suffocating tranquility.
Isabella's heart sank.
It turned out that the other person was waiting for her.
Looking at the bewildered Caribbean queen at the door, Li Wei put down his teacup, gestured for her to enter, and even had a gentle smile on his face.
"Captain Isabella, welcome."
"My butler was just about to book you the best hotel in Boston, but you unexpectedly came to us yourself. Please have a seat. Would you like some Caribbean rum or some of our Eastern tea?"
Li Weiming had a smile on his face, but the air in the study gradually became heavy.
Isabella and her five most elite henchmen were like a herd of bulls that had stormed into a china shop, only to find the shopkeeper leisurely polishing the most expensive vase, with a butcher who specialized in hunting bulls nearby.
She had roamed the Caribbean for many years, seen the governor's guards, and played hide-and-seek with the Spanish navy, but she had never felt anything like this before.
The study in front of me didn't look like a den of dragons and tigers, but rather like a carefully arranged stage.
And she was the clown who kicked open the door and jumped in herself.
The calm demeanor of the Eastern man, more so than Seamus's muscular physique and the eerily glowing crossbow in Fiona's hand, sent a chill down her spine.
The five men behind her were all tough guys who had been through thick and thin, but at this moment they were even breathing cautiously, their hands gripping the daggers with bulging veins.
Isabella took a deep breath, suppressing the shock and anger in her chest.
I'm not some inexperienced nobody; it's precisely at times like these that I mustn't show any weakness.
She sheathed the ornate short scimitar with a crisp "click".
This action broke the suffocating silence in the study.
She strode over to the large armchair opposite Li Wei, sat down without any hesitation, crossed her legs, and adopted a flamboyant posture, her movements carrying a wildness reminiscent of the sea breeze.
"Forget the tea. Give me the strongest rum. What are you going to do with my men and my ship?"
Li Wei didn't speak, but simply nodded in Fiona's direction.
Fiona turned and took a bottle of dark amber liquid and a thick glass from the wine cabinet next to her, her movements fluid and without making a sound.
She poured Isabella half a glass of wine, and the rich aroma of sugarcane and oak barrels immediately filled the study, creating a stark contrast with the delicate fragrance of tea.
"Jamaican vintage, fifteen years old," Levi finally spoke, his pace measured. "Hopefully it suits the captain's taste."
Instead of answering Isabella's question directly, he posed another question.
"Miss Captain, is this shipment intended for Mr. Hancock?"
Isabella's hand, which had been holding up her glass, froze in mid-air. A flicker of wariness crossed her large, bright brown eyes.
The information wasn't exactly top secret, but the fact that an Easterner who had just taken control of the docks could so accurately discern her business moves spoke volumes.
"It's a pity." Li Wei continued stating the facts in his calm tone, "Since last week, Mr. Hancock has been a contracted client of our Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce. If you want to sell this batch of goods in Boston, theoretically, you should also go through my channels."
"Moreover, through my channels, after deducting all costs, you can earn at least 20% more than before."
Isabella downed the rum in her glass in one gulp; the spicy liquid burned her throat and ignited the thoughts in her mind.
She had traveled north from Havana, dodging British naval patrols and robberies by her fellow travelers, and had long since become accustomed to solving problems with violence and cunning. But this man before her was talking to her about profits and added value.
This felt unfamiliar to her, but it also gave her a glimpse of a dangerous opportunity.
"The rules in Boston have changed." Levi tapped the table rhythmically with his knuckles, making a tapping sound.
"The chaotic era where goods could be sold off to any buyer is over. Now, all goods must go through the 'mutual aid association.' This is for efficiency, and also for everyone's safety."
"You sound like the king of this place," Isabella scoffed, trying to mask her passivity with sarcasm.
"No, I am not a king. I am just a tollbooth manager. If you want to pass through, you have to leave your toll. I believe that the captain who has sailed the world understands this better than I do."
Isabella remained silent.
She does understand.
At sea, the strong make the rules, and the weak abide by them—a truth written in blood and bones.
The reason she could roam freely in the Caribbean was because she had a faster ship, more accurate cannons, and a more ruthless heart than others.
The Asian man in front of me clearly possessed all of this in the port city of Boston.
My reckless intrusion tonight was like a moth flying into a spider's web.
Isabella licked the remaining wine from her lips, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Levi with her sharp eyes, trying to find even the slightest flaw in his calm face.
"So, blocking my ship and trapping my people at the dock is your way of treating guests? You're forcing me to come see you this way?"
"This is not a threat, Captain Isabella, it is an invitation."
"If you had followed the rules and anchored in an outer harbor, my men would have politely delivered this invitation to your ship. But since you've chosen a more direct approach, I can only express my sincerity in a way that you can more easily understand."
Li Wei paused for a moment, giving Isabella time to process what he had just learned.
"I don't like punishment, and I don't like extortion. Those are inefficient methods. I prefer cooperation."
Levi leaned forward slightly, a movement that brought him a little closer to Isabella. In his previous life, this distance, coupled with Isabella's attire, would likely have been awkward.
But at that moment, Isabella was only focused on listening to Levi's words.
"On the contrary, I want to discuss a business deal with you, a deal that is much bigger than the one you have with Mr. Hancock."