"Fraser is the oldest pirate on the island. I heard that he was already famous here before I even arrived in Nassau. Some people say that he and Henry are related to each other. Some say that he and Henry Morgan fought side by side, robbing the Spanish settlement together. In the final battle, they looted two million pounds, making this old bastard filthy rich. After Henry Morgan was imprisoned by the queen, he left Jamaica and came to Nassau. At his peak, his pirate crew had eleven pirate ships, hundreds of cannons, and seven to eight hundred men. "
"What happened after that?" Zhang Heng asked.
"I don't know. Rumor has it that he wanted to secretly accept the queen's pardon. After the news spread, his subordinates mutinied. He was voted to be stripped of his position as captain, and the pirate crew was disbanded. That old bastard is now the most ordinary sailor." The ordnance officer gloated.
"But he's still your creditor," Zhang Heng reminded him.
The Ordnance Gunner could no longer laugh when he heard that. He could not help but curse. "Okay, I've told you everything I know according to your request. Now, it's your turn to fulfill the promise."
Since Zhang Heng got what he wanted to know, he was not stingy. He left ten silver pesos on the table and said, "One last question. Where can I rent a house in town?"
… …
Zhang Heng had 58 silver coins left in his pocket. Of course, he could choose to stay in a hotel, but considering that he would be staying on this island for more than ten years, he decided to look for a place to stay. The place he chose was slightly further away from the port, closer to the center of the island. It was in the middle of a farmland, but it was relatively quiet and cheap. It only cost him 160 silver coins to buy it, and 17 silver coins to rent it for two years.
However, there was only an empty wooden house that looked like it could collapse at any moment. In fact, houses like this were everywhere in Nassau. There was a time when Nassau was plagued by pirates. Spain and France would regularly send their navies to raze the place to the ground. Therefore, real estate in Nassau wasn't worth much.
After Zhang Heng paid for the house, he bought some daily necessities and moved in. The next morning, he started to renovate and renovate the house.
During the time he spent alone on the deserted island, he had built tiled houses and wooden frames with his own hands, so he had some basic knowledge of architecture. It would not be a problem for him to repair and reinforce them.
The Bahamas had a subtropical climate, with an average annual temperature of around twenty-three or twenty-four degrees. Although it was spring, the temperature was not low. Zhang Heng took off his shirt and rode on the roof bare-chested, using hammers and nails to mend the holes one by one.
A little girl, about six or seven years old, peeked at him from behind the palm tree. He smiled at her kindly, but the next moment, she hurried home barefoot.
However, a familiar figure appeared not far away.
The farmer's son, Marvin, had been separated from Zhang Heng for less than a day, but his appearance had changed drastically. One of his sleeves had been torn off, and only one of his boots was left. Other than that, his body was covered in bruises, and his eyes were swollen. He looked miserable.
He walked outside the wooden hut and squeezed out a fawning smile. "That … Can you give me something to eat? I've been hungry since last night. "
"Don't you have twenty-five silver pesos with you?"
"I … I lost it," Marvin said awkwardly.
Last night, the farmer's son had planned to board a boat at the dock and escape. Apparently, his plan had failed, and he had been beaten up and robbed of all his money. It was so embarrassing that even with his thick skin, he couldn't bring himself to talk about it. Now that he had nowhere else to go, he had no choice but to ask around for Zhang Heng's address and come to him.
Zhang Heng had known Marvin for a long time, and he knew what kind of person he was. Selfish, thick-skinned, cowardly, and hypocritical. After they broke up in front of the trading house, Zhang Heng had no intention of caring about Marvin's life anymore. But now, he had changed his mind.
This time, his main mission was different from the previous ones. He was required to build his own force in Nassau.
He still did not know what the standard of a force was, but he knew he could not do it alone.
He needed a team, especially among these pirates who liked to vote democratically. Numbers meant everything. Even a ruthless character like Frazer would fall apart after losing the support of his subordinates.
No matter how useless Marvin was, he still had a vote. Since he had escaped, there was a high chance that he would be ostracized by the others on the ship. He had no other choice but to side with Zhang Heng.
Even a rag had its uses, and a petty person like Marvin had his uses too.
That was why Zhang Heng did not expose the farmer's son's clumsy lie. Instead, he said, "There's bread and cheese on the table. Go get it yourself."
The latter came to Zhang Heng with the attitude of trying his best. He did not know many people to begin with, and after what happened, he did not know who would take him in. Especially considering his previous behavior, Zhang Heng should be thankful that Zhang Heng did not hit him when he was down and beat him up. He did not expect Zhang Heng to not hold him accountable for what happened in the past, and he even shared some food with him.
Marvin gobbled down the bread in his hand. When he thought about the tragic experience he had gone through, he could not help but tear up.
When he saw Zhang Heng coming down from the roof, he could no longer restrain his emotions. "I'm sorry. I was wrong. I was wrong. I won't do it again. From now on, my life is yours. Even if someone holds a knife to my neck, I won't betray you again!"
Was he touched? Zhang Heng believed that the farmer's son was grateful, but this gratitude would not last more than two days. After that, it would be excreted along with the food he ate. In fact, in less than two days, if someone held a knife to his neck, he would choose to betray Zhang Heng again without hesitation. It was in his nature to do so.
Still, Zhang Heng did not care. He never expected the farmer's son to be reliable during critical times.
After the old pirate removed the contents of the wooden barrel, their fates were no longer bound. Zhang Heng wiped his hands and said to Marvin, "Take your time. I'm going out for a walk."
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