The atmosphere on the deck was a little strange. When Orff appeared, the heated debate that they had expected did not happen.
Like an old man, Orff was forced to retreat step by step under the heavy fire of the cannoneer, and he was about to fall off the cliff.
Although Goodwin had always felt that victory was within his grasp, the smoothness of the situation was somewhat beyond his expectations. Instead, it made him feel uneasy.
Orff looked at the people around him again and said, "That's right. You have every reason to feel dissatisfied. It has been a difficult time for you and me. But what I want to say is, from today onwards, these difficult days will be over. You asked me what I have been doing recently, and I think it's time for me to tell you."
The bad feeling in the cannoneer's heart grew stronger. Reason told him that he should not let Orff continue. However, he could not find a reason to interrupt Orff. It was everyone's freedom to make statements before the vote. He could not be the only one to criticize Orff without letting Orff defend himself. So, Goodwin could only comfort himself that the outcome had been decided. He had won over each and every one of them, and many of them had even exchanged benefits with him. Such an alliance should be very stable.
Seeing that everyone's attention was now on him, Orff said with satisfaction, "I have known most of you for a long time. You should know what kind of person I am. I have never hidden my past from you. Yes, before I came to the Sea Lion, I sailed with the greatest captain in the Caribbean, Kidd, until he was arrested and hanged in London. Those guys ransacked his house, but they only found a small amount of gold and silver.
"I know that you must have heard the rumors that he hid all the things he plundered in a secret place. Now, I can tell you that the rumors are true."
Almost everyone knew about Kidd's story. Between 1695 and 1699, he was the most powerful pirate in the entire Caribbean. His ship, the Quidaff Merchant, had 50 cannons. His powerful firepower was enough to make many colonial ports tremble in fear. Legend had it that he had accumulated an astonishing amount of wealth in just five years.
After his death, the wealth went missing, and his ship, the Quidaff Merchant, was nowhere to be found.
"Ever since Kidd died, I've been investigating the whereabouts of the treasure. Now, I finally have a clue. I have reason to believe that we're very close to the treasure."
Orff waited for the whispers to die down before he continued, "Forgive me for hiding this from you. It's not that I don't trust you, but I'm worried that other pirates will hear about it. But now, I have to be honest with you."
Orff finally looked at Goodwin who was not far away. The latter's back was soaked in sweat, and his face was pale. Three minutes ago, he thought he was well-prepared. He did not expect his opponent to turn the tables around in such an unreasonable way. As a pirate, he knew how tempting Kidd's treasure was.
Even he could not help but be tempted. What about the others? What about his allies? How many of them were willing to stand by his side and risk losing a huge portion of the treasure to remove Orff from his position?
He had planned this for so long, and he did not hesitate to play the good guy for so long. He cared about the newcomers who had just boarded the ship, and he tolerated the strange conditions and hobbies of his allies. Now, all his efforts were meaningless. Like a drowning man desperately grasping at the last straw, he said, "Vote. Vote … I haven't lost yet."
However, Orff's last sentence completely shattered his remaining hope. "Now, who is willing to sail with me and chase after the legendary treasure?!"
After a few seconds of silence, the pirates suddenly burst into cheers. They shouted together, "Treasure! Treasure! Treasure! " At that moment, everyone's face was filled with fanaticism. No one looked at the black gunner on the other side anymore. At that moment, it was as if the whole world had abandoned Goodwin.
…
"The results are out!" Marvin rushed down from the deck and said to Zhang Heng, who was doing push-ups in the cabin. "The results are out. Goodwin was going to win, but Mr. Orff only used a few words to turn the situation around. You didn't see the look on Goodwin's face at the end. I feel sorry for him."
The farmer's son paused for a moment, and then he said excitedly, "Also, we are going to be rich this time! Do you know that guy named Kidd? He is the great pirate. I heard that when he was hanged, half of London went to watch. Now, we are going to find the treasure he left behind! "
Marvin looked around and then lowered his voice. "After being kidnapped by those pirates, to be honest, I felt like every day was like a year. But now, I am starting to think that maybe it is not a bad thing. It is fate that has arranged for us to board this ship."
"Heh."
The farmer's son's eyes widened. "What do you mean by heh? Think about it. Aren't you excited about the treasure left behind by the great pirate king? When I was on the deck, I was thinking about how to spend the money. I want to buy two plantations in Boston and a group of black slaves. After that, I will spend the rest of the money on women. Do you know that woman named Daisy in the brothel always looked down on me? Even when I was serving her, she didn't pay attention to me. After I got the money, I … "
"Marvin." Zhang Heng finished his last push-up, got up, wiped the sweat off his neck, and interrupted the farmer's son's sweet dream. "You haven't seen the treasure yet. It's not too late to do anything when you see it."
"I'm sorry." The farmer's son also realized that he had lost his composure. The atmosphere on the deck was too heated. Everyone was stimulated by the words' Kidd's treasure ', and they were in a state of excitement.
This made Zhang Heng a little wary. Although he did not support Goodwin, it did not mean that the latter's worries were unreasonable. Orff, the helmsman, was too close to the captain, and this was not a good thing for the others on the ship. This time, Orff had shown Zhang Heng how an experienced helmsman could manipulate the emotions of the crew.
With a strong captain and a wily helmsman, their control over the ship was far stronger than many people imagined.
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