"Has Eugene ever had a family?"
"As far as I know, he has a wife in the colony, but she's infertile. If this news is true, then his illegitimate child with that prostitute should be his only child," Billy said.
"Therefore, this illegitimate child should still be very important to him, especially considering the previous fire. Eugene should be feeling guilty about this child," Karina analyzed.
"So, Malcolm took control of Eugene's child and made Eugene do things for him?" Annie guessed.
"No, this doesn't fit Malcolm's style," Carina shook her head. "Malcolm sometimes uses some simple and direct methods to solve problems, such as the Skeleton incident. But imprisoning a person like this is crossing the line. There's no way he would imprison a living person for such a long time," said Karina, shaking her head.
"So, Malcolm doesn't have Eugene's son on him," Billy said. "So, we're back to square one. Is there anything else that Eugene cares about?"
"Sorry, I can't find anything. His life now is very simple. He spends most of his time in the same tavern every day, buying and selling information to the captain. Other than that, he rarely does anything else. His life is very regular. Other than work, he doesn't interact with other people, and what he's doing now doesn't conflict with others," Carina said.
"I think Malcolm's son is the one who has Eugene's weakness," Zhang Heng, who had been silent all this while, finally spoke up. "But it's not a low-level method like restricting personal freedom. Malcolm must have shown Eugene that he has the means to harm his son, and that's why Eugene gave in. I know who we should ask about this."
"Who?"
"I've been investigating Eugene's social network. I'm mainly curious about one thing. He's only in his early forties. Logically speaking, his bodily functions haven't deteriorated significantly, and a man of this age should still have normal physiological needs. But as you said, after the fire, he didn't date other women, and he didn't go to brothels again. How did he manage to live a puritanical life for more than a decade?"
"Have you found the answer?"
"Well, Eugene suffers from back pain. He has tried many methods to cure it, but to no avail. Then, under the recommendation of someone else, he tried the Guanahatabey folk's remedy. The place of treatment is a small manor on the island. He spends a day there every two weeks, and the owner of the manor is a woman named Carmen. I think there is some kind of intimate relationship between the two of them. No, it should be a very intimate relationship. The treatment has been going on for almost ten years. Their relationship is not just that of ordinary friends or lovers. Carmen should know a lot of Eugene's secrets, and it is very likely that she knows how Malcolm controls Eugene."
"So, as long as we find Carmen, we will know what Eugene's weakness is. If that's the case, what are we waiting for?" Annie raised her chin.
"We're waiting for a friend. Carmen will be easier to deal with than Eugene, but as I said, she and Eugene have been in a relationship for almost ten years. If we suddenly visit her, she will definitely be wary of us. She will never tell us Eugene's secret. We need to be prepared. This time, Carina and I can go. If there are too many of us, she will feel uneasy."
As soon as Zhang Heng finished speaking, the sound of a carriage could be heard downstairs.
Zhang Heng took his clothes and went downstairs with Carina. There was no danger in this operation. Carmen did not have any combat ability, and in order to minimize the enemy's hostility, Zhang Heng did not bring his sword. He only brought a short musket for self-defense. He opened the carriage door for Carina.
Carina lifted her dress and got in. After that, Zhang Heng got in as well. "To Herman Manor," he said to the coachman.
"Where's your friend?" Carina did not see a third person in the carriage.
"We've arranged a time to meet. He will appear when we need him, but I hope we don't have to do that."
Carina only breathed a sigh of relief when the door closed. It was as if she had removed her disguise. Her determined and determined attitude was gone, and she leaned back against the carriage and rubbed her temples. However, she seemed to remember that she was not the only one in the carriage this time. She looked a little awkward, not knowing what to say to Zhang Heng.
"It seems like you've had a hard time."
"Actually, it's nothing. Thanks to the money you provided, I've paid off all my debts. All that's left are some small troubles. Speaking of which, your side is more dangerous. I heard that you guys encountered the navy this time. Six pirate ships, and only you guys made it back. Not only that, but you guys also brought back most of the gold. I don't think I've congratulated you guys yet. Compared to that, it must be a very interesting story."
"There's a lot of luck involved, too."
"Once might be luck, but twice and thrice isn't luck anymore. Now that Black Prince Sam is gone, you and your Jackdaw are the most powerful pirates on this island. I knew this day would come when I first met you, but I didn't expect it to come so soon," said Zhang Heng.
"You've done well too. Even when you're under pressure from the black-market alliance and Malcolm, you're still able to develop your business to this extent. Especially for a newcomer. When you first came to the island, no one believed that you could do this," Carina said with a bitter smile.
"But I've never won a single duel with Malcolm. If it weren't for you, I would have left Nassau with my tail between my legs." Karina smiled bitterly.
"After all, Malcolm has been operating on the island for so long. Now that he has the black-market alliance in his hands, it would be strange if you could gain the upper hand. But this time, we've found his weakness. Now, it's our turn to strike."
Following Zhang Heng's suggestion, Carina rested on the carriage for the rest of the journey. When she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but think of the first time she boarded the Jackdaw. That night in the captain's cabin, she seemed to have drunk a lot of alcohol. She kept talking about her childhood and all sorts of trivial things.
That night, it was as if she wanted to say all the things she wanted to say in her life. However, in the end, she couldn't say what she wanted to say the most. After that, she learned about Zhang Heng and Anne. As a woman, she envied Anne's bravery. She had to admit that she hesitated at that moment.
She was worried that she was attracted by the mysterious aura around Zhang Heng, worried about his identity as a pirate. That was why she didn't blame Anne for taking the first step. Many things had nothing to do with timing. Most people lost to their own indecisiveness.
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