"The helmsman is the person in charge of recruitment on that ship. He's also the only one who knows everyone's background," Zhang Heng said to Eugene. "You'll find someone to verify this matter. I'm sure you'll find the helmsman, and he'll tell you that your son is on that ship. As for the others, because too much time has passed, they only remember that a young man was on that ship. But this seems to further confirm what the helmsman said, convincing you that your son is indeed on that ship."
"So, you're saying that Malcolm doesn't have anything on him at all? He's just making it look like he has something on him?" asked Karina, looking as surprised as Eugene.
"Yes."
"Wait a minute. But how do you explain the two survivors? Why did one of them join the navy and the other join the governor's office? If they had nothing to do with this incident, why would Malcolm protect them so much?"
"No, you still don't get it. Malcolm didn't send them to join the navy and the governor's office. He found out that they had joined the navy and the governor's office, so he chose them. This made the whole plan impeccable and more believable. It's actually very simple to prove this," Zhang Heng asked Eugene. Zhang Heng asked Eugene, "When you first heard this news, had they already joined the navy and the governor's office?"
Eugene was silent for a moment, then nodded. "After all, seven years had passed since the incident. I went back to the colony to find out more about it. I confirmed that they had already joined the navy and the governor's office two years ago. When I found out that I didn't have a chance, I naturally thought that Malcolm was behind this. I even thought that he was terrifying. To think that he would make preparations two years in advance just to scheme against me. It made me feel hopeless and discouraged."
"So, Malcolm knew that the relationship between you and your son was terrible. He also knew how important your son was to you. So, he used a real incident to fabricate your son's pirate experience to control you." Carina shuddered. She didn't know which Malcolm was more terrifying. The one who was invulnerable and had no weaknesses, or the one who toyed with all his opponents like this.
Eugene, on the other hand, quickly calmed down after the initial excitement. The rope that had been around his neck for years showed signs of loosening. He seemed to be different from before. He sat on the chair, straightened his back, and his eyes became sharp as he looked at Zhang Heng opposite him.
"I have to admit that you're close to convincing me. But so far, these are just your inferences. Other than the letter from my son, you don't have any more direct evidence. I haven't seen my son for almost ten years, and I can't recognize his handwriting. How do I know that you're not the ones who deceived me?"
Eugene paused for a moment. "I've heard about the conflict between you and the black-market alliance. Since the two of you have gone through so much trouble to solve a problem that has nothing to do with me, I'm sure you need me to help you deal with Malcolm. I can agree to your request, but I need more evidence to make sure that my son is safe and sound when I go against Malcolm. That's not too much to ask, right?"
"Actually, the easiest way is for you to find your son and talk to him face to face," Zhang Heng said.
Eugene fell into silence again. This time, the silence was exceptionally long. None of the four people in the room spoke, and the air seemed to freeze. After some time, the intelligence dealer spoke again with a sad smile. "I'm not sure if I'm still qualified to be his father. When the fire broke out, I chose the most cowardly way. I ran out of the house alone. At that moment, I lost them forever. I can never ask for his forgiveness."
"Maybe it's because you've never tried to ask him to forgive you." Zhang Heng stood up from his seat, pushed open the wooden door behind him, and revealed the balcony behind him. A young man who looked like Eugene was standing there, looking at Eugene with a complicated expression.
On the other side, Carmen, who had been silent all this while, said gently, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you about this in advance. I was worried that you wouldn't want to keep the appointment, but no matter what, you finally meet again. Let's leave the remaining time for you and your father."
After that, she got up and left the house. Zhang Heng and Karina followed closely behind, closing the door behind them.
The three of them went downstairs to the living room, and Carmen went to get wine for them. Too many surprises had happened tonight, and Karina was still in a daze. After a while, she asked, "Did you get his son back?"
Zhang Heng nodded. "Eugene is a very cautious man. Without enough confidence, he wouldn't have helped us deal with Malcolm. However, it's not easy to get his son back. He and Eugene have a deep grudge against each other. If things had gone according to plan, they would have met again at Eugene's funeral."
"Then how did you persuade him to come back?"
"I prepared two sets of arguments in advance. One was from his mother's perspective, and the other was from his blood relationship with Eugene."
"Which one convinced him?"
"None. Fortunately, I still had a trick up my sleeve. I asked my men to tell him that if he was willing to come back to Nassau, I could pay him forty gold coins," Zhang Heng said. "Although the navy provides food and lodging, a low-ranking officer like him doesn't earn much. If he wants to climb up the ranks, he'll need more funds, and he's not willing to accept his father's financial support. Of course, considering my identity, the money will have to be paid through Miss Carmen."
Karina took some time to digest all of this and then said, "So now we have won over Eugene."
"If everything goes according to plan, yes. Laeli is almost ready. Tomorrow night, I will ask Billy and twenty crew members to wait for him on the west side of the island. That's the coast closest to Terrance Manor. There's nothing there except seashells and sand. People rarely go there, and the Jackdaw can take them away from Nassau during the night.
"Once we get those letters, coupled with Eugene's accusations, Malcolm's reputation will be tarnished. The other black-market merchants will not allow a man with so many stains on his name to continue running the black-market alliance. Considering the relationship between Redmond and Normand, it's impossible for him to ignore what happened three years ago. It's going to be hard for Malcolm to turn the tables this time."
Little Adorkable said.
Sorry, this chapter is late. I'll try my best in the next chapter.
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