"We used to have a good memory together, but I'm not here to look for him tonight. So, relax," Zhang Heng said to Black Mamba, who looked like he was about to face a formidable enemy. After that, he looked around the tavern, and finally, his eyes fell on a black man in the corner.
The man looked like an ordinary drinker. He was neither surrounded by his men like Black Mamba, nor did he have a beautiful woman in his arms like the dwarf. And the food on the table looked shabby. There was only half a loaf of bread and a bottle of wine. No matter how one looked at him, he didn't look like a big shot.
After that, Zhang Heng said, "It seems that you are Iron Handcuff."
"Why do you say that? I don't think we've met before, "the black man asked rhetorically.
"You are the only one who sits the farthest from the others in the tavern. Or, conversely, no one dares to get close to you. Obviously, they are all afraid of you. The dwarf subconsciously wanted to look in your direction just now. Of course, the main reason is because Soap told me about your appearance and other relevant information." Zhang Heng paused and continued, "You used to be a slave.
You escaped several times, but you were caught every time. You were put on iron handcuffs, and you suffered a lot of torture. That's how you got your nickname. One day, your former owner was found dead in his barn. His back was pierced by a pitchfork. They suspected you, but because there was no evidence, the case was dropped in the end. The former owner's son sold you to another family. Two years later, your new owner also encountered an accident. Before he died, he made a will and decided to set twenty slaves free. You were lucky enough to become one of them. After you were freed, you moved here. At first, you worked as an apprentice in a blacksmith shop, but it was difficult to earn money. So, you soon gathered a group of people and controlled all the thieves on the three streets nearby.
"Since you know who I am, how dare you stand up for them?" Iron Handcuff's eyes turned cold, and he glanced at Soap and the other three men. After years of being intimidated by Zhang Heng, the four of them suddenly felt that it was difficult to breathe, and they could barely stand.
"I'm not standing up for them. As he said before, we are here to talk about a business deal." Zhang Heng walked straight to Iron Handcuff, pulled out the chair opposite him, and sat down.
"Us?" Iron Handcuff caught the key point.
"Yes, me and my twelve brothers. To be polite, let me greet them first. They are still standing outside waiting. If you have no objections, I will let them in." Zhang Heng found an empty glass and blew away the dust inside. He then picked up the bottle and poured himself some wine.
"Twelve people? I'm afraid it's not enough." Iron Handcuff snorted.
"No, it's enough. After all, we're just here to talk business." Zhang Heng smiled and said to the skinny monkey, "Let them in."
Skinny Monkey peeked at Iron Handcuff. He could see that Iron Handcuff was in a bad mood now. He probably wanted to kill Iron Handcuff again, but Skinny Monkey had no other choice. Knowing that it would further anger Iron Handcuff, he could only run out to inform Aris and the others.
In fact, Aris, who was waiting outside, was also very nervous. He had been in charge of the security of this area for a long time, and he certainly knew all the big and small forces in this area. When he saw the signboard of Blackwater Bay, he knew that Iron Handcuff and his men were inside. Aris did not understand why Zhang Heng wanted to come here to make money.
If there was any money to be made in this place, Iron Handcuff and his men would have earned it a long time ago.
Fortunately, there were no sounds of fighting when Zhang Heng entered the tavern. However, when Skinny Monkey came out to let them in, the other members of the patrol team could not help but feel nervous. In the end, Aris made the decision, "Since we are already here, we can't just turn around and leave now. No matter what, we are the patrol team here. We can't be afraid of the gangs here."
When the others heard this, they could not help but mutter in their hearts. If they were not afraid of the gangs, why did they put being a busybody in the first place? However, they still followed Aris into the tavern.
When they appeared at the door, the atmosphere in the tavern became tense.
Previously, the patrol team's presence in this area had always been very low. Aris knew that the patrol team could not handle the complicated situation here. So, he wisely chose to keep a low profile. After all, they were the only armed forces in the vicinity that maintained law and order. Hence, everyone in the tavern knew them.
Iron Handcuff was surprised, "Did you report the case?"
"No, I'm from the patrol team," Zhang Heng smiled.
"You're from the patrol team? But I haven't seen you before. Are you a new member? Why do you want to talk business with me? " After the initial shock, Iron Handcuff quickly calmed down. After all, this was his territory. Although he was a criminal, he was not afraid of the patrols. No one in this place was afraid of the patrols, who were like mascots.
Without the help of the local forces, these patrol teams could not carry out an investigation even if they received a report. That was because no one would cooperate with them at all. After so long, they had not even caught a single thief. In fact, some thieves even came to their station to steal things. It was a disgrace to the patrol team.
"Big business," Zhang Heng finished the wine in his hand and put down the glass, "a full 30% of your current income," he then looked at Soap, "You should tell him the details."
Ever since Zhang Heng sat opposite Iron Handcuff, Soap had been praying that the two could forget about him. However, it seemed that his prayer did not work. Seeing that Iron Handcuff's eyes were on him again, Soap had no choice but to bite the bullet and say, "Bro, business … It's very simple. The patrol team can help maintain the security of these three streets, and as local residents, you only need to give us 30% of your income in the future as a thank you."
"Are you kidding me? You want to take away 30% of my income just by talking to me? " Iron Handcuff was so angry that he laughed. He really wanted to know what kind of big business Zhang Heng was talking about. However, he found out that Zhang Heng was not lying. It was indeed a big business worth 30% of their current income. However, they would be paying someone else for it.
"Open your eyes and take a good look. Do you think you need to maintain the security of these three streets? Your manpower is less than half of mine, and look at you. You don't even have decent armor. What's the difference between you and the beggars on the roadside? So, thank you. We appreciate the patrol team's kindness. We can manage our territory by ourselves. You guys can continue to circle around this place. "
Iron Handcuff's words also caused a burst of laughter in the tavern. It could not be helped. The patrol team was notorious here for being useless. In the past two months, they had not even solved a single case. They even watched the criminals swagger away in front of them because neither the passers-by nor the victims were willing to testify. The evidence was also destroyed.
Iron Handcuff's words also made many patrol members' faces turn red. Although they had been living a miserable life here, they were still law enforcers, after all. They still had some dignity. Of course, they were angry when they were insulted like this. However, they could not refute it. Some even began to blame Zhang Heng.
Earlier, Zhang Heng said that he could make a lot of money, but in the end, he only asked the patrol team to humiliate themselves.
Zhang Heng did not speak until the laughter in the tavern subsided a little. Then, he said slowly, "Well, although you have scolded us, as law enforcers, we don't care about this. We still have to do what we should do. We will help you maintain the security of this neighborhood."
"Are you guys that cheap? I just said that I will not give you a single cent, "Iron Handcuff sneered.
"I heard you, but I believe you'll change your mind, because starting tomorrow, our patrol area will only be these three streets. You're right, this place is too big, and we don't have many people. I think it's time to pick out the key points. 12 people, three streets, and we'll only work during the day. Don't worry, we'll definitely be able to handle it this time. I can guarantee that all crimes on these three streets will have nowhere to hide. Of course, after we're done, it's none of our business."
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