Dragon's Blood Project.
Thales furrowed his brows and tried to forget the discomfort he felt that night.
He looked at the dazed Morat and could not help but think of Crown Prince Midier, whom he had never met before.
It was hard to imagine that the man in the wheelchair, the man who Gilbert, Jines, and even the Black Prophet praised endlessly, could devise strategies and completely change the rules of the game in the Kingdom of the Great Dragon.
However, Thales thought of the stone jars in the Constellation Tomb.
As a prince and the heir to the kingdom, he could not save himself.
At this moment, on the other side of the interrogation room, the door was flung open.
Thales snapped out of his daze. A man in luxurious clothes with a black hood and his hands cuffed was violently escorted in by two burly men to Raphael.
"No matter who you are or what you want to do, we can talk about it …"
The man staggered all the way, looking battered and exhausted, but still tried to persuade the other party.
Unfortunately, the burly men were unmoved. They roughly pushed the man onto a chair, pulled up the chain connected to his handcuffs, and cuffed him to a ring on the table. The only thing they did not remove was his hood.
"Who is that?" Thales whispered, puzzled.
But Morat only raised a finger, gesturing for him to calm down.
The escorts left the interrogation room without looking back. For a moment, only the man's nervous breathing could be heard in the room.
Then, Raphael coldly walked behind him and pulled off the man's black hood.
Seeing the light, the interrogator squinted his eyes and turned his head away. It took him a minute to get used to it.
He looked at Raphael, who was the only one left in the room.
"Where am I? Who are you? "
The man was middle-aged. His hair was messy and there was a bruise on his face. It was obvious that he had not been treated well before.
"Forget it …"
But seeing the light again made the man feel a little more at ease. He observed his surroundings and cleared his throat.
"But I strongly suggest that you let me go — before things get worse.
"My fish is too big. You can't eat it."
Raphael did not answer. He just sat down opposite him and stared at him coldly with his red eyes.
The man snickered and tugged at the shackles on his hands, causing the chains to rattle.
"Ha, that sounds like it …"
"Tell me, brother. Is it the Blood Bottle Gang or the Brotherhood?"
Thales looked at the Black Prophet in confusion, but the latter was unperturbed and seemed uninterested in the interrogation.
Although he looked disheveled, the interrogator seemed to have gradually recovered his bearing. His tone was confident and confident.
"If it's the Blood Bottle Gang, Catherine and I are old friends. We are old acquaintances in South Coast Hill. We are not just 'familiar', hehe …"
Raphael remained silent.
The man's smile faded slightly.
"If it's the Brotherhood …"
The interrogator leaned back in his chair, shook his head and clicked his tongue.
"That's even better."
"I know Cenza, he's a man who's been through hundreds of battles. There's also 'Alpha Wolf' Razanki. I've known him since he was selling goods on the streets. We almost became partners. Fatty Morris also has business dealings with me … "
However, the Barren Bone man seemed to have made up his mind not to speak. He only stared intently at the other party.
"If it's neither …"
The man calculated, and his expression changed again.
"Then they must have come specifically for me."
The interrogator left the chair and looked at Raphael seriously.
"Who's your employer?"
"Let me guess: Fragrance Chamber of Commerce? The Carpenters United Guild? Or some noble with a misunderstanding? Or some ignorant country bumpkin? "
But the man thought of something, and his gaze shifted.
"I got it."
"Did my bumpkin subordinates hire you?"
He leaned back in his chair and snorted.
"They think that they can … Alright, listen, the people who hired you are so poor. No matter how much they pay, whether it's a hundred or two hundred, a thousand or two thousand, I'll pay double."
The man raised his hand with ease and tugged at the shackles, gesturing to Raphael.
Raphael was unmoved.
The man frowned.
"If you're not doing this for money, for example, for friendship and loyalty, or if you're their relative, then listen to my advice: it's not worth it. You're helping them, but you're putting yourself in danger …"
Although he was in a bad situation, the man's words were habitually bossy.
"No," Raphael interrupted him with an unfriendly tone.
"We're not a gang robber, nor are we seeking revenge. We're not using money to avert disaster."
The Barren Bone man pressed the table, leaned forward, and stared intently at the interrogator.
"We serve the kingdom."
The interrogator was stunned when he received an unexpected answer.
"Serve the kingdom …"
The man repeated it a few times, then laughed heartily.
"You're from the government?"
"Very good. You may not know, but I'm the most law-abiding citizen of the kingdom and a big taxpayer."
"So where is this? Which police station? You're a plainclothes police officer? How should I address you? Where do you work? "
He relaxed, tilted his head, and sized up Raphael. He smiled maliciously.
"Most importantly, who's your boss?"
Raphael was expressionless.
"You don't want to meet my boss."
Beyond the glass, Thales could not help but glance at Morat.
The man narrowed his eyes, and a shrewd glint appeared in them.
"Oh, you can't be sure."
Raphael twitched the corner of his mouth and flipped open a stack of documents on the table.
"What's your name?"
After knowing the other party's background, the man became very comfortable. His attitude became a lot more relaxed, and he did not care about the Barren Bone man's question.
"And I have a lot of friends in the police station. Many important people, such as Lord Lorbec Deira, the head of the Western City Police Station …"
Raphael sighed.
The Barren Bone man silently closed the documents and methodically took them down from the table. He then raised his voice and repeated, "Yes.
He raised his voice and repeated, "Name?"
The man shook his head.
"I'm also an honorary director of the Central Territory Wine Merchants' Guild …"
In the next second, Raphael's left hand turned into an afterimage!
He grabbed the chain that handcuffed the man to the table and pulled back.
Bang!
The interrogator had obviously lived a comfortable life for a long time. He could not react in time and was pulled out of his seat. First, his waist hit the edge of the table, then his nose hit the table.
The man whimpered in pain, and blood flowed from his nose.
He wanted to get up and look up, but Raphael grabbed the back of his head by his hair and pinned him to the table.
"Name."
Raphael smiled calmly.
The man on the table struggled, his expression twisted and exasperated.
"You damned little —"
Raphael lifted the man's head, aimed his nose at the table, and smashed it again.
Bang!
The man trembled, gritted his teeth, and grunted.
"Name."
Raphael's smile remained.
The man's face was bright red, tears and mucus flowing, but his toughness was beyond expectation.
"I know this process. Start with simple questions, let the prisoner get used to answering …"
Without waiting for him to finish, Raphael exerted force in his hand, turned the man's head, and pressed the interrogator's bleeding nose firmly against the table, grinding it back and forth.
The man let out a muffled howl like a pig being slaughtered.
Watching all this, Thales frowned. Beside him, the Black Prophet laughed softly, causing the black-veined vines on his knees to tremble.
Raphael's next sentence was light, like the ravings of a lover.
"Last … name …"
But it was different for the other party.
"Ah, f * ck, f * ck — Moss! Moss! "
Under the intense pain, the man cursed, but he answered very quickly, "Yes.
"Dagori Moss!"
He protested angrily.
"Come on! You're working so hard, did you get paid overtime?! "
The corners of Raphael's mouth curled up slightly. At that moment, the Barren Bone man looked sinister and awe-inspiring.
He let go, and the interrogator named Dagori was able to sit back in his seat. He covered his nose and gasped in pain, indignant.
"F * ck! Damn it! "
Raphael took back the documents, but he frowned as he looked at the sticky puddle of blood, mucus, and tears on the table.
He shifted his stool, and finally put down the documents at the corner of the table.
"What do you do?"
Dagori pinched his nose and glared back fiercely.
"And what do you do! A new temp? Hiss, wait — "
Dagori's expression changed, and he hurriedly stopped Raphael, who was tugging on the chain again.
"Answer me." The Barren Bone man smiled brightly and shook the half-torn chain.
"Or answer it."
Dagori looked at Raphael seriously, and finally confirmed the other party's gaze.
"Wine."
The interrogator heaved a sigh of relief, as if resigned to his fate, and answered without hesitation.
"I'm a wine merchant. I make wine and sell wine — I sell wine in the capital, and many of my customers are high-ranking officials and nobles …"
Dagori gulped, his eyes never leaving the chain in Raphael's hand.
"You know, bro, overstepping one's authority and overstepping one's responsibilities is nothing under normal circumstances, but if someone wants to mess with you from the inside, this is a good reason to fire them …"
"Mr. Moss," Raphael ignored him and opened the document.
"Many of the orchards, wineries, warehouses, and shops under your name, as well as other related businesses, have recently closed down?"
Dagori rolled his eyes, trying to read the contents of the document, but Raphael raised his head, and the man quickly looked away.
"If you want to pick a fight with the taxes, you can give up now."
Dagori cleared his throat. Back in familiar territory, he was once again in his element.
"City Hall, Police Department, Department of Finance, City Defense Team, Department of Discipline, all the departments in the capital can prove that I'm a law-abiding citizen, a great philanthropist who repairs bridges and roads. If I go to trial, I can hire the best defense lawyer. Many high-ranking officials and nobles will be willing to vouch for me, and even testify in court.
"In fact, I've not only paid enough taxes, but I've also paid 'quite a bit' more. You know, 'quite a bit'."
He stared at Raphael, his smile sly and arrogant — but the smashed bright red nose somewhat ruined his image.
The chain in Raphael's hand tightened again.
"So, Mr. Moss, why have you closed so many wineries and shops in recent weeks, and laid off a large number of workers?"
Dagori stared at the chain with a sour expression.
"Well, let's be polite — I'm a businessman. What other reason could there be for closing them? Of course, it's because the market is bad."
Raphael raised his eyes.
"But you're one of the largest wine merchants in the Central Territory, the wine supplier for many aristocratic families' banquets."
Dagori raised his eyebrows and laughed fearlessly.
"Ha, so you know."
Raphael still ignored him.
"So, the many people who work in your winery industry, farmers, workers, craftsmen, assistants, including a few venture partners and some raw material merchants upstream and downstream, as well as distributors and retail wine merchants, totals up to hundreds of people."
Raphael looked at Dagori.
"They intend to file a joint complaint and send you to trial."
The wine merchant's expression changed. It was first indignation, then disdain.
"Ha, I knew it."
He spat harshly, his eyes fierce.
"That bunch of little bastards, ungrateful bumpkins …"
On the other side of the one-way glass, Thales frowned at the Black Prophet.
"This guy is an experienced and cunning businessman, but I don't understand why I'm here to see this."
"Relax, Your Highness." Morat raised his finger to his lips and said softly, "Some things may be small, but you can see the big picture.
"Some things may be small, but you can see the big picture. Some characters may be small, but they can understand everything."
Thales was stunned.
On the other side of the room, Raphael smiled slightly.
"So, Mr. Moss, do you know why they're suing you?"
"Why?"
Dagori seemed to have regained his confidence.
"As you know, the wine market has not been doing well recently, and sales have not been good. My cash flow is not good, and for the sake of costs, I have to relocate my business and make difficult choices — closing down some wineries is just one of them."
Raphael narrowed his eyes.
"Really?"
As if he did not hear Raphael's suspicion, Dagori continued to speak.
"In the process, I may have had some minor disagreements with a very small number of employees on the issue of salary …"
Raphael smiled coldly.
"So, you've owed your subordinates' wages on credit for a long time, and even owed your partners money, including the purchase money for upstream and downstream, security deposits, and not counting the usual embezzlement, and you're just going to let it go?"
Dagori's expression turned cold.
Staring at the chain in Raphael's hand, he explained carefully and patiently,
"Owed? Listen, I admit, I did make some minor changes to the calculation of the money, including the time limit … "
Raphael interrupted him.
"So you want to run away with the money?"
Dagori frowned and said sternly,
"Run away? Hey, I'm just out of town on vacation — I'll say the same to anyone who comes. Don't even think about illegally inducing a confession. "
Raphael sneered.
"But the people you owe money to, especially the workers, don't think so."
Dagori frowned and stared at Raphael for a while, then said seriously,
"Listen, I bear the cost, creativity, and route. They provide the labor, skills, and time. The boss and the employees work together to make the best wine and work towards a goal.
"So, the winery business is not just mine, but everyone's. We're like a family.
"When a family experiences setbacks and hardships, everyone in the family should be considerate of each other and work together to overcome the difficulties!"
He glared and tapped his fingers on the table, as if to teach the person in front of him a good lesson.
"But some people just don't understand. They're narrow-minded, don't see the big picture, and can't take the slightest bit of hardship. Just because their salaries are a little lower, and their lives are a little less smooth, they turn their backs on me. They don't care about the opportunities and conditions I provide them."
Raphael nodded and pursed his lips.
"But you're the boss, and this is your winery."
"That's right!"
Dagori said bitterly, "So, I can see the truth of this industry better than they can, care more about the future of this industry than they do, and grieve the depression of the wine industry more than they do, because I'm like a father to them!"
Raphael glanced at the document.
"But you've closed the winery."
Dagori's expression froze, then he snorted.
"It can't be helped. No matter how warm the family is, no matter how hard the father works, if the children are rebellious, disobedient, and immature, there's nothing that can be done.
"And you know, some people, they're just …"
The wine merchant looked exasperated.
"Ninety percent of the reason I shut down the winery is because these lazy workers are demanding a pay raise."
"These people are simply cancer in the industry. They're short-sighted and don't know that the most important thing about a job is not salary and benefits, but room for growth and prospects, including the value of training!"
Dagori looked indignant.
"They also don't know how to look at the problem from a higher perspective. You should know, as bosses, when have we ever cared about our salaries …"
"They only know how to make a fuss. But when they make a fuss, why don't they think about what happens if one day the winery closes because of them? What happens if the entire industry falls apart because of them? When that time comes, won't they be the unlucky ones who have to pay for it themselves? "
Dagori was tired from speaking and paused for a moment.
He exhaled through his nose with a regretful expression.
"Now, I can only say that they have only themselves to blame."
"Enough." Raphael was obviously tired of listening to his speech.
"We don't care about your business."
The Barren Bone man leaned forward and said coldly,
"And we don't care if you're another shameless and unscrupulous boss.
"We only care about one thing."
Dagori exhaled and smiled coldly with an expression that said, "It's finally here."
"Well, let's get straight to the point," the wine merchant said scornfully.
"How much target did your boss give you?"
"How much, how much money to let me go?"
Raphael stared at him, his eyes cold.
He said coldly,
"I want to know the real reason why you closed the winery and withdrew from the wine industry."
Dagori was puzzled.
"Wh-what?"
Raphael sneered.
"Before you closed it, you said at a private gathering at the Winemakers' Guild that the wine industry has no future?
"So you'd rather withdraw your investment and run away?"
Dagori's expression changed at first, then he said indignantly,
"I'm not running away, I'm just going abroad for a vacation …"
But Raphael repeated emotionlessly,
"Answer me."
Dagori was stunned for a long time, but he finally shook his head.
"I've given you all the answers you want … and to be honest, you're suspected of illegal torture …"
Raphael smiled and flipped to the next document without changing his expression.
"In fact, I have a list of bad debts that you've accumulated over the years by robbing Peter to pay Paul."
Dagori's expression changed.
Raphael continued as he observed the other party's watch.
"And a list of your assets outside of the wine business: six estates in the Central Territory, two long-distance merchant ships docked at Maiden Harbor, a large plantation in South Coast Hill, a saltworks in the Land of Cliffs, a large field in Blade Edge Hill, two foreign titles bought at a high price, your wife's private garden, the positions of your two sons, as well as the assets under the names of your three mistresses and eight other illegitimate children …"
Seeing the change in Dagori's expression, Raphael narrowed his eyes.
"If I send them to the Department of Finance and the Department of Justice …"
Dagori swallowed, but he said firmly, "You're right.
"Then go ahead."
Raphael frowned.
Dagori got up from the back of the chair, leaned against the table, and gritted his teeth.
"I can guarantee that no matter where you go, you'll only get one answer: that's my legal income, with all the necessary documents and clear property rights.
"If you dare to use the public power of the king's officials to extort, illegally embezzle private property, and do such a vicious thing to a powerless civilian businessman?"
"Wow, this is a serious crime, and it goes against the kingdom's policy of encouraging the market and supporting commerce for more than a decade."
The wine merchant glared at Raphael fiercely, as if he wanted to return the favor of having his nose broken.
"It won't be good if this news gets out. With my status, I guarantee that many chambers of commerce will protest, including many righteous and open-minded bureaucrats and nobles, and powerful people from all over the country. They will all speak out.
"By then, it'll be your boss who doesn't want to see me anymore."
Dagori's tone was threatening.
"Because you're not touching me, but the cheese of many big shots behind me.
"Do you understand?
"Now, whether it's a labor dispute or a tax issue, you have no reason to detain me."
Raphael closed the document in his hand and began to size Dagori up again, as if realizing for the first time how difficult this person was to deal with.
The latter looked back at him coldly and shook the shackles on his hands.
After a few seconds, Raphael smiled.
He was handsome to begin with, and this smile was warm and bright, which made him feel even more favorable.
The Barren Bone man stood up, took out his key, and unlocked Dagori's shackles in an almost ingratiating manner.
"Please rest assured, Mr. Moss. This evidence will not be sent to the Department of Finance or the Court of Justice. We don't want to be troubled by the people behind you."
Seeing that his strategy had worked, Dagori, who was freed from his shackles, looked overjoyed.
"Very good. In my opinion, you're young and have a bright future ahead of you. You're a promising young man — how should I address you?"
But Raphael did not answer. He just continued the topic.
"I'll just pack up these documents and send them to Jade City."
Dagori was stunned.
"What?"
Raphael's smile was like a spring breeze and rain.
"Yes, send them to Iris Castle, to the desk of the ruler of South Coast Hill, Duke Zayen Covendier.
"How's that?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
