Chapter 237
“Let’s not talk about your father’s imprisonment first . Financially aiding political enemies should start a new conflict between Redmond and Malcolm . We need to investigate the Normand matter first . ”
“Normand, who is that?”
“The black-market alliance that you know right now is actually not the first in existence .
“I heard my father mentioning it before . Three years ago, another black-market alliance was established in Nassau . However, it did not end well . It existed only for a short period of time, and it was dismissed soon that . ”
“The leader of that alliance was Normand . We all know Redmond as the most experienced black-market merchant in Nassau . When Normand was still around, he was the most respected black-market merchant on this island, which was why he was chosen as the alliance’ leader . During that time, Redmond was second in command . Not too long after that, the whole thing was managed poorly, and Normand’s reputation was destroyed thanks to that . He left many angry and resentful . After that alliance was dismissed, Normand secretly left Nassau . In the end, I heard he died of some illness in his home . ”
“Does this incident have anything to do with Malcolm? He’s been only on the island for a year, right?”
“He made a name for himself during that time . Of course, it fades in comparison to what he’s achieved today . He played a big part in the establishment of the black-market alliance, but he chose to lay low instead . I believe he is not a good man . ”
Zhang Heng then passed the notebooks to Carina .
“Malcolm incited the black-market merchants against Normand . Why would he do that? Isn’t he one of the supporters of the black-market alliance?” he asked .
“He is one of the supporters of the black-market alliance, but he wants to be the one in charge of it all . It was too soon for Malcolm to do anything when Normand formed the alliance, having only been in Nassau for a year . His position and growth were limited, and it wouldn’t be good for him if the alliance managed to fortify their territory on the island . If he wanted to grow and expand further, he had to put a stop to the black-market alliance . To achieve that, it was done in great secrecy . I heard that he used a courier called Eugene . ”
“Eugene? The intelligence trader who lived on our island?”
“Well, he was once a black-market merchant as well . Once the alliance was dismissed, he switched jobs as an intelligence dealer . We need to talk to him . Amongst the merchants, Normand’s reputation was unparalleled . Though the black-market alliance incident had cost him his good reputation, he still holds the respect of many . For years now, his best friend was always Raymond .
“After Normand passed away, Redmond took care of his funeral and buried him . If we can get Eugene to testify against Malcolm, we could deepen the conflict between Malcolm and Redmond . With the letters that the two have, I believe it would hit Malcolm harder than exposing your father’s issue . Considering that the black-market alliance isn’t doing well, I believe that we can land him a critical hit if we expose this old incident about him . ”
Just as Zhang Heng finished, someone ran into the cellar . It was Cauchy .
“Something bad is happening at the mansion! You guys better head to the central plaza and take a look . ”
Fifteen minutes later, Zhang Heng and Carina arrived at the central plaza with their faces covered . A large number of people had already gathered . At the center of it all, a naked black man was being tied to a wooden stake . There were whip marks and open wounds all over his body, and he seemed to be not long for this world . The butler that Zhang Heng met before at Terrance Mansion, Wallace, stood there calmly .
“I’m going to give you one last chance . Who have you been contacting outside the mansion? Who did he ask you to pass the message to? Tell me his name, and I will let you go! I’ll give your freedom back to you! What do you think, eh? Isn’t that what you’ve always wanted? To become a free man . ”
The black man’s mouth remained shut, causing Wallace to instinctively pick the whip before slashing the man again . The poor soul howled in pain when a big chunk of flesh on his back was torn off by the whip . Soon, he could no longer stand the pain, and he lost consciousness .
After that, Wallace lifted a bucket of water and splashed it on the man . It did it’s work, waking him up with his face all twisted .
“You lot won’t stop begging me to be more merciful! Alright! Right now, I will show you mercy! You have my promise, and the people around you shall bear witness to my words . As long as you give me the name, I will release you immediately . Before you leave, I will even throw in a doctor to treat your injuries . As a bonus, you will be given a new set of clothes so you can leave this place with honor . Honestly, I can’t think of a better deal than this . All I want are the names . Just give me the two damn names, and we can end this bloody farce!”
The black man started panting rapidly . Nonetheless, after a short while, he decided that he would not say a word to the butler .
“This is why I hate your kind . The kind that will never learn how to put themselves in the shoes of others . Why do you have to turn this into an ugly scene?” growled Wallace in a disappointed tone .
After that, Wallace stood up and took two steps back . The supervisor behind him moved to the front again . The black man was trembling, dreading terrible things would befall him soon . Laeli could bear it no more, and was about to punch Wallace in the face . However, someone grabbed his arm before he could go .
“Calm down . The reason why Wallace chose this placewas to make sure that you get to see all of it . If you show yourself right now, you are walking right into their trap . The man on the pillar… is that your contact?”
Laeli nodded as he clenched his jaws, trying his best to suppress his anger .
“His name is Nadya, a kitchen helper in the mansion . In the morning, he would usually visit the market with the chef to get the day’s supplies . We would secretly meet up and I’ll pass him the messages for Leah . ”
“How did Wallace come to know about it?”
“We always met behind the cook’s back . I’m pretty sure that another kitchen helper sold him out, and the traitor is apparently not from my tribe . However, Nadya told me that he had been dealt with . I tried my best to meet up with him only when he was alone . Then, I realized that another kitchen helper would always stand close by whenever we talked . All the slaves who have been granted permission to step out of the mansion are usually very obedient . Still, he is worried that some of them might escape when they are out . That is why he would never let his slaves stray too far . Just so you know, I made sure to always cover my face when I talked to Nadya . No one should recognize me unless they know me well!”
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