19. Rescuing the Right Person

Zhou Hongyi calculated in his mind. The last time he bought a Krog pistol, it cost twenty silver dollars. If he lost six pistols, two rifles, a grenade, and five hundred bullets, the few dozen silver dollars he had on him clearly wouldn’t be enough.

“Here’s what we can do, brother. I don’t have that much money on me today. I’ll leave ten silver dollars as a deposit and come back tomorrow to redeem it. Let’s settle on a price—three hundred silver dollars for all the items he sold. How does that sound?”

The long-haired man pondered for a moment, then chuckled, “Going back to get money won’t do. I can’t guarantee those parts will still be intact when you return.”

“Brother, you’re asking a bit much. How about this: I’ve got a watch that’s worth some money. I’ll pawn it to you as well. When I get the cash, I’ll redeem it from you. That should show good faith, right? If that’s still no good, then I have no choice. After all, I’m not that close to the Blind Man yet—you can’t expect me to strip down to my underwear for you, can you?”

“Of course, you could always kill him while I’m gone, but then you’d have to cover the whole loss yourself. From what I hear, your boss doesn’t know about this yet, right? If he finds out, even you, as the leader, won’t escape responsibility. It’s better to take my advice: spare his life, I’ll pay off the debt. Look at him—you’ve beaten him to a pulp. He’s already been punished. Isn’t it better if everyone ends up happy?”

The long-haired man lowered his head and thought for a while. Zhou Hongyi realized he was right—the Axe Gang’s boss was still in the dark. As long as this guy could cover the loss, it would be like nothing happened. Besides, since Zhou was footing the bill, there was no reason to hesitate.

“Alright, sir, you’re reasonable. I’m not one to stall either. Bring him out!”

Two Axe Gang members dragged the barely conscious Blind Man out of the warehouse, leaving a long trail of blood on the floor.

“Sir, you can take the Blind Man now. Leave the watch and money here. Come back tomorrow with the rest. I, Chen Xiaodao, will recognize you as a friend. If you refuse to pay, it’ll be a problem. His mother is seriously ill and can’t travel far. I know where she lives. It won’t just be one or two deaths if you don’t play fair.”

Zhou Hongyi thought to himself, “He’s quite particular.” He couldn’t help but clasp his fists and nod. “So it’s you, Brother Xiaodao. Don’t worry—I, Zhou Hongyi, stand by my word. Money is just an external possession. If it helps a friend, how could I be stingy with a little?”

“You’re generous, sir. Three hundred silver dollars are just a trifle to you. If you want to buy weapons in the future, come find me, Xiaodao. Same place. Just mention my name and no one will stop you.”

“Good, Brother Xiaodao. I admire a man like you. You’re a friend I’ve decided on! Here—take this, ten silver dollars and my gold watch. Keep them safe. I’ll bring the money tomorrow.”

Zhou Hongyi handed over his watch and ten silver dollars to one of the men, then helped the Blind Man up, draping the man’s arm over his shoulder as they headed toward the dock.

Only after rounding a corner and out of sight did he finally relax.

“Hey, Blind Man, are you dead or alive? If you’re alive, walk on your own. Don’t lean on me like that. Do you think you’re light?”

After Zhou spoke, the Blind Man coughed awkwardly and stopped leaning on him.

“Sir, no, benefactor! You’ve spent so much for me... my life isn’t worth this price!”

Although his face was covered in blood, the Blind Man’s injuries weren’t as severe as they looked. His gasping on the ground was an act. Even if Zhou hadn’t saved him, the man would have found a chance to escape.

“Enough. I didn’t save you for anything else but your filial piety. What illness does your mother have?”

The Blind Man scratched his head sheepishly, wiping his nosebleed with his sleeve and muttering softly, “My mother… my mother…”

“What’s wrong with her? Speak up!” Zhou impatiently pressed.

“She’s… pregnant again.”

“What?”

Zhou almost bit his tongue hearing this. He had just praised the man’s filial devotion, imagining his mother was seriously ill. How could she be pregnant? This was like a dead tree blossoming again—a second spring! What was going on?

Zhou looked utterly stunned. The Blind Man hurried to explain, “My mother had me young, at fourteen. I’m sixteen now, and she’s only thirty. She was deceived and abandoned, and now she’s carrying someone else’s child. She didn’t dare tell me and hid it until the belly grew too big. I found a midwife, but it’s a difficult birth. She needs surgery at a foreign hospital. We don’t have the money, but she’s about to give birth with no other choice. I had to come up with a plan…”

“You… your mother really is something else!”

Zhou shook his head in disbelief, giving a thumbs-up with double meaning. He pulled out twenty silver dollars from his pocket and tossed them to the Blind Man.

“This money should be enough to keep your mother’s pregnancy stable and buy some supplements. Along with what you earned selling weapons, it should be enough. If not, that doctor is ripping you off. I can help you contact a proper Western hospital if needed. Honestly... what kind of trouble do I keep running into every day?”

The Blind Man held the twenty silver dollars, so moved he nearly cried. His tears hadn’t fallen yet, but the nosebleed flowed again.

“Thank you... thank you, benefactor! I, the Blind Man, will repay your kindness whether as a beast of burden or otherwise! Don’t worry, consider this money a loan—I’ll definitely pay you back! The worst is my mother’s lover, cheating her out of money and love! She’s been dancing at the Paramount for a month and earned quite a bit, but that pretty boy tricked it all away.”

“Wait, you said your mother dances where?”

“At the Paramount. She was somewhat famous before and sang well, but she had a flaw—falling for one man after another. My biological father deceived her first. Then she went after three more men, all ended badly. Now, not only was she cheated out of money and her body, but she’s returning pregnant, about to give me a brother or sister. You see the mess? I can barely support myself, let alone a child.”

Zhou’s eyes flickered. This was truly a stroke of luck—finding what he sought without searching. Well, not entirely without cost; he lost some money.

But with this connection to the Blind Man’s mother, his chances of entering the Paramount’s dressing room increased significantly. At the very least, it wouldn’t seem so abrupt or suspicious. As for the system’s check-in location this time, who knew what skills it would unlock? It seemed saving this Blind Man was the right move after all.