Verak was relieved. He sat aside very relaxedly, listening to Nord and Dempsey's drunken conversation, and quietly waited for the arrival of the Thomas family.
"I really want to drink a glass of the Imbit wine from our restaurant. It has a fragrant taste, and a small bottle costs twenty gold grams. It is enough to cover my income for half a year..." Nord sipped the low-quality wine in the cup.
I sipped just a little, and didn't rush to swallow it. I just swirled it around in my mouth, feeling the mellow aroma behind the sourness and bitterness on my taste buds, as if I was drinking the Imbit wine that even some nobles considered luxurious.
"Have you had any?" Dempsey asked as he took a sip of wine.
"Uh... no..." Nord replied nonchalantly, "That's twenty gold grams of wine, and it's not just a casual thing for the rich people. How could I take advantage of it? Anyway, it's better than anything else.
There are so many more things that ordinary people can afford to drink in such a dirty street like ours. This is purely something that the bottom class of society pours into their stomachs to fill their illusory or vulgar entertainment, and it has no quality value at all."
In Nord's view, those in the upper class are damn rich people who like to consider the subtle beauty between the vintages of fine wines, and are willing to spend huge sums of money for a slight difference in taste.
"Where did you hear this incomprehensible description?" Verak asked with a frown.
"The customers in the restaurant said it," Nord said.
Dempsey shook his head, not thinking how bad the wine he drank was, nor how good the wine Nord had seen in high-end restaurants was: "What's wrong with twenty gold grams? It's full after eating.
Go buy such expensive wine. These upper-class people are mentally ill. We still have to live our lives peacefully."
"It's boring for you to say that. It's obviously because you have no knowledge. You have to talk like you have money." Nord was disgusted with Dempsey's preaching to him, and he immediately felt very disappointed.
"Do you like your life like this now?" Verak suddenly interrupted the conversation between the two.
Nord and Dempsey all looked at Verak, wondering why he asked this.
"You don't have to look at me like that, I'm just asking casually." Verak said.
"...Who wants to?" Dempsey was the first to be reluctant. He was the oldest, hardest-working, and lowest-paid of the three people present.
Nord also became unusually melancholy: "Yeah, who wants to?"
Verak knew that he actually asked a knowing question, but he still chose to do it just now. Because now the future of his two friends can be decided by him. He can choose to send them away and go to Laize alone tonight.
Because, you can also choose to take them with you to win a better future together.
After asking these questions, Verak already knew something in his mind: "I'll treat you to a nice drink tonight."
"Are you serious? You didn't drink much today. Why are you inviting me to dinner and drinks at the same time?" Nord asked in surprise.
"Verak is a rare luxury, so cherish it!" Dempsey stood up reluctantly, fearing that Verak would regret it and run errands to buy wine.
The slums are filled with bars, chess and card rooms and other simple entertainment venues. After a hard day's work, the evening is a rare time for these people living at the bottom to enjoy themselves, so both the streets and the apartments are extremely lively.
At around eleven o'clock, when the three of them were getting drunk, there was a knock on the door.
Dempsey was a little unhappy: "Is there anyone looking for you so late?"
"Maybe it's something urgent." Verak looked serious and took a sip from the wine glass, knowing that someone from the Thomas family was here.
"I'm going to open the door." A drunken Nord staggered forward to open the door with bare feet. As soon as he opened the door, he was kicked to the ground!
"Uh!" The kick was so strong that Nord curled up on the ground and couldn't get up.
The visitor is not good!
Dempsey was more than half awake, so he grabbed the wine bottle and prepared to be forced into a fierce fight. But when he saw the two black gun muzzles at the door, he immediately let go of the wine bottle and raised his hands to express surrender.
"Clang." The wine bottle fell to the ground, rolled to the door, and was stepped on by a foot.
Holding a pistol, a middle-aged man with a bald head and a gentle face walked out from the two tall uninvited guests. The man covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, squinted his eyes, kicked the bottle away, and entered the house.
Verak stood up and looked at the man. This man was Verak's nightmare, Fletcher, the butler of the Thomas family.
"We're done." Dempsey muttered next to Verak, covered in cold sweat.
The slums are a place that has nothing to do with health and stability.
The city of Tsvod, which belongs to Jose County, is located on the border of the Bressi Republic and borders the Castelia Empire. There are more people who come from other places with unclean hands and feet, carrying human lives on their bodies, and are wanted.
A ruthless character.
In Dempsey's view, this group of people were most likely desperadoes, so he took the lead and said, "If you need money, we can give you all the money."
"It's unbelievable." Fletcher ignored his words and walked closer to look at Verak's face. "There are actually people who look exactly the same in the world..."
Fletcher seemed to have seen a scene that could subvert all three views, and the shock in his eyes never faded for a long time.
Verak looked at Fletcher, looking at that deceptive and kind face, he couldn't help but recall the humiliation and abuse he suffered from day and night in Lazerin, and the time he shot him in the heart in his previous life.
One scene after another.
It was the first time in twenty-six years that Verak was so afraid of someone. So even though he was fully mentally prepared, he still subconsciously secreted a lot of saliva in his mouth.
"The time has come for you to enjoy your glory and wealth." Fletcher congratulated meaningfully, then waved his hand and said, "Kill them two."
The two armed men standing at the door immediately pointed their guns at Dempsey and Nord.
"Don't shoot!" Verak stretched out his hand to stop him, "Who are you? You can talk about anything!"
"Shh." Fletcher turned around and slowly walked to the door and closed it, making a hoarse voice, "They have no value."
Nord's face looked painful, and he collapsed on the ground and let out a weak moan.
Verak stood side by side with Dempsey, who was sweating coldly, and continued to pretend not to know: "Can you explain what is going on first? We haven't done anything, why are you killing us? If you want money, we can give it to you.
All for you."
"Don't worry, I won't kill you." Fletcher looked very leisurely, looking around the shabby room as he replied.
"What about them?" Verak asked.
"I have already said that they have no value." Fletcher looked a little unhappy and seemed to dislike answering repeated questions. "I will explain it to you slowly later. First, I will explain these two to you quickly.
Just deal with the friends who are dragging you down."
"If you want to kill them, you have to kill me first, or let us all live." Verak had already successfully tested it in his previous life, so this time he spoke firmly without any worries and tied Nord and Dempsey to himself.
"You don't look scared." Fletcher was a little surprised that Verak would say this, raised his eyebrows and smiled.
"I reiterate once again, if you want to kill them, kill me first, or they will all live." Verak still maintained his previous state, and did not pretend to be panic immediately after Fletcher said this.
Fletcher's eyes were filled with appreciation and amusement, and he stared at Verak for a long time: "...Then take them with you."
"...This is definitely a wise choice." Verak breathed a sigh of relief.
"Really, really?" Dempsey asked cautiously as he looked at Fletcher and the two gunmen behind him who looked like death.
"Put the gun down." Fletcher ordered the two men to put the gun down.
The situation has eased a lot.
"Without further ado, let's leave now and rush back to Lezein." Fletcher turned around and went out.
"Lazein?" Nord, who was sweating profusely, stood up with a grin on his face. He looked around at Verak and Dempsey, wondering why he suddenly wanted to go to a place so far away from their world.
Apart from the bright lights and extreme prosperity, their impression of Lezein is the famous workers' movement that broke out in this city a year ago. It was this huge demonstration and protest that forced the people who had just overthrown the old dynasty to
The provisional government issued the first-ever decree on workers' working hours. It was precisely because of this new decree that the daily working hours of workers in Brescia were generally reduced from thirteen hours to twelve hours.
"Yes." Fletcher went out and saw that Verak and the other three were still stunned. "There's no need to pack anything, Lezein has everything."
Dempsey knew that it was definitely not a good thing, so he hesitated and said again and again: "I am just a steelworker, I have no value to you..."
Fletcher left without even looking at Dempsey.
Facing two expressionless strong men with guns, Verak and Demps had no choice but to help Nord out the door.
Two horse-drawn trucks have been parked downstairs in the apartment.
"You can't be too ostentatious, so on the way to Tswold Railway Station, you can only take a truck." Fletcher said politely to Verak, and then entered the compartment of the first truck.
Verak and Demps helped Nord, who still had a stomachache, and boarded the first truck, staying with the gentle-looking Fletcher.
Fletcher sat opposite Verak. Under the moonlight, Verak could see his deep eyes and the amiable smile on his face.
After everyone got on the car, the driver drove the horses forward.
Due to poor sanitation, the streets of the slums that had just rained were filled with a stench like a garbage dump.
Fortunately, the government had laid telegraph lines, roads and other infrastructure here a long time ago. In addition, the apartment where Verak lived was already on the edge. It took the truck less than ten minutes to drive out of this chaotic and rambling place.
, a depressing place.
"It's hard to imagine that there are thousands of such parasitic slums in Bressy alone." After leaving the slum, Fletcher was greatly relaxed and subconsciously said something in a despicable tone.
Hearing this, Nord Dempsey looked very unhappy.
Verak turned his head and looked back. The slums were getting farther and farther away from him.
He has lived here for more than twenty years and has fantasized about escaping from this swamp-like place countless times.