The outstanding poet Byron has passed away, but his poems will remain in the world forever.
At this moment, Edmond Dantès was silently reciting this "Elegy of Greece" and wandering in this land of never-ending peace.
His current location is a small port called Lavrion, located at the southernmost tip of the Balkan Peninsula, very close to Athens.
In the past, it was a busy port city where fishermen and merchant ships shuttled between Asia and Europe.
Now, the back-and-forth raids by the rebels and the Turkish army have left this area in a state of war and chaos for a long time, and the port has also declined.
The long-term war has made the residents poorer and unable to afford foreign goods; the war has also discouraged businessmen from seeking safer places to trade, so the desolation and dilapidation here is inevitable.
While all walks of life were in rapid decline, one business suddenly prospered abnormally: military supplies.
At present, the Turkish and Egyptian coalition forces are gathering on Greek soil on a large scale to pacify this rebellious land for the Ottoman Empire, and this small port has also become one of the transshipment ports behind this army.
.
Soldiers, weapons and other military supplies were continuously sent from the hinterland of the empire to supply the army on the front line.
At present, the counter-rebels have occupied most of the land in Greece, suppressing the rebels and the Greek Republican government to a small piece of land in the southernmost Peloponnese Peninsula. In the eyes of the rulers of Istanbul, they are now close to success.
, with just a little more energy, this group of rebels can be completely crushed, the empire's prestige can be restored, and its remaining territory can be preserved.
As for what kind of devastation the people on this land will experience, they don't care at all.
It can even be said that in order to shock the people here, they don't mind using the most cruel and terrifying methods.
On April 11, 1822, the Turkish army launched the tragic Chios Massacre to punish the Greek rebels. On the small island of Chios, about 25,000 people were brutally killed, and another 45,000 people were killed.
(mainly women and children) were sold into slavery. Earlier, the Turks massacred the Greeks in Istanbul in 1821. Even if most of these Greeks continued to be loyal to the empire, they still could not escape death.
It is conceivable that if the rebel army finally fails in the battle against the Turkish army and the bloodthirsty and brutal Turkish army sweeps across Greece, then the previous tragedy will be staged across the entire Greek land.
Edmond Dantès desperately hoped that his master could prevent this horrific scene from becoming a reality.
Although he had only been in Greece for a few days, he had seen the prosperity of Paris and was shocked by the desolation and dilapidation here and the tragic disasters suffered by the local people.
Greece!
At this time, Greece was not a country, but a geographical term, a collective name for the landmass in the southern part of the Balkan Peninsula and a series of islands scattered throughout the Aegean Sea.
It was ruled by the Ottoman Empire for centuries and allowed itself to fall into obscurity.
It would be fine if he was just an ignorant sailor, but he learned so much knowledge from Father Faria, which inspired his emotions. He felt very deeply that in this birthplace of science, civilization once bloomed.
’s dazzling brilliance.
Just because he knew its past glory, he became increasingly indignant at its current situation and suffering.
After facing and experiencing the disaster here personally, he suddenly became as angry as Byron.
Byron and so many victims did not complete this work, but the torch they lit has not been extinguished and is still burning. Now, it is Edmond Dantès and his comrades who are picking up the torch.
It's time.
Edmond Dantès has become extremely convinced that their cause is just, even if the original motive is for profit, at least objectively they are fighting to make the world a better place, and they are completely unashamed.
Of course, it is not enough to be passionate. Edmond Dantès has long passed the age of passion. He can suppress his indignation and act calmly according to the situation.
He now belongs to a group, and he is burdened with a task given by the Lord, and he must complete the task.
It was a hot summer day. He was wearing the clothes of an Arab merchant and a white turban on his head. He was walking through the dilapidated streets of Lavrion with two followers and a local translator he had paid to recruit.
This used to be a residential area with many fishermen's shacks, but now most of them are dilapidated and crowded together like dead beetles, and most of the owners of the houses have disappeared, and through the cracks between the houses
In the small gaps, from time to time, you can still see a few beheaded and nameless corpses on the beach, silently telling the disasters that this place has suffered. Even the sea breeze you breathe seems to carry a bit of the smell of blood. Obviously, this place is still
Not peaceful.
Under the guidance of the middleman, they found a shack in the maze-like alley and closed the door.
In the room, several people were gathering. At this moment, they all raised their heads and looked at Edmond Dantès, who had just entered the door.
These people all wore blue shirts, white trousers, and red caps on their heads. This was the uniform of the Egyptian army.
They all had weapons in their hands and watched the people coming in warily.
Looking at their murderous eyes, Edmond Dantès knew clearly that these people had definitely killed someone, and there were more than one or two.
When he was running around on merchant ships, he had seen many desperadoes, and they also looked at him with such contempt for life.
In order not to misunderstand them, he raised his hands to show that he was not hostile, and his actions also reduced the hostility of this group of people.
"I'm here to negotiate a deal!" he said in his half-baked Arabic.
The leading officer looked at him for a few times, then gently waved his hand to signal the people around him to put down their weapons.
At the same time, Edmond Dantes also took the opportunity to size up the opponent.
This is a young officer about 30 years old. He has a dark face and a few short black curly hairs peeking out from under his hat. He has distinct facial features and very bright eyes. From his open lapel, you can see a large area of bronze skin and very strong muscles.
, full of explosive power.
He had a sword and a pistol on his body, and he was obviously on alert at all times.
After looking at Edmond Dantès carefully, he nodded slightly, then pointed to a small wooden pier in front of him and motioned Edmond Dantès to sit down.
"Are you the businessman who wants to buy our goods this time?" he asked coldly.
As if to take care of Edmund, he spoke very slowly, so Edmond Dantès could easily understand him.
"Yes." He nodded heavily, "I want to buy some... products from you."
This is the result of his recent efforts.
Before being imprisoned, Edmond Dantès knew many smugglers. After coming to Monte Cristo Island, he also deliberately came into contact with this underground world.
Since arriving in Greece, in order to complete the mission assigned by His Majesty, he began to use the network of smugglers to try to contact those in the Turkish and Egyptian armies who secretly sold arms.
As your Majesty said, if you want to buy military supplies and weapons, buying them from an army is the easiest way. If this army is currently at war, it would be even more ideal. The silverfish in the army can easily use it.
"Battle losses" were used as an excuse to resell military supplies secretly.
Edmond Dantès used the existing network to find reliable candidates, and after some setbacks, he finally found a reliable trading partner.
And today is the day they meet.
"I am Wilmore." Edmond Dantès reported the pseudonym he used in this transaction, and then continued in broken Arabic, "I hope to buy a large amount from you.
Ordnance, the more the better, and it would be even better if there are cannons..."
The officer did not answer his question immediately, but suddenly grinned.
Not only did his smile not make him look gentle, but it actually added a bit of weirdness, as if he was a ferocious beast that was about to choose someone to devour him at any time.
"You are French," the officer asserted.
Edmond Dantès was immediately shocked when his origins were revealed in just one meeting. What was even more shocking was that the officer spoke in French.
Although he was a little flustered, he maintained his composure on the surface.
"I guess it doesn't matter. Gold is gold in any country." He replied coolly in Arabic.
"Stop beating around the bush, sir. Your Arabic is good, but there are a few syllables that are clearly identifiable as French." The officer suddenly began to speak in fluent French, "Don't worry, most of them are French."
People can’t tell it, but I’ve lived in France for many years, so I know it.”
Edmond Dantès didn't speak anymore, he just looked at the other person quietly, waiting for his next words.
"Don't worry, they don't understand French, it doesn't matter what we say." The officer continued, "Besides, I am their leader, and they all obey my orders very much."
Then he extended his hand to Edmond Dantès.
"Arslan Yusuf Naqif, my name."
【Double Set*1】
Although he didn't understand the other party's intention, judging from the other party's behavior, Edmond Dantès thought that he didn't have any hostility, so he raised his hand and held the other party's hand.
"Why did a Frenchman come over to buy our weapons?" Yusuf Naqif asked after shaking hands.
"I am no longer French, I am a businessman now, and I want to run all profitable businesses." Edmond Dantès also answered in French. "The arms business is the most profitable, so I am willing to work for it.
adventure."
"To whom? Our enemies?" Yusuf Naqif asked.
"Do you care about this?" Edmond Dantès asked.
Before the other party could get angry, he softened his tone and said, "But I can assure you, it's not. Because the Greeks can't afford big prices now."
Yusuf Naqif was stunned for a moment, then grinned.
"A very good reason."
Then, he changed the topic again, "So, how much money are you prepared to pay?"
"I can eat as much as you sell." Edmond Dantès replied proudly.
Then, he took out a money bag from his pocket and handed it to Yusuf Naqif.
Yusuf Naqif took it and opened it.
"Oh!" There was a commotion behind him. Although the soldiers beside him could not hear clearly what they were saying, they could clearly see the golden light of the gold coins in the wallet.
"These are deposits." Edmond Dantès whispered, "Can you trust me now?"
He knew that he was taking a risk. These people might take the bag of gold coins and then disappear, leaving him to lose the money in vain.
But he trusts his middleman. Besides, doing business means taking risks, especially in this kind of business, showing a little sincerity is necessary.
Moreover, he was willing to believe in the guy in front of him because... from the other person's eyes, he saw the fire of ambition and the courage to act boldly.
This guy must be unsatisfied with the status quo. He wants to do bigger things, so he won't give up this business just for a small profit.
As he expected, after a moment of silence, the officer made another gesture to silence the soldiers beside him.
Then, Yusuf Naqif looked at Edmond Dantès with a hawk-like gaze, "You are very rich."
"Yes, but I don't have any more with me now. I have given them all to you." Edmond Dantès was afraid that the other party would suddenly have the idea of robbery, so he quickly replied. "As long as we start to cooperate, I will continue to give them to you."
Put the money into your hands."
The officer was silent again, looking at Edmond Dantès in deep thought.
Under Edmund's nervous gaze, he nodded slowly.
"Okay, several boxes of rifles will be delivered here tomorrow. You can have someone pick them up and give the rest of the payment to my people."
Great... Edmond Dantès breathed a sigh of relief.
His efforts during this period were not in vain, and he finally found someone with whom he could cooperate.
There is no doubt that a few boxes of rifles are not enough to satisfy his and his master's appetite, but it is an excellent start, and as long as he continues to cooperate in the future, he can get more from here.
"Then I wish us happy cooperation in the future." He took the initiative to extend his hand to the other party, and the two shook hands again.
Next, the two people discussed for a while and finalized the details of the specific transaction and delivery.
Now, it was time to leave. He knew that the longer he stayed here, the more likely unforeseen accidents would happen.
"I think I should go back, sir." He said goodbye.
"Goodbye, sir." the other party replied, without any intention of stopping him.
Before leaving, Edmond Dantès couldn't help but be a little curious. "You said you had lived in France before? How did you get there?"
"It doesn't matter if I tell you." Yusuf laughed again, with some aftertaste in his expression, "My father was a Mamluk cavalryman who served for Napoleon and died in Spain. After his empire was over, my father and I
My mother was forced to leave France, and in order to make a living, I had to join Ali Pasha's army."
Under such circumstances, it is no wonder that he has no loyalty to the Egyptian army...