A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 105 Let the Bullets Fly
April 9th, 10:50 am.

The stray dog ​​bite occurred about an hour before the incident.

Cloud Avenue is the most prosperous area in Ashville. Shops selling various luxury goods are only on the first floor of two buildings. Above that, the numerous Baroque buildings are the headquarters of Ashville's major companies, banks, and institutions. To determine whether a company has sufficient influence in Ashville, it is often sufficient to just look at whether its address is on Cloud Avenue.

Across the street from the dessert shop stands a building with a history of nearly a hundred years. It was acquired by a financially strong bank twenty years ago and has a very auspicious name - Ashwell Banker.

On the top floor of Westward Bank, in the office of Quasimodo Whiteman, the bank's major shareholder, a meeting was taking place with the door closed.

The guest was a man from the Western Continent who was dressed somewhat slovenly.

He has red hair, light brown skin, a large, flat nose, and a medium build. He introduces himself to everyone as "Jack".

Sitting opposite the sofa are the banker Quasimodo and the adventurer Boy.

These two people have another identity - the prime minister of the Yengen exile government and the knight commander.

"Jack, you solemnly promised me that you would solve the jewelry store's problems, but now, not only is the parliament investigating us madly, the college has also intervened-"

Quasimodo held the cigar in his hand, but he didn't smoke it. The smoke seemed to swirl into a tangible pressure, enveloping him: "Because of your mistake, we now have to obey the orders of a damned nigger. Shouldn't you have done something?"

Jack smiled cheerfully, revealing the gold teeth inlaid in his back sockets.

"Master Prime Minister, there's an old saying in our Western Continent: You can't buy orcs with the money you pay for livestock. You didn't tell me beforehand that those lunatics would cause such a big trouble."

Quasimodo remained silent.

"You know, I helped you deal with that airship robbery last time. Who in the city still remembers that a batch of arcane materials was stolen? The Council also found a scapegoat, so they can report to the Academy."

Boyi, who was standing behind the Prime Minister, snorted coldly and said at the right moment, "Then where is the scapegoat this time?"

"Hey, dear knight, that's not how business is done."

Jack bent down and gestured on the table.

"For example, this is the scapegoat I found. First of all, you have to understand one concept: the scapegoat didn't die in vain. I had to pay for its life, and buying and selling—"

"It's fair."

Jack tilted his head, half-smiling, and said, "The money I spent doesn't match the trouble you've caused. Naturally, I can't bear such a huge blame. If you had told me earlier that I would have to bear the responsibility for over forty lives, one scapegoat wouldn't be enough."

Quasimodo took a puff and crushed his cigar in the ashtray.

"okay."

He looked at Jack with disdain: "Isn't it just money? What's all this chatter? Name a price. What's the price you need to settle this matter?"

Jack clasped his hands together and said sincerely:

"You're talking as if I'm someone obsessed with money. I'm a businessman, but I also value friendship. As a fellow countryman, I also want to help the Higen government solve this problem—"

"That would be great." Quasimodo said with a forced smile.

If it weren't for that damn nigger Ike's repeated requests, he would never have looked for Jack again.

Senator Kaf alone is not enough to settle this matter. The Alexander family is no longer the mountain overlord they were before the Arcane Industrial Revolution. Now even keeping their seats as a member of parliament has become a luxury. Naturally, it is impossible for them to suppress such a big storm.

Some other help is also needed, such as the Abyss Transcendent in front of us.

As a former high-ranking official of the country, Quasimodo knew about the existence of extraordinary beings, and even understood and came into contact with the secrets of fate in the abyss.

In the chaotic Western Continent, the activity level of the Abyss Transcendents is much higher than that in the other three continents.

These people cannot be simply summarized as "cultists" or "madmen". They have a unique logic of action and are willing to do so even if it means being hunted down by the cult and wanted by the whole world.

Those who come into contact with the Abyss Transcendents often do not have a good ending. The way to advance in this destiny is purely to harm others and benefit oneself, and Jack's fate he did not hide -

greedy.

He talks about "fairness", but is it really fair to do business with such a person?
Jack held up two fingers.

"Twenty thousand pounds?"

Quasimodo frowned and couldn't help blaming the prince for causing this series of troubles.

"Forget about it being double what it was at the beginning. As long as you can handle it, that's fine. Or are you going to write a bearer check from Clock Tower Bank like last time?"

Jack shook his head.

"Twenty thousand? What are you thinking? It's much more than that."

Quasimodo took a deep breath. Boy beside him was already furious: "Two hundred thousand gold pounds?! (Western Continent elegant language), I'll take your head to the Divine Church and see if I can get two hundred thousand in exchange."

The Yeongeun government-in-exile is not that rich.

The treasury of Yeongen had long been drained by endless wars, and these old men and young men were not important figures before the country was destroyed, so naturally they did not get any share of the family property when they fled.

The finances of the exiled government were scraped together by a few stray dogs and managed bit by bit through years of hard work. The reason they wanted to hold on to the prince was not only for legal reasons, but also because without him, their community of interests would fall apart.

Two hundred thousand gold pounds is really a life-threatening expense. If they could easily spend two hundred thousand, the exiled government would have already launched an army to fight back to the Western Continent. Why would they have to hide in the city sewers and even have to look at the arcanist's mood to buy some gems?
But Jack was still shaking his head.

".What do you mean?" Quasimodo stared at him.

"What I mean," Jack said stiffly, "is that I want 20 percent of the Westward Bank."

Before he could finish his words, Quasimodo's face turned ashen.

Seeing Boy about to step forward, Jack said hurriedly, "This price is already very low!"

"Very low—?" Quasimodo laughed in anger. "How low is it? Do you know how much a 20% stake is worth?"

"The academy has already intervened in the investigation. You don't think a few hundred thousand pounds can settle the academy's affairs, do you? The amount of water needed to put out a small flame before a fire breaks out is vastly different from the amount needed to put out an entire building after the fire has broken out."

Quasimodo took a deep breath. That's right.

The main reason why Congressman Kraft couldn't handle it was the college.

".Can you bribe the academy?"

"I don't have that ability either." Jack smiled slightly and said, "But there are people who do have that ability, provided you can afford the price."

"Can't you have something else?" Quasimodo stared at him angrily.

There is a reason why the Prime Minister is so angry.

Because these shares of Westward Advance Bank are his property, which he has earned after working hard for half of his life.

He also has children in Ashwell. If there is no hope of restoring the country, these will be the family's future inheritance.

Life in the Southern Continent is much better than that in the Western Continent. No matter how powerful Yangen is, it is only within the scope of the Western Continent. If it is placed in the South, which has been peaceful for a thousand years, it cannot even compare with the worst principality.

These old folk simply missed the feeling of being above everyone else in Yangen, trampling over the law and the dignity of the common people. In Eswell, they had to disguise themselves, pretending to be kind, enduring the contempt of the white pigs for the people of the Western Continent, and living in a restricted state. Even after half a lifetime, this gap still made them unable to let go.

"Even if you give up 20 percent of your shares, you'll still have something left."

Quasimodo gritted his teeth.

He secretly glanced at Boyi beside him, but he didn't expect that Boyi was also looking at him.

"I need to discuss this in Cabinet."

Quasimodo regretted that Boy was here to protect his safety.

But it seemed better now that this guy wasn't around. Now that he'd heard everything, he'd definitely bring it up with the other elders of the exiled government. If Ek knew about this, he'd definitely make things worse. The little prince was terrified by him and didn't dare to oppose him at all.
I'm afraid I can't keep my bank.

But if they survive this crisis, and once the professor's research is completed and an elite army is armed with guns and artificial circuits, then restoring the country will be a sure thing.

While Quasimodo was lost in thought, Jack had already stood up.

"Master Prime Minister, please take your time to think about it. I will take my leave now."

Because the major religious cults are ruthlessly hunting down the extraordinary people in the abyss, he will never stay in a place that is difficult to escape for too long.

".How can I contact you next time?"

"Old rules."

Jack pulled out a bookmark of "The Legend of the Brave" from his pocket.

"Put the bookmark in the infertility book."

When leaving the Westward Bank Building, Jack looked out the door cautiously to avoid being followed.

Soon, he saw a familiar carriage. Even the heavy rain could not obscure the golden light of the family crest.

He frowned slightly and saw a girl getting off the carriage. Her long pink hair floated into the dessert shop as lightly as clouds.

He immediately took out a silver coin and said to the bank security guard at the door, "Hey, sir, my hearing isn't very good and it's raining, so I didn't hear the bells of the Eternal Church. Can you tell me what time it is?"

The security guard happily took the silver coin and said, "The clock struck eleven just now."

"grateful."

The security guard was stunned. What happened?
The sound of rain suddenly became quieter? The street also became quiet.
Jack leaned safely against the gate, using the huge Roman column to shield his body, and the conversation across the street reached his ears word for word.

The principal's foolish son is protected by the academy's experts. What if Quinn becomes resentful towards the Branson family because of this?
A look of extreme surprise flashed across his eyes, and he didn't come out from behind the door until the carriage drove away.

Looking at the drizzling rain, Jack shifted his hands to his chest, thought for a long time, and finally decided to stay and watch.

He pretended to be anxious and rushed into the rain.

"Ma'am, ma'am—"

The citizens of Eastville are not all wealthy middle-class people. There is also a large number of people who live paycheck to paycheck and work in the service industry or manual labor with meager incomes. The rent and living costs alone can burn through their hard-earned monthly wages.

For example, this young woman, her clothes looked a little worn, and she had no jewelry on. She looked warily at the man from the Western Continent who suddenly approached her. She didn't expect him to pull out a handful of gold coins, about four or five, and hurried away.

"Can you sell me your umbrella? I have an important dinner at noon, just across the street, but I don't want my clothes to get wet." She took the gold coins ecstatically, and handed the umbrella to him for fear that he would go back on his word.

This money is enough to buy hundreds of umbrellas.

Since the rain is about to stop, I might as well go to the bank next door to take shelter from the rain.

After hiding under the eaves, a security guard walked towards her with a serious face after a while.

The woman laughed dryly subconsciously: "I'm not going in. I'll just hide from the rain at the door. If I disturb you."

The security guard acted as if he didn't hear what she said at all.

“Sir—” As if someone with hearing impairment had to speak loudly, the security guard almost shouted at the top of his lungs: “Why is the raindrops silent on the ground? It’s so quiet—”

The woman was so scared that she ran away and hurriedly left the bank.

Why did he call me sir? Is he crazy?
Holding an umbrella, Jack paced back and forth in front of the Westward Bank. For nearly an hour, no one noticed this suspicious guy walking around the street with an umbrella, as if he was just an ordinary passerby.

Finally, he saw the door of the dessert shop open, and a very stylish man walked out with Xia Daier.

The atmosphere between the two of them was not right, there was a sense of ambiguity. Or it could be said that it was a one-way ambiguity. Xia Dai'er was very different from the young lady in Jack's impression. At this moment, she looked more like a sixteen-year-old girl, with a sense of youth.

He frowned and stared at the face of the man in front of Xia Dai'er.

这 是
No wonder, I was wondering why the diamond necklace didn't work at all. Is that guy the son of Principal Grindelwald?!

Jack cursed inwardly.

At this moment, Quinn seemed to want to stop a carriage and walked to the side of the road to look around.

Jack hesitated, but decided not to follow. Grindelwald's monsters were not people he could afford to offend.

Let’s go back and report this information first.

But at this moment.

Jack tilted his head, hey, where did the dog come from?
Isn't this the dog Elon has called Kimi?
Without warning.

Hakimi started from zero frame and bit Jack fiercely.

He was completely unprepared and never expected Hakimi to bite him, and he howled in pain.

Hakimi took a bite, separated the ball with one touch, and ran away.

Jack didn't even bother to beat the dog. He hugged his calf and threw away his umbrella, screaming like Tom the cat whose defense was broken by a mouse.

The dog's teeth were incredibly sharp. It didn't feel like a dog bite, but rather like two rows of sharp swords scratching my calf, tearing my skin and flesh, and causing excruciating pain.

"Ouch, ouch, ouch—"

Halfway through screaming, Jack suddenly regretted his words and immediately shut up.

Sure enough, except for the bank security guard who was half deaf, almost all passers-by within a radius of 100 meters looked at him subconsciously.

This includes Quinn and Xia Daier.

The umbrella fell to the ground, and he could no longer erase his presence like he did in Broom Lane.

He and Quinn looked at each other, one hand covering his bleeding calf, the other hand covering his mouth, and showing an awkward smile of a scholar.

Quinn also smiled, and there was a kind of joy of harvest in his smile.

Jack turned around and ran without saying a word.

"Wait for me here." Quinn instructed Xia Dai'er, "If I'm not back within five minutes, no, ten minutes, you go to the coffee shop across from the Ashwell train station alone. Ankuya is there."

Before Xia Dai'er could answer, Quinn rushed out.

He crossed the road almost in the blink of an eye, leaving behind the coachman shouting, "Are you trying to kill yourself?!"

"That person," Xia Dai'er muttered in confusion, her beautiful eyes slightly frowning, "is it the dismissed attending physician Jack?"

Jack ran with a halting step. His calf was bitten and he had no strength left.

The Fate of the Abyss, like the Cleric, does not provide much physical enhancement, but it is still stronger than ordinary people and can still run.

Quinn probably couldn't catch up to him. Elon said he was an arcanist. The last time he saw him, he looked skinny and emaciated, just like the stereotypical frail, nerdy arcanist.
The sound of breaking wind came from behind.

Jack looked back, almost frightened to death.

Grindelwald has a new athletic student whose legs can fly in the air.

The neat suit did not affect Quinn's movements at all. This was his first full-speed sprint after being promoted to Double Sequence Nine. His terrifying physical fitness gave him coordination comparable to that of a parkour master. He moved nimbly on the crowded streets like a swift flying through the trees, without slowing down at all.

If the Useless Man's Potion gave Quinn the physical fitness comparable to that of a national-level athlete, then after adding the Thief's Potion, Borna would be trapped if he ran with him.

The speed was so fast that by the time Jack reacted, the distance between them was less than fifty meters.

Jack had no choice but to open his mouth in pain, reach out and pull out the gold inlay on his back molars with force.

"A pound of gold can buy ten minutes of health. Deal—"

The bloody golden tooth popped with a crack, and during the explosion, the gold was "traded" away, turning into worthless stone fragments that fell to the ground.

The wound on Jack's leg disappeared and his face became rosy again.

He took out all the gold pounds from his pocket and threw them into the air.

At the same time, he kept one in his hand, held it between his index finger and thumb, aimed it at Quinn and fired it out.

Quinn stopped instantly. His eyesight and reaction were so fast that he predicted the trajectory of the gold pound before it was even shot out.

"I fuck you, Miss Cannon—"

The electromagnetic catapult that Quinn had expected did not appear. The golden pound just drew a parabola and landed in front of Quinn.

It bounced on the ground and there was nothing unusual about it.

Quinn was a little confused. What was he doing? Throwing money around?

He looked at the gold coin, and suddenly, an inexplicable impulse arose in his heart.

greedy.

Exactly the same greedy impulse that Jack had used to sell him the diamond necklace on the night of the robbery!
But Quinn's mental strength was no longer what it used to be. As soon as the thought of picking up the coin came to his mind, he suppressed it.

Who isn't a superhuman?

Quinn sneered and was about to continue chasing, but he found that all the passers-by were looking at him——

No, they are looking at the gold pounds on the ground!

Well-dressed men and women rushed towards him frantically, like old men and women scrambling for free eggs in a supermarket. Even though Quinn was fast and agile, he was bumped several times.

There were already a lot of people on Yunduan Avenue. It had rained all morning and the sky had just cleared up. Everyone rushed out to the streets at this time, and they were attracted by the gold pounds. In the blink of an eye, the road was blocked.

Anyone who picked up the gold pounds would visibly stagger in their steps, as if they had suddenly aged several decades and their legs and feet were no longer as agile as before.

On the other side, Jack was running away faster and faster, and the distance between the two was widened again as one increased and the other decreased.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief, this time the loss was entirely due to his grandmother.

Putting aside the discarded gold coins, the golden tooth was an antique from the Fourth Age, a rare find. It was embedded in the mouth and nourished by blood. It could directly buy off fate for a short period of time without any preparation. It was a secret cursed item used to save one's life, and it was gone just like that.

He didn't dare run along the road, but turned and took a side road.

This is the nightlife street of Yunduan Avenue. Bars, karaoke bars, Dongguo saunas, and even nightclubs with club signs can be found here.

This street seemed much quieter. The surrounding shops were all closed, and some of the women who were soliciting customers hadn't gotten up yet. He could easily hide and find someone to buy his identity.

"Hmph, want to run away?"

Accompanied by a strange cry of "Lightning and whirlwind", Quinn fell from the sky!

A thief can’t just run on the ground. If he can’t climb a wall, what kind of thief is he?
Jack rolled over awkwardly, relying on the speed and physical strength "bribed" from passers-by, and barely avoided Quinn's baton.

He stole this stick from the waist of a law enforcement officer. There are no rubber rollers in this world, they are all solid iron things.

The stick hit the ground, and the floor tiles instantly cracked into a three-centimeter-long crack, which made Jack's eyelids jump.

What's so awesome about this guy?
Although he is not as exaggerated as a combat-professional extraordinary person, he is definitely a martial artist!

Jack immediately gave up the idea of ​​fighting him and prepared to continue running, but unexpectedly Quinn took out a magic wand -

Shit, he's an arcanist!

"Avada is eating a big melon--" Quinn chanted a meaningless spell.

It was too late for Jack to come up with the money.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. How bad could his arcane skills be, the son of Headmaster Grindelwald?
All we can do is fight.

"Sin of greed, I pledge my spirit, soul, reputation, and life—"

Jack wasn't even halfway through his prayer.

While his attention was completely drawn to the wand, Quinn had already taken out the Mista with his other hand, skillfully cocked the hammer with one hand, and pulled the trigger -

boom! ! !
Jack's left leg was pierced by a bullet, and his prayer was abruptly interrupted, and he fell to the ground.

Quinn walked up and hit him with a stick without any hesitation.

"Little punk, what era is it now? Are you still wary of traditional arcane magic?"

(End of this chapter)