activa-t Chapter 11 The Scent of Tea Attracts Sharks
Chapter 11 The Scent of Tea Attracts Sharks
The next morning, the sky was still that leaden gray color.
The sea breeze, carrying salty and damp chill, pours unhindered into the streets and alleys of Boston from the harbor.
Fiona wrapped herself tightly in the coarse cloth cloak that Levi had somehow found, and walked towards the North Wharf once more.
Beneath the cloak, she was still wearing that dark blue dress, but Fiona's steps no longer betrayed the panic of yesterday.
This composure that emanated from her very being was something even she herself found unfamiliar.
Fiona stood ramrod straight, her chin slightly raised, her green eyes calmly surveying her surroundings.
Not far behind her, two men wearing thick short coats followed at a distance.
They were hired thugs by baker Boyle, and now their mission was no longer to capture a female thief, but to "protect Miss Fiona's safety."
This change itself is a display of status and power, and also a gesture by Boyle to show his loyalty to Levy.
The wooden sign for "Green Dragon Tavern" creaked and swayed in the wind.
Fiona didn't go in; she knew Finn wouldn't be drinking at the tavern at this hour.
She walked straight through the chaotic square toward the busiest North Pier No. 3.
Beside the mountain of cargo containers, a tall figure was directing a group of ragged Irish workers to unload a ship full of timber in his distinctively loud voice.
"Hey, you two lazybones over there, trying to make this log spend the winter on the boat!"
One-Eyed Finn.
His single eye, sharp as an eagle's, scanned each of his men to ensure no one was slacking off.
Fiona stood quietly outside the crowd, without saying a word to disturb them.
Finn quickly noticed her, as well as the two burly men behind her who were clearly not dockworkers.
He waved for a foreman to take his place and strode toward Fiona.
The smell of sweat, tobacco, and sea breeze hit me.
"What's up?" Finn's voice was hoarse, with a hint of caution in it.
Fiona didn't say anything more. She took out a small bag wrapped in oil paper from her bosom and handed it over.
Inside was a "convenient tea soup" that Li Wei had specially prepared for the dockworkers overnight, and the portion was more generous than the one delivered yesterday.
Finn did not answer immediately.
His single eye lingered on Fiona's face for a moment, then glanced at the two bodyguards behind her before pulling her behind a pile of crates.
This is a place where you can avoid being seen by most people.
He pulled out the tea bag Fiona had given him yesterday from his stained leather vest.
It was empty inside, but it was very well preserved.
"How many of these does your 'friend' have left?" Finn lowered his voice, his single eye fixed on Fiona.
"Enough for Mr. Finn and your brothers as much as they need," Fiona replied calmly.
Finn narrowed his one eye, scrutinizing the girl before him.
She has changed.
Yesterday he was like a frightened rabbit, but today he's like a butler who has been serving important people for years.
"I didn't drink last night. I shared this stuff with a few of my best buddies. Damn, it was awesome!"
"We started work before dawn today, and no one complained of being tired. The unloading speed was 30% faster than usual."
"There was this kid who was coughing like he was going to vomit his lungs out yesterday, but this morning he was able to carry two bags of flour and was even thinking about going to the mare hotel tonight."
"This isn't tea. This is strength, it's shillings, it's something to shut those British overseers up."
"This is exactly what my master is happy to see. He always says that the Irish are hardworking and brave, and they don't deserve to be in this state."
Levi never said that, but the camera's decision was precisely Fiona's way of highlighting her own value.
"Mr. Finn, if you are sincere, my master can guarantee that your brothers will always be the most spirited men on the docks!"
At this point, Finn's attitude completely changed.
Previously, he was just a dockworker who helped a girl in distress out of a sense of kinship with someone from the same hometown.
Right now, he is evaluating a potential partner with amazing resources.
He carefully put the empty tea bag back into his pocket, then extended a hand as rough as old tree bark to Fiona and introduced himself by his full name for the first time.
"Finn O'Connor. Head of the Irish Brotherhood at the docks."
Fiona did not reach out.
She merely bowed slightly, a gesture of etiquette Li Wei had taught her, which showed respect while maintaining a proper distance.
"Fiona Cahill, my master Mr. Lee, sends his greetings."
Finn casually withdrew his hand and rubbed it together, but the caution in his one eye was replaced by a deeper emotion.
"Your tea smells wonderful," Finn said slowly, "but the aroma of good things always attracts those who shouldn't smell them."
He paused for a moment, seemingly considering his words.
"Those guys in the South District, the 'Bloody Hand Gang,' have been asking around about tea lately."
Blood Hands Gang.
The name made Fiona feel uneasy.
I haven't been in Boston long, but I've heard of this group's reputation.
They were based in the southern docks and smuggling wharves. Unlike Finn's Irish coolies who banded together for survival, the Bloodhands were a group of true thugs.
Their leader was nicknamed "Butcher" Jack.
It is said that he worked in a slaughterhouse in his early years and was skilled at slaughtering pigs. Later, he applied this skill to humans.
"Butcher Jack has already made it clear. After the port is closed, he will be the only one allowed to run the private tea business in Boston."
Finn looked at Fiona with a serious expression.
"Fiona, you are different from them. You want to exchange tea for money, while they just want to kill everyone who has tea and then steal your money and goods."
"The aroma of your tea has already spread far and wide; that shark will soon be drawn to it by the scent."
These words were like a block of ice, instantly extinguishing the flame of confidence that had just ignited in Fiona's heart.
She immediately realized the perilous nature of the situation.
Levi's plan had only just begun, and Boyle's line hadn't even reached the real elites yet, when a more direct and violent threat surfaced.
This is not business competition; it's a life-or-death struggle.
Fiona's face was a little pale, but she forced herself to calm down.
As Li Wei once said, every crisis contains an opportunity.
She took a deep breath of the cold air and looked up to stare directly into Finn's one eye.
"Thank you for reminding me, Mr. O'Connor. My master will remember this kindness."
She didn't ask Finn for protection; that would have made her seem weak.
She chose a smarter approach.
"My master is willing to supply this 'convenient tea soup' to you and your Irish brothers at a very low price on a long-term basis."
Finn raised an eyebrow.
"The only condition is that we need you and your people to be our eyes and ears in the dock area."
A strong light shone in Finn O'Connor's single eye.
A cheap, refreshing hot drink would make his unruly fellow countrymen more loyal to him.
All he needs to give up is the information.
At the dock, news itself was one of his strengths.
For him and his brotherhood, forming an alliance with a mysterious and generous force to fight against the "Bloody Hands" gang, a formidable force, would be entirely beneficial.
This was an offer he couldn't refuse.
"make a deal."
Finn O'Connor uttered the word crisply and decisively.
"Tell your master that from this day forward, not a single unfamiliar fly that flies into the North Wharf will escape my eyes, Finn."
An alliance based on shared interests was quietly formed behind these fishy-smelling shipping containers.
Fiona did not linger any longer.
She bowed to Finn again, then turned and quickly left the dock with the two bodyguards.
She walked quickly through the familiar streets, and the dilapidated warehouse came into view.
As I pushed open the door, a familiar aroma, a blend of tea and incense, wafted towards me.
Li Wei was sitting by the stove, holding a musket in his hand, carefully wiping every inch of the gun with a soft cloth soaked in oil.
His movements were unhurried, as if it were not a deadly weapon, but a fine work of art.
He didn't look up when he heard the door open.
"I'm back."
"Yes, Mr. Li."
Fiona walked up to him and placed the heavy ledger she was holding on the low table.
She paused for a moment, organizing her thoughts and words, before reporting the information she had just received.
"Finn O'Connor agreed to cooperate. But he brought some news."
"The smugglers in the South District, the 'Bloody Hands,' whose leader, 'Butcher' Jack, wants to monopolize Boston's tea business."
After Fiona finished speaking, she nervously watched Levi's reaction.
She had considered many possibilities: shock, anger, or solemnity.
But Li Wei's reaction was completely unexpected.
He finally stopped cleaning the gun, looked up, and instead of showing any tension, his young face revealed an expression of great interest.
He blew away non-existent dust from the muzzle of his gun and spoke in an almost cheerful tone. There was virtually no hesitation.
"Butcher?"
"Great, our first batch of goods is secured."