Chapter 394

Martin soon left with Griggs and Abel. He still had to go to other places to conduct this “fundraising” ceremony.

It was unknown if they had gone to see Mr. Jobav. In many people’s eyes, he was still a prominent Empire immigrant in Golden Port.

“I don’t quite understand, Lance.”

Elvin, in the room, was a bit confused. “What’s the point of us giving them money?”

“I mean… how can we be sure that this money will bring us a return?”

“And what’s the benefit for us in doing this?”

Lance explained simply, “This… what’s-his-name?” He looked at Mador, having suddenly forgotten the surname.

Mador reminded him, “Griffith.”

“Yes, Griffith. If this guy can succeed in his revenge, then great, our investment will get a multiplied return.”

“The more intense the war, the more they will need from the outside world. We can obtain more monopolies from them.”

“If their journey of revenge is not so smooth, then we’ll see the result in a year or two.”

“Either they’ll be wiped out, or they’ll have to leave the Empire.”

“This is just a political speculation. The only risk we take is the possibility of losing a sum of money.”

“But once it succeeds, then we will obtain something that cannot be measured by money.”

“The funds we invest today will come back to us multiplied.”

“If he succeeds but doesn’t plan to fulfill his promises to us, it doesn’t matter either. As long as those documents are there, I believe there will always be someone in the Senate who is interested in such a large benefit.”

He paused. “Alright, this is just a simple little matter. In short, we still need to continue recruiting people, but Mador…” he looked at the latter, “don’t recruit this type of person anymore. The situation back home is a bit complicated. I don’t like them very much.”

“Just recruit locally, and you guys continue to be responsible for training, turn them all into fine young men.”

He didn’t go too deep into this issue. On one hand, if he spoke too deeply, they might not be able to understand. On the other hand, Lance had some other ideas.

If Griffith could succeed, that would be for the best. He would receive countless returns.

Even if he failed, it didn’t matter. At that time, he could just sell some of his intelligence directly to the royal family.

The royal family would surely be very willing to exchange a sum of money, and some other things, for news of this rebel army that had caused them so much trouble.

This investment would definitely not be a loss, just like those special medicines in the warehouse. Their prices were still constantly rising.

“This topic ends here…” He paused. “Recruiting people, training, and distributing weapons must be taken seriously.”

“Soon we will face more challenges and opportunities. I don’t want us to be unprepared to seize the opportunity when it appears before us.”

In mid-August, the intense gang wars seemed to have temporarily eased in intensity due to the Mayor’s “downfall.”

The scorching sun turned the entire city into a giant furnace. In the two hours of the afternoon when the sun was at its most intense, there were hardly any people on the streets.

Most people were either hiding in the shadows or soaking in the sea.

A large truck swayed to a stop at the materials station in the industrial area. The driver looked at the young man sitting in the passenger seat, took out two dollars from his pocket, and handed it over. “I hope this can help you.”

The apprentice, who had been silent the whole way, was taken aback. He looked at the two dollars the driver handed him in disbelief. For a moment, his mind was… unable to think.

He had been released the day before yesterday. The police had kicked him in the ass and kicked him out of prison.

He thought he would have to stay for a while longer, but the prison said he had behaved well, so he could get out early.

He was even a little bewildered by this.

Life in prison was not too good. The management of the state prison was relatively strict, but it was very fulfilling.

Once a person is fulfilled, they will forget pain, forget the past. Now, to be suddenly released from that environment, he was suddenly a little unaccustomed.

Then he was thrown onto the road leading to the interstate highway with his simple luggage.

He wanted to go back and ask how he should get back, but the prison guard on the wall pointed a gun at him, and he finally closed his mouth.

He came to the interstate highway, figured out the direction, and started walking along the highway towards Golden Port, while trying to see if he could hitch a ride.

In this period when highway killers were rampant, those enthusiastic drivers who were willing to help others were almost all dead.

The remaining ones were all cold and indifferent.

It wasn’t that they wanted to be this way; it was the terrible situation now that forced them to be.

Every year, at least several thousand cases of crimes related to the interstate highway were constantly happening and breaking records.

Every hour, someone might die on the side of the road because they stopped their car. Even the federal government had warned those drivers not to randomly pick up strangers.

There was nothing in the desolate wilderness. Just as he felt he was about to die, a large truck stopped next to him.

“Where are you going?”

The apprentice looked at the driver for a long while before opening his chapped lips and saying, “I’m going to Golden Port.”

His voice was very hoarse, so hoarse that his words were almost inaudible, but the driver heard him.

The driver in the cab made a “get in” gesture to him, indicating for him to sit in the passenger seat.

He even felt that he was hallucinating, until he really got into the car.

After a simple exchange, he got some water and food, and then silently accompanied the driver, riding in the truck all the way east on the road.

It was not until this moment, when the hustle and bustle of the city uncontrollably drilled into his ears, and the air was filled with the rotten smell behind the city’s prosperity, that he realized he was really back.

“I…” he looked at the driver, a little choked up. The truck had already stopped at this time and was waiting in line for the workers to come and unload the goods.

The driver flicked his fingers. “Don’t make me hold it all the time.”

“Thank you!” The apprentice finally kept the two dollars, because he really needed it.

“I will pay you back, sir. How can I find you?”

The driver gave him a business card. “I work in these two states. If you need anything, or just want to chat with me, call this number.”

“I may not be able to answer, but I will definitely know you called me. You just tell them how to contact you.”

He looked at the apprentice squarely. “Before we part, I want to share a story with you. I hope you don’t find me long-winded.”

The apprentice nodded vigorously. “Of course, I’d be happy to share your story.”

The driver lit a cigarette. “When I was nineteen, I had a girlfriend, not my current wife.”

“She wanted to buy a ring, but you know, I had no money. I chose to steal.”

“I was clumsy and got caught. To avoid being caught, I did a stupid thing. I used the club I was carrying to hit the shop owner’s head, several times.”

“Thank God he didn’t abandon me. He was seriously injured, but he didn’t die. I was sent to prison.”

He smiled and exhaled a puff of smoke, coughing twice. “The days inside are memorable, but it’s really not a place for people to be.”

“After I got out, my girlfriend was already married, my parents had disappeared, my relatives were unwilling to contact me, and no place was willing to hire a released criminal for theft and robbery. The whole world seemed to have abandoned me.”

“When I was at my most lost, a person appeared. He helped me out of my predicament. He made me realize that there is still a ray of sunshine in this world that can shine on me.”

“He is the most important person in my life besides my parents, kid.”

“He opened a new chapter in my life and also gave me a new life.”

He seemed quite emotional as he spoke, sighing with some lament. “Actually, when I saw you, I knew you should have just gotten out of the state prison.”

“The moment I saw you, I suddenly thought of my former self.”

“Someone gave me a chance to re-embrace this world. Why don’t I do the same thing and also give you a chance to re-embrace the world, and to be embraced by this world?”

“I want you to know, don’t care about those who don’t love you. Go and protect those who care about you, and love yourself.”

He took out two more packs of cigarettes from the toolbox. “Adjust your mindset, and then re-embrace this world and your new life. Life will always have an exit.”

Hearing this, the apprentice was so moved he could hardly speak. He pursed his lips. “I will, sir, I will.”

The driver grinned and bumped fists with him. “If you really don’t know what to do, give me a call. We can drive long distances together.”

“Go for it, kid. Don’t let those people look down on you.”

“I will, sir. After I deal with some things, I will come and find you.”

The driver laughed heartily. “No, I am just the last resort in your life. you should have your own life.”

“Only when you feel that there is no other way to go, then come and find me. This is a road where you can see the end at a glance, and you are still young.”

The apprentice, who had left the station, was still immersed in his emotions. He quickly pulled himself together. He decided that he wanted to live like a real person.

Prison is a place that can make people grow. He had already grown a lot.

But looking at the familiar yet strange city, he still fell into a brief period of confusion.

He didn’t know where to go. His mother and her new boyfriend had left this city. He had been completely abandoned.

For some reason, he now really wanted to go and see Johnny’s bakery, the place that had changed his life and destiny.

When he arrived here by public transport, he looked at the storefront in disbelief. Not only had the store name changed, but the operator inside had also changed.

“Johnny?” The sales clerk who was packing bread shook his head. “I don’t know Johnny, but I know of him. People all say the bread he makes is a little worse than ours.”

The clerk showed a slight smile. “You should try it. A classic sandwich is only two cents. Want one?”

The apprentice nodded and ordered one, while also asking, “Johnny… where did he go?”

The clerk shook his head. “I’m not sure, but I heard that after he lost this house, he disappeared from the Empire District.”

“If you’re looking for him, go and ask a few of the old folks over there. They’re very well-informed.”

In the corner of the room, there were a few old men in duckbill caps sitting in a corner. On the table in front of them were some chopped toasted bread—

It was just that kind of ordinary bread, cut into one-centimeter-sized cubes, and then toasted again in the oven. All four sides were crispy. It was crunchy, fragrant, and crispy to eat.

You could spread butter on it, or sprinkle a little salt. There were many ways to eat it.

After thanking the clerk, he went over to the old men.

Seeing someone approaching, the old men immediately stopped their conversation.

The apprentice looked at one of the old men who clearly had a higher status and asked, “Do you know Johnny?”

The old man frowned and looked at him. “You look very familiar. I can’t remember where I’ve seen you for a moment.”

“What do you want with Johnny?”

The apprentice didn’t really know why he wanted to see Johnny so much right now. His lips moved. “I… I’m his friend. I haven’t been here for a long time and just found that the person here has changed.”

The old man nodded and said, “He owed Mr. Lance a sum of money, and this storefront was mortgaged to Mr. Lance.”

“The merciful and tolerant Mr. Lance has forgiven all his debts. If you want to find him, go to 27 Phoenix Street. He should be around there.”

After the old man said this, he looked at him with a “you should leave if you have no other questions” expression. He said a word of thanks, shouldered his luggage, and turned to leave.

Phoenix Street was some distance from here. He decided to go in the afternoon. During the morning and noon, he needed to wander around here for a bit.

He wandered around the Empire District. He found that this place was very different from the past, and most importantly, he heard too many people talking about the name Lance.

After some inquiries, he learned what had happened here after he was sentenced.

Lance and his group of illegal immigrants from the Empire, who were often looked down upon by him and Johnny, had risen rapidly and become a force that could not be ignored.

Now the Lance Family not only controlled the Empire District, but also the Port District.

To be honest, it was very frustrating. Two people from the same bakery, one had just finished his sentence and still didn’t know where his future lay, while the other had already become a big shot that he had to look up to.

He still felt a little uncomfortable in his heart. This was normal, because a person who was inferior to him in his eyes was now developing better than him. He would feel uncomfortable and feel the injustice of fate.

He ate something simple for lunch. In the afternoon, he took a car to 27 Phoenix Street. He thought this place should be a bakery or something.

But to his surprise, this place was actually a large pharmacy.

Johnny was a baker. Why would he be here?

Could it be that he had other abilities?

Just as he was a little confused about why Johnny would be here, the shop door was suddenly pushed open. A guy was pushed out by two people and thrown to the ground.

The guy looked a bit scary, especially on his legs, where there were several bloody wounds.

It was as if the skin had been peeled off, but strangely, it wasn’t bleeding, just remained bright red.

This person was disheveled, his hair was like it had been coated in a thick soup with cheese, all matted together. He scrambled and crawled to the foot of one of the men, hugging his leg. “Please, just a little more, just a little more.”

“Just one tablet, I’ll get the money, I promise!”

But what he got in return was only punches and kicks.

The people around seemed to be used to this. The apprentice just stood there. He looked at the homeless man who was begging for something.

The homeless man also seemed to notice his gaze and looked at him sharply.

The two’s gazes met in mid-air. The familiar or unfamiliar appearance could not change their familiarity with each other.

Johnny quickly turned his head and tried to cover his face with his tattered clothes, but then he seemed to have thought of something. He suddenly struggled to his feet, limped over to the apprentice, and looked at him with shining eyes. “Didn’t you want to learn my technique?”

“I’ll teach you, I’ll teach you everything, and I definitely won’t hold anything back this time.”

“But you have to give me a sum of money, five hundred… no, three hundred will do.”

Seeing the apprentice’s indifferent look, he began to lower the price on his own initiative.

“Actually, two hundred is also fine.”

“One hundred, no less, just one hundred.”

“Alright, I give up, fifty…”

In the end, he almost knelt at the apprentice’s feet, hugging his legs. “Ten cents, just ten cents, for old times’ sake, I’m begging you.”

The apprentice took out two five-cent coins from his pocket and threw them on the ground.

The Johnny who had once been so high and mighty in his eyes was now like a dog, crawling on the ground, carefully holding the two five-cent coins in his hands, and then limped and ran into the pharmacy.

After two minutes, he was pushed out by someone, but his face was full of smiles.

He held two tablets in his hand, as if they were the most precious treasures in the world. He carefully put them in his mouth and then swallowed them.

In that instant, Johnny felt his whole body relax.

He also seemed to have returned to “normal.”

Actually, the painkillers had not yet taken effect, but under the psychological comfort, he already felt much better.

“Think about it, twenty dollars, and I’ll teach you all my techniques.”

The apprentice looked at him and shook his head slightly. “I plan to drive a big truck. I’ve figured it out now. Actually, baking is not very suitable for me, and this is not the life I want.”

The two of them suddenly had nothing more to say to each other.

After a while, the apprentice said, “I came here to see you just to say goodbye to the past, but seeing you like this…”

He suddenly showed a smile. “I don’t know why, but I’m suddenly very happy.”

“Johnny, you are like a pile of mud now, and I wish you will continue to be rotten.”

A convoy of cars passed by the side of the road. Lance, sitting in a luxury car, glanced at the two somewhat strange people on the sidewalk.

It was just a casual glance, and then he looked away. Two unimportant people, a little familiar, but he didn’t continue to search for their ideas in his mind.

He knew too many people, and it wasn’t necessary to figure out who every person he found familiar was.

He picked up the expensive cigar on the ashtray next to him and took a puff, feeling the enjoyment brought by the expensive price.

Sometimes life is very simple, so simple that it is just so unpretentious.

(End of chapter)

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