"How about a couple of drinks together, guys?"
Pulling out a chair and sitting down, Nia looked at Rhodes and Neylu in front of her.
Compared to the navy idiot from before, the two men in front of her could be considered top-tier figures even in the entire North Sea, especially the short-haired one, who possessed an absolutely monstrous strength.
Her body's instincts had been clearly signaling this, as if a ferocious beast in human form was seated before her.
However, if they joined her, she wouldn't have to worry about this matter anymore.
Nia took the wine glasses brought by the bartender and pushed one towards Rhodes and another towards Neylu, gesturing with her hand.
"If you have anything to say, just say it directly."
Rhodes picked up the wine glass and took a sip, his brow furrowing slightly.
Ultimately, beer suited his taste much better.
"Great! I've received a commission to deliver a person to Mignon Island. The client has people there to receive him. All you have to do is deliver the person safely. The reward is 500 million Berries. If you join us, we can split the reward equally."
Mignon Island!
It was an island adjacent to Feiyan Island. It only took half a day to reach Feiyan Island from there.
Rhodes pondered for a moment, then raised his glass and clinked it against Nia's.
"Let me make it clear first, I don't do kidnapping or human trafficking."
"Don't worry, I have my bottom line."
"Well, happy cooperation!"
...
"Does the client live in a place like this?"
Looking at the messy surroundings that resembled an abandoned warehouse, Rhodes turned to Nia with a puzzled expression.
Could a guy who lived in a place like this really afford 500 million Berries?
"You are the ones who accepted the commission, right? My name is Gray, and I am a scientist."
A disheveled young man emerged from the warehouse. He appeared to be around 30 years old and wore a stained white lab coat as if it hadn't been washed in ages. A tattered fisherman's hat sat atop his head. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and his beard seemed to have gone untrimmed for a long time. He looked utterly颓废 and did bear a slight resemblance to Frankenstein.
But, did this guy really have money?
As if sensing the suspicion in the eyes of those before him, Gray began to explain:
"Someone else will pay. You just need to take me to Mignon Island. They have someone there who will pick me up and give you the money."
Could it be that this guy was scammed?
Looking at the man who claimed to be a scientist, Rhodes couldn't help but entertain such a thought.
"You know the Felke family, a mafia family that has gained fame in recent years. Their top executives heard my name and specially invited me to join their ranks."
Without waiting for Rhodes and the others to ask questions, Gray continued talking.
"I heard that in recent years, the navy has developed a technology that allows warships to safely navigate the Calm Belts. I've also been wondering how to achieve this. However, no matter how you theorize it, if you truly want to make a breakthrough, you still have to put it into practice.
But as you can see, I am a pauper and have no funds for shipbuilding experiments. But the Felke family promised me that as long as I design some new weapons for them, they will support my shipbuilding endeavors. I have always wanted to build a super powerful battleship!"
He was a Frankenstein and a chatterbox...
"Have you heard of the legendary ancient weapon [Pluton]? I heard it was an invincible battleship, but that thing is already hundreds of years old. Even if it still exists, it's probably useless. If you ask me, I want to build a battleship even more powerful than that [Pluton]. I tell you, I have a super powerful idea. If it can be realized, it will definitely shock everyone! But there's no suitable material at all. No matter how brilliant my idea is, it can't be brought to life.
Of course, it's also possible that I'm ignorant. After all, this is only the North Sea. Really, why wasn't I born in the South Blue? I heard that the technology there is more advanced..."
"Hey, do you use a gun?"
Suddenly noticing the gun hanging on Neylu's waist, Gray's eyes lit up slightly.
"Then I'll give this to you. I just finished making it a while ago. Thanks to the Felke family's support, the entire forging process used top-quality materials, and I crafted it personally. It's definitely much better than the one you're using now. Consider it my extra payment to you."
Gray went into the warehouse, rummaged through a pile of things for a while, then emerged with a dark spear-like gun and handed it to Nelu.
Seeing the black gun Gray offered, Neylu's eyes gleamed. As a skilled marksman, he could immediately recognize that this black gun was undoubtedly a masterpiece.
"I now believe what you said. It's plausible that the Felke family would invite you to join them."
After handling the gun for a while, Neylu became increasingly satisfied. This guy named Gray had applied new technology to this weapon, allowing it to load 10 bullets at once, and the gun's stability and accuracy were also exceptionally well-tuned.
Truly a talent.
Rhodes nodded subtly, then looked at Gray.
"If there's nothing else to pack, let's go now."
"That's fine. I don't have anything to tidy up. What's left here are just scraps from previous research. The truly important things are all in my mind. But I'm really reluctant to leave. I've been here for several years. If I hadn't reached a bottleneck in my research, I would have..."
Frankenstein was babbling in his ear again, and Rhode felt a slight headache, resorting to mentally blocking out the incessant drone. Fortunately, Nelu quickly came to his rescue, responding to Gray's chatter very perfunctorily and then launching into a barrage of questions about guns.
"Lead the way, Nia. Where is your ship?"
"On the western coast. There are ample food and fresh water reserves on board. We can set sail directly."
Nia led them towards the west coast, but a strange feeling lingered in her heart.
Why had this guy named Rod taken the lead in the operation without her realizing it, and why did it feel like she was following him involuntarily?
She was the one who invited both of them, wasn't she?
In this peculiar atmosphere, the group arrived at the port on the west coast.
"Let me see, it's a classic schooner, nothing special, just a mediocre piece. If I were to design it, I would add a ram at the front, a main cannon, and more gun ports on both sides of the ship to increase firepower..."
"Shut up!"
A slap to Gray's head interrupted his endless stream of words, and Nia's face darkened.
"This is just an ordinary ship. You can do whatever you want when you have money. Get on board!"
"This woman actually hit her employer..."
Gray rubbed his head, muttered a few words under his breath, and obediently followed them onto the boat.
"Set sail!"
(End of this chapter)