Chapter 4, Emergencies

Just as the people flew out of the second-floor card house, a loud bang echoed, and countless bricks, tiles, and fragments of furniture burst forth, filling everyone's nostrils with a sharp smell of gunpowder.

The five members of Billy stared wide-eyed at the gold coins that Joe casually tossed out.

Do not stir up trouble here, otherwise...

Dear Young Master Qiao, it has been a long time since we last met, you have lost weight. Two burly men greeted Qiao warmly, simultaneously bowing deeply to him with a perfectly executed and meticulous ninety-degree bow.

A tall man smiled and nodded: "Therefore, Young Master Qiao, you must pay attention to balancing work and rest. For the sake of the security of Tulong Port, you must take care of your health."

If a conflict were to arise with this young man with a small mustache at this moment, and without mentioning the fact that he left his post with subordinates, according to a certain person's usual logic, she would certainly conclude that Qiao caused trouble for the sake of a woman

Qiao sighed again with a sense of melancholy: "Indeed, you are absolutely right; it makes perfect sense. Therefore, I brought along a few companions specifically to seek some amusement"

The complexion of the lady in the red dress gradually turned unpleasant. The young man with a small mustache lightly coughed, took a step forward, and positioned himself between Qiao and the lady in red. With a hint of the arrogance and haughtiness characteristic of noble youths that Qiao was all too familiar with, he coldly said: "Third-level officer? Country bumpkin, before I get angry, please... get out of the way as quickly as possible"

Qiao swayed over, and from a distance, the two burly men at the entrance already wore the brightest smiles on their dark faces. They grinned widely, their two rows of pearly white teeth shining brilliantly under the glow of the gas lamp

The two tall men laughed in unison: "We understand, young Master Qiao is diligent and responsible, passing by the pink mermaid in order to catch the thief!"

The two stout men chuckled dryly, their dark faces filled with a sense of entanglement

Recalling the consequences of someone's anger, Qiao shivered with a chill

Another figure of the Han dynasty nodded in understanding: "Of course, we have not seen Master Qiao this evening... If anyone has seen you here..."

Two great Han warriors from the Black Continent are the slave guards raised by the pink mermaid

Qiao sighed with melancholy: "My partners and I bear an unshirkable responsibility"

The beautiful woman in the red dress, who had remained silent all along, glanced down at the distorted and deformed face of the man while surveying the surroundings. Suddenly, her eyes widened in shock. She lifted her enormous skirt and drew a magnificent silver longsword, shouting in a piercing voice filled with rage: "In the name of the Imperial Navy, charge!"

Dressed in a magnificent long gown of bright red, adorned with a wide-brimmed hat embellished with fresh flowers, accompanied by an enchanting fragrance, a graceful and tall beauty elegantly descended from the carriage with the assistance of a delicate maid

In the direction of Swordfish Street, over a hundred robust men dressed in black, cloaked in short capes and wearing soft leather hats, armed with firearms, crossbows, and swords, passed through the rows of acacia trees and charged silently towards the main entrance where Qiao was located

Other matters can be discussed, but a certain formidable individual from Weitujia once declared that anyone who dares to let certain disreputable women tarnish her precious younger brother Qiao will bear all consequences themselves

Golden, with hair that shines as pure as gold, deep blue eyes reminiscent of the ocean, lips as red as blood, and skin that is snow-white and delicate, even more refined and pale than the mutton-fat jade from the ancient eastern continent, with perfect skin under the gaslight that reveals not a single pore

Qiao quickly added: "We are catching thieves, just passing by! Understand?"

They eagerly ran down the steps, quickening their pace as they approached Qiao to greet him

"Have I lost weight?" Qiao touched his plump cheeks and then his double chin, frowning slightly in distress: "I should have lost weight. Over the past month and a half, I have been sleeping rough and traveling everywhere, it has indeed been very tough. But what can I do? As the youngest constable in the history of Tulong Port, I must uphold the laws of the Empire and ensure the peace and prosperity of the residents of Tulong Port.

With a loud 'bang', a floor-to-ceiling window of the House of Cards shattered into pieces. A man, covered in holes and blood gushing out like a fountain, let out a piercing wail as he fell heavily from the second floor, landing with a 'thud' right in front of Joe

In front of the main building, at the center of the small square, there is a bronze group sculpture fountain that occupies almost half of the square's area. Twelve large bronze sea fish spout columns of white water, striking the center of the fountain, where a pink glass mermaid statue, over six feet tall, coils around a bronze base.

There is a more natural and rich body fragrance subtly wafting, enchanting and captivating, making it difficult to extricate oneself

Qiao furrowed his brows, feeling somewhat irritated by the arrogance and rudeness of the young man with the goatee

The expressions of the two burly men, who had just been flattering Qiao Quyi, suddenly changed. They let out a roar as loud as that of a lion on the black continent's grasslands, and then quickly retreated. The door of the pink mermaid swung open abruptly, and the two men crashed into the door, which then slammed shut behind them

Qiao's finger poked several times at the chest of the young man with a mustache, prompting the mustached youth to roar in anger and reach out to grab Qiao's wrist

Qiao Fei blinked rapidly, brazenly sizing up this unparalleled beauty from top to bottom

The main building's large door, made of black oak and secured with copper nails, is tightly closed. A dozen gas lamps hang on the outer walls on either side of the door, their pale blue flames flickering, illuminating a large portion of the square

The main building, resembling a castle, is brightly lit. In the two rows of auxiliary buildings on the east and west, the sound of violins is melodious and pleasant. Through the large, polished floor-to-ceiling windows, one can see large groups of elegantly dressed men and women singing and dancing in both auxiliary buildings

Qiao glared fiercely and patted his bulging wallet vigorously: "Is it not possible for Young Master Qiao's gold coins to exchange for the treatment they deserve? In Tulong Port, are gold coins not meant to be used as one wishes?"

The two burly men twitched their lips, staring stiffly at Qiao: "Esteemed Young Master Qiao... the finest wine, the finest cigars, the finest meals, no problem, absolutely no problem! However, the finest ladies..."

With a cheerful smile, Qiao waved his hand and pulled out seven or eight gold coins from his pocket, tossing them to the two burly men

Billy and several companions exaggeratedly pressed their hands against their chests at the same time. The gold coins that Joe casually tossed out were already equivalent to several months of their salaries plus gray income!

He cast a deep glance at the young man with a mustache, and Qiao extended his hand, equally audacious and extremely rude, poking his stout fingers into the man's chest repeatedly: "Sir, welcome to Tulin Port, this damned rural place. The free Tulin Port welcomes any guest who carries enough gold marks in their pocket."

As Qiao stumbled in with Billy, the large den of indulgence was bustling with activity at the Pink Mermaid

The sound of wheels grinding against the ground reached Qiao's ears. He turned to look back and saw four dusty horse-drawn carriages, their wheels covered in dirt and the carriages themselves appearing grimy, evidently having traveled a long distance. They were emerging from the acacia grove ahead and heading towards the main gate.

Then, Qiao instinctively whistled.

Beauty! An exquisite beauty! In Tulum Port, a beauty never seen before!

Even the powerful pink mermaid does not dare to overlook the threat posed by that individual

The Pink Mermaid Bar, a top-tier luxurious den of indulgence in Tulum Port, is named a bar but is, in fact, a complex that includes a high-end hotel, a secret casino, a members-only club, a private auction house, a private museum, and an art exhibition hall

At that moment, suddenly, right above Qiao and the others, in the location of the card house on the second floor of the pink mermaid, the dense sound of gunfire "bang bang" erupted

With a dry cough, Qiao Fei quickly began to calculate in his mind

Boom!

At the entrance, on the left and right, stood two towering figures, each approximately seven feet tall, with skin as dark as ebony. They were dressed in impeccably tailored black tailcoats, with crisp white shirts underneath, adorned with black bow ties, and wore silk white gloves on their hands.

However, taking advantage of his height, Qiao's gaze effortlessly passed over the head of the young man with a mustache, and he shot a fierce glance at the beauty in the red dress

"The generous boss." Billy exclaimed

A young man with two delicate mustaches, red hair, green eyes, a tall stature, and quite handsome, looked warily at Joe and Billy's group, frowned slightly, walked up to the first carriage, and said in a low voice: "Miss, we have arrived"

Circumventing the fountain, four carriages came to a halt beside Qiao and the others. The doors of the three carriages at the back swung open, and a dozen young men dressed in traditional fitted knight attire, with swords at their waists, emerged in succession.

Exiting Grape Skin Alley and crossing Swordfish Street, amidst a lush grove of acacia trees, the brightly lit place is the Pink Mermaid Bar

However, they spoke the standard official language of the Deren Empire, even more fluently than Joe, who had the local accent of Tulum Port.

The door of the first carriage opened, and two maids dressed in white long skirts descended, bending down to pull out the step from beneath the carriage.

My private room, and then, prepare a grand feast with the highest standards and the fastest speed. The finest wine, the best cigars, the best..." Qiao glanced around furtively, lowering his voice to an extreme whisper: "Prepare a few of the best girls for my colleagues.

Blinking rapidly, and glancing around quickly, Qiao lowered his voice: "But we have not been here today!"

Joe's actions left the young man with the little mustache astonished; it was evident that he had never encountered such a situation before

Qiao puffed out his chest and muttered angrily, "Of course it is prepared for my colleagues, I would never do such a thing! Am I the kind of person who would? Am I? Rest assured, Tifa won't know, she definitely won't... know?"

The woman in the red dress stepped out of the car, and at first glance, she saw Joe and Billy along with a group of others in police uniforms. Like the young man with the small mustache, she frowned slightly, and her face twitched a little.

Blood splattered, spraying onto Qiao's pant leg with blood plasma and other inexplicable fluids