Chapter 4

Randall was taken aback, turning his head to look, and at a glance, he saw that the expression of the plantation owner standing beside the man was already paler than the white silk handkerchief in his hand

The man who took the contract opened it slowly, glanced at it, then closed it again. He turned around and cast a sidelong glance at the plantation owner, who stood upright with a victorious expression. After a brief pause, he said淡淡道: "Look at the contract in your hand"

... ...

Planter: "... ... Ray, First Mate Raymond?"

Oh dear, tsk tsk tsk, I apologize, I actually forgot that you are not a normal human being, you are merely a monkey

The son of Captain Bartholomew, Lando Bartholomew, was left in disarray in the wind

However

The sea breeze blows as a flock of seabirds flutters their wings and calls out in the sky

Extremely filthy

Ah, I see, no wonder there are so many inferior quality grapes being passed off as good ones

Randall closed his mouth, not even thinking about moving the large claw that was resting on his head... The number of people present who were on edge had escalated from just the plantation owner at the beginning to two individuals.

... ...

... ...

... ...

"May the wager be honored, monkey. I have said that it is time to clean the cannon's mouth in the hold. Go now, farewell... Oh, no, better yet, may we never meet again"

Standing in front of the spacious captain's desk, the young man with black hair gritted his teeth as he glared at the man who was comfortably seated in the armchair that should have belonged to him. The latter held a wine glass in his hand, arrogantly resting his long legs on the edge of the desk. It seemed that he sensed the murderous gaze of the young man, yet the man in the soft armchair chuckled lightly, seemingly displeased: "Why are you staring at me? I believe I mentioned that this is a task that can be accomplished by anyone with a normal human IQ, right?"

The plantation owner felt a shiver run through him under such a gaze, stopped wiping the sweat from his brow, raised his head, and instinctively glanced around in a state of panic and confusion

The plantation owner's nostrils flared in anger

Randall jumped down from the carriage, marching with a proud and upright posture straight towards the man

The plantation owner raised his nostrils in anger, paused for three seconds, and then angrily withdrew.

... ...

At this moment, the old quartermaster, who had received the first mate's orders, nodded and, without saying a word, rushed towards the cart loaded with fresh grapes along with a group of sailors—strangely, they did not open the boxes to inspect the first few carts, but instead circled around to the last few carts.

Of course not. The captain has just passed away, so let him rest in peace—oh, or perhaps you could try burning this contract for him to sign

The entire transaction process can be described as very smooth

Randall's expression became even more bewildered: "But my father has passed away, and according to the payment contract established by the chamber of commerce, it is stipulated that the recipient must personally sign. So... can this contract still be considered valid?"

They surrounded him, enthusiastically guiding Lando through the orchard, generously allowing the young man with black hair to witness the workers carefully harvesting the abundant, fresh fruits hanging from the grapevines. They emphasized several points such as "grapes are delicate" and "freshly picked is absolutely fresh" while showing Lando how their workers meticulously packed the harvested grapes into boxes. Throughout the entire tour, they did not forget to lavish praise on Lando, the son of Captain Bartholomew, complimenting him from his eyebrows to his toes, each one flattering him to the point of almost taking flight.

Let go of Lando, he extended his hand and spread it open at the bottom of his eyes: "Bring the contract."

Raymond and the plantation owners had agreed to meet at the entrance of the vineyard. When Lando and his companions arrived at that location, the plantation owners seemed to have been waiting for quite some time. Initially, these well-groomed, portly plantation owners were somewhat wary upon seeing that the person arriving was not Raymond, but rather someone resembling a petty thug. However, when Lando revealed his identity and produced the parchment contract they had signed with Raymond the previous day, the plantation owners immediately changed their demeanor.

This day holds significant commemorative value, we can record it in history and name it "The Day of Being Deceived Even When Buying Grapes" or "The Day of Captain Sizz's Unfortunate Departure"

Then I don't care! That plantation owner now looks absolutely smug, strutting around like a peacock, waving the parchment in his hand like an octopus, his face flushed as he shouted, "The contract clearly states that the inspection phase ends after the goods are loaded onto the cart—after that, regardless of the quality of the grapes, you have no reason to return them! No reason! Return them!"

Randall's complexion changed repeatedly as he approached another box of grapes. He lifted the top layer of fresh grapes, only to reveal beneath it a batch of inferior quality grapes in exactly the same condition as those in the previous box, making him feel as if his stomach had dropped to the floor.

The man extended his hand to cover the eyes of the young man with black hair, sensing the other person's breath slightly retract. He curled his lips and asked, "What did you see?"

Randall stared in astonishment as the sailors magically produced specialized unpacking tools from various parts of their bodies. Accompanied by the sound of countless nails being pried open and wooden covers being pushed aside, a gust of sea breeze mixed with a salty dampness swept in. The young man with black hair sniffed, faintly detecting an unusual scent in the sea breeze. He paused for a moment, took two deep breaths, and when he finally discerned what that "unusual scent" was, his expression suddenly changed.

Shut up

Without waiting for the other party to speak, the young man with black hair cast a sidelong glance at the dozen or so ships docked at the pier, pointed his chin in the direction of the "Sizz" and smiled calmly yet provocatively, saying: "Do you need a moment to bid farewell to your captain's seat that you haven't even had time to warm up yet"

The actions of the other party were clearly observed, and the man slightly squinted his eyes, revealing a dangerous expression. He reached out his hand and, as if lifting a chick, pulled the young man with black hair aside, ignoring the latter's protests, and walked straight past him. Ultimately, he stopped in front of the overweight plantation owner, who was at the height of his chest, lowering his head to look at him

The plantation owner was taken aback by his shout, his pale pig-like face turning a liver color out of anxiety. He shook his head frantically—yet at that moment, Lando heard the man standing beside him, who had remained silent all along, suddenly let out a light laugh. A large hand landed on his head, as if petting a pet, and ruffled his hair: "Don't be fierce, Monkey, it's not nice to scare people."

Raymond curled the corners of his lips and scoffed: "Not so good. I heard there was a heavy rain on Bali last week. When I landed the day before yesterday, I still felt that dampness lingering, making me quite uncomfortable."

Raymond retracted his smile, his gaze crossing over the shoulder of the young man with black hair who wore a provocative expression, looking behind him. When his eyes swept through the crowd and finally settled on the plantation owner not far away, who was busy wiping the sweat from his forehead with a handkerchief, a hint of sharpness emerged in his strikingly blue eyes, which shone like the azure sea under the sunlight

I heard that there was a heavy rain on Bali Island last week. When I arrived the day before yesterday, I still felt that dampness had not faded away

The representative of the plantation owner along the way appeared so elated that he seemed on the verge of fainting at any moment

Early the next morning, while the sky was still dimly lit, Langdu, accompanied by the dockworkers on the deck, hurriedly made their way to the agreed-upon location, greeted by the first rays of morning light on the surface of the sea

Planter: "Ah, how are you?"

Randome raised an eyebrow, calmly brushing away the hand that was pinching his chin, and retorted, "What is this nonsense?"

How deep do you know the earth is

The young man with black hair had not finished speaking when, not far from him, a man let out a disdainful sneer. Immediately, his chin was seized by a large hand—this hand, which had long been accustomed to steering, appeared somewhat rough around the thumb pad. With a slight force, it turned his head towards the direction of the nearby fleet. At the same time, the man controlling his chin raised his other hand, pointing at the hold of the nearest ship, the "Siz", with a lazy smile in his eyes, as if deliberately elongating his tone, he slowly said: "Do you see it?"

The man took strides, walking purposefully towards the wooden boxes that were being opened one by one—accompanied by the increasing number of boxes being opened, the strong smell of stale wine in the air grew heavier. That scent, once detected by anyone, could easily be identified as the unmistakable odor emitted by overripe grapes that had fallen from the vine, been picked up, and preserved.

Captain's lounge

In order to receive their payment as soon as possible, those individuals moved with great efficiency. After Lando observed them packing dozens of boxes of fresh grapes, the sun had fully risen. At this point, the plantation owners guided the young man with black hair into a building outside the vineyard under the pretext of "seeking refuge from the heat" to rest and enjoy a lavish breakfast. These portly merchants were far more meticulous than they appeared; their arrangement of positions was very clever. This allowed Lando, while happily chatting and enjoying breakfast, to clearly see through the cabin's window several tons of grapes being continuously packed and transported from the vineyard to the hands of the laborers he had brought along. Throughout the entire process, it was evident from Lando's perspective that both parties had dedicated staff members rigorously verifying and counting the quantities.

Do you know how high the sky is

... ...

He quickly cast a glance at Raymond with eyes that resembled those of a mouse, then turned his gaze even more swiftly towards Lando. Immediately, to everyone's surprise, this fellow, whether stunned or otherwise, suddenly burst into loud laughter, throwing his head back. While laughing, he spoke in a trembling voice: "Who, who sent this clueless fool to conduct the transaction—now that it has been discovered, what of it! You still have to deliver the exact number of gold coins stated in the contract to me, without a single word missing!"

Night

... ...

For example, now

With a movement that nearly twisted his own neck, he forcefully turned his head, his pair of black eyes resembling those of an enraged puppy, fiercely staring at the plantation owner who was now almost curled up, desperately trying to minimize his presence.

It is my fault, I truly apologize for the difficulty I have caused you

He stiffened his neck, as if unable to believe what he had just heard, his gaze darting back and forth between the smiling man not far away and the bewildered young man with black hair, then he steadied himself, and finally his eyes gradually widened.

At this moment, Randor, who was unable to bear the sight any longer, leaned in and, after glancing at the man's expression, could not help but interject: "There is no need to open the box for inspection; how could I possibly forget—"

... ...

Stepping forward amidst the terrifying sounds, he approached the pale-faced young man with black hair, silently extending a finger to lift his chin, forcing the young man's bewildered black eyes to meet his own.

Raymond nodded without hesitation: "Indeed."

Thus, he obediently closed his mouth

He left the box filled with rotten grapes that gave him a headache and approached the third box—he stopped in his tracks, fell silent for a few seconds. This time, he did not reach out to lift the top layer of grapes for inspection; instead, he raised his foot and, without hesitation, kicked over the heavy box!

Randall listened to his words, almost infuriated enough to turn away. However, the man who was about to bear the burden of one thousand eight hundred gold coins smiled leisurely. He didn't even spare a glance at the gesticulating farmer, lifting his foot and kicking over countless fruit boxes filled with defective grapes along the way. When the plantation owner fell silent, the scene became eerily quiet. The heavy leather shoes of the man crushed the grapes, producing a splattering sound of "puff puff" as the juice burst forth. That sound...

Well, well answered, remember this darkness, this is what is called the 'new future'

Because grapes are an extremely delicate fruit, their packing and transportation are destined to be a "slow and meticulous process" compared to ordinary fresh fruits. By the time hundreds of boxes of white grapes were packed and loaded onto the wagon, which had already been equipped with shockproof measures, the time was approaching noon. It was summer time, and the sun of the Babylon Sea blazed fiercely overhead, scorching all living beings on land as if it were the most brutal form of torture.

Due to the clause in the contract stating that "special goods shall not be returned or exchanged once transported to the dock," Lando took special care to inspect a few boxes of grapes after they were all packed and loaded onto the cart. After personally confirming that each box contained freshly picked fruit, he then happily jumped onto the cart, accompanied by the representatives of the planters selected to accompany him back in exchange for gold coins as payment. They hurriedly made their way to the dock where the ship Sizz was docked.

Just as Lando was puzzled about why these people had to run so far for a simple inspection, he heard the quartermaster shouting at the men to unload all the grapes from the cart and open each box one by one. The young man with black hair was taken aback, just about to ask what this man was up to again, when at that moment, he heard a distinct gasp coming from someone beside them.

The young man with black hair felt a twitch in his temple, sensing that something bad was about to happen. "Hey, why are you putting on such a desperate look?"

Randolph admitted that he might sometimes appear to lack integrity

Randall suddenly turned around, glaring fiercely at the plantation owner, who was staring in horror at the exposure of his misdeeds. The latter's face was pale, trembling uncontrollably. At that moment, if looks could kill, he would likely have been torn to shreds by the young man with black hair, who had engaged in the transaction and treated these worthless items as treasures, bringing them back with him.

What happened to the signature? We signed the contract right here—look, look!" The plantation owner pounded on the contract, as if he were trying to poke a hole in the signature area. "You signed the name of Baro Barcelo—don't deny it. I know that you, the first mate, have the authority to make decisions on behalf of the captain. Correspondingly, there is also the captain Baro Barcelo's seal on this contract, a double guarantee. Don't even think about denying it!

Realizing that he was being mocked, the young man with black hair smiled instead of getting angry, revealing a broad grin that showcased his bright white teeth: "If talking big can fill the void of your lost captain's seat, then by all means, continue."

The captain's cabin is not available, but the gun ports in the lower hold do require some manpower to clean—there's not much technical skill involved, but it is just right for you

Looking at this round-headed, round-bodied plantation owner, whose face was covered in the greasy sweat and sunburn from working in the fields, Lando was quite suspicious that this fellow might be a newly appointed upstart who had never had the chance to see gold coins in his life. While feeling puzzled, the young man with black hair even kindly worried whether the man might faint from excessive excitement.

He raised his head and looked blankly at the tall man standing beside him, then looked even more bewildered at the plantation owner not far away, who seemed to be full of energy... After waiting for a moment, he finally blinked and said: "... Is the signature my father's name?"

Gazing at the distant, sullen-faced fat pig, the largest iron rooster of Babylon smiled slightly, casually discarding the sheepskin parchment in his hand as if it were a piece of waste paper. He then strode away with a graceful gait, leaving behind the sound of a jaw dropping to the ground.

Meanwhile, he heard Raymond beside him let out a cold laugh

The man lowered his eyes, looking at the young man with black hair who was half a head shorter than him. Then, amidst a silent exchange of glances, the expression in his deep blue eyes finally softened slightly. He curled the corners of his lips, revealing a rather infuriating smirk: "It's good that you know"

... ...

This voice is overly amiable and approachable

so that Lando could distinctly sense an unusual aura of killing intent emanating from within

heavy rain

At this moment, as they spoke, the old quartermaster was directing the sailors to unload all the wooden crates filled with fruit from the cart. The crates were scattered all over the ground. When the last wooden crate was finally unloaded and placed at the old quartermaster's feet, the sailors paused their work and turned their heads in unison, eagerly looking at their first mate—who curled his lips and squeezed out a word through his teeth: "Open." When the last wooden crate was finally unloaded and placed at the old quartermaster's feet, the sailors paused their work and turned their heads in unison, eagerly looking at their first mate—who curled his lips and squeezed out a word through his teeth: "Open."

Raymond listened to the shameless words of the plantation owner, and instead of feeling anxious, he displayed a hesitant expression as if he were truly at a loss: "But if you sell me grapes of this quality—"

Raymond: "Hmm"

"The hold," Raymond chuckled softly, paused for a moment, and then added slowly, "is where you will be working in the future"

"In a fight, I cannot be defeated; in business, I cannot outdo the unscrupulous merchants; those who come with force are ineffective, and those who come with words are even less so—are you prepared to take charge of the fleet and open a new trade route to lead us towards a new future?"

"What are you so excited about? Does raising your voice make you right?" Raymond scoffed, "I meant the position of the signature."

Randall stared at him stiffly for a few seconds, and then, as the man raised an eyebrow, he obediently took out the contract and handed it to him.

How can you say that? I merely have confidence in the lower limit of your intelligence

... ...

Upon hearing this, the plantation owner immediately widened his eyes and said: "What, do you want to deny it? It fully complies with the relevant laws regarding traded goods, and there is no suspicion of invalidation due to violations—I've reviewed it eight hundred times yesterday, and there are absolutely no issues!"

Randall felt as if all his internal organs were being pulled out and placed beneath someone's feet, which were trampling over them all the way

At this moment, a remark that Raymond had previously made, seemingly in a casual complaint about the weather, suddenly echoed in Lando's mind

At that moment, as dozens of horse-drawn carriages slowly approached the dock, Lando, sitting in the front carriage, spotted the devilish first mate waiting in the shadows cast by the ships, accompanied by a group of sailors and porters. At the same time Lando noticed them, it was evident that Raymond also took note of the bustling convoy of carriages rolling towards them. The man, upon hearing the sound of hooves, swiftly flipped himself up from the ground and sat up, casually handing a fresh coconut he was holding to a nearby sailor. He lazily yawned and stretched, generously exposing his perfectly sculpted six-pack abs to the envious gazes of those around him.

A loud "bang" echoed as the sturdy wooden box was kicked apart by the young man with black hair, shattering it into countless pieces. The thick, foul-smelling grape juice splattered everywhere, and the juice, which was already loosely hanging from the branches, easily fell to the ground due to the vibration, rolling silently across the ground, its skin covered in dust from the dock.

Yes! The contract! Just like that! The plantation owner’s eyes lit up, as if he had found a lifeline. He hurriedly pulled out a crumpled piece of parchment from his pocket, identical to the one in Lando's pocket. "In duplicate, it is clearly stated that we will deliver the grapes to you, and you must pay me one thousand eight hundred gold coins as equivalent compensation"

"It is pitch black." The young man with black hair answered very honestly when asked.

The representative of the plantation owner, left in disarray by the wind

Is the captain's cabin in the lower hold

Raymond! Grandson! You did it on purpose!

Randall followed closely behind Raymond, watching as the man removed the top layer of what appeared to be fresh grapes. Below, the dull and moldy grapes were brazenly exposed to the sunlight. The grapes were scattered, with some even having fallen and burst open. Such absolute inferior products, let alone fetching the good price stipulated in the contract, would likely only be purchased by unscrupulous vendors selling cheap liquor on the street, and at an extremely low price, almost as if they were clearing away garbage. Some had even fallen and burst open. Such absolute inferior products, let alone fetching the good price stipulated in the contract, would likely only be purchased by unscrupulous vendors selling cheap liquor on the street, and at an extremely low price, almost as if they were clearing away garbage.

The contract that Raymond provided to Lando specified that the plantation owners would receive a substantial sum as compensation only after the grapes had been safely loaded onto the ship and counted.

Oh? Raymond lifted his eyelids and emitted a sound of confusion, revealing little emotion.

Last week

The man's seemingly ordinary discussion about the climate was perceived by others as mere small talk, but to the plantation owner, it sounded like the death warrant from the King of Hell. As the unsettling smile of the man beside him grew increasingly menacing, he suddenly wiped the smile off his face, turned expressionless, and called over a quartermaster nearby, issuing a succinct command: "Open the box"

Upon hearing his father's name, Lando's eyelids twitched.

Less than an hour after Lando arrived at the dock where the Chiz was moored, he immediately understood why this fellow was so excited—and, in fact, it was not the portly plantation owner who was to be drawn over, but Lando Calrissian himself.