Chapter 411, Sea Dog Gang
After dinner.
While waiting in the study for a while, Shanaila walked in directly.
Smiling, she asked, "Looking for me?"
Wu Heng gestured, "I thought you'd join me for dinner."
Shanaila walked over, sat on one of his thighs, and whispered, "I'll join you tonight, so I skipped dinner."
Wu Heng picked her up, straddling her on his lap.
Her skirt gently slid down, revealing her fair skin.
Startled by being suddenly lifted, Shanaila wrapped her arms around his neck and softly complained, "What are you doing!"
Wu Heng wrapped his arms around her waist and asked, "Are the port workers entirely controlled by the Old Barrel Tavern?"
"Not entirely. There are a few other groups, but most of the workers dominate the port's workforce," Shanaila thought for a moment and replied.
Wu Heng placed his hand on her leg, caressing her under the skirt while asking, "What about the Sea Dog Gang?"
"The Sea Dog Gang… um, they control about a quarter of the port business," Shanaila said.
"What's their background?"
"I've heard they came from outside. The gang has a lot of members, but I don't know the specifics. We've had little interaction," Shanaila explained softly by his ear.
"When your merchant group hires workers, who do you prefer?"
"You mean Starflower?" Shanaila nibbled his earlobe and said, "Starflower is a large merchant guild, so they need to balance the interests of other forces. Generally, they allocate 30% of the business to other factions. Everyone gets by fine."
Wu Heng pondered for a moment and asked, "Do you think the Sea Dog Gang would kill Macintosh?"
"Unlikely. Assassinating the leader of the Old Barrel would break the existing rules, and they'd retaliate in the same way," Shanaila said, her brows furrowing suddenly. "Are you saying Macintosh is dead?"
"Yes, I saw the body today. Just keep this to yourself for now. The funeral will be in a couple of days, and everyone will know then."
Shanaila's expression remained incredulous. "How did she die?"
Wu Heng answered, "The Old Barrel Tavern folks say it was snake venom. During the chaos at the port, venomous snakes burst from a corpse and bit her."
Shanaila hesitated for a moment before slowly saying, "How… is that possible?"
"I find it unlikely too. The guild and the guards from Gold-Silver Island are investigating," Wu Heng replied.
"You're implying it might be the Sea Dog Gang?"
"They are under suspicion."
Shanaila cupped his face and gently advised, "Gang conflicts are always about fighting and killing. Investigate to give the guild an explanation, but don't take unnecessary risks."
"Alright."
After finishing the conversation, Wu Heng's hands began moving freely over her body.
Shanaila, initially shocked by Macintosh's death, now looked at the man's aggressive eyes, her breathing quickened.
"Hands up!"
Shanaila pressed down his hands and whispered, "I promised Minnie I'd teach her to paint. I'll spend the evening with you."
"Come earlier."
"Got it."
...…
The next day, at the guild.
Morgue.
Wu Heng waited at the door for a while before the coroner came out holding records.
"Deputy Steward, the autopsy was completed last night. The external injuries weren't fatal. The cause of death appears to be magical in nature."
The autopsy findings aligned closely with Wu Heng's expectations.
The chaos among the workers wasn't the cause of death. Instead, someone used magic from the shadows to kill the already-injured workers, turning them into containers for the attack.
"Understood. Thank you for your efforts," Wu Heng nodded.
"It's my duty," the coroner replied, glancing at the bodies. "Should we preserve the corpses?"
"Keep them for a few days. I'll notify you when it's time for disposal."
"Understood, Deputy Steward."
After speaking, Wu Heng left the morgue.
He returned to his office.
Squad Eleven members were waiting inside.
Seeing Wu Heng enter, they stood up one after another.
"Deputy Steward!"
"Sir!"
"…"
Wu Heng nodded. "Sit."
They sat down.
Kavina immediately asked, "What did the autopsy reveal?"
"The injuries from the brawl weren't fatal. Someone used a method in the shadows to kill the victims during the internal conflict and then cast a spell to incubate venomous snakes," Wu Heng explained the coroner's findings.
"So, it's very likely the gnome mentioned during the corpse interrogation," Kavina said.
"Highly likely," Wu Heng nodded and asked, "Have you collected the information?"
Kavina handed over two files. "These are the details on the Black Raven's Nest and the Sea Dog Gang. The former runs a tavern and engages in some gray-market activities. The latter is a local gang that has been expanding rapidly over the past two years."
Wu Heng opened the files and began reading.
The Black Raven's Nest's owner was a level 12 human Professional. He was among the first batch to bring assets to Gold-Silver Island after its amnesty.
They had many subordinates and handled contraband, smuggling, and other black-market goods.
On Gold-Silver Island, these activities were unregulated, making it a suitable transit hub.
The Sea Dog Gang's leader was level 14. Their territory included the area around the "Milisen" tavern.
Their income sources were diverse, taking a bit from everywhere and expanding aggressively and rapidly.
After reviewing the files, Wu Heng put them away.
Kavina asked, "What's the plan?"
"Let's go to the Old Barrel Tavern first and then assess the situation further," Wu Heng replied.
...…
The carriage arrived at the Old Barrel Tavern.
As they stopped, the two guides from the previous day came out.
Approaching the carriage, they whispered, "Deputy Steward, we reviewed recent port intelligence and found a gnome with a scar on his lower lip."
The Old Barrel Tavern's port intelligence was indeed comprehensive.
Yesterday's information from the corpse interrogation led to this clue.
Wu Heng looked at them. "Where is he?"
"According to the intelligence, he's at the Sea Dog Gang's territory," they replied grimly.
Wu Heng nodded and said, "Let's go to the Sea Dog Gang."
The two from the Old Barrel took over the reins and drove the carriage to the Sea Dog Gang's territory.
...…
The carriage arrived at the Sea Dog Gang's territory.
As they approached, several gang members surrounded them.
Weapons clenched, they looked warily at the coachmen and carriages.
Wu Heng and his team stepped out and said directly, "We're from the guild. We need to speak with your leader."
The gang members hesitated but eventually made way.
They led them inside.
Before long, the dwarf leader from Glenda's reconnaissance appeared, scrutinizing them. "What do you want?"
Wu Heng glanced at him and said, "You should know about Macintosh. Gather your people for an inspection."
The dwarf squinted with anger. "What does Macintosh have to do with us? You've been here repeatedly. Do you think the Sea Dog Gang is so easily bullied?"
"You're not the only ones being investigated. If you're innocent, cooperate properly," Wu Heng replied.
The dwarf glared at them coldly but eventually relented. "This is the last time. Call everyone over."
Shortly after, the core members and key figures of the gang assembled.
There were quite a few people.
Wu Heng sat nearby, casually asking the dwarf about port affairs.
Kavina led her team forward and said sternly, "Gnomes, step forward."
The gnomes present stepped forward while the others stepped back slightly.
There were three in total.
"Heads up, helmets off, faces visible," Kavina continued.
Hearing this, the dwarf leader's movements stiffened briefly but quickly returned to normal, continuing to discuss port matters with Wu Heng.
Kavina's team examined the gnomes but found no one with a scarred lip.
After the check, she looked at Wu Heng and shook her head.
Wu Heng said, "The rest can leave. The leader stays."
The core members exchanged glances and left the room but stayed close to the entrance.
Wu Heng turned to the dwarf leader. "A gnome, small eyes, scarred lower lip. Where is he?"
The dwarf thought for a moment and shook his head. "Never seen him. There are too many members in the gang; I can't remember everyone's face."
Ordinary members couldn't have killed Macintosh.
"The Old Barrel incident has alarmed the guild and the guards. If this person comes forward, the situation could still be salvaged. If we uncover the truth later, it will be hard to resolve," Wu Heng warned.
"Whether it's resolved or not has nothing to do with us. If the Sea Dog Gang is responsible, we'll admit it," the dwarf said, stroking his beard.
During the conversation,
Two spirits flew in from the back courtyard and entered Wu Heng's body.
The subsequent images were shared in his mind.
The spirits scouted the entire gang headquarters.
There were many people hiding, but only a few gnomes, none matching the description.
Could they truly not be here?
Was the intelligence wrong?
The dwarf glanced at them again and said, "Alright, I have things to do. If you have evidence, come arrest me. Otherwise, don't bother us again."
With that, he gestured for them to leave.
The two from the Old Barrel wanted to argue further.
But the surrounding gang members blocked them.
"Let's go back," Wu Heng said directly.
They left the gang's headquarters together.
Boarding the carriage, they slowly headed out.
"Deputy Steward, our intelligence is accurate. Even if that gnome isn't one of their members, he's connected to them," one of the Old Barrel people said.
Wu Heng replied, "I'll continue investigating. Wait for my news."
"Alright, then," the man sighed.
The two returned to the Old Barrel.
Wu Heng and his team returned to the guild.