The morning sun gently sprinkled every corner of the city, but Abel's mood was not as bright as the sunlight.
He dragged his short, stout body slowly towards the imposing Ship Guild building.
As soon as he walked in, he noticed that the guild staff were looking at him strangely.
He stopped and turned to a staff member at the counter, his tone tinged with doubt: "Is there something strange on my face?"
The staff member quickly shook his head, replying respectfully: "Guild Master Abel, there's nothing strange."
Although he received this answer, the doubts in Abel's heart were not completely dispelled.
He nodded slightly in response and continued towards his office.
The staff members he passed all bowed and greeted him, but their eyes still betrayed that strange emotion.
Abel entered his office and sat heavily in the large office chair.
He rubbed his temples, feeling a strong sense of unease.
Yesterday's negotiations with Furina and Lin Yide had been a disaster.
He had originally planned to offer a high price and then bargain with them to reach a mutually acceptable agreement.
But to his surprise, Furina and Yide were so resolute that they left directly without giving him any room to maneuver.
He shook his head and sat down, preparing to let them taste the bitterness of rejection when they negotiated with the shipowners and sailors.
When that time came, he would be the one to give them the cold shoulder.
He reached for the Steambird newspaper on the desk, intending to browse the day's news and see if anything interesting had happened.
When he saw the headline on the front page, his movements froze instantly, and he was stunned as if struck by lightning.
The front page of the newspaper featured a headline in large letters: "Ship Guild Guild Master Abel Actually Extorted 5 Billion Mora from Lady Furina!"
The report revealed a shocking piece of news:
Yesterday, Furina personally visited Ship Guild Guild Master Abel to discuss how to properly resettle the affected shipowners and sailors after the completion of the Fontaine Aquabus.
As a result, Abel actually demanded a staggering sum of 10 billion Mora in resettlement fees from Furina.
The report vividly depicted Abel's greedy and insatiable image, clearly attempting to take the opportunity to amass wealth.
After reading it, Abel felt as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
He realized that he had overlooked one thing from beginning to end: Yide didn't care about the law.
However, things did not end there.
Below the report was a notice from the West Factory.
The content was roughly as follows: In view of Ship Guild Guild Master Abel's ugly behavior, the West Factory has decided not to provide any compensation to the affected shipowners and sailors.
If these people dare to cause trouble or obstruct the construction of the Fontaine Aquabus, they will all be taken to the West Factory for tea.
This notice was utterly ruthless.
After seeing it, the shipowners and sailors would definitely vent their anger and despair on him.
As Abel expected, he had barely finished reading the report when he vaguely heard the sound of protests outside.
The sound grew louder and louder, approaching like a surging wave, threatening to engulf the entire Ship Guild.
Just then, Abel's assistant rushed in, his face full of anxiety.
He reported loudly: "Guild Master Abel, something terrible has happened! The shipowners and sailors are protesting angrily outside, shouting for you to come out and give them an explanation. They're about to break in!"
Upon hearing this, Abel immediately jumped up from his seat and rushed towards the back door of the guild.
He knew very well that if he were caught by the shipowners and sailors, who were already blinded by anger, his fate would be dire.
His decision was undoubtedly correct.
Shortly after he fled in haste, the angry crowd surged into his office like a tide.
Unable to find Abel, they vented their anger on the items in the office.
Expensive furniture, exquisite decorations, and important documents were all smashed to pieces by the angry mob.
The entire office was a mess, as if it had been swept by a hurricane.
Abel had no time to worry about these things at the moment.
He lowered his head and hurried towards a secret house, the place where he kept his mistress.
However, just as he was about to approach the secret house, two West Factory personnel in black uniforms suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his path.
They stared at Abel expressionlessly.
"Guild Master Abel, the West Factory invites you for tea." One of the personnel said with a smile, his tone full of sarcasm and contempt, clearly imitating Yide's style.
As soon as he finished speaking, Abel was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.
At the same time, a smell of urine emanated from below, and he had actually lost control of his bladder in terror.
The two West Factory personnel cursed their bad luck in their hearts upon seeing this scene.
They reluctantly each extended a hand and dragged Abel away like a dead dog.
…
The next day, hundreds of shipowners and sailors gathered at the entrance of the Palais Mermonia, their faces filled with worry and anticipation, begging Furina to step in and resolve their resettlement issues.
Yide appeared in the crowd's sight with a large group of fully armed West Factory guards.
The guards wore uniform black uniforms, carried long swords at their waists, and stood tall with cold expressions.
Their uniform steps and the aura of solemnity emanating from them made everyone present feel an unprecedented sense of oppression.
Yide stood on the high steps, looking down at the anxious people.
He frowned and shouted sternly: "You rebellious people, you dared to collude with Abel to extort the gods, and now you're forcing the palace. You're courting death!"
His voice echoed like thunder at the entrance of the Palais Mermonia, frightening everyone.
Many people were intimidated by Yide's authority and began to retreat.
An old man with white hair slowly walked out of the crowd. He leaned on a cane and walked unsteadily to Yide.
The old man looked up and said sincerely: "Baron Yide, I know that Abel's behavior has broken Lady Furina's heart and disappointed you very much.
But he cannot represent all of us shipowners and sailors.
Most of us are hardworking and honest laborers, but we have been helplessly implicated in this turmoil.
Please, give us another chance!"
Yide snorted disdainfully, glanced coldly at the shipowners and sailors, and said in a cold tone: "Give you a chance? Why?"
He waved his hand, looking extremely impatient, "Now, I'll give you two choices: either leave immediately, or come with me to the West Factory!"
Hearing this, the old man felt a deep sense of despair.
He said in a trembling voice, sadly: "I'm old and can't survive without a livelihood, so be it. Anyway, I don't have much to live for."
Speaking of this, he suddenly turned around, pointed to the young people in the crowd behind him, and said excitedly: "But they are different! They are still young, have families, and have children to support! Can you bear to watch their children go hungry and freeze?"
However, Yide remained expressionless and said coldly: "I don't want to repeat the same words a second time. My patience is limited."
Just as the old man and the others were completely desperate, a gentle but firm voice suddenly sounded: "Wait, Baron Yide."
Everyone looked in the direction of the voice and saw Furina walking gracefully and dignifiedly towards them.
Her appearance brought a ray of sunshine to the gloomy place, giving everyone hope.
"Although Guild Master Abel has offended me, I believe that these shipowners and sailors should be innocent."