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Mr. Wade and Polly’s acquaintance stemmed from Polly’s most famous battle.
At that time, Polly was still a child gang member looking for work at the station. The child gangs of Golden Port were just a general term; in reality, they were divided into several parts.
For example, there were the Port District child gangs, the Industrial District child gangs, and so on. And each district’s child gangs were not just one group, but many, which is still the case now.
At the station, at the docks, one could still see many half-grown children wearing flat caps, carrying canvas bags, and snatching up work everywhere.
According to the current laws of the Federation, children aged ten and above could be employed in non-hazardous industries. This was also one of the main ways capitalists reduced labor costs.
The salary to hire one adult was enough for them to hire two children, and the laws of the Federation also stipulated that as long as the working hours did not exceed ten hours, it was reasonable and legal.
But there were always some children who were not so obedient, for example, the children from welfare homes and orphanages. They were unwilling to become tools for the directors of the welfare homes and orphanages to profit from, so they would run away early and enter society.
Society is a very cruel and realistic place. These children, facing competitive pressure from adults, had to band together for warmth, which was the origin of the child gangs.
In the process of competing for a hauling job, Polly and his group had a conflict with several adults. Everyone hoped to get the job.
The adults, relying on the fact that they were adults, pushed and shoved these half-grown children, insulting and driving them away.
Some conflict broke out between the two sides, but the person responsible for assigning the work turned a blind eye to it. That’s how it was at the station: whoever was stronger got the job.
Whoever was weaker, got no work.
No matter who won, they would ultimately have to serve them, and they also hoped that a stronger group would work for them, as this could also reduce some trouble.
During the conflict, Polly saw his chance, stabbed one of them, and directly took the man’s life.
Mr. Wade witnessed everything at that time. He greatly admired Polly’s decisiveness and ruthlessness. He felt that this child would be a famous figure in the future.
So he made a phone call to the chief of the Industrial District police precinct, and Polly was eventually released without even going to jail.
The reason was that in the chaos, no one knew who made the move, and the group of workers who pointed out Polly, as parties involved, their accusations did not have legal effect.
Because of his one sentence, Polly was spared from imprisonment—in the Federation, minors who commit crimes also have to be punished; being a minor is not a talisman for them to do wrong.
After Polly found out about this, he was very grateful to Mr. Wade, but they did not meet at that time.
However, because of this, some rumors about the relationship between Polly and Mr. Wade spread, and accompanied by these rumors, Polly was soon noticed by the then-not-so-powerful Brotherhood.
Mr. Wade was one of the city councilors, part of Golden Port’s “triangle of power,” representing the stubborn local political forces, similar to the likes of Senator Williams.
Their families had lived here for generations and had an identity that was very much recognized by the people of the Federation—plantation owners.
As the geographical importance of Golden Port gradually became prominent, the Wade family began to develop from the traditional large landlord class into a political dynasty.
They owned large tracts of land here. If Golden Port wanted to develop, it could not bypass the local large landlord class, which became their secret to quickly squeezing into the upper-class circles.
Land transactions brought them social status and a large amount of money, and the workers on the plantations became the citizens here.
They were citizens in name, but these people still worked for the Wade family at that time, and this was the manifestation of early political power.
After many generations of reproduction and inheritance, the Wade family, like the Williams family, eventually became one of the local prestigious families.
After Polly became the leader of the Brotherhood, he also handled some matters for Mr. Wade.
The current situation was so dangerous that if there was anyone who could still lend him a hand, it must be Mr. Wade.
So he had been making this call, and after waiting for two days, he finally got through.
“Polly, did you plant the bomb?”
“I need to hear the truth. At a time like this, only telling the truth can save you.”
Polly was silent for a moment. “I didn’t plant the first bomb. I planted the second one.”
“I can assure you, sir, I am not stupid enough to take the initiative to bomb them.”
“But I don’t know why someone would bomb them, nor do I know why they insist it was me, so I… was overcome by anger.”
After a few seconds, Mr. Wade continued to ask, “What were you thinking? Why did you plant a second bomb?”
“Did someone ask you to do this?”
Polly’s expression was indescribably awkward. “I… Mr. Wade, I just wanted to threaten Dale, to let him know that this is your Golden Port, and that an outsider like him has to follow the rules here…”
Mr. Wade continued his words, “So you detonated a second bomb, killed several people, and let Congress and Mr. President know your name.”
“Polly, what can I say?”
“You actually used a bomb to attack a federal law enforcement agency, and one that Congress and the Presidential Palace are highly concerned about. Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused?”
He sighed. This case was no longer something a “small” Golden Port city councilor like him could suppress. When members of Congress and the President were all paying attention to this matter, Polly was destined to have only one path to take.
Of course, before that, he had to arrange some things properly.
“You can’t stay in the Federation now. You should be thankful that we are a coastal city here. I will arrange a boat to send you to Yalan. As for when you can come back, let’s see what fate has in store.”
“After my people arrive, you leave with them first. Then I will find a way to transfer your funds out to ensure that you won’t be too embarrassed over there.”
“I hope this incident can teach you a lesson, Polly. All multiple-choice questions have options other than ‘tough.’ You don’t have to choose this one every time!”
Polly listened with his back bent and his head lowered. But what to make of these words?
He didn’t listen to a single word, but he knew that this Mr. Wade was willing to extend a helping hand to save him, which made his whole person feel comfortable.
The feeling of being cornered by death finally left him. He could breathe in fresh air in big gulps without feeling suffocated anymore!
It made him want to cry!
“Mr. Wade…”, his voice was a bit choked. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he could only say, “I’m sorry.”
“Where are you now? I’ll arrange for someone to pick you up.”
Just as Polly was about to give his location, suddenly, as if… a flash of inspiration, he gave a wrong house number.
The building was still this building, but he gave the house number of the one next door.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust him, but after experiencing so much during this period, he had become a little more mature.
“Very well, wait for me there. My men will be there soon.”
After Polly hung up the phone, he ate something and kept an eye on the situation outside. Although he felt it was unlikely that Mr. Wade would harm him, he still took some precautions.
To survive, his mind was working faster than ever before.
A dozen or so minutes later, two cars suddenly stopped downstairs. Polly saw several men in soft felt hats and trench coats get out of the cars.
A total of eight people. Three were downstairs, and the other five entered the building. These people didn’t look like they were here to take him away from Golden Port.
His expression changed a little, and he cursed a few times, but he still retained the last bit of trust in Mr. Wade.
Perhaps so many people came just to protect him?
He checked his weapon and stood quietly at the door.
With a “ding” of a vibrating reed sound echoing in the corridor, the elevator door was pushed open. Polly, not far away, knew that Mr. Wade’s men had arrived.
He was very nervous, trying to slow down his breathing, which also allowed him to clearly hear his own heartbeat.
These people seemed to make no sound as they walked. They seemed to be deliberately lightening their footsteps so as not to disturb anyone.
The lights in the room were off; only the corridor had some lights on.
The light shone on these people, making their shadows connect the walls and the floor. When black shadows intertwined in the crack under the door, his heart was about to jump out.
Before long, a knock came from next door. “Polly, are you in there?”
“The master sent me to take you away.”
The knocking continued for a dozen seconds, and suddenly the sound of a door opening came from next door. A young woman’s curses were cut off before she could finish.
Then came the sound of these people’s footsteps. They entered the room next door. A vein bulged on Polly’s forehead.
Without a doubt, these people were not here to pick him up, but to send him off!
This was not the same meaning!
He cursed countless profanities in his heart. Some were for Mr. Wade, some were for Director Dale, and some were for… anyway, he cursed many people. Even the mayor was not spared his wrath at this moment.
After a minute or so, the sound of footsteps echoed in the corridor again. He suppressed the curses in his heart and continued to listen carefully.
“He’s not here, but he has the house number for this place. If he’s not in this building, he’s in another apartment nearby.”
“Call for more people. We can’t let him get away…”
“Secure the exits first. You two go to the roof, the rest of you to the surrounding area…”
“Fuck!” Polly opened his mouth and mouthed a silent curse.
How are these people so smart?
Polly suddenly felt that he really might not be able to escape.
He went back to the window and looked at the three people smoking on the street outside. There was no way to get out from here.
Damn it, I should never have trusted these politicians!
Of course, he knew why Mr. Wade wanted to silence him. After all, he had done some dirty work for the other party, and… as the “protagonist” who had caused an appalling bombing, if people investigated and found out that he had some connection with Mr. Wade, there was no doubt that this high-society big shot would also fall because of it!
In the end, a man can only rely on himself!
He walked to the phone, picked it up, wanting to make a call to Director Dale.
A living Polly was obviously more valuable to Director Dale, who was desperate to provide strong evidence that he was not a waste, than a dead Polly.
But, he didn’t know the number for the Bureau of Dangerous Goods.
Nor did he know the number for the telegraph office. It seemed to have fallen into a dead loop…
However, under the threat of death, people can always constantly create and break limits!
Seven or eight minutes later, a young man came to the first-floor lobby of the Bureau of Dangerous Goods. He looked at the receptionist behind the counter and said loudly, “I know where Polly is…”
With a whoosh, almost everyone stood up. In fact, both the Bureau of Dangerous Goods and the Federal Police had posted new reward notices.
A living Polly was worth thirty thousand dollars, while a dead Polly was only worth ten thousand.
Of course, this was not to encourage people to kill a bombing culprit, but to ensure that when the wanted criminal fought back, the hunters would still have a reward to claim even if they killed the wanted criminal in self-defense.
Polly, who had caused two appalling bombings, was indeed worth this much. It could even be said that this amount of money did not match the things he had done at all!
But… Director Dale could only apply for this much reward money. However, just this much money was enough to mobilize people’s enthusiasm.
Even some ordinary citizens were discussing Polly. If they discovered him, wouldn’t they achieve financial freedom in an instant?
They just never expected that as soon as the reward was posted, someone would know Polly’s location. One can only say that the power of money is still infinite!
Soon, news spread that Polly had been found. The entire Golden Port seemed to vibrate.
“…Charlie, I don’t know what to say, but in short, I will remember your help this time.”
“You’re welcome, Mr. Wade. After all, I am also a part of Golden Port!”
“When spring comes, let’s find some time to play a few rounds together.”
“Okay, definitely…”
Mr. Wade sat in his chair, thinking. The development of events had exceeded his imagination. That idiot Polly actually knew to play smart at the last moment. What a damn guy.
If he had known to play smart earlier, things wouldn’t have deteriorated to this point!
Now his biggest worry was that Polly knew he had arranged for people to kill him. If so, then he would definitely reveal some things that were very unfavorable to him.
Although he had arranged everything properly every time, and there was no substantive evidence to accuse him of remotely controlling Polly to kill people or doing anything else.
But for those who make the rules, evidence and evidence are not important. What is important is a reason, an excuse.
It’s like when you decide to reward yourself with some manual work. The reason you do it is definitely not because of the girls without clothes in those magazines, but simply because you want to do it.
Then you will go and find a magazine or something else, and finally achieve this goal.
It’s not because you saw the magazine first, and then had this decision.
And this matter was not as simple as just being known by people. It involved more aspects of political influence and games.
Once he was at a disadvantage in this game, there was a possibility of being eliminated.
He couldn’t remember how many people Golden Port had eliminated over the years. He didn’t want to be the next one.
He thought it over and over, and dialed a number he would almost never take the initiative to dial.
“Pasoretto, I need you to return a favor…”
He didn’t want to use this favor, but now he had to.
At this time, Mr. Pasoretto was having his face cleansed. He was lying in a barber shop. A hot towel had just been removed from his face. Tony the barber stood in the corner, and Mr. Pasoretto’s men stood outside the door.
This was the Summurian District. He was absolutely safe here.
“What a rarity, Wade. Your call is definitely the best gift I’ve received this year. So how do you want me to return this favor?”
As “locals,” the relationship between politicians and these families and gangs was very complicated. Sometimes they were opposed, but sometimes they stood together.
Mr. Wade had helped him once before, so he owed him a favor, until today.
He had mentioned this matter many times. He didn’t like to owe people favors, but Mr. Wade never mentioned returning the favor.
As long as the favor was not returned, he would not be comfortable for a day. Who knew when the other party would ask him to do something.
So even now, although his tone was light, his expression didn’t look light at all.
“Polly might have surrendered to Dale. He knows some bad things. I don’t want these things to be made public.”
“I arranged for people to solve this matter, but he dodged them. Now Dale may have found him. I need your help.”
Mr. Pasoretto thought for a moment. “You’ve given me a difficult problem, Wade.”
“You know this matter originally had nothing to do with me, but if I rashly join in, it’s hard to say whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing for me and the family.”
“I owe you a favor!”
Mr. Pasoretto was silent for a moment. “Remember your promise!” he said, hanging up the phone. He called his men outside, whispered for a moment, and then lay back in the chair.
Then he turned his head and glanced at Tony the barber. “What are you waiting for?”
Tony the barber immediately began to reapply a hot towel to his face and stropped his ancestral razor back and forth on the strop.
A dozen or so minutes later, under the personal supervision of Director Dale, they found Polly with his hands up in a building.
He was handcuffed and brought downstairs. Director Dale’s face did not show much excitement. He carefully sized up Polly.
It was this person who had put him in a passive position twice, but it was also this person who would become his stepping stone.
Suddenly, he felt that he should thank Polly. Because of his foolish and reckless actions, Dale, as well as the Bureau of Dangerous Goods across the country, had gained more power!
Now everyone knew that this was a dangerous job. If they were not given more privileges, it would be difficult for them to carry out their work.
“Ever since you called me, I haven’t been able to forget you, Polly.”
However, what answered him was an exploded head. He stood there stunned, watching the blood splash all over him…
(End of this chapter)