Chapter 73: Negotiation by Force
A drunken pirate staggered toward Disco, the pungent smell of alcohol causing him to frown.
"Watch where you're going."
Disco barked. In the past, he would have had the pirate apprehended, personally fitted him with a slave collar, and put him up for auction.
"I'm..."
The drunken pirate, clutching a bottle of rum, looked at Disco with bleary eyes. After a moment, his expression shifted slightly, and he stepped back to the side of the street.
"Lowlife."
Disco snorted lightly and walked forward. A crack appeared on the bottle in the pirate's hand. In his eyes, Disco was nothing but trash, but the people behind him were indeed not to be trifled with.
Like a victorious rooster, Disco walked off with a smug expression. The pirate leaning against the street wall sneered. If Disco ever fell from grace, he would be the first to catch him, chop him up, and feed him to the fish.
Disco led his men through District 30, heading straight for the direction of Red Tree District 70.
By the time Disco reached his destination, he was drenched in sweat. His heavy breathing made it clear the guy was out of shape.
"Sir, why... didn't we take a bubble car..."
A guard beside him muttered quietly. He had walked several blocks in heavy armor and was now sore all over.
"You don't know shit."
Disco straightened his clothes, and while his face was still flushed with sweat, he quickly walked toward an inn.
When Disco entered the inn, the first floor was filled with over a dozen pirates laughing and talking loudly. The inn's first floor was a combination of a restaurant and a tavern, while the second and third floors were for lodging.
The stench of sweat and cheap alcohol hit Disco, making him frown. He was about to curse under his breath but stopped himself. The person he was meeting this time was no pushover—it was someone who had fought alongside his boss against the Four Emperors.
Inside a room on the third floor of the inn, Su Xiao sat cross-legged on the bed, Dragon-Slaying Flash resting flat on his thighs. Not far away sat Little Mantou, her expression wooden. If she told anyone, they probably wouldn't believe it—she had lost 11,200 Paradise Coins playing checkers.
Knock, knock, knock...
The knocking interrupted Su Xiao's meditation. He opened his eyes, stored Dragon-Slaying Flash in his storage space, picked up a shirt stained with a few drops of blood from the bed, and casually draped it over his back.
"Come in."
The door opened, and Disco walked in with a flattering smile.
"Mr. White Night, a pleasure to meet you. I'm Disco."
Disco entered the room, and his two guards closed the door, standing watch outside.
"I wonder..."
"Appraiser Todd Anderson. Do you know this person?"
"Mr. White Night, one moment."
Disco pulled out at least five Den Den Mushi from his chest. Soon, through the slave-catching network, he found Todd Anderson's information.
"Todd Anderson, 49 years old, male. Half a year ago, he purchased two laborers. He..."
Su Xiao waved his hand. He wasn't interested in Todd Anderson's life story.
"Tell me where he is now."
"He's in Red Tree District 35. After the riot in District 21, he hid at his mistress's place. His mistress is called..."
Disco was a scumbag, but his efficiency was impressive.
"Should I... contact him first? That guy is notoriously arrogant, claiming to be the best appraiser on the Sabaody Archipelago."
"No need. Knowing his location is enough."
Su Xiao stood up and walked out of the room. Disco raised his hand as if to say something but ultimately remained silent and led his men out of the inn.
Su Xiao brought Bubu Wang along. As for Little Mantou, they only had a temporary contract, not a team. She naturally wouldn't follow Su Xiao. At the moment, she only wanted to know one thing: why was she inferior to Bubu Wang in intelligence?
Bubu Wang was just goofy, not stupid. Goofy and stupid are two different things. Little Mantou had clearly chosen the wrong opponent. Among the one person, one dog, and one cow, only the cow was straightforward.
After wandering around the Sabaody Archipelago for a few rounds, Su Xiao finally arrived at Red Tree District 35. According to Disco, Todd Anderson was staying at his mistress's place. The problem was that Todd Anderson had seven mistresses.
If one word could describe this appraiser, it would be "spry." Approaching fifty, Todd Anderson had a new wife under thirty, plus those seven mistresses. One could imagine how busy he was.
...
In the residential area of District 35, inside a two-story house.
"I've been busy lately. Get to the point."
A middle-aged man in pajamas, with a small goatee, sat in a rocking chair holding a newspaper. Beside him was a steaming cup of black tea. This man was Todd Anderson.
"I'm hiring you to appraise a gun."
Su Xiao observed the room's decor. It was just as Disco had said—Todd Anderson was arrogant. As a client, Su Xiao wasn't even offered a seat.
"I'm busy lately. Come back in half a month."
Todd Anderson glanced at Su Xiao and, confirming he wasn't a big shot on the Sabaody Archipelago, turned his attention back to the newspaper.
Hearing this, Bubu Wang sighed and silently walked toward the door. He wasn't leaving—he was going to block the exit.
After a moment, Todd Anderson frowned. Normally, those who hired him would have left by now, returning in a few days or half a month.
Todd Anderson was in a bad mood lately. His shop in District 21 had been destroyed, causing him not only a huge loss of property but also nearly costing him his life.
Just then, a flash of light caught Todd Anderson's eye. Half of the newspaper fluttered to the floor.
"What... what are you doing?"
Todd Anderson felt a sting on his neck, and his body gradually stiffened.
"You have at most ten minutes."
Su Xiao tossed Roger's pistol to Todd Anderson. Todd Anderson caught it instinctively. After seeing the gun's appearance, his expression shifted several times.
A few minutes later, Su Xiao retrieved Roger's pistol.
"Name your appraisal fee."
"This time, it's... free."
Todd Anderson swallowed hard, not even daring to wipe the blood from his neck.
It turned out that holding a blade to a plot character's throat was far more effective than negotiating with them using charm attributes.
For example, right now, Su Xiao felt that his 30-point charm attribute was utterly useless. But once he put the blade to Todd Anderson's neck, the man became very cooperative, even generously waiving the appraisal fee. When Su Xiao left, Todd Anderson even saw him to the door, very "enthusiastically."
On the street, Su Xiao checked the attributes of Roger's pistol. He learned that this gun was somewhat special.
Before the end of this derivative world, Roger's pistol was in a semi-sealed state. Its only function was to be exchanged for 10,000 Pirate Reputation points.
After Su Xiao returned to Reincarnation Paradise, this gun would transform from a consumable into equipment.
Su Xiao wouldn't exchange Roger's pistol for Pirate Reputation just yet. The best choice was to do so just before the world ended—that would be the safest option.