# Chapter 10: Commodore
In the cramped and damp cell, the stench of sweat mixed with the smell of blood permeated the air, and snoring came from the neighboring cell.
Su Xiao could leave at any time, but he didn't do so. His previous plan had two branches: 1. If the innkeeper found a local snakehead, he would use that snakehead to contact the local Royal Navy; 2. If the innkeeper was a law-abiding citizen, he would first be imprisoned by the Navy, and then use the naval soldiers guarding the prison to contact the Navy high command.
Don't underestimate the low-ranking naval soldiers serving in the prison. They were very different from other low-ranking naval soldiers. Some pirates imprisoned in the prison, to avoid being hanged, would occasionally provide information about their pirate crews.
For example, whether the pirate crew was wealthy, whether they had plundered imperial merchant ships, when they plundered them, and where the loot was hidden.
For mid-ranking naval officers, the port prison was a good place to earn medals of merit. If a pirate happened to provide information about the secrets of the Four Great Pirates, the mid-ranking officer who learned of this news would hit the jackpot, with the path to promotion right before his eyes.
Because of this, the low-ranking naval soldiers guarding the prison could all meet the trusted subordinates of mid-ranking officers, to prevent confidential information from being leaked through multiple transfers and having the credit taken by others.
Ding~
Su Xiao flicked a gold coin. The coin landed outside the iron bars, producing a series of crisp sounds. Before long, a booted foot stepped on the gold coin.
"Cough."
This naval soldier, about 30 years old, coughed lightly and tilted his chin toward Su Xiao.
"Rum? Roast turkey? Meat pie?"
The naval soldier outside the cell asked in a low voice, glancing sideways at the prisoner in the neighboring cell. That prisoner immediately turned over, facing the wall to continue sleeping.
"Anything will do."
"Wait here. There's rum that just arrived at the port today. I'm Finn. Before you're executed, if you need anything, you can find me."
The naval soldier who called himself Finn strode away. He clearly hadn't bent down to pick it up, but the gold coin on the ground had already disappeared.
Before long, the cell door was opened. Finn carried an oil-paper bag, placing two bottles of wine and several kinds of food in front of Su Xiao.
"You're the one who claimed to be a pirate and was arrested tonight?"
Finn sat opposite Su Xiao, biting open the cork stopper and leisurely drinking the rum.
"Mm, that's me."
"You, you must have quite a background. I've never seen a pirate as calm as you. Those pirates who claim to be freedom seekers, after a few days here, they're crying snot and tears, hah."
Finn took a gulp of wine, his brow relaxing.
"Maybe it's because I'm the captain of the Doom Number."
"Hahahaha, the captain of the Doom Number, you sure know how to joke. I'm the King of the West Sea·Finn, do you believe that?"
Finn shook his head with a smile, but in the next instant, the smile on his face froze.
Drip, drip~
Seawater dripped from the ceiling. On the wall behind Su Xiao, barnacles and seaweed gradually spread. Several cursed people's upper bodies emerged from within the wall. They couldn't move forward; this was land, so they could only lodge themselves inside the wall, unable to step onto the ground.
With a crash, the wine bottle in Finn's hand fell to the ground. He slowly stood up, step by step backing away.
"Finn, are you content? Spending your whole life as a low-ranking naval soldier, bossed around by your incompetent superiors. The Navy is a high-risk profession. If you die in the line of duty one day, your wife, to raise your children, will have to marry another man. How tragic."
Su Xiao looked at Finn with a smile. Finn's retreating footsteps paused, and he asked, "What are you trying to say?"
"Look at these."
Su Xiao tossed out five identity plaques covered in rust. Finn hesitated for a moment before picking them up from the ground. After seeing the name on one of the plaques, his pupils contracted.
"Who is that?"
Su Xiao raised his hand. The cursed people behind him retreated back into the wall. The barnacles and moss on the cell wall quickly receded and eventually disappeared, the cell returning to its previous state.
"Amance Murray."
Finn displayed one of the identity plaques in his hand. He pondered for a moment, then said, "This iron plaque... this antique might be related to a big shot."
"Go on."
"That one is a commodore of the Royal Navy, the supreme commander of the Second Ocean-going Fleet."
"Commodore."
Su Xiao narrowed his eyes. This position wasn't low in the Navy. If he had a fleet under his command, that was another concept entirely. On the Demon Sea where pirates ran rampant, naval officers with direct military authority under them were not to be trifled with. Even the king of a duchy wouldn't dare to provoke such people easily.
Finn's expression changed repeatedly. After thinking for about half a minute, he quickly left. Before long, he returned with a naval officer.
Finn was very calm. After careful consideration, he decided not to bypass his superiors and report directly. Although this wouldn't allow him to soar to the top, it was safer. This was the wisdom of a small-time figure.
Not long after, the area in front of Su Xiao's cell became lively. Five naval soldiers with strong auras stood guard outside the cell. The cell's appearance had changed drastically, not only having a bed but also some snacks placed on the table.
It wasn't until early the next morning that a man wearing a naval lieutenant's uniform stopped in front of the cell.
"Mr. Kukulin, Commodore Murray invites you to meet on the ship."
The lieutenant outside the cell crooked his finger at a naval soldier, who immediately leaned in to listen.
Click, click.
Several ring shackles were placed on Su Xiao's arms and shoulders. As soon as he walked out of the prison door, he saw two squads of naval soldiers already standing outside. These naval soldiers had sharp eyes, clearly accustomed to fighting pirates at sea year-round.
Escorted by over a hundred elite naval soldiers, Su Xiao walked from the side street of the port town to the dock. Along the way, he saw no civilians; they had probably been dispersed.
Choosing to reveal himself as the captain of the Doom Number, he expected to be feared by the Royal Navy, but this was also what he wanted to see.
Negotiations between two parties must be based on equal status. In the Royal Navy's perception, Su Xiao was an extremely dangerous figure, possibly more dangerous than the Four Great Pirates. When the Doom Number was slaughtering creatures at sea, the great-grandfathers of the Four Great Pirates hadn't even been born yet.
A four-masted giant ship was moored at the port. This ship was painted with light yellow paint. Not counting the part submerged in water, the hull was three stories high. The sails were completely furled, and there were two large rows of cabin cannons on each side of the hull.
Following the erected ramp, Su Xiao walked onto the deck and entered the captain's cabin.
The captain's cabin was about 40 square meters in size. On the right wooden wall hung pirate hats, all left behind by pirates that Commodore Murray had captured or killed, kept as trophies.
Commodore Murray sat behind a wooden table at the back of the cabin. On the table were sea charts, measuring instruments, telescopes, etc., all arranged neatly.
Commodore Murray himself held a small file, trimming his nails. Unlike the imagined naval commodore, Commodore Murray's skin was somewhat baby-white. He wore an off-white wig, and the whole person seemed very easygoing, no older than 35.
"What are you doing, treating my guest like this?"
Commodore Murray put the small file back into its iron box and returned it to its original position. His voice wasn't particularly loud.
"Commodore, he is..."
The commodore's adjutant spoke halfway, and Commodore Murray glanced at him. The adjutant immediately dared not continue speaking, signaling the naval soldiers to remove the ring shackles from Su Xiao.
"Sit. It's rare to see a legendary figure. In the first 20 years of my life, I firmly believed that the Doom Number was just a legend."
"..."
Su Xiao sat at the wooden table, seemingly casually picking up the telescope on the table. In reality, this item was of Holy Spirit rank quality.
"All of you, withdraw."
"Sir!"
"Hm?"
Commodore Murray looked at his adjutant. Today, his adjutant had contradicted him twice. Although displeased inside, he didn't show it.
"Kukulin Bai Ye, can you tell me, where did you get that nameplate?"
"Not for now."
Su Xiao indeed couldn't tell him. He couldn't very well say that the other party's ancestor was on his ship.