shadow of britain

Chapter 286 I Have Few Friends (5K)

Arthur ordered a glass of beer and mixed it up in the Penny House, leaning against the wall and quietly listening to the impromptu songs of the street singers. In the dim lights and noisy environment, Arthur, wearing a trench coat, seemed to blend in here.

In that dark corner, no one cares about the identity of this big gentleman and what his purpose is here.

Even Fiona's little sisters only paid attention to him at the beginning, and then stopped caring about him.

As for the East District gangsters who came in later, the older ones wanted to come up and chat with Arthur, but after being politely rejected, they wisely found a free seat and watched the show by themselves.

The younger gangsters were still curious about the identity of the young man. It wasn't until they learned from the old gangster's mysterious tone that this was Mr. Arthur Hastings that they began to feel a sense of security. Unexplainable fear.

For most guys from the East End, the name Arthur Hastings seems like a strange thing that is both distant and within reach.

When you have never met him, you always feel like he is a big stone weighing on your heart. Old guys often use this name as a kind of intimidation and education when teaching young guys who are new to the industry.

But when he really comes in front of you, he doesn't seem to be that impressive. He is not the evil policeman you imagined wearing a black cloak, scheming, and with a few sharp fangs at the corners of his mouth. He doesn't seem to have a face either. The habit of sitting by the window with a silver cup in hand and thirsty for blood under the moonlight.

At least judging from the look on his face today, Mr. Hastings was quite happy with his penny ale.

The only thing worth noting was probably the plate of appetizers he was carrying. It was neither ham nor smoked fish, nor the bacon, fried eggs and toast with butter and jam that middle-class gentlemen often eat. Instead, it was a plate of salt. Baked peanuts.

The East End gangsters who frequent the tavern all know that this is not on the menu of Martin's Tavern, and Mr. Martin, who is greedy and bad-tempered, never accepts guests' requests for additional orders, so he can get Martin to serve him a plate of peanuts. Mi, this can indeed prove that this taciturn big man is indeed the Mr. Hastings who makes the eldest sister rush to fawn over.

The young gangsters were watching Arthur's movements intentionally or unintentionally. They saw him putting peanuts into his mouth one by one, and humming a few words to the lyrics of the street singer from time to time.

Suddenly, Mr. Martin opened the door of the penny house and walked in. He walked to Arthur's side and nodded and said a few words. Immediately behind Martin was another man wearing riding boots, carrying a wooden suitcase, and keeping a A young man of medium height with a seal beard and sharp eyes.

Among the gangsters, those who have served in the military can tell at a glance that the young man following Martin must have served in the military, and he should be at the rank of an officer, because his walking steps are too stiff and he swings one hand when swinging his arms. It's larger, but the other hand doesn't move much. You can tell at a glance that it's a habit of holding a command knife.

Arthur was eating while listening to Martin's narration. Then he nodded slightly, stood up and handed the empty plate in his hand to Martin.

For the first time, the gangsters heard the magnetic husky voice of this big man from Scotland Yard: "Today's peanuts..."

The gangsters held their breaths and raised their hearts in their throats one by one. They saw Arthur lifting the edge of his windbreaker, revealing the Hastings M1831.

They secretly thought: Could it be that they thought the peanuts were too hard and planned to kill Mr. Martin?

They saw Arthur's hand slowly lowering, then thrust it into his trouser pocket, pulling out a handkerchief and wiping his mouth.

Arthur wiped his mouth with one hand and pointed at his throat with the other hand and said, "Today's peanuts had too much salt, and they even hit me. Listen to my voice."

Martin apologized with a smile on his face: "This is indeed my fault. When I was baking peanuts, I kept thinking about you telling me not to cut corners in business. I thought too much, and I didn't add enough salt. Take control. Look, how about I get you something lighter, or give you some gin to rinse your mouth with?"

Arthur waved his hand gently: "If you drink more, it will be too much. I can't get drunk in front of the guests, otherwise how can we discuss business?"

"What you're saying is that I didn't think carefully. So do you think you should go up now, or..." Martin looked back at the place where the gangsters gathered, then half bent over and said with a smile: "Hasting Mr. Si..."

Arthur followed Martin's gaze just now, and his gaze fell on a young man with brown hair and black eyes. He wore a peaked cap, a white shirt, an open dark gray long-sleeved coat, and a pair of stain-resistant clothing. Dark black overalls, this is a classic East End pier gangster outfit.

Arthur poured the last bit of beer in the glass into his mouth and asked, "Is he the one Annie likes?"

Martin took off his hat, revealing the narrow black peninsula lying on the Mediterranean Sea: "Yes, how much do you think I should pay you?"

When Arthur heard this, he just couldn't help but shook his head: "Martin, Martin, what have I done to make you disrespect me so much? I have already said that if you come to me as a friend, then those who try to hurt me will You and your family will get what you deserve."

After finishing speaking, Arthur didn't say much, but asked Louis Bonaparte who was standing behind Martin: "When you were in the military academy in Switzerland, did the instructors teach you how to deal with soldiers?"

Louis Bonaparte said with a cold face: "When I was at the Swiss Military Academy, I studied Prussian military regulations. Do you want to hear about it?"

Arthur thought for a moment, nodded slightly and said, "How do the Prussians deal with troublemakers?"

Louis Bonaparte announced loudly: "According to Prussian military law, those soldiers who disobey an officer's order, whether by contradicting or arguing, will be punished with whipping. As for the number of whippings, it will be determined according to the physical condition of the person being punished. Depending on the situation, it can be carried out up to thirty times. Those soldiers who threaten their officers with swords or other weapons will be sentenced to death without pardon. Soldiers who steal the property of officers and others will be hanged, and those who rob on the road will be punished with car-breaking. Those who swear false oaths will be punished. Their fingers were cut off as punishment, those who cast spells were burned at the stake, and drunkards on duty were paraded in shackles and stripped of all military honors.”

Arthur couldn't help but shake his head when he heard this: "It sounds like the Prussian army is really cruel."

Having said this, Arthur looked up at where the gangsters were gathered, and asked: "I know some of you have retired from the army. How do soldiers in the British army punish themselves?"

When a few old gangsters heard this, they just laughed. They took off their hats and replied: "Mr. Hastings, our regulations are not so detailed. In most cases, we use a nine-tail whip." . I have received 50 lashes, and the feeling is no better than being burned on the rack."

"You are a tough guy who can bear fifty lashes alive. There is a man in our regiment who received thirty lashes and was beaten to death by the military judge."

"Then he must have not given any money to the military judge, or he must have offended him."

"It's not necessarily like that. I heard that some regiments would soak the whip in urine before execution. When the skin of the body is ripped open, the urine will melt in along the wound. Ordinary people will be beaten three times. It’s normal for Shibian to die.”

"So I said, don't become a soldier for anything, especially the army. Your life is worse than that of an animal."

The old gangsters talked about their early experiences, while the young gangsters were frightened by all kinds of military secrets and turned pale.

When Arthur heard this, he just put on his hat again, smiled at them and said: "So, you don't want to go back to the Army to revisit your old place, right?"

"Of course I don't want to. Even if I go to the cemetery, I won't go back there again."

"Mr. Hastings, please stop joking. If these words fall into my ears, I may not be able to sleep well for three days." Arthur nodded slightly: "Then please remember to stay away from Miss Anne. If you can't bear it, A man who has been whipped thirty times cannot control her. By the way, I'm not kidding."

As soon as the gangsters heard this, they immediately understood what Arthur meant. They also knew that there was a boy in their family who seemed to be hooking up with Annie.

The old gangsters bared their teeth and said in apology: "Don't worry, Mr. Hastings, we all regard Anne as our sister. Anyone who dares to have ideas about her must ask our fists first."

"If he wants to have sex with Annie, we don't need him to be whipped thirty times. As long as he can survive 50 lashes, then I will treat him as a man."

"Yes, it has to be the kind of whip that's stained with urine."

When the brown-haired young gangster heard these words, his lips turned slightly blue with fright. His teeth chattered and he forced a smile to agree: "You're right, Annie can't be touched by any gangster."

Seeing his appearance, Arthur just shook his head slightly and whispered: "It seems that Anne's taste is really bad."

After saying this, he led Louis Bonaparte out of the penny house.

Martin hurriedly followed him out. He wanted to say something to Arthur: "Mr. Hastings..."

But before he could finish speaking, Arthur put his fingers to his lips. He pointed at the empty plate still stained with salt in Martin's hand and said, "Martin, you are an honest man, so remember, You now not only owe me a plate of suitable peanuts, you also owe me a friendship. I may need your help someday, and it may not be that day, but until that day comes, please accept it as a blessing to you A congratulatory gift after the store renovation.”

Martin heard the words and said gratefully: "Of course, of course, Mr. Hastings, I will remember it."

Arthur smiled and nodded, and immediately led Louis Bonaparte up the stairs to the private room on the second floor without looking back.

He pushed open the door of the private room. In front of the window of the room, a strong man with a white shirt full of muscles was standing upright in front of the window. He seemed to be admiring the light rain outside the window.

When Arthur saw this scene, he didn't go in directly. Instead, he took out a business card from his pocket and took a look at it. He immediately compared it with the mature man in front of him, and then read out the business card with a smile. The honorific name on it: "French sword master, foil Napoleon, guardian gladioli from Paris, Mr. François-Joseph Bertrand?"

When the other party heard Arthur calling out a series of his titles, he just snorted slightly, and then chanted the same: "Then you must be: the swift Wellington of Scotland Yard, the second Captain Kidd who roams the English Channel unimpeded, Fearless of the red-bearded Barbarossa, who specializes in fighting his disciples and grandsons in the Barbary pirates, the Sword Master Fiore is once again invincible, shouting that there is no hero in the world, the man who made George Silver famous, Mr. Arthur Hastings ?”

Arthur was stunned when he heard this, and he muttered to Louis Bonaparte beside him: "What's going on?"

Louis Bonaparte coughed slightly and lowered his voice: "Mr. Rothschild's idea, Mr. Disraeli's manuscript, Mr. Dumas' honorary name, yesterday's propaganda in The Times, current news The headlines. Didn’t you read the newspaper today? I’ll put it on the second pile on your desk, underneath the police meeting documents.”

Only then did Arthur understand what was going on. He couldn't help but shake his head and said: "I was busy dealing with the priest and Gladstone today. I didn't read the newspaper for a day, and the result was a big news for me. This These three bastards are so desperate to make money!"

Louis Bonaparte just whispered: "Actually, this is quite good. I heard that the ticket price for this sword duel has been increased higher and higher. If not, how could we..."

When he said this, he just glanced at the suitcase he was carrying, and said: "Sir, don't talk so much, let's get to the point."

But this time, before Arthur could speak, Bertrand had already turned around: "Mr. Hastings, why are you standing at the door? Come in and sit down. I have neither a sword nor a gun today." .”

When Arthur heard this, he smiled brightly and said: "Of course, what happens on the stage is on the stage. We can definitely be friends off the stage. I have always kept my work and life separate, and I believe you can do the same."

The two came to the table and sat down. Bertrand looked up at the decoration here and the murals on the wall to support the scene. He couldn't help but exclaimed: "Although the decoration here cannot be compared with the luxury restaurants in London, after all, this is The East End of London. It’s amazing that there are restaurant boxes like this in the East End.”

Arthur took a sip of tea and frowned as the tea was bitter: "The dirty and narrow streets of the East End often give people the illusion that in fact there are some unknown treasures here, just like this box. Bertrand Sir, this is nothing to be alarmed at."

Bertrand smiled: "Of course, but what surprises me even more is that you actually asked me to meet at a restaurant in the East End. When I first received the invitation, I thought someone was joking with me. Until now, I Still have this doubt, are you really Mr. Arthur Hastings?"

Arthur put a piece of sugar into the black tea cup: "It doesn't matter whether I am Arthur Hastings or not. What is important is that I am here to make friends with you. Just like what I just said, swordsmanship The game is not important at all, it is just a job. I value you more as a person than a simple victory or defeat. Although we have only known each other for a short time, these three or two sentences made me realize that you are very cheerful."

When Bertrand heard this, he just leaned back on his chair, folded his arms and said, "If you have anything to say, just say it, Mr. Hastings. I don't like to beat around the bush, nor do I like London hiding behind dark clouds. Sun. You know how the French are, we are not like the British."

Louis Bonaparte couldn't help frowning when he heard this.

His hand dropped slightly, ready to put it into his pocket, but before he could do it, he was gently held down by Arthur.

Arthur smiled and said: "Oh, very good. Mr. Bertrand, to be honest, I am also a straightforward character. My character is quite difficult to find in Britain. If it weren't for this, I wouldn't be able to get along with you." Make friends with French people. You may not know that I also have a French tenant. In fact, I have no other intention in inviting you here today. I just want to check the accounts with you. I want to know, what did you learn from the organizer? How much appearance fee did you get?"

"You went to all this trouble just to ask this?" Bertrand felt a little speechless, and he said: "Fifty pounds."

Arthur heard this and counted on his fingers: "As far as I know, a total of more than 775 tickets have been prepared for this competition, of which [-] standing tickets cost six pence and [-] seated tickets cost one shilling. , [-] front row and second floor tickets cost three shillings, and the other five hundred are box tickets priced at half a pound. And this is only the official price. If you get the tickets from a middleman, then The price is even higher. Moreover, this does not include the catering revenue of the theater bar during the performance. In other words, for this game, even based on the minimum revenue calculation method, the ticket price alone will be [-] pounds. . And you only paid fifty pounds and you are going to risk your life with me on the duel stage. Do you think this price-performance ratio is too low?"

When Bertrand heard this, he frowned and asked: "Mr. Hastings, what do you mean?"

"No, I don't mean anything." Arthur put his arm on the table, crossed his fingers and held his chin and smiled: "I just want to make friends with you."

Bertrand said seriously: "Mr. Hastings, regardless of the fact that this game is about honor, and it seems that we are not friends yet."

Arthur chuckled softly: "It doesn't matter, we will be soon."

After finishing speaking, he opened his mouth and said: "Louis."

Upon hearing this, Louis Bonaparte slammed the suitcase he was carrying on the table. He unlocked the suitcase and opened the lid suddenly. Brand-new pounds instantly appeared in front of Bertrand's eyes.

Bertrand was stunned for a moment, then stood up in shock and said: "You... what are you doing?!"

Arthur raised his hand to signal him to sit down, then raised his finger and pointed at a box of pounds and replied with a smile: "We didn't want to do anything, Mr. Bertrand. You may not know that I have few friends, but I have a lot of pounds." So, as you can see, I'm just going to be your friend."

(End of this chapter)