plumnovel Chapter 76 Gifts and Shackles
Chapter 76 Gifts and Shackles
The situation on the docks changed when Isabella emerged from the main gate of Oak Bay Estate.
Finn, the one-eyed man who just moments before seemed to want to burn two holes in her ship with his eyes, was now respectfully walking ahead, leading the way for her and her men.
His movements were somewhat stiff, clearly indicating his reluctance, but this precisely demonstrated the inviolability of the Easterner's orders, causing Isabella's trusted subordinates to exchange glances, each filled with surprise.
The dockworkers stopped what they were doing and silently parted to make way for each other.
The sailors on the Viper gripped their scimitars tightly, watching their captain and the tall, one-eyed man with bated breath.
They couldn't understand how the enemy, who had been at loggerheads just hours before, had become their protectors.
Isabella walked past Finn, who didn't even look at her directly, but just grumbled and yelled at the workers blocking her way.
She saw it all.
This wasn't because Finn was afraid of her, but because of the Easterner in the study.
In just one night, the rules of the Boston docks were silently rewritten in front of these silent workers and sailors of the Viper.
……
In the study of Oak Bay Estate, the fireplace flames flickered quietly.
"In the ledger, create a separate client list for Captain Isabella," Levi's voice broke the silence of the room.
"Code name: 'Siren'."
Fiona paused on the paper with her pen, then wrote down the new code name in neat handwriting.
"Starting today, establish an independent intelligence analysis team. This team will report directly to you. It will be the sole support department for Project 'Siren'."
Levi turned around and looked at Fiona.
"I need you to collect and verify information on all ships entering and leaving the Caribbean, including but not limited to fluctuations in cargo prices, throughput at major ports, and all military movements by Spain, France, and the United Kingdom in the region."
This command carries far more weight than any previous record.
Fiona raised her head, and for the first time, her eyes, which were always slightly lowered, revealed obvious confusion. It was also the first time she directly asked a question.
"Sir, investing such enormous resources in a pirate is a risk assessment that may not pass. Her loyalty is practically zero."
"I don't need her loyalty, Fiona. She's a pirate, a merchant, and our eyes and fist in the Caribbean and across the Atlantic."
Levi walked up to Fiona and looked at the words "extremely high risk" that she had written down.
"I ask you, Fiona, how do you tame a wild horse?"
Fiona didn't answer, but looked up at Levi with her blue eyes, focused, even to the point of worship.
"If you put a leash on her, she'll struggle desperately, even to the point of crashing into a wall and dying. But what if you give her a lush, grassy meadow free of wolves?"
Levi stretched out his finger and drew a circle on the map, encompassing the entire Caribbean Sea.
"She'll come back to graze on her own. Not only that, she'll actively drive away all other wild animals that want to steal food from this grassland. The stable profits, secure intelligence, and efficient port we provide are that grassland. Isabella is smart; she'll understand the value of this grassland."
Fiona lowered her eyes, beginning to understand the logic behind it. She drew a line under the codename "Siren" to represent "long-term cooperation."
"But the warehouse area at Pier 7 that you sent out was too generous a gift. It will make her feel that we need something from her."
"That's not a gift, Fiona, it's another invisible rein."
Li Wei walked to the window; the night was deep.
"That piece of land will be legally 'purchased' from the Governor's archives under the guise of disposing of abandoned assets, through Andrew Gage's connections. All the documents will be personally signed and stamped by the Governor's clerk."
Fiona's pen finally stopped on the paper; she finally understood the true meaning behind Li Wei's words.
What he gave Isabella was not a simple stronghold, but an exquisite set of shackles.
As long as Isabella uses that warehouse, she essentially owns a "legitimate property" in Boston.
This industry is protected by British Empire law, but it is also subject to British Empire law regulation.
"Fiona, we can inform the Governor's Office at any time if we wish, that a 'notorious' pirate has illegally seized the Empire's property."
"I understand, sir."
Fiona's voice remained cold, but she had already begun to quickly draft the framework for the intelligence team on another blank sheet of paper.
"Intelligence team personnel selection, priority: high. Selection scope: core members of the mutual aid society."
"Very good." Li Wei was satisfied with her reaction. "I authorize you to be fully responsible for this matter. The selection and training of personnel will all be decided by you. This is the first truly core department of the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce."
"I need their loyalty, and even more so, I need them to have excellent observation and memory skills. You can test them in any way you like, and as for funds, withdraw directly from my personal account."
Li Wei granted her unprecedented authority.
"This is your first time independently leading a core department, Fiona. Don't let me down."
"Yes, sir."
Levi walked to the fireplace and casually tossed the copy containing intelligence on British patrols into the dying flames.
The paper quickly curled up, turned black, and turned to ash.
"Sir?" Fiona asked, somewhat puzzled.
"That intelligence was seven parts true and three parts false."
Li Wei watched the swirling ashes, the sea breeze blowing in through the window adding a touch of grimness to his face.
"The false parts are a few insignificant errors in the timing of the troop rotation and a small supply ship's wrong course. These errors were enough to allow Isabella's 'Viper' to return safely to the Caribbean."
"But if she gets any other ideas and tries to use this intelligence for something else, like plundering that supply ship that 'shouldn't have been there,' she'll run right into the Royal Navy patrol and suffer a considerable loss."
Fiona listened quietly.
She felt she was getting to the heart of Levi's business logic, an art that blended generosity, calculation, and an absolute desire for control.
I want her to understand a principle.
Li Wei turned around, the candlelight casting flickering shadows on his face.
"The value of intelligence lies not in the intelligence itself, but in the right to interpret and update it. These two things must always be in the hands of the Black Dragon Chamber of Commerce. I want her to maintain awe towards me, rather than becoming a wild horse after receiving benefits."