"No! I still have things to do! I'll come back tonight!"
Leilin stood up and refused without hesitation, ignoring the resentful look on Mrs. Tiren's face behind him.
"Master! Where are we going now?"
Karen stood behind Leilin, obedient as a maidservant. Though negotiations hadn't even begun, she already considered herself Leilin's person.
Hawk and the Giant stood further back, like two loyal guards.
"Grab a few people — we're going to recruit a batch of sailors!"
Leilin said. In truth, whether it was the Crimson Tiger or the Mermaid, both ships were severely short on sailors, so they needed to recruit a large number of hands as quickly as possible.
But in the Pirate's Port, there was never any shortage of such fellows — they just needed to be carefully筛选ed.
"The Whip and Spirits"!
Leilin looked at the bar's name, quite speechless, but still pushed open the thick wooden door.
Though it was still morning, the bar already had quite a bit of business, along with no shortage of hungover drunks.
"Boss! We found some people last night, and they're all here waiting for you!"
The Giant grinned innocently and slammed his fist on the U-shaped counter, immediately setting all the hanging glasses swinging and clinking with a pleasant sound.
"So it's you, that kid from yesterday! Hurry up and settle their bar tab!"
A bleary-eyed old drunkard emerged from a small door behind the bar. He first glanced at the Giant with utter contempt, but the moment he saw Leilin, his eyes suddenly lit up.
Perhaps it was because he noticed Leilin's fancy attire — here was the big spender who could actually settle these bad debts!
"Welcome, honored guest!" The old man bowed deeply, his eyes nearly disappearing into creases of smiles.
Compared to the treatment the Giant had received earlier, Leilin was treated eight streets ahead — but the Giant only muttered a few words under his breath and didn't dare say anything more.
After all, he had experienced Leilin's methods firsthand.
"What can I get the guest?"
"A glass of rum! The rest of you, help yourselves!"
Leilin waved his hand and sat down at the bar. "Where are the people? Bring them out so I can have a look!"
His standards weren't particularly high right now — as long as they were normal pirates, that would do. Death would help him quickly筛选 out the elite among them anyway.
"Wait up, Boss!"
The Giant scratched his head, then charged like a hurricane into several nearby sofa booths, punching and kicking. Occasionally, the sound of cursing could be heard.
After several minutes, over a dozen bruised and battered pirate sailors were herded out by the Giant.
Though injured, these men all had a tough, spirited air about them — far better than Leilin had expected.
"Giant, don't tell me these are the ones who fought you last night?"
A sudden premonition struck Leilin.
"That's right, Boss!" The Giant grinned with pure honesty. "These fellows pack a punch. They could hold their own against me for a while, so I'm sure they'd do well in the fighting crew..."
The Giant was blessed with extraordinary natural strength and was a fifth-level warrior. In a real fight, he could hold his own against even sixth or seventh-level warriors. To earn his evaluation meant this group's strength was quite respectable.
By now, they realized Leilin might become their future employer. Their eyes were filled with unease, all looking toward a burly man in their midst.
"Hmm? Your name?"
Leilin looked at the man who was clearly their leader. He had a full beard and eyes that seemed half-closed in a doze, only occasionally revealing flashes of keen light.
This fellow has quite the story behind him!
Just from the first glance, Leilin had already made this judgment.
"Ronard! My name is Ronard, sir!" The bearded man spoke with respect yet proper decorum, as if he had once learned some noble manners.
"Can you read?" This subtle distinction immediately piqued Leilin's interest.
"I once studied literacy for a time at Scholar Teren's household!" Ronard kept his attitude very humble. Though their contact had been brief, he had already sensed this young man was no ordinary person.
It wasn't just that he could command a follower like the Giant — there was also the air about him.
It was a kind of majesty — or perhaps noble bearing — that could only be cultivated through a life of privilege combined with long years of etiquette and cultural training.
In this era, a person like that represented hope!
"Very good! Ronard, would you swear your loyalty to me?" Leilin smiled, changing the offer from employment to fealty. This distinctly noble invitation caught Ronard off guard.
But after only a moment's hesitation, Ronard gritted his teeth. "I'd like to ask, young master — are you from the Lewis Family? If so, I'm afraid I must respectfully decline."