Chapter 268: Teng Dong Lang’s Scheme
Teng Dong Lang was sitting at a dining table, enjoying his breakfast.
The breakfast he liked the most was sashimi.
This was the freshest way to dine on fish, caught from the ocean at first light.
Teng Dong Lang was a middle aged man.
As a snow elf, he looked attractive, but the wrinkles around his eyes revealed the ups and downs of his life.
Once part of the army, he not only sat very straight, but he also had a majestic presence far beyond an ordinary person.
Teng Dong Lang ate his sashimi while listening to a subordinate’s report.
The Bayonet Gang was the top gang in Snow Bird Harbor, and naturally had many affairs, so Teng Dong Lang was a true busybody that couldn’t be idle while dining.
Suddenly, Teng Dong Lang raised an eyebrow, “Oh, Bing Xiao wanted to dispatch gang members to deal with a mercenary corps? Why?”
The subordinate replied, “According to Lord Bing Xiao’s account, this mercenary corps doesn’t know good from bad, and in the Secret Medicine store, they outbid him for a giant-type intelligence potion. This potion would have been a great help for Lord Bing Xiao’s training of giants; thus, Lord Bing Xiao wants to get this potion back.”
Teng Dong Lang faintly nodded, his mind perceiving Bing Xiao’s intent.
Although Bing Xiao had been forced from the position of leader, he still retained a group of people, those who were his confidants and diehards.
Such as his gold level giant slave.
But Bing Xiao didn’t attack immediately, instead he made a request to the Bayonet Gang and informed Teng Dong Lang ahead of time.
This kind of attitude and conduct made the current leader, Teng Dong Lang feel good.
At once, Teng Dong Lang was trending towards giving Bing Xiao a favor and offering some help.
However, Teng Don Lang was a naturally cautious person.
Before officially deciding, he asked, “What is the state of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps?”
The subordinate immediately took out a piece of paper and handed it to Teng Dong Lang, “This is the intelligence report of our inquiry.”
Teng Dong Lang laid the paper on the dining table, putting jam into his mouth as he read through the intelligence report.
The report stated:
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps were a small sized power and didn’t have a gold level powerhouse.
Their head was Long Fu, and their vice head was Shi Qi, both silver levels. Apart from them, there was also the silver level Chi Lai and Men Shi.
They had two magicians, the iron level Lao Zhong and the bronze level Hong Teng.
The mercenary corps had many races in it, including humans, dogmen, water pigmen, a dragonman, and a half giant.
The mercenary corps had three magic ships. The flagship the Love Triangle, along with the Iron Lump and the White Bandage. The first was iron level, and the other two were bronze level.
Apart from those three, the rest were ordinary ships, they had no large ships, and their 13 ships were mostly medium and small sized ships.
The fleet had two gold level components, the Feather Snake Sail and the gold level cannon. The latter was damaged and couldn’t be used for the time being.
The Bayonet Gang deserved to be the local bully, the information they obtained was detailed and reliable.
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had entered the Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s harbor just two days ago, and the Bayonet Gang had gotten so much information on them.
That was because when the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was on the sea, the patrol fleet had inspected them. Then after mooring at the docks, they specifically registered information on their ships.
The Bayonet Gang’s tentacles were long, and they had penetrated into many departments, so obtaining this information was no challenge.
Teng Dong Lang looked at the information report while thinking out his assessment.
“A group of outsiders…”
“Although a small sized power, their strength is decent.”
“They also have some potential…”
“There are also many hidden dangers.”
Teng Dong Lang believed that a hidden danger was the mercenary corps’ complex racial mix.
He understood the hidden troubles of this.
Because the Bayonet Gang was in a similar situation. The six people under him all belonged to different races, and he had eaten plenty of suffering when dealing with them.
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps wasn’t as strong as the Bayonet Gang.
After Teng Dong Lang finished the report, he was trending even more towards helping Bing Xiao.
“Although Bing Xiao is retired, he was once the Bayonet Gang’s leader and has an inseparably close relationship with it. If he can train a second gold level giant slave, it will be favorable news for the entire Bayonet Gang.”
“Anyways, since Bing Xiao wants to deal with these people, based on his conduct style, this information report won’t satisfy him.”
“He will make further inquiries.”
“Since he is seeking the gang’s help, this information should be sent to him.”
Teng Dong Lang was from the army, and his main military position was as a staff officer, thus, his thoughts were very meticulous, and he was an expert administrator.
He turned to look at his subordinate, “Is there anything else to report?”
As expected, the subordinate had prepared another intelligence report and handed it to him.
“This information report has been specially provided by Lord Bing Xiao.” The subordinate reported.
Teng Dong Lang scanned the intelligence report as he kept on eating.
Very quickly, his chewing slowed, and his face exposed a cautious look.
The information gathered by Bing Xiao did not describe what people the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was composed of, or what kind of ships, weapons, and equipment it had, instead, he spoke of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ prior military achievements and history.
As a result, Bing Xiao learned that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had participated in the battle for Two Eyes Island.
The dragonman youngster had fought a gold level fishman pirate outright and only at a slight disadvantage.
Their three magic ships had all once been another’s.
After the battle for Two Eyes Island, they chased down a group of necromancers to Weeping Pinen Island and clashed with the fleet Lady Sea Snake had assembled.
Finally, they rescued some hostages and also captured the Iron Lump and the Love Triangle.
Because time was limited, Bing Xiao was unable to learn of what the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps did on Snake Rat Island.
But that didn’t hinder how Teng Dong Lang thought of them, on the contrary, this information greatly increased his assessment of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
“These people are bold and fierce in battle. After the battle of Two Eyes Island, they decided to purse and attack the necromancers fearlessly.”
“Although Commander Long Fu is a silver level, his body is extremely fine, he can surprisingly withstand a gold level directly and can be regarded as a quasi-gold, he cannot be looked down on.”
Teng Dong Lang couldn’t help but grow vigilant.
These two information reports had given him ample knowledge into the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ strength.
He couldn’t help but inwardly warn himself, “I cannot underestimate the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, and when helping Bing Xiao’s search for the giant-type intelligence potion, I need to pay attention to our behavior and cannot overstep too much.”
The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps didn’t want to go to war with the Bayonet Gang, and surprisingly, Teng Dong Lang felt the same.
Even though the Bayonet Gang was clearly stronger than them.
An enraged Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps could inflict disastrous casualties on the Bayonet Gang.
“How should this matter be handled?” Teng Dong Lang sank into thought.
Negotiation and trade were two methods that Teng Dong Lang threw away first.
Although these two methods had hope of recovering the potion, Teng Dong Lang knew he couldn’t do either.
His position and identity restricted many of his choices.
He was not an ordinary person; he was the leader of the Bayonet Gang. If he did those things, it was tantamount to the Bayonet Gang giving into a small sized mercenary Corps, then how would others look at him?
If the Bayonet Gang was considered weak, then that would be too terrible.
A gang’s reputation was always important.
Only by displaying power constantly to cow the people into fear could they collect protection money and other such things smoothly.
“The conflict between the two of them occurred at the Secret Medicine branch store. This news will be disseminated widely over the next several days.”
“As of now, there are certainly many resolute people already waiting for Bing Xiao’s and the Bayonet Gang’s reaction.”
Teng Dong Lang understood the situation.
The Bayonet Gang not only needed to recover the potion but also give the other party a lesson. Only by doing that would they be satisfied.
“The most direct method is stealing it back.”
“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ ships are at the dock, and after this contention, they will surely have added more precautions.”
“The dock is easy to infiltrate; the pivotal thing is the magician tower.”
“The gold level magician tower keeps watch over all of Snow Bird Harbor at all times, and anchored ships at the dock is an important district that is supervised even more.”
“If we want the magician tower to turn a blind eye, then we need to bribe them. But that’s expensive!”
“Apart from that, I also have to put up a favor.”
Thinking of that, Teng Dong Lang couldn’t help but shake his head.
That method wasn’t good; it was too costly.
His mind turned, then thought of another way, “Then I’ll look for an opportunity to kidnap one of the important members of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. Then when I negotiate with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, I can demand they return the giant-type intelligence potion in exchange for the hostage.”
Teng Dong Lang was making his plans, but then his subordinate looked distressed and reported to him, “Lord Gang Leader. After the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps entered the harbor, they restricted their entire crew, almost none of them got off the ship. Yesterday, only a few of their ringleaders acted off the ships. If those people don’t come out, we won’t find a good chance to kidnap them.”
Teng Dong Lang was flabbergasted, “Huh? They chose to do that?”
He soon sneered, “Just a trick, as time goes one, those mercenaries will kick up a fuss and even stir up a rebellion.”
“But…” Teng Dong Lang’s sneer gradually vanished, for he felt trouble.
He didn’t believe the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps could restrict its mercenaries for long.
Under normal circumstances, Teng Dong Lang didn’t need to act. He only needed to keep calm and for changes, to wait for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to lash out.
But the problem was that Teng Dong Lang couldn’t delay.
Now that the intelligence potion was in the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps’ hands, Bing Xiao had asked for help, explicitly pointing out that time was an issue.
The more time passed, the greater the possibility that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps would use the potion.
When that came to pass, even if the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps conceded, the potion would be gone, the Bayonet Gang would have left them alive for a long time, the original goal would be unattainable, and it would all be a waste of effort.