Last Totem Novel - Chapter 84
Chapter 84 Iceland
Iceland, a small island of about 110 square kilometres in the middle of the Black Sea, has since ancient times been a staging area for fishermen in the deep sea for trade and shelter purposes (if anything similar, it is purely fictional). There were many bars here, and they were all very large. You can eat, rest, trade, and gamble. Most bars have their own independent docks, large warehouses and small fishing boat repair yards, providing accommodation, entertainment, gambling, trading, resupply and maintenance services to docked deep-sea fishermen.
Iceland is a small, narrow island, about 20 kilometers long and 5 kilometers wide, with docks along the coast and fishing boats docking all year round. The buildings on Iceland are so dense that there is almost no free land. The location along the coast was the busiest and liveliest. Basically, they were bars, casinos, trade stations, warehouses, and so on. The central region was a dense residential area with red brick and white tile buildings, as well as wooden boards and tinplate huts.
Every inch of land here was filled with a strong commercial aura. At the same time, this was also the Black Sea’s largest golden nest. As long as you have money, this is heaven. You can eat ingredients from all over the world, drink wine from all over the world, and taste women from all over the world. This place was filled with night and night parties, never stopping. Countless young and beautiful bar girls, Huanfat Yan thin, tall and low, very different personalities, all kinds of amorous feelings, to accompany you drunk until the heavens and earth, the vicissitudes of life …
However, the premise of all this was–money!
If you don’t have money, this is hell! Even if you drink a glass of fresh water, you still have to charge …
This was a fisherman’s paradise and also a fisherman’s hell. Some people became rich overnight, while others lost their lives here.
Looking from afar, the topography of Iceland is high at one end and low at the other, making it look like a piece of ice floating obliquely on the surface of the sea. Some of the coastal areas were cliffs, but this did not affect the enthusiasm of the merchants in the slightest. They built a bar on the edge of a high cliff and rowed to pick up the guests at the harbor. Finally, at the foot of the cliff, pulleys and cables were used to pull large baskets made of vines and carry the guests up.
At this time, on a cliff on the island, in a bar called “Conch”, the fire was burning brightly. The thick logs crackled in the flames, and the section exposed outside the furnace emitted fine bubbles and faint water vapor.
The whole bar was filled with warmth and tranquility. In twos and threes, the guests sat at the small round wooden table. Some were leisurely cutting the steak on the plate, some were dumbfounded by the sea view at night, some were whispering and whispering …
There was a thick candle on the table, and the faint light of the candle was reflected on the snow-white ground through the small multicolored windows. Red, yellow, blue, green, and purple were like flowers blooming on a snowy night.
“Touch!”
A muffled sound came from the door, breaking the silence of the dinner. The guests frowned involuntarily. Everyone who came here to eat liked to be quiet. Otherwise, who would have come to such a high place to eat in a boat in the cold wind?
Afterwards, a group of strong men squeezed into the bar and chatted loudly as if no one else was around.
“Brother Xiong, I heard that the roasted steak here is not bad. I especially brought you here to try it.” “What’s so good about this damn place? It’s so small. There’s no acting, no women. What are you playing with?” “Yes, the Golden Coast is still fun. There are many beautiful girls and fireworks.” “I came here to eat a roasted steak. After I finish eating, I’ll go down.”
“Boss! Let’s eat!” The sturdy man called Brother Xiong shouted loudly. His voice was so loud that the surrounding guests looked over. Originally, someone wanted to persuade this group of people not to talk loudly and affect the mood of others when they ate. However, when they saw the tattoos on the strong men’s arms, they immediately gave up.
The tattoo was a black anchor wrapped around a sea snake with a scarlet tongue. This was the symbol of the Sea Snake Gang, belonging to the famous fleet of ships in the Black Sea. It is said that they often act as guests of pirates, and their attacks are very vicious. In this sea area, very few people were willing to offend them on their own initiative.
Just as the crowd was shaking their heads and wondering if they should eat somewhere else, an eleven or twelve-year-old girl took advantage of the bartender’s carelessness and crawled through the door.
The girl had a thin figure and was dressed in a plaid cotton coat. She was carrying a small basket covered with gray linen. When she entered, she immediately leaned against the shadows of the wall and moved inward. Not long after, she came to a table and lifted the linen cloth, revealing the peanuts with shells inside. Then, she asked the guests who were eating softly, “Hello, sir, would you like to boil the peanuts? The peanuts that have just been cooked only cost half a silver coin.”
The guest raised his head and looked at the girl. The girl’s eyes were a little hazy. She looked silly and sweet. She also felt a little pitiful.
However, the guest quickly lowered his head and continued to eat without moving, pretending that he didn’t see anything. Girls like this are everywhere in Iceland. They sell snacks for a living and grow up to be bar girls. Wait until you’re old and senile, then change to waitress. If you’re older, be a cook, or a cleaner.
Their mothers were usually bar girls, while their fathers were usually passing sailors. It is an Icelandic tradition that when a woman is pregnant, she gives birth to a child. Men grow up to be sailors and women grow up to be bar girls.
If they were lucky, the children would arrange for their mothers to retire in coastal towns after their success. This was the dream of every Icelandic woman. But if their luck wasn’t so good, they would stay in Iceland until the end of their lives.
Seeing the guest’s reaction, the girl obediently turned around and walked to the next table. She had experience, and guests who knew this temperament would never buy her things no matter how they tried to persuade them.
At this moment, a trace of cunning flashed across the girl’s eyes. She found a good target. It was a black-clothed youth sitting opposite a short and sturdy middle-aged man. He was quietly eating.
The black-clothed youth was quite handsome, but his face was a little cold. He seemed to be quiet and quiet, while the middle-aged man opposite him had a simple and honest appearance and appeared to be quite upright.
According to the girl’s past experience, teenagers and old people were generally the most sympathetic. The former was not deeply involved in the world, while the latter had seen all the vicissitudes of life and could not bear to see beautiful things. The most hateful thing was a middle-aged man. He was both powerful and beneficial. He basically wouldn’t do anything that didn’t benefit him.
Although the youth in front of him looked very cold, his friend looked calm and honest. Growing up in this crowded Iceland, she had long since learned to observe people’s expressions, and she also understood the principle of grouping people into groups.
This youth shouldn’t be that bad …
Thinking of this, the girl gathered her courage and walked towards the table of the black-clothed youth.
“Hello, sir …”
The black-clothed youth’s reaction was extremely fast. Just as the girl opened her mouth to speak, he looked over. That cold gaze was like a wolf in the wilderness, making people shiver. The girl involuntarily took a step back, then lowered her head, wanting to leave.
“Is something the matter?” The black-clothed youth asked.
“First … sir, would you like … boiled peanuts?” The girl replied in a trembling voice.
“Brother Tie, don’t scare the little girl.” The middle-aged man opposite the black-clothed youth turned his head and said to the little girl in a gentle tone, “Don’t panic. He is not a bad person.”
“Am I scary?” The black-clothed youth grinned, and a trace of playfulness flashed through his eyes.
The black-clothed youth was Tie Zha, and the short and sturdy middle-aged man was Feng Yun. They had only arrived in Iceland yesterday afternoon and had been busy for a day and night. Finally, they took out the equipment they had seized from the research facility. After receiving the money, Feng Yun decided to bring Tie Zha to this bar to try the roasted steak.
Ever since the girl entered the bar, Tie Zha had been paying attention to her and had seen through the cunning in her eyes. Her current demeanor and demeanor resembled a playmate of Tie Zha’s when she was a child. Especially in her seemingly hazy eyes, there was a trace of craftiness hidden in her eyes. It was simply the same.
However, this playmate was now a lofty existence, always with a stern face, a serious and solemn expression.
The thought of being forced to kneel in front of everyone that day made Tie Zha’s teeth itch with hatred. In his entire life, there had only been one person kneeling on his knees. However, this honor was forcibly shared by someone. Perhaps it was because he wanted to take revenge on that person, he treated this innocent girl as someone’s scapegoat.
Thus, with this scene …
“No … not scary …” The girl timidly said, “You … your eyes are so beautiful.”
“Really? Are you sure?” Tie Zha put away his smile and regained his cold expression.
“Yes … no … no …” The girl said uncertainly.
“Yes or no, say it clearly!” Tie Zha asked in a deep voice.
“Uncle … you’re so handsome …” The girl answered with a sobbing voice. At this moment, her eyes were brimming with tears, as if she was about to cry.
The words “uncle” gave Tie Zha the consciousness of an adult. He took out a silver coin from his pocket and threw it into the basket. Then, he raised his hand and signaled the girl to leave.
The girl was stunned for a moment, then she was pleasantly surprised and said uneasily, “Thank you … Thank you!” With that, she bowed to Tie Zha.
Tie Zha touched the girl’s head and said, “Go play somewhere else.”
“Yes.” The girl nodded obediently, revealing a sweet smile. She turned around and went to the next table.
“Brother Tie, there is no shortage of these girls here. You don’t have to give them money, and they are not pitiful …” Feng Yun took a sip of wine and continued, “These are the children of Icelandic Flowing Warblers. They have their own destinies.”
“It’s just a silver coin.” Iron slag said.
“One for each person, that’s quite a lot.” Feng Yun stretched out his finger and gestured, “10 people are 10 silver coins, 100 people are 100 silver coins, 100 silver coins, 10 gold coins, 1000 people …”
Feng Yun counted on his own, and the iron slag lowered its head to eat as if it hadn’t heard anything.
“Cao! Where’s my wallet! Where’s my wallet!”
Suddenly, a loud shout erupted from the middle of the hall. Tie Zha narrowed his eyes and looked over, only to see a strong man forcefully slapping the table and standing up, fiercely looking around the entire hall. All the people he was eyeing seemed to have been bitten by a wild beast, and they quickly lowered their heads to pretend to eat.
Finally, the sturdy man’s gaze landed on the peanut girl, pointing at her and shouting, “Little bitch, smash! Come here!”
The girl walked over trembling.
“Where’s my wallet?”
The girl replied in a trembling voice, “I … I don’t know …”
“Take off your clothes! Prove to us if you stole it!” The sturdy man stared at the girl with wide eyes. Under his gaze, the girl’s thin body trembled slightly.
“No” The girl grabbed her collar tightly and shouted as she retreated.
“Take it off!” The burly man roared and reached out to grab the girl.
The girl dodged sideways and nimbly avoided the strong man’s big hand. Then, she ran to the back of the hall …
