Steam Era: The Lord of 'Puluo'-Chapter 784 - 488 Perfect Timing_2

He had fifty-six men under him, all Foreigners, each with different roles and tasks. Fifty of them went to the private room to capture Li Qi. Of the remaining six, five were responsible for protecting the Bishop, and one continued to monitor Xiao Yeci and Duan Shaoxia with a hook.

Da Boyins was not assigned any tasks, and similarly awkward was Xiao Manli.

Mosonov did not speak to either of them. Da Boyins felt it was inappropriate for him to remain, so he took the initiative to ask, "I’ll go outside the restaurant to patrol, to prevent unrelated people from disturbing our operation."

Bishop Mosonov nodded. "Very well, report to me immediately if there’s any news. Manli, you go with Da Boyins."

Da Boyins and Xiao Manli left the restaurant together. While walking on the street, Da Boyins said in a lowered voice, "Was it you who informed Bishop Mosonov of the news?"

Xiao Manli did not deny it. "He happened to bring people to Greenwater City, and as soon as I found out, I immediately went to him. As a member of the Chase the Light Group, it is my duty."

Da Boyins said, "Now I understand why your reputation is so poor. You don’t understand the concept of credibility at all. Cooperating with you was the most foolish decision I’ve made!"

Xiao Manli defended herself, "Our opponents are the magnates of Puluo State. We could not possibly accomplish this task with just the two of us."

Da Boyins sneered, "Why can’t you be honest? You’re worried that I would monopolize Red Lotus, that you would miss out on the benefits!"

Xiao Manli felt no shame. "Shouldn’t I be worried? Shouldn’t I get the reward that’s due to me?"

Da Boyins shook his head with a bitter smile. "Miss Xiao, you won’t get anything now. The object has fallen into the hands of those Foreign Devils, and it has nothing to do with us anymore."

"You’re calling them Foreign Devils?" Xiao Manli was astonished. "Spider Bin, you’re really a practical person. What did you join the Chase the Light Group for?"

"What do you think? And yourself? For faith? For their culture? Isn’t it all for benefits? Because of your foolish actions, now we’ve got nothing!"

Xiao Manli was somewhat regretful. "He’s a Bishop. Once he makes a promise, he ought to fulfill part of it. I thought we could at least earn some Elixirs."

Da Boyins was not optimistic. "The promise was not for us; it was for his own men. That bastard Mosonov never treated us as equals. He won’t give us anything..."

Halfway through his sentence, Da Boyins stopped abruptly. The little spider he had placed outside sensed something.

"Since we haven’t received anything, I don’t think we need to take on too much responsibility." Da Boyins quickly moved into a nearby alley, and Xiao Manli hurriedly followed him.

"What on earth has happened?"

Da Boyins did not reply, only muttered a prayer for Mosonov, "May the Holy Light protect him." 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

「...」

On the street leading to Conqueror’s Restaurant, He Yuxiu came with dozens of people.

On the other side of the street, Chu Huaiyuan came with dozens of people as well.

The He Family’s people all wore white short gowns, while the Chu Family’s people all wore grey western-style clothes.

Ma Wu had arrived earlier than both of them, his men all in black Zhongshan suits.

The owner of Conqueror’s Restaurant stood at the entrance, wanting to come up to inquire about the situation. Before he could speak, He Yuxiu grabbed his hair, twisted his neck, and threw him to the roadside.

「...」

In the private room, Li Qi looked at Xiao Yeci with a smile. Xiao Yeci was fidgeting nervously, constantly wringing her hands and saying, "Brother Seven, if you don’t like it here, let’s leave."

Li Qi said nothing, making Xiao Yeci even more anxious.

She was unsure if Li Qi understood her meaning, and she was also unsure if Li Qi had made any preparations.

SQUELCH.

Li Qi’s body suddenly began to sink, descending into the wooden floor.

Xiao Yeci was startled and shouted, "Benefactor, hurry up and go!"

A mud pit appeared on the floor, its depth unknown, nor where it led. Li Qi maintained his sitting posture as his body rapidly sank. A Mud Cultivator had taken action.

Xiao Yeci rushed forward, trying to pull Li Qi back, but a Foreigner burst through the wall of the private room and captured Xiao Yeci with brute force.

The door burst open and a dozen Foreigners rushed in, swiftly cutting off Li Qi’s limbs. This was the Bishop’s order—they only needed a person who could speak; nothing else mattered.

Another group of Foreigners brought in an iron cabinet and stuffed Li Qi into it.

Xiao Yeci was trembling all over, tears streaming continuously.

Duan Shaoxia had told her Li Qi understood the current situation and surely had a way to deal with it, but she could never have imagined it would end like this.

Struggling to stand up, determined to fight, she was firmly pinned to the ground by two Foreigners.

In the restaurant’s backyard, Bishop Mosonov was making tea with a few of his men. As he arranged the tea set, he expressed his feelings, "The culture of Puluo State is distasteful, but their drinks are indeed impressive, especially tea. This ancient Eastern beverage reveals a charm in detail, such as the temperature of the water. Green tea like this should not be brewed with boiling water, as it would severely affect the taste of the tea. The People of Puluo State call this problem ’overheated,’ but if the temperature is below eighty-five degrees, the fragrance of the tea leaves cannot be fully released. Therefore, the optimal temperature is between eighty-five and ninety degrees."

One of his men asked, "Bishop, do you need a thermometer to measure the water temperature?"