Iron Powder and Spellcasters

   Chapter 32 Mess

Three hours after the pier assassination incident, the air seemed to solidify in the two-story building of the General Administration of Customs in Hailan City.

   Hailan City Customs Chief Administrator Robert Hurd now feels like he has a splitting headache.

   His pier was bombed and a trestle was sunk, and there were several more corpses in his morgue, and these were not the most difficult problems. The trickiest thing now is that his cell is stuffed with Army officers.

  The face of the big boss was covered with clouds, and the small staff below were naturally trembling.

  From the highest-ranking assistants to the lowest-ranking scribes, all the customs clerks in the General Administration buried their heads in the files on the table as much as possible, not even daring to take a breath.

   In Hurd's office, the heads of the chief executive's subordinates had solemn expressions, and they were all smothering their heads and smoking, and no one spoke.

  The office of the top customs officer was filled with smoke, as if a thick fog was coming.

A little earlier, still in this office, when Hurd had been briefed by the directors on the bombing of the pier a few hours earlier, a pulsing pain had begun in an intangible part of his skull. , The blood vessels of the temple began to burst.

   Now, seeing that several of the directors under his command were all silent and pretending to be dead, Hurd couldn't help sighing that none of these scraps could be trusted. He stood up and opened the window behind him.

  The fresh sea breeze cleared the second-hand smoke in the office. Hurd cheered up and asked the heads of customs in a deep voice: "Is there any information that anyone else would like to add?"

   answered his deathly silence.

Seeing that no one was talking, Hurd frowned and continued: "Then let me summarize, there was a fight at the dock this afternoon, a trestle was blown to pieces, a few people died, not only that, but also a group of Army officers got involved."

"That's basically what we know about the situation, right? The top priority now is how to deal with those detained Army personnel, and come up with a solution as soon as possible." Hurd leaned on the chair and tapped lightly with his fingers Looking at the table, he suddenly sneered: "What major general in the army is still clamoring to kill us?"

"Uh... yes." The director of the Anti-Smuggling Department nodded cautiously, and the army officers were invited into the cells that were originally used to hold smugglers, and are now under his control: "Now General Layton is resting in my office... But I think if we continue to hold his man, he might really come into the headquarters with a sword."

   "Let him come!" Hurd slapped the table hard, causing the cups, ink bottles and other small objects on the table to jump up an inch: "Is Tangtang Customs afraid that he will fail?"

"I'm not afraid of nature, we will definitely not suffer if we face it." The director of the anti-smuggling department wiped the sweat from his forehead and said with a wry smile: "But we can't keep people from the army in the prison of the anti-smuggling company, right? It's not right, the customs is really unreasonable. I think it's better to let them go. The army people seem to cooperate with our investigation. They are all officers with names and surnames on the army roster. It won't disappear, just ask someone to assist in the investigation and come back."

"Let's go, it's easy to say, if the pier was bombed by the army personnel, and you let them go today, how could they let us recapture them again? If I say it, it must be tried one by one, and it is not clear what happened today. No one wants to leave!" Hearing that the director of the anti-smuggling department wanted to release him, the director of the tax department jumped out in response.

   He firmly disagreed with the proposal of the anti-smuggling director. The two never dealt with each other, and on weekdays, they pointed to Maimang everywhere.

   "Then you go to the trial! You have been trialing for an afternoon, have you found anything useful? Isn't it better to ask three questions?"

"Just a bullshit! Just asking kindly, what can you ask? There must be something this group of **** didn't say." Just nod your head, and I'll go to the execution now, and let these army **** spit out everything they know."

   "Execution? You want to fight with the army?"

   "Boom!" With a loud noise, Hurd smashed a crack on the oak tabletop with a punch: "Shut up, Lao Tzu!"

   The chiefs of the two customs offices with less than one person and more than 100 people closed their mouths and sat back in their chairs angrily.

   Hurd's head hurts even more now.

--Dividing line--

   "Hey! What about you! How long are you going to detain us? Why are you detaining us at customs? Let us go!" Andre grabbed the railing of the cell and yelled at the two guards, one fat and one thin, at the door. He kicked the cell door angrily, and the walls of the cell were shaken by a pound of ashes.

"Master officer, it's not that we are imprisoning you." The skinny guard smiled and said in a flattering tone: "Please don't embarrass the two of us, we are just making a living. Why are you imprisoning, where are we? You know? What the class leader tells us to do, then we have to do it."

   "You don't know, just call someone who knows!"

   "The top is not here now, it's just the two of us in this prison. Would you like me to get you some water?"

   "I drink you..."

   "Forget it, Andre, come and sit." Seeing that the thin guard was slick and tight, Winters didn't want to see Andre being teased with words, so he called out to Andre softly.

  Andre snorted coldly, and he also realized that although the thin man in front of him spoke politely, he was a guy who couldn't get in. He walked straight back to Winters, lay down on the ground, closed his eyes, and grabbed two handfuls of straw as a pillow.

   Winters is now sitting on the ground with his shirtless and cross-legged, and Bud is examining the part of his back where the black-robed man hit with the **** of his gun.

Here we must mention a knowledge that goes against common sense: even in the future when humans start to use lightweight polymers to make firearms, firearms are still heavier than cold weapons; the lightest assault rifle without bullets is five pounds, while Winter Si's long sword is only three pounds; let alone this era when wooden butts are still used.

   So these days, muskets are basically hammers used upside down. Many arquebusiers don't even like to draw their swords when they get into hand-to-hand combat, but prefer to smash people with the **** of their guns.

   Winters' back was not very painful when the man in black robe first hit him with the **** of a gun, but now it started to hurt.

   "These assassins are so ruthless." Bud sighed with emotion, while tentatively pressing his fingers on the bruised position: "Does it hurt when I press it so hard?"

   "Can it not hurt? It hurts even if you get hit." Winters said with a wry smile.

   "I mean does the bone hurt?"

   "It's okay, it hurts a bit, but I can hold it back."

"That's okay, the bones shouldn't be smashed. I guess it's because you scuffled with him, and he can't exert force." Bud speculated about the situation at the time and gave the doctor's order: "This position even if the bones are really smashed. There's nothing I can do, I can only rest in peace. No matter what, just keep it up for a month and don't mess around."

   "That **** is so shameless, he even secretly wore a breastplate under his robe." Winters became more and more angry, unable to furious: "If I also wear plate armor, can he hurt me?"

  Bud helped Winters to put on his clothes again as long as he lifted his arm and back, and said casually, "Really? I feel that those men in black robes are also very good at swordsmanship."

This sentence also spoke to Winters' heart. Winters recalled the process of fighting the assassin and said seriously: "It's really powerful. The man in black with the **** of a gun has a very precise control of the distance. Their swords focus on the sword grid, and their rotation is extremely flexible. If it is a real one-on-one competition, I should not be his opponent, I am afraid I have to let Aikelai win."

   "I guess I searched all over the bay and couldn't find a few swordsmen who were better than the master." Bud said with a smile.

"Haha, that's just a game, and we've seen blood anyway. If it's really desperate, Ike may not be able to play with us now." Thinking of Ike, a smile appeared on Winters' face, He said enthusiastically: "My current understanding of swordsmanship has reached a new level. If I also carry a short spear like the black-robed man...I'm not afraid even if I meet Ike. Well, one might not be enough. , it will be a little safer to bring two."

   "Then did you see how he managed to fire the musket without using a match?" Bud never figured this out.

   "I didn't see it clearly, it should be a special design." Winters shook his head. He came into close contact with the black-robed man's musket, and made sure that the other party's gun had no matchlock, but he couldn't see the specific structure.

However, Winters remembered his experience of subduing the black-robed man on the trestle, and said happily: "The black-robed man with a special fire gun was kicked unconscious by me as well. If his accomplices don't come to save him, I will I can still catch a living. When I get out of here, I will put iron plates on the toes of my boots, and next time I will kick his jaw."

   He boasted rather proudly: "I feel more and more that the battle experience with the pirates is very important. Ike really may not be able to deal with the two of us now."

"What actual combat experience is nothing more than growing some killing skills." Bud did not have the pride of Winters, he sighed bitterly: "I can't imagine if my father and mother learned that I killed him. What would a person be like."

   This sentence touched Winters. What would happen if his family learned how many lives they had on their hands? His pride melted instantly.

Winters comforted Bud dryly: "We have been in the military school for so many years, aren't we just learning this skill? Cough, this is also impossible, don't think so much. Just like Andre said. , 'Use yourself as a tool', it will be better."

   At this moment, a surprised and happy voice suddenly came from the other end of the cell, "The major is awake! Wake up!"

   A few hours ago, Winters and Major Moritz jumped into the ocean to avoid the explosion, but Winters didn't realize he couldn't swim until he choked.

   As he panicked, kicked on all fours and was on the verge of drowning, a pair of strong arms grabbed him from behind and dragged him to the surface.

   Even now, recalling the feeling of being about to drown in the water, Winters couldn't help shaking all over.

   Winters originally thought that the major saved him, but when he was dragged ashore, he realized that it was not the major who saved him, but Ben Wei, an old classmate.

   What about the major? There is no sign of the major on the sea. It turns out that the major can't swim!

  Benwei didn't have time to greet Winters, and a fierce man plunged into the water again.

   After a while, he saw him float to the surface with the major in his arms.

   The major who had just been dragged back to the shore couldn't even breathe. The dockworkers clasped their throats and inhaled their noses again, using every means they could think of to pull the major back from the underworld.

   But after the major regained consciousness and breathing briefly, he fell into a coma again.

  Then the warrant officers were surrounded by the customs guards who came after hearing the sound, and the warrant officers who didn't know the reason confronted the customs guards who didn't know the reason.

   After negotiation, Major General Layton ordered the warrant officers to "go to customs with dignity to cooperate with the investigation". As a result, the warrant officers were not searched, took their luggage, and were politely "invited" into the anti-smuggling company's cell.

Major   Moritz was supposed to follow Major General Layton to the office of the Anti-Smuggling Director to "rest", but the major was still in a coma, so he stayed in the cell and was looked after by the warrant officers.

   The newly awakened major is very weak, his eyes are barely open, his mouth is half-open, and his lips are trembling slightly.

   "Water, hurry up and bring water." The classmate who supported the major quickly called for help.

   The skinny guard hurriedly poured a glass of water, and the warrant officers handed it over to the person in front of the major. Everyone hurriedly supported the major in a half-sit, and carefully fed the water to the major.

  Water dripped into the major's mouth little by little, and the warrant officers all let out a sigh of relief.

  I didn't think about it, the stone in my heart just fell to the ground, and all the water that was fed to the major was spit out by the major.

   Everyone was dumbfounded.

   Seeing that the water fed in was spitting out again, Winters was also stunned.

   But when he looked at the gaunt face of the major, there seemed to be a flash of light in his mind, and he suddenly opened his mind. In that moment, he figured out what was going on.

   Major wants to drink!

  Winters shouted at the two guards: "Wine! Bring the wine! No water! Bring the wine!"

   "Master, where am I going to get you wine now?" The guard said helplessly, "I don't even have a drink, so can you just make do with water?"

Expletive)! If you can't get it, go to your boss!" Seeing that this traitor dared to play tricks with him at this time, Winters was already furious, and he shouted violently: "Bring the wine! Otherwise, I will kill you! "

   The two guards turned pale with fright, and the guard quickly left the cell.

   He came back soon, with Major General Layton and the cell leader.

   The cell door creaked open, and Major General Layton strode to Major Moritz's side. He was relieved to see the major regained consciousness.

   The warrant officers poured the wine brought by the Major General into glasses and fed them to Major Moritz little by little.

   This time the major didn't spit it out, his throat moved up and down, apparently drinking it.

   Winters felt that the major's face seemed to have a look of relief, and there seemed to be hot tears in his eyes, and his face was much better.

Major    drank a large glass of red wine before signaling that the students don't need to feed him anymore.

   Major General Layton saw that Major Moritz's condition was much better after a glass of wine, so he asked with concern: "Major Moritz, how are you feeling now, can you speak?"

   Unexpectedly, the major turned a deaf ear to Major General Layton's words and ignored Major General Layton at all. The major general's face immediately became a little annoyed.

   Winters explained sadly to Major General Layton:

   "General, the major is deaf."

   (end of this chapter)