"Dutch, I'm still here." Revy glared at him.
"I didn't mean your ability is lacking, Revy, I meant your personality." Dutch glanced at her.
"When are we leaving?" Hearing Dutch say Revy's personality was lacking, Aiden really wanted to nod, but after thinking about it, he realized that would offend her, so he asked instead.
"Tomorrow morning, just right, we still have a cargo to deliver." Dutch said, "I'll have Revy come pick you up."
"No need." Aiden shook his head, "I'll rent a car this afternoon. After all, I have more stuff now."
"Alright then." Dutch nodded, then got up and walked out.
Time quickly passed to the next day.
Early in the morning, Aiden placed all the necessary equipment into the car's trunk and drove to the agreed meeting dock.
On the torpedo speedboat, Aiden, Dutch, and Revy, each holding a can of beer, drank while listening to Rock's voice coming through the walkie-talkie.
"Dutch, the cargo has been delivered, and the receipt has also been signed."
"Nicely done, Rock." Dutch had his legs resting on the speedboat's console, speaking in his usual low voice, "That cargo we were supposed to take over, you should've seen it, right? Did you accept it?"
"About that…" Rock's voice was a bit hesitant, but he still said, "It's been received."
"Then get off the freighter." Dutch took a sip of beer and said.
"Understood."
"He's getting more and more proficient." Aiden shook his beer can, "Starting to look like a porter."
"I just want to say, it's no big deal, it's whatever." Revy was most dissatisfied with Aiden praising Rock. In her eyes, it should've been Aiden joining Black Lagoon, so she said disdainfully, "Wearing that office monkey uniform every day, pretending to be classy with a tie, it's disgusting. I think he should just go back to Japan and continue being a corporate slave."
"He can't go back anymore, even if he did, it would be a dead end." Dutch said, "I don't want to see news of his suicide the next day."
"Hmph." Revy shrugged, not wanting to argue with Dutch.
While they were talking, the door to the speedboat's cockpit opened.
"Brought back the cargo?" Dutch asked without turning his head.
"Yes, brought it back." Rock's tone was a little strange, "But… is he really the cargo?"
Aiden and Revy both turned around at the same time and looked at Rock's side… at the blonde little boy next to him.
"A child?"
Revy glanced over, somewhat surprised.
"That's not strange, people can be cargo too." Dutch said indifferently, "Before unloading, we need to ensure his safety. After transferring through Roanapur, we'll hand him over to the Colombian Mafia's designated recipient. Anyway… forget it, Revy, take him to the cabin first."
Revy grunted, stepped forward, and grabbed the boy's shoulder, "Kid, come with me."
But the boy slapped away her hand with clear resistance, glaring at her angrily.
But how could Revy put up with that? Under Rock's hesitant expression, she grabbed the boy's arm and dragged him off by force, "Don't resist. Be obedient."
"Mr. Aiden." Rock didn't dare argue with Revy, so he could only look at Aiden.
"Relax, Revy's not a man-eating monster. She won't do anything to him." Aiden gave him a reassuring smile and followed them inside.
In the cabin, Revy brought two chairs, looked at the little boy sitting in the corner hugging his knees, and complained to Aiden, "That guy's really not cut out for this line of work, always acting timid and hesitant, totally unprofessional."
"Maybe he empathizes. Don't forget what Rock went through before." Aiden accepted the cigarette Revy handed over, didn't light it, just sniffed it with his nose, "And the kid's still a child. Rock still has his bottom line, so of course it feels wrong to him."
"Tch." Revy turned her face away in disdain but didn't refute, nor did she light the cigarette between her lips.
"Want something to eat? Or… drink?"
After sitting quietly for a while, Aiden squatted in front of the little boy, trying to communicate, and with a twist of his wrist, snacks and a drink appeared in both hands.
Like a magic trick, the scene immediately caught the boy's curiosity, but he stubbornly turned his head, trying hard not to glance at Aiden's hands.
Aiden chuckled, piled the snacks and drink in front of the boy, then said, "I'll apologize on Revy's behalf. Her actions just now were a bit rough. Hope you don't mind."
"Hmph."
Two "hmph"s rang out at the same time.
One was from the little boy, who gave Revy an angry glare.
The other was from Revy, who glared at Aiden.
"What a joke, you actually apologized to him, and for me no less. Brats like this should be treated roughly, or they won't behave." Revy shouted loudly.
"I don't need an apology. A woman covered in tattoos like her is obviously a bad person. Compared to Roberta, she's way worse." The little boy was unwilling to back down, raising his voice. He even picked up the drink in front of him to throw it at Revy, but seeing Aiden's helpless face beside him, he pouted and put it down.
Aiden shook his head, got up, walked over to Revy, and pushed her out, "Alright, Revy, don't argue with a kid. Go out and cool off."
Revy didn't want to stay either. With a "hmph," she walked out of the cabin and closed the door behind her.
"Okay, the bad woman's gone. Now it's just us men. Wanna chat?" Clapping his hands, Aiden squatted in front of the boy again, opened the drink bottle, and handed it to him.
"Thanks." The boy hesitated, but still accepted it. However, he didn't drink it. He just held it in his hands and muttered softly, "Even though you're one of them, you feel completely different from them… especially that tattooed woman."
"Revy's temper is just like that. Her background… well, never mind. No point telling you." Aiden patted the boy's head and continued, "My name is Aiden, from Z country. What about you?"
"Garcia Fernando Lovelace." The little boy proudly recited his name, "The next heir of a glorious family."
Seeing his proud look, Aiden found it a bit funny. In the end, it's still just a mafia family. But on the surface, he nodded, "Family, huh? Sounds like an impressive background."
"Of course." The little boy puffed up his chest, "My family is one of the thirteen glorious families of South America, the Lovelace family."
"But I heard the Lovelace family has already declined." Aiden made a thoughtful face and said slowly.
The boy's expression immediately fell, and his puffed-up chest sank. He pouted and said, "Lately, things haven't been going well… but we've pulled through. My dad, although old-fashioned and unwilling to develop new industries, at least takes good care of the family estate. Everything is improving."
At this point, the boy lowered his head slightly, "But then the Mafia showed up. They wanted our land…"
"And they came after you?" Aiden asked knowingly, "So you're a hostage?"
The boy nodded, "After geological surveys, our land was found to contain rare earth. I don't really know what that is, but those Mafia people wanted to buy our land with money. My father refused, so they showed their true colors and kidnapped me."
"Rare earth, huh? Not surprising." Aiden shook his head. A declining mafia family can't hold onto land with rare earth. Any power wouldn't pass up such a piece of meat delivered to their mouth.
"Is rare earth that important?" the boy asked curiously.
"Of course. It's worth many powers—or countries—shamelessly fighting for it."
"Just like my homeland, which has the most rare earth in the world." Aiden made a gesture, "But my country is big and strong. Naturally, no one dares to snatch it through such dirty methods."
"That's nice." The boy looked on enviously, "If my family hadn't declined, maybe this wouldn't have happened."
"Unfortunately, there are no 'ifs'." Aiden sighed.
The boy fell silent. After a while, he looked up at Aiden and asked, "Can you let me go? Don't hand me over?"
"Of course not." Aiden patted his head, "And it's not up to me here. Even if I wanted to, I'd need their approval." He gestured behind him as he spoke.
"Alright." The boy lowered his head in despair.
"Don't worry. Think positive. Nothing will happen to you. Their target is just the rare earth. Once your father makes the deal, you'll be fine." Aiden comforted him, though he knew that scene likely wouldn't happen.
But the boy shook his head, "I know what those people are like. They're Mafia."
"Mafia or not, it's not a big deal." Aiden patted his head, "Trust me. You definitely won't be harmed."
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