The two of them sat in silence for over an hour. Just as William Sullivan was growing more and more uncomfortable, their savior finally arrived.

“Damn it, anyone who dares to cross me isn’t even born yet! Go ask around in the capital—who am I, Sixth Master! A man of honor! But one thing’s for sure, nobody gets to piss on my head!” Even before entering the room, Charles Bennett was already shouting at the top of his lungs. Right after, the madam could be heard quietly trying to calm him down, probably hoping to soothe Mr. Bennett’s temper.

William Sullivan gave a wry smile. It seemed Charles Bennett just couldn’t feel at ease unless he made a scene every time.

The door was pushed open, and in walked a young man who looked like a consumptive. His clothes were flashy and neat, but his face was sallow, shrouded in smoke, with perpetually teary eyes and a drowsy look, walking with his feet turned out, exuding an air of arrogant swagger.

Just outside, Mr. Bennett had gotten into another fight. Someone was a step too slow in making way and got kicked to the ground, then received several more kicks to the face, leaving him bloodied. But who among the regulars at Yanchun Courtyard didn’t recognize Mr. Bennett? Who would dare make a sound? The madam had to coax and plead to get Mr. Bennett into the room, repeatedly saying, “Mr. Bennett, please rest for a bit. Later I’ll bring that blind little brat over to kowtow to you. Even if he’s the Monkey King, he can’t escape your Five Finger Mountain, can he? Why bother getting angry with him? It’s not worth it!”

But Charles Bennett wasn’t having any of it, rolling his eyes. “Get out! Don’t ruin my mood with your damn nagging!”

The madam, though scolded, was relieved, knowing the matter was settled. Her oily, plump face beamed with a smile as she hurriedly apologized a few more times before happily backing out.

“Brother, peace to you.” Facing William Sullivan, Charles Bennett was all warmth, even making a show of a formal greeting, which William Sullivan brushed off with a dry laugh.

His gaze then landed on the charming and radiant Emily Smith, and he paused, unable to look away. But he quickly remembered something, forcibly turned his head, and dropped his playful demeanor. “Brother, you’re planning to buy a house outside, right? Leave it to me, Charles Bennett. I’ll make sure it’s done beautifully and neatly, guaranteed to satisfy your wife.” He’d guessed that this beauty was the courtesan he’d passed on to his brother last night, and though he felt a twinge of regret, what’s done was done. Now that she was his brother’s woman, he couldn’t harbor even the slightest improper thought, let alone show any disrespect.

Seeing that Charles Bennett had misunderstood, William Sullivan smiled bitterly and gestured, “Old Six, have some tea to refresh yourself. I called you here for something else.”

Charles Bennett craned his neck and said, “Brother, don’t make me guess. Just tell me what you need. If I, Sixth, so much as frown, I’m no man!”

William Sullivan pondered for a moment, then said in a low voice, “Here’s the thing. Last month, you arrested someone from Guangxi, named Paul Smith. Do you remember?”

“That happened?” Charles Bennett frowned, clearly unable to recall.

This was just as William Sullivan expected. If he remembered, he wouldn’t be Charles Bennett. “Doesn’t matter if you remember or not. That person is now in the Ministry of Justice’s prison. I need you to get him out.”

“Alright, Paul Smith, right?” Charles Bennett muttered, then stood up. He was always quick to act, turning to leave as he spoke: “I’ll go get him right now! What the hell is this world coming to, the police using my name to arrest people!” Feeling embarrassed for having arrested someone William Sullivan knew, he stormed out, shouting who knows what, which made William Sullivan smile.

Chapter Five: Planning a Prison Break?

“Miss Smith, shall we have some fruit to stave off hunger?” Although it wasn’t yet noon, after last night’s ordeal and barely touching his porridge this morning, William Sullivan, who’d lived a pampered life for years, was already starving.

“Don’t worry. Since it was Charles Bennett who put him in, he’ll have a way to get him out.” William Sullivan understood how Emily Smith must be feeling—her brother’s fate was hanging in the balance, so she probably had no appetite.

Seeing Emily Smith remain silent, William Sullivan shot a look at David Harris. David Harris rolled his eyes but had no choice but to go out and call for Big Teapot. Truth be told, his own stomach had been growling for a while.

Pea cakes, kidney bean rolls, glutinous rice rolls, sachima, and all sorts of Manchu and Han pastries filled the table, their sweet aroma and tempting colors making one’s mouth water at a glance.

William Sullivan tipped Big Teapot some silver, but Big Teapot grinned with his yellow teeth and said, “Master, shall I get you some fried liver from Baxianju outside Qianmen? I’ll hire a carriage and be quick about it! I’ll hold it in my arms, guaranteed it won’t get cold.”

William Sullivan shook his head and waved him off, and Big Teapot quickly withdrew.

William Sullivan picked out a few pastries for Emily Smith and said, “No matter how anxious you are, you still have to eat, right? Your health is the foundation for everything, don’t you think?”

Emily Smith looked at William Sullivan with a half-smile, making him feel uneasy. He knew this beautiful and fiery woman could kill without batting an eye, and his glib tongue probably didn’t endear him to her, so he quickly shut up.

……

This time, Charles Bennett returned without making a scene, which made William Sullivan uneasy, fearing things had gone wrong.

Sure enough, when he entered, Charles Bennett looked upset and cursed, “Those bastards, who the hell are they relying on? They don’t know what’s good for them!”

“Old Six, what happened?” As William Sullivan asked, Emily Smith almost held her breath, her beautiful face showing nervousness for the first time.