Chapter 167. Weister
"Come in quick. Close the door, too," Weister uttered nervously the moment he stepped into their dwelling.
His mother, Elena, placed the empty plate she was holding on the table before turning toward Weister. "Where have you been the past few days? Are you hungry? Should I cook you something to eat?"
Disregarding his mother's questions, Weister turned up the wick of the oil lamp to brighten the room. He then pulled his younger brother and sister, who were diligently weaving a fishnet, closer to him before taking out two fist-sized pieces of white bread and stuffing them into their hands.
"Eat up. I specially went to the residential area and got them."
Holding the two loaves of white bread in their hands, his younger siblings didn't take a bite. Instead, a hint of concern and worry filled their eyes as they turned their gazes toward their mother.
A nervous expression crossed Elena's visage as she eyed the pristine packaging with skepticism.
"This must've been expensive, right?" Elena asked.
Weister replied nonchalantly, "It's alright. It’s only 50 Echo each. I got them from the Crown District. We can still afford this small amount."
With that, Weister then fished out a stack of Echo bills from his pocket and handed them to Elena.
However, Elena's face showed no signs of happiness. Instead, anxiety settled into her furrowed features.
"Did you go out stealing again? How many times have I told you not to do things that violate the law?! What if the police catch you?"
Weister pushed the stack of bills into Elena's hands with a smile on his face.
"Don't worry. I didn't steal anything," Weister assured.
"Tell me, where did this money come from, then?" Elena's stern gaze bore into her eldest son.
"I...I found a wallet today. I think it belongs to one of the central islanders. There's a lot of money inside," Weister stuttered as he shifted his gaze away in guilt.
"Don't lie to me. Where did this money come from?" Elena's voice trembled slightly.
Sitting next to them, Weister's younger siblings exchanged glances before quietly placing the bread in their hands back on the table. Without uttering a word, they resumed weaving the fishnet.
Pushed to the edge, Weister could only reveal the truth. "It's really nothing much. The Shark Gang asked for my help, and this is the compensation I got in return."
Elena's pallid lips trembled as she replied, "Have you forgotten how Timmy died? He also went to help, but when they sent him back, half of his body was gone!"
Elena's eyes were filled with intense fear. Street gangs often targeted people like them, who lived in the impoverished harbor district, for a specific purpose: to use them in experiments involving bizarre relics.
Many who had gone to assist them in their experiments were sent back as lifeless corpses. It was a deadly gamble that only desperate souls would dare to partake. She couldn't understand why her own son had decided to get involved in such a perilous activity.
"Mom, it's fine. I'm only doing this once. Look, aren't I back in one piece? I'll be going on a long trip soon for several months. I have to leave some money for the family."
Weister then walked over to his younger siblings and pulled them up, stopping them from their weaving. Picking up the bread loaves from the table, he pressed them into their hands once again.
"Several months? Where are you going?" Elena's voice quivered as she spoke.
Weister knew that what he was about to say next would incur his mother's wrath, but he could only tell her the truth.
"There's a cargo ship short of a sailor. I'm going to join the crew."
Elena seemed to be set off by Weister's words. She abruptly stood up, marched toward him, and delivered a slap to his face with her left hand.
"Have you lost your mind? That's suicide! Have you forgotten how your father disappeared? You're not allowed to go out to sea!"
Elena raised her hand for another strike, but Weister caught her by the wrist in mid-air. His voice surged with emotion. "Mom, isn't it just death? What's there to fear about it?
”If I die, so be it. What's the point of living such a miserable life?!"
"Even living in poverty is still better than death! As long as we're alive, things will get better one day!"
"How will it ever get better? It's been three years since Shadow Island sank! And I've been hauling cargo around for three whole years! And what's next?" Weister gestured toward his younger siblings. "Will my brother end up a manual laborer like me when he grows up?
”Will my sister marry another laborer after that? Aren’t we all doomed to keep scraping by in this harbor area? Is this what you call things getting better?"
Unable to restrain his emotions, Weister continued, "Two days ago, I spotted you picking up shark meat scraps that others had peeled off and discarded at the fish market.
”Even beggars wouldn't touch those parts that are tinged with the heavy smell of ammonia, but it appeared on our table. How can life ever get better?"
Bombarded by the truth behind her son's questions, Elena had no response. She could only bow her head as tears streamed down her weathered face.
Looking at his mother's reaction, Weister's voice softened a notch. "I remember the days when Father's jewelry store was still around. They might not remember because they were still young, but I remember that we could shower with fresh water.
”We even get to eat delicious cuisine every day and even live in a large house in the central district. That's what it means to have a better life and not like this... living like rodents in sewers."
A heavy silence engulfed the room for a long while. The flame in the oil lamp flickered, and Weister broke the silence. Stuffing the wad of bills into Elena's hand, he said, "Rest assured. I will make sure we return to those good days. I promise!"
With that, Weister sprinted out of the house and onto the bustling streets, ignoring Elena's anguished cries from behind him.
After he navigated through twists and turns to lose his mother, Weister halted and exhaled deeply. He then approached two young men who were smoking in the distance.
"So, how did the discussion go?" asked one of them.
Weister nodded firmly, "Yes, I decided to get on board."
The young man with a scar trailing from the corner of his mouth thumped Weister's shoulder enthusiastically.
"You'll be proud of this decision you made today, mate! Begging for food on land is for spineless cowards. Real men live on the sea. Let's hit the bar. Drinks are on me today," he said.
Weister smiled and placed an arm on the shoulder of his new comrade.
"Are you sure the captain would agree to have me on board? I have no sailing experience."
"Don't worry. You're just joining as a sailor. As long as you have two good arms and legs, you'll be fine. Besides, I'm very close to the boatswain. Just get him a few packs of smokes, and he'll definitely agree to it."
As the trio sauntered ahead, arm in arm, they found their path blocked by a dark-uniformed policeman.
"What a buzzkill. Why are these damn black dogs blocking the way?" the scar-faced young man grumbled with a look of impatience.
"Look over there. It seems like some bigshot is arriving," Weister said as he gestured toward the adjacent dock.
Bright searchlights penetrated the darkness as an oppressive colossal ship inched its way toward the pier.
"That's the governor's Royal Titan," one of the onlookers commented.
Shortly after, Weister spotted several cars accelerating from the docks toward them. One of the cars had its windows rolled down, and a stunningly beautiful face flashed past them. Her peerless beauty left the men in the crowd spellbound.
"The Princess of Whereto remains breathtakingly beautiful no matter how many times you see her."
"It's really her! It's Miss Margaret!"
"She's so beautiful!"
The scar-faced youth licked his lips as a lustful glint flickered in his eyes. "If I could have her under me for just one night, I'd willingly trade my life for it."
"Hey! Punk! What did you just say?! Get over here!" the nearest police officer shouted, his face contorted with fury as he raised his black baton menacingly.
The situation was turning bad, so the trio swiftly eluded the crowd.
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