Chapter 22

Xia Lan had not stepped out of the hotel for several days. He was very busy, busy studying the information given by Old Shaker, and busy meticulously refining his mission plan.

Day and night, he worked tirelessly.

He was very tired; prolonged thinking had left him mentally drained, but he could not stop, at least not until the plan was complete. Once he stopped, the entire intricate operation of his mind would stall, and might even collapse.

The information given by Old Shaker was very comprehensive, even detailed to the point of being unsettling.

Because this was royal information, which was extraordinary.

In his previous life, as a merchant wandering the capital, Xia Lan learned about the mysterious Old Shaker through a certain task. He only knew that Old Shaker was the most powerful person hidden in the Gotdan District.

He was very mysterious; no one knew his origins, appearance, or residence.

It even made people doubt whether this person really existed.

But Old Shaker did exist, because merchants always had their own special channels of information, and Xia Lan was a merchant, at least a barely qualified one, so he knew.

As a merchant, a commoner merchant, you always needed to grease many wheels to make your business run smoothly. At the same time, merchants would take great risks for huge profits. So, how could they ensure that dangerous business went smoothly?

A fellow merchant found Old Shaker because he had something Old Shaker needed, so his business succeeded.

With Old Shaker's backing, the fellow merchant began疯狂走私到奥萨苏和苏格罗，结果获得了巨大的利润。

但这个商人最后还是死了，被王国稽查卫队抓获处死，因为他以为凭借老夏克的安排一切都会顺利，所以他疯狂不知收敛的走私行为最终被发现。

人的贪婪总是无休无止，最终让他丧命的不是老夏克，而是他自己。

没有什么东西能让人永远安全依靠。

夏兰没有找过老夏克交易，因为他没有老夏克需要的东西。如果他愿意见识一下这个人，他可以，这只需要一个谎言。

或许他会因为戏弄老夏克而被杀死，但他不怕死，因为有S/L。

删除角色之前，他听闻了老夏克的一个秘密，有些事情越神秘越容易流出，让人分不清真假。

老夏克极度仇恨国王，原因未知。

夏兰也分不清真假，但他知道了这一回事，从他准备去王都开始，这件事情便清楚记在心上，因为这一世，他有需要找老夏克。

让他幸运冒险的是，那个秘密是真的。

交易的成功，王室的资料，无一不说明那个秘密的真实，其中究竟隐藏着什么样的秘辛也让人翩翩联想。

夏兰没有去想，因为他很忙。

他在运用资料内容完善自己的任务计划，他习惯计划，因为它关乎着他任务的成败，甚至生死。

他会考虑很多，计划的合理性，成功性，是否疏漏什么，是否欠缺什么，如果发生计划意料之外的事情该如何处理，修正。

他很细心，谨慎，因为他追求完美，降低风险。

但他不会生硬地照着计划循规蹈矩，没有一个计划会是完美的，它只是提供一个明确的目标步骤，它代表不了全部，再完美的计划也需要人来完成，任何差池不慎都会引起恶劣后果。

数日的劳累终于换来成果时，夏兰没有显得兴奋骄傲，这种事情他已经做得太多，身心早已麻木，躺在柔软舒适的大床，闭着眼，再次将脑海中的计划检验。

一个人的成功往往让人忽视其背后的汗水，一个人的成功也没有存在偶然。

王都绯光区深绿大道的费兹会所，熟悉这里的男人都会露出会意的微笑，因为这是属于男人的天堂，人们在此放纵声色，纸醉金迷，但一切的前提将取决于你身上的金托尔。

残酷，现实，这就是费兹会所。

金托尔是你的通行证，贫穷是你的止步牌。

每天在费兹会所的门口都能看见顾客被侍从友好的“请”出来，因为他们没有留在费兹会所的价值，更准确点说，他们没钱了。

没有人敢在费兹会所闹事，有能力来此放纵荒唐的人都清楚其背后的庞然，他们不敢，不能，甚至不愿。

每个地方都有它的规则，在费兹会所，金钱就是衡量你进出的规则，它已经成为此处顾客的共识。任何没钱闹事之人都会被众人鄙夷，排斥，哪怕你的地位权势再高。

有地位权势的人都注重自己的名声，所以他们不愿，没地位权势的人都会认清现实，所以他们不敢。

费兹会所的门口，诺文再一次被里面侍从友好的“请”了出来。

“学者先生，希望下次再来。”

侍从脸上带着微笑，话语有些调侃，因为这不是他第一次“请”诺文出来，认真算起来他也不知道有多少次，唯一让他了解的是，自己做这件事情已经有一年多时间了。

一年多的时间，没有交情也会产生交情，至少侍从和诺文之间都有一定了解。

“宾恩，这次又麻烦你了。”诺文有些叹气地朝侍从说道。

不是每个侍从都会像宾恩一样友好，对他这样地位的人，一些侍从的动作总会有些粗鲁让人愤怒。

宾恩摇了摇头，道：“听闻你现在生活很拮据，最近还是不要再来了好。”

“不行！”宾恩的话让诺文心情一下变得激动起来，道：“我一定还会来见碧琳的。”

“你好自为之吧，我回去了。”宾恩无奈叹了口气，虽然他知道会有这样的答复，但有时仍会忍不住劝阻，他怀疑自己是不是有些老好人了。

作为大王子的学者幕僚居然混得如此差劲，诺文现在的情况说出来都让人难以置信，自从一年前被一个同僚邀请来此之后，诺文就迷恋上了会所里的碧琳小姐。

碧琳很美，或者说费兹会所里的女人都很美，而她的美却能让更多的男人沉醉，所以碧琳的价格很高，高得让一般人望而却步。

越是稀贵难得，越是受人追捧，费兹会所从不缺少金主，一掷千金。所以碧琳的顾客也从不获缺。

不是每个人都有自知之明，诺文就是其中一个，他不是有钱人，作为大王子幕僚的他也仅比常人富足，他没有能力将碧琳拥有，唯一能化解他相思之苦的便是不断相见碧琳。

在这个过程，他花光了所有积蓄，甚至欠下了不小债务，当所有人都对他嘲讽奚落，他却依然我行我素，痴心不改。

宾恩为他叹息，拥有大好前途却自甘堕落，仅仅为一个女人值得吗？况且还是被无数男人玩戏过的费兹会所女人。

他不懂，所以他从没真正了解诺文。

诺文现在情况有些糟糕，离开费兹会所不久，他就被几位魁梧高大的彪悍男人给截住了，他们毫不客气地推搡着他来到一处偏僻道口。

即便诺文再如何生气不愿他也必须跟着，因为这是他债主派来的人。

“老板让我们告诉你，欠了这么久的钱总该还了吧？”问话的班恩盯视诺文，流露出浓浓的威胁、轻蔑。

每次面对债主的这位得力手下，对方凶恶的面容话语总会让诺文心中惴惴，尤其对方还占据着义理，回话底气都泛着虚。

“我现在真的没钱，下个月我——”

话音未落，班恩一巴掌将诺文抽翻在地，毫无预兆。

“有钱去费兹会所玩女人没钱，下个月又下个月，这么喜欢耍着我们玩？”

倒在地上的诺文捂着迅速红肿的面颊，这份屈辱让他愤怒握紧着双拳，可是他却什么都做不了，他是学者，不是战士。

而对方直指内心要害的话语，他知道他根本没有反驳的权利，因为班恩说的是事实。

他很痛苦，这也是他咎由自取。

“不过嘛——”班恩蹲在诺文跟前，凶恶的脸上露出难看笑容道：“老板说了，如果你真的没有钱还清债务的话，就帮老板做一件事，而这件事情做成了，所有债务都会通通勾销。”

“是什么事情？”诺文生出一丝侥幸问道。

班恩低头在他耳边轻声细语几句后，诺文顿时脸色一变道：“不行！这件事情绝对不行！”

“哼——”班恩站起身，抬起脚便朝诺文不断踩踏着厉色道：“不行？到时候别怪我们不客气，将你欠债的事情捅到大王子那里，我担保你会被像条狗一样丢掉现在的所有！”

“可是你们做的事情却是在把我逼上死路！”诺文痛苦的叫喊道。

“你以为不做就不用死了？”班恩踩在诺文身上的脚更加用力，毫不掩饰威胁道：“等你被大王子抛弃，没了这个靠山，我们一样可以要你的命！”

这一刻，诺文明白了很多事情，为什么他的债主愿意不断的借债给他，刚开始诺文以为是自己的身份，直到班恩在他耳边的那些话他知道了，对方一直处心积虑的等到现在，为的就是利用他的身份。

事情果然没有这么简单，诺文现在察觉也只能心中苦笑，当他心思都放在碧琳身上的时候，对方也无声无息的将陷阱挖好。

“现在我再问你一次？愿不愿意？”班恩似乎失去了耐心，手段更加粗暴，抓起诺文的头发提在眼前暴烈道。

“不愿意！”狼狈的诺文盯着班恩，一字一句回答。

他知道班恩话里事情的轻重，不论成功失败与否，他都将对不起大王子。

他是个重情义的人，这是他活着的信念，大王子对他有知遇之恩，至今难报。如果因为自己而危害到大王子，他宁愿选择牺牲自己。

“你——”班恩深吸口气，脑门血管青筋崩裂出来，性格上的暴躁也控制不住，他需要发泄！

“既然别人不愿意，就不要勉强了。”

忽然传来的声音让所有人愣住。

－－－－－－－－－－－－

昨天呆坐在电脑前什么都写不出，因为不知道如何下手，直到临睡的时候忽然明白此卷的大纲有问题，结果连忙修改到现在才写出来一章，即使没有什么读者心里都会难受，因为忽然断更了。

现在想明白了，我想写好自己想写的东西，如果突然某天没更只是我没写出自己满意的东西，如果喜欢请收藏慢慢养着，我不会TJ，以后也不会有这些废话了。

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Xia Lan had not stepped out of the hotel for several days. He was very busy, busy studying the information given by Old Shaker, and busy meticulously refining his mission plan.

Day and night, he worked tirelessly.

He was very tired; prolonged thinking had left him mentally drained, but he could not stop, at least not until the plan was complete. Once he stopped, the entire intricate operation of his mind would stall, and might even collapse.

The information given by Old Shaker was very comprehensive, even detailed to the point of being unsettling.

Because this was royal information, which was extraordinary.

In his previous life, as a merchant wandering the capital, Xia Lan learned about the mysterious Old Shaker through a certain task. He only knew that Old Shaker was the most powerful person hidden in the Gotdan District.

He was very mysterious; no one knew his origins, appearance, or residence.

It even made people doubt whether this person really existed.

But Old Shaker did exist, because merchants always had their own special channels of information, and Xia Lan was a merchant, at least a barely qualified one, so he knew.

As a merchant, a commoner merchant, you always needed to grease many wheels to make your business run smoothly. At the same time, merchants would take great risks for huge profits. So, how could they ensure that dangerous business went smoothly?

A fellow merchant found Old Shaker because he had something Old Shaker needed, so his business succeeded.

With Old Shaker's backing, the fellow merchant began smuggling疯狂地到奥萨苏和苏格罗，结果获得了巨大的利润。

But this merchant eventually died, captured and executed by the royal inspection guard, because he thought everything would go smoothly with Old Shaker's arrangements, so his uncontrolled smuggling was eventually discovered.

Human greed is endless, and it was his own greed, not Old Shaker, that ultimately led to his death.

Nothing can ensure eternal safety.

Xia Lan had never sought a transaction with Old Shaker because he had nothing Old Shaker needed. If he wanted to meet this person, he could, but it would require a lie.

Perhaps he would be killed for mocking Old Shaker, but he was not afraid of death because of S/L.

Before deleting his character, he heard a secret about Old Shaker. Some things are more mysterious and thus more likely to leak, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood.

Old Shaker harbored intense hatred for the king, for unknown reasons.

Xia Lan could not tell if it was true, but he knew about it and kept it in mind from the moment he decided to go to the capital, because in this life, he needed to find Old Shaker.

His lucky gamble paid off, as the secret turned out to be true.

The successful transaction and the royal information all confirmed the truth of the secret, and the hidden details sparked endless speculation.

Xia Lan did not dwell on it because he was very busy.

He was using the information to refine his mission plan. He was accustomed to planning because it was crucial to the success or failure of his mission, even his life.

He considered many factors: the reasonableness and feasibility of the plan, any omissions or deficiencies, and how to handle unexpected situations and make adjustments.

He was meticulous and cautious because he pursued perfection and minimized risks.

However, he did not rigidly follow the plan. No plan is perfect; it only provides a clear set of steps and does not represent everything. Even the most perfect plan requires human execution, and any mistake could have dire consequences.

When the days of hard work finally bore fruit, Xia Lan did not show excitement or pride. He had done this too many times, and his body and mind were numb. Lying on the soft, comfortable bed, he closed his eyes and reviewed the plan in his mind.

Success often makes people overlook the sweat behind it, and success is never accidental.

At the Fitz Club on Deep Green Avenue in the Fuglow District of the capital, men familiar with the place would smile knowingly, for this was a paradise for men where they indulged in pleasure and luxury. However, the prerequisite for all this was the gold tor in your pocket.

Cruel and harsh, this was the Fitz Club.

Gold tor was your pass, and poverty was your stop sign.

Every day at the Fitz Club, customers were politely "escorted" out by the attendants because they had no value to stay, or more accurately, they had no money left.

No one dared to cause trouble at the Fitz Club. Those who could afford to indulge here were well aware of the powerful forces behind it, and they did not dare, could not, and would not.

Every place has its rules, and at the Fitz Club, money was the rule that determined your entry and exit. It had become a consensus among the customers. Anyone who caused trouble without money would be despised and ostracized, regardless of their status or power.

People with status and power cared about their reputation, so they would not, and those without status and power recognized reality, so they did not dare.

At the entrance of the Fitz Club, Noven was once again politely "escorted" out.

"Mr. Scholar, hope to see you next time."

The attendant smiled, his words tinged with a hint of mockery, as this was not the first time he had "escorted" Noven out. He did not know how many times it had happened, but he had been doing this for over a year.

Over a year had passed, and even without a relationship, a relationship had formed between the attendant and Noven.

"Noven, I'm sorry to trouble you again," Noven sighed to the attendant.

Not every attendant was as friendly as Noven. Some attendants were rough and rude to someone of his status.

Noven shook his head and said, "I heard your life is quite difficult now. It's best not to come here for a while."

"No!" Noven's mood suddenly became agitated, "I will definitely come to see Beryl again."

"Take care of yourself. I'm going back." Noven sighed helplessly. Although he knew the answer, he still could not help but advise. He wondered if he was being too kind.

As a scholar in the retinue of the crown prince, Noven's current situation was unbelievable. Ever since he was invited here by a colleague a year ago, he became infatuated with Miss Beryl at the club.

Beryl was beautiful, or rather, all the women at the Fitz Club were beautiful. Her beauty made more men fall in love, so her price was very high, high enough to deter most people.

The rarer and more precious something is, the more it is sought after. The Fitz Club never lacked wealthy patrons who would spend lavishly. So, Beryl never lacked customers.

Not everyone had self-awareness, and Noven was one of them. He was not rich, and as a scholar in the crown prince's retinue, he was only slightly better off than the average person. He did not have the means to possess Beryl, but the only way to ease his longing was to see her repeatedly.

In this process,