Chapter 383 - 283: Disturbance at the Dock, Royal Academy (2)

Graham was still smiling, but the light in his eyes was growing cold.

This blatant disregard had gone far beyond normal limits, becoming downright insulting.

Monroe noticed Graham's displeasure, of course, but he didn't say a word. Instead, he stood to the side, enjoying the spectacle.

Monroe also couldn't stand the arrogant and unruly Fleming.

Unfortunately, the man was a Royal Police officer with a pristine background. Monroe had no authority to interfere with his actions, so he could only tolerate it.

Now that Graham seemed displeased, Monroe naturally hoped he would be the one to step up and teach Fleming a lesson.

But he was to be disappointed.

Graham just stood there without moving, merely watching coldly, as if he were waiting for something.

Monroe frowned to himself.

'Is he just going to let it go?'

'Is he that much of a coward?'

The thought had just flashed through his mind when he suddenly heard a muffled THUD from the distant ship deck. Immediately after, a figure flew backward and crashed heavily onto the docks.

It was none other than Fleming, who had just swaggered aboard the ship moments before.

He was half-kneeling on the ground, blood at the corner of his mouth, his face pale as he looked up into the distance. The previous arrogance in his eyes was gone, replaced entirely by fear.

Monroe was startled as well and followed Fleming's gaze.

A tall figure had appeared on the deck, now walking slowly toward them.

As the figure drew closer, even Monroe—a man who had seen his share of scions from Metropolis's old noble families, whose lineages traced back to the nation's founding—was visibly stunned.

The man was simply that remarkable.

His near-perfect, handsome face and a physique of the golden ratio were enough to draw the eyes of any woman.

But more important was the soul-stirring aura he exuded.

Even though the man was just standing there, Monroe felt a sudden urge to fall to his knees.

This was something he had never experienced before, and it shocked him to the core.

At that moment, Wu Liangchen lowered his gaze to the half-kneeling Fleming and said flatly, "The man is on the ship. However, I've changed my mind. I'll give you one day to come and get him. The offer expires after that. You'll be responsible for the consequences."

Hearing this, Fleming, who was already feeling utterly humiliated, opened his mouth and spat out a large mouthful of blood, yet he didn't dare utter a single defiant word.

After all, he had merely spoken with a poor tone and used some inappropriate words, and as a result, he had been slapped from the ship to where he now knelt.

After saying this, Wu Liangchen turned and left. The entire process was clean and decisive.

Only after he was gone did Fleming struggle to his feet. He first took a long, hard look at the large ship, then turned his head to face Graham.

"Who is that man?"

Graham shrugged. "Chief Fleming, you were in too much of a hurry. You boarded before I could even finish speaking. In fact, that gentleman is the one who annihilated the pirate fleet and captured Hoffman alive."

"Just him? By himself?" Fleming caught the implication in Graham's words and immediately pressed for confirmation.

"That's right!" Graham nodded with a smile.

At this, both Fleming and Monroe gasped in shock.

To single-handedly wipe out an entire pirate fleet and capture the cunning pirate leader alive—what level of power would that require?

Fleming knew, at least, that he couldn't have accomplished such a feat even if he were leading a well-equipped Firearms Team.

Thinking of this, he knew he had been utterly and completely defeated this time.

But his pride kept him from saying another word. He just turned and left.

Watching his stumbling figure retreat, Monroe couldn't help but sigh.

"It seems it's best for the young not to be so hot-headed. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Graham?"

"Of course they can be hot-headed, but it depends on whether they have the strength to back it up." Graham, of course, detected the gloating undertones in Monroe's words and replied with a smile.

"A fair point. But I wonder, when might I have the opportunity to invite you and that gentleman to dinner?" Monroe said.

"That will depend on the gentleman's schedule!" Graham sidestepped the question smoothly.

If this had been before, an invitation from the port director would have been a dream come true for him.

But now, after spending so much time by Wu Liangchen's side, combined with this recent incident, he couldn't help but stand a little straighter. He felt a bit like a fox borrowing the tiger's might.

Monroe didn't mind. Based on the power Wu Liangchen had displayed, he had certainly earned the right to put on airs.

Besides, he wasn't expecting to achieve anything right now. This was just a preliminary gesture of goodwill.

So, after a few more pleasantries, he left.

After this incident, the transaction was naturally put on hold, but Graham wasn't worried in the slightest. In fact, he was faintly excited.

As a Folangji native who had been navigating the business world for many years, he had suffered far too many indignities at the hands of these political upstarts.

Now that he finally had a chance to hold his head high, he was naturally delighted.

As for the future, he would deal with it when it came.

Years of doing business on the treacherous seas had forged Graham's mind into something incredibly resilient; he never worried about things that hadn't happened yet.

After returning to the ship, he found Wu Liangchen and carefully explained Fleming's origins and background.

Wu Liangchen was unconcerned.

It was as he'd said before: Folangji was just a stopover point, not important at all.

Bringing the pirates back for a reward was just something he did on the side, a nice bonus. It was optional.

This was also why he hadn't gone ashore, choosing to remain on the ship.

He didn't want to create unnecessary complications by dealing with these Folangji people, so he had delegated everything to Graham, content to relax in his cabin with a cup of tea.

In any case, he would be setting sail for Sky's Edge in a couple of days.

But unexpectedly, though he hadn't gone looking for trouble, trouble had come looking for him.

The incident actually had a very small beginning. At the time, Wu Liangchen had been in the cabin, casually keeping an eye on Hoffman.

After Fleming came in, he had immediately ordered Wu Liangchen to pick Hoffman up and take him off the ship.

Of course, Wu Liangchen didn't listen to him, continuing to sit there leisurely, sipping his tea. Unexpectedly, Fleming flew into a rage, pointed at his face, and began to berate him.

And then, Wu Liangchen got annoyed.

The result of his annoyance was a single slap that sent the insolent Fleming flying.

As for the background and connections Graham was now describing, Wu Liangchen paid them no mind.

At his current level, he could do as he pleased without fear, at least in this small corner of the world.

"One day," Wu Liangchen said. "If Fleming and his so-called Royal Police don't come within a day, then just kill Hoffman, toss his body into the sea, and be done with it."

"Yes, sir!" Graham responded immediately.

Then, Wu Liangchen let out a long yawn. "I'm tired. Going to get some more sleep."

With that, he got up and went to the rear cabin to rest.

But Wu Liangchen had no idea that while he was sleeping, the incident had already caused a massive uproar at the docks, and even throughout all of York City.

A high-ranking officer who graduated from the Royal Police Academy, the chief of police for the entire city, had been beaten up. As soon as this explosive news spread, it immediately drew the attention of countless people.

"Who's so brave they'd dare to hit Fleming?"

"I heard it's someone Graham brought back from overseas. They say he's the one who captured Hoffman."

"Even so, you can't just do that. Fleming is arrogant and extremely petty. Graham is in for it now."

"Who knows? But I doubt this will end well. After all, the man made it clear—he only gave Fleming one day."

The outside world was buzzing with discussion, and all the strange looks were putting immense pressure on Fleming.

So much so that when he stepped out of his carriage and walked up the steps to the police station, he felt that everyone—from the sentries at the door to the pedestrians on the street—was secretly staring at him.