usatvline Chapter 22 Blacksmith, Lead Bullets, and Gunpowder
Chapter 22 Blacksmith, Lead Bullets, and Gunpowder
Van Persie's question made Boyle break out in a cold sweat, his back soaked with sweat.
"Yes... he's my new customer."
"He rented several large warehouses at the dock, you know, where the rats and rotting wood are a real headache... These things are used for moisture control and insect repellent."
The reason was lame, but Boyle bought almost all of the supplier's inventory in one go, paying far above market price.
The Dutch merchant didn't ask any more questions, but when counting the money, he gave him another meaningful look.
"Mr. Boyle, if you may, please tell your major client that the Dutchman Van Persie is happy to do business with him."
"Um...okay...okay."
Boyle carried the two large bags of pungent-smelling stuff, feeling his legs go weak.
He didn't know what Li Wei wanted these things for, but he had a feeling that they were much more dangerous than the Blood Hand Gang's knives.
Boyle dared not entrust the handling of these sulfur and saltpeter to anyone else. He and his wife Martha had to pack them into small bags by hand late at night, totaling over a hundred bags.
By early the next morning, the sulfur and saltpeter had been mixed into flour by Martha and secretly transported to the North Warehouse by Boyle himself.
When Boyle delivered the goods to the North Warehouse, Levi only glanced at them, had Fiona pretend to check the dryness of the flour, and then had Seamus and the others carry them into the deepest cellar.
"Boyle, where's the food?"
"It's all...it's all arranged, sir. As you instructed, everything has been replaced with the cheapest dark bread and pickled fish, enough to feed a hundred people for half a month." Boyle's voice still trembled, clearly showing his fear.
"Very well, you can go now."
Boyle felt as if he had been granted a pardon and was about to flee this suffocating place as if his life depended on it.
"Wait, Boyle, in two weeks you'll be the sole distributor of the Eastern Miracle Drug. Get ready!"
Upon hearing this, Boyle's initial fear was quickly replaced by greed and ecstasy. He was about to express his loyalty when Li Wei waved him off.
"Sir, Boyle is happy to assist you!"
But after Boyle left, Levi frowned.
The bakery's performance can only be described as mediocre, far less impressive than the rapid growth of Fiona, the original shareholder.
However, there doesn't seem to be a more suitable agent at the moment, so we can only make do with this for now.
Inside the warehouse, another task was also in full swing.
Finn mobilized all his connections at the North Wharf, sparking a scavenging frenzy with the promise of "a pound of scrap metal for half a pound of black bread."
Impoverished Irishmen searched every nook and cranny of their homes, even venturing into abandoned construction sites.
Rusty iron pots, broken farm tools, lead sheets salvaged from old ships, discarded horseshoes... all sorts of metal scraps gathered like a stream into Livy's warehouse.
Seamus, along with Declan and his men, became the most efficient escort team.
They knew every nook and cranny of Boston like the back of their hand, always managing to evade the sheriff's patrol routes and bring back truckloads of "trophies."
Soon, the warehouse cellar was completely emptied and replaced by mountains of scrap metal.
After ensuring Boyle was not up to any "trickery," the blacksmith Patrick was recalled by Levy and began to utilize his metallurgical expertise.
As for Seamus and his three companions, in addition to their daytime drills and evening literacy lessons, they now have a new task.
They became Livy's shadows.
They stood guard at the door while Fiona was taking inventory of the supplies.
While Patrick was sweating profusely as he sifted through the scrap metal, Seamus and the others practiced their formations on the sidelines.
They spoke less and less, their movements became more and more coordinated, and the casual air of dockworkers was completely replaced by a military-like solemnity.
In the cellar, Patrick, the former blacksmith, rediscovered his long-lost dignity.
Under Li Wei's guidance, Patrick built a makeshift furnace using bricks and clay.
He threw the collected lead sheets and pipes into the crucible, lit the charcoal, and pulled a dilapidated bellows.
The raging flames licked at the crucible, and soon the solid lead turned into a pool of silvery liquid.
Patrick used tongs to pick up the crucible and carefully poured the molten lead into a mold that Levi had previously sculpted from wet clay.
The mold is very simple; it's just a row of small round pits.
"Sizzle!"
The molten lead made a soft sound when it came into contact with the cold, damp soil, and white smoke rose up.
A few minutes later, Patrick knocked open the clay mold.
A dozen or so round lead bullets of varying sizes and rough shapes rolled out.
He picked up a lead bullet, feeling its weight and warmth, which made everything seem even more real.
This man, who had spent half his life forging iron in the blacksmith's shop, felt for the first time that the things he had created with his own hands could one day contain such terrifying power.
At the same time, Li Wei directed everyone to "dig out" all his past life experiences and combine them with his understanding of the rudimentary gunpowder workshop to build it up little by little.
The entire cellar was filled with a pungent chemical smell and acrid dust, but no one complained.
Li Wei used a small wooden spoon he made himself as a measuring tool to personally supervise the mixing ratio of the three powders.
As he recited the instructions, he carefully poured the three powders into a wooden basin, then had Fiona add a small amount of spirits and stir slowly until it was completely dry.
Seamus and the others held their breath, watching as the ordinary powder gradually mixed into a grayish-black substance in Levi's hands.
He used a pestle to patiently grind it, again and again.
Everyone held their breath.
Finally, Li Wei stopped moving.
He carefully picked up a small pinch of black powder, finer than a grain of sand, with the tip of his dagger and placed it on a flat stone slab.
Then, he took a red-hot iron bar out of the brazier.
The cellar was eerily quiet.
Li Wei slowly brought the tip of the iron bar close to the small pinch of black powder.
"puff!"
A soft yet incredibly clear popping sound rang out.
A small plume of white smoke rose up, carrying the pungent smell unique to saltpeter.
Only a small black mark remained on the stone slab.
Successful.
The Irishmen present all stared wide-eyed.
They looked at Li Wei as if he were a wizard who could conjure lightning out of thin air.
Li Wei put down the iron bar, looked at them, and a happy smile appeared on his face.
Just then, the wooden door to the cellar was kicked open with a bang.
An Irish boy who was on lookout duty scrambled in, his face filled with panic.
"Sir! Boss Finn! Something's happened!"
"The 'Bloody Hand Gang' in the South District has made their move! They're searching house to house for the poor people who took tea from us before, and they've already broken the legs of three people!"
"Who did they hit?" Li Wei's voice was flat, devoid of any emotion.
"It's...it's old cripple Ham, and the Sean brothers who carry sacks on the docks!" the boy gasped. "Their legs were broken, just because...because they went to collect our tea soup the day before yesterday!"
"Butcher" Jack did not send anyone to the North District.
He didn't even bother to search for the murderer who killed his men.
He chose the most direct and brutal way to declare to the entire lower class of Boston who the master of the South was.
He didn't just slap three people; he slapped the face of everyone who dared to accept Li Wei's kindness.
The air in the cellar instantly froze.
Li Wei slowly stood up, walked to Patrick's side, and picked up a lead bullet that was still warm from the pile of lead bullets.
He ran his fingers over the rough surface, feeling its cold weight.
Then he placed the lead bullet in Seamus's palm.
"Lead bullets plus gunpowder, and you, that's our strength."
"Sir, I'll take some men and deal with those Blood Hand Gang bastards right away!"
Finn, Seamus, and the others were in an uproar, but then they saw Levi raise his right hand and gently press it down.
"Wait a little longer, wait until they become even more arrogant, wait until they make even more mistakes!"