The sun shone on all the confines of Hoffman's land, but even in the midst of this wilderness awakening. A legend lay weeping, the mayor was right. He could not defeat her even if he carried all his stubbornness with him. She needed the power to fight a power stronger than her. She feared she would not get back what Ycan had taken.
Coraline was afraid of not recovering what Ycan had taken, whether she tried or not, perhaps it would have the same result. Fear took hold of her, fear infused inside her. She could not die without first seeing everything right. Tears rolled down her cheeks pale as paper, she could do practically nothing without the power. The mayor had won this round, he was right to know that power had privileges.
Her eyes filled with tears, leaning back against the wall until she let herself slide to the dark floor. Her crying let go in the silence, tears falling to the floor. But she was not to let herself be defeated, the world would stand against her but she was not to give up. Defeating an evil once and for all had to be the last thing she had to do before giving up.
Suddenly she heard the sound of several carts, their wheels clattering against the already slightly worn stone floor, until they stopped in front of Madame Sofia's Tavern and Hotel Royale Ji.
A man with brown hair, descended from the wagon with a cane in hand of lower diamond tipped and emerald with sapphire, with a dragon in diamond top tip, his long dark jacket and dark round glasses. Along with several sturdy men, Mayor Williams was eagerly waiting for him.
"Welcome, Mr. Feng, it is an honor to have you in Hoffman after your long journey from China" Said the mayor welcoming him.
"Of course, thank you" Replied the man raising his arm in greeting.
"Sir, we will have the Wine Party to celebrate that you have taken over the Shi Li family business in America, I was told that you graduated in London as a doctor in Oxford and this is your first time in America? So we will have the best party until everyone knows your name" Said the mayor flattering Mr. Feng.
"It is true that it is my first time in America, thank you for receiving us in your town...although besides coming for business I come looking from Shanghai for a person who distributes Opium and in charge of one of the Opium business in China, Mr. Charles Elliot an English man" Mr. Feng replied.
"Charles Elliot?..." He wondered aloud to himself.
"Just as you have heard, I am looking for Mr. Charles Elliot" Replied Feng observing him with a smile.
"Charles Elliot? Charles Elliot? I don't think I know him" Replied the mayor.
"I think you know what I'm talking about?" Finished saying Mr. Feng watching him, as one of the men in his guard reached into his long jacket.
"Ah, Mr. Charles Elliot of JamesTown, I thought it was someone else, remember him?" He said trying to make his words valid as he asked one of Hoffman's men. Feng's guard finished taking out his cigarette laughing at the look on the Mayor's face who thought he would pull out a gun.
"I think you already know who he is, I want information from him, I want to make a deal that will make him die of excitement" Feng said sarcastically smiling Machiavellianly.
"He has settled in JamesTown, I haven't heard much about him but I'll send some of my men to check if it's true" Said the mayor.
"I see we are getting along, as long as you cooperate with us, you don't have to worry because we will be on the same side" Feng replied laughing.
But just as Coraline was watching him, a man in a hat and long jacket, with a mysterious look was watching him from the other corner of the street.
Coraline watched attentively every movement of the arrival of that mysterious man until he entered Royal Ji without realizing that someone else was watching. She wiped her still fresh tears, and ran to catch up with him. She grabbed her hat from the mayor's desk, walked out of the office. She descended the dusty steps of the old building quickly without stumbling. But... as if planned, someone stopped her.
"Ah... Coraline I have seen your clothes and I think they are already very worn out, maybe you have time for me to sew you new clothes, and you will look better in front of everyone" Leonord commented who was standing stopping her on her way.
"Thank you, I will stop by your home tonight, you are right... these clothes are no more than six years old... I have an urgent matter to solve" Replied Coraline smiling with her mind elsewhere.
"Don't worry, go ahead" Leonord replied taking his leave.
Coraline ran to see what was happening. She crossed the door of the mayor's office but when she came out she saw nothing. Everyone was already inside the Royal Ji, the hustle and bustle had disappeared just as it had appeared. Only the carriages were there, but curiosity got the better of him.
He approached slowly to see the seal of the carriages, he placed his hand and noticed that they were still as new.
"These are the carriages of Mr. Li Ji Feng, they are the best carriages, unfortunately not all of us have the joy of owning one, we can only drive them for ourselves if we work for him" commented a man interjecting Coraline's curiosity. She turned her face quickly to see where the voice came from.
"I am Wu Ya Hen, I am the second in command and in charge of business here in America for Lord Feng" Said the man greeting.
"I am Coraline, why does this man come from so far away, what are you doing in these lands?" she asked looking at the carriages.
"I think you still don't know, a year ago the Opium War ended, the English and French defeated us, unfortunately we saw its consequences... we were in Shanghai when a man died in front of us, this one was emaciated, pale, thin.... You still wonder what the reason is, don't you? after all we couldn't do much for the man before he died he repeated a name, we thought we would find him there, we destroyed every illegal opium business, every leaf was burned but this has to be pulled up by the roots to stop it from happening. The British want to force us to buy opium which is killing us by destroying every single one of us. Families lie in pieces" Wu Ya Hen replied.
"I understand your pain, you are right" She replied watching him with her deep brown eyes.
"I saw those eyes somewhere, I have seen your eyes before" Commented the man looking at her.
"You confuse me, I don't know you from before how would you know me?" She said looking away.
"Could it be... maybe you are.... The Hermit?" he replied trying to recognize her.
"The Hermit?" What do you mean, the Hermit? She replied trying to disguise herself.
"I mean the Hermit Rider (Korea during the reign of the Joseon dynasty became isolated, but even more so during the American expedition of 1871, becoming known as the Hermit Kingdom), are you from Joseon" Ya Hen said staring at her "It can't be you, of course, you are a woman and he is a man according to the portrait that are in all the cities.... besides he has died from what I believe" He finished saying.
"Aigoo, do you think I can't be him? Because I'm a woman?" she said seriously as she relieved her concern.
"What I mean, is that he is a man, I recognize people when they are" Ya Hen replied laughing.
"I understand, it was just a joke" Coraline replied.
"Ya Hen!" exclaimed a man coming out of the Royal Ji.
"Is something wrong?" Ya Hen asked walking over to him.
"Boss Feng is calling you, he has a mission" He finished saying.
"Well, Coraline if that's what your name is, maybe I'll invite you to dinner and we can be friends" The man replied smiling.
"Bye, I also have things to do at the mayor's office, I don't mean I don't have things to do, you understand me, I will wait for your invitation" She said raising her hand.
"Sure, that we will see each other again, and don't cry anymore; I will try to make you laugh" He replied watching Coraline blush "I'll leave you before you blush more".
"Okay, bye" Coraline replied walking quickly towards the mayor's office.