Title: "The Hunt in Southport"
As Fa Yinge made his way towards Southport, his mind buzzed with thoughts, but he never lost sight of his mission. When the stagecoach neared the city, he quietly jumped off, using the last kilometer of the journey to stretch his stiff limbs.
Southport was a sprawling city, ten times the size of Laier, and unlike the ancient, walled cities of old, it was a vibrant, bustling hub of commerce with a short but dynamic history. From the hillside, the city stretched out along the coastline in a crescent shape, its streets less orderly than those in Laier, and far from the strict planning of Seth Castle.
The coastline was lined with more than a dozen piers of varying sizes, teeming with ships waiting to load and unload their cargo. The docks were a hive of activity, with workers bustling about, pushing carts and stacking goods in the wide, nearby warehouses. The piers were crammed with goods destined for all corners of the world: minerals and lumber bound for the Westbai, and textiles and grain destined for Irei, all jumbled together on the crowded docks. From the ships, they unloaded fine horses from Westbai, barrels of exquisite wine, and dazzling silks, tapestries, and glassware from Irei.
The old man had once mentioned that, aside from the glassware, the silks and tapestries came from even more distant lands, traded by the merchants of the Kingdom of Irei—among the wealthiest people he'd ever heard of.
Fa Yinge looked on enviously at these luxurious goods, the thickly bundled silks and tapestries wrapped in coarse linen, the glassware carefully handled by workers. Each of these items was worth far more than the stagecoach Fa Yinge dreamed of owning, perhaps two or three times over.
But despite his longing, Fa Yinge knew these were out of his reach. Even the boss, with all his connections, had never dared to target such high-value goods. Even if one could steal them, there would be no way to fence them. No merchant would risk buying such obviously stolen goods, not when it meant crossing Southport's powerful guilds. The repercussions were too severe, and even the boss wouldn't risk antagonizing them. For the Thieves' Guild, a prosperous Southport was essential to their survival.
Shifting his gaze from the docks to the bustling streets, Fa Yinge found the real allure of Southport. The city was full of wealthy residents, their pockets always heavy with coin. Though there was no hideout in Southport—the last leader who tried to establish one was captured by the guild-organized security force and met a grim end—Fa Yinge knew the risks here were high. Southport's security force was formidable, and its members worked in plain clothes, motivated by the substantial reward they received for catching thieves, equal to one-fifth of the stolen goods' value. They were eager to throw pickpockets into jail.
In Southport, a thief's jail cell was just a step away from the gallows. The prison here wasn't meant for thieves—it housed bankrupt merchants, debtors, and unscrupulous traders who disrupted the city's commerce. There was no room for common criminals. Fa Yinge reminded himself to be extra cautious.
As he entered Southport, the differences between it and Laier became clear. Southport was an open city, lacking the towering walls and wide gates of Laier. The outskirts were the poorest areas, filled with simple houses where dockworkers lived, slightly better than prison or the slums.
Southport had no planned drainage system, leading to muddy streets and foul-smelling puddles. But once he crossed into the bustling main streets, it was a completely different world. The streets were lined with a variety of shops, their luxurious signs everywhere.
Even the fanciest shops in Laier might only have a finely woven tapestry hanging outside as decoration, which was considered prestigious. But in Southport, such tapestries and silk curtains were commonplace. The signs were often ornate, gold-leafed plaques or finely crafted lacquered boards.
The most luxurious shops even had large vases, as tall as a person, imported from Irei, standing at their entrances. And those storefronts adorned with peacock feathers and pheasant plumes, which Fa Yinge had never seen before, were considered rather modest by local standards.
Walking along these dazzling streets, Fa Yinge felt like one of the wealthy. He observed the well-dressed passersby, most of whom wore fine clothing that didn't stand out much here, unlike in Laier.
The streets were crowded with people, but silk and fine furs were so common they went unnoticed. The real eye-catchers were the foreigners in their exotic attire.
Southport's docks and bustling commercial streets were free of standing water, but the city wasn't fond of carriages, as they could drag mud and water into these pristine areas. Instead, slow-moving, open-topped public carriages were common in the most prosperous parts of the city, and they were free to ride.
Fa Yinge recalled his first visit to Southport, marveling at these curious vehicles. Now, with more experience under his belt, he wasn't as easily impressed. He hopped onto one of the slow-moving carriages, enjoying the leisurely ride while taking in the scenery.
The streets of Southport were lined with luxurious shops, and just as many finely decorated restaurants. When Fa Yinge reached the heart of the commercial district, he disembarked and began to explore the area.
In Southport, shopkeepers didn't greet customers unless they spoke first. Browsing the shops without buying anything was common and didn't annoy the staff. This practice was known as "window shopping."
Fa Yinge joined the crowd of window shoppers, visiting one shop after another. Most of Southport's shops were lavishly decorated, and the staff were just as impressive, each one seemingly the perfect candidate for the role he needed to fill.
To succeed in Southport's top shops, one needed to be sharp and adaptable to customer needs, with a presentable appearance as a basic requirement. However, Fa Yinge wasn't sure about their personalities—whether they were easily controlled or brave enough for the role, yet cautious enough not to betray him.
Additionally, anyone who had worked in such a place for a long time was also unsuitable. Although the old man had said to find someone nearby, if the role required someone to impersonate a character familiar with the area, any slip-ups could prove disastrous.
Just as Fa Yinge was getting frustrated by the lack of a suitable candidate, he heard a voice behind him, scolding, "You're slacking off again! I've told you many times, but you never listen. If you don't shape up, I'll throw you out!"
Fa Yinge turned to see a slightly hunched middle-aged man harshly reprimanding a boy of about fifteen or sixteen. The boy's fearful expression caught Fa Yinge's attention.
The boy's pale face showed a look of panic and dread, as he shrank back as if trying to disappear into the shadows behind him. His hands were clenched tightly in front of his chest, twisting nervously, his eyes fixed on the ground to avoid the man's gaze.
"What's going on?" A bald, portly man emerged from behind the counter, his clothes neat and well-tailored, if not luxurious.
"I told him to move the new shipment of porcelain into the display, but he's been dragging his feet," the middle-aged man replied respectfully.
"No need to shout. What if you scare off the customers?" the portly man chided.
"Yes, yes, but this boy is lazy all day long. I think we should find someone else," the middle-aged man suggested.
"We'll see. He's not bad, just a bit of a daydreamer. He's lucky to have this job—our old master took pity on him and gave him work. He should be more careful if he wants to keep it. If he keeps slacking off, I'll have no choice but to let him go. He should know that if he leaves here, there's nowhere else for him to go. Understand? Now, get back to work," the portly man lectured the boy before turning back to the middle-aged man. "In the future, don't shout, no matter the situation. We need to be friendly to make money. You've been here for over ten years and still don't understand that? Get back to work."
With that, the portly man returned to his duties behind the counter.
"Get back to work!" the middle-aged man barked at the boy.
Fa Yinge watched the exchange closely, considering the boy a suitable candidate for his mission. But he wasn't in a rush to decide. He walked out of the shop, memorizing its sign, and continued to wander the streets. He had three days, after all, and he wasn't in a hurry to complete his task.
It wasn't often that Fa Yinge got to visit Southport, so he decided to take a break. He left the bustling commercial district and wandered through the side streets. These streets were muddy, with few passersby and even fewer wealthy individuals. However, Fa Yinge's efforts were rewarded as he managed to pocket some coins.
Satisfied with his haul, Fa Yinge decided not to push his luck any further. He wasn't worried about getting caught. In the muddy backstreets where he had found his marks, most people would assume they had simply lost their coin purses in the muck, leading to time-consuming searches. Moreover, Fa Yinge was confident there were no plainclothes officers in such a place. Now, he just needed to change his clothes, which was easy enough.
After picking out a new outfit from a shop, Fa Yinge was no longer concerned about the stolen coin purses. He wandered the streets until late at night when most of the shops were closing. As the shops began to shutter, Fa Yinge returned to the store he had noted earlier.
Sure enough, he saw the boy alone, painstakingly packing up the shop's signs and decorations before locking the heavy iron gate. Silently, Fa Yinge followed the boy to the outskirts of the southern part of the city, where the poorer residents lived.
The boy led him to a damp, muddy alley filled with the sour stench of vinegar. Fa Yinge guessed this area must be where Southport's leather was tanned.