Chapter 1527: Trouble at the Tavern

Yingzhou's ears caught the two names: Nagier Chamber of Commerce and Greer Union. He had not seen the former in any official reports before; judging by the sound of it, it should be a fairly large-scale organization handling shipping business in the northern star sector, large enough to bypass the Union's official border checkpoints by bribing patrol ships to maintain their routes.

Someone on the other side of the booth spoke up.

Do you guys know? The Kahn Republic Territory has been in a standoff at the border with that power to their west—what was it called again? Valadian Principality, I think? They've been blockading each other's shipping lanes for almost two months now. A friend of mine has a ship stuck in the middle, unable to get out, and it's still just waiting there.

Valadian Principality? Isn't that a power significantly smaller than the Kahn Republic Territory? It dares to blockade Kahn's shipping lanes?

It's precisely because they're small that Kahn didn't immediately send a Capital Ship fleet over, thinking a small-scale border defense fleet would be enough to suppress them.

As it turns out, the Valadian Principality deployed a row of Mobile Fire Platforms along the border orbit. Those platforms are numerous, and they're a real headache to deal with in a fight. The Kahn Republic Territory is currently mobilizing troops, but mobilization takes time.

That shipping lane has been blocked for two months; have the surrounding trade routes all been diverted?

They've been diverted. The freight cost for going around that area to the south side has nearly doubled. If it weren't for the fact that we have other routes we can take, I'd have to raise my prices too.

Yingzhou picked up his glass and took another sip, his gaze not lingering in any one direction for too long.

Sitting in a seat deep inside the bar was a person wearing a light gray jacket. Judging by their appearance, they did not look like a local resident of the Xiuluo Holy Star. In front of them sat a glass of barely touched alcohol, and they were leaning to the side, talking to a companion next to them.

... When I came back, I passed through that airspace and saw several ships gathering there. I haven't seen that model of ship anywhere else; the surface has a layer of coating that can deflect sensors... It's not a standard configuration for a civilian cargo ship.

What kind of power would use that kind of ship?

Can't tell, they weren't flying any flags. But when I passed by, my navigation system suffered signal interference that lasted for about a few minutes. That kind of interference pattern doesn't look like it was emitted by civilian-grade equipment.

Then you didn't go over to take a look?

I only have one cargo ship, no armaments. That direction wasn't on my transport route either; I was just passing by, why would I go looking for trouble?

At this moment, Yingzhou's gaze turned to three people sitting at a small square table near the corner, wearing the same style of dark gray armored jackets.

The table of those three people was piled high with empty glasses and a half-full bottle.

One of them was noticeably a size larger than the other two, their cheeks flushed, and they shouted loudly.

How many times do I have to tell you? That route should have been taken straight. You insisted on taking that half-circle detour, and as a result, it cost us an extra day and a half of travel time. What kind of nonsense is that?

The person opposite them also had a flushed face.

Straight? You know as well as I do about the drift currents on that stretch of the route. Whose ship was it last time that had its communications cut off for three standard hours after entering it?

That's because the navigation equipment wasn't calibrated that time! If the equipment is calibrated properly, there's no problem at all!

The thin one slammed their glass onto the tabletop, splashing a few drops of liquid onto the surface.

That's a problem with the route itself! You always think the routes you've taken are the best, but in reality, you never consider the changes in drift currents across different seasons!

The sturdy one stood up from the chair, their knee hitting the side of the table leg, knocking a glass onto the floor.

The gazes of the people at the surrounding tables turned toward the corner and quickly turned back; disturbances of this level were not uncommon in the bar.

The sturdy one raised a finger and pointed at the person opposite.

Say that again?

The thin one also stood up, half a head shorter than the person opposite, but still spoke up.

I said that route of yours is completely unviable! Your experience is flawed!

The third person remained seated and did not stand up, watching the two confront each other, and said impatiently.

Can you two go argue somewhere else?

No one paid them any mind.

The conflict escalated quickly, and the two began to scuffle.

It gave the other patrons in the bar a show, and some were even betting on when they would be hauled off by the law enforcers of Xiuluo.

Yingzhou sat at the bar and asked the bartender.

Generally, in a situation like this, how do you handle it here?

The bartender stopped what they were doing and said with a smile.

As long as they commit an act of aggression, I will immediately report it to the Enforcement Bureau. Someone will come to take them away; I don't need to handle it myself.

As long as I press the button, the signal goes directly to the Enforcement Bureau's dispatch desk, and someone will be at the door within three minutes.

The scuffle in the corner had entered a stalemate, with neither of the two willing to yield to the other.

At the fifth table, a middle-aged man in a gray jacket said to the person next to him.

These two are wearing armor; they must be guards for some merchant caravan. They like to show off how tough they are when they get drunk.

The person next to them replied.

Guards? If guards get this drunk and don't look after their caravan's cargo, they'll probably get their pay docked after their boss gets back.

Pay docked? Getting pay docked is getting off light. I doubt they'll even be able to keep this job.

Someone in the crowd whistled, and someone else was filming with a small, phone-like recording device.

The person in the gray jacket at the fifth table said again at this moment.

That's about enough, if they keep fighting, the Enforcement Bureau will be here.

As the words fell, the bar door was pushed open from the outside.

Three Modian soldiers in ornate uniforms rushed in, and the leading Modian Sergeant barked sternly.

Let go, nobody move.

The two caravan guards turned their heads toward the door at the same time and were both stunned.

Seeing this situation, the leading Modian Sergeant did not repeat the verbal command and stepped forward, using brute force to pull the two apart.

A second Modian soldier stepped forward at the same time, standing between the two and blocking their line of sight.

After the leading Modian Sergeant gave each of them two punches, they asked sternly.

You two, are you sober now?

... Sober.

... Sober.

This Modian Sergeant said to the two Modian soldiers behind them.

Take them out and register their identification information.

"Yes!"

Two soldiers stepped forward simultaneously, one on each side, and escorted the two guards out.

Soon, the tavern returned to silence.

The bartender took a broom and a short-handled dustpan from under the bar, cleaning up the mess with practiced movements.

Yingzhou watched the bartender finish sweeping up the broken glass and return, then asked.

After those two people from just now are taken away, what kind of punishment do they usually receive?

The bartender placed the wiped glass on the shelf and spoke.

Generally speaking, detention plus a fine. The duration of detention depends on whether they caused damage to the shop; like today, where a few glasses and a table were smashed, the detention time will be a bit longer than for a normal brawl, probably one to two days. The fine amount is determined by the value of the damaged items.

Additionally, if they are guards for a merchant caravan, the caravan owner also faces an extra fine. Because the personnel hired by the caravan engaged in a brawl within the jurisdiction of the Enforcement Bureau, the owner bears management responsibility.

This fine won't be particularly heavy, but it is enough to make the owner seriously consider whether to replace the guards with a more reliable batch after returning.