READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Receiving Goods
Docklands, East Balam Shipyard.
Once a major shipyard designed and built by the Loen Kingdom to aid its conquest of the Southern Continent, it lay dormant for a time after completing its original mission. However, with the advent of industrialization, it was repurposed and given new life. Today, it is far busier than ever before, serving as the hub of Beyonder's waterway transport system.
The shipyard boasts five tiers of docking berths, accommodating virtually any vessel and allowing seamless unloading and loading operations. This design makes shipping much more efficient, ensuring that any medium or larger-sized cargo ship entering Beyonder invariably docks here.
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At two in the afternoon, Varina arrived near the shipyard.
Feigning interest in Susan's "brilliant idea," he had probed her for more details earlier, eventually volunteering to handle the task of receiving the cargo. Both parties were satisfied with this arrangement.
Locating the designated cargo ship, he learned from a sailor that the captain had gone to a nearby Worker's Union Tavern. Varina had no choice but to follow.
The Worker's Union Tavern was much larger than the Bravehearts Bar, but luckily, the mid-afternoon lull meant fewer patrons. Scanning the room, Varina spotted the familiar deep blue bicorne hat on the table of a weathered-looking middle-aged man.
He walked over and asked, "Captain Tefray?"
The man looked up. "That's me. And you are?"
"I'm from Sirren Textile Factory, here to receive the goods."
Varina retrieved the Receipt of Goods stamped by the factory and handed it to the captain.
Captain Tefray unfolded the paper, barely glancing at it before returning it with a muttered grunt. Downing the remainder of his drink, he slapped his empty cup on the table, grabbed his bicorne, and stood up.
"Follow me back to the ship," he said.
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In the captain's cabin, Tefray unlocked a small chest and retrieved a sealed Cargo Manifest, handing it over to Varina.
Although a necessary step, Varina already had a copy Susan provided earlier, delivered via the kingdom's communication network.
After verifying the manifest, Varina confirmed, "May I proceed to hire workers now?"
"Of course," Tefray nodded.
"One more thing," Varina hesitated. "How many workers should I hire for the job?"
The captain chuckled, clapping Varina on the shoulder. "That's for the Dockworkers' Union to handle. Just show them the manifest."
"Thank you for the advice."
Expressing his gratitude, Varina left and headed to the nearby Dockworkers' Union.
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The union was housed in an old two-story yellow building, now modified and controlled by the Dead Eel Gang. The first floor served as a reception area for employers.
The hall was sparsely furnished, with rows of benches on either side and a long counter at the far end. About ten youthful clerks, looking no older than 15 or 16, worked behind the counter.
After explaining his purpose, one of the boys jotted down the relevant details on a slip of paper and prepared to head upstairs.
"Wait," Varina stopped him. "May I use the restroom here?"
The boy nodded. "Sure. It's on the second floor, opposite the stairs, but the rest of the floor is off-limits to outsiders."
Together, they ascended. The boy headed straight to the furthest room, while Varina entered the restroom, taking note of the floor's layout.
The upstairs was simple: a long corridor stretched from the stairs to an office at the far end, with a few other rooms along the hallway. Unable to see their specific purposes from his angle, Varina memorized what he could.
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Inside the office, the boy approached a red-haired man and handed him the slip. "Mr. Kirk, Sirren Textile Factory's delivery order."
Kirk glanced at the paper and waved the boy away before calling out, "Quade, take 50 men and handle this shipment."
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When Varina exited the restroom, he found the boy waiting with a burly, intimidating man.
"Sir, this is Mr. Quade. He'll oversee everything for you."
The boy left, and Quade spoke gruffly, "Let's go. First, we'll gather the workers."
Following Quade, Varina was led to an open space at the street corner, where a crowd of robust, plainly dressed laborers had already gathered. Spotting Quade, they surged forward, jostling each other.
"Keep it orderly! Don't embarrass us in front of the client!" Quade barked.
The pushing and shoving ceased immediately, and the group fell silent, waiting expectantly.
"We're moving goods to Sirren Textile Factory. Eight pence each. I only need fifty."
The announcement caused another uproar, but Quade did not intervene further. Soon, the crowd established its own rules to determine who would work, while the rest left dejectedly.
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Varina watched the process impassively, but the scene left him deeply unsettled. He had always known the hardships of the working class, but seeing it firsthand—bloodied noses, bruised faces, and all for a mere eight pence—was sobering.
And this was the current state of affairs!
When the Corn Laws were repealed, things would only worsen.
And the Great Smog of Backlund incident loomed in the future. The thought sent a chill down his spine.
"Where's the ship?" Quade's voice snapped Varina back to the present. With one last glance at the departing workers, he took the lead.
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At the ship, Captain Tefray's crew was already prepared, waiting for the dockworkers to begin unloading. Together, they worked like ants, ferrying goods ashore.
Varina and Tefray stood aside, double-checking their manifests. After a long time, everything was accounted for.
Varina handed over the Receipt of Goods and accompanied the cargo back to the factory.
Once there, he left Quade and the rest to Susan, finally passing the remaining tasks back to her capable hands.
With a sigh of relief, Varina thought, "At least I didn't mess things up—on both counts."
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