Colin Mine is a company owned by the Mel family. It's controlled by the Chamber of Commerce. It was located in the western suburbs of the slums. Dudian hired a carriage and went away with the three of them.
Carriages were very few in the slums. Usually the people working in good positions at Chamber of Commers or some other factory's management would hire them for easy travel.
It was first time for Joseph, Kroen and Barry to ride a carriage. They were nervous and trembling as if not to tamper with the carriage. They feared that they would dirty the armchairs.
Dudian didn't say anything. He knew that they had gone through very hard times and it was not so easy to adapt. Half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of the Colin mine. It was the most prominent business in the slums. It had an impressive building built by Chamber of Commerce for its office use.
Dudian was the first to get out of the carriage. He gave the coachman a copper coin as a fare. He called the trio to follow him as he went into the building.
Two sluggish young guards were standing by the door. They stood up but when they saw the children coming over, their lazy look was restored. One of them look up and down at Dudian. After seizing him up: "This is the office building of Colin mine under Chamber of Commerce. What do you want?"
"Tell the top official here to come and see me," said Dudian.
Two people surprised a moment, one of them turned over and said: "Little brother as the residents if you are here to buy minerals, or maybe on your house master's orders, then we will be responsible to receive you. As for you wanting to see our president, I'm sorry to tell but he won't be able to take care of you."
Dudian took out the guard 's medal, said: "You only need to pass the message that I'm representing Mel family"
Both of them were startled as they saw the medal with crossed swords. They carefully looked at it and determined that it was not forged. One of them hesitated before talking: "You wait here while I go to ask them. What's your name?"
"They don't qualify to know it. " Dudian said indifferently.
The guard heard Dudian's tone but didn't take it his heart as Dudian had previously said that he had come on Mel family's behalf. Moreover, he didn't have the right to intervene on Chamber of Commerce's business.
Soon, Dudian and the others followed the guard inside.
No other guard stopped them on their way in.
Doudian had seen all kinds of luxurious place and offices in the commercial district. So the hall of Chamber of Commerce's entrance was not anything in his eyes. It was a bit scrappy. He casually looked towards the couches before coming to sit and rest. Joseph, Kroen and Barry followed him in silence.
The trio's hearts were nervous as it was the first time for them being in a luxurious and clean place such as this.
Soon, guard came back with a tall woman.
The guard saw Dudian and rest sitting on the couch so he respectfully said something to the woman who was behind him.
The woman looked at Dudian but her brows wrinkled when she check the trio sitting besides him. She came over: "Excuse me, you are the people sent by Mel family?"
Dudian noticed the trace of contempt in woman's eyes as she was questioning them: "Are you the president here?"
"I am in charge." Woman's brows wrinkled up as she saw Dudian didn't answer to her question.
Dudian's face turned cold but he was lazy to pursue her: "I'm here to take a person who was assigned as a miner not long ago. Can you call the shots?"
There was an expression of displeasure on her face as she replied: "All the miners have slave status. If you have a backing of an aristocrat then I can give them to you. Otherwise you must deliver high compensation to purchase. But even if you purchased them they will still be a slave. There won't be any compensation in instance they are killed by others?"
Dudian took out his hunter medal: "Do you know what this is?"
Tall woman shook her head: "Never seen."
"Then let your sub-president come!" Dudian said.
Tall woman stifled her anger as she spoke: "You are just a guard! If you weren't working for Mel family's main house, I wouldn't even talk to you. The president is busy with the work and not every passer-by can meet him. You are a guard and have no right to interfere with out Chamber of Commerce. "
Dudian looked at her eyes: "I can only tell you, as long as I say a word you will have no work to come tomorrow. You don't qualify to know my identity, be sensible and call over you president. Otherwise, you will be shouldering all the risk and peril! "
Tall woman was so angry that she wanted to laugh out loud at Dudian's words. But as she looked at Dudian's cold eyes, she suddenly thought of his cold tone. Maybe she really didn't know his background so she said: "You should wait here while I help you to inform the president."
Finished, she turned and left quickly.
Joseph and rest were shock at Dudian's tough and overbearing attitude. It was too different from the reicent boy that they remembered.
After a while, a middle-aged man in black suit following the tall woman came back. His brows wrinkled when he saw Dudian and the others from far away. But he still maintained the etiquette and endured the temper: "Hello, I am the president here. May I ask who you are?" He looked at Dudian. It seems that as long as he was not satisfied with Dudian's answer, they would be immediately thrown out.
Dudian naturally felt the questioning and intolerance in the other side's eyes. But was lazy to answer so he raised his hunter medal: "Do you know what this is?"
Middle-aged man's sharp eyes focused on the pattern on the medal. He eyes shrank as he watched Dudian in horror. He was quick to react as he bent over in respect: "I know."
"I want to mention a man named Barton. He is a miner who was assigned to you shortly before, and you will let him come at once," said Dudian.
Middle-aged replied: "Yes. Immediately. " He waved back at the tall woman, motioned her to deal with immediately.
The tall woman was stunned as he saw the president to act that way. President showed such attitude when General manager of the Chamber of Commerce came to inspect. She remembered Dudian's words as her hair slightly erected. She was fortunate in holding back the impulse or they were likely to lose their jobs.
Half an hour later, the tall woman came back with a boy who was as dark as a monkey. She was enduring the unbearable smell of the boy who was brought in front of Dudian: "This is the man misters wants."
Dudian had noticed the Baron since they entered the building. His lame legs made him look like an old man. Barton's body was very thing as rows of ribs could be seen from the side. His hair was messy and there was no trace of meat on his face, making his eye socket's deep into the skull.
Barton was shocked as his eyes fell on Joseph, Kroen and Barry.
Joseph was the first to recognize Barton so he jumped up from his seat and stepped forward: "Hey Barton, I, we came to get you."
"You, how come you are so lean?"
"Do not miners eat anything?"
The three looked at thin Barton in surprise as their hearts ached.
Barton throat was hoarse: "How did you come?"
"Dean brought us," Kroen pointed to Dudian who was sitting on the couch and said, "Dean redeemed us all."
"Di, Dean?" Barton looked at Dudian.
Dudian did not expect that a miner's life of just one year would torture him into this: "I was late, you okay?
Tears flowed form his eyes as Barton said: "You also, you remember me, I thought, thought ... ..."
Dudian sighed and said, "I've been away for three years and I couldn't leave, or else I could have redeemed you in advance."
Middle-aged man was more convinced of Dudian's identity as he heard Dudian talk. He respectfully said: "Mister Barton is the smallest miner here and he has been very well taken care of, but the living conditions of the miners are poor. So you know, so for him to change this way... we have no way to... its just above the requirements."
"You shut up," said Dudian, glancing at him.
Middle-aged silenced without showing slightest temper. He knew what kind of monster he was facing.
Tall woman suddenly thought that she had underestimated Dudian's identity.
"Let's go." Dudian got up. Although Barton had not been "well taken care of" by the middle-aged man, but at least there was nothing wrong with the other.
Moreover, the weak can only comply with the conditions.