In a corner on the southwest side of Water Snake Town, there are several abandoned warehouses in a row. They are now the home of Goldfinger.
The sun sets over the distant mountains, the silver moon has not yet risen, and the blue-purple sky casts its last light. In the evening, it's time for "Goldfinger" to return to his nest.
Stephanie was surrounded by a group of little guys and returned to her nest with her head held high, looking like a big sister. When others see them holding their chins high and looking at the sky, they know that they have gained a lot today. Those "little fingers" who failed to complete their tasks were dejected and looked listless.
Normally, they would be in trouble today.
Sure enough, from the passage behind the warehouse door, whips were lashing the flesh, as well as the muffled sounds of suppressed pain. A vigorous young man was using a whip to severely punish two half-year-old boys. They were stripped of their shirts and knelt on the ground. The riding crop fell mercilessly on their thin backs, leaving bloody traces. Several young children nearby were so scared that they huddled together and trembled like quails. A little girl wanted to cover her eyes because of fear, but was yelled at by the young people.
"Don't cover your eyes! You all, please show me clearly. They were beaten because of your laziness, cowardice, carelessness, and clumsiness! When you grow up, you will also be punished like this for the mistakes made by your brothers and sisters."
The young man's name is Zod, and he is the second-in-command in the gang. Of course, the "Goldfinger" gang is not called a gang, but a "family." If Pym is the patriarch of this "family", then Zod is the eldest son of the "family".
Children are afraid of Zod because he is fierce. Stephanie doesn't like Zod either, but she must admit that Zod is indeed capable. "Everyone" Pym praised Zod's "handsmanship" for surpassing his own. Zod disciplines the children on behalf of the "parents" and punishes those who fail to complete tasks, hide money secretly, and break the rules; there are also rewards for children who abide by the rules and turn over money in excess.
Zedd immediately changed his smile when he saw Stephanie. He put his right hand on his chest, bent slightly and said, "The little princess at home is back. I can tell by the look on your face that you have gained a lot today."
Stephanie lifted up her skirt and curtsied in return. Even though she was wearing a coarse servant skirt, her posture was as elegant as that of a lady.
It is hard for ordinary people to imagine that children who grow up in a den of thieves not only have to learn the art of stealing, but also learn cultural knowledge and various complicated etiquette.
Zod's left thumb pressed lightly on the handle of the whip, and the whip seemed to come alive. The whip swung up and wrapped around his wrist automatically.
Stephanie's eyes lit up. Zod's unique skill is really beautiful. She studied secretly for a long time but still didn't learn it. She didn't know that her little thoughts were clearly understood by this "brother", and he deliberately showed off his unique skills in front of her as a small reward for her.
This is also a commonly used motivation method by "parents", and it has obvious effects on those children who are talented and competitive.
Zod stretched out his right hand and spread his palm. Stephanie pouted, took out three full money bags and put them in his hands. I saw Zod weighing the money bags with a satisfied smile on his face. With a flip of his palm, the three money bags magically disappeared.
The children immediately let out an exclamation of exclamation, and gathered around, staring at Zod with adoring eyes, looking left and right, trying to find the money bag he had hidden.
However, the older thieves, including the two boys who had just been whipped, were only envious. They can also do this trick of turning money into a bag, but they are not as skilled as him.
They secretly decided to practice more when they had time, so that their little brats would know how powerful the boss was.
Zod was secretly amused in his heart, and calmly waved his hand and said, "Let's go and eat!"
Nothing makes these orphans happier than eating, and they rush into the hall with a huff and puff. Dinner has already been prepared in the hall. There are ten long tables with wooden plates containing food, exuding a burst of aroma.
The food tonight was quite rich, including barbecue, chicken salad, thick fish soup, fresh fruits and vegetables, the main dish was beef stew with mud melon cubes, and goat's milk wine chilled with well water, which surprised the children.
They quickly found their seats and drooled over the table full of food, but no one started to eat.
"Master" Pim waited for everyone to sit down, then reached out and shook hands with the people on the left and right. So, everyone held each other’s hands and chanted in unison with the “parents”: “Thank you for my hand, thank you for the children’s hands, thank you for the hands of my brothers and sisters, and thank you for the parents’ hands that let us have food to eat today. "
Complete this simple ritual and you're ready to enjoy today's dinner. Goldfinger's lair only serves two meals a day, breakfast and dinner. The children were starving after leaving early and coming home late. They ate quickly and quietly, making hardly any noise. But there are nearly a hundred people in this nest, most of them are children, but there are also some adults and teenagers. The scene of them gathering together to eat together is quite spectacular.
Several little thieves, including Stephanie, are qualified to sit with everyone, Pim. They chatted while eating, talking about their own experiences, exchanging information with each other, and any disputes they had with each other were resolved by the "parents" in this harmonious atmosphere.
Pim picked up the wine glass and signaled to everyone: "This sumptuous dinner is specially prepared for Bobby. He will leave the nest soon. Come, everyone wishes our Bobby good luck in the future."
The parents and brothers obviously knew the news, and the few thieves all looked at Bobby. Some of them were surprised, some were jealous, and some were reluctant to let go.
"Old man, I don't want to leave." Bobby shouted unhappily. He is sixteen or seventeen years old, with naturally curly hair, a round face and a turned-up nose, and he looks happy even if he looks troubled.
Before old man Pim could speak, Zod was the first to jump out and teach you: "How do I teach you? Don't break the rules at home. Look at how fat you are now. Eat more." One bite of meat will mean one less bite for the younger brothers and sisters. Now it’s time to leave home and look for food... Don’t say that I, the elder brother, don’t take care of you, this is what I gave you.”
Zedd conjured a knife from his hand and handed it to Bobby. This knife looks ordinary on the surface, but it is actually made of gold and has a lot of weight. It can be used to practice theft skills, and can also be sold when necessary to help Goldfinger who has left the nest tide over difficulties. Therefore, it has a special name called "cutting hand knife", which means that the golden finger will separate the family relationship from now on.
The Goldfinger business comes from the Orphan Gang. Her origins can be traced back to more than 400 years ago, when the Earth Goddess Sect lost power and the city-state was in turmoil.
During the heyday of the Goddess Sect, the priests had very strict control over the half-elf civilians. Half-elf orphans who have no one to take care of them are raised centrally by the sect. After the Goddess Sect lost power, the half-elf city-state experienced decades of turmoil, and the number of half-elf orphans increased significantly. No one cares about the orphans in the city-state, so they can only stay together to stay warm in order to survive. The older children and the younger children made a living by begging, picking up garbage, asking for information, and running errands. Of course, they also stole, defrauded, and fought for territory.
The harsh living environment prompted the Orphan Gang to constantly adjust its survival strategies and gradually formed rules and even unique rituals. For example, the little thieves who failed to complete the task of stealing would either accept corporal punishment from their elder brothers or choose to starve collectively. Today, two little thieves were beaten by Zod, but they also won the trust of their brothers and sisters, and the small group became more cohesive.
Goldfinger almost completely inherited the tradition of the Orphan Gang, mainly taking advantage of adults' sympathy and tolerance for children to engage in stealing, fraud, spying on information, and running errands. However, orphans always grow up one day. Just like Bobby, he is sixteen and a half years old and is about to become an adult. He grew taller and had a strong need for food. He can't go through dog holes or narrow passages that children can go through now. If he was caught stealing by mistake, it would be difficult for him to gain forgiveness from the owner, and he would inevitably be beaten to death. He can only help parents and do some logistical support work.
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However, every job that Bobby can do is already being done, and the family cannot always support him.
In fact, each territory has a limit on the number of orphans it can support. Water Snake Town is considered a good place with plenty of money and money, but there are no more than a dozen adult "parents" under Old Man Pym, plus seventy little fingers.
Orphans who grow up must "separate nests", which means choosing a few brothers and sisters who get along well with each other and go to other places to form their own "family".
More and more orphan gangs are branching out, occupying every piece of territory in the alliance city-state. Over time, a loosely structured but closely connected thieves' union has been formed, which controls the underground world of the Disa Alliance.
This brings about a new problem. Every piece of land in the underground world has an owner, and the orphans who have been "separated" cannot find their own land. As a result, the traditional orphan gang evolved into "gold fingers", and "separating the nest" also turned into "leaving home" alone.
In today's world, it is not easy for thieves to find a meal. According to the rules of "Golden Finger", each parent must prepare a valuable gift for the child who "leaves home", which is equivalent to severance pay.
Bobby grew up in a den of thieves. Although he was unwilling to do so, his eldest brother Zod did not allow his younger siblings to compete with him for the position of heir.
With Zod taking the lead, several other parents also gave Bobby various jewelry. The little thieves don't have private property yet, so they don't need to give it to them.
Finally, the elder Pim said: "Bobby, have you decided what you want to do in the future?"
Bobby stuffed the gift he received into his pocket and said: "Old man, I have decided to try to awaken the agility trait, go out on adventures in the future, and save money to be promoted to an archer warrior."
Pim scratched his sparse hair and said distressedly: "If you want to become a 'thug' professional, I have a ready path here, and I can also introduce you to the Beibang Brotherhood and find a job... Do you want to Become an 'Archer Warrior' and become an adventurer? To be honest, the money I prepared for you is only enough for you to try to awaken. If the awakening fails, you may die; even if the awakening is successful, you still have to be promoted to an Archer Warrior in the future. It’s a huge difference.”
"My child, it's not too late for you to regret it now."
Bobby shook his head and said firmly: "I don't regret it!"
Pim sighed, threw down his napkin, stood up and said, "Okay... you say goodbye to your brothers and sisters first, and then come to my room. I have something for you."
Stephanie's mood became very bad. After dinner, she was in a daze in the room. Her friends all fell asleep, and Bobby didn't come to say goodbye to her. She felt that she couldn't wait any longer, so she raised her left hand and looked at it. A small spider pattern gradually appeared on her palm.
Stephanie's senses became extremely sharp and she could clearly feel the flow of air, and the slight vibrations around her formed a dynamic picture in her mind. She didn't even need to use her eyes to see, she could tell through the door that there were parents patrolling back and forth in the hallway.
She pushed open the door, walked straight to the "parent" on patrol, and said proactively: "Uncle Bart, I want to see Bobby."
Bart is a very strong middle-aged man who is usually taciturn, but compared to several other strict parents, he is very tolerant of children. The little fingers in the den of thieves all like Uncle Bart and feel a sense of security when they are around him.
But Stephanie knew that Bart was anything but simple. She inspired the spider pattern on her palms to feel the strong vitality in Bart's body, just like a big tree.
Fortunately, Bart didn't notice any special changes in Stephanie. He looked at this little thief who was most favored by "parents" and said with a smile: "Go quickly, Bobby is leaving soon. The old man will take him to the treasure room to get the money in a moment, and he will Not coming back."
Stephanie said thank you and ran to Bobby's room on her bare feet. Several parents also saw her, but everyone knew that Stephanie almost froze to death when she was wandering outside. Thanks to Bobby, she was picked up and brought back to the den of thieves. Because Stephanie was several years older than the other orphans, Old Man Pym was not willing to take her in at the time. It was Bobby's pleading that kept her from being driven away.
It turns out that Stephanie is extremely talented and Bobby has found a treasure.
The two have always been close, so it's normal for Stephanie to want to say goodbye to Bobby. The "parents" always looked at Stephanie with special eyes and naturally they would not stop her.
Bobby has his own little room in the den of thieves. The curly-haired boy was packing packages when Stephanie burst into the room. He couldn't help but smile when he saw Stephanie running barefoot in a coarse nightdress: "Little girl, I'm leaving, but I don't have a gift for you."
Immediately afterwards, Bobby told Stephanie with his lips: Pim quietly came to me and said that the Northern Brotherhood had begun to investigate the Island Street orphans, and they would be able to find me soon. I have to go, tonight, and never come back.
Bobby and Stephanie actually have a secret in common. They are both orphans, both come from Island Street, and they are cousins.
Stephanie's mother is Bobby's aunt. His parents died when he was young, and he was adopted by his aunt's family. His aunt and uncle treated him as one of their own, and his relationship with Stephanie was like that of brother and sister. Unfortunately, within a few years, her uncle also died, and Stephanie's mother had to remarry with her two children. But her stepfather was a gang member, and he could accept the young Stephanie, but he didn't want to see the 8-year-old Bobby, so he secretly bought Bobby to Goldfinger.
Over the years, Stephanie's memory of her brother Bobby has faded, but Bobby has never forgotten the kindness of his aunt's family.
After the Island Street Massacre, Bobby found an opportunity to deliver a message to the Beibang Brotherhood and went around Island Street specifically to get news about his aunt and cousin. As a result, he found Stephanie, but his aunt's family, including the stepfather who sold him, were all killed.
Stephanie follows Bobby to Water Snake Town and joins Goldfinger here. No one except Bobby knew she was an Island Street survivor. But Pym, Goldfinger's "grandfather", knew that Bobby was from Island Street.
Now, the Northern Brotherhood has also begun to purge the Island Street orphans within. It can be seen that the highland nobles of Luoye City vowed to kill all the civilians on Island Street.
Bobby actually has nothing to do with the Wolf Shepherd Girl, and he is now running for his life. Stephanie was disgusted, scared, and extremely panicked. Because she has an extraordinary relationship with the Wolf Shepherd Girl. The spider mark on her palm was left by the Wolf Shepherd Girl for her. It was considered a blessing, but now it is her life-saving talisman.
Stephanie, who has experienced tragedy, has a maturity that belies her age. She is grateful to Bobby for helping her, but she cannot completely trust him.
Originally, the two were grasshoppers tied together, but now Bobby is leaving. Stephanie was really worried that he would reveal his identity to the "parents." But she had nothing to do now, and she didn't care that there were "parents" eavesdropping outside the door, so she asked directly: "Bobby, can you take me away?"
Bobby laughed and said: "You are like an old man's eyeball now, how dare I kidnap you? Stephanie, you have to learn your skills here. When I become rich in the future, I will come back to see you." He He rubbed Stephanie’s little head and warned with lip language:
After I leave, no one will know your identity. Just be careful. As long as you don't show off your trap, you'll be safe here.
Stephanie rolled her eyes, suddenly grabbed Bobby's hand, and bit it hard. Bobby felt a sharp pain in his palm, as if he had been stung by a spider, and he quickly drew his hand back.
Before Bobby could question, Stephanie stamped her feet and cried, "I hate you!"
After saying that, she covered her face, turned around and rushed out of the room. The "parents" who secretly monitored them thought that little Stephanie was unwilling to be left behind by Bobby, so she was so sad and resentful that she bit Bobby's hand.
