48 Hours a Day

The Jackdaw had been moored at the harbor for three days. During that period, many pirates requested to get off the ship but Zhang Heng denied all of them. If a similar thing were to have happened back then, the crew would have definitely ganged up and force the captain to let them get off the ship.

Everyone was silent when Dufresne came over to hand everyone their profits. All the new recruits were glad that they made the decision to join the Jackdaw. None of them would be stupid enough to disobey Zhang Heng and lose their right to be part of this ship. However, this whole staying-on-the-ship thing could last only three days.

After three days of curfew, the pirates were at their wits’ end and decided that they had enough. Even if someone pointed a gun at their heads, it would not stop them from leaving. None of them would listen to Zhang Heng and Billy, where some pirates started to launch lifeboats and rowed to Nassau. Out of desperation, some even jumped into the ocean, attempting to swim ashore. After all, the Jackdaw wasn’t anchored too far from land.

Based on Zhang Heng’s calculations, the Gentle Wind should be safe by now. So, he did not stop his pirates from leaving the ship. Sensing freedom, they squeezed every bit of strength possible and rowed as fast as they could to get to Nassau’s harbor. The bystanders were excited to see that the Jackdaw’s crew was finally allowed to leave their ship. Everyone was eager to know how well their first voyage went.

Instead of stopping at the harbor once they landed on Nassau, all the pirates ran to where Gatsby, the moneylender stayed. Noticing a group of pirates running to his place, Gatsby quickly asked his guard to move a table in front of his house. He also carried a gunny sack with him.

When they arrived at Gatsby’s place, Dufresne handed him a paper containing the signatures of Zhang Heng and Carina. He then read and checked it three times before placing it into his pocket. This was the most exciting moment for all the pirates as they were about to receive their share of the money. Each pirate on the Jackdaw stood to get at least 40 Spanish gold coins, an amount equivalent to 320 silver pesos. It was way more than what they had expected. For the ones with specific tasks on the ship like the cook and the cannoneers, they were given an extra 160 pesos each.

Zhang Heng received a total of 120 gold coins. As the captain of the ship, he was eligible to receive double the profit. Also, he was one of the seventeen who took over this ship in Charleston. Hence, all seventeen of them received another 40 gold coins.

Technically speaking, this ship was the first thing that they plundered from the navy. However, it would be unwise for them to sell this battleship for cash. So, Zhang Heng came up with a unique way to compensate all seventeen of them. For three years, they were entitled to an extra share of the loot. This rule would not change even if Zhang Heng wasn’t the captain of the Jackdaw in the future. However, if the elders decided to leave the ship or were killed during a battle, they would no longer be able to receive the extra share.

As the boatswain and bravest pirate on the Jackdaw, Anne received a total of 80 gold coins. Since she was now wealthy enough to purchase her own property, she did not need to rely on anyone anymore. After that, she handed out 40 golden coins to Zhang Heng.

“Just like what I’ve promised you. I’m going to give half of my share to you since this is my very first yield.”

This was the promise that Anne made when she first met Zhang Heng, one that he had already long forgotten. He was surprised that she still remembered it. Throughout her stay with Zhang Heng, she hadn’t cost him too much money, and considering that the rent for the house had been paid, all he bought for her was a set of utensils. Truth be told, Zhang Heng probably spent a total of two gold coins on her. It was not a big deal for him.

When he looked into Anne’s eyes, he realized how much it meant to her for him to take it. Left with no other option, Zhang Heng took the coins from her.

……..

Soon, the news of the Jackdaw returning to Nassau with a ship full of valuable goods spread throughout the entire city like wildfire. Naturally, a large number of people were shocked by this. A mere two months ago, most of the island’s residents looked down on the crew. Most thought that the captain was too young to lead a pirate group. Even those interested in joining the crew decided to wait for them to return from their first voyage before officially joining them. The same people were now regretting their decision.

When a pirate from the Jackdaw lost 20 gold coins in a night during a gambling session, it motivated the people of Nassau to form their own pirate crews. However, most of them did not have a proper ship, a reliable crew, and even their captains were randomly chosen. Naturally, they wanted to set sail to earn their fortune. Unfortunately, most of them would not end well. There was nothing to worry about if they returned to Nassau empty-handed but for those managing to return with loot on their ships, they would have to worry about pressure from the black-market alliance. By that time, they would quickly realize that earning good money was no easy task.

Nevertheless, Zhang Heng allowed his crew to take a month’s break. If there were one word to describe the Jackdaw’s first sail, it would be ‘perfect.’ That said, the pirates on board had earned a considerable amount of money. The bad thing was that they were no longer motivated to set sail again in search for more fortunes. The only thing that ran through their minds right now was to look for a way to spend whatever money they had in their pockets.

So, the Jackdaw’s pirates literally poured into the brothels and casinos in Nassau. Expecting them to improve themselves at a time like this was close to impossible. On the other hand, Zhang Heng made use of the time to deal with something that he had in mind.

That evening, Zhang Heng, Anne, and Billy visited a restaurant called the Mermaid. They saw a couple of pirates from the Jackdaw in there. Most of them were very drunk, and a few attractive ladies were keeping them company. When they saw Zhang Heng, Billy, and Anne, they erupted into loud cheers and urged the trio to join them for drinks. In the end, Billy talked them out of it and made them go home.

After that, the three of them executed their plan. Anne and Billy entered the restaurant from the front and Zhang Heng walked to the alley behind the restaurant. He then took out the watch that he bought yesterday and took a look at it. Two minutes later, a slender man with a mustache pushed the waitresses aside and scooted out of the restaurant’s backdoor, constantly turning behind him as he ran.

Unexpectedly, something tripped him, causing him to lose his balance and he fell into someone’s vomit. As he turned around, he was greeted with a gun on his nose. Not too long after that, a middle-aged man stormed out of the restaurant angrily. They both crashed into each other, causing the middle-aged man to drop his glass of liquor. He had come out of the restaurant to teach the man a lesson.

The slender man was excited when he saw the man running out of the restaurant, seeming as if he recognized the person coming at him. Unfortunately, his excitement only lasted for a short while because Zhang Heng pulled out his second gun and pointed it at the man.

“I’m sorry. First come, first serve.”