Chapter 713.3: Loopholes, Loopholes Everywhere!

With a glance, he signaled the soldiers at the door to escort the prostitutes out of the room. Then he looked at Axin with obvious interest.

Watching the gun barrel move away from his forehead and hearing the door shut behind the women, Axin knew the man was now genuinely interested in what he had to say.

Steadying himself, he continued, “Something very easy for you. You merely need to turn a blind eye at the border and allow goods from the Empire to pass through into Port Gallon. That gentleman guarantees you 40% of the profit from every shipment entering the harbor.”

Gerjit sneered. “His Majesty issued an imperial decree strictly forbidding all personnel and goods from entering Port Gallon. That ‘distinguished gentleman’ you serve is awfully bold.”

“The border stretches for hundreds of kilometers. His Majesty’s eyes cannot possibly watch every inch of it,” Axin replied calmly. “If he truly possessed that ability, your current supply situation would not be... like this. Apologies, I cannot think of a more polite description, but I’m sure you understand what I mean.”

Gerjit’s expression shifted slightly. The man behind this did not merely understand the Tiger Army’s strategic deployments and personnel assignments... He even knew about their supply shortages?!

Then what the hell was the point of continuing the war?!

Gerjit could already vaguely guess the identity of the distinguished gentleman. Someone capable of wielding such influence within the Xilande Empire’s military system could only be Prince Dilip. Not even Governor Nihak could manage something like it.

The only thing was, Prince Dilip was supposedly imprisoned by the New Alliance. Could the New Alliance itself be involved behind the scenes too?!

His mind churned violently.

Meanwhile, Axin’s thoughts raced just as fast as he improvised the final piece of his earlier bluff. “Commander Gerjit, expecting the embargo to starve the New Alliance into collapse is unrealistic. In the end, it is citizens who will suffer.”

“Likewise, it is equally unprofitable for the New Alliance to feed an entire city solely through one harbor. They constantly have to spend money from their own pockets buying corn to feed those people. People need full stomachs in order to work.”

“What does that have to do with me?” Gerjit narrowed his eyes.

“It has everything to do with you,” Axin said seriously. “They do not want survivors in Port Gallon going hungry under their rule. If the goods passing through Banana Head Bay become tied to the livelihoods of local survivors, then even if the Empire and New Alliance go to war again, they will not target this place.”

He could not guarantee that, nor did he possess any real assurance. But it did not matter.

Gerjit had already constructed a convincing explanation for the identity of the distinguished gentleman inside his own mind.

Makes sense...

If he were the New Alliance commander, artillery shells were artillery shells no matter where they landed. Why bombard a place connected to their profits?

Just thinking about it was enough to tempt him.

After pretending to ponder for a moment, he finally said, “I don’t have time to calculate your profits. I want 20% of the transaction value.”

Actually, that was not a deal he could handle alone. He also needed to grease palms further up the chain of command. Even his general had to be in on it.

“No problem!” Axin agreed instantly.

Though he regretted responding too quickly almost immediately, the other side was apparently doing that sort of thing for the first time as well and noticed nothing unusual.

Thus, the matter was settled pleasantly.

Gerjit’s battalion would disguise incoming goods as military logistical purchases, allowing merchants and cargo to pass through checkpoints into Banana Head Bay’s fishing village. Payment and negotiations would then be conducted inside the Land of Abandoned Ships.

As their first deal, Gerjit agreed to provide 600 tons of chickpeas and black beans for a total price of 5,000,000 Xilande Coins.

That worked out to roughly 4.2 Xilande Coins per pound, even cheaper than market prices before the New Alliance had landed in Port Gallon!

At present, bean prices had already surpassed 10 coins per pound. Transporting the shipment back to Port Gallon and selling it there would yield nearly double the profit!

Although Gerjit generously waived his cut for the first transaction, Axin knew perfectly well the greedy bastard had already included it in the asking price. As for where all those beans had been looted from, or how, they never discussed it.

That was none of his business.

Axin merely mentioned that next time he intended to purchase a batch of two-headed oxen, and also asked Gerjit to keep an eye out for flax and dye merchants. Gerjit readily agreed.

Soon, both parties arranged the payment schedule.

To demonstrate his sincerity, Gerjit even grandly waved his hand and simply gifted the hotel built inside the abandoned ship to Axin. After all, for him it was merely a single sentence.

As for the hotel’s original owner, he had already been tied to stones and dumped into the sea a week earlier for daring to ask for unpaid liquor money, and because his nose was not large enough.

Anyone pathetic enough to end up running a shabby tavern in the godforsaken place, while still being that clueless, was probably a rat among Wislanders even if he really was one. Besides, whether he truly was or not depended entirely on Gerjit’s word.

The hotel staff did not even know their boss was dead. They still awaited the old man claiming to be a Wislander to return and pay their wages.

“... Farewell, my friend. This has been the most enjoyable drink I’ve had in ages. Hopefully future drinks will be just as good.” Standing at the hotel entrance, Gerjit wrapped an arm around Axin’s shoulders in a drunken stupor, grinning cheerfully.

Ever since being assigned to this miserable dump, that was the first time he had left satisfied without drinking until sunrise.

Axin respectfully bowed slightly, smiling warmly at the officer. “You are always welcome back. I guarantee that the next time you visit, you’ll drink liquor worthy of your noble status. Recently, Port Gallon received many fine goods purchasable only with silver, including alcohol from the Shelter residents.”

“Haha! Then I’ll be looking forward to it!” Gerjit burst into delight, laughing loudly as he slapped the youth’s shoulder in front of his subordinates, openly demonstrating his attitude.

Judging from how close they now appeared, nobody would imagine one of his men had just pressed a gun against the boy’s forehead moments earlier.

Only after the soldiers finally disappeared toward the south did Axin lightly pat his own shoulder, as if brushing away dust.

The youths standing outside the tavern all stared at their boss with worshipful eyes, as though gazing upon a god. Yet none of them knew that simply remaining standing without collapsing had already consumed nearly all of Axin’s strength.

“That happened faster than I expected. I originally planned to earn my first fortune before buying this place, but somehow it happened beforehand...” Clearing his throat, nearly ruined from strain, Axin finally resumed in his usual voice. He casually glanced at the hotel behind him before looking toward Kunal, whose face practically had his admiration for Axin carved into it. “This place is going to have many guests in the future. We’ll need to renovate it, at the very least improve this dump.”

“Yes, boss! I’ll find people immediately!” Kunal straightened proudly like a loyal soldier receiving orders from a general, displaying not the slightest doubt.

Axin nodded, then turned his gaze toward the surrounding shabby huts and the fearful eyes hiding in the darkness.

Earlier, those eyes had still dared to examine him freely. Now, they no longer even dared meet his gaze.

Yet there was no mockery or ridicule in his heart.

The greatest lesson he had learned from the Xilande Empire’s crushing defeat in Port Gallon was unity.

At every moment, he pondered how to unite poor bastards just like himself.

Money and dignity.

He just happened to possess enough extra to share with them.

“Kunal, my friend, you were right. We really do need a ship. And this place just happens to have a group of sailors who aren’t particularly experienced, but usable enough.” He paused thoughtfully before speaking softly. “We might as well find them some work to do.”

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.