Black Sail
Chapter 105: CV. Heaven Port Partner

Chapter 105: CV. Heaven Port Partner

Heaven Port’s one eighth protection fee.

The concept was terrifying.

Even the Boss of Heaven Port wanted a taste of the protection fee pie, but he couldn’t have it.

Of course, the Boss could collect protection money from everyone.

But what was that concept? It was akin to founding a country, equating to taxation.

Although there were no laws here, only customs and conventions.

But customs and conventions, as they developed, would evolve into the sacred inviolability of private property, then extend into a series of rules.

Official rules were merely symbols written on paper; the rules that were actually in play were the real rules.

In some sense, Heaven Port even had more laws than Aran, because here everything was real, nothing was hidden, and killings were open and fair.

Once the Boss lost his mind and started taxing people,

the entire free market structure of Heaven Port would collapse, and the desperadoes from all over the world, who would care about your story? It would be a catastrophic operation failure just like the minotaur scenario, the fence traders wouldn’t launder stuff anymore, the planners and copywriters would sacrifice themselves to Heaven, making it all come crashing down, as if the service was being shut down.

Some money, you must let others earn it. You cannot touch even a single copper coin.

And the fraction of one eighth was staggering; the countless pirate gangs of various sorts, gangs, and societies in this place all added up to hundreds, a slice of cake bigger than one tenth, all consumed by you alone.

You like to wage price wars, vying for territories.

Even if you, Black Sail, are prowess impressive, you would have to clash with them.

It was bound to happen.

It was just that with Liszt’s return this time, he had blown open the hidden danger of seeking welfare for the family.

"Heh heh... You say you’ll give just like that, but how do I know you won’t renege on it? The money is all collected by those two rabid dogs of yours, squeezed in your hand, splitting fifty-fifty, are you playing me?"

Qi Li didn’t believe in pies falling from the sky, with the last four words particularly emphasized, and the twenty or so people in the room were also restless.

Liszt was well-respected in Heaven Port, those unaware might really think he was some kind of righteous person. How many people did he kill in his swindles? How many of his peers did he slaughter? Absolutely ruthless, the old-timers of Heaven Port had been wiped out by him and that cold-blooded magician under him, breaking all the rules long ago.

There were as many people on the island who hated him and wanted to kill him as there were those who admired him.

Liszt was the most devious, never dealing in just one line of business. He probably tricked prostitutes into paying him instead.

His double-crossing dealt in triple plays; not only did he establish a connection with the Admiral of Kersuna Island, he also cleared up threats for a big shot of Heaven Port and weakened the influence of rivals, nearly becoming a swift dragon-riding son-in-law; who would dare touch him?

He was cunning, venomous, and devious, both insidious and fierce.

Trying to obtain something for nothing, thinking to deceive me into helping you run the place? As if it were that easy.

Bang...

Liszt took out a money bag and slammed it onto the glass table, with gold coins spilling out, the insignia of the Eternal and Time Dragon shining brilliantly.

"This money, it’s a small amount, to be collected once a month. Here’s for three months, eighty-eight Golden Dragons. Whether you take it or not is up to you. As long as you buy in, the payment is settled monthly. This is much steadier than raiding ships."

Liszt smoked a cigar that came along easily, letting the smoke roll about in his mouth, then gradually blew it out. Worthy of being a former noble, he knew how to enjoy life, truly invigorating.

He approached his business with a certain grand scheme, no matter who it was, he would intimidate them first to see their strength.

Although the liquid funds for public spending were not much now, there were so many fixed assets in Heaven Port to play with; if all else failed, there was still the ultimate public fund. Selling two stones could even buy you a Duke’s title.

Qi Li’s deputy motioned with his hand, signaling a lackey to come over and count; eighty-eight pieces, not one Gold Dragon short, all as real as they came.

If it was as Liszt said, it meant doing nothing at all, simply sitting back and reaping the benefits as a shareholder, with a net income of thirty Gold Dragons every month. Just pick the right side.

It seemed like an easy choice.

However, Liszt’s straightforward attitude made Qi Li hesitate.

"Your operation is indeed large, but it’s only propped up by volume. Those people would get only two or three silver coins each, the restaurant owners merely seven or eight, neither painful nor itchy. Even the big venues not even one Gold Dragon. It’s like doing charity. With only this much money a month..." Qi Li ordered someone to open the windows, preparing to send the guest away, with the light suddenly brightening, "A stable monthly income of thirty Gold Dragons is indeed considerable, but spread amongst so many of my brothers, it’s just a drizzle. However, I’m not entirely disinterested. You just need to add half more on top and let me get directly involved, then we have a deal."

Qi Li made his decision.

Liszt’s cunning lay in the details, parading Black Big through the town as if to make sure everyone knew he had come to his place, making people think they had reached some long-term cooperation if he stayed too long.

The deal had to be done within five minutes.

Wolman guessed it was unlikely to succeed and was ready to kill a few men on his way out. Since Qi Li wasn’t on his side, he was considered an enemy now.

Liszt was unflappable as a mountain, carelessly flicking cigarette ash onto the floor.

Qi Li’s appetite was indeed huge. The reason he had such a big plate was because he had yielded profits. Since he had driven the price up and misunderstandings among his colleagues were cleared up, was there still any need for him?

"I always thought you were gutsy, being part of the Undead Pirates and all, but now why are you acting so chicken?"

Liszt chuckled lightly. That was why this guy might be strong and smart, but his reputation in Heaven Port wasn’t as high as his own—he just didn’t dare to take the plunge.

Even Wolman was startled; it was impressive how the Captain had easily accomplished what they couldn’t.

"You dare talk to my Boss like that?"

One of the lackeys drew a scimitar, ready to chop someone down.

Qi Li raised his hand, signaling for him to stop.

"I really want to see how big your balls are, Liszt."

Qi Li allowed Liszt to continue speaking.

Liszt smacked his lips over the cigar, not used to such high-grade stuff, getting his brain buzzed by the nicotine.

"So it goes to show that’s all the ambition the islanders have, behaving like poor pirates fixated on trifles. Pirates without brains, pirates for life. Now that the cake is made so big, with so many people eating, there’s hardly a bite left for me—useless. Why not slash the prices on the island altogether, we take the lion’s share and just scatter some management fees to the other scrubs? You and I could rake in six to seven hundred Gold Dragons each month, isn’t that better than hijacking merchant ships at sea?"

Liszt stubbed out his cigar on the glass tabletop.

Even the Undead Pirates were shaken by his speech; he talked like he wanted to dominate Heaven Port and become the Boss.

"I leave my words here, and my money here. Tonight, City West Warehouse, you can give it back to me then. I’m out."

Liszt called Wolman and without further ado, swaggered out.

Inside the Executive Lounge, all members of the Undead Pirates wore varying expressions, but they shared one thought.

This guy... was way too arrogant.

Just as he was about to step over the threshold,

"Liszt!"

Qi Li unexpectedly burst out, startling not just Liszt, but also the people next to him.

But Liszt, unshaken as if the mountain were crumbling before him, possessed an absurdly high mental fortitude.

"Why are you bellowing so loudly."

Liszt was speechless, yet he knew—he had made it.

Qi Li just wanted to see if Liszt had any guilt in his heart, if he could withstand such a scare. He didn’t know if Liszt was truly guilt-free or just really had the nerve, but either way, it didn’t matter.

"It’s nothing, just that I’ll be joining in, and the rest can get lost."

Qi Li instructed to have the money secured, speaking calmly.

"You’re the Boss, what you say goes."

Liszt left with Wolman.

Qi Li also sent out orders. Although his own venues were far less numerous than Liszt’s, starting next month, he would lower them as well.

Liszt...

Too devious, wanting both money and fame. Truly gutsy.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.