Black Sail
Chapter 361: CCCLXI. Financial Distress

Chapter 361: CCCLXI. Financial Distress

Black Sail was in an especially awkward position now.

It seemed as if they had swallowed Doringger’s turf, growing stronger and larger, yet that was not the case.

Apart from Doringger’s private storage, which contained many defying items, there wasn’t much valuable found within the castle. Of course, all the furniture was made of precious wood, and there were plenty of silver decorations and various artifacts, collections, antiques, even a magic energy-driven elevator in the city building—luxurious to an excess. Various items could be sold for a considerable sum, but it hadn’t reached that point yet.

This castle was to be their future headquarters, they couldn’t possibly strip their own home bare, could they?

Doringger’s liquid assets were sparse, not even comparable to Black Sail’s, but his real estate holdings were terrifyingly extensive; it was a pity they also couldn’t be quickly liquidated.

Like war, many benefits weren’t immediately obtainable, they required operation and management—it was time to test their APM, to see whether they’d play like Zhuge Crossbow commanding the heavens and earth or blunder like a blind esports player. Even if they won battles, they couldn’t hold the lands.

Controlling territories was harder than conquering them.

Taking over a territory with mineral veins still required a network of miners, transport, refinement, and sales to actually make money.

Doringger had three main methods of making money.

Fencing, fishing grounds, hallucinogens.

Fencing.

Taylor and Plank could certainly move goods, but now the East Sea pirates, within a budget of forty thousand Golden Dragons for the great East Sea melee, had also suffered heavy casualties.

Could these people still plunder ships? Certainly not.

During the chaotic battle period, trade between the Western Continent and the Far East Islands was thriving.

It was impossible to earn money by skimming profits in the short term.

Taylor and Plank also needed time to recuperate; this avenue was momentarily a dead end.

Four fishing islands.

Doringger acted as a tax collector; those four islands were enclaves of other territories, altogether bringing in about eight thousand Golden Dragons every quarter, over thirty thousand a year—who could withstand such drain?

These four islands couldn’t be touched until negotiations with the envoys of those four countries had taken place, or else the damn Admiral’s formal military would be on their case again.

Given the recent major battle, which had left them weakened, could they handle this? Clearly not. They could’ve taken a risk at their peak, turning a bicycle into a motorcycle, but now it was impossible; their ranks were filled with wounded and remnants, and they had to consider both external enemies and suppressing Doringger’s remnants.

The money from the fishing grounds was momentarily out of reach.

It had only been a few days since they’d seized control, and they were in a high-risk state. Had it not been for Liszt’s grand train robbery, the Great Sage and Master, and the reputation of the Northern Large Prison OG, along with many allies,

the next round of the East Sea chaos would have already begun, with Doringger’s realm scattered, incapable of seeing its king’s shadow, shameless desperados flocking, continuing the Gu Refining to become the East Sea King.

They needed to slowly negotiate with those countries to keep contracting the four fishing islands.

Hallucinogens.

Liszt had never considered it; he wanted to turn the East Sea into an international model metropolis populated by cultured individuals, dealing with such low-end stuff would tarnish his image.

Now other allies were also slowly discussing investment, but one couldn’t expect entities like the Seventh Amendment and Cangshan Tobacco Company to invest much.

They were all opportunists, first bringing in some money to test the waters without exceeding thousands.

Besides, those guys were currently investing more and earning more. Liszt had no intention of letting others buy in excessively. Black Sail’s initial registered capital was forty-eight thousand Golden Dragons; now was not the time to change it. Changing right after seizing territory would be a colossal blunder.

His reputation would be completely ruined, and numerous allies would turn their backs.

In short,

Liszt was in dire need of this wealthy sister’s investment. The funds currently in Black Sail’s coffers weren’t enough to manage the East Sea. The various expenses were enough to make one’s head explode. Only then did Liszt realize that being the Boss wasn’t easy at all.

In the tenth-floor banquet hall of the main city building,

the flowing water curtain wall emitted a comforting white noise, under the soft light of fluorite chandeliers.

Garscek felt it was meaningless.

"Is it too super?"

She took off her sunglasses and revealed a pair of dark purple eyes full of majesty.

"What kind of master-servant contract are you talking about? Are you just in heat? I’ll satisfy you, let you taste my Magic Giant Dragon, you cold and heartless person. Now I have stood up, are you satisfied now? Right here? Or shall we go to the bedroom? A public place is fine too, I like to play big."

Liszt planned to sacrifice a bit of his looks.

Garscek squinted his eyes while Liszt, bandaged all over from burns not yet healed, looked like a living corpse. He obviously didn’t understand his own words.

"This is a very ancient Magic Technique called a Blood Covenant, branded inside your soul. You will unquestioningly obey all my commands. With this, it wouldn’t matter if I gave you everything in my treasury."

Garscek explained, a public place would be fine, sounded quite appealing, but this wasn’t the time to discuss that.

The only trouble with the Blood Covenant was that it required the subconscious acceptance of the other party. Even a verbal agreement was not enough; there needed to be a corresponding enlightenment in their heart.

"Is that so..." Liszt felt a bit embarrassed, he himself had turned into a mere believer, "Change the subject, can we negotiate terms? For instance, if you have any dreams or goals you can tell me. Not mentioning the East Sea, even on this continent, mentioning my name would be effective."

Liszt tactfully leaned back. What does it mean to be the ’Boss of East Sea’? He was already such an impressive figure; he had to put on a show.

"Goals... Now it’s the year 2690; in ten years, or even sooner, a disorder that occurs every nine hundred years is about to come. At that time, many magical phenomena will appear, and I would like to take this opportunity to return to Flying Dragon Ridge, bring some friends over; things have changed quite a bit here, more interesting than at Flying Dragon Ridge."

Garscek said so.

"My hair?" Liszt looked baffled, don’t randomly set things up, damn it! "What disorder?"

"Don’t you know? At any rate, interesting events will happen then. This world, isolated from other places for unknown reasons, sees the great power that severs heaven and earth weaken slightly every nine hundred years. It seems that this land hides some kind of fundamental ultimate secret, many powers are eying it covetously."

Garscek had known some historical events from over seven hundred years ago, perhaps because of that mess with the Divine Mother Sect. Was there really something like a Nameless Warrior? If beings like the Dragon Lord Holy Spirit exist, and the so-called supreme Will is real, then that Nameless Warrior is like someone who alone obliterated all the most macroscopic great existences kept outside?

That’s absurd.

For Garscek, such absurd and bizarre tales were akin to mythological stories.

Liszt was like hearing tales of fantasy. He had heard Fen talk about Flying Dragon Ridge, and he himself was a Cosmic Person.

Immediately.

A terrifying guess formed, breaking him out in a cold sweat. This disorder, possibly truly spoken by Garscek! Maybe because it’s close to the disorder, that mysterious wizard in the Northern Prison had a chance to pull all these people along with creatures from several other dimensions here.

Maybe it was because of a malfunction in the Dark Matter Underground Research Institute, due to some kind of synchronous resonance, that he was caught.

No way, right? No way, right?

Upon reflection.

What does this have to do with Liszt anyway? When heaven falls, there are tall ones holding it up, the Eternal Sect, the Tower Alliance, aren’t those people just loafing around? Let the Emperor show off his divine might and obliterate everyone, okay.

Liszt decided to donate five copper coins to the Emperor at that time, showing loyalty from overseas.

"I’m tired... Arrange a place for me to stay, I’ll be staying with you from now on."

Garscek yawned, settling down in the castle for good, they would slowly discuss cooperation, he had Liszt pinned down, let him slowly wait on him.

Liszt was speechless; Garscek quite enjoyed the current situation, manipulating him. Alright, alright, is that how you want to play? The days are long, he’ll go all out!

He resolved to drive Garscek to complete madness!

"Alright, I’ll figure out another way for the money. Even if the cooperation doesn’t work out, you are always welcome here. We’re pretty familiar now, stay as you like, if you have any requests, just speak up."

Liszt said calmly, his laugh warm.

"Alright..."

Garscek felt something was odd but couldn’t pinpoint what was wrong, feeling somewhat hairy inside.

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