Black Sail
Chapter 612: CCXXVII. Government Bond Fund

Chapter 612: CCXXVII. Government Bond Fund

Continent Martial Arts Competition Schedule.

Mid-year, September.

From the 1st to the 3rd, the first round, determining the top 500.

From the 4th to the 5th, the second round, with the specific number of advancements depending on the number of participants who haven’t withdrawn. Often, those seeking pardon participate to regain freedom, and they choose to withdraw directly. A small portion of satisfied contestants will withdraw; based on previous years’ experience, there won’t be many, usually around 200 will continue the competition.

Though it’s a pity that some sharp people die, these are the necessary cruel conditions for the audience with the Emperor in the Capital.

From the 5th to the 7th, the third round, with the specific number of advancements also depending on the number of participants who haven’t withdrawn. At this point, some people take what they have and leave; entering the military world can already get them a decent position. Based on previous experience, about seventy to eighty people will choose to continue fighting.

These seventy to eighty people are all ultimate tough characters.

All aiming for the top sixteen, the champion of the competition, seeking only to make a name for themselves and rise to fame like ultimate heroes.

According to past experiences, only a small half of each year’s competition champions were already renowned Gods, most are more like unknown Demons who emerge from nowhere.

Some were even born prepared for the Continent Martial Arts Competition and are preparing for it from birth, like Madmen who are ready 8000 days before their graduation exam.

Until the end of the third round, contestants have enough rest time and the opportunity to observe all participants to form their battle strategies.

By the eighth day, it becomes the most brutal; only sixteen people can be left standing.

This day’s schedule is merged into a fourth round; withdrawing is impossible mid-way, also known as the Bloody Fourth Round; survival depends solely on the opponent’s intent at the moment.

Many perish together, and victories with serious injuries leading to death are not uncommon.

This day, contestants will face continuous battles, and all aspects of their comprehensive strength will be tested against different opponents, with no element of luck, until they finally qualify for the final duel on September 9th, the Stargazing Festival.

The Night of Being Boxed.

These sixteen people, regardless of success or failure, are all to be recorded in the history books of Aran.

Saleret, aiming for the top sixteen, once lost everything, determined to reclaim it all!

And the traitor Kai Deng from the Thief Guild, also aims for the top sixteen, to meet the Emperor, make his voice heard, even if not a champion, achieving more than a champion could.

This midday.

The delighted Gren, in unprecedented spirits, managed to collect 4850 Golden Dragons using a tournament ticket lottery at the special booth during the competition period of the Aran National Bank, based on rumors from the identity verification card yesterday.

The staff who handed over the money to Gren wore expressions of jealousy and envy.

The Eternal Sect wields immense power; a High Order Clergy earns a monthly salary of 115 silver coins, equivalent to a high executive at a multinational listed company on Earth.

And the entry-level business clerks at the Aran National Bank face high entry barriers, requiring graduation from renowned universities in relevant fields, with a base salary based on performance ranging between 25 and 30 silver coins per month.

Although it might not seem much, during festivals and holidays, when reunited with family, they can earn the respect of relatives and friends, bringing pride to parents due to working at a bank, a level where they get invited to be toasted.

Far better than those cousins at the adventurer’s guild beyond several dimensions.

But the clerk did some simple calculations.

Worked tirelessly since the era of Cyrus, from dawn till dusk, lived a 2000-year career without earning this much, needing to serve from the Ancient Era before historical cutoff.

Yet this girl’s bank card information shows she’s 13 years old (Holy Spirit Calendar, sixteen months a year, Aran stipulates adulthood at 14, equating Gren to 17 in Earth years).

A girl not even half a year to adulthood achieved so much in a day?

The clerks weren’t even qualified to handle so many Golden Dragons; it had to be a manager at the bank.

And Gren’s bank card isn’t ordinary; at the Aran National Bank, Gren has a national debt fund, which is a VIP-class fund sub-card; her parents must be prominent figures.

They quickly ushered Gren into the VIP room, recommending various financial products. Since it was a gambling gain, they tried to coax and lure Gren into donating some to charitable causes or directly to the Aran Army, contributing to the Emperor’s expansion.

Gren, just stepping into society, was nearly fooled; the bank manager’s sweet words tempted her, speaking of foolproof investments with eyes closed, the Emperor’s favor evoking emotions.

Fortunately, there was Galen, an old hand, who directly told the manager to scram, dismissing their advice. Banks use your money for loans to profit from the interest spread, better loan it myself! As an Aran citizen, think for the country? I’m in the game; I respond to no one, not donating a single copper coin.

Gren’s eyes were filled with little stars, truly getting guidance from an Immortal here.

At the entrance of the exclusive event booth during the Continent Martial Arts Competition at the National Bank, professional beggars circled around when someone withdrew a large amount, kneeling and offering congratulations, circling around like flies, many were children, elaborately pitiful.

Gren pondered, since it’s unexpected wealth, why not scatter a hundred Golden Dragons?

Galen was the one wanting to kill, saying those bastards go home after work, shaking their heads and riding BMWs to live in big houses.

This finally convinced Gren.

In a high-end restaurant in Aran Imperial City with an average cost of about ten Golden Dragons, the interior decor was designed by famous designers, paying a high price for high taste; that’s the minimum standard.

Whether it’s Narrow Sea specialties, East Sea specialties, or seafood, they are all magically frozen and transported. The wilderness game from some forbidden areas deep in the forest brought by adventurers is also plentiful. The chefs might not be the Nine Tribes’ rigorously selected Court Chefs, but they were at least interviewed by Gourmet Weekly and have won competitions.

The window seats with partition fences offer an endless view of the Imperial City’s scenery, but one can see the part of the Eternal Clock Tower under the clouds, a world miracle, magnificent and unbounded, built by generations of Dragon Lord followers, also looking like a fucking place to fight the Boss battle.

The vice-captain of the Wind Radiance Adventure Team, riding on Galen’s coattails, can indulge with such a rich lady until September 9th, making it a summer well spent.

The most flamboyant one was the vice-captain; although he hadn’t learned any table manners, he kept himself from being a complete country bumpkin, eating was making money, that’s my ninja way!

To Gren, it’s just a usual meal.

"Where are you from?"

A seventeen-year-old girl, don’t expect her to be chatty; it’s basically a one-stop residence check.

Unlike the vice-captain, Galen followed Rein to the Cloud Palace. This restaurant is indeed high-end, unimaginable to his past self, but compared to the Heaven Palace, it was just average.

Galen didn’t care for those things either; he took the whole family to Duguli to enjoy life. The salary Liszt gave was five Golden Dragons per month.

This kind of treatment is for driving a big brother of the Western Continent’s super underworld.

Born at the bottom, but has been to the top, the ups and downs of fate made Galen understand many things. In the past, he might have bullshitted that his hometown was Chenxi Port.

Now he’s not shy about saying he was born on the western coast of Aran, in a town without a highway.

"It must be a cool place; I’ve never seen the sea..."

Gren seldom left the Royal City Metropolitan Area; the farthest trip she took was to the Southern Province.

Since hearing the bad news in late spring, Gren had never been so happy, feeling the whole world was vast, free to roam.

"By the way, who are we betting on next?"

Gren’s eyes were filled with excitement; sorry for becoming a gambling dog right after entering society.

"Betting again... No, killing again?"

Galen was stunned, though Gren was generous, directly giving him a five hundred Golden Dragon consultation fee, but also netting more than two thousand Golden Dragons; wasn’t that enough for you?

"Yes, we’re still far from the goal."

Gren wanted to storm Heaven Port. She roughly calculated that if she wanted a sure win, simultaneously hiring the top mercenary corps on the Western Continent would initially cost two hundred thousand Golden Dragons.

Anyway, the more, the better. There’s still a long way to go.

With her social experience, she didn’t know that mercenary corps also depending on whom they were fighting, offer different quotes. For clearing bandits or pirates from some small countries, the price is naturally just a bit above the market price, but for fighting regular armies, or real tough guys, it’s not the same number.

In fact, after Zote’s death, this kind of thing was left for Xiao Du to do for Old Jiang, and nobody on the street dared to take it; you have to live to spend the money.

"How much more do you need?"

"I don’t know, but if it’s four hundred thousand that would be best!"

"Fuck me!"

Galen had lost count of how many times he said those three words in these two days, this contrast between silly and cute minor, making a stunning move, a million? What the hell, are you founding a country or what?

"Though I’m much older than you, I’ll call you big sister, big sister, what do you need four hundred thousand for?"

Galen was dumbfounded, four hundred thousand? Just counting cash flow, probably Liszt couldn’t come up with so much. For civilians, it’s a super astronomical number.

"With four hundred thousand, whoever I want to kill... I can kill."

"Fuck me! Who exactly do you want to kill, sister? You can actually outsource it to me, tell your brother, I happen to have some connections in the killing business, quite authoritative."

Galen was really shocked by Gren now, seemingly contrast between cute and naive, yet intending to do something really ruthless.

But Gren also knew what she could say and what she couldn’t; her biological father’s good friend has protected this secret for over a decade, and she knew its importance.

"Don’t worry about it, it’s a pretty famous guy, so... who do we bet on next?"