"I've heard that they're planning to split the purchase price into five tiers. The major pirate crews that have signed contracts with them will be at the top tier, while the stronger pirate crews will be at the third or fourth tier, and so on. As for newcomers like you, you'll have to start from the bottom tier. Of course, as long as you can get enough loot, the purchase price will continue to rise. But even with the fastest estimation, you'll only be able to enter the fourth tier after three years. That's not fair to you and your crew," said Karina as she flexed her slightly swollen wrists from being strangled.
Zhang Heng glanced at Anne, who reluctantly pulled out the dagger from her waist and cut the ropes around Karina's wrists and ankles.
"What do you mean by business?"
Karina thanked Zhang Heng. "I want to work with you for a long time. I want to purchase your loot. Don't worry. The price I offer is definitely higher than the alliance's. I can offer you the price of the fourth band."
Karina was very confident about the offer. However, Zhang Heng rejected it without hesitation. "I'm sorry. I'm not interested."
Karina did not expect to receive such an answer. She looked very surprised. "Why? Right now, you need a strong and stable partner, right? You can get close to 40% more from me, which is much more worthwhile than selling to the Alliance. Also, I can promise that this price will only be effective when you are the captain, which should be very helpful in maintaining your position as captain. No matter how I look at it, you won't lose anything. "
Zhang Heng shook his head. "You only calculated my profit. You didn't consider my risk. If I sell my loot to you, I will definitely offend the entire black-market alliance. In other words, I will lose the support of almost all the black-market merchants on the island. If something happens to you, I will be at risk of not being able to cash out my loot."
Karina forced a smile on her face. "You don't have to worry about that. I've been in Nassau for so many years, and nothing bad has ever happened to me."
"Is that so? If that's the case, why don't you join the alliance?" "According to your previous description, you should have a lot of partners before this. Even if you join the alliance, you should be treated well, right? What about now? How many captains are willing to sell their goods to you?"
This was a question Karina couldn't avoid. Along the way, she had come up with countless answers and made up several versions of the story. To her, Zhang Heng was just a lucky guy who happened to get his hands on a battleship, and he shouldn't be difficult to deal with. However, when the two of them met, she realized how naive she was. The young man in front of her, who was even younger than her, had a calmness that didn't match his age. He was meticulous, calm, and rational. He was scarier than any of the pirates she had met on the island.
Karina suddenly realized how ridiculous the story she made up was. When she opened her mouth, she didn't know what else to say.
The atmosphere in the living room suddenly became a little quiet. Only Annie's snoring could be heard. She was completely uninterested in their conversation about profit sharing. She leaned against the back of the chair and fell asleep.
Zhang Heng draped his coat over the red-haired girl and said to Karina, "If you can't tell me the truth, then there's no possibility of us working together."
Karina smiled bitterly. "If I tell you the truth, I'm afraid it's even more impossible for us to work together."
"You can at least try." Zhang Heng poured two cups of tea and handed one to Karina.
The latter hesitated for a long time before finally speaking. The first thing she said was earth-shattering. "I'm actually … not a black market merchant on the island."
When she finished speaking, she looked up at Zhang Heng's face, only to find that he didn't look surprised at all. She could not help but feel even more discouraged. "You already knew? Then, do I look like a clown in your eyes? "
"It's not that exaggerated. How long have you been on the island?"
"Two months."
"It's not easy for you to do this in such a short period of time. There's nothing wrong with your clothes, and there's nothing wrong with your behavior. The most important thing is that you know the situation on the island very well. If it weren't for your skin color, I wouldn't have suspected you." Zhang Heng paused for a moment. "The black market merchants on the island are often exposed to the sun when they inspect their goods. That's why their skin is generally darker. You don't look like someone who leaves the house often."
"So, that's why?" Karina's smile was full of bitterness. "I used to live in New Hampshire. My father is a black market merchant in Nassau. When I was young, he always told me stories about this place. He said that this is the land of wealth. Only the most fearless of the brave can survive on this land. But back then, I wasn't interested in adventures or anything."
"Then, why are you here now?"
"Because of my father. He was arrested in New Jersey about six months ago. He was accused of piracy-related activities. They detained him and one of his transport ships. Ironically, the harbor master and the customs officers just received a large bribe from him a week ago." Karina sighed.
"After he went to prison, my mother tried to bribe him. In the end, we found out that he had offended a big shot in the area because he sold a batch of similar goods. We asked someone to mediate the situation, but the big shot was greedy. Even if we took out all the money we had, we still wouldn't be able to pay the ransom. So, I thought of taking over my father's previous business and continued to make money through Nassau's trade. That's why I came here."
"But after that, you happened to see the establishment of the black-market alliance."
"Yes. I didn't join because I wasn't qualified to join," Karina said helplessly. "I've tried to find a few captains who worked with my father before, but because he's been away for a period of time, the previous partnership is automatically invalid. As for his old friends, they said that they can't help even if they want to. I'm really at my wit's end. I saw you and your ship at noon, so I wanted to try my luck with you." Carina said helplessly.
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