Chapter 172
Words:1558Update:22/06/27 05:22:22
Two weeks had passed since the Jackdaw set sail. The commotion in front of the warehouse had also lasted for two whole weeks.
Although most of the items weren't worth much, Karina still spent around 40 gold coins in exchange for a bunch of trash that Malone deemed as useless. Although most of the items weren't worth much, there were still a lot of people who came to the shop.
The only valuable item was probably the twelve boxes of potatoes, but they weren't worth much in the colony. It wasn't worth it for the Gentle Breeze to make such a huge trip.
No one knew why Carina was doing this. Even so, the black-market alliance responded immediately by issuing a statement that all pirates who cooperated with Carina would only be able to sell their loot at the lowest price.
This also meant that the black-market alliance had started to impose a blockade on Carina. Malcolm's response was simple and direct. As soon as the statement was issued, the quality of Carina's items became even worse. Any pirate with a bit of ambition would have to think twice before selling their items to Carina.
Of course, those who didn't know their next meal were still unaffected. They didn't even think about what would happen tomorrow. They would just go wherever the money was high. However, these people weren't the black-market alliance's target group anyway. Malcolm thought it was a good idea to let these guys mess with Carina.
Carina's second-hand goods exchange was now called a garbage collection station by the people on the island. Many merchants from the black-market alliance were waiting to see what would happen next.
During this time, Malone was also very depressed. Everyone who knew him on the island asked him when he was going to sell the junk to the colony. So, the captain of the Gentle Breeze simply hid in the brothel and refused to leave until Karina's men found him.
"Sailing tonight?" Malone got out of bed and put on his clothes. "Stop joking. Are you really going to listen to those guys and ship those things to Boston and New York? Who are we going to buy them from? What's the cost? How much profit will we make from this trip? "
"I've already arranged for someone to take over there. You just need to ship the goods there, and someone will take over. Then, you can go back to Nassau."
What the captain of the Gentle Breeze didn't expect was that Carina walked straight into his room.
Malone was shocked. Fortunately, he had already put on his pants. Then, he heard Karina say to the naked prostitute beside her, "Can you give us some time to talk?"
The latter smiled faintly and blew the merchant a kiss. Then, he picked up the clothes on the bench and left the room with his butt swaying.
Karina asked the sailor who came to inform Malone to close the door and stand guard at the door. She picked up the bottle of wine on the table and poured herself a glass. After moistening her throat, she asked, "Can you move the goods onto the ship in one afternoon?"
Malone shrugged. "I need to gather the sailors, buy some supplies, refill the ship with water, and check the sails. So, that's about it. If you insist, we can leave here before sunset."
"Very good. There's no need to rush. We'll leave after dark."
Ma Long frowned. "Traveling through the night? Are you afraid that those boxes of potatoes will sprout? "
Karina could hear the sarcasm in the captain's voice. She leaned back and rubbed her temples. "Do you know how much money we've lost during this period?"
"I know you might not like to hear it, but I have to say that I've warned you before. If we can make money from those guys, you won't have to beg the captains who worked with your father to turn back."
"I don't expect to make money from them. At least not now," Karina said. "I just need them to help me spread the word. I want them to tell the pirates on the island that they can make more money working with me than working with the black-market alliance."
"I'm pretty sure Malcolm received your message. That's why he made the black-market alliance issue a statement. Now, the powerful pirates on the island will not come looking for us."
"No, they just won't come looking for us on the surface."
"What do you mean?"
"When I was very young, my father always told me stories about this place. He told me how brave and fearless the people here are. Their courage to chase after wealth is not limited by any rules. Many people think that the captains stand on the black-market alliance's side because they have signed a contract with the black-market alliance, but that's not the case. Most of them don't care what's written on the contract. They choose the black-market alliance because the latter can provide them with a higher income, allowing them to feed their subordinates and secure their position as captains."
"You're right. But that's why they won't leave the black-market alliance and choose to work with us," Ma Long sighed. Malone sighed. "Do you know what I've been hearing about us all this time?"
Karina raised an eyebrow.
"Those bastards think that we won't last long. They believe that the Jackdaw is willing to continue working with us because …"
The captain of the Gentle Breeze wanted to say something but stopped.
"Did I tap into my talent as a woman?"
"Something like that. Everyone here seems to think that Malcolm and his black-market alliance will drive us out of Nassau sooner or later. Forgive me for being blunt, but under such circumstances, no one will choose to work with us."
"What I'm doing now isn't to establish a long-term partnership with anyone," Karina said. "I'm just providing them with a way to earn some extra money."
"Extra money?" Ma Long didn't quite understand what Karina meant.
"My target isn't the few big pirates in the top section. The black-market alliance has already fed them well. Those in the third and fourth sections don't stand much of a chance either. However, many of the pirates in the first and second sections are quite strong. It's just that, like the Jackdaw, the black-market alliance has lowered their purchase price. I can offer them nearly 20% more. This should be quite tempting to them. But of course, the black-market alliance must not find out about our deal."
"How is that possible? Once the Gentle Breeze goes out to sea, everyone will know … "Ma Long suddenly paused. His eyes widened." You've been buying rubbish for the past two weeks. Is this what you're preparing for? "Anne nodded.
"About five days ago, the helmsman of a ship contacted me secretly. He wants to sell me a batch of high-quality cotton cloth. They're a little dissatisfied with the black-market alliance's price, so they came to me. Right now, that batch of goods is in our warehouse. I need you to help me transport it to Boston. Jim has already gone there. He will contact the merchants and buy it directly."
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