MTLNOVEL Chapter 364 - 303, don't you need an informer?
Chapter 364: Chapter 303, don’t you need an informer?
With Wu Heng joining in, Mini found herself unable to interject.
She just sat to the side, listening to the two of them discuss matters of pirates and trade.
After chatting for a while, Wu Heng thought about the goods he got from pirate ships.
He asked, “I got some goods from pirates, is there any way I can sell them off?”
“Goods from pirates?” Shanaela played with a strand of hair on her shoulder and said, “You can sell them to us, I can settle with you at the market price.”
Shanaela’s attitude toward him had always been somewhat favorable.
It made Wu Heng feel like he was somewhat freeloading.
After some thought, Wu Heng then asked, “What procedures are needed to set up my own trading company?”
“You want to start your own trading company?”
“Just considering it. I have a few ships at hand, always docked at the port. Over time, they accrue dock fees. I’m thinking about how to put them to use.”
Shanaela laughed and said, “Starting a trading company isn’t hard, the main thing is to have a channel for goods and to see if the market is competitive. Just the goods you’ve plundered are not enough to sustain the operations of a trading company.”
That did make sense.
To establish a trading company, one must at least have a stable source of goods and an advantage in the market.
Random goods could be sold directly for a steady profit.
Relying on those to sustain a trading company was completely impossible; even the cost of crew and ship maintenance could not be recouped.
But Wu Heng had his own ideas, as he was still continuously scavenging various living supplies from another world.
They were all piled up in a large warehouse now.
Li Yahong had urged him more than once to take away the collected items.
Wu Heng said, “I just want to understand the process.”
Shanaela replied, “The process is not that difficult. For example, if you are from the Yeko Kingdom, as long as you register a trans-oceanic trading company in your country, you can conduct trans-oceanic trade, but you also need to file reports elsewhere to prevent misunderstandings that might lead to losses.”
Wu Heng pondered for a moment and felt that it was not such a simple matter.
In the Yeko Kingdom, he wasn’t exactly welcomed with open arms.
Whether it would be possible to get approval was uncertain.
“Does it have to be in one’s home nation? I have no background in the Yeko Kingdom,” said Wu Heng.
“You could register with Gold and Silver Island, but that’s not very stable, and who knows when it might cease to be recognized by various powers,” Shanaela looked at him.
Wu Heng furrowed his brows, feeling it was still somewhat troublesome.
Shanaela smiled and said, “I understand your thoughts, but I don’t think you’ll be focused on the trading company for too long. If you just want those ships to be put to some use, you could rent them out and charge a fee, just like renting out a house, it’s a business that’s definitely profitable.”
“That’s true,” Wu Heng nodded, then continued, “I have some living supplies here as well, could you help me see how best to sell them?”
“Sure! Right now?”
“Tomorrow, I need someone to bring them here.”
“Okay!” Shanaela nodded.
The group sat in the lounge and chatted for a while, and Andre Willow also returned from outside.
He greeted ‘Shanaela’ with a polite smile and a bow.
Wu Heng looked at the elegant Wood Elf, “Stay for dinner!”
“Then, I’ll take the liberty of joining you.”
…
The next day, in the morning.
Shanaela came over with several guards in tow.
After greeting Wu Heng, she asked, “Where are the goods you mentioned yesterday?”
“Right over here!”
Wu Heng led her to the backyard and pointed to two large cardboard boxes piled on the ground.
“This is part of it, but the types are more or less the same.”
Shanaela nodded and signaled for her men to open the boxes, revealing neatly stacked glassware and ceramics inside.
She picked up a blue-gray glass cup, held it up to the sky, and examined it closely, saying, “It’s very transparent, and the design and craftsmanship are also very fine, even more exquisite than the glass products on the market; it should have a good market.”
Standing to the side, Wu Heng added, “I’ve sold some in the Yeko Kingdom before, and the sales were very good.”
Shanaela looked at a few more, curious, she asked, “How come each one is different?”
“What’s left in stock, there’s less of the same kind.”
Shanaela nodded, pondered a moment, and said, “I can take these off your hands for 1 silver coin each, but you have to make sure you won’t sell them anywhere else.”
This price was much higher than Wu Heng expected.
When he sold them, his mindset was that it was better to sell them cheaply since they were just sitting around unused.
But Shanaela seemed to understand the market pricing better.
“You think that’s too little? I also need to handle transportation and subsequent sales. I can’t let the trading company operate at a loss,” Shanaela said when she saw that he was silent.
“Fine, I have no objections, and I can also guarantee there won’t be a second seller of these items.”
Shanaela nodded, “In a few days, the trading company’s ship will come; have the goods ready in advance.”
“I can do that!”
After discussing the goods, the two sat down in the front pavilion, with two guards standing watch at a distance.
Shanaela rested her chin on her hand, curiously watching him, “I didn’t expect you’d done business before.”
“Just trying it out, I need to make a living after all!”
“If one day you no longer wish to serve as Vice-executive, you can come help me. I guarantee you won’t have to worry about food or apparel,” Shanaela continued.
“I’m not interested in freeloading.”
“How will you know if you like it if you never try!”
Wu Heng looked up at her again, this time her cheeks were slightly red, and she averted her gaze.
They sat together and chatted for a while.
Mini ran over from the front yard.
She said, “Master, Wei’er has asked for you to come to the Association.”
“Okay,” Wu Heng nodded and said to Shanaela, “I will step out for a bit.”
“Hmm, come back early.”
After saying that, she felt the tone was a bit off and her cheeks reddened again.
…
Upon arriving at the Association, he had just entered the Steward’s Office.
“What’s the matter, Wei’er?” Wu Heng asked.
Andre Willow replied, “Master, the Steward has asked for you to come over.”
“What’s it about?”
“It’s about the hostages brought back by the Iron Barrel Pirate Group last time,” Andre Willow answered.
“Oh, okay!” Wu Heng agreed and went straight to the Steward’s Office.
He knocked on the door lightly and then pushed it open and entered.
The Steward Imilo was still seated behind the desk, with Assistant Moya standing by his side.
“Steward, you wanted to see me?” Wu Heng asked.
Imilo nodded and said, “Those people you brought back, they’ve all been interrogated. Three of them are hostages of a merchant group, and the rest have some relationship with pirates?”
“What kind of relationship?”
“Among them are pirates’ wives and daughters.”
Wu Heng frowned, recalling the scene when he saw the people, “Wives and daughters, why would they be in iron cages?”
Thinking carefully, there were indeed many doubts.
“There was an internal conflict within the Iron Barrel Pirate Group before, and all involved were from the former captain’s crew.”
Wu Heng had heard some news about the internal strife within the Iron Barrel Pirate Group before.
But he hadn’t expected it to involve family members.
This new captain sure wasn’t great, taking over the pirate group and then laying a claim on people’s wives and daughters.
“Oh, so why did you call me here…?” Wu Heng asked, puzzled.
They should just handle it as they usually would.
Why involve him?
Imilo didn’t speak. Assistant Moya, who was standing by, said, “Didn’t you say before that you wanted to develop your own network of informants?”
“Choose from the two women?”
Wu Heng’s brow furrowed.
Regarding the selection of informants, Wu Heng had indeed considered this matter, but he hadn’t yet decided on any specific targets.
Now that these hostages were mentioned, but with both wives and daughters involved, it seemed there weren’t very good candidates.
Imilo passed him some documents and said, “Philippa of the Iron Barrel Pirate Group, the former captain’s daughter. This time you killed the current captain, and you could be said to have saved her life. You might want to speak with her.”
Wu Heng looked at him, “Are you sure about releasing her, that she won’t just run off and actually bring back intelligence?”
“Aren’t you a Necromancer? Don’t you have any means to restrict her?” Assistant Moya asked.
“I’m a righteous mage; I don’t learn those things. I’ve only learned some techniques for enslaving the undead.”
Imilo took out a scroll from his Space Ring and handed it to him, “Slave Scroll; you can use it on her if you wish.”
Wu Heng thought for a moment and decided to take the scroll.
He’d see how things went first.
Even if she wasn’t the right candidate, best to take the scroll for now.
“Alright, I will go and see her!”
Wu Heng said and then left the Steward’s Office.
…
Back in the office.
Wu Heng handed the documents to Andre Willow and asked her to bring the prisoner from the cell.
Before long, the door opened.
The staff brought in a prisoner shackled in chains.
She was slender with disheveled hair.
Wu Heng recognized her.
He had seen her on the ship before, looking just like a beggar pulled from a mud pit.
Now that she had washed her face, one could see her delicate feminine features.
“Your name is ‘Philippa’?”
Philippa turned her head away, remaining silent.
Wu Heng said directly, “All the pirates are repeatedly harassing the shipping lanes, and the Association plans to execute you all, the execution is set for noon tomorrow.”
Hearing this, the silence in her eyes trembled slightly.
She showed fear of death, yet she still did not speak.
“I will ask you only once; I won’t give you a second chance,” Wu Heng stared at her and asked, “Do you want to live?”
Philippa’s pupils constricted and, after a moment’s hesitation, she said through clenched teeth, “Yes!”