On the southern stretch of the ceasefire line between the Empire and the port of Kinggallen, the mouth of one of the tributaries of the Yongliu River joins a small bay.

The bay has a coastline of nearly 10 kilometres wide, with higher peninsulas on both sides shielding the waters from most of the wind and waves, creating a small natural harbour.

Because the peninsula on the south side resembles a half-cut banana on the map, the survivors in the vicinity simply called it "Jiaotou Bay".

Because of the abundance of fresh water and the tranquility of the waters, many fishermen in a 100-kilometre radius use this place as a safe haven, driving their boats from the bay into the wooded inland rivers on both sides of the bay in case of storms, while they hide in a nearby shelter.

Some of the cargo ships that round the southernmost corner of Borneo province also choose to take shelter from the storms, and although they do not make it into the tributaries of the Yongliu River, they can also take refuge from the wind and waves on the peninsula sandwiched between the sides of the bay.

Over time, a small fishing village was formed, and a suspected Willant Nose even used a stranded abandoned cargo ship to open a hotel called "Running Boat Country", providing cheap drink, food, damp and moldy bedding and even old and decrepit bedding for nearby fishermen and passing merchant sailors.

Perhaps because the port was too dazzling, or perhaps because the land was not suitable for growing crops and was mostly sparsely populated, the empire seemed to have selectively forgotten about the land and never sent a governor to it.

Over time, it became a "paradise" for fishermen, sailors, and fugitive slaves.

Recently, however, things have changed a lot.

First, the Union people planted a flag on the peninsula to the north, and then patted their butts and left, and it didn't take long for a group of Imperial soldiers carrying the Tiger Banner to follow, and after some research, they cut down trees and dug trenches on the peninsula to the south.

The relatively low-lying village of Jiaotou was sandwiched between the two armies, and although the Coalition machine guns were not visible, the Empire's machine guns were already mounted overhead.

The fishermen of the locals had never seen such a battle, and they did not have to wait for the people of the empire to come and call them, so frightened that they jumped into small boats and fled out of the bay, and went south and north along the coastline, each to his own village, and to find his own family.

And the sailors have gradually disappeared because of the lack of ships, and now only some outlaws with nowhere to go are still hiding here, waiting indefinitely for those ships that will come without knowing when.

It has been some time since the "borderline" crossed the port of Golden Gallen.

Ever since entering this small fishing village tucked away in the bay, Kunar has felt his heart pounding, and sweat is oozing from his palms carrying a bundle of sacks.

As a native of Golden Gallen Harbour and living in the slums near the harbour, he certainly hadn't heard of Jiaotou Bay and the small fishing village that sits here, but he hadn't actually been there.

Ah Xin walked beside him as usual, but his hand remained in his pocket and never stretched out.

He was followed by twenty or so young men, all of whom had lived on the same street. They carried all sorts of things in their hands, sticks, hoes, and even fishing rods, all wrapped in plastic woven bags of corn, and it was impossible to tell from the outside whether they were guns or anything else.

Glancing at the head walking beside him, perhaps encouraged by the calm expression, Kunar felt a little calmer and began to look around.

Most of the shacks built here are abandoned, except for the shallow wrecked ship that still has a faint light that flickers on and off.

The village, which was supposed to have two or three hundred people, now has less than half of the people left.

And the rest of these people are either scrawny fugitive slaves, or some ruthless characters with blood debts on their backs.

While Kunar was quietly watching them, the locals were just as vigilant as they were watching for the bad guys.

A few men with fierce faces turned around and walked into the small alley of the shack, and several blackened windows on the side of the street suddenly closed the curtains.

Little bit

Kunar couldn't help but tense his nerves, he swallowed his saliva, couldn't help but get closer to Ah Sin, and whispered.

"Boss...... A lot of people are watching us."

"Their eyes are on them, and they can look wherever they want, and we are so conspicuous." Assin looked at Kunar, who was standing aside, and instructed in a very soft voice, "Take it easy, behave naturally, like you've been here a lot." The more scared you are, the more they will be ready to move...... Now, take a deep breath."

Kunar obediently complied, taking a deep breath.

Asin reached out and hooked his shoulder, and with the other he pointed to the only lighted "abandoned ship" inn stranded in the middle of the beach not far away.

"Imagine that it's our property, not even the ship, it's the whole beach that's ......

"Of course, we have to take it one step at a time, and when we earn the first pot of gold, I will buy the broken ship first."

Kunar, who had calmed down, looked at his boss in bewilderment.

If he can understand the residential project at the entrance of the Governor's Palace, after all, there are already many citizens and businessmen who smell the wind and go there to inquire about the situation, and there are even fools who take out the money and shout for payment without even seeing what the house looks like.

But it's just an abandoned fishing village, right?

He couldn't think of anything to invest in.

The positions of the Alliance and the Empire are not far away, and with a wave of His Majesty's hand, this will become the front line of the battlefield.

Even the fishermen who live here have abandoned this place, leaving only some hopeless creatures here looking at the sea in a daze.

Although I did mention that I wanted to buy a boat, I didn't say that it was the kind of rags that ran aground on the shore and clearly couldn't be repaired......

Just as Kunar was puzzled, the group had already walked to the only light in the village.

Through the rusty cabin and hatch, the group standing at the door could even hear the faint laughter and scolding coming from inside.

Waving his hand to drive away the mosquitoes flying in the light, Ah Xin stepped forward and knocked lightly on the door, and soon a footstep approached, and then squeaked the door open.

Not surprisingly, standing in the doorway was an Imperial soldier with a rifle on his back.

The tall man stared at Ashin and the scrawny boys behind him, then let out a sneer and waved his hand to chase flies.

"Go away and charter a venue here, go somewhere else to ask for food."

Not caring about his mocking tone, Ah Xin bowed his head respectfully as he learned from the waiters at the door of the Triumph Hotel.

"Please say hello to your chief for me, and say that a businessman named Asin has brought something of interest to him."

Without waiting for the soldier to laugh, he pulled out his right hand, which had been in his pocket, and pinched a 100-denomination Xilan coin and stuffed it into the soldier's hand.

The soldier had a look of surprise on his face, and then quietly accepted the money.

"Wait here."

Ah Xin nodded slightly, watching the heavy hatch close again, patiently waiting for the hurried footsteps to go away.

It didn't take long for the footsteps to fold back and push open again through the heavy hatch.

This time the soldier didn't talk nonsense, just waved at him.

"Come here."

Asin asked.

"May I take my servant with me?"

For the sake of the one hundred Xilan coins before, the soldier was not embarrassed to refuse directly, but said impatiently.

"Bring one at most."

"Thank you."

Asin gave Kunar next to him a look.

The latter turned back in understanding, and said a few words to the young men who had followed them nervously, and then followed the boss through the door they had knocked open for 100 siran coins

The space was surprisingly spacious.

The owner of the inn has converted the lowest deck into a lobby for eating and drinking, and the rooms are available up the gangway.

About fifty Imperial soldiers sat at square wooden tables, shaking the dice loudly and gambling with fists, while sipping on some small dishes and drinking inferior beer.

Kunar glanced at the food and drinks on their table, all of which were worse than the swill poured from the Triumph Hotel.

He probably swallowed when he ate a taxi a month ago, but now he only feels sick to his stomach.

But unlike him, these soldiers ate with relish, and a single fried bean could take a big sip of beer.

It can be seen what kind of pig food they usually eat.

Although he was afraid of the guns in their hands, it did not prevent Kunar, who had eaten and drunk enough, from looking down on these poor ghosts.

Without stopping in the lobby of the hotel, the soldier who guarded the door led them straight to the "box" on the side of the ship's corridor.

It used to be the captain's or first mate's bedroom, but now it has been converted into a private room for entertaining VIPs. In the not very spacious room, there are three sofas in a circle, and there is a wooden coffee table in the middle, and the pungent smell of tobacco and sweat is mixed together, and it is so breathless that people can't breathe.

Five tall officers sat on the couch, their faces flushed with six or seven points of drunkenness and three points of ruffian laughter.

Their coats hung on hangers at the door, they wore only white shirts, and each of them had a scantily clad girl in their arms, but at first glance it was impossible to tell who had suffered.

"You're the one called ...... Ahem, what's going on?"

The officer sitting in the center glanced at the young man at the door, laughed, and rubbed it

Red Nose continued, "I heard you brought something I'm interested in?"

"Yes, honorable Mr. Gergit, commander of the Imperial Tiger Army," Ah Xin said respectfully, bowing his head slightly, "The contemptible name is Ah Sin, and I have long admired your great name."

The air was quiet for two seconds.

Gergit narrowed his eyes slightly, suddenly woke up a little from the smell of wine, looked at him with a smile and asked.

"Where did you hear my name?"

Sure enough, it was this one.

Ah Xin's face was silent, but he was relieved in his heart.

He didn't actually know the guy in front of him, but he had heard from the fishermen who had recently returned from Jiaotou Bay that the leader of the thousand-man team on the southern hill was called Gerget. This man was an alcoholic, and often took a group of henchmen down the mountain to the "Running Boat" inn to drink, not only on credit again and again, but also often drank all night, and when drunk, he bragged openly.

Of course –

He couldn't tell the truth to this guy, but instead used a vague and general statement.

"It was told to me by a noble man who was in the port of Golden Gallen, waiting for good news from His Majesty. Not only did he tell me that I must find Commander Gurget, but he also told me that you were responsible for the safety of this entire area."

The officer's name was Gergit's eyes narrowed, and his uncertain expression seemed to weigh something.

It's been less than two weeks since they've been here, and some people have figured out the situation of the garrison, and even who the officers stationed here are.

The identity of this "nobleman" is not simple......

Unable to make up his mind, Gergit stared at the young man in front of him and continued.

"You said you brought something I'm interested in? Where's the stuff?"

Asin glanced at Kurna behind him, who quietly swallowed his spit and stepped forward.

Although he had been careful to hide it, the trembling hands still revealed the timidity in his heart.

Looking at the two shaking hands, Gelgit sneered at the dirt dog and waved his index finger at his subordinates on the side.

"A bag of black beans, I guess." The latter smiled and snatched the sack from the clumsy fellow's hand, and then untied it and tied it to the bag with a twist and a second divide

of hemp rope.

However, at this moment, when he saw clearly what was in the sack, the whole person was stunned.

A whole sack of Xilan coins......

He swallowed unconsciously.

After being a centurion for so many years, he had never seen so much money!

"Your Excellency." He quickly looked back at the commander, his eyes full of surprise and greed, and he almost didn't put the words "let's do it" on his face.

Gerget, who was sitting on the couch, of course, also saw the sack of banknotes. Although his reaction was not as exaggerated as that of his subordinates, he couldn't help but freeze the smile on his face.

Lowering his leg on his knee, he reached out and pushed away the girl who was sitting on his lap biting her ears with the smell of alcohol, sat up straight and stared at the young man named Ah Xin seriously, and pointed to the sack stuffed with money with his chin and asked.

"What is this?"

"It's the noble man who entrusted me with a gift," Ah Xin said politely, bowing his head slightly, like a servant of a real big family, "I wonder if you're interested in this gift?"

Kunar glanced quietly at Ah Xin next to him and gave him a surprised look.

Before leaving, they had clearly discussed, this was the "deposit" for the smuggled goods, why did it suddenly become a gift?!

Gergit also stared at the young man named Ah Xin, with a mixture of surprise and greed in his eyes, as well as a hint of imperceptible jealousy.

Unlike his simple-minded subordinate, he had to think about other things besides money.

The money in this sack is at least four or five hundred thousand, and it is obviously impossible for a poor ghost of the rat clan to come up with a huge amount of money.

The thoughts in his heart turned quickly, and he almost gave the names of all the big names in the entire Golden Gallen Harbor, but he still didn't come up with any clues.

The atmosphere in the lobby of the hotel was as if water could drip for a while, and the two soldiers standing at the door had unconsciously put their hands close to the guns under the hint of the centurion's eyes.

Kunar swallowed nervously, trying to think about his boat and the girls waiting for their tickets, trying not to let a timid look come to his face.

After staring at Ashin for a long time, Captain Gergit said slowly.

"Let me ask you again, where does the money come from?"

The voice had a sharp edge, as sharp as the sight, like a dagger against the throat of its prey.

Gently inhaling the cloudy air, Assin struggled to keep his composure and continued.

"It's inconvenient for him to reveal his name, so it's good for you and me to keep the necessary mystery...... You don't want to be seen as a nuisance once the ceasefire comes into effect."

"What the hell did you say?" The centurion, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly got up in a rage, and the gun at his waist had been drawn and pressed against Ashin's head.

For a moment, Ah Xin felt his hands and feet cold.

In a trance, the man with the gun to his head seemed to have become Vikram, the werewolf boy he had shot in the head.

These people looked at themselves in the same way that they looked at Vikram as if they were looking at a dead man.

Even if they are beaten by the alliance on the battlefield, even if their abilities are not much better than a pig, they are still unattainable big men standing in front of them with power, and they can pinch him to death with just a few fingers.

But—

He can't die.

His family had just had a good life, and the future would be even better, and he would send his younger siblings to study in Dawnlight, find them a sister-in-law who had gone to school, buy a boat for his first friend, Kunar, and feed those who counted on him......

He must not fall before dawn!

Sitting on the couch prostitute. The women were already stunned, and Kunar was also stunned by the sudden withdrawal of the gun.

Ah Xin swallowed lightly, tried to hide the expression of fear behind his numb face, and gently raised his hands and took a half step back.

"Calm down...... Kill me, friend, nothing will change you except stain your clothes."

The man had turned on the safety and flicked the hammer with his thumb, but just a second before he was about to pull the trigger, Gergett spoke.

"What did that noble man trouble me for?" Motioning with his eyes, the soldier at the door took a few *** out of the house, and he looked at Ah Xin with interest and asked.

Looking at the muzzle of the gun removed from his head and the door of the room that was closed, Ah Xin knew that this guy was really interested in what he said this time, so he settled down and continued.

"One thing that is easy for you is that you just need to turn a blind eye on the border and let the Empire's goods clear customs into the port of Golden Gallen. That lord can assure you that you will make forty percent of your profits for every shipment that enters the port."

Gergit sneered.

"Your Majesty has decreed that all persons and goods shall not enter the port of Goldgallen, and that 'noble man, what a great courageian.'"

"The entire border is hundreds of kilometers long, and it is impossible for His Majesty's eyes to rest on every place," Ashin continued quietly, "If he really had that ability, your supply situation would not be the same as it is now...... I'm sorry I can't find a more polite adjective to describe it, but you know what I'm trying to say."

Gergit's expression was slightly moved.

That guy not only mastered the strategic scheduling and even personnel arrangements of the LTTE, but even figured out their supply situation?!

This Nima is still hairy!

He had even vaguely guessed the noble man behind this guy.

To have such far-reaching influence in the Empire's military system, it is impossible to be no one other than Prince Dilip, not even Governor Nehak!

But Prince Dilip should be locked up by the alliance at this time, could it be that the alliance is also involved in this matter?!

His heart was tumbling with turbulence, and Ashin's mind was spinning rapidly, adding the last sentence to his previous impromptu rhetoric.

"General Gergit, it is unrealistic for Your Majesty to expect to crush the alliance with an embargo, and it is the people of the empire who will be injured after all. In the same way, it is not cost-effective for the League to feed the cattle of the city on a seaport, and they have to constantly take money from their pockets to buy corn to feed those people, who must be fed before they have the strength to work."

"What does this have to do with me?" Gurgit asked, narrowing his eyes.

"It's a big deal," Ah Xin said earnestly, "they don't want the survivors of Golden Gallen Harbor to starve under their rule, and if the goods exported from Jiaotou Bay are related to the livelihood of the local survivors, I don't think the Empire and the Alliance will cut their faces here even if they tear their faces apart again."

He does not guarantee this, nor can he guarantee anything.

However, he couldn't stand the cranky thoughts of the Commander of Gurgit who had already justified the identity of the "nobleman" in his head.

Makes sense......

If you are the commander of the alliance, you will shoot wherever you want to shoot anyway, so you can't fight where you have a stake.

Just thinking of this, he was already moved, and after pretending to be silent for a while, he spoke.

"I don't have time to calculate your profits, I'm going to take a cut of the transaction amount."

This is not a deal that he can do alone, and he also needs to deal with some people up and down, including the level of the 10,000-person team.

"No problem!"

Ah Xin agreed.

Although he quickly regretted that he had agreed too quickly, it seemed that the other side had done this for the first time, and he did not notice anything unusual.

Things were so happily decided.

In the name of logistical procurement, the thousand-man team under the command of Gergit covered the goods entering and leaving the customs gate, and put the goods and goods in the fishing village of Jiao Tau Bay, while the payment and negotiation of the transaction were completed in the hotel of the "Running Boat Town".

As their first deal, Gurgit offered to provide him with a batch of chickpeas and black beans weighing a total of 600 tons for 5 million sirans

Deal.

This batch of goods is equivalent to 4.2 Xilan coins per catty, which is even cheaper than the market price before the alliance landed in Jingallen Port!

At present, the price of a pound of beans has broken ten, and it is almost twice the profit to ship this batch of beans back to Golden Gallen Port and sell them!

Although Gergit generously forgave the first sale, Asin was well aware that the greedy guy must have included the cut in the total price.

As for where and how so many beans were scavenged, he didn't bother to ask, after all, it was none of his business.

He only offered to buy a batch of two-headed cows next time, and asked Gelgit to help keep an eye on the flax and dye merchants, and the latter readily agreed.

The parties agreed on the time of payment for the goods.

In order to show the sincerity of cooperation, Gergit even waved generously and gave the hotel built on a ruined ship directly to Asin.

Anyway, it's just a matter of words for him.

As for the original owner of the inn, he had been stoned and sunk by his men a week earlier because he was begging for money for wine and his nose was not big enough.

can mix up to come to this poor country to open a broken hotel, and be so ignorant, even if it is a real Wilante, I am afraid that it is also a rat man in Wilante.

What's more, isn't it up to him to have the final say?

The employees here didn't even know what had happened to their boss, and they were expecting the old man who called himself a Willant to come back and settle their wages.

"Goodbye friend, this is the happiest meal I've ever had, and I hope it will be the same."

Standing at the door of the hotel, Gergit had a happy smile on his face and drunkenly stretched out his arm to hook Assin's shoulder.

Since he was sent to this hellish place, this is the first time he has slapped his ass and left without drinking until dawn.

Ah Xin bowed his head slightly respectfully and looked at the officer with a smile on his face.

"Welcome back, I promise you'll be able to drink wine worthy of your status when you come back in two days, and recently Golden Gallen Harbor has arrived with a lot of good things that can only be bought with silver coins, including those from the Vault dwellers."

"Haha! I'll have to look forward to it!"

Gergit was overjoyed, and he smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder, showing his attitude in front of his subordinates.

Just looking at this intimate appearance, I can't imagine that this guy's subordinate has just put a gun against this kid's head.

As he watched the group of soldiers leave in the direction of the south, it was not until they were far away that Asin gently patted himself on the shoulder.

It's like dusting off there.

The young men standing in front of the inn all looked at the boss with reverence, as if they were looking at a god.

Little did they know, however, that their boss was running out of strength just by standing here and not lying down.

"Sooner than I thought, I was going to make my first pot of gold to buy here, and it happened before that."

Clearing his throat, which was about to be broken, Ah Xin took back the tone of his original speech.

He first glanced at the hotel behind him with a pretended ease of relief, and then glanced at Kunar, who had the word "worship" almost engraved on his face.

"There will be a lot of guests here in the future, and we will have to renovate it. At least bring it up the next level."

"Yes, Boss! I'm going to find someone to do this right away." Kunar straightened his back, like a loyal soldier, without the slightest doubt about the general's orders.

Asin nodded, then looked at the low shack next to her, and the pair of frightened pupils hidden in the dark corner.

The pair of eyes that used to dare to look at him unscrupulously now, but now they no longer even dare to make eye contact with him.

But there was not the slightest hint of ridicule or ridicule in his heart.

One of the things he learned the most from the Empire's fiasco at the Port of the Golden Gallen was unity, and he had no time

He was always thinking about how to unite these poor ghosts like him.

Money and dignity.

I just have a surplus to give them.

"Kunar, my friend, you're right...... We do need a ship to do the job, and we happen to have a group of less experienced but barely usable sailors."

He paused, thought and whispered.

"We can just find them some work to do."