1088: Chapter 1035: Skilled in Calculation?

Just Do It!

1088: Chapter 1035: Skilled in Calculation?

Just Do It!

Nightfall descends heavily.

In Seleck Port, lights glitter brilliantly.

Ten kilometers to the south, in a poor and backward fishing village, sporadic flames flicker.

In Nabiya, oil is cheaper than electricity, so locals are accustomed to lighting oil lamps.

The fishing village is quite sizable.

Rows of shanties are built against the mountain, mostly constructed of wood, tin sheets, and tarps.

Additionally, some fishermen live in converted old shipping containers.

There are two roads leading to the port.

One is a winding mountain road, bumpy and uneven.

The other is an asphalt road along the coastline, but it is long neglected and full of potholes.

The villagers of the fishing village rely on fishing for a living, so naturally, their vehicles are fishing and cargo ships.

But tonight.

An unusual number of vehicles have come to the village, and more than a dozen cars have gathered in a hollow to the east of the village.

Some curious villagers wanted to see what was happening, but were too afraid to approach the roadblock.

Two armed pick-up trucks have blocked the road.

The dark muzzles of heavy machine guns are aimed at the road.

On the ridges to either side, armed guards are on watch, deterring the villagers from getting too close.

Meanwhile in the hollow, a bonfire blazes.

An iron rack is set up, skewering goats for roasting.

Seasoned with spices, their aroma is rich and tantalizing.

The local specialty goats have a soy-red color, with crispy skin and tender meat that is neither greasy nor gamey.

To entertain his many guests, Lemur has prepared twenty goats.

Huddling around the bonfire, savoring roasted goat and swigging spirits, one hardly feels the night’s chill.

To the unaware, it might seem like a group of off-road enthusiasts camping out.

But what’s the reality?

No matter how delicious the roasted goat and strong liquor, they can’t compare to the allure of nuclear warheads.

People have come here not to party, but to bid for nuclear warheads.

Of course.

The nuclear warheads are not actually here.

Lemur couldn’t possibly display two nuclear warheads on-site for everyone to bid on.

Everyone has come armed to the teeth; who could ensure there wouldn’t be a betrayal?

Gathering in the hollow for roasted meat and a fire is just a collective auction.

The location for the handover of goods is elsewhere, a detail Lemur has not shared with anyone as yet.

The expected excitement of the auction isn’t so intense.

Perhaps Lemur’s terms are too exacting.

Delegations from several countries are whispering among themselves, conducting internal discussions.

Although they all covet the nuclear warheads, these two terms…

The first condition is fairly acceptable.

Once the bid is successful, the funds must be transferred into several designated accounts within two hours.

Though they haven’t seen the nuclear warheads, at least Lemur is here—if he takes the money without delivering the warheads, wouldn’t that be a death wish?

The countries that have come to bid are all eager to obtain nuclear weapons, not mere private entities or organizations.

Since they are nations, no matter how poor, a few hundred million to a billion can still be managed.

For resource-rich countries like the Xiezhou Continent, with oil, coal, iron, and natural gas, everything is plentiful.

Belonging to the typical ‘rich in resources’, if cost is disregarded, selling a few tens or hundreds of millions of tons would surely bring in money, right?

So unless it’s a colossal sum of tens of billions, it wouldn’t be an issue.

Besides, many countries have gold reserves.

But the second condition is more troublesome.

Both the nuclear warhead and launch codes are essential, and this auction is only for the nuclear warhead.

Lemur promises that after the transaction, the successful nation will be informed of the launch codes free of charge, provided that he and his men are allowed to leave Nabiya unscathed.

Damn it!

Promises?

Everybody knows that vows and promises are the least reliable these days.

What if, after Lemur and his crew leave safely, they don’t reveal the launch codes?

Then what use is a costly nuclear warhead that can’t be detonated properly?

Of course.

From Lemur and his accomplices’ perspective, these two conditions don’t seem excessive.

If they don’t collect the money upfront and trade the warheads directly, what if they are robbed?

And the launch codes are their amulet; if they disclose them at the time of the transaction, wouldn’t that invite ‘bite-the-hand-that-feeds-you’ betrayal?

Thus, on second thought.

Putting oneself in Lemur’s shoes, his conditions don’t seem too harsh.

After all, both the nuclear warheads and the launch codes are in their hands.

The countries that have come to bid all have an intense need for nuclear weapons but lack the capacity for independent development.

Such a rare opportunity to buy them directly with money—how can they let it pass easily?

After internal discussions, the Xiezhou representative delegation is the first to agree to the terms.

Soon after, the delegations from other countries also consent.

As glasses clink and meat is consumed, Lemur hands out paper, pens, and envelopes to each delegation.

The papers are pre-printed; one only needs to fill in the quantity, unit price, and currency.

Currency can only be one out of three options, Gold Coin.

There’s no need to bother with currencies that can barely buy a bottle of water even in the trillions.

The auction rule is quite simple.

Whether you want one or two warheads, the highest unit price wins.

If the unit price is the same, then the one buying two wins.

If both the unit price and the quantity are identical, then another round is needed.

Additionally.

Lemur gives a special reminder that the nuclear warhead he sold to Wu Jie wasn’t cheap.

But he doesn’t reveal just how much, letting everyone guess.

In any case, if all the delegations’ bids are lower than Wu Jie’s price.

Then he will simply refuse to sell and turn to sell directly to Wu Jie, where he could earn quite a bit more.

…

The bonfire roars energetically.

The aroma of roasted meat wafts through the air.

Lemur watches as the representatives from various countries, too preoccupied to indulge in food and drink, cluster together whispering, discussing how to make their bids.