CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105: HALF OF THE SAILORS ARE EXTRAORDINARY

Fang Yu walked away with a big smile on his face, satisfied with the scroll in his hand.

Lu Kun and Wang Xiaohu stood by the office window, exchanging a glance.

"Mr. Lu, be honest, how much does this scroll actually cost?"

"Tens of thousands of silver coins?" Wang Xiaohu asked suspiciously.

"Ahem..." Lu Kun, looking calm and composed, glanced at Wang Xiaohu and slowly replied, "How could it be? Are you crazy? Even a scroll with mystical attributes wouldn’t sell for that much."

"A few thousand at most... that’s the highest it could go."

"But if we don’t list a higher price, how would that kid agree to the deal?"

Lu Kun spoke quietly, hiding his achievements and reputation.

Wang Xiaohu and Lu Kun exchanged looks, both showing a knowing smile on their faces.

Anyone who’s dealt with Fang Yu long enough knows Mr. Yu, right?

...

Unaware that he had been tricked, Fang Yu happily returned to his Salted Fish with the scroll in his hand.

Even if he hadn’t gotten the scroll, he would’ve taken on the task.

It’s just that exaggerating the difficulty of the task a bit to squeeze out some benefits from those old foxes was worth it.

This time, Fang Yu was well aware that the task was a joint one.

There were dangers, not small ones either.

But at the same time, the rewards were equally significant.

If he did well, he’d not only earn valuable rewards but also gain military merits, helping him raise his military influence level.

Fang Yu had a strong premonition that with the chaos in the Duorong Federation, some petty troublemakers would take the opportunity to cause trouble.

Not to mention the West Qinghai Sea Region, but even the Qiyun Port located in the Southern Island Sea Region would likely face some unrest.

If strength isn’t improved quickly, there wouldn’t be enough time to handle any potential trouble.

So...

Do the task when there’s a task!

Find ways to improve the influence level when there’s a chance.

...

Back on the Salted Fish, Fang Yu didn’t rush to set sail.

The next day, he checked his crew’s progress and, satisfied that no one had slacked off, sent Ma to the talent market to recruit some high-level crew members who had lost their captains.

This time, the recruitment standard was Level 10 and above.

Fang Yu only wanted to recruit crew members of Level 10 and higher.

As for those below Level 10, they couldn’t even operate the ship’s cannons, so why recruit them?

No need for cannon fodder.

Ma searched around, focusing on war-related talents and water-related talents.

He eventually found 8 crew members with different talents from the talent market.

One with a close combat agility talent.

Two with logistics item effect enhancement talents, one of which also had a stamina enhancement talent.

Then two with water talents.

And three with war talents!

The ranks expanded once again.

Fortunately, the Salted Fish has upgraded from a small cargo ship to a medium one, accommodating a crew of 30.

If they need more, Fang Yu will wait until he’s Level 20 to upgrade the ship to a large cargo ship.

Current ship crew: 26 people.

Crew members performed their respective duties. Not only that, but the senior crew members, thanks to Ma’s leadership skills, have made a fortune.

Richer than ordinary crew members by an unimaginable amount.

Nine senior crew members went on to purchase extraordinary tools suited to themselves.

Each one became extraordinary as a result.

So, among these 26 people, there are 4 elite crew members, 14 extraordinary ones.

Half are extraordinary.

And even those who aren’t extraordinary yet are waiting for suitable extraordinary items and have bought enchanted gear to improve their combat power.

Even without becoming extraordinary, these crew members have significantly enhanced their combat effectiveness.

Fang Yu was very pleased with the crew’s progress.

This is the advantage of recruiting crew members from Blue Star who have their own ideas.

With their own thoughts and plans, even if they make money, they won’t waste it on frivolous pleasures.

Instead, they reinvest in themselves and improve.

Without spending a dime, Fang Yu gained a stronger crew, making him marvel once more:

The cost-effectiveness of investing in elite crew members is unmatched...

Ma’s shared wealth skill is becoming more and more incredible...

What changes might occur upon reaching Level 5 are unimaginable.

No wonder so many captains choose to make elite crew members the primary focus of their improvements.

The more Fang Yu looked at Ma, the more he appreciated him, causing Ma to feel a bit perplexed: "Captain, what’s the matter? Don’t look at me like that, it’s scary..."

"Feels like you’re about to take my kidney..."

Ma shivered.

"Why think that way? You’re the darling of the Salted Fish now, I’d choose Du Ran over you."

Fang Yu said with a smile.

Beside him, Du Ran: ???

...

Early the next morning, Lu Kun came onboard the Salted Fish and found Fang Yu.

"Little brother, here you go, it’s a total of 4,700 silver coins. That’s for your skill scrolls and exotic beast eggs."

Hearing Lu Kun’s words, Fang Yu was delighted, feeling as if a familiar electronic voice echoed in his mind:

"Your account has been credited... 4700... yuan..."

Ahem...

Lu Kun had quickly found sales channels for these items, but it made sense. Being an influential merchant in Qiyun Port, it was too easy for Lu Kun to find the channels.

Adding up the sale proceeds, Fang Yu now had about 7000 silver coins.

He had fully recovered financially; it was crucial.

Seeing Fang Yu with a beaming smile, Lu Kun lightly coughed and seriously said to Fang Yu: "Little brother, let me talk you through the task requirements."

"Mm, go ahead."

Hearing Lu Kun’s words, Fang Yu became slightly serious, listening intently, curiously looking at Lu Kun.

Then Lu Kun spoke: "The main task this time is to explore the sea routes."

"However, if you can have the extraordinary crew member on your ship with recording abilities document the situation on Warlord Island, even a simple glance would earn you additional rewards."

"The extra reward is substantial enough to earn you military merits becoming a formal soldier."

"Additionally..."

Lu Kun thought for a moment, then seriously advised: "Lastly, be cautious not just around warlords, but also... Outer Realm Captains like you."

"Some Outer Realm Captains, despite not being Hunters, have murky faction allegiances. If the marine warlords need them, they might be willing to aid them."

"I’m not worried about the marine warlords recognizing you, but Outer Realm Captains might have special abilities. If they can see through your ship, things would be bad..."

Lu Kun then placed several Sea Ship Invisibility Scrolls into Fang Yu’s hand.

"I don’t have much more to offer, but here are some invisibility scrolls for insurance."

Fang Yu was moved to tears.

It seems my brother Lu Kun still understands how to care about people!

Meanwhile, a certain merchant surnamed Lu, who recently tricked Fang Yu, thought to himself: Damn... why do I suddenly feel a bit guilty...

Oh well, convincing the kid to go to sea with scrolls that cost thousands instead of tens of thousands wasn’t right.

If something were to happen to him, I’d feel really bad.

Giving some Invisibility Scrolls...

Consider it a small recompense...