CHAPTER 818: CHAPTER 818: MOSQUITO FANNING THE FLAMES

In front of the No.1 Settlement’s port, two men with radiant faces were tightly shaking hands.

One of them was the owner of Goblin Technology, WC Real Mosquito, and the other was quite notable as well, being a quartermaster under the Tiger Army’s military faction.

Even though this guy’s military rank wasn’t high, just a Thousands of leaders, he came with a budget of over ten billion.

Even for the sake of money, Mosquito showed some respect and politeness, warmly shaking his hand.

"Pleasure doing business!"

"Hahaha! Pleasure doing business!"

Though Jopra felt a pang of pain in his heart while saying this, he still managed to squeeze out a reluctant smile.

Silver Coin for 100 West Winds Coins...

This price was like losing to an old grandmother’s house!

Seeing the pain on his client’s face, Mosquito couldn’t help but feel a pang of sympathy for him.

Not that he felt any compassion, it was mainly because he wasn’t specializing in currency exchange, in the end, it was that dog Fang Chang who helped him change the money, and for that, he had to give up a 20% profit margin.

In other words, that dog Fang Chang did nothing and just took 20% of my profit under the name of a "financial service fee."

Even though this meant he made more money, the thought of that smug face still made Mosquito feel mad.

Once again, that dog won!

Damn!

But just then, as his eyes rolled, he suddenly thought of a brilliant idea, looking at that Thousands of leaders Jopra with a smile and said.

"Buddy, I consider you one of my own, my clients are like family to me, but there’s something I’m not sure I should say."

Upon hearing this, Jopra immediately said.

"Please, go ahead!"

"As for this West Winds Coin, I reckon it’s bound to crash sooner or later. Rather than being cut like leeks by the banks of Jinjaron Harbor, why not let me—cough! What I mean is I can help you guys!"

Mosquito initially intended to explain slowly from an inflation perspective about the flow and value of currency, but seeing that smart-looking face of his client, he gave up on that thought.

No can do.

Even if he talks until his mouth is dry, this guy probably wouldn’t understand the internal logic of West Winds Coin’s devaluation.

Moreover, even if this guy understood, when he explains it to his boss General Jieha, the information’s reliability might take a hit, and understanding it would be a miracle.

Turning his eyes again, Mosquito’s face once again hung that spring-like smile, and he continued earnestly.

"This West Winds Coin keeps falling, and I’m really worried about you guys. Now you need over a billion to buy a tank; maybe next year it’ll be 10 billion. How many shirts would you need to exchange for one back? Let alone our closets are about full of your stuff; if you don’t get something new, next year you might not even come up with that much West Winds Coin."

Jopra, with a bitter expression, said.

"You think we want to? It’s not like we have a choice. The printing press is in His Majesty’s hands, and he decides how to use it, including the Silver Coins and even the Dinars... All foreign exchange we earn and export settlement tariffs are stored at the Royal Mint. We receive West Winds Coins from them at a rate of 1:12.5 on the board, but we can’t trade at this rate for Silver Coins from them."

Mosquito, with pained indignation, said.

"What were you thinking! Why should His Majesty print the money? Can’t you print it yourself?"

Jopra, hearing this, immediately broke into a cold sweat and said.

"You can’t say such things carelessly; private money printing can get you beheaded!"

Clicking his tongue, Mosquito said.

"Who told you to print West Winds Coin! Printing that waste paper is useless. Why not print Cat Coins or Tiger Coins directly?"

Upon hearing this, Jopra couldn’t help but find it both funny and ridiculous, not knowing how to ridicule this lousy idea.

Wouldn’t that be the same thing!

No—

More accurately speaking, it’s actually not quite the same; it could even incur a worse offense.

Local authorities privately issuing currency backed by their own sovereign credit.

Wouldn’t that be considered treason?

Jopra could only feel a cold sweat streaming like a brook, raising his arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

Seeing this guy as timid as a mouse, Mosquito didn’t mind, instead, he smiled and offered him a cigarette.

"Don’t be so nervous, I’m just seeing that you’ve bought so many printing presses but don’t plan to use them, it seems kind of wasteful."

Receiving the cigarette, Jopra was a bit stunned, not understanding the meaning behind this guy’s words.

"Buy... printing presses?"

As Mosquito glanced around, his eyes especially fixated on those Conqueror No. 10 tanks.

"Aren’t those just printing presses? If you guys buy a couple hundred back, I don’t believe the Witch Camel would dare to pick on you."

Jopra, puffing on the cigarette, swallowed a mouthful of saliva, feeling slightly tempted, yet his eyes still showed some anxiety.

"You’re oversimplifying things, issuing sovereign currency is a face-tearing act; not to mention we don’t even have anyone acknowledging our currency. The political risk is also substantial, and the royal family wouldn’t allow it for face’s sake—"

Mosquito sighed and said.

"It’s not that I’m oversimplifying things; it’s that your minds are stuck. You don’t dare to issue sovereign currency, but can’t you learn from Jinjaron Harbor and issue vouchers equivalent to Silver Coins? For every 1 Silver Coin cash or equivalent financial asset reserved, issue ten vouchers, and you’ll use vouchers for settlement from now on, wouldn’t that solve it?"

Upon hearing this sentence, Jopra felt like a switch had been flipped in his brain, and suddenly everything made sense.

That’s right...

They copied the banking system from Jinjaron Harbor, so why did they forget to copy this most crucial task!

Given Tiger State’s economic scale and its trade volume with the Alliance, they are entirely capable of issuing silver coin vouchers. By then, they can bypass the West Winds currency for trade settlements, completely freeing themselves from Tiandu’s royal exploitation.

Once the idea clicked, Jopra’s breathing gradually became rapid.

If this can be accomplished, it would solve Tiger State’s most pressing issue!

And his achievements might turn out to be even greater than procuring arms!

Excitedly, Jopra looked at Mosquito, mimicking the Alliance people’s gesture by clenching his fists.

"Thanks! Brother!"

Seeing his sharpness, a pleasant smile appeared on Mosquito’s face.

"You’re welcome... ahem, it was just a casual suggestion, you’d better get an expert to refine the details. I heard Jinjaron Harbor has quite a few finance professionals."

His shabby knowledge of economics came from listening to Fang Chang, and he only had a superficial understanding of it.

After all, economics wasn’t his specialty, and he didn’t want to ruin his clients.

After all, even though the price for acquiring this batch of arms was cheap, someone still had to buy them.

Shortly after Mosquito sent Jopra off, Yarman finally set foot on the shore via the gangway near the dock.

Barren yet filled with a mechanical texture, like a spaceship stranded in a desert—this was his most direct impression of the harbor and the settlement behind it.

One-third of the dock here is made of metal, like floating bridges made from steel plates. The other two-thirds are concrete docks similar to those at West Sail Port, stretching straight from the coastline towards the deep water.

Besides that, some docks under construction seemed to be prepared for large cargo ships equipped with containers.

Not only are these docks significantly wider than others, but they are also equipped with fixed cranes, similar to those found on cranes, along with gantry-like structures for suspensions.

It wasn’t just the docks that were impressive; the warehouse area’s situation also caught his eye.

Containers were stacked like blocks on the spacious concrete floor.

Forklifts and elevators shuttled back and forth between the containers, along with dockworkers in exoskeletons busily unloading goods from open containers...

Admittedly, the Alliance’s mechanical technology is indeed something, as these dockworkers worked in pairs, accomplishing work equivalent to five people at West Sail Port.

Though Yarman was surprised, he didn’t pay much mind to it.

After all, although exoskeletons were rare in Poluo Province, they weren’t unusual in the Army, and he could afford them if needed.

As for container transportation, although more efficient than bulk shipping, the demand for shipping in the Wasteland wasn’t very high.

If container shipping were to be implemented, dedicated ships and docks would be needed.

Compared to the expensive maintenance costs, the increased efficiency is negligible.

At least that’s how Yarman felt.

Additionally, the accumulation of containers is also a problem; they filled not only the port but also the settlement’s interior.

However, the survivors were quite clever, transforming these iron boxes by adding doors and windows, using them as houses.

For the subtropical Haiye Province, this wasn’t too cold. The only concern seemed to be extreme weather, which might blow away those empty boxes with a gust of wind.

All in all, compared with the marble-covered buildings and luxurious streetlights of West Sail Port, this place was much more frugal.

Yarman didn’t waste time scrutinizing this harbor closely because he had more important things to do.

Watching another container cargo ship filled with arms depart, he hurriedly walked towards a port management staff member approaching him.

"We have eight ships here. What procedures do we need to handle?"

Looking at those empty-decked freighters, the port office staff on the dock examined the Weilante person several times with a peculiar expression.

A few empty ships weren’t unusual, but having an entire fleet of eight ships empty was indeed rare.

"... No procedures are needed for docking; just settle the docking fee before departure. However, all incoming goods must be registered before unloading to prevent smuggling... Do you need a cargo declaration form?"

Yarman quickly shook his head.

"No need."

"... Alright, I guess you don’t need it. If you need to supplement any information later, you can apply for it yourself at the port office."

The port office staff shrugged, closed the open receipt book, and turned to leave when Yarman hurriedly called him back.

"By the way, what is this place?"

Hearing his question, the staff looked at him strangely.

"You mean here? This was formerly the landing site of the Burning Corps, where the esteemed Manager plans to help locals rebuild their homes. Now, it’s Settlement Number One of the Alliance."

This guy didn’t even know where he was; why was he joining in?

Yarman was even more bewildered after hearing the explanation, subconsciously glancing aside again.

This settlement...

Was built in just two months?!

"Isn’t there a name for this place?" Shocked as he was, Yarman couldn’t help but ask.

The staff smiled and said.

"Not yet. The Manager said these are minor issues. That gentleman plans to let the locals decide what to call this place once the number of survivors settling here exceeds one hundred thousand... You can find a local to inquire about these things yourself. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go attend to other matters."

Yarman nodded blankly, watching the staff member leave, then turned his gaze towards the direction of the port area, feeling his scalp tingling.

He was certain that those things were the equipment of the Eastern Legion Expeditionary Army!

However, what puzzled him was why this equipment was appearing at the Alliance’s port?

Could it be that...

The esteemed General Lucien had already sold them to the Alliance?!

Yarman’s expression slightly changed, and an ominous feeling gradually arose in his heart.

To reach the Death Coast quickly, he had deliberately emptied the cargo hold and rushed over with an empty ship.

If this deal falls through, he would certainly suffer a huge loss!

Clearly noticing the situation at the port warehouse area, the captain of the leading ship disembarked from the cargo ship and looked at Yarman, asking.

"What’s going on exactly...?"

Since he had a share in this deal, he had to be concerned even if it was only for the sake of the Dinar.

Yarman looked at him grimly and shook his head.

"I don’t know either... The situation here seems to have a bit of a problem."

Is it just a bit of a problem?

The captain looked at Yarman nervously, hesitantly continuing to ask.

"Do we still go to Haibei City?"

"Of course, we have to go, but before heading there, I need to ask around nearby first..."

He had to figure out what exactly was going on with the stockpiled munitions here!

Without hesitation, Yarman immediately returned to the ship and picked a few assistants, leading them towards the direction of the warehouse.

As luck would have it, just as he reached the entrance of the warehouse area, Mosquito happened to walk out from inside.

The two exchanged glances, immediately realizing each other’s identity was not simple.

Eyeing the big nose, Mosquito was the first to hand out a business card with a smile and said.

"Goblin Technology! We provide the most professional tough work. Where there’s an explosion, there’s us. Here’s my business card, take a look!"

Yarman took his business card with a bewildered expression, seeing the words "military equipment" in the business scope field.

"Wait, you guys deal in arms trading?"

Hearing him mention arms, Mosquito got excited and enthusiastically said.

"Absolutely! Our company’s best-selling products are arms, from small rifles to planes and tanks, we have it all! Do you want me to recommend something for you?"

"Wait... hold on a second!"

Yarman couldn’t pay attention to his introduction. He hurriedly searched himself and soon took out the purchase certificate and introduction letter issued by the Governor’s Mansion.

Seeing the documents handed to him, Mosquito was momentarily stunned.

"What’s this thing?"

Yarman swallowed, forcing a smile on his face, and said nervously.

"The purchase certificate and introduction letter issued by the West Sail Port Governor’s Office..."

At that moment, he was like a drowning man desperately trying to grab anything that floated by in front of him.

He knew it was quite unrealistic, but he still clung to a one in ten thousand hope that the Governor’s Mansion had communicated with the Alliance, hoping this person recognized these documents.

However—

The person who took the paper had a bewildered expression, looking at the paper and then at him.

"What’s this thing?"

Facing the expression clearly not recognizing the document, Yarman was utterly hopeless.

All negotiating skills lost their effect at this moment.

He felt like a clown standing here but still subconsciously stuttered.

"J-just as I said, the purchase certificate and introduction letter, we came to help transport arms at the call of the West Sail Port’s Governor’s Office..."

Mosquito impatiently interrupted him.

"Okay, okay, I don’t want to hear these things. If you want them, name a price."

He didn’t care where these Weilante people transported this batch of equipment to.

It would be best if they sold it to the Empire.

So he could then sell these metal scraps to the various military factions in Poluo Province.

For instance, the No. B type tank, the W-2 aircraft, and even the W-3 under development.

Clinging to one last thread of unrealistic hope, Yarman nearly despairingly spoke.

"According to the purchase certificate’s quotation, we can recover this batch of weapons at the price of ten thousand Dinar per ton—"

Hearing this outrageous offer, Mosquito nearly choked on his own saliva.

"Ten thousand dinars per ton? What are you guys trying to buy, cabbages?"

He at least traded an excavator for those tanks!

This bunch of profiteers actually wants to wholesale by the ton and called it recycling, how shameless!

"But, but the Governor’s Office..."

Looking at the stammering big nose, Mosquito impatiently interrupted him.

"Don’t drag your Governor’s Office into this, we’re the Alliance! Giving me this scrap paper would be as bad as handing me West Winds currency...pff, we don’t accept West Winds currency, either pay in Silver Coins or Cr!"

Yarman felt like every cell in his body was trembling, and finally squeezed out a sentence from his pale lips.

"So...how much are you selling for?"

Having already lost hope in this buyer, Mosquito lazily said.

"Depends on what you’re buying, the Conqueror No. 10 would be one million Silver Coins."

"1 Million Silver Coins?!" Yarman’s eyes widened, glaring at him angrily, "Selling used equipment at such a high price, why don’t you just rob us!"

If it were a hundred or two hundred thousand Silver Coins, he might grit his teeth and buy it, then sell it back home for six or seven million dinars without too much loss.

However, Mosquito wasn’t the least bit polite with him, not even considering bargaining.

"If you think it’s too expensive, don’t buy it!"

Rolling his eyes, he shoved the stack of papers back into the big-nosed man’s hands, neatly taking back the business card he had handed out.

MMP!

All this time these guys came just to mooch off him!

Made him excited for nothing!

Without a moment’s pause, Mosquito, with his buddies, jumped into the off-road vehicle parked at the entrance, and within half a minute, they disappeared at the end of the road, leaving a group of Weilanteans standing in disarray at the entrance of the warehouse district.

Watching the long-still boss, a follower behind Yarman cautiously said.

"...Maybe the Eastern Legion only sold part of it, and there are still stocks in Haibei City. Perhaps... we should try our luck there?"

"Hopefully..." Squeezing out a wry smile on his face, Yarman at that moment looked as if he’d aged over a decade, with none of the vigor he had on the way there.

This back-and-forth had wasted at least a month of his time.

Originally, he had hoped to earn a bit over the profit from this deal to pay for the breach penalties for the delayed delivery of sugar and tea, among other goods.

But now, it seemed he had to swallow the loss himself.

Not only that, the goods stored in the warehouse at West Sail Port dock need to pay rent, which is also a significant expense...

While Yarman was worrying about those bills, ship shadows emerged again from the distant sea.

They rushed toward the port of No.1 Settlement like ducks on a spree.

Zhang Ze, who was moving cargo at the port area, looked up with a surprised expression on his face.

"Why so many ships?"

This cargo handling job was introduced to him by the employment guide center of No.1 Settlement. The hourly wage was the same as Reno, who got off midway, at eight Silver Coins, and it was hard to say whose workload was heavier.

But he’s still young, and he couldn’t do this for a lifetime. This job was merely a transition for him.

Once he saved up some capital and got his identity with the Alliance, he would go back to his old trade of buying and selling.

A colleague wearing an exoskeleton nearby put down the cargo box in his hands and said with a smile.

"Who cares how many ships there are; it doesn’t concern us. Let’s go have a drink at the bar after work."

Another worker standing beside him smirked a little, raising his arm to wipe the sweat off his forehead.

"I doubt it, with so many ships, I’m afraid we’ll have to work overtime...might be busy until dark."

This place isn’t Potato Harbor, where bars stay open ’til late at night. Most small businesses serve scavengers returning from nearby ruins, and they close after 8 p.m.

Zhang Ze stared into the distance for a while, thought for a moment, and said.

"...Not necessarily, I think the batch of cargo ships that just arrived might be empty."

"Empty ships?" His coworker stopped in confusion, "Coming here?"

The entire No.1 Settlement was still in its initial stages of construction, with no production output. What could empty ships come here for?

To buy trash?

Everyone had confused expressions, completely bewildered as they watched the cargo ships rushing in at the dock.

Not only were the dock workers puzzled, but even the Director of the Port Office froze after hearing his subordinate’s report.

"Weird... Are these Weilanteans here for vacation?"

There were even several passenger ships among the fleet, although they seemed to be empty...

And just when Alliance workers were stumped, those Weilanteans standing at the port were also dumbfounded as they watched the cargo ships loaded with munitions pass by them.

Good heavens...

They just barely got to Haiya Province, and someone already returned fully loaded?!

That was so quick!