Munitions Empire

The morning sun shone feebly on people's bodies, and the cool sea breeze, carrying the sound of crashing waves, brought with it a hint of winter's chill to Brunas.

The doz or so carriages docked at the pier made the tire wharf seem crowded. Teams of Elf sailors struggled to lift wood crates off the carriages and stack them beside the ships.

Transporting cargo via narrow planks was clearly not easy, so moving wood crates onto the ships was no simple task.

Moreover, the expressions of the Elv commanders standing by were serious, and the Elf soldiers, armed with matchlock guns and live ammunition, were as cautious as if in a state of war.

"Watch your step! Be careful!" the Elf captain, leading the group, called out loudly to the cautious Elf sailors, his hands clasped behind his back.

These sailors carefully worked in pairs, each group moving wood crates stamped with the words "Great Tang" onto the ships.

Those in the know were aware that those crates contained K Quick Guns, and most of them were diverted by Tang Mo from a consignmt intded for Northern Ridge.

After all, a two-day delay in arming Northern Ridge wasn't too problematic, whereas the Elf Race had paid a substantial sum and they were leaving in two days.

So, Tang Mo prioritized supplying the Elf Race with 0 K Quick Guns, while in other crates, there were 00 revolvers along with the corresponding ammunition.

Merely transporting these goods had required more than a doz carriages, and Tang Mo would bring at least three steam gine parts and related blueprints, as well as metallurgical specifications the following day.

While the Elves' dock was busy loading cargo, at the dock where Tang Mo's fleet was moored, cargo was being unloaded.

Alice had se her fair share of big ships, but this was her first time leaning on the ship's railings, watching sailors carry heavy boxes off the ship onto the pier via narrow planks.

She curiously felt the sea breeze against her face and watched those ragged-clothed Elf sailors move iron boxes, heavy and unwieldy, onto the carriages.

Because the boxes were so weighty, each time a container was stacked on a carriage, a dull, heavy thud sounded.

"How much money did you extort from the Elves?" Alice asked, leaning on the railing next to Tang Mo as he approached.

"Not too much, I suppose. They made about 30,000 Gold Coins in gross profit from this sea trade, all of which are here with me," Tang Mo said with a modest laugh and a downplayed expression.

"Ld me some?" Alice was predictably eyeing those Gold Coins again.

"Trust me, this money is far more useful in my hands than if I were to ld it to you," Tang Mo refused the beauty's request.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite annoying?" Alice glanced at Tang Mo, feeling that this man was truly inssible.

"Ha! You're the first, but definitely not the last," Tang Mo laughed heartily. He looked into the distance, seeing the ninth crate being loaded onto a carriage, his mood growing increasingly better.

Money in hand! The hardest part is getting started, and after receiving the Elf's Gold Coins, he had finally earned his first pot of gold in the truest sse.

"What are you in such a hurry to do with all these Gold Coins?" Alice eyed Tang Mo curiously, hoping to discern the answer from his expression.

"Charity work, distributing the money to the poor," Tang Mo replied naturally, without batting an eye.

"Your lies are like holding a mouthful of feathers, ready to fly out the momt you speak," Alice commted with a snort of disdain.

Tang Mo laughed out loud and th made his way to the plank, "I have matters to attd to and won't be able to join Miss Alice for breakfast... You can stroll a Brunas; I'll have Tagg accompany you."

As he spoke, he walked down the gangway and made his way.

Watching Tang Mo board a carriage, Alice withdrew her gaze, speaking wistfully, "Elev merchant ships, and half of them are unloading their cannons... he's really gerous. Those Shireck cannons wer't cheap wh bought."

"Not just that, he's tak all the Gold Coins from our ship and two others... probably about ,000 in total..." Behind her, the butler watched Tang Mo's departing carriage and spoke to Alice.

"I can't fathom this man, nor predict him; he never speaks the truth, so... there's nothing I can do," Alice said with a tinge of sorrow, "We're depdt on him, and we can't force the issue... "

"Don't worry, Miss! Perhaps a capable individual is the best choice for us to collaborate with," the butler reassured Alice.

Meanwhile, Tang Mo's carriage had left the harbor and quickly arrived at the door of a closed tavern along a sparsely trafficked street.

Tang Mo jumped down from the carriage and signaled for Wes to knock on the door. The door soon oped, revealing a bleary-eyed bartder who, upon seeing Tang Mo, paused for a momt before jerking his chin, indicating they could come in.

Tang Mo stood at the trance of the Silver Fox Tavern, sizing up the interior decor, and said to the old man who was slowly approaching with a smile, "You see, I got my first pot of Gold Coin faster than we had agreed."

The old man seemed to be waiting for Tang Mo and gestured for him to follow. They walked to the most secluded corner of the tavern, a very quiet spot.

Li'ao sat down by himself, and Tang Mo sat across from him.

The old man Li'ao spoke only th, continuing from where their previous conversation had left off, "My informants at the dock have already told me you've acquired a ship... and quite a few sailors... To tell you the truth, I really didn't expect you to be so capable."

"Do you still like the toy I gave you?" Tang Mo nodded, acknowledging the intelligce capabilities of the Silver Fox Tavern.

"Love it! Absolutely love it! So, it's not surprising to me that you really have something the Elf Race wants." Thinking of that new type of firearm, Li'ao was full of confidce in Tang Mo's swift rise. He felt it was time to place his bet, for the tire Silver Fox Tavern.

"No, Li'ao... I have something that everyone in the world wants!" Tang Mo waved his hand and arrogantly corrected, "Something that no one can refuse."

"Everything I said before is still valid, Mr. Tang Mo. If you are willing to accept my terms and lead these miserable sinners back to their homeland... we will all submit to you! To serve you!" Li'ao didn't mind the details; he stared at Tang Mo and offered his terms once again.

"That sounds like a terrific idea... How about I buy this place? The price is negotiable." Tang Mo looked a once more and th back at Li'ao, "You know what I mean, not just this tavern, but... you and all your frids."

"That won't come cheap, Mr. Tang Mo. As you know, running a tavern like this costs a pretty pny." Li'ao proudly pointed at himself, "And I have many frids."

"Name your price," said Tang Mo, spreading his hands.

"..." Li'ao, the old man, fell silt as if pondering... Finally, he spoke, "Are you sure you can really take us all back?"

"If you live another five years, you'll find that you can go anywhere you want, anywhere!" Tang Mo made a promise.

"Th, ,000 Gold Coins!" The old man quoted an exorbitantly high price, which would be steep for anyone.

"Deal," Tang Mo said calmly.

"I think you might not understand what ,000 Gold Coins really mean."

"In fact, if possible, I'd have preferred to bring banknotes or a cheque." Tang Mo said something Li'ao didn't understand, th looked towards Wes at his side.

Wes nodded slightly, walked to the door, and gestured to someone outside.

Two soldiers struggled to carry a chest into the tavern, with the bartder frowning and following them as they slowly brought the chest to the table where Tang Mo and Li'ao were sitting.

"Don't tell me this chest is filled with Gold Coins." Ev Li'ao had never se such a large chest meant to hold Gold Coins.

Tang Mo laughed, he stood up, took a key out of his pocket, and inserted it into the lock at the front of the chest. Th he gtly turned the key, and everyone heard the lock click op.

Th, Tang Mo lifted the lid of the chest, revealing a dse pile of Gold Coins inside: "There are ,000 Gold Coins here..."

As he spoke, he sat back down across Li'ao, "You can count them... If any are missing, I'll have to get the elves to make up the differce."

"But what I said just now... was ,000 Gold Coins... Mr. Tang." It took a great effort for Li'ao to tear his gaze away from the chest of Gold Coins, "You..."

"I didn't misunderstand," Tang Mo interrupted old man Li'ao, "There are nine more chests like this one on the five carriages outside... all filled with Gold Coins."

"Gulp..." Everyone heard a swallowing sound in the quiet room. The bartder standing by was trembling with a nervous Adam's apple.

"..." Silce filled the space. No one spoke, as if no one wanted to break the quiet of the tavern.

Finally, Li'ao spoke. He said the words that Tang Mo wanted to hear with difficulty and yet naturally, "The Silver Fox is yours now, and this old bag of bones is yours as well..."

"Th... you can all swear loyalty to me," Tang Mo looked at the bartder and th at Li'ao, ready to accept them.

"I swear upon my ancestors' names that I and all the informants of the Silver Fox Tavern pledge allegiance to you, Mr. Tang Mo!" Li'ao stood up and bowed slightly to Tang Mo.

The bartder by the chest knelt on one knee, bowing his head to Tang Mo, "Master! I offer you my loyalty. I swear on my life that I will serve you for as long as I live, to the very d of my life."

Tang Mo stood up, indicating that they could get up, "Very good! Now, I need you to help me investigate something!"

"No problem! Master, what would you like to know?" Li'ao asked respectfully.

Tang Mo gave an investigative direction, "It's about Brunas... Some... intelligce regarding the City Defse Forces!"