Chapter 430: Section 218: Heartbreaking Sale
Hun Tong pondered for a moment, first activating the Golden Eye and then re-evaluating the most valuable target for bombardment around the new island.
The primary target turned out to be the group led by the Dragon-man youth!
The secondary target was aimed at his City Lord’s mansion.
“My treasury contains treasures of the Golden Level, which protect and conceal my property.”
“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps brought a significant sum, they must want to negotiate with me!”
Hun Tong deduced the purpose of the Dragon-man youth and his group.
He immediately flew down.
If the Golden Shiny was in good condition, he might have slightly lowered the height of the flying demon energy ship to invite the Dragon-man youth and others to visit, silently intimidating and showing off.
However, after the melee, the deck of the Golden Shiny was full of holes, and the main glacier turret was left in half, with only one out of the other five focusing turrets remaining, looking very miserable.
Under such circumstances, trying to impress with the ship would undoubtedly be humiliating.
Hun Tong also didn’t want to entertain the Long Fu and others inside the City Lord’s mansion.
Because the mansion’s main gate was being blocked by a group of rioting merchants.
Allowing them to see this scene would be too embarrassing and damage his dignity.
“These people want to trade with me, and the money I make from the trade must not be seen by those merchants,” Hun Tong had this concern as well.
All things considered, he had to take the initiative, intercepting them halfway.
Thus, shortly after the Dragon-man youth and his group left the port, they saw Hun Tong descending from the sky.
“Lord,” the Dragon-man youth and his companions bowed in greeting.
Hun Tong placed his hands behind his back, slightly tilted his head up, exuding the dignity of a noble.
But in the eyes of the Dragon-man youth and others, his eyes were bloodshot, his complexion was pale, his eyes lacked spirit, and there were fine beads of sweat on his forehead.
“He already knows that the treasures at the bottom of the sea have vanished,” thought the Dragon-man youth.
Hun Tong’s recent actions had been monitored by Deep Sea Monster Fish, and Zi Di had communicated this in real-time to her own people.
Looking at Hun Tong in front of him, the Dragon-man youth couldn’t help but recall their first meeting.
Back then, Hun Tong had been composed, with a condescending gaze, embodying the elegance of a noble. This was a stark contrast to his current façade of false strength.
Zong Ge’s gaze harbored caution.
If Hun Tong knew that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps in front of him were the ones who had taken the underwater treasure, he would definitely tear them apart.
Hun Tong surveyed the group in front of him, trying to maintain his noble composure. He asked the Dragon-man youth, “I see you were heading towards the City Lord’s mansion, were you looking for me?”
“Indeed,” the Dragon-man youth candidly stated their purpose: the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was leaving Twin Eyes Island, and this visit was to bid their farewell to the Lord and also to conduct a trade.
“You are leaving Twin Eyes Island already?” Hun Tong sighed, truly reluctant.
He had wanted to recruit these people, especially Lion Flag.
His gaze lingered on Lion Flag, but the latter’s eyes held no trace of attachment.
Hun Tong’s heart chilled.
He felt short of breath.
If he had obtained the underwater treasure, he would have decided to invest heavily, hiring Lion Flag and even the entire Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
But now… he was broke.
He had lost his confidence.
The group before him was now beyond his reach.
Even just now, he was somewhat annoyed, wondering why he had been so generous last night, rewarding the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps so heavily?
“Truthfully, the great battle has just ended. Your group has also suffered significant losses, so why not rest for a few days on the new island? It would be best to ensure everything is secure before setting out to sea,” Hun Tong suggested.
But the Dragon-man youth already had the perfect excuse.
He slightly turned his body to showcase the Dwarf, Menshi, standing behind him.
He explained to Hun Tong, “Lord, in the previous chaos, we befriended a group of sincere comrades.”
“Now, Menshi has joined my group. But his kin were taken away by that mysterious Undead Mage.”
“So, we need to leave the island as soon as possible and dedicate our efforts to rescuing his kin, our comrades!”
Hun Tong was surprised for a moment, slightly raising his eyebrows.
In his view, the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was already impure in composition, and now they were even integrating a Dwarf. For a Silver-Level’s combat power? The risk of this deal was unpredictable, and the pros and cons would be seen in the future.
Menshi, looking at the Dragon-man youth’s back, was filled with gratitude.
He was anxious about his own kin and heavily concerned, yet he also knew the priorities and had never openly expressed his urgency to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps for a rescue.
Because he knew: having others risk battling the Undead Mage to rescue his own kin was already incredibly rare.
Was Menshi an ungrateful, greedy person?
Certainly not!
Menshi felt he needed to be reasonable.
But he hadn’t expected that this morning, the Dragon-man youth would inform him that the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had briefly discussed the matter last night and decided to embark on the rescue mission today!
Gratitude overwhelmed him like a tide, flooding Menshi’s heart.
He decided on the spot to join the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and let the Dragon-man youth command him.
Now, seeing Hun Tong’s gaze fall on him, Menshi mentally scoffed, “He must think that I, for the sake of saving my own kin, voluntarily sold myself to the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.”
“Hmph, such a Human Race, even if Golden Level, couldn’t compare to the squad leader of Long Fu!”
Menshi did not have a good impression of Hun Tong.
His kin were sold as slaves at the auction on Twin Eyes Island.
Hun Tong’s gaze swept past Menshi and landed on Chi Lai.
Previously, he hadn’t shown much interest in Chi Lai at the auction.
But now things were different.
He only had two Silver Levels left under his command, and both were unreliable.
His current thought was: Although a Silver-Level subordinate like Chi Lai was not perfect and did not fit Twin Eyes Island or himself well, having him now would help Twin Eyes Island get through a difficult period!
Unfortunately, the opportunity was lost.
Chi Lai had already become one of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.
Hun Tong felt increasingly regretful, then suddenly another thought popped up: “After the chaos, all parties suffered huge losses. However, the lineup of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps has become even stronger than before. These guys… they really are lucky.”
Hun Tong didn’t know yet, on the Iron Lump, there was also a Mage named Qing Xin.
Thinking of this, he found the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps even more enticing.
If he could keep this group on Twin Eyes Island, it would be great!
Even if it were just one or two Silvers, it would be extremely beneficial.
Though not hopeful, Hun Tong still forced a smile and made one last attempt, “The detailed intentions of the Lion Flag have already conveyed my proposal from last night. How has the squad leader of Long Fu considered it?”
The Dragon-man youth sighed deeply, “I’m very sorry, Lord.”
“Twin Eyes Island is indeed a treasure. Under your governance, it will surely prosper again, exceeding its past.”
“The sincerity of the Lord is truly moving. Unfortunately, we are also compelled by circumstances.”
The Dragon-man youth tactfully declined.
Hun Tong nodded slightly as this response was not unexpected.
His face was heavy, especially upon seeing the Treasure Box behind the Dragon-man youth, and thinking about his last night’s “sincerity,” his heart ached.
The Dragon-man youth took out a list and handed it to Hun Tong, “These are the materials my squad wishes to purchase from the Lord.”
Hun Tong quickly glanced through and saw various coral materials, as well as Charming Cheek Tea and sea vessels, among others.
One of the specialties of Twin Eyes Island is its various corals, as the island itself is a giant coral dome tree.
Charming Cheek Tea was a product of Hun Tong’s special investment, crafted after countless failures.
“Your group indeed has good taste,” Hun Tong complimented the Dragon-man youth, essentially praising himself.
“Hmm, Water Pigman?” Hun Tong was slightly taken aback upon seeing the end of the list.
He instantly remembered that he had indeed bought a group of Beastman slaves at an auction.
This group of slaves was the Water Pigman.
They came from villages along the upstream of the Three-Colored River, captured by the Human Race’s Slave Capture Team, and turned into slaves.
In the survivors’ original purchase plans, Zong Ge was quite keen on this group of Water Pigman.
At that time, he had listed many of the Water Pigman’s advantages.
“We need this batch of Water Pigman; their Bloodline is a perfect match for the Backwater Fighting energy formula. I not only know the training methods for this Fighting energy but also understand how to create a Backwater Army.”
“With these Water Pigman, we would have first-rate sailors.”
“Water Pigman are easy to keep, not picky eaters. They can fish on their own, and every adult Water Pigman is an expert fisherman. When hungry, they can even eat river sand as a last resort; their stomachs are strong and can barely digest it.”
“In naval battles, we now have a new line of attack—we can let the Water Pigman attack enemy ships in the water.”
“With Backwater Fighting energy, they can stay active in water for extended periods, and giving it to the Water Pigman would further enhance their abilities.”
However, due to Qing Xin’s sudden appearance, the survivors invested heavily in buying the blonde mother and child among other Human Race slaves, ultimately outbid by Hun Tong and missed out on the Water Pigman.
Now, the survivors had made a considerable fortune from war proceeds.
So, they came again to propose buying to Hun Tong.
Hun Tong pondered.
He originally bought this batch of Water Pigman slaves because the price was right, towards the end of the auction, as everyone had spent a great deal.
Secondly, the Water Pigman were well suited for the ever submerging and rising island environment.
But now the situation had changed.
Twin Eyes Island had suffered heavy losses.
Half of the Silver Level had perished, and the City Guard was devastated, requiring rebuilding.
The extra Water Pigman slaves, in this context, were now a liability.
In Hun Tong’s view: these were Beastman, needing strict discipline.
And now, Twin Eyes Island simply didn’t have the capacity to manage this batch of Beastman.
Considering this, Hun Tong said, “This really puts me in a difficult position. Initially, when I bought these Water Pigman, naturally, I didn’t plan to sell them.”
“To be honest, if it were someone else making this request, I would refuse outright.”
“But… for your group, I’m willing to do a favor, provided the price is right.”
It was the rhetoric of a businessman.
Since the underwater treasure was gone, and the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had come knocking, Hun Tong, of course, wouldn’t miss this opportunity.
He intended to negotiate this deal fully, trying to obtain more valuable funds.
According to the earlier arrangement, the Dragon-man youth didn’t speak; Zong Ge stepped forward, “Lord, I was the one who proposed this deal.”
“I have some interest in the Water Pigman, merely a personal interest.”
“The squad tolerates me, which is why this was added to the negotiation list.”
“I can only offer this much. Beyond this, I can’t afford to buy.” Zong Ge raised his hand, extending four fingers.
In a moment, Hun Tong grew angry.
“The price I paid is much higher than your offer!”
Zong Ge withdrew his hand, shook his head, and stepped back into the crowd, “Then I can’t afford it. I won’t buy.”
“Eh?” Hun Tong was momentarily stunned.
Zong Ge’s unconventional approach left him somewhat at a loss.
Normally, one would negotiate, perhaps raise the offer.
Why just give up?
At this moment, the Dragon-man youth came forward to mediate: “Lord, please do not blame Lion Flag. That’s just his personality, straightforward. Indeed, this price is all his personal savings, his financial limit.”
“I understand.” Hun Tong nodded, and his look towards Zong Ge grew more appreciative.
He took the opportunity to say, “Lion Flag, if you join Twin Eyes Island, I will give you this batch of Water Pigman for free!”
Zong Ge gave a wry smile, shaking his head.
The Dragon-man youth saw Hun Tong staring intently at Zong Ge, stepped forward, and blocked his view.
“How about this,” said the Dragon-man youth, “I’ll personally add some money for Lion Flag.”
Hun Tong’s expression darkened, “Even with that addition, it’s still not enough compared to my original purchase price. Squad leader of Long Fu, you need to spend more to keep people’s hearts, just this amount of money is somewhat lacking.”
He seized the opportunity to pressure the Dragon-man youth, trying to make him raise the price.
The Dragon-man youth gritted his teeth and raised the offer again.
When Hun Tong spoke again, Zong Ge interrupted, “Squad leader, forget it, I’m only somewhat interested in this group of Water Pigman.”
“So be it…” sighed the Dragon-man youth.
Seeing the two seemingly about to give up, Hun Tong’s eyelids twitched.
How could this be?
This batch of Water Pigman needed to be sold for funds.
Hun Tong sighed as well, “Let it be.”
“We are all friends.”
“Let’s go with this final price! Honestly, I’ve never made such a losing deal before. But, Lion Flag, you are different, selling to you like this, I’m also happy.”
As he spoke, Hun Tong’s heart ached again.
The price was heavily discounted.
The Dragon-man youth and Zong Ge exchanged a look, both thinking: Zi Di’s arrangement was indeed effective!