Chapter 783: Section 571: Hun Tong Fundraising
"Tu Ji, this guy..." Tan Mo had hit a snag with Tu Ji, and upon reflection, he was seething with rage.
If Tu Ji were from a different background, Tan Mo may have had other options. However, since Tu Ji was from the Blood Light Sanction Court, it made things extremely tricky, leaving Tan Mo feeling constrained.
As for "Hun Tong not reaping the benefits of war," Tan Mo had his suspicions.
But he preferred to believe that Hun Tong had made a fortune.
"Even if he’s short on funds, a sinking ship still has three pounds of nails. I refuse to believe I can’t squeeze more out of him!"
"Missing such an opportunity would be a lifelong regret."
"How should I extort him?"
Tan Mo began to meditate deeply.
If Tu Ji would cooperate with him, then he could easily bring Hun Tong to heel.
But without Tu Ji’s cooperation, it would be difficult.
Although Tan Mo was an investigator for the empire’s spy, he was also secretly charged with the expectations of the seventh prince. Now, as an investigator from the Blood Light Sanction Court was also involved, neither the court nor the empire’s spy would take his word alone.
Direct slander or fabricating evidence would be sheer folly and would put Tan Mo’s career as a Navy Vice Admiral at risk.
"What should I do?" As Tan Mo pondered continuously, Hun Tong also felt the pressure.
Hun Tong approached Yan Yi to voice his grievances, "Tan Mo won’t just let this go, Shadow."
Hun Tong, seasoned and mature, knew well that the bribe he gave to Tan Mo was not going to satisfy him.
No longer impetuous, Hun Tong wouldn’t have cooperated with Shadow from the outset, always biding his time, sacrificing a few merchant ships here and there to gradually lure the Fishman Tribe to attack the island.
Hun Tong sought out Yan Yi this time to ask for help.
Yan Yi spread his hands, "Lord Hun Tong, please forgive my inability to help. I have already given nearly all my possessions to Tan Mo as bribes, simply begging him to spare us this time."
Yan Yi tactfully expressed his refusal.
This frustrated Hun Tong.
He suppressed his anger and stared intensely into Yan Yi’s eyes, "I know how much money you’ve given Tan Mo!"
"To some extent, it’s you who have raised his expectations, making him even more dissatisfied with my offering."
"You should understand this point."
Yan Yi, shaking his head and sighing bitterly, said, "My lord, I am truly frightened."
"You are high above as a Gold Level, the de facto Lord of Twin Eyes Island, with an unshakable position."
"As for me?"
"I am merely a Bronze Level, barely managing to be the head of this maritime area, already walking on thin ice."
"If something goes wrong this time, Tan Mo, as an investigator for the empire’s spy, won’t be able to do much to you. But if he harbors ill will against me, once he reports up the chain of command, I’m utterly ruined!"
"In such a situation, how could I not give it my all?"
"If because of my hesitation, I don’t satisfy Tan Mo, leading to my dismissal or even imprisonment, I will regret it forever!"
Yan Yi’s almost tearful plea softened Hun Tong’s demeanor considerably.
Yan Yi continued, "On the contrary, if I satisfy Tan Mo this time and he gives me a good review."
"Maybe my current position could be much more secured, or perhaps even climb higher in the future."
At this, Yan Yi showed a hint of longing.
Hun Tong dismissed the notion with a scoff, thinking: You’re just a Bronze Level, dreaming of climbing higher? Have you no self-awareness?
Hun Tong calmed down, thinking: I shouldn’t put too much pressure on Yan Yi, after all, he and Tan Mo belong to the same organization.
But he really was short on money.
There was no other way.
Hun Tong glared at Yan Yi with a fierce look and spoke in a lowered voice, "Look at this situation I’m in now, wasn’t it because I followed your advice and let the Undead Mage go?"
"You assured me that you could definitely make a move against the Undead Mage."
"And what happened?"
"If Tan Mo wants to make things difficult for me, releasing the Undead Mage is the best excuse!"
"Shouldn’t you take responsibility for your misguided command?"
Yan Yi hastily replied, "Lord Hun Tong, you can’t just say things like that."
"I’m no longer responsible for the Undead Mage’s subsequent actions."
"How could I know what the new person in charge would do?"
"Besides, military action is treacherous, and anything could happen on the battlefield. A small accident can even influence the final outcome."
"You of all people should understand this, given your deep experience."
"The main reason you’re under investigation isn’t just the Undead Mage but also the Devil’s Gold Coin."
Hun Tong snorted coldly, cutting him off, "The problem now is that Tan Mo won’t let me off."
"If we’re in this together, if he won’t let me off, do you think he will spare you?"
"If he decides to make things difficult for me, he’ll surely tamper with the final investigation report. If he gives me a low rating, do you think you can escape?"
Yan Yi dropped his shoulders despondently, raised his hands in surrender, and said helplessly, "Lord Hun Tong, what kind of help do you need? I will do my best."
Hun Tong shook his head, "Not just me, but us overcoming this together."
"The issue now should not be Tu Ji."
"Tu Ji’s information is shared between you and me; he is an upright man. The real problem is Tan Mo."
"Hmph, this guy is inherently greedy. He’ll never be satisfied with the money I gave him."
"He won’t let this go easily. He’ll definitely exaggerate in the investigation results!"
Yan Yi stared wide-eyed: "Then what can we do?"
"Lord, he is an investigator. He has a demon energy ship, and there are Holy Domain Level shield guards on board."
"If we fall into his hands, we might as well accept our fate and consider it as paying to avert disaster."
Hun Tong also glared: "What do you think I want to do?"
"Take out Tan Mo?"
"How is that possible!"
"Tan Mo himself is at the Golden Level. To become a Navy Vice Admiral, do you think he can’t fight?"
"Even if we manage to deal with Tan Mo, even if there are no Holy Domain Level shield guards, there’s still Tu Ji. He’s from the Blood Light Sanction Court!"
"This time it’s a joint investigation. We have no choice but to bow our heads."
"Yan Yi, my dear brother, you really have some nerve!"
Yan Yi was scared and quickly waved his hands: "Lord, you must not talk nonsense. I don’t have any dangerous ideas."
"I am a member of the empire’s spy network, the regional head. I am absolutely loyal to the Empire!"
"Alright," Hun Tong waved his hand, tiredly said, "Money, I need money now."
"I plan to raise some funds to give to Hun Tong."
"This time it’s a loan from me."
Yan Yi looked distressed: "Lord, to deal with this tough situation, I have already used all my possessions for bribes."
"Where would I get the money for you?"
Hun Tong’s face darkened immediately: "Stop with the nonsense."
"We are fighting this battle together. You need to at least come up with this amount!"
Saying so, Hun Tong stretched out his right hand, fingers widely spread.
Yan Yi stared, could no longer sit still, and stood up: "Lord, even if you kill me now, I can’t come up with that much!"
"It’s simply impossible."
Hun Tong sneered, convinced that Yan Yi still had some money hidden.
Yan Yi did not hesitate and vehemently retorted.
After some pulling and dragging, Yan Yi, unable to withstand Hun Tong’s pressure, finally bowed his head and agreed to "lend" Hun Tong 1600 gold coins.
This was a considerable distance from Hun Tong’s initial asking price.
But Yan Yi took the initiative to offer his services as a mediator, willing to facilitate friendly negotiations between Hun Tong and Tan Mo.
Given Yan Yi’s identity as a spy, Hun Tong did not want to press too hard.
Seeing Yan Yi’s demeanor, Hun Tong also felt that Yan Yi couldn’t squeeze out any more money, and he agreed with a reluctant nod.
"Only 1600 gold coins won’t solve the problem."
"We need to think of other methods."
However, Yan Yi’s attitude still satisfied Hun Tong.
Sometimes, Hun Tong was grateful: the spy chief for Twin Eyes Island was only at the Bronze Level. This allowed him to always maintain the upper hand in their collaboration!
If Yan Yi were at the Golden Level, no, even at the Silver Level, Hun Tong would never have been able to manipulate and coerce him so easily.
There are always more solutions than difficulties.
Hun Tong thought of a new method.
He found another group of people.
After a brief conversation, Hun Tong revealed his true intention: borrowing money!
"Bishop Neituo, you want to establish a district for the Justice Sect on Twin Eyes Island. Now is actually the best chance," Hun Tong said.
"You should be aware of the Treasure Chest on the pier and this joint investigation."
"I personally have no issues, but to get through this investigation, I need some help from the Justice Sect..."
"As the bishop of the Justice Sect, coming in person to establish a district, I don’t believe you lack startup funds."
Hun Tong then directly demanded 50,000 gold coins., a sum so large that it immediately caused the bystanders to feel indignant.
Neituo, a middle-aged man with ordinary looks, pondered for a moment and shook his head slightly: "50,000 gold coins, we can’t come up with that."
"That’s too much."
"We can’t bring so much gold when establishing a new district."
"However, we are somewhat aware of the lord’s current situation."
"We also wish to assist the lord through this difficult time. But at most, we can only lend 20,000 gold coins."
"And, we need priority in proselytizing, the right to build churches anywhere, and a reserved district for our sect."
The priority in proselytizing was clearly aimed at combating the Wealth Sect.
The right to build churches anywhere was a very strong offensive tool.
The rights to a reserved district were the most important, allowing only the belief in the Justice Sect within that area.
Hun Tong asked for a lot from Neituo, and Neituo responded in kind.
But that’s how negotiations are, supposed to start high and settle somewhere reasonable.
It’s not the high initial ask that’s the problem, it’s the lack of sincerity in negotiations.
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