Counterfeit Hero

”Hahaha!” A burst of laughter echoed through the trading hall.

Everyone knew that in this Free Trade Hall, where nothing was off-limits for buying and selling, the top trader Klaus was a cunning old fox. Expecting him to be honest was a fantasy, but if you counted on him to stick to credibility and swallow this batch of goods according to the rules, that was a sure thing.

”The Redbeard Pirate Group, I fear, has become history, right?” The bald man lounging on a sofa in the hall’s rest area, with a cigar in his mouth and legs crossed, nonchalantly glanced at Steelman, who was calmly sipping his drink on the sofa’s other end, and said, ”Captain Steelman, just give us a straight answer today: Has the Demon’s Eye made a move against the Redbeard Pirates or not?”

”Boss Petrov, you’re joking. With the Arctic Gang’s intel, you mean to say you don’t already know?” Steelman smiled slightly and shook his head, ”The Redbeard Pirates have dominated the Golden Triangle Star Domain for so many years... they’re not someone small like the Demon’s Eye can provoke. Besides, ten years ago, we were defeated by them. Now, we just stay out of each other’s way.”

”Heh heh.” The bald Petrov chuckled, ”Steelman, if you’re telling me this, it’s no fun. Look at your cruiser docked at the port. Saying you fear Hayreddin, few people here would believe it. Give me a straight answer, when are you making a move? I’ve bet heavily on you!”

Petrov’s words immediately resonated in the trading hall. Everyone knew that Steelman’s visit to the Free Port was not just to deal a few batches of plundered goods. He was here to show off. The cruiser didn’t even bother to remove its serial number when it sailed into the port, blatantly showing he had the support of the Western Alliance behind him.

Once the cruiser was repainted and emblazoned with the Demon’s Eye insignia, the Redbeard Pirate Group was bound to be in trouble.

”The Redbeard Pirates are doomed!” said a seedy-looking middle-aged man decisively, ”Though my money is small, I’ve bet my entire fortune! Just looking at Captain Steelman’s composure puts me completely at ease! If I were Hayreddin, I’d quickly pack up and go back to the Golden Triangle Star Domain! This is no place he can handle!”

”Exactly! Exactly! I’ve also placed a heavy bet on Captain Steelman. How about you?”

”Do you need to ask? I even took my wife’s private stash!”

”After this battle, the pirate forces will be under Captain Steelman’s flag! Call me a flatterer or bootlicker if you want, but if we don’t seize the moment now, how can we expect to survive under the Demon’s Eye in the future? I’ll do what it takes!”

Flattering words flooded in.

”Hehe.” Steelman smiled without speaking, but his proud expression was evident. With that fully equipped military cruiser, the Demon’s Eye indeed had reason to be proud. Even the larger battleships and heavy cruisers of Free Port might not be a match for his cruiser.

In this world of the survival of the fittest, humility and modesty were useless. If you had strength, you needed to be wild and forceful. If you had enough strength, you garnered more. Your aggressiveness made many hesitant forces back off, and garnered many followers.

Just like now, the trading fee for goods handled by Demon’s Eye had been reduced by five percentage points. The trading credit rating had also been raised by a level. Once they defeated the Redbeard Pirate Group, they would officially become one of the main powers in the Free World.

By then, Steelman could sit at the Free World’s negotiation table with those super conglomerates and jointly discuss the distribution of benefits.

Before the cruiser appeared in the port, the odds were 1.2 against the Demon’s Eye against Redbeard, and now it’s 1 to 3! This clearly indicated that Steelman’s words carried more and more weight.

Now they just awaited the outcome.

”Klaus...” The trader in seat 202 slid his chair next to the old Klaus and nudged him with his elbow, ”Who did you bet on?”

”I don’t gamble!” The old man shook his head like a rattle-drum, ”It’s too intense for me to handle.”

”Oh...” The trader was somewhat disappointed, but before leaving, he persistently asked, ”Haven’t the Redbeard Pirates contacted you?”

”No.” The old man’s face was filled with puzzlement, ”I’m also puzzled about what’s happened to them.”

The trader slid his chair away. He didn’t notice the glint of shrewdness in the old fox’s eyes.

.

.(To be continued. For more, please visit www.qidian.com, support the author, and enjoy legitimate reading!)