Chapter 235 - Capital Woes (1/2)
The pile of gold bars was a monument on its own, creating a stunning sight as it shone and shimmered in the sun. Except for the pirates tasked with moving the gold bars, Zhang Heng gathered everyone from his ship and distributed weapons to them. They needed them to maintain order at the harbor in case of untoward incidents. That said, after Zhang Heng annihilated the Skeleton, everyone knew it best not to mess with Jackdaw. Unsurprisingly, no one lost their minds when they saw the gold bars coming out from the ship.
Afterward, Zhang Heng sent someone to contact Carina, asking her to empty one of her warehouses. He would use it as temporary storage for the gold. The Jackdaw had an overwhelming yield this trip, and if Zhang Heng distributed the gold to his men right now, safety would be a primary concern. On the surface, no one seemed to dare go against Jackdaw’s pirates but in actual fact, multitudes of thieves and robbers were waiting to get their hands on all those precious gold bars.
Other than that, the group of pirates who had previously gambled away twenty gold coins in a single night received a stark warning from Zhang Heng. Though the captain had no intention to poke around everyone’s spending habits, he knew his men would become moving targets the moment he gave them their share of the money.
So, he decided to only give them a portion of their share first. He would help them to keep the rest for now. He came up with a ledger to keep track of all the gold that he gave his men. Anyone could ask for more whenever they needed it. After a while, Carina and her men came to the pier.
It was then Zhang Heng noticed that Carina didn’t look too good. Since there were outsiders around him, he figured it was a bad time to talk about it. Only after reaching the warehouse and seeing that all the gold bars were safe did he talk to her in a quiet place.
“How’s everything? Has it all been good throughout my absence?”
“The situation… is not looking good,” replied Carina as she tried squeezing a smile.
“Huh?”
When Zhang Heng left Nassau two months ago, Carina’s problem was solved because the Skeleton was no longer a threat to her. Along with the rise of Jackdaw, her trading business flourished in Nassau as well. Not only did she enjoy repeat business with the captains she used to deal with, but some pirate ships even left the black market alliance hoping to build a long term partnership with her. All the while, Malcolm had been trying to dominate the black markets of Nassau. Naturally, Carina’s growth had become a huge threat to him. More and more traders were increasingly interested in trading with Carina instead of the black market alliance.
This was indeed great news for Carina since the black market alliance had been retarding her growth for a very long time. When she saw hope in defeating Malcolm and the black-market alliance, she instantly signed every contract of the captains who wished to trade with her. To take control of a broader market share, she purchased another ship to help her move the increasing amount of items moving through her warehouse. Right now, she was the proud owner of three cargo ships. Of course, the expansion required an increase in hiring as well. With the large acquisitions, she literally invested everything that she earned back into her business.
Unfortunately, whatever happened after that was out of her control. Carina’s biggest problem was her lack of shrewdness as a black-market merchant. The black market alliance was newly formed when she first came to Nassau. All her father’s trading partners had left to work with them when he got incarcerated. In the end, Jackdaw was the first and only ship willing to trade with her. Owing to that, she managed to survive in Nassau. However, although sleeping on a bed of roses, sharp thorns were present as well. She had to face perpetual harassment and pressure by the black-market alliance, which just wouldn’t let her off the hook.