Chapter 317: Having a Whole Level of New Respect

The dragonman youngster looked at the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and thought to himself that this round of negotiations had indeed been very fruitful!

The last time the dragonman youngster and the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord had a pleasant conversation, they had reached a big deal.

But after all, it was their first meeting, and the degree of cooperation between the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was limited.

Now that the dragonman youngster was threatening to leave the port, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord had no choice but to show greater sincerity.

From this perspective, the mysterious assassin's attack on the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps was actually a good thing for the dragonman youngster and the survivors, as the benefits outweighed the disadvantages.

Without this unexpected event as a catalyst, the level of cooperation between them and the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord would never have progressed to this depth.

The dragonman youngster said, "Our corps needs many alchemists. We need at least three silver level Alchemy Masters and one gold level Alchemy Great Master."

Upon hearing this, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord hurriedly raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute! A gold level Alchemy Great Master is completely impossible."

“Gold level slaves are very rare, and even a single battle qi cultivator is strictly controlled by the kingdom.”

"An Alchemy Great Master is even more impossible. He represents not only a spellcaster, but also the productivity to continuously produce various alchemy items in the future, which means long-term and huge profits."

“A gold level Alchemy Great Master slave will basically stay in the hands of his first owner and will rarely be traded, unless it is a special situation where there is no other choice.”

“In fact, even if they become slaves, people of this caliber will quickly receive better treatment due to their contributions and abilities and will eventually be freed from slavery.”

The dragonman youngster fell silent.

He had known about this situation for a long time and had only mentioned it as a test balloon.

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's decisive refusal was also within the dragonman youngster's expectations.

He continued, "I can provide a few silver level Alchemy Masters at most."

“The specific number will depend on the situation after I make contact.”

“At least, I don't have such resources at my disposal at the moment.”

“However, I can provide your corps with a large number of alchemy apprentices and some alchemists.”

“Your group wants to sell arms on a large scale in Snow Bird Harbor and even the entire Ice Sculpture Kingdom, and building a corresponding alchemy factory is also part of your plan, right?”

“At that time, these alchemy apprentices and alchemists will have a place to use their skills.”

The dragonman youngster fell silent again.

Such a large-scale investment was not yet part of the survivors' plans.

However, if things continued to develop in this manner, constructing alchemy factories in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom would be a natural progression.

This was because the cost of transporting military supplies across the vast ocean was extremely high.

Especially with pirates rampant at present, the transportation risks were many times higher than before.

Building an arms factory in the Ice Sculpture Kingdom offered numerous advantages. 

On one hand, it reduced transportation costs and significantly minimized transportation risks. 

On the other hand, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom possessed abundant alchemy resources. It was very convenient to build an alchemy factory. In terms of the entire sea area, the Ice Sculpture Kingdom had the best environment for building factories.

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's proposal made the dragonman youngsters think about the distant future.

It was not that they hadn't thought about this before.

But the fact was that the current situation of the survivors was quite complicated.

The specific progress of atoning to the Sheng Ming Empire was related to their current survival situation.

In many cases, they had to take things one step at a time and assess the situation before acting.

If they rashly made large-scale investments and the secret of Mystifying Monster Island was discovered, they would have to flee into exile if they made no progress in atoning for their sins. Then, all their previous investments would be wasted.

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord was, of course, unaware of the complex situation the dragonman youngsters were currently in.

Seeing the dragonman youngster remain silent, he thought he had guessed his thoughts and plans correctly.

The city Lord became even more confident.

Of the three items on the list given by the dragonman youngster that he considered most difficult, he had revised them during the negotiations, and both sides had successfully reached an agreement.

Finally, he brought up the topic again and took the initiative to add the trading options of alchemy apprentices and alchemists.

Looking at the dragonman youngster's expression, the city Lord judged that the chances of success in this negotiation were very high!

But just then, the dragonman youngster changed the subject.

He first thanked the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord.

Then he said bluntly that the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord was still not sincere enough in terms of cooperation!

These words surprised the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and made him feel angry.

He believed that his side had already expressed sufficient sincerity and made significant concessions. Commander Long Fu still wanted to ask for more, which was too greedy.

For a moment, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord did not question, but stared at the dragonman youngster, his eyes revealing a silent inquiry.

The dragonman youngster was fearless, looking back at him with an open and sincere gaze.

He said slowly, "City Lord, the deal needs time."

“Don't forget, we still have two more exchanges to complete from the deal we made before.”

“Our new negotiation is meaningless until that is completed.”

“Time is precisely the key.”

“Now, our group has been attacked by a mysterious assassin, and two important members have already been killed!” 

"It can be said that every moment from now on is dangerous for our entire group. After all, we cannot prevent the mysterious assassin from attacking again." 

“Especially since there is evidence suggesting that this mysterious assassin is likely Hua Tang!” 

"Therefore, before we proceed with the transaction, you must first demonstrate sufficient sincerity. Let us believe that you are truly willing to cooperate with us."

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord couldn't help but laugh in anger.

The deal was a condition of cooperation, but the city Lord never expected that the dragonman youngster would have conditions on top of conditions.

This was a bit too much!

The city Lord took a deep breath, slowly turned around, walked a few steps, and sat back down in his original position.

He tilted his head slightly, looked down at the dragonman youngster, and added a hint of coldness to his tone: "Go ahead and say it. I may not necessarily agree."

The dragonman youngster could sense the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's anger, but in this situation, he became even more assertive.

Leaning back in his chair, he shook his head slowly, his gaze unwavering, his tone absolute: “This is the most fundamental requirement. If the city Lord cannot meet this condition, there can be no cooperation between us.”

“Everything discussed earlier is null and void!”

“We will depart the port tonight, even if we have to force our way through the gates.”

Seeing the dragonman youngster so assertive, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's heart stirred slightly, and the coldness on his face softened a little.

He narrowed his eyes slightly and carefully examined Commander Long Fu in front of him.

At this moment, the city Lord suddenly realized that Long Fu's previous threat to leave the port was not just a negotiating tactic. He really seemed to be determined to do so!

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord considered his tone carefully: “Commander Long Fu, relax, I am not your enemy.”

“We can cooperate, and we have already begun to cooperate.”

"We have already completed the first handover of our transaction. Regardless of whether this negotiation is successful or not, we will complete the next two handovers. Because I keep my promises!" 

“Please tell me the specific conditions.” 

The dragonman youngster said, "Our group is currently facing a severe survival crisis.   Therefore, we must eliminate that mysterious assassin! Only then can we have the confidence to cooperate with you, the city Lord, to deal with the Bayonet Gang."

"Only when we no longer have such worries can we devote our energy to dealing with external enemies. Otherwise, we will be on edge every day and every night during the upcoming operation."

The Snow Bird Harbor City Lord spread his hands helplessly and said, “Commander Long Fu, you must understand that you are asking too much!”

“Just a short while ago, you came to me for help, and I led you into the magician tower, such a sensitive location. You witnessed the results of our investigation with your own eyes.”

"Don’t even mention eliminating the mysterious assassin—we’ve had great difficulty even locating him. The prospects of eradicating him are extremely slim!"

He took a sip of tea first, then looked at the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord and said calmly, “We already know the killer's exact location.”

Snow Bird Harbor City Lord: “???”

After hearing the dragonman youngster's words, he was stunned for several seconds, his face full of surprise.

After that, his face showed surprise.

This emotion was so strong that he couldn't help but stand up subconsciously, staring intently at the dragonman youngster in front of him.

It was as if they were meeting for the first time!

It was also as if he was shouting: I didn't expect you, Commander Long Fu, with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, to be so calculating! You actually have such deep thoughts!

In those few seconds, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord suddenly realized that all of this was Commander Long Fu's plan and arrangement!

First, he pretended to ask for help.

Then, in the magician tower, he learned that the city Lord was unable to track down the mysterious murderer.

If the city Lord hadn't taken the initiative to follow him to the pier this time, Commander Long Fu would have invited him to this negotiation later.

“The Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps had long known the killer's location.”

“But they don't want to do it themselves!”

“Because the assassin is at the gold level, acted mysteriously, and is ruthless, dealing with him is extremely risky.”

“With the help of my power to capture and kill the assassin, the risk is minimal, and the reward is the highest for the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps.”

"After all, I am the city Lord and this is my duty." It's also my fault for repeatedly expressing my willingness to cooperate with the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps to deal with the Bayonet Gang."

After figuring this out, the Snow Bird Harbor City Lord's attitude towards the dragonman youngster changed subtly once again.

He deeply sighed, “Commander Long Fu, I have a whole new level of respect for you!”

“It’s no wonder you were made commander of the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps and was entrusted with the duty of breaking into Ice Sculpture Kingdom’s market.”

“I underestimated you. In fact, the Bayonet Gang underestimated you, and almost everyone in Snow Bird Harbor underestimated you!”

“But this is a matter of great importance.” The city Lord asked the dragonman youngster again, “Can your group really determine the location of the murderer?”

“Of course!” The dragonman youngster replied very decisively and confidently.