Chapter 304, Don't you need informants?
Since Wu Heng joined, Minnie couldn't find much to say.
She just sat on the side, listening to them talk about pirates and trade.
After a while of chatting, Wu Heng thought about the goods he had obtained from the pirate ship.
He asked, "I got some goods from the pirates. Do you know of any way to sell them?"
"Pirate goods?" Shanaila brushed a strand of hair from her shoulder and said, "You can sell them to us. I'll give you the market price for the goods."
Shanaila had always been somewhat considerate toward him.
It made Wu Heng feel like he was living off of her.
Wu Heng thought for a moment, then asked, "What procedures are needed to set up my own merchant guild?"
"You want to set up your own merchant guild?"
"I just want to see the situation. I have a few ships, and leaving them docked for too long will incur handling fees, so I want to see how I can put them to use."
Shanaila smiled and said, "Setting up a merchant guild isn't hard, but you need to have reliable supply channels and ensure market competitiveness. The small amount of goods you plundered won't sustain a guild."
That made sense.
To set up a guild, you at least needed a stable supply of goods and market advantage.
Scattered goods could be sold off directly for a nice profit.
But relying on them to support a guild was impossible; you couldn't even cover the crew and ship maintenance costs.
But Wu Heng had his own thoughts. After all, in the other world, he was constantly plundering various daily supplies.
Now, they were all piled up in a large warehouse.
Li Yanhong had urged him more than once to take away the collected items.
Wu Heng said, "I'm just trying to understand the process."
Shanaila replied, "The process isn't too complicated. For example, if you're from the Yeko Kingdom, as long as you've registered a maritime merchant guild in your country, you can conduct overseas trade. However, you still need to report it in various places to avoid misunderstandings and potential losses."
Wu Heng thought about it and realized it wasn't that simple.
He wasn't well-received in the Yeko Kingdom.
Whether he could even complete the registration was uncertain.
"Does it have to be in your own country? I don't have any connections in the Yeko Kingdom," Wu Heng said.
"You can base it in Gold-Silver Island, but it's not stable. It might lose recognition by the powers at any time," Shanaila said, looking at him.
Wu Heng frowned, feeling it was still troublesome.
Shanaila smiled and said, "I understand what you're thinking, but I feel like you won't focus on the guild for long. If you just want to put those ships to use, you could lease them out to earn a steady income, like renting out a house. It's a sure-profit business."
"That's true." Wu Heng nodded and then added, "I also have some daily supplies. Could you help me figure out how to sell them?"
"Sure! Now?"
"Tomorrow. I need to have them brought over."
"Alright!" Shanaila nodded.
They sat in the living room chatting for a while, and Andviel came in from outside.
She smiled and greeted 'Shanaila' with a nod.
Wu Heng looked at the elegant wood elf and said, "Stay for dinner!"
"I wouldn't want to impose."
......
The next morning.
Shanaila arrived with a few guards.
After greeting Wu Heng, she asked, "Where are the goods you mentioned yesterday?"
"Over here!"
Wu Heng led her to the backyard and pointed to two large cardboard boxes piled in the clearing.
"This is part of it, but the rest is more or less the same."
Shanaila nodded and gestured for her people to open the boxes, revealing neatly arranged glassware and ceramics.
She picked up a blue-gray glass cup, held it up to the sky, examined it carefully, and said, "Very clear, and the shape and craftsmanship are excellent. It's more refined than the glass products on the market and should have a decent demand."
Wu Heng, standing to the side, added, "I sold these in the Yeko Kingdom for a while, and they sold very well."
Shanaila took out a few more items and examined them, then curiously asked, "Why are no two pieces the same?"
"That's what's left in stock, so there aren't many duplicates."
Shanaila nodded, thought for a moment, and said, "I can buy these for 1 silver coin each, but you have to guarantee you won't sell them anywhere else."
This price was much higher than Wu Heng had expected.
When he sold them before, he was just trying to offload stock that no one was using, so he sold them cheaply.
But it seemed Shanaila had a better understanding of market pricing.
"What, not enough? I still need to cover transportation and sales costs, and I can't let the merchant group lose money," Shanaila quickly said when she saw him remain silent.
"No, I don't have any objections, and I can guarantee no one else will sell these things."
Shanaila nodded. "The merchant group's ships will arrive in a few days. Make sure the goods are ready in advance."
"Got it!"
After finishing the deal, the two sat down by the stone pavilion while the guards stood watch from a distance.
Shanaila propped her chin on her hand, looking at him with curiosity, "I didn't expect you had experience in business."
"Just dabbling. You have to live, after all!"
"If you ever don't want to be a deputy steward anymore, you can come work for me. I guarantee you won't have to worry about food or clothing," Shanaila said with a grin.
"I don't want to live off someone else."
"How would you know if you like it if you don't try?"
Wu Heng glanced up at her again. This time, her face flushed slightly, and she looked away.
They sat and chatted for a while.
Minnie came running in from the front yard.
She said, "Master, Sister Viel asked you to come to the guild."
"Alright!" Wu Heng nodded, then turned to Shanaila and said, "I'll be out for a bit."
"Okay, come back soon."
After saying that, she realized her tone was a bit off, and her face turned red again.
......
Arriving at the guild, Wu Heng entered the office.
"What is it, Viel?" Wu Heng asked.
Andviel replied, "Master, the steward has asked for you."
"What for?"
"It's about the hostages from the Iron Barrel Pirate Group," Andviel answered.
"Oh, alright!" Wu Heng agreed and headed straight for the steward's study.
He stood at the door and lightly knocked.
Then he pushed the door open and entered.
Steward Imiro was still sitting behind the desk, with assistant Moya standing by his side.
"Steward, you called for me?" Wu Heng asked.
Imiro nodded and said, "We interrogated the people you brought back. Three of them were merchant group hostages, but the others were connected to the pirates."
"What kind of connection?"
"There were pirate wives and daughters among them."
Wu Heng frowned, recalling the scene when he first saw them. "Pirate wives and daughters, why were they locked up in a cage?"
Upon reflection, there were indeed many suspicious points.
"The Iron Barrel Pirate Group had an internal conflict. They were all people loyal to the former captain."
Wu Heng had heard some rumors about the internal strife within the Iron Barrel Pirate Group.
But he hadn't expected it to involve the families of the crew.
The new captain seemed to be a piece of work, taking over the pirate group and seizing the former captain's family.
"So why did you call me here...?" Wu Heng asked, confused.
Shouldn't they just handle the situation as needed?
Why involve him?
Imiro remained silent, but assistant Moya spoke up, "Didn't you say before that you wanted to develop your own informants?"
"You want me to pick from these two women?"
Wu Heng frowned.
Wu Heng had considered setting up his own informants, but he hadn't identified any specific targets yet.
Now, they were talking about these hostages, but one was a wife and the other a daughter. Neither seemed like ideal candidates.
Imiro handed over a dossier and said, "Philippa, the former captain's daughter from the Iron Barrel Pirate Group. You killed the current captain, so you've effectively saved her life. You can go talk to her."
Wu Heng looked at him, "Are you sure if you let her go, she won't run away or betray us?"
"Aren't you a necromancer? Don't you have ways to control people?" assistant Moya asked.
"I'm a proper mage. I don't study that kind of magic, just some techniques for enslaving the dead."
Imiro took a scroll from his spatial ring and handed it to him, "A slave scroll. You can use it on her if you wish."
Wu Heng thought for a moment and decided to pocket the scroll.
He'd wait and see the situation first.
Even if she wasn't a suitable candidate, at least he had the scroll.
"Alright, I'll go talk to her!"
Wu Heng said and then left the steward's study.
......
Back in the study.
Wu Heng handed the dossier to Andviel and instructed her to bring the prisoner from the cell.
Not long after, the door opened.
A staff member escorted a prisoner wearing shackles inside.
She was thin and disheveled.
Wu Heng recognized her.
She looked the same as she had on the ship, like a beggar pulled from a mud pit.
Now that her face had been washed, he could see that she had a delicate appearance.
"Your name is 'Philippa'?"
Philippa turned her head to the side, remaining silent.
Wu Heng said directly, "Pirates have been constantly harassing the trade routes. The guild plans to execute all of you tomorrow at noon."
Hearing this, the once-silent expression in her eyes trembled slightly.
She clearly showed fear in the face of death.
But she still said nothing.
"I'll only ask you once. I won't give you a second chance," Wu Heng stared at her and asked, "Do you want to live?"
Philippa's pupils contracted. After hesitating for a moment, she gritted her teeth and said, "Yes!"