The harbor was still bustling in the early morning, and not far away, another large ship leisurely anchored at its mooring. The Elf Race's ships still boldly flew the flag of the Poplar Kingdom, but everyone had noted an inconspicuous fact.
On most of the Elven ships, there were a few additional humans, while the legitimate Elf sailors and commanders were concentrated on the four largest ships in the fleet.
The morning sun shone feebly on people's bodies, and the cool sea breeze, carrying the sound of crashing waves, brought with it a hint of winter's chill to Brunas.
The dozen or so carriages docked at the pier made the entire wharf seem crowded. Teams of Elf sailors struggled to lift wooden crates off the carriages and stack them beside the ships.
Transporting cargo via narrow planks was clearly not easy, so moving wooden crates onto the ships was no simple task.
Moreover, the expressions of the Elven commanders standing by were serious, and the Elf soldiers, armed with matchlock guns and live ammunition, were as cautious as if in a state of war.
"Watch your step! Be careful!" the Elf captain, leading the group, called out loudly to the cautious Elf sailors, his hands clasped behind his back.
These sailors carefully worked in pairs, each group moving wooden crates stamped with the words "Great Tang" onto the ships.
Those in the know were aware that those crates contained 10 K1 Quick Guns, and most of them were diverted by Tang Mo from a consignment intended for Northern Ridge.
After all, a two-day delay in arming Northern Ridge wasn't too problematic, whereas the Elf Race had paid a substantial sum and they were leaving in two days.
So, Tang Mo prioritized supplying the Elf Race with 100 K1 Quick Guns, while in other crates, there were 200 revolvers along with the corresponding ammunition.
Merely transporting these goods had required more than a dozen carriages, and Tang Mo would bring at least three steam engine parts and related blueprints, as well as metallurgical specifications the following day.
While the Elves' dock was busy loading cargo, at the dock where Tang Mo's fleet was moored, cargo was being unloaded.
Alice had seen her fair share of big ships, but this was her first time leaning on the ship's railings, watching sailors carry heavy boxes off the ship onto the pier via narrow planks.
She curiously felt the sea breeze against her face and watched those ragged-clothed Elf sailors move iron boxes, heavy and unwieldy, onto the carriages.
Because the boxes were so weighty, each time a container was stacked on a carriage, a dull, heavy thud sounded.
"How much money did you extort from the Elves?" Alice asked, leaning on the railing next to Tang Mo as he approached.
"Not too much, I suppose. They made about 30,000 Gold Coins in gross profit from this sea trade, all of which are here with me," Tang Mo said with a modest laugh and a downplayed expression.
"Lend me some?" Alice was predictably eyeing those Gold Coins again.
"Trust me, this money is far more useful in my hands than if I were to lend it to you," Tang Mo refused the beauty's request.
"Has anyone ever told you that you're quite annoying?" Alice glanced at Tang Mo, feeling that this man was truly insensible.
"Ha! You're the first, but definitely not the last," Tang Mo laughed heartily. He looked into the distance, seeing the ninth crate being loaded onto a carriage, his mood growing increasingly better.
Money in hand! The hardest part is getting started, and after receiving the Elf's Gold Coins, he had finally earned his first pot of gold in the truest sense.
"What are you in such a hurry to do with all these Gold Coins?" Alice eyed Tang Mo curiously, hoping to discern the answer from his expression.
"Charity work, distributing the money to the poor," Tang Mo replied naturally, without batting an eye.
"Your lies are like holding a mouthful of feathers, ready to fly out the moment you speak," Alice commented with a snort of disdain.
Tang Mo laughed out loud and then made his way to the plank, "I have matters to attend to and won't be able to join Miss Alice for breakfast... You can stroll around Brunas; I'll have Tagg accompany you."
As he spoke, he walked down the gangway and made his way.
Watching Tang Mo board a carriage, Alice withdrew her gaze, speaking wistfully, "Eleven merchant ships, and half of them are unloading their cannons... he's really generous. Those Shireck cannons weren't cheap when bought."
"Not just that, he's taken all the Gold Coins from our ship and two others... probably about 12,000 in total..." Behind her, the butler watched Tang Mo's departing carriage and spoke to Alice.
"I can't fathom this man, nor predict him; he never speaks the truth, so... there's nothing I can do," Alice said with a tinge of sorrow, "We're dependent on him, and we can't force the issue... "
"Don't worry, Miss! Perhaps a capable individual is the best choice for us to collaborate with," the butler reassured Alice.
Meanwhile, Tang Mo's carriage had left the harbor and quickly arrived at the door of a closed tavern along a sparsely trafficked street.
Tang Mo jumped down from the carriage and signaled for Wes to knock on the door. The door soon opened, revealing a bleary-eyed bartender who, upon seeing Tang Mo, paused for a moment before jerking his chin, indicating they could come in.
Tang Mo stood at the entrance of the Silver Fox Tavern, sizing up the interior decor, and said to the old man who was slowly approaching with a smile, "You see, I got my first pot of Gold Coin faster than we had agreed."
The old man seemed to be waiting for Tang Mo and gestured for him to follow. They walked to the most secluded corner of the tavern, a very quiet spot.
Li'ao sat down by himself, and Tang Mo sat across from him.
The old man Li'ao spoke only then, continuing from where their previous conversation had left off, "My informants at the dock have already told me you've acquired a ship... and quite a few sailors... To tell you the truth, I really didn't expect you to be so capable."
"Do you still like the toy I gave you?" Tang Mo nodded, acknowledging the intelligence capabilities of the Silver Fox Tavern.
"Love it! Absolutely love it! So, it's not surprising to me that you really have something the Elf Race wants." Thinking of that new type of firearm, Li'ao was full of confidence in Tang Mo's swift rise. He felt it was time to place his bet, for the entire Silver Fox Tavern.
"No, Li'ao... I have something that everyone in the world wants!" Tang Mo waved his hand and arrogantly corrected, "Something that no one can refuse."
"Everything I said before is still valid, Mr. Tang Mo. If you are willing to accept my terms and lead these miserable sinners back to their homeland... we will all submit to you! To serve you!" Li'ao didn't mind the details; he stared at Tang Mo and offered his terms once again.
"That sounds like a terrific idea... How about I buy this place? The price is negotiable." Tang Mo looked around once more and then back at Li'ao, "You know what I mean, not just this tavern, but... you and all your friends."
"That won't come cheap, Mr. Tang Mo. As you know, running a tavern costs a pretty penny." Li'ao proudly pointed at himself, "And I have many friends."
"Name your price," said Tang Mo, spreading his hands.
"..." Li'ao, the old man, fell silent as if pondering... Finally, he spoke, "Are you sure you can really take us all back?"
"If you live another five years, you'll find that you can go anywhere you want, anywhere!" Tang Mo made a promise.
"Then, 10,000 Gold Coins!" The old man quoted an exorbitantly high price, which would be steep for anyone.
"Deal," Tang Mo said calmly.
"I think you might not understand what 10,000 Gold Coins really mean."
"In fact, if possible, I'd have preferred to bring banknotes or a cheque." Tang Mo said something Li'ao didn't understand, then looked towards Wes at his side.
Wes nodded slightly, walked to the door, and gestured to someone outside.
Two soldiers struggled to carry a chest into the tavern, with the bartender frowning and following them as they slowly brought the chest to the table where Tang Mo and Li'ao were sitting.
"Don't tell me this chest is filled with Gold Coins." Even Li'ao had never seen such a large chest meant to hold Gold Coins.
As he spoke, he sat back down across Li'ao, "You can count them... If any are missing, I'll have to get the elves to make up the difference."
"But what I said just now... was 10,000 Gold Coins... Mr. Tang." It took a great effort for Li'ao to tear his gaze away from the chest of Gold Coins, "You..."
"I didn't misunderstand," Tang Mo interrupted old man Li'ao, "There are nine more chests one on the five carriages outside... all filled with Gold Coins."
"Gulp..." Everyone heard a swallowing sound in the quiet room. The bartender standing by was trembling with a nervous Adam's apple.
"..." Silence filled the space. No one spoke, as if no one wanted to break the quiet of the tavern.
Finally, Li'ao spoke. He said the words that Tang Mo wanted to hear with difficulty and yet naturally, "The Silver Fox is yours now, and this old bag of bones is yours as well..."
"Then... you can all swear loyalty to me," Tang Mo looked at the bartender and then at Li'ao, ready to accept them.
"I swear upon my ancestors' names that I and all the informants of the Silver Fox Tavern pledge allegiance to you, Mr. Tang Mo!" Li'ao stood up and bowed slightly to Tang Mo.
The bartender by the chest knelt on one knee, bowing his head to Tang Mo, "Master! I offer you my loyalty. I swear on my life that I will serve you for as long as I live, to the very end of my life."
Tang Mo stood up, indicating that they could get up, "Very good! Now, I need you to help me investigate something!"
"No problem! Master, what would you like to know?" Li'ao asked respectfully.
Tang Mo gave an investigative direction, "It's about Brunas... Some... intelligence regarding the City Defense Forces!"