Early the next morning, Lin En arrived at the harbor docks with a pair of panda-black eyes, seeing Madam Flint and the others off.
What surprised him was—
Little Chili Vayne's attitude toward Lin En had clearly improved yesterday after their brief interaction, becoming much more polite.
Yet for some reason, this morning it had turned sour again. From the fishing village harbor city all the way until boarding the ship, she didn't give Lin En a single pleasant look.
She hadn't even been this angry yesterday when she returned the Valyrian steel blade to him.
Lin En stood on the dock, the little black dog following at his side, waving farewell to Madam Flint aboard the ship Widow's Cry.
This escort mission was led by Harry Kane, commander of the Swift Cavalry Regiment, who watched as the hundred Swift Cavalry soldiers boarded the two accompanying fishing vessels one after another.
Lin En reminded Harry that safety came first, and to minimize losses as much as possible.
Harry responded that he would definitely complete the mission and strive to return as soon as possible.
Vayne stood on the deck of the three-masted ship, watching the land slowly drift farther away. Staring at the increasingly distant Lin En, she glared, lips pressed tight, and muttered under her breath:
"Bad man."
What Lin En didn't know was that his visit to the Countess the previous night had been completely seen by Vayne, who had been hiding in a corner of the courtyard watching the stars. Seeing him knock on the lady's bedroom door late at night, Vayne now felt that Lin En was hypocritical on the outside and filthy on the inside.
Even though she couldn't quite understand why she was so angry, Vayne nearly suffered insomnia last night, only managing to sleep for a short while as dawn broke.
In her dream, she strangled Lin En to death—once.
After seeing off his new allies, Lin En returned to the lord's castle.
He summoned several fish merchants who frequently traveled to White Harbor or the Vale. This time, Lin En finally had the spare capacity to bring the development and construction of the fishing village port fully onto the right track.
Old fish merchant Kote, and a young man whose family had dealt in fresh fish for generations, Kompany, were representatives among them.
"You all have your own fishing boats, and you run to White Harbor a few times every month," Lin En asked from the high seat. "Who wants to take on this job for me?"
Old Kote's aged body was slightly hunched. His fishing boat often ran the White Harbor route."My lord," he said, "if you mean having us help you hire a group of mates and sailors with long-voyage experience in White Harbor, I think that's completely unnecessary. People like us can get it done for you. This old man once sailed as far south as Dorne. No one understands sailing better than I do."
Kompany snorted."Uncle Kote, you did sail that far—but that was when you were young, and only as a sailor. Do you remember where the hidden reefs are? Which waters have the most pirates? Which port in Dorne to enter from, and whether you need to grease the palms of the local nobles?
"My lord, I can take on this task. My family has sailed the seas for generations. We have a navigation log passed down from our ancestors. With it, I can smoothly complete your long-distance trade objectives. And the sailors on my ship are all young and strong, not afraid of wind or waves."
"A navigation log?" Old Kote spat and said disdainfully."Kid, that thing you're talking about is probably three hundred years old. Seas change, times change—the ocean is no longer the same. I've eaten off sea voyages for most of my life. Experience is king."
Lin En raised his hand, cutting off their verbal sparring.
He had no interest in listening to them brag. If they really had the ability they claimed, they wouldn't still be peddling fish in this backwater.
Lin En let out a light snort and said:
"Who said I want you to help me with long-distance sea trade? Have you gone poor enough to start dreaming? Besides, a single voyage fee of fifty Silver Stags isn't that easy to earn. Just focus on helping me recruit manpower in White Harbor! Old Kote—and you, Kompany boy—if you really want to do long-distance sea trade, you can spend your own money to hire experienced sailors and navigators. As long as you can truly prove you have that capability, then in the future, if the opportunity arises, I'll let you earn that fifty Silver Stags per voyage!"
Old Kote straightened his bent back slightly and grinned broadly, revealing a set of uneven yellow teeth.
"Oh ho, my lord, listen to you," Old Kote laughed. "Earning a bit of hard money is secondary. Your business is what really matters. You're looking to hire manpower, right? Perfect timing—I was just planning to make a run to White Harbor today anyway. My fish cargo is almost full and needs to be delivered there."
As he spoke, Old Kote glanced up to gauge Lin En's expression, then added,"My lord, how many people are you planning to hire this time? So I can have a number in mind."
Lin En didn't hide anything. He spread his fair palm and raised it."One hundred is not too few. Five hundred is not too many. Bring in as many as you can."
"And the wages?" someone asked.
Lin En thought for a moment."Based on White Harbor rates. But those who come can build homes on the spot—no settlement tax will be charged. Bringing families along is fine too."
Hearing this, Old Kote's face lit up with joy.
Ordinary commoner sailors rarely had houses of their own.
Most of them lived by throwing together grass huts near the docks, barely getting by. Even if they worked their whole lives and managed to save some money, if they wanted to build a house in some countryside, the local lord would still take a huge chunk as a settlement fee.
With the bait of free housing, recruiting five hundred people wouldn't be much of a problem at all. A deal this big had plenty of fat to skim.
If the lord let even a little slip through his fingers, it would probably match half a year of Old Kote's income.
As for whether the lord truly intended to give away houses or was just tricking ignorant sailors into serving him—Old Kote didn't care. Once people entered the fishing village port's territory, responsibility would lie with this young noble lord in front of him.
Old Kote quickly agreed, afraid Lin En might change his mind. He took an advance payment from Scholar Hill beside him, then left cheerfully.
Once Old Kote was gone, the previously noisy scene quieted down.
Kompany, a sturdy young man in his early twenties with short red hair and black eyes, looked disappointed after losing out to Old Kote.
His fish goods hadn't been fully purchased yet, and running to White Harbor with an empty ship would cost too much. That brief hesitation allowed the shrewd Old Kote to seize the opportunity. By the time Kompany came back to his senses, the old fox had already taken the advance and scurried off.
Lin En looked at the man below, lifted his teacup, and took a light sip.
"I still have another money-making venture," Lin En said. "I wonder if anyone here is interested."
Kompany was just about to excuse himself when he stopped upon hearing this. With expectation on his face, he asked,"My lord, are you planning to transport some kind of goods from White Harbor?"
Lin En smiled but didn't answer. He slowly set the teacup down and said,"The three two-masted sailing ships along the coastline—are you interested?"
Kompany's eyes lit up."My lord, are you planning to sell them?"
Although the three merchant ships bearing the Iron Islands markings were grounded in shallow waters, hiring a group of haulers and a few fishing boats would be enough to drag them out. After repainting them with pine tar, they would become fine seagoing vessels.
Lin En shook his head."Not for sale. But I can rent them out."
"Rent them?" Kompany froze.
His eyes soon dimmed again. Renting ships was extremely expensive—especially large two-masted vessels like those. Without a solid business route, hiring such a ship would be a guaranteed loss.
That was why most of the fishing boats in Lin En's fishing village port were single-masted, or even small boats powered by oars.
Just maintenance and upkeep for a large ship was a heavy expense, something ordinary fishermen and fish traders simply couldn't afford.
Lin En didn't let the people below feel disappointed for long. He steadied himself and said:
"Although it's a rental, the maintenance costs are all on me. And the business is already prepared. You only need to run the ship and, once you reach the destination, help me purchase what I need and bring it back."
"My lord… is that true?"
Kompany's spirit instantly revived. He lifted his drooping head and jumped up from his seat in excitement.
The contract's signed—anyone who wants to do an investment mission can give it a try.
...
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(End Chapter)