John immediately sneered when he heard Cullen's proposal.
"And what if those sailors turn around and sideline me?"
"They all come from the same organization, while I'm an outsider."
"If I spend such an enormous amount of money buying the warship, only to discover that everyone aboard still belongs to your naval forces, wouldn't I just be a commander in name only?"
"I'd basically be paying you to put on a show for me."
Cullen hurriedly explained,
"You misunderstand."
"I can arrange for all the sailors currently serving aboard the ship to be officially dismissed."
"That will include both ordinary crewmen and members of the management staff."
"You can then insert your own people into the vacant positions."
"Once your men occupy the key posts, the remaining sailors will naturally fall under your control."
"Besides, those sailors earn only one gold coin per month."
"With your wealth, you only need to raise their salaries slightly."
