chsdbacks Chapter 106 Re-entering Cold Iron Island
Chapter 106 Re-entering Cold Iron Island
Chapter 106 Re-entering Cold Iron Island (3K)
Inside the main cabin of the Zhenyuan, the sea breeze blew in, causing the nautical charts on the table to flutter.
Luo Meng stood like an iron tower behind Chen Yuanzhi.
Xu Hao held the Black Blade Devouring the Sea in one hand, and lightly tapped the tip of the blade on one of the sea charts, making a soft "thud" sound.
The tip of the knife was pointing directly at Cold Iron Island.
"That old bastard, Iron Hand, has left us a great gift."
His voice wasn't loud, but it instantly made the atmosphere in the cabin tense.
Shen Tieyi's gaze fell on the map. She had just confirmed the latest news through her own channels, and her voice was cold and hard: "The people that Xian Tieshou brought into the Sea King's Tomb represent 80% of the Salt and Iron Society's fighting force. Currently, his deputy, Tie Suanpan (Iron Abacus) Liu Cheng, is in charge on the island. This man is shrewd and calculating, but physically weak. My people report that Liu Cheng is secretly meeting with various forces, trying to exchange 30% of the Cold Iron Mine's shares for military protection."
"Thirty percent?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Hao scoffed.
"Does he deserve it? He's being offered easy prey, and he still has to pay for it?"
"Boss, eating meat is a given, but there's a specific way to do it."
"A direct confrontation is the worst approach." Chen Yuanzhi tapped the nautical chart with his pen. "The value of Cold Iron Island lies half in its minerals and half in its people. If we really go crazy, Liu Cheng will definitely resort to desperate measures and blow up the mines before he dies. In the end, we'll only have a deserted island. What will we use to build ships? How will we feed our brothers?"
He paused, looked up at Shen Tieyi, then glanced at Xu Hao, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"What I mean is, a two-pronged approach."
"Chief Shen, you take the boat and go there in a grand manner, negotiating with him in the name of the Iron Anchor Gang. As long as there's a sliver of hope to save his possessions, Liu Cheng won't risk his life. You're responsible for negotiating with him at the table, driving the price down as much as possible, and stalling him."
Chen Yuanzhi's pen tip traced an arc from the front of the island, landing on the dead-end reef area on the back of the island.
"I'll follow the old ways with the boss, wiping out his hideout from under his nose. Armory, mining area, all in one fell swoop. By the time he realizes what's happening, he won't be able to say who's on the island anymore."
Shen Tieyi looked at Chen Yuanzhi, and for the first time, his eyes held something beyond scrutiny.
Before discussing the deal, the group had already laid their cards on the table. This former young master of a prominent family in Chenzhou, now known as the second-in-command of Zhenhai, was more ruthless and cunning than the most venomous sea snake when it came to scheming against people.
Luo Meng, standing behind him, grinned. He didn't understand the intricacies of the conversation, but he was an expert when it came to fighting.
Xu Hao slung the Sea-Devouring Blade over his shoulder and made the decision.
"Let's do it this way."
Shen Tieyi's Iron Anchor Gang swaggered to the dock in front of Hantie Island.
Three armored warships lined up in a row, with all the crossbows on both sides of the ship cocked and the crossbowmen standing at their firing positions, the dark muzzles aimed at every living creature on the dock.
Liu Cheng personally went out to greet him.
The man was tall and thin, with a pair of triangular eyes that darted around. He was fiddling with an iron abacus, the beads clicking incessantly.
He was followed by about twenty guards from the Salt and Iron Society, each with a short sword at their waist and a tense expression on their faces.
"Chief Shen's presence is an honor to Bi Sheng, the leader of Han Tie Island." Liu Cheng cupped his hands, his face crinkling with smiles. "Please come in, tea is ready."
Shen Tieyi jumped down the gangway, the metal armor clashing together with a crisp metallic sound.
She glanced at the defenses on the dock, ignored Liu Cheng's words, and walked straight inside.
Liu Cheng's smile froze for a moment, and she quickly jogged to catch up.
The negotiations were held in the only stone-built council chamber on the island.
Tea and snacks were laid out on the table. Liu Cheng poured tea for Shen Tieyi attentively, but his words were always carefully chosen.
"Chief Shen, Chairman Xian has entered the Sea King's Tomb and has not returned yet. The Salt and Iron Society is in a state of panic and desperately needs a reliable ally." Liu Cheng checked his abacus. "If the Iron Anchor Gang is willing to provide armed protection, the Salt and Iron Society is willing to give up 20% of its mining shares. It's all in black and white, no ambiguity."
Shen Tieyi picked up the teacup, blew away the foam, and didn't drink it.
"Twenty percent?"
"Twenty percent." Liu Cheng held up two fingers. "This is genuine cold iron ore. The concentrate produced in a year is worth at least thirty thousand blood crystals."
Shen Tieyi put down his teacup: "Manager Liu, is your 20% share in the mine calculated based on the current output, or on the output when Xian Tieshou was still in power?"
Liu Cheng's smile faltered.
"I heard," Shen Tieyi said slowly, wiping the rim of his teacup, "that the source mining area has been sealed off, the grade of surface veins has dropped by 30%, and half the miners have left. How much of your 20% will you actually receive?"
Liu Cheng's abacus beads stopped spinning.
"Besides," Shen Tieyi looked up at him, "the Iron Anchor Gang has three thousand members, and they all need money for food, drink, and shelter. Sending people to the island requires oil for the ships, arrows for the crossbows, and wages for the men. My 20% share in the mines isn't even enough to cover my ship maintenance costs. How am I supposed to explain this to the brothers?"
Beads of sweat appeared on Liu Cheng's forehead as he began to move the abacus beads again, this time slowly, one bead at a time, as if cutting flesh.
"This—Chief Shen, what do you think is a suitable amount?"
Shen Tieyi did not report the number.
She started asking about the miners' food standards, the ventilation and drainage of the mine shafts, the draft of the ore-carrying ships, and the weight limit of the dock berths. Each question was relatively simple, but each one required Liu Cheng to check the ledgers, call people, and verify.
Liu Cheng was overwhelmed and sweat was pouring down his forehead.
He vaguely sensed something was wrong—the woman was asking about all the trivial details, without mentioning the actual price at all.
She's stalling for time.
But he dared not refuse to answer.
The Iron Anchor Gang's warships were moored outside the dock, and he could clearly hear the sound of crossbows being cocked.
Shen Tieyi picked up the teacup again, took a sip this time, and frowned: "The tea is cold."
Liu Cheng quickly ordered someone to change the tea.
While the council chamber was arguing back and forth, on the other side of Cold Iron Island, in the Undercurrent Zone...
A thick, grayish-white fog silently spread along the sea surface, swallowing up the reefs, the waves, and even the cries of seabirds.
In the center of the fog, the massive Zhenyuan slowly approached the shore, its turtle-shaped bow gently tapping against the reef without making a sound.
Xu Hao jumped off the ship's side, his feet landing on the slippery black stones. He glanced back at the sailors on the deck.
"Luo Meng, pick ten men."
Luo Meng was prepared. He pointed at each person with his finger, and those who were pointed at immediately moved towards the side of the ship without saying a word.
These people all came out alive from the Sea King's Tomb; their courage and obedience have been tested, so there's no need for further explanation.
"Take the waterway, sneak in from the back current, and follow the cold pool in the abandoned mine to reach the shore." Xu Hao squatted by the reef, used the blade of the Sea Devouring Blade to make a few cuts on the reef, marking the general route.
A lean sailor raised his hand: "Boss, wasn't the water in that pool supposed to be freezing cold before?"
"That was when the Cold Iron Mother was still around," Luo Meng answered for Xu Hao. "The Boss moved that iron lump away, and now this pool is just cool at best."
The lean sailor smacked his lips and didn't ask any more questions.
The twelve people entered the water one after another without making a splash, sliding into the undercurrent through the crevices of the rocks.
The seawater was icy cold, and the undercurrents were quite strong. Fortunately, these people were excellent swimmers. They used the underwater rock walls for leverage and moved forward in a straight line.
Xu Hao was at the very front.
Underwater visibility was extremely poor, but he knew this route very well. Last time he swam in with Luo Meng and his sister, he remembered every bend and every protruding reef clearly.
After passing through a narrow crevice in the rocks, which was so narrow that you could only pass sideways, the space ahead suddenly opened up.
The water temperature in the cold pool was much higher than last time.
Without the ancient, cold iron mother suppressing it, this pool of water is no different from an ordinary underground river.
Xu Hao was the first to surface, shaking the water off his hair and looking around.
changed.
Last time I came here, it was so cold it could freeze you into an icicle. The rock walls were covered in black frost, and the fragments of the mine corpses were piled up everywhere. There was a strange smell of rot and metal mixed together in the air.
Now? The black frost is gone, the remains of the mine corpses have been cleaned up, and there are even fresh chisel marks on the ground—someone has worked here.
More than just construction has been carried out.
Two rows of thick iron stakes were driven into the ground, each as thick as a forearm, deeply embedded in the rock strata.
Thick iron chains, rusted and covered with dark brown dried bloodstains, were strung between the iron stakes.
A person was chained to the chain.
Luo Meng emerged from the water, and before he could even wipe the water off his face, he caught sight of the two rows of iron stakes and froze.
"Without the Cold Iron Mother, has Salty Iron Hand started mining here?"
Xu Hao didn't reply, but raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling the sailors who were gradually emerging to be quiet.
More than thirty men, shirtless, with their ribs clearly visible and their skin covered in whip marks.
They squatted on the ground, using the most primitive stone hammers to strike the rock wall, chiseling off pieces of ore with high iron content and piling them into baskets beside them.
Four guards from the Salt and Iron Society leaned against the entrance to the mine tunnel. Two were dozing off, one was munching on dried meat, and the other was holding a leather whip, idly whipping the nearest miner.
"Hurry up and finish! If you dawdle, you won't get today's quota, and you won't even get dinner!"
The miner was whipped, let out a muffled groan, but didn't stop wielding the stone hammer.
Luo Meng's breathing became heavy.
He recognized him.
The miner who had been whipped had an old scar on his left arm that ran from his shoulder to his elbow, a result of a shark bite.
Luo Meng recognized the scarred man as Zhou Si, the third leader of the Wild Waves Gang, nicknamed "White Shark in the Waves".
Lang Fantian led the elite of the Kuanglang Gang into the Sea King's Tomb and never came out again.
The remaining members of the gang, the old, weak, sick, and disabled, were leaderless; some scattered, some fled, and some were arrested.
Zhou Si is a tough guy; the fact that he's fallen to this state shows just how thoroughly the Mad Wave Gang has disintegrated.
Luo Meng gripped Xu Hao's arm, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word, but his eyes were completely red.
Xu Hao patted the back of his hand, meaning "I understand."
He didn't rush to take action, but observed for a while longer.
Four guards, three at the Skin Polishing Realm and one at the early Bone Forging Realm, the one with the whip.
There was an oil lamp at each end of the mine tunnel, with limited illumination. The miners' chains were all tied to the same row of iron stakes, and the locks were standard Salt and Iron Society style, with one key opening each row.
enough.