Chapter 201: Trading Ruins for Territory
Without rushing things, Matthew watched as the worried and frightened half-elves left.
Angela would arrange for them to stay in the safest area of Murloc Castle, and when the teleportation array opened at night, they would be sent directly to the territory.
If all went well, these half-elves would become the treasures of the territory.
Regarding this unexpected gift, Matthew's current thought was to see if there was a way to get more from the Carlisle family!
Matthew considered himself someone who valued talent greatly.
He was willing to create better living conditions for them and meet their needs for growth as much as possible.
This way, they wouldn't have to worry about "mundane affairs" and could fully express their talents.
Contributing to the development of the entire territory with their abilities.
Therefore, the more talents, the better.
Rather than leaving them with the enemy, it was better to control them himself.
While Adam Smith was talking to Hawk and Brown, he casually pulled out a communication scroll, smiling slightly for no apparent reason, which made the two men nervous.
Adam Smith tossed the communication scroll aside nonchalantly, completely ignoring the probing looks from the two.
He continued pointing to the ruins on the map and spoke with immense confidence:
"Let's not beat around the bush. We know exactly what's in this ruin—at least several million gold coins in wealth!"
Several million gold coins!
The massive fortune instantly broke through the psychological defenses of both men, leaving them in disbelief.
Seeing their stunned expressions, the smile on Adam Smith's face slightly faded.
He pretended to have accidentally let something slip, then gave them a mischievous smile, speaking mockingly:
"So, it seems you don't actually know what's beneath the ruins, do you?"
"Could it be that your status isn't high enough, or your superiors didn't inform you?"
Hearing this, the two men's hearts sank.
Brown, who had always considered himself a core member of the Carlisle family, couldn't help but recall Viscount Larry's expressionless face, feeling a bitter sting.
"So, I've been deluding myself this whole time?"
Meanwhile, Hawk's eyes widened, his mind buzzing with thoughts of the potential profits from several million gold coins, filling him with excitement.
After speaking, Adam Smith said nothing more, instead watching the two men with keen interest.
Sensing his gaze, the two quickly realized something.
If Adam Smith had brought this up, there was certainly something they could do.
Otherwise, there would be no point in wasting time here.
Unable to suppress his greed, Hawk, eager to recover his losses or even make a profit, spoke up, testing the waters:
"Mr. Adam Smith, as you said, there's no need for us to waste each other's time. What can we do?"
Seeing Hawk's decisiveness, Adam Smith couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
Though there were many fools among the nobility, there were also plenty of smart ones. Without hesitating further, he laid everything out:
"The lord is very satisfied with the half-elven slaves you've provided, so he has decided to use you two to establish contact with the Carlisle family."
"Bay Territory is willing to cooperate with the Carlisle family to jointly develop this ruin, which holds millions in wealth."
"But we want control over the restoration of Sweetwater Town and its territory…"
Hawk carefully mulled over Adam Smith's words, quickly extracting several key points:
"Bay Territory wants more half-elven slaves, which is one of my advantages…"
"They're using Brown and me to contact the Carlisle family, which gives us an opportunity, but also a test…"
"Control over Sweetwater Town and its territory is the condition Bay Territory is asking for…"
"In fact, Bay Territory is likely putting forward this condition to force the Carlisle family to compromise and gain more leverage in the compensation negotiations!"
Hawk thought through a lot in that moment. He understood how difficult it would be to convince the Carlisle family to trade territory for the ruin's development.
But Hawk had no choice!
Without hesitation, he lifted his head and, with firm resolve, said to Adam Smith:
"No problem. We will definitely convince the Carlisle family to agree to cooperate with Bay Territory."
Having come to the same realization, Brown also seized the opportunity to demonstrate his value and sincerity:
"That's right. I will personally convince Viscount Larry to agree to this. We also want to cooperate with Bay Territory."
"As for the matter of compensation, we will make sure to persuade the Carlisle family as well."
Adam Smith was very pleased with their quick understanding.
He chatted with them for a while longer, and only after they started to grow a bit anxious did he signal that they could leave to discuss the matter.
Matthew, satisfied with Adam Smith's persuasion, asked in a playful tone:
"Can those two really pull it off?"
Sensing the closeness in Matthew's voice, Adam Smith, thinking about the half-elven slaves, confidently replied:
"For greater influence and profit, and to avoid being abandoned by the Carlisle family, they'll definitely do their best."
"After all, for them, only a small part of all this belongs to them personally. They won't hesitate to sell what isn't truly theirs…"
Such is nobility!
Such is human nature!
Interestingly, Matthew and Adam Smith didn't have to wait long.
Just two hours later, the two men returned via teleportation with the news that the Carlisle family had fully agreed.
With that, the conflict between Bay Territory and the Carlisle family came to an end.
Now, they were preparing to join forces to develop the ruins near the Murloc Camp.
By noon,
the prisoners, after a morning of work, stopped upon their captains' orders.
Their expressions showed a mix of anxiety and hesitation, and some whispered quietly to each other.
Until the burly Beelzebub appeared again, shouting at everyone:
"Alright, the morning's work is done. Everyone clean yourselves up, and get ready for lunch."
Was there really going to be lunch?
The prisoners were still doubtful.
But when they lined up and reached the large new pool, they thoroughly washed off the mud and grime.
Then, under their captains' supervision, each received two large pieces of black bread and a big bowl of meat soup, with visible chunks of meat.
Only then did everyone finally relax, though their minds were filled with complicated thoughts as they ate.
They had been hungry for so long!
As they savored the taste of meat, the prisoners couldn't help but feel a deep confusion.
Why was being a prisoner better than how they were treated before they were captured?