Munitions Empire

Chapter 127: I am originally from the nobility

"Do you really intend to keep him?" Roger asked with some unease, watching John caressing a newly produced C64 field gun in the distance.

"I suppose so, at least he's here to hedge his bets. Since I'm more optimistic about my side, he can still be of use," Tang Mo mused as he watched John's figure from afar.

Roger, somewhat worried, reminded Tang Mo, "We're now short of 100,000 Gold Coins, and it seems we'll have to find another way to fund our subsequent procurement plans."

"In fact, our investments in other workshops have been hugely successful. Thanks to the refining methods you provided, Brunas' glass workshop has turned around, and their glass has opened up quite a few markets." Speaking of which, Roger started to tease Tang Mo.

In his view, this might be a great irony for Tang Mo: aside from the most profitable arms trade, Tang Mo's other investments were also yielding profits.

And it's very possible that, in the upcoming period, Tang Mo would have to rely on these civilian daily use workshops to subsidize and sustain his military industry enterprise.

So, he couldn't help but laugh as he said, "The cement factory also landed a big contract, supplying materials for Brunas' wall and housing repair projects... Although it's just a word from the mayor, it truly netted you a hefty profit."

Seeing Tang Mo a bit embarrassed, Roger became even happier, "At the cloth workshop, the new dyeing method you've invested in has also been markedly effective. They're preparing to buy two steam engines to drive their looms to increase production."

When he finished, he patted Tang Mo on the shoulder, "Salt and other trades have brought you dividends well over thirty Gold Coins, but... obviously, for you now, these can only be considered small profits."

"No matter how small, it's still money! I'm quite in need of money right now! I don't have too many good solutions either. The Earl ordered three thousand grenades. If he starts training with these weapons, he will order at least another three thousand. This might be our biggest order recently," Tang Mo replied with a laugh, then twisted his neck.

The weather was no longer so cold, so he no longer needed to wear that very high-quality fur coat.

However, the considerate Miss of the Ronin Family had someone send over a scarf, which looked a bit uneven in the stitching. It was somewhat prickly around Tang Mo's neck.

He adjusted it to make his neck more comfortable, then changed the topic and asked Li'ao on the other side, "How are things in Brunas' official circles?"

"Things are going quite smoothly. With our support, Brunas' tax collection has been flawless for the past three years. Those fat emissaries couldn't possibly find any issues," Li'ao reported with satisfaction.

In this regard, he was truly a professional. The whole operation was arranged in a way that made Brunas seem impeccable.

He recounted confidently all the measures in place, "You know, we've reassigned over a hundred soldiers to fill gaps in the city defense force, assumingly replacing others to help the Solon Sheriff plug the holes. The arsenal's counts of flintlock guns are accurate, every Longsword refurbished."

"Brunas' population growth is among the top, the market order is good, and all industries are booming..." As he spoke, he even sounded amused, "You can't see a beggar on the streets, hooligans and bullies are nowhere to be found. It might be safer here than in the King City."

Besides, now that his warship was seized, whether the fleet of the Poplar Kingdom would even dare to dock at Brunas was an entirely different question.

If after more than a year, they don't come, when would his letter finally reach his father's hands?

"You see, you should really think about how you can gain my trust, contribute your own strength. By doing that, you make yourself more valuable, you help the Augustin Family to better sit on the fence, and you might even save your father's life, which may be at risk!" Tang Mo switched tones, giving advice to John.

John was stunned for a moment, then he realized that he hadn't shifted his loyalties yet. He was supposed to be Tang Mo's staff officer now, and it seemed that he no longer needed to consider his own family.

Although still feeling unaccustomed, John thought there was some sense in Tang Mo's words; if he continued to be treated as an outsider here, what fence was there left for the Augustin Family to sit on?

Having understood the situation, he became despondent again. Theoretically, he was actually much stronger than other nobles, but at this moment, he realized he didn't seem to have any skills that could assist Tang Mo.

He was only an overseer of a ship when it came to navigation; he had some experience, but it was clear that Tang Mo was unlikely to entrust the fleet to his command.

After all, these ships, and most of the elves on board, were his old subordinates; under these circumstances, he was very likely to run off with Tang Mo's fleet.

When it came to combat skills, he had some prowess, but compared with Westag, he fell short. Obviously, Tang Mo wouldn't entrust his troops to him either.

He did have some knowledge about indulgence in food, women, gambling, and such, but clearly, these were not things that would impress Tang Mo.

Just then, Tang Mo's voice reached his ears: "Since you seem incapable of much else, help me manage the business of the gambling den."

"Ah?" John felt his brain was not quite up to the task.

"I'll give you some novel ideas, follow my instructions, set up casinos, clubs, bathhouses..." Tang Mo felt it was necessary to add some fresh, new elements to Brunas. Pai gow, mahjong, quadrille, dice, poker, baccarat... these games were also good channels for making money.

"..." John truly couldn't believe that, in the end, the thing that proved he was somewhat useful was precisely all the things he'd learned from his years of debauchery.

"Turn Brunas into a gold-digging pit, make it a place where people from all over the world can find what they want to play with!" Tang Mo spread his hands, seemingly very excited as he said, "How about it? Pretty good idea, right?"

"What you've got to do is act like a nobleman, promote these games, make everyone accept them!" Tang Mo patted John's shoulder, commanding.

"I am already a nobleman!" John objected weakly.