"What do you think?" Zhang Heng found Billy and Dufresne and told them about Karina. There was no need or possibility to hide this matter from the core members of the ship.
The quartermaster was the first to speak, "The matter of the Black Merchant Alliance is not a secret. I went to a few friends to inquire about it this morning. What she said is basically consistent with the facts. In this matter, new captains like us and The new ship suffers a lot. Before the Black Merchant Alliance was established, the price of the trophies sold by the Sea Lion was basically in the third range. Our current strength may not be as good as the original Sea Lion, but the development potential is definitely greater. Take There is no problem with the price reaching the third range, but now it can only accept the lowest price. I am a little worried about the members’ opinions.”
Dufresne said it more euphemistically, while Billy was more direct, "Let's not talk about us old people for now. The newcomers must be here because we have battleships and can make more money, but if they If you find that your hard-earned trophies cannot be bought at a good price, or the income is lower than what you deserve, you will definitely be dissatisfied. But with just a few people now, we can still control the situation, but if we want to continue to develop and grow, we We will definitely have to compete with the other major pirate groups on the island for talents, and before that we have to solve the problem of remuneration."
The helmsman paused, "Actually, some people have been contacting our crew members privately. They are probably optimistic that the results of our first trip to sea will not be too good, and they want to poach people, and it is not just about the purchase price of the spoils, but also about the purchase price of the loot. …”
"Also, as a captain, I look very young and have little experience. The first thing I did after I gained power was to recruit a female bosun, which made everyone think that I would not be able to sit in this position for long." Zhang Heng added to Billy's side. Finish what he wanted to say but didn't finish.
"That's pretty much it. We trust you, not only because you saved our lives, but also because of your composure and calmness in the face of crisis. You have proven yourself on the way back to Nassau from Charleston. You can grow into a qualified captain, but other people who have not sailed with you will inevitably have doubts about you. The current situation is not fair to you. Other new captains usually have more time to prepare and adjust. "
Billy said, "Owning a battleship is a perfect starting point, but it will also make us the target of public criticism. Many people on the island are waiting to see our jokes. If the results of the first voyage are not ideal, then we will We have to face the problem of attrition and difficulty in recruiting good people.”
…………
An hour and a half later, Billy and Dufresne walked out of the study, said hello to Anne and Karina downstairs, and left quickly.
The latter was feeling uneasy. She basically told everything about her situation last night, but Zhang Heng did not immediately express her position after hearing this. She only said that she would discuss it with the crew.
So Karina didn't go back to the hotel and simply stayed here for one night to wait for the result.
Zhang Heng was a little impressed by her. This girl had lived a privileged life since she was a child. According to herself, until her father's accident, she was no different from the ladies of the upper class. Every day she just attended dances, listened to operas, or made appointments with a few people. Have some afternoon tea with your girlfriends.
As a result, last night she found three stools and put them together and made do with them all night. However, when she woke up in the morning, there seemed to be something wrong with her neck and she had been rubbing the back of her neck all morning.
After the two left, Karina hurriedly walked upstairs. She arranged her clothes in front of the study, and Zhang Heng's voice happened to come from inside.
"come in."
The businesswoman took a deep breath and opened the door.
Zhang Heng's so-called study room is very simple. It only has a table and a few stools. The bookcase in the corner was newly made before he went to sea last time. There is no book on it now. Fortunately, the light is not bad, and the afternoon sun shines through. It spilled in through the window and fell on the figure's shoulders, coating the tips of his hair with a layer of gold.
Zhang Heng was using a parallel ruler to measure the distance between points on the nautical chart. His appearance was not much different from how he usually did exercises in the library, which made Karina stunned.
She has been in Nassau for two months and has met a lot of pirates. Most of them are vulgar and their cultural level is generally very low. Even communicating with them is often difficult. But the young man in front of her is obviously an exception. She had already felt the other party's clear logic and keen insight during the exchange between the two last night.
And the current Zhang Heng was something she had never seen before. If it weren't for the short musket hanging on his chest and the scar on his arm, it would be difficult for Karina to associate the figure in front of her with a pirate.
"The time has been set. We will go to sea in three days." Zhang Heng's voice brought her back to reality. Karina's heart beat loudly. The situation on the island is different now. There are already very few pirates who have not joined the alliance. Most of the remaining pirates have poor equipment and insufficient manpower. Basically, they cannot grab anything of great value. In other words, if Zhang Heng rejects her, then she will get it this time. The trip to show off is tantamount to failure. Not only is it possible to lose his father, but given the current family situation, the only way out is bankruptcy.
"My helmsman and quartermaster suggested that we negotiate with the alliance and try to increase the price range, because they don't believe in your ability. If it were your father here now, they might be willing to take a gamble, but your qualifications are indeed It's too shallow, you have never done anything similar before..." Zhang Heng's words made Karina feel as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
Although she was mentally prepared, Karina still felt like the world was spinning. At this moment, she was finally knocked down. Her whole body was wrapped in a deep sense of frustration, and she collapsed in the seat, sobbing.
She had been busy for more than two months, but had achieved nothing. When she saw the Jackdaw anchored in the port, she thought she finally had hope, but she didn't expect it to be in vain in the end. At this time, she only felt a sense of despair with no way out.
Zhang Heng felt a little sorry, but he had to do this, because choosing a future partner is something that any captain needs to be cautious about, especially when neither Billy nor Dufresne is optimistic about it, he must know Is Karina worth investing in?
The result was beyond his expectation. The businesswoman only collapsed for half a minute and then raised her head again. Although tears were still rolling in her eyes, her eyes were no longer blank and helpless, and she seemed to have returned to the determination she had when she was sleeping on the bench. , "There must be another way, is there anything else I can do, right?"
"Well, if you can prove your ability, I can also convince my crew." Zhang Heng pointed to the mark he had just made on the navigation chart, "Do you know where this is?"
