Chapter 713: Buy Me, Sell Me
Luo Jinhu struggled below Bai Xinghe's slippers like a cockroach. He screamed, "I was wrong. Boss Bai, I know I was wrong!"
"Of course you were wrong."
Bai Xinghe stomped hard several times before he moved his slippers away from Luo Jinhu's face, where dozens of slipper prints had been left.
Luo Jinhu's face looked like a potato that had been thoroughly mashed.
Bai Xinghe took a breath in relief. His voice turned comforting and reliable again as he asked, "Ah Gou, what kind of criminals do you think can always go unpunished?"
Luo Jinhu had become used to Bai Xing's sudden change of topics. He thought hard for a moment and hesitated. "The real smart ones?"
"No. The most cunning fox is still no match for a hunter. Even the smartest criminal will be caught sooner or later as long as they keep doing their job," Bai Xinghe replied casually. "Only one kind of bad guys can get away from justice forever, when the damage they cause is far lower than the cost in order to capture them. Do you understand?
"Forget it. I can tell from your ignorant eyes that you don't understand.
"Let me change my question. Do you know what Senior Yan Xinjian, the supreme space pirate five hundred years ago, did after he defeated the fleet of Cultivators?"
Luo Jinhu shook his head helplessly.
Narrowing his eyes, Bai Xinghe said gravely, "The supreme space pirate Yan Xinjian rose to power during the war and gathered a bunch of soldiers who were absolutely loyal to him. After he defeated the fleet of Cultivators, he immediately swept Spider Den unstoppably!
"With consideration of the crimes that the space pirates committed, he sentenced the space pirates who were hated by a lot of people to death, those who had killed the important disciples of major sects and who were disobedient!
"Later, he sent the videos of the space pirates' executions to Cultivators through underground channels.
"Later, he summoned all the space pirates for a meeting and established ten rules, which are known as 'Ten Sword Rules' today.
"In every robbery, take away two thirds of the trophies and leave one third for the victims.
"If there's no resistance, don't hurt the ordinary people on board and the armed soldiers if they lay down their weapons and surrender.
"No rapes. Never kill pregnant women and kids below ten.
"Never plunder carriers that have just experienced a cosmic storm!
"Never plunder a carrier twice in one journey. Do not touch anything and retreat immediately if you find that the starship has been looted before!
"There are five more rules besides those. Whichever pirate gang violated the rules, Yan Xinjian would be the first to ask for their trouble until they admitted to their guilt.
"At that time, everybody said that Yan Xinjian was a fool. Cultivators were their mortal enemies anyway. The self-restricting rules were completely redundant for them.
"There were even people who thought that Yan Xinjian was a spy sent by the Cultivators, even if he had caused the Cultivators a crushing defeat in the battle to protect Spider Den.
"However, despite the doubts, there was not a second fleet waging a second war on space pirates in the hundred years after Yan Xinjian passed away.
"Why? Do you think that they were really scared of Spider Den?
"Of course not. Senior Yan Xinjian merely gave Cultivators a clear message: You will pay a high price if you attack me, and your damage is very low if you leave me alone. I am just a minor disease and not worth your trouble.
"Yan Xinjian is the greatest precursor of the robbing industry in my mind.
"However, now that he has been dead for hundreds of years, you greedy, short-sighted idiots know no self-restrictions at all. The Ten Sword Rules have long been left behind!
"Today, you are even asking for your own death by promoting yourself from dermatitis into cancer for the Cultivators.
"How does it feel, Captain Luo? Your wish has been fulfilled. Great crimes have been committed, and you are a crazy devil now. All the Cultivators will come after you. You must feel comfortable and satisfied with a strong sense of accomplishment. Your life is worth it, is it not?"
Luo Jinhu felt like crying. "Boss Bai, please stop making fun of me. Help me find a way to survive!"
Bai Xinghe snorted and said, "Way to survive? We have only two ways ahead of us.
"Firstly, in several years, when the Immortal Cultivators' cause fails, Spider Den will be destroyed by Cultivators. The space pirates, who are their mortal enemies on the surface, will be the best targets. We will all be executed.
"In the meantime, the Immortal Cultivators will use our dead bodies as cover and continue lurking for their next chance.
"It is quite possible that while we are fighting a bloody battle with Cultivators on Spider Den, they will be drinking orange juice on a sunny beach in a certain world fragment and watching the live stream of the battle news.
"Secondly, despite all the unfavorable circumstances, the Immortal Cultivators might succeed, but vanguards like you won't end any better!
"They could even do such a thing as attracting extraterrestrial devils. Do you think they will honor their promise for thieves such as you and me? Hilarious!"
"Boss Bai, we had the same doubts before." Luo Jinhu finally rose from the ground. He kept kneeling on the ground and said, "But you also know that the most important thing for space pirates is the intelligence network. Our trophies can only be sold through the black market, too!
"Over the past hundreds of years, Black Spider Tower has risen up. The intelligence network and black market of Spider Den are both controlled by them. They are our eyes, ears, and mouths!
"It was not until one year ago that we learned that Black Spider Tower was a branch of the Temple of Immortals. The previous leader of Black Spider Tower is very likely the 'Black King', one of the four kings of the Temple of Immortals!
"Right now, our eyes, ears, and mouths are all in the Temple of Immortals' control. It is difficult for us to run our business without cooperating with the Temple of Immortals.
"Boss Bai, you have a lot of docks, crystal suits, and... possibly underground industries on Spider Den. Naturally, you can refuse to work with Black Spider Tower.
"But we are too poor and need to do a job every few days. We have to sell the stolen goods in exchange for resources. Without Black Spider Tower, our ears are deaf, and our eyes are blind. Our source of income will be cut off. How are we going to feed ourselves?
"Therefore, we were accidentally trapped by them. It is impossible to do without them now. We can only sell ourselves to the Temple of Immortals!"
Bai Xinghe was silent briefly. He patted Luo Jinhu's shoulder and said solemnly, "I know your difficulties, too. Otherwise, I would have crushed you instead of wasting so much time talking to you.
"These bastards are indeed clever. They've weaved such a giant net on Spider Den with Black Spider Tower. Even I fell into the net without knowing it.
"A year ago, when their real faces were revealed, the space pirates were already on their boat. The only choice we had was to sell ourselves to them.
"However, there are two ways of selling ourselves."
Luo Jinhu was dazed. "Two?"
Bai Xinghe extended two fingers and waved his index finger as he said. "Firstly, sell ourselves like Fengyu Zhong. Bite and bawl for the Temple of Immortals. The more we do, the better we are paid."
Luo Jinhu was suspicious. "Is there a second way of selling?"
"Secondly..."
Bai Xinghe retreated his index finger, leaving his middle finger pointing at the ceiling. "We tell the Temple of Immortals to give us certain benefits here and now! Otherwise, we will sabotage their cause even at the risk of our own lives!
"It is easier to wreck something than to complete it. The Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators are no gods. There are many things we can't accomplish.
"However, in this world, there are few things that a Nascent Soul Stage Cultivator cannot wreck if they are determined to even at the cost of their own life!"
Bai Xinghe smiled. "How could I? They are very capable and have a lot of trump cards. There are several Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators in their pocket, too. How do I dare to piss them off?
"I will merely annihilate Fengyu Zhong."
Luo Jinhu almost choked.
Bai Xinghe narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Do you know the difference between me and Fengyu Zhong?
"The rabid dog only had several starships a year ago and barely any industries on Spider Den.
"Spider Den has never been his. If he is the one to sell it, naturally, he will sell it at a low price!
"If Spider Den is worth ten thousand dollars, he will still be making profit if he sells it at a hundred dollars.
"In such a way of selling, none of the pirate gangs will end up well if they join him. They will all become cannon fodder. Some of them more advanced and some rudimental, but cannon fodder all the same.
"I am different. Spider Den is mine. If it is worth ten thousand dollars, I'm going to sell it at a hundred thousand dollars, a million dollars!
"Right now, we are selling ourselves, not cabbages. Ah Hu, tell me, do you want the rabid dog to sell you, or do you want me?"
Luo Jinhu breathed heavily. "I—I understand, Boss Bai. You are going to take down Fengyu Zhong. When he is down, the Temple of Immortals can only count on you. You will certainly sell us at a great price!"
Bai Xinghe smiled kindly. "Ah Hu, you are finally clever now. I'm very happy!
"However, I am different from the Immortal Cultivators such as Fengyu Zhong. We've know each other for decades. You should know that I never make empty promises or write rubber checks. Eternal life, commander of a fleet. Such nonexistent things are jokes!
"Let's talk about benefits that are more materialistic."
Luo Jinhu held his head high and declared, "Boss Bai has been lenient to me. You are essentially my new parent. I don't ask for any benefits if I can die for you!"
"Bullsh*t!" Bai Xinghe kicked Luo Jinhu down again. "Cut the crap! With a decent price, you wouldn't even blink before selling your family! Also, for a decent price, I guarantee that I will sell your mother to the brothel tomorrow! We are all lawless space pirates. Are you pretending that you are a loyal knight?
"Look here! Do you know what this is?"
Bai Xinghe waved the spider pendent in front of his chest.
Luo Jinhu spat out a broken tooth, dazed. Greedy brilliance was glimmering in his eyes.
Bai Xinghe smiled. "It seems you do.
"It's understandable, the whole of Spider Den knows that I was a treasure hunter before I made a name of myself.
"It is said that I once entered the control center of the underground fortress of Spider Den and retrieved a detailed map.
"With the map, and the 'Spider Key' that can open all the secret tunnels, I have in my hands the arsenals, magical equipment, and techniques of Spider Den!
"The 'Spider Key' might not be real, but I definitely have my trump cards, considering that I could build such a large business from scratch in only a hundred years, right?"
Luo Jinhu's voice changed, like a girl who saw a diamond weighing four kilograms. "Boss Bai, what do you mean?"
Shaking the 'Spider Key', Bai Xinghe said softly, "Tell you what, in the civil war of the Star Ocean Imperium ten thousand years ago, Spider Den was so much more than a simple industrial planet. A great secret was buried deep below the ground.
"The secret has nothing to do with you.
"But the magical equipment and techniques scattered around the secret might have a lot to do with you, right?"
Luo Jinhu swallowed and cried in joy, "Boss Bai, are you planning to—"
"Bravery comes with a high reward!"
Bai Xinghe retracted his Spider Key and raised his voice, "I'm not going to lie to you now. Supported by the Temple of Immortals, Fengyu Zhong's forces are quickly expanding. A lot of pirate gangs have joined him!
"I'm not confident that I can win the fight!
"Although I'm not willing to share my trump cards with everybody, wealth, magical equipment, and techniques are merely belongings. They are only useful when I'm alive!
"Therefore, I will call for a secret meeting in a few days. All the space pirates who decide to back me will share the Cultivation arts and secret treasures I brought out from the arsenals of Spider Den!
"Half of them will be split before the battle, and the others will be divided evenly after Fengyu Zhong is dead. All the goods will be examined beforehand. They are definitely real!
"This is what Boss Bai is going to do!
"I, Bai Xinghe, always buy people and sell people honestly!"