48 Hours a Day

A month had passed. After the Jackdaw’s pirates had more than enough fun in Nassau, most had spent off a large portion of their earnings. Some were even in debt. It baffled Zhang Heng as to how they managed to spend all their money, considering that they were each given at least 40 gold coins before they left the ship. That amount was enough for an ordinary person to live comfortably for two to three years. On the bright side, though, they were starting to miss life out at sea.

Coincidently, Carina provided Zhang Heng with some valuable intel. After getting a minor refit and going though a recruitment drive, the Jackdaw was ready to set sail again. At the same time, Carina and Laeli started to work on their Nassau operation as well. Before the black-market alliance began to deal with Carina, she had decided that she would do whatever it would take for her plan to succeed. First, she rented a storage facility near the pier. Then, she spread the news to Nassau’s small-time pirates, telling them that she was willing to offer them a higher price than the black-market alliance.

Upon hearing the news, a large number of pirates on the island started to pay attention. Though Carina was a woman, the fact that she managed to help the Jackdaw earn a huge amount of money had spread around the entire Nassau. Her reputation soon skyrocketed. It was great news to the small-time pirates that someone was willing to buy their loot at a higher price. If that was so, they wouldn’t need to rely on the black-market alliance anymore. After all, the alliance wasn’t as friendly to them as they were to the powerful pirate crews because it was hard for them to valuable loot. The alliance would only offer them a meager price for whatever they had.

Since they did not sign any contracts with the alliance, they could choose to stop selling to them anytime they wished. With the opportunity for better prospects, they would naturally choose to sell their plunder to Carina. The captain of the Gentle Breeze was left speechless when he saw a group of pirate-wannabes lining up in front of the storeroom that Carina rented.

Their clothes were in tatters and they wielded all sorts of non-lethal weapons, which made them look more like beggars and thugs instead of pirates. One could only imagine the quality of the items sold to Carina.

An elderly pirate slowly approached the table. Malone suspected that he must be older than his great grandfather that he buried some time ago. The old pirate then put a basket of crabs on the table as Jim, the records keeper stared at him in a confused manner. Immediately, he pointed at the signboard behind him.

“I’m sorry, sir. We do not accept any marine products here,” said the records keeper politely.

“Watch what you say to me, kid. Everyone knew me when I was your age. Even Henry Morgan had to pay his respects to me when he came to Nassau. This is what I acquired when I sailed out earlier.”

“Still…. it does not change the fact that your loot is a marine product, sir.”

Malone had personally recruited Jim last year. It was not easy hiring someone who knew how to count and read in this era. Not too long ago, almost half of the sailors from the Gentle Breeze left the ship when they heard that Mr. Fegan had been sent to jail. To Malone’s surprise, Jim had chosen to stay with the ship. A better job would have awaited him if he’d left.

After selling off all the spices, Malone suggested to Carina that she should increase the pay of the kid hailing from North Carolina. There was nothing Malone could do when he saw Jim trying to explain the difference between marine products and loot to the old pirate.

“I robbed this basket of crabs from a fisherman. So it’s considered loot, not a marine product. Your boss told us that you are buying the loot that we got, right? This is my loot. What’s your problem?!”

“Sir, I think there’s been a misunderstanding.”

Carina could not bear to see them argue anymore. The pirates that were waiting in line were starting to get impatient as well.

“Pay him five copper coins to buy off his loot. We need to serve the next seller,” Carine informed Jim.

Jim was instantly relieved when he was told to pay off the old pirate. Surprisingly, the old pirate was still unhappy even after Jim paid him the five copper coins. The pirate after him took out two marbles from his pocket and attempted to sell it to them.

“This is a disaster. You know that we won’t be able to sell all these useless stuff that we bought from these wannabes, right? We talked about this when you first arrived in Nassau. It’s impossible to earn a single dime from them. I thought we’ve agreed on not buying anything from these people. Why are you wasting your time and money on them right now?” asked an irritated Malone. He then continued,

“Forgive my candor, but I feel that whatever we are doing right now is a complete waste of time. I would rather spend the money to let a hardworking boy like him to enjoy himself at s brothel in town. Look at the poor guy. I bet he’s still a virgin.”

“Thank you for your reminder. I know how the value of those items. If you can find me a second Jackdaw on this island, I’m more than happy to chase all of them away. If you can’t do it, you’d better shut your mouth. If you are bored, go find a hooker and let her f*ck you. Alternatively, you can just come and help me.”

“I think I will choose the first option.”

Malone folded his arms and stormed away. After taking a few steps, however, he stopped.

“Did you just ask a hooker to f*ck me? Or, is there something wrong with my hearing?”

“What’s wrong with that?”

“I remember when Mr. Fegan brought you on the Gentle Breeze for the first time. You were only eight or nine. Like a porcelain doll, you held up your dress so high; it would not touch the ship’s deck. You were so unhappy that your father brought you aboard the ship. I can’t imagine that the demure lady that you once were became a boss that has taken over the ship. Ms. Carina, you’ve done it. You blended in with this place faster than anyone could have imagined. Your father would be so proud of you.”

“It’s still too early to say that. It’s not easy to survive in this place. Considering that we are facing a powerful enemy, we have to figure out a way to catch a breath from time to time.”

“Uncle Malone, I have to thank you for not leaving us even after my father was put in jail.”

“Mr. Fegan was the one who offered me this job when I was lost. I will never forget what he’s done for me. For now, I’m not going to waste my energy on pointless matters. So, I’m going to the brothel right now to look for a prostitute, and ask her to f*ck me.”