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Chapter 375: 305
Upon hearing the fighter say that the other deputy leaders have already agreed to elect him as the new leader.
Martin Bahati’s first reaction was disbelief, but his intelligence told him that the other party could not possibly lie about something so easily debunked.
Could it be true?
That was too fast.
"Have they really all agreed?" Martin Bahati confirmed again. He stared into the fighter’s eyes, hoping to see something through his ’extensive’ experience, but the fighter’s gaze and demeanor did not change. Like an emotionless robot, no emotions would arise from his understanding of the dialogue itself.
So, Martin Bahati obviously couldn’t see anything.
"Yes, they have agreed." The fighter nodded. This operation was carried out at the same time. When Martin Bahati asked earlier, the other deputy leaders had made the correct decision between life and death.
Saving one’s life was more important after all.
At the moment they stated their conditions, they no longer had a way out.
Either die.
Or agree.
"What about Leader Karonba?" Martin Bahati asked curiously again. Just now, the fighter only mentioned that Karonba would not live to see tomorrow’s sun, but it doesn’t mean he is dead now.
"He’s probably dead in his basement now due to a quarrel with his subordinates." The fighter had no reason to hide anything.
It would have been simple to kill Karonba directly, but most of the time they needed to consider the impact so as not to cause strife among several tribes. Initially, the plan was to kill Karonba using a fall from his bed or a heart attack. However, upon seeing them living lavishly, Tang Qing ordered the Command Room to change their plans, sending Karonba and his trusted subordinates to meet their ancestors.
Even if suspected, no one has evidence.
It won’t cause conflict between tribes.
Tang Qing needs stability here, not chaotic fighting. After all, Karonba’s tribe is the strongest with close to ten thousand people and over six hundred guards at the tribe’s base. If they really started fighting, in minutes, they could rally up to thousands of people.
As for the ’mining tyrant’ power of the tribal alliance, it’s just a group of people sent by everyone. Together, they number over three hundred, and this is not the main combat power of each tribe. Even Martin Bahati’s tribe can pull out more than six hundred.
With so many people, the fight would be endless.
Forget about mining then.
After listening to the fighter, Martin Bahati gave an unnatural forced laugh.
Probably?
Even a fight broke out?
Damn, these lunatics.
Martin Bahati was growing more afraid of the organization that the man in front of him was a part of.
The unknown was truly terrifying.
Their methods were so ruthless and decisive.
"Then I also agree, but I want to know why you didn’t negotiate terms with Karonba, wouldn’t that be quicker?" Martin Bahati suppressed his fear and asked again.
"No particular reason, our regional director did not like his way of doing things," the fighter paused before stating. Of course, the regional director was an invention.
"Regional director? Who exactly are you?" Martin Bahati asked.
"Since you’ve agreed, you’re qualified to know our name, BLACK PRISON. Alright, now that it’s all settled, let’s talk about terms," the fighter said, mentioning ’settling’ yet again. This time it wasn’t about deputy leaders like Martin Bahati, nor the dead Karonba, but Karonba’s tribe.
Karonba was also the son of a tribe leader. To avoid Karonba’s tribe single-handedly pulling out of this alliance later, the position of tribe leader must be changed. This world... is never short of ambitious people.
"Please, go ahead." Martin Bahati, not catching on to the hint, asked about the terms.
"Firstly, twenty-five percent of your future business income will be ours, to be paid monthly," the fighter bluntly stated.
"On what grounds." Upon hearing this, Martin Bahati immediately became angry. Twenty-five percent, it was practically a robbery. He initially thought it would be a one-time fee, but to his surprise, they were ’blackmailing’ a quarter of their income.
He simply couldn’t justify it to his higher-ups and subordinates.
"Martin Bahati, please remember, I’m not negotiating with you, but ordering. And on the grounds of us being able to replace you at any time and let someone willing to pay takes your place," the fighter’s words left Martin Bahati deflated, like a withered eggplant.
"But, I can’t justify this with my people. This isn’t only beyond my abilities, anyone in my position would be unable to fulfill this." Martin Bahati said with a wry smile. He wouldn’t be able to convince the other tribes to agree to this proportion, even if it cost him his life.
"This matter isn’t a big deal. Once the iron mine begins its operation and you start receiving a certain income, this twenty-five percent will be roughly the equivalent of seventy percent of the future income from the mine. This wouldn’t really interfere with your current income distribution. Overall, your income would increase." The fighter explained.
This was the percentage set by Tang Qing, twenty-five percent membership fee, which seemed more like a robbery. But it was significantly lower than what the American gang demanded. They had to consider the reality; too high a percentage might lead to undesirable results. The fighters could kill people, but they couldn’t kill people’s hearts. Slow and steady wins the race.
Even though this money was gained disgracefully, it could be used to carry out honorable deeds. Tang Qing intended to take twenty-five percent of the membership fees collected from various places to help people. The rest would be used to expand the power of the ’Black Prison,’ and some would be kept back as a reserve fund.
After pondering for half a minute, Martin Bahati realized that if things are handled this way, it would be manageable.
"Alright, I agree to these terms," Martin Bahati nodded his agreement.
The fighter continued, "Secondly, if need be, you must follow our orders. But rest assured, we won’t ask you to do anything that harms the core interests of your tribe. It will only be small favors." 𝚗𝚘v𝚙𝚞b.𝚌𝚘m
"For example." Although Martin Bahati didn’t like the sound of ’orders’, he had no other option. The circumstances forced him. However, he didn’t blindly agree.
"To tell you the truth, the company that is planning to mine here has also paid us a certain membership fee. Therefore, we hope that you will treat them fairly, charge them reasonably, and provide necessary protection. We don’t want troublemakers causing harm in their area." The fighter uttered a small lie.
Immediately, Martin Bahati reacted in shock, "Did they send you here?"
A membership fee?
Do companies also need to pay this fee?
Moreover, the company is Chinese. How large is the influence of the Black Prison?
It feels like a mercenary arrangement. Yes, it definitely must be so.
Martin Bahati had now confirmed that the ’Black Prison’ must be a mercenary organization.
If analyzed carefully, their services overlapped somewhat.
"No, they are just applying for the protection of membership benefits. Same goes for you. As long as you don’t violate our principles, we will provide necessary protection and aid. However, this is limited to your internal affairs. For issues related to external expansion or if you are under attack, we won’t provide direct aid. We’ll provide chargeable services like intelligence and weapons support. Also, we can offer services like moving your assets or funds," explained the fighter.
"All in all, it means you came here because of the minerals, to protect the interests of your members," Martin Bahati summarized. A complex mix of emotions were going through his mind. On one hand, the idea of protection pleased him. However, on the other hand, they had become a stumbling block for him, leaving him with mixed feelings.
"Yes, once you pay the membership fee, you are a member. As long as you don’t commit senseless murders and pay the membership fee on time, no one will dare to seize your place within your tribe," said the fighter.
This sounded quite good.
Martin Bahati began to accept and espouse it. Today’s incident involving Karonba had alarmed him. He didn’t want the same to happen to him.
"What other conditions are there?" asked Martin Bahati again.
"There are no more conditions, but I do have two more requests. Firstly, you must not disclose the name of our organization. Your sub-chiefs are not aware of us. Secondly, you can charge normal fees from the mining company that’s coming here. Also, ensure that your men are in check and no conflicts arise. If something happens and our judgment center finds you mainly responsible, you may face a heavy fine," said the fighter.
By ’judgment center’, he was referring to the command room.
"That’s not a problem. I agree," said Martin Bahati instantly. Karonba had demanded a lot earlier. Now that the ’Black Prison’ served as a link, he didn’t really want to benefit greatly from this iron mine, lest he lose his life in the process.
"That’s good, Mr. Martin Bahati. Thank you for your cooperation. Here is our phone number. If something comes up, you can contact us directly and we’ll handle it promptly," said the fighter, handing over a piece of paper.
"What should I do next?" Martin Bahati asked, taking the noted number.
"You know what to do. Goodbye," said the fighter, turning around to leave.
Now that things had come this far, it was smooth sailing. If Martin Bahati couldn’t handle the remaining issues, it would mean he had lived all these years in vain.
Watching the fighter brazenly walk out, Martin Bahati thought about reaching for the other gun under his bedsheet. But that was all he did—think about it. If he acted on it, he might end up like Karonba.
Remembering what he had just been through, Martin Bahati felt like cursing. He had been sleeping peacefully, dreaming and living life comfortably when out of the blue, an unknown powerful figure appeared on the scene. It was much worse than a rough situation. He felt like cursing the world.
Turn on the light.
The dazzling light discomforted Martin Bahati’s eyes.
Narrowing his eyes, he sat at the edge of the bed.
He sunk into deep thought.
He needed to carefully plan his path to a higher position tomorrow.
PS: Next Chapter at ten, vote!
