Chapter 19

The capitalist will sell us the rope with which to hang them. This famous quote, which is incredibly profound, was said by the bald-headed rebel leader Ulyanov in the old world, and it holds true in the new world as well.

"Even if I don't sell it, someone else will. So, regardless of whether it leads to death or not, let's make the money first!" There have always been plenty of clever people with such a pragmatic spirit. Capital chases profit driven by its nature, and making capitalists abandon profit is even more difficult than making humans stop breathing. The exchange boss, who had been battling in the business world for a long time, deeply understood this iron law. Luo Zhengdao, who had crossed over from Earth, knew even better how insatiable capital's greed for profit could be. Everyone was a fox on the mountain, and there was no need to talk about the Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio; they could just speak their minds.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, the exchange boss, who looked like a middle-aged Gandhi with a black, thin, bald head, smiled meaningfully and got straight to the point:

"I heard that you, my lord, are from Selan Island and have a batch of spices you wish to transfer. Have you found a suitable buyer yet?"

The exchange boss, whose face was full of wrinkles when he smiled, did not deceive Luo Zhengdao with his warm smile. Luo Zhengdao replied calmly:

"Indeed, I have a batch of spices to sell."

"How much are you planning to transfer?"

"About two hundred boxes."

The person who answered the question about the quantity of goods was not Luo Zhengdao but Vina Dubov, who was following behind him. At this moment, both the exchange boss, who was asking the questions, and Vina, who was answering, were focused on each other's expressions. Luo Zhengdao, caught between them, became a mere onlooker.

When it came to haggling, due to his lack of sufficient understanding and deep knowledge of the new world, no matter how good Luo Zhengdao's eloquence was, he could not handle this task. Apart from the initial contact, which he had to do personally, he was powerless in the rest of the matters. Fortunately, with his current noble status, being both a captain and a prominent noble, it was natural for him to delegate specific tasks to his subordinates. When the two parties began negotiating the price and other details, it was not considered impolite for Vina Dubov to take over the conversation.

After a fierce exchange of words, the deal was successfully concluded. Luo Zhengdao decided to sell about two-thirds of the spices, which brought in more than six thousand gold coins. This amount was ten times the initial investment made a week ago to buy the spices. Additionally, there were still a hundred boxes of spices left on the ship, which meant the principal had already been recovered with interest, and the remaining spices were pure profit.

Luo Zhengdao watched Vina and the exchange personnel complete the goods transfer procedures at the dock. After the transaction was completed, he finally asked:

"Vina, why didn't we sell the remaining spices together?"

The half-elf beauty smiled with a knowing, intellectual charm. She looked at her student and immediately adopted a teaching posture, saying:

"Will, you're such a foolish student! Didn't you notice that the remaining spices are the ones the elves love the most? The trade routes on the continent are often interrupted, and we can use these spices as gifts to open the doors of the Elven Empire. This will be very helpful for your career, understand?"

"Yes! My career..."

Suddenly, Luo Zhengdao realized that he was not playing the latest version of a virtual Age of Sail game; he was risking his life! Indeed, his simple way of life as an ordinary person had become a thing of the past from the moment his soul crossed over. The idea of settling for a modest life was like a slow suicide. Luo Zhengdao faced only two equally unpromising paths: either he fought with all his might against the green-skinned goblins, a goal that was extremely difficult to achieve, or he was completely defeated by the goblins, which was relatively simpler but not a desirable outcome.

Due to the fundamental conflict between Luo Zhengdao and the goblins, this was an irreconcilable and intense conflict. Apart from choosing to commit suicide, he had no choice but to go all the way, perhaps one of the heavy prices he had to pay for crossing over and replacing Will Needham.

There is no such thing as a free lunch. If there really is one, you should think carefully before you start eating, about the heavy price hidden beyond the money, and whether you can afford it.

Suddenly, Luo Zhengdao's expression froze, his face contorted in extreme pain, and he bent over as if stabbed.

Seeing this, Vina Dubov was terrified. She held Luo Zhengdao's face with her delicate, smooth hands and called out loudly:

"Will! Will! What's wrong? Answer me!"

"I..."

Luo Zhengdao, weak and powerless, managed to utter a few syllables before losing strength. His tongue spasmed uncontrollably, and his muscles twitched violently, as if he had been taken by Professor Yang for a friendly treatment to cure internet addiction. Sweat poured from Luo Zhengdao in such quantities that it soaked his clothes in an instant. The pain in his body was like a series of spasms, and his head felt as if dozens of elephants were stomping inside, causing a headache so intense that he feared his head might explode.

This sudden physical pain lasted for several dozen seconds and then abruptly stopped. When Luo Zhengado, still shaken, sat up from the ground, his face was as white as gold paper. If someone said he might collapse and die at any moment, it would be believed immediately.

After panting for a while, Luo Zhengdao, drenched in sweat, struggled to straighten his body and said to Vina Dubov, who looked surprised:

"Vina, help me get back."

.......................................................................................

After thousands of years of continuous improvement, the Elven warships were not only practical but also had high aesthetic standards. The captain's cabin of the Yangwei, a second-hand Elven warship, was more than twice the size of the Chaoyong's. After being meticulously decorated by the half-elf beauty, the room exuded a noble and elegant atmosphere.

At this moment, a ray of sunlight through the round porthole created a contrast between light and shadow in the room. The people gathered around the bed were not interested in the surroundings or aesthetics; their focus was entirely on Luo Zhengdao.

"Miss Dubov, based on your description, I suspect that the Earl is not ill."

Without a doubt, Luo Zhengdao was the core figure of the team, and his role was irreplaceable. If he died, the makeshift pirate team, which was cobbled together, would have no reason to continue existing, and it would be better for everyone to disband and go home. Therefore, Luo Zhengdao's health was a matter of concern for everyone. Since the ship's doctor, Derek King, admitted he could not determine the cause of his illness, the subordinates decided to consult an external physician. They sent for the most famous senior physician on the Aluqun Islands to diagnose Luo Zhengdao.

Unexpectedly, after the renowned doctor carefully examined Luo Zhengdao's condition and heard Vina Dubov's description of the symptoms, he expressed a very pessimistic professional opinion.

"If it's not a disease, what could it be?"

The medical system in the new world, based on arcane and alchemical techniques, was not inferior to modern medicine in the old world. The idea that doctors in the new world only practiced bloodletting was a joke. The current medical advancements were thanks to the arcanists who studied necromancy, who had a thorough understanding of human anatomy and physiology. Doctors could easily learn from their research, and the best in the field were often former magic apprentices who had failed to master arcanism and switched to medicine.

Doctor Burns put down his portable stethoscope made of the rare metal "vibranium" and said:

"Based on my medical experience and the patient's symptoms, I believe this is the result of a curse. What specific curse? I'm very sorry, but I am a doctor and cannot remove curses. The Earl should seek help from a temple, hire a priest or cleric to try to remove the curse. They would be more suitable for handling this situation."

Due to the size of the captain's cabin, only a dozen people were present: the tutor Vina Dubov, the boatswain Zola Hegel, the captain of the Chaoyong, Foul Chopin, the stout ship's doctor Derek King, and the quartermaster Hail Pop, among others, who were the main officers of the fleet.

Luo Zhengdao, lying in bed with weak breathing, opened his eyes, glanced at everyone, and said to Doctor Burns in a weak voice:

"Thank you! I hope you won't mention my condition to anyone else."

"Of course, keeping the patient's secrets is our professional duty. Please rest assured."

After sending off Doctor Burns, Vina Dubov, worried, said to the others:

"How could it be a curse? Could it be the work of the green-skinned shamans? No, they never had the chance to do it."

Luo Zhengdao, who had enough self-awareness, looked at everyone and said in a low voice:

"It's not the goblins. They have done many bad things, but this time they are innocent."

Hearing this, the half-elf beauty widened her eyes in confusion and said:

"Then how did you... Will, what do you know?"

"Um, it's a long story. If there's a chance, I'll tell everyone. For now, I need to rest."

As a seasoned adventurer, one of the basic skills was to read people's expressions and moods. If one couldn't tell who to avoid and what their mood was, even the strongest adventurer would fail. Vina, who had led groups on many adventures, had mastered this skill to perfection. Seeing Luo Zhengdao's hesitant and troubled expression, she immediately understood that there were things he couldn't say and kindly said:

"...Oh! Alright! Whenever you're ready to tell us, we'll listen."