Chapter 13：Trading the Redwood

The black market city, built along the river, dedicated a portion of the waterway with calmer currents as a trading area for timber.

"Friend, from your accent, you're from the South, aren't you?" A portly timber merchant, eyeing Allen while feeling the redwood, casually mentioned.

Allen, face covered, frowned and raised his voice, "What does it matter? If I were selling eggs, would you ask which hen they came from?"

The merchant Allen approached owned a permanent stall, backed by powerful support, daring to show his true face.

Such places might not offer the highest prices, but they assured credibility and quick deals. Allen had previously visited here under the guidance of his former leader to sell timber.

At Allen's response, the merchant chuckled awkwardly: "Hey, don't be so tense, friend. I was just asking. You seem experienced here; I'll give you a fair price!"

With this, the merchant stretched out three fingers.

"Three thousand per piece?" Allen spoke sharply.

The merchant frowned, "Three thousand copper coins in total!"

His expression and tone almost suggested Allen was being offered a great deal.

If Allen were new to this, perhaps he'd be tempted by the sight of money and hastily agree.

However, experienced as he was, Allen wouldn't take the bait.

With a snort, Allen declared, "Humph, looking for a fool, brother? Let's sail!"

Intending to leave without bargaining further, Allen gestured his crew to depart.

"Wait, wait, friend, don't rush! Bargaining is part of business, let's talk more!" 

Hearing the merchant's call, Allen turned around, mockingly saying, "I'm no naive youngster unfamiliar with the ways of the world. Your offer is clearly taking people for fools; that's no honest trade!"

"Make a counter-offer then," the merchant invited, trying to gauge Allen's bottom line.

Allen, inwardly sneering at the merchant's attempt to fish for his price, made a bold gesture.

He first extended his thumb, then clenched a fist, and finally spread his hand to display all five fingers.

In timber trading, prices are counted in thousands of copper coins. From one to ten, the counting method was similar to Allen's previous world.

For figures above two digits, a single hand gesture indicates the digits in sequence: the first for the highest place, followed by the next.

Allen's gesture combined meant fifteen—fifteen thousand copper coins.

The merchant's face clouded over, feigning shock, "Friend, that's highway robbery!"

The coutenance shifted, no longer seeing Allen and his crew as greenhorns.

The savvy merchant in the black market shifted tactics, quickly making a "six" gesture.

Once an intent to trade was clear, the black market favored swift transactions.

Allen promptly shook his head, "No less than this number," he indicated thirteen with his fingers.

...

After a fierce price battle, the merchant stubbornly stuck with "nine," refusing to budge further.

Allen, a tad accusatory, said, "Don't take advantage of my unfamiliar face. Not long ago, a piece of redwood like this would fetch at least 'six figures' in Bacha."

The merchant sighed, "Friend, that tells me you haven't been here for a while."

He went on to explain, "Firstly, the market has changed since last month; the Dragon Empire requires less redwood now."

After a sip to moisten his throat, the merchant added, "Secondly, we've received more redwood lately, so it's unrealistic to expect prices from a month ago."

Seeing Allen hesitate, the merchant pressed, "I assure you my offer is the fairest in this trading area."

Scouting the area quickly confirmed the merchant's claim to Allen; heaps of redwood, both large and small, were visible at many stalls.

Without further ado, Allen declared, "Nine thousand five hundred, take it or leave it."

The merchant feigned agony, but finally agreed, "Alright, nine thousand five it is. Deal!"

As they moved to settle the deal in a shack, Allen stopped him, "I want to exchange some of that for two small ships."

This request didn't surprise the merchant, who regularly dealt in various goods.

"How much?"

"Four thousand."

Acknowledging the fair price for two boats capable of carrying 400kg each, the merchant still haggled, "Five thousand!"

Allen smiled lightly, "That works, but you need to throw in a large fishing net and ten spears."

Calculating the profit, even with a thousand extra copper coins for the added items, the merchant still found the deal favorable.

Laughing heartily, he agreed, "Ah, friend, you're certainly a seasoned hand."

After concluding the transaction, Allen, along with Pete and Bernice, swiftly departed with their newly acquired ships and supplies.

Having spent a silver coin for comfortable accommodation in a nice inn within the timber trading zone, they enjoyed some well-deserved rest and food before retiring for the night.

"I'm off to catch some sleep," Pete cheerfully informed Allen, eager to enjoy their luxurious lodging.

Turning to Bernice, Allen noticed her hesitation as she expressed a wish to shop.

"Do you want me to accompany you?" he offered.

Considering her unfamiliarity and reluctance, yet intrigued, Bernice eventually nodded.

"Can I... Can I have..."

Before she finished, Allen assured with a smile, "Sure, I'll give you one hundred copper coins to start. Is that enough?"

Such an amount was a fortune for Bernice, a young woman from an impoverished tribe. She eagerly agreed.

The arrangement was predefined: more work, more pay. Aside from Allen, each team member received a base reward of one hundred copper coins, subject to adjustments based on their contributions.

With this venture's gains, each of the peripheral team members—fishermen, smiths, carpenters, and masons—earned two hundred and fifty copper coins, allocating a thousand in total.

Bernice and Pete received five hundred each for risking their lives during the transport, totaling another thousand.

After subtracting the costs for the ships and supplies, Allen netted a clear profit of two thousand five hundred copper coins, plus two small boats and fishing gear.

This equitable distribution fostered gratitude rather than resentment; saving two hundred and fifty copper coins would take a commoner in the impoverished lands of the Redwood Continent nearly a decade.

In a land where survival often trumped saving, Allen's leadership and guidance were indispensable for the success of their illicit logging.

Knowing she had five hundred copper coins with Allen, Bernice's feminine instincts surfaced excitedly at the sight of beautifully patterned cloth at a roadside stall.

Soon after, they made their preparations and set off, with Pete asking Allen to buy him a quality hunting knife and bow, opting to stay at the inn.