Construction Crew

The old butler did not return to South Australia Island until noon the next day. By then, Kerry had just gotten up and was enjoying a meal that he could not tell was breakfast or lunch.

Kerry stared at the disheveled Carson in confusion. "Mr. Carson, I only asked you to go into the city and see if there was a suitable construction crew to repair the port and docks in our territory. What happened to you?"

Butler Carson forced a bitter smile and looked at Kerry strangely. "Young Master, we've gotten ourselves into trouble."

It was not that Kerry lacked a sense of crisis. It was just that everything had only just begun. He had no wealth capable of stirring people's hearts and no girlfriend capable of bringing disaster upon a nation, so how had he somehow gotten into trouble?

"This looks bad, Mr. Carson. Sit down and have some fish soup first, then tell me slowly what happened." Kerry was actually getting a little anxious as well. What kind of trouble was it, and how serious was it? He wanted to know right away.

But Butler Carson was already over fifty. It was obvious that he had barely slept the previous night and had encountered some trouble early that morning, only arriving home shortly before noon.

At a time like this, having Carson drink a bowl of fish soup would be far more effective than questioning him directly about the trouble.

The old butler had intended to explain everything immediately, but after hearing Kerry's words, his original agitation and unease miraculously settled down. After slowly finishing an entire bowl of fish soup, Carson's spirits improved considerably.

Carson had originally not known where to begin, but he now started slowly recounting his experience in Little Nose Bay Port City.

Butler Carson had arrived at Little Nose Bay Port City early that morning. Led by a member of the fishing crew who was familiar with the local construction companies, he went to what was supposedly the best construction company in Little Nose Bay Port City.

Who could have expected that the best construction company would initially claim that all three of its construction crews were available? As long as money was not a problem, they could all begin work, guaranteeing quality, quantity, and speed.

But the moment they heard that the lord of South Australia Island wanted to hire them, they immediately changed their tune, claiming that they had other projects and no time, and told Carson to look elsewhere.

Although Carson found it strange that this construction company clearly had three idle crews yet refused to take the job, this was a buyer's market for construction projects. If one company would not do it, plenty of others would. Carson quickly found a second construction company.

This company was also a very capable local firm. Yet just as before, the moment they learned that the job came from the lord of South Australia Island, they immediately changed their story and claimed that someone on their construction crew had been injured and they might not be able to take the job, telling Carson to find another company.

By then, Carson had realized that he might not be able to complete his mission. Two companies in a row had refused work from South Australia Island. There was definitely some problem here that Carson did not know about.

But he could not give up just because two companies were unavailable. Carson continued searching and found a third company, then a fourth.

Little Nose Bay Port City was not a large city to begin with. Four construction companies was already the limit that such a small market could support. Yet all four refused to take South Australia Island's business.

By the time Carson finished searching, it was already evening. He had checked every legitimate company, so it seemed he could only look among independent contractors for a construction crew. But it was already time for dinner, so Butler Carson had no choice but to spend the night in Little Nose Bay Port City, planning to look for an independent crew first thing the next morning.

After tossing and turning all night while wondering what had gone wrong, Carson arrived at a residential house with dark circles under his eyes, accompanied by the fishing-crew member who was familiar with the local construction crews.

There, he met a locally renowned contractor. The contractor was named Jianlin Wang, a middle-aged man with a somewhat balding head.

At first, he readily agreed to accept the dock-expansion project. But when he learned that the lord of South Australia Island wanted to hire him to expand the docks, he hesitated for a long time before shaking his head and refusing.

Carson had grown shrewd with age. The previous construction companies had refused without the slightest hesitation, but this contractor had hesitated first. Sensing a possible turning point, Carson began raising the price.

Since Young Master had repeatedly assured him that he had secured a major business deal and that there would be plenty of money, Carson decided that he had to spend lavishly this once and complete the task Young Master had assigned him.

Every time Carson raised his offer, he thought of the Space Equipment in Kerry's possession. If the business succeeded, there would be money. If it failed, at least that Space Equipment was extremely valuable—even if it was borrowed.

Yet Jianlin's expression grew increasingly conflicted. When Carson raised the offer to twice the usual project fee, Jianlin finally spoke.

"Mr. Carson, to be honest, I have a loan coming due soon, and I desperately need your project to repay it. But South Australia Island is impossible. I really don't want to ruin my livelihood over a single project. Please, stop raising the price." Jianlin Wang finally spoke, but instead of agreeing to sign the contract, he ruthlessly refused once again.

"Actually, before coming to you, I already visited many construction companies. Every one of them refused without hesitation. I truly can't understand what happened to make everyone unwilling to take projects on South Australia Island." Carson had finally given up. Even independent contractors refused to go, and now he only wanted to know the truth.

"All right, I'll tell you, but don't say you heard it from me." After hesitating again and again, Jianlin Wang finally revealed the reason.

He was also hoping to form a favorable connection. Perhaps these nobles would have a way to resolve the matter, allowing him to go to South Australia Island and begin work after all.

Perhaps after forming this connection, they might come to him again. After all, he had built his fortune by constantly borrowing from moneylenders. Although he appeared prosperous now and had become a builder capable of rivaling legitimate companies—in other people's eyes, he was still just a contractor—he had already begun borrowing from one source to repay another.

Soon, Butler Carson left the residential house. The reason behind the whole incident was actually that Lord Jim had been unable to eat fresh fish on his birthday. It sounded utterly absurd.

Kerry was dumbfounded as well. He had only wanted to find people to help catch jellyfish and sell them for money, yet he had somehow caused the local big shot to have no fish to eat. Kerry felt utterly helpless.

Under normal circumstances, the local fishermen would stop fishing, and fishmongers from elsewhere would soon spot the opportunity and transport fresh fish here for sale. Little Nose Bay Port City would then have fresh fish to eat again before long. It was simply unfortunate that the timing had been too perfect, coinciding with the brief gap when Lord Jim's birthday arrived.

Kerry had always followed the principle of developing quietly and not taking unnecessary risks. He had wanted to survive the early development period safely, so that he could fight the whole world in the late game. Who could have known that while he only wanted to take the red buff, someone had already demolished his high ground?

Regardless, Lord Jim had decided that Kerry had offended him. After learning that Kerry was merely a down-and-out noble who might have gained favor by fawning on the Second Prince but had ultimately retreated to his territory to farm, just a brat who had come to grow crops, he gave the order that no one was to do business with Kerry Raynor. Anyone who did business with him could forget about making a living in Little Nose Bay Port City.

Jim intended to force Kerry to die on South Australia Island and live by fishing for himself from then on.

You wanted so many fishermen, didn't you? From now on, you can be a fisherman.