Blood is thicker than water, but accounts must still be settled.

Lin Qi took the gold note Blackbeard pressed into his hand and examined it carefully under the lamplight.

He didn't focus on the amount, but first checked the paper quality. It was unusually tough and crisp, resisting even a slight pull from his fingers. This was indeed the special paper exclusively made by the Empire for its banks to issue gold notes.

The watermark was also clearly visible in the light: three silver-white elephants, head to tail, walking beneath a tall metasequoia tree. This was the watermark of the Silver Sequoia Elephant Bank, the largest, oldest, and most reputable among the Empire's family banks. The special markings on the silver elephants and the leaves on the metasequoia tree were distinct, clearly indicating this was a gold note issued by the Silver Sequoia Elephant Bank.

He then looked at the handwriting. It was clear, with no signs of alteration. More importantly, there were no bloodstains or other suspicious marks on the note, suggesting it was obtained through legitimate channels, not stolen goods or spoils of a robbery.

Having confirmed it was a genuine, payable-on-demand gold note, Lin Qi finally focused on the most crucial part: the amount.

One hundred thousand gold coins!

Happiness arrived so suddenly that Lin Qi's blood rushed from his heart to his brain, making him dizzy. One hundred thousand gold coins was the net annual income of some mid-tier noble families in Berely City for several years. Yet, Blackbeard had generously offered him this sum as an investment!

The word "investment" caused the blood boiling in Lin Qi's head to recede back to his heart. He regained his composure, tucked the gold note into his inner pocket, and glared at Blackbeard with a cold sneer. "Dear Father, 'investment'? Did I hear that right? One hundred thousand gold coins to invest in my Iron Fist Brotherhood? Damn it, is this something a father would do?"

Blackbeard indifferently pulled a thin bronze wine bottle from his sleeve, uncorked it, and took a swig. He bared his teeth and shouted at Lin Qi, "Nonsense! I care about my only son. I'm investing a hundred thousand glittering Ooh-ooh-calls into the gang founded by my only son. This fully demonstrates a father's love for his child!"

"I'll take the money, but no investment!" Lin Qi fastened the three buttons on his inner pocket and sat down by his mother's coffin, his hands gently stroking the cold, smooth crystal. He said coldly, "This behavior is utterly shameless. A mere hundred thousand Ooh-ooh-calls, and you want to seize my assets? Absolutely not. Mother would never forgive you! This is Mother's tomb. You're extorting her only child in front of her grave. It's simply despicable!"

Blackbeard's face turned red with anger. He bared his teeth, waving his hands and roaring, "Not a single Ooh-ooh-call falls from the sky! Every copper is earned by your old man through hard work! Your old man just sees great potential in your Iron Fist Brotherhood, and our Black Tiger Family needs its own eyes and ears in Berely, hence the investment in your little gang!"

He raised the wine bottle and downed half a pound of strong liquor in one gulp. Blackbeard howled, "Otherwise, with your bunch of scoundrel students, three hundred riff-raffs, would I, Blackbeard, fork out a hundred thousand glittering Ooh-ooh-calls?"

He tossed the wine bottle to the ground and raised his two massive palms, slowly bending his fingers one by one to count. "Ten thousand, twenty thousand, thirty thousand... one hundred thousand! Look clearly, it's a hundred thousand Ooh-ooh-calls, not ten, not a hundred, but a hundred thousand!"

He waved his big fist, spitting as he roared, "One hundred thousand Ooh-ooh-calls, do you know what that means? In a small tavern in the Berely dock district, three to five Ooh-ooh-calls can get you a group of good men to help you kill an enemy! Here are one hundred thousand Ooh-ooh-calls, worth twenty thousand lives! I'm paying such a high cost, and I just need a little return. Can't I even get a stake?"

He forcefully patted Lin Qi's head and roared, "I'm seizing your assets? Damn it, all my property will be yours in the future! Damn it, you scoundrel, you idiot, is this how a son should speak? You're breaking my heart!"

Lin Qi rolled his eyes and snorted coldly, "All your property will be mine? Then, how about I go kill Arthur first?"

Blackbeard choked, unable to breathe for a long time.

He patted his chest forcefully, letting out a huge burp, and Blackbeard complained with a frown, "Why are we back to this issue again? I told you, I'll send him away after some time to take over his father Red-Haired Ghost's territory. The family's assets will naturally be handed over to you entirely. Why do you keep harping on this matter?"

Lin Qi narrowed his eyes contentedly. He raised a finger and said with a cold laugh, "Because I don't trust him! Do you think he'll honestly go back to his dead bastard father's territory? Will he obediently go back to being a pirate living rough? Damn it, if he can kill me, then he can take over the entire Black Tiger Family. He'd be set!"

Blackbeard shook his head forcefully and sneered, "How could he possibly have such an opportunity? Stop talking nonsense!"

He firmly waved his hand and stated decisively, "Let's drop the topic of Arthur. You bullied him enough back then. You gouged out one of his eyes with your own hands. What more do you want? This matter is not to be mentioned again. One hundred thousand gold coins, plus a group of the family's best men sent to Berely to follow your command. I want the Iron Fist Brotherhood to grow tenfold within two years."

He clenched his fist, pondered for a moment, and then said, "The Iron Fist Brotherhood, you'll have sixty percent, and I'll have forty percent. You're getting a great deal!"

An investment of one hundred thousand gold coins, plus a group of the family's best men following him? Such strength was enough to rapidly expand the Iron Fist Brotherhood in the short term.

Because Berely was the capital of the Empire, the underground forces in Berely City were relatively weaker than powerful families like the Black Tiger Family. An Iron Fist Brotherhood that grew tenfold could even surpass established powers like The Cripple and The Hunchback. Undoubtedly, this would bring enormous profits.

Not to mention that Lin Qi could now connect with nobles like Mr. Grong. After the Iron Fist Brotherhood grew tenfold, perhaps the clients would become barons, viscounts, or even higher-ranking figures. This would also aid Blackbeard's plans!

Perhaps this was Blackbeard's ultimate goal – he wanted to cultivate his own spokesperson in the imperial capital!

After a moment of thought, Lin Qi raised a finger. "Father and son, clear accounts. The one hundred thousand gold coins are mine. If there's a need for later investment, Father, you must provide me with sufficient gold. The men sent from the family must obey my orders; you cannot remotely control them! The Iron Fist Brotherhood is mine to command!"

He looked at his shrewd son with a helpless expression, sighing with both relief and sadness. "Alright, Lin Qi, you've finally grown up! Knowing how to bargain with your own father, you've truly grown up!"

He forcefully patted Lin Qi's hand, and father and son formally sealed their contract.