"Buy, buy, buy!"
"No, we want to sponsor His Majesty! Everything we do is for the sake of Great Liang!"
"Money is a bastard; keeping it in your hands is like throwing a hot potato. It's much better to curry favor with the Emperor; that's more reliable than anything else!"
After exchanging glances, Qian Yulong and the others made a decision immediately, showing their utmost sincerity by making up most of the ocean sponsorship fee.
Even though they had spent the wealth of Great Liang, they actually had more smiles on their faces.
This would not only secure a high-quality investment but also please the emperor and reduce the attention they would receive—a win-win situation.
After all, if a powerful family runs out of money and keeps a low profile, the emperor won't bother with them.
By leveraging these marine resources, one can continuously acquire wealth, enough to ensure the safety of one's family—a win-win situation indeed.
Liu Feng beamed, his mouth practically twisting into a grin, and exclaimed, "Haha, you all truly are loyal subjects of my Great Liang! His Majesty will be delighted! With your support, Great Liang will surely defeat all our maritime enemies!"
I will personally report to the Emperor and request commendations for you all...
With so much money put out, not only was most of the originally planned sponsorship amount fulfilled, but it also set a good example, making things much easier afterward.
For this reason alone, these aristocratic families have been a great help this time.
"Pretty!"
Upon hearing this, Qian Yulong and the others' eyes lit up. Liu Feng knew how to handle things; he understood what they wanted.
Why are we all working so hard, spending money and effort, all for the sake of being looked up to by the Emperor?
Now that Liu Feng has taken the initiative to help them claim credit, it's like he's touched their very souls. They're like brothers who love each other dearly. He's such a great guy!
"Thank you for your promotion, sir. If you need anything in the future, just give the order, and I, Qian Yulong, will never refuse!" Qian Yulong accepted Liu Feng's kindness without hesitation and even made a promise.
Although Liu Feng wasn't particularly outstanding before, he had previously been in charge of a department, which meant he was destined for rapid advancement. He was a rising star, and it was necessary to win him over.
Not to be outdone, Gu Ruotang laughed loudly, "Lord Liu is a trusted minister of the Emperor. If you need anything in the future, just give the order to the Gu family, and the Gu family will do its utmost."
Cough cough!
Zhang Ruohai was dumbfounded. These two guys had no sportsmanship at all, rushing to finish their sentences. What was he supposed to say?
With a determined look, he grabbed Liu Feng's hand and solemnly said, "Lord Liu, we hit it off immediately. Why don't we become sworn brothers? From now on, your affairs are my affairs!"
puff!
Upon hearing this, Qian Yulong and the others nearly vomited blood, stunned by Zhang Ruohai's shamelessness.
This guy is in his fifties, Liu Feng is probably only twenty-five. For them to want to become sworn brothers is just too outrageous.
That's utterly shameless!
"Forehead!"
Liu Feng was also dumbfounded, his lips twitching slightly. He then looked at Zhang Ruohai's gray hair and fell into deep thought.
If I were to die on the same day, month, and year as the other person, wouldn't I lose decades of my life? That price is too high; I simply cannot accept it.
His eyes were full of rejection as he said awkwardly, "Brother Zhang comes from a prominent family, while I, Liu Feng, am just a humble countryman. Isn't this inappropriate?"
"It's settled then!"
Zhang Ruohai grabbed his hand and said solemnly, "Brother, you're a high-ranking official. It's actually me who's above you. If you're unwilling, then you're looking down on me, Zhang Ruohai. What face would I have left to live in this world Zhang Ruohai...?"
After saying that, he looked like he was about to kill himself, which gave Liu Feng a huge headache.
If you die, I won't have received my sponsorship fee yet.
Liu Feng gritted his teeth and shouted, "Brother! Since that's the case, then I'm honored to be associated with you. Let me register you first, and then I'll drink with you."
For a moment, everyone around was stunned. Zhang Ruohai had actually managed to pull it off; the connections he'd built were incredibly smooth.
Gu Ruotang couldn't help but sigh, "Indeed, the more shameless a person is, the more invincible they become. I still have a way to go!"
"I'd like to acknowledge him as my elder brother. Old Zhang is truly a man who can take things in stride!" Qian Yulong nodded repeatedly, unable to help but sigh.
At the same time, they couldn't help but wonder: Zhang Ruohai could be so shameless, what if they joined him?
Holy crap!
Seeing that they were all eager to participate, Liu Feng quickly slipped away to oversee the registration.
Having one sworn brother is enough; if you have dozens more, that would be a huge problem—it would shorten your lifespan!
The oldest among them is probably over sixty. If they were to become sworn brothers, the entire group might be wiped out in less than six months.
Not far away, Lin Yi watched this bizarre scene and couldn't help but laugh and cry, saying, "Goodness, Liu Feng has accidentally gained a few old brothers!"
This is simply outrageous. If he were to summon Liu Bei in the future, wouldn't he suddenly have countless nephews who are a generation older than him?
"Heh heh, this kid's got some nerve, he's practically risking his life to complete this mission." Zhang Fei chuckled knowingly.
Huh!
Lin Yi's heart skipped a beat. This guy was actually speaking well of Liu Feng. Did he still remember that Liu Feng was his nephew?
He couldn't help but laugh and said, "You do have some skill; at least you made the northern aristocratic families bleed a lot of blood, Maritime Trade Office is basically established. But Yide, why aren't you training with Guan Yu? What are you doing here looking for me?"
He had just been showing concern for the people with Zhao Gao when Zhang Fei came running over, all eager to please, with a fawning expression. It was obvious he had something to ask.
"Hey-hey!"
Zhang Fei, his thoughts exposed, blushed and said awkwardly, "Your Majesty, could you transfer me to Gan Ning's side? That lad is more to my liking."
Guan Yu is always posing and striking poses on the boat; I'm ashamed to be associated with him!
puff!
Upon hearing his words, Lin Yi couldn't help but spit out his tea, staring at Zhang Fei in shock. "You, the third brother, actually look down on your second brother? Weren't you supposed to be sworn brothers in your past life?"
However, after a moment's thought, he understood Zhang Fei's meaning. This guy was annoyed that Guan Yu's side was still training, and he wanted to go directly to Gan Ning's side to fight, which was why he said that.
Thinking of this, he said in a deep voice, " Yide, although I value your bravery most, there is no such thing as getting things done through back channels in the army. I do not agree to this. If you don't train properly and end up falling in the ocean, wouldn't I be losing a great general!"
Naval warfare is no joke; it's a completely different concept from land warfare. If you're not used to it, you could very well die at sea.