" Black, you contributed a lot, especially leading the team, and you're getting so little..."
"Do as I say."
Black interrupted him coldly, his gaze intense.
"If it weren't for this kid's quick reaction at the last moment, a headshot, we might both be dead. That shot saved not only himself, but the entire team."
"Rules must not be broken, but merits must not be erased."
Black stared into Old Kash's eyes, speaking slowly and deliberately.
"Let's divide it like this. Who agrees, who disagrees?"
silence.
The only sound was the humming of the cold storage compressor.
A hint of a smile flashed in Silas's single eye.
"I have no objection!"
Aruk was the first to raise his hand, beaming with joy.
"As long as Su Wei gets the lion's share, anything goes! I can still get a decent cut, hehe!"
Old Kash was silent for a few seconds, then finally shook his head with a smile, his eyes filled with even deeper reverence.
"Alright, I'll listen to you. The Old Devil is always the Old Devil; he's shrewder than anyone, but also fairer than anyone."
Su Wei looked at the three men.
Looking at Aruk's silly grin, at Old Kash's kind eyes, and at Black's cold profile.
His throat felt tight, and his nose felt slightly sore.
"Okay, stop with the sob story, it's giving me goosebumps."
Silas broke the sentimental mood by picking up the calculator, his single finger once again flying across the keys.
"Now that the distribution plan is set, let me tell you exactly how much we made on this trip."
"The bear skin and skull belong to the Su Wei; they're not worth any money."
"The rest."
Silas pressed the buttons while announcing the numbers.
"Moose meat, bear meat, mother bear skin, moose antlers, and that golden gall... these are truly rare treasures, I want as much as you can get."
Aruk's breathing began to quicken.
Old Kash's fingers, which were gripping his pipe, began to turn white, and he leaned forward slightly.
Even Su Wei couldn't help but hold his breath, his heart starting to race.
"Drop."
Silas pressed the final equal sign.
He looked up at the long string of numbers on the screen, his single eye revealing a hint of mockery and envy.
"Congratulations! You not only broke even on this trip, you made a fortune!"
He turned the calculator screen toward the crowd.
On the screen, the bright red number displayed on the LCD screen instantly ignited everyone's pupils.
"The total profit from this trip, after deducting the guild's cut and my processing fee."
Silas paused, savoring the suspense of the moment.
"124,300 US dollars."
Thump!
That was the sound of Aruk's boning knife falling to the ground.
"How many?"
Aruk's voice even changed tone.
"124,300."
Silas repeated it.
Silas opened the drawer and took out several thick stacks of US dollars, bound with rubber bands, which smelled of ink.
"Slap! Slap! Slap!"
Several stacks of banknotes were slammed heavily onto the stainless steel cutting board.
That dull sound, however, was now incredibly beautiful.
"Now."
The one-eyed bartender grinned, revealing a chilling yet incredibly friendly smile, and pushed the pile of green banknotes forward.
Who will count the money?
Chapter 126 Going Home, and the Living Room Stuffed with Bearskin (Please Subscribe!)
Who will count the money?
Aruk practically crashed through the air in front of him, landing face-first in front of the stainless steel cutting board.
Those rough, large hands, usually accustomed to holding oars and rifles, now hovered somewhat helplessly above the pile of green paper.
He glanced back at his father, then at Black, and finally fixed his gaze on Su Wei's face.
"You really want me to count?"
Aruk's voice was a little dry.
Su Wei stood to the side with his arms crossed, nodding slightly.
"Number."
Having received confirmation, Aruk no longer hesitated.
He grabbed the top bundle of banknotes.
The sound of the rubber band snapping was particularly crisp in the quiet cold storage.
"One thousand, two thousand, three thousand..."
Aruk counted very slowly and clumsily.
His fingers, moistened with saliva, rubbed against the sheets of paper that smelled of ink.
Each Franklin sheet burned his fingertips until they trembled, yet he couldn't bear to let go.
Old Kash didn't move forward.
He leaned against the cold wall, the pipe in his mouth long since extinguished.
Those cloudy old eyes stared at the pile of money, complex emotions hidden in the wrinkles at the corners of their eyes.
This money is equivalent to his net income from two years of fishing at sea.
And now, it's only been an afternoon.
Black remained expressionless, only occasionally glancing at the record sheet next to the electronic scale to confirm that Silas had not tampered with the weight.
To him, it was just a number.
Ten minutes later.
Aruk put down the last wad of banknotes.
He looked up, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"124,300."
When Aruk announced the number, he felt like his tongue was tied in knots.
He swallowed hard and looked pleadingly at the one-armed man standing in the shadows.
"Divide it up, Silas. Hurry up and divide it. My heart can't take this pile of money sitting here."
Silas scoffed, his single eye filled with mockery.
"You can't even handle this? You'll see plenty of these kinds of situations when you're with Su Wei."
As he spoke, he took a black notebook out of the drawer, opened it with one hand, picked up a pencil that was half-burnt, and quickly wrote down equations on the paper.
"A total of 124,300."
Silas tapped his pen tip on the paper.
"According to the rules, round down the difference first."
He reached out his nimble left hand, precisely grabbed several stacks of banknotes from the pile of money, and tossed them aside.
"This is four thousand three hundred. The rest, a full twelve thousand."
Silas looked at Black.
Black nodded slightly, signaling to continue.