Imperial warlords: Cannons are the only truth

"what?"

Lu Wenyao looked at the serious-looking Gu Yuankai in disbelief: "You want 70%? A 70/30 split?"

"Commander Gu, isn't your request a bit too unreasonable?"

"Commander Gu should know how much our brothers paid to get their hands on these sixteen carts of gold, right?"

"Know something!"

"But it's not very clear."

"Your operation was quite professional. Not only did you leave no survivors at the scene, but you also took away the bodies from your side."

"However, judging from the intensity of the fighting on the scene, I think your casualties must be considerable as well."

"After all, the armed guards escorting the gold and the military troops you intercepted were not to be underestimated."

"Although you are the ones who ambushed, the price you will have to pay to escape unscathed will certainly be very high."

"To be honest, Commander Gu."

"I lost nearly two hundred brothers in this operation!"

Lu Wenyao gritted his teeth and said, "These people are all top-notch, one in a hundred, each one is the elite of the elite!"

"The brothers risked their lives to get their hands on this gold."

"Commander Gu is well aware of the risks involved in doing something like this in Qianzhou."

"Commander Gu wants 70% of these sixteen cartloads of gold—isn't that a bit too unreasonable?"

"How about this!" Lu Wenyao raised his hand to look at the time on his watch: "Time is of the essence, I'll compromise again."

How about a 60/40 split?

"Commander Gu took 60%, leaving 40% for us brothers to share."

"Warden Lü, what you're saying isn't quite right, is it?"

"You're making it sound like I, Gu Yuankai, am deliberately trying to take advantage of your misfortune!"

Gu Yuankai smiled and shook his head: "As I just said—friendship is friendship, but accounts still need to be settled."

"Although Warden Lü and I hit it off immediately and felt like we were old friends, you can't let me 'lose out' in this matter, can you?"

"Warden Lü, don't forget—the risks I'm taking to cover this up for you are enormous."

"Am I not gambling with my life?"

"Originally, if this hadn't happened, my future in the intelligence agency would have been bright."

"But if I get involved in this, I'll have to live in constant fear and walk on thin ice from now on!"

"Warden Lü should be able to imagine how much mental pressure this is, right?"

"If I were to agree to this—the risks I would have to take would be no less than yours!"

"Even bigger!"

"After all, I'm in the intelligence agency, surrounded by meticulous people. I have to be vigilant at all times to prevent myself from being caught off guard."

"I think it's reasonable for me to take 70% of it, right?"

"Warden Lü doesn't really think I'm making an exorbitant demand, does he?"

"If Warden Lü really thinks that way—then there's nothing I can do."

"As you can see, things outside are in complete chaos."

"This matter has already reached the highest levels; the Chief of Staff is personally overseeing it."

"I really can't agree to anything below this price..."

"Actually, if you look at it from a different perspective, the whole thing becomes clear."

Looking at Lü Wenyao, whose face was contorted with pain and whose expression was extremely unpleasant, Gu Yuankai said solemnly, "Now, Warden Lü only has two paths before him."

First: a fight to the death.

"You won't get a single piece of this gold, and you'll all be finished."

Second: a 30/70 split.

“I’ll cover this up for you. You can still keep at least 30% of the sixteen cartloads of gold.”

"Isn't 30% of the gold a considerable amount?"

"One should be content with what one has—being too greedy can easily lead to mistakes."

"What do you think, Warden Lü?"

"Commander Gu, is it really impossible to compromise any further?" Lu Wenyao said with a grim face in his final struggle, "Is the 73% figure truly unchangeable?"

"It's not that I'm disrespecting Warden Lü, it's just that this matter is too risky for me."

"Seventy-three is my bottom line..."

"To be honest—if I hadn't felt an instant connection with Warden Lü and gotten along well with him, I wouldn't be talking about a 70/30 split right now."

"Instead—it's a 90/10 split!"

"This is only because of Warden Lü's influence; otherwise, we would either not do it at all, or if we did, we would insist on a 90/10 split of the profits!"

"So I should thank Commander Gu for his 'care'..."

Lu Wenyao tried to calm himself down and took a long breath: "Okay!"

"Since Commander Gu has already put it this way, then I won't waste any more words."

"If Commander Gu says we'll split the profits 70/70, then we'll split them 70/70!"

"From now on, we have Commander Gu as a friend. This money was well spent!"

Lu Wenyao said "It's worth it," but the throbbing pain in his heart caused even the corners of his mouth to twitch...

Sixteen cartloads of gold were swindled out of 70% of their value; anyone would be heartbroken in that situation.

However, Lü Wenyao also knew—just as Gu Yuankai had just said.

If we don't agree to this profit-sharing plan, it will result in a lose-lose situation.

At that point, not only will we not get a single coin of gold, but we'll also lose our lives!

I agreed to a 70/30 split. Even though it's a smaller share, at least I'll survive and get the gold...

Comparing the two options, it's quite clear which one Lü Wenyao will choose.

Looking at Gu Yuankai's calm expression, Lü Wenyao knew—the other party had him cornered.

But there is nothing that can be done about it.

The current situation is indeed one where we're completely outmaneuvered...

-------------------------------------

"it is good!"

"readily!"

"Warden Lü is truly a man of great deeds!"

Gu Yuankai nodded and said, "From now on, we're in the same boat."

"Leave this to me. Warden Lü's matter is my matter. I'm determined to help!"

"Then I'll trouble Commander Gu to take care of it..."

Having gotten a great deal, Gu Yuankai said with a generous smile, "It's only right. We're all friends, so why bother?"

"By the way, since we're all on the same side now, I'll just be frank."

"Commander Gu, please speak frankly..."

"How did Warden Lü manage to gather such a well-trained group of armed suicide soldiers?"

"Also, besides these gold robberies, Warden Lü must have other shady businesses on the side, right?"

"Otherwise, Warden Lü wouldn't have given me thirty gold notes as a 'greeting gift' all at once, would he?"

"Oh!" Gu Yuankai then added, "I was just asking out of pure curiosity."

"If Warden Lü is not comfortable or doesn't really want to discuss this topic, then just pretend I didn't say anything..."

"Commander Gu, you're too kind," Lü Wenyao replied immediately. "Didn't Commander Gu already say that?"

"We are now friends in the same boat."

"As far as Commander Gu is concerned, we have no secrets here."

"Commander Gu guessed correctly."

Lu Wenyao frankly told Gu Yuankai, "Besides this gold robbery, we also have some shady businesses that we use to make a living."

"After all, I have a lot of brothers under my command who all need money."

"To be honest, Commander Gu, we are currently the largest opium dealer in the entire Philippine Protectorate!"

"Moreover, no one would have thought we would use the prison as a cover!"

"As for the assassins under my command, they are all thanks to the Xiro people."

"These people were special forces personnel secretly trained by the Western Roma when they colonized the Philippines."

"When the Xiluo people were defeated and fled Kaiqianzhou, these people were left behind."

"The Western Ro people originally hoped that these people would stay behind to carry out sabotage."

"But once the Xiluo people leave, who will be willing to risk their lives for them?"

"It was by chance that I met their commander."

"At that time, he had a lot of gambling debts at the gambling table."

"I stepped in and settled the debt for him."

"After that, I took over this secret armed force."

Lu Wenyao paused for a moment, then continued, "However, these people do not have legal status in the Philippines."

"So it can't be exposed to the light of day at all."

"And my first prison became the perfect hiding place."

"Besides smuggling opium, we also take on assassination jobs."

"And it has never caused any trouble."

"Because no one would have guessed that these killers would be hiding in a prison!"

"Impressive! I never knew you could do that!" Gu Yuankai exclaimed in admiration. "Warden Lü, that's a brilliant move!"

"No wonder he's so generous."

"Today was truly a worthwhile trip—it was an eye-opening experience!"

"So, you're saying the entire First Prison in Feicheng is under Warden Lü's control?"

"I dare not speak of anything else—but in the First Prison of Philippine City, my words are law!"

"Those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish."

"No matter what happens outside the Philippine First Prison, inside the prison, I'm the one who calls the shots!"

"Commander Gu, the arrangements for the dungeon are all up to you."

"The gold and the people are currently hidden in the dungeon, and must never be exposed to the light!"

"Don't worry, leave it to me. I'll take care of the rest."

"I will not stand by and watch my gold go down the drain..."

"Alright, I'll go to the prison area to make the arrangements first, and Warden Lü should also get ready."

"Isn't it said that the prison dungeon is haunted?"

Gu Yuankai then instructed, "Warden Lü, go and prepare some props for exorcising evil spirits and warding off misfortune, and set up an incense table."

"I have my own plans for later..."

-------------------------------------

"Warden, this guy surnamed Gu is such a scoundrel!"

After Gu Yuankai had walked away, Liu Sanhe, who had just entered, said indignantly, "He's asking for 70% right off the bat!"

"That's an incredibly big appetite!"

“He’s clearly got us cornered,” Lu Wenyao said coldly. “However, the more greedy a person is, the less they are to be feared.”

"We're not afraid of him making demands, we're afraid he won't make any at all!"

“As long as the request is made, there is room for maneuver in this matter.”

"The most important thing now is to cover up what happened in the dungeon."

"Right now, only Gu Yuankai can help us with this."

"Warden, isn't this guy surnamed Gu a bit too greedy?"

"What our brothers risked their lives for, they ended up eating the meat, and all we got to do was drink some dry soup after all that work?"

"Hmph! Of course not!" A ruthless glint appeared in Lü Wenyao's eyes. "Don't worry, I, Lü Wenyao, have said it before—I will never mistreat the brothers who follow me..."

"Do you think someone who's robbing others will actually get robbed?"

"The warden means..."

"I only agreed to the one surnamed Gu first."

"The most important thing now is to get through this current hurdle."

"After we get through this crisis, do you really think I'd let that guy surnamed Gu benefit from what our brothers risked their lives for?"

"Does the warden mean—after it's done, get rid of that guy surnamed Gu?"

Liu Sanhe asked doubtfully, "Warden, this guy surnamed Gu is, after all, a member of the Secret Intelligence Bureau."

"Taking care of this person isn't difficult for us, but I'm worried about how things will go with the intelligence agency..."

"If the Secret Intelligence Service investigates, will we be in trouble?"

"If we can make Gu's death seem like an accident, everything will fall into place."

Lu Wenyao said in a sinister tone, "I deliberately haggled with that guy surnamed Gu just now so as not to arouse his suspicion."

"We'll settle accounts with that guy surnamed Gu after things calm down."

"Anyway, things are tense right now, so the gold we promised to give to the guy surnamed Gu will definitely have to stay hidden here for the time being."

"Whether we give it to them or not will be up to us when the time comes!"

"I was thinking that if Mr. Gu could accept a 50/50 split, we would have another channel, and more friends mean more opportunities."

"But the man surnamed Gu has a really big appetite."

“This has crossed my bottom line.”

"I'm not going to be that sucker!"

"Go and prepare the things as Mr. Gu just said."

Lu Wenyao then instructed Liu Sanhe, who was standing nearby, "Tell the brothers to be quick-witted."

"And those prisoners, keep a close eye on them—don't let them say anything out of line."

"If anyone messes up, I'll be the first to not let them off the hook!"