[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-mercenary-s-war":3,"chapter-mercenary-s-war-mercenary-s-war-chapter-633":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","Mercenary’s War",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1613473,2077,"Chapter 633 - 633 626 Dividing the Spoils","mercenary-s-war-chapter-633",633,"\u003Cp>633: Chapter 626: Dividing the Spoils 633: Chapter 626: Dividing the Spoils Dawn broke, and after all the pirates and the British had surrendered, the remaining members of the Somali Youth Party also chose to surrender.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the Skull Gang took full control of Gesale, the dust of this battle settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With the war over, it was time to do what needed to be done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearing the battlefields and managing the prisoners were the Skull Gang’s responsibility.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For Gao Yang and the others, the priority was—dividing the loot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To put it more nicely, it should be called the division of spoils, but after Uriyangko and Djo Malthael made a deal and thoroughly screwed the British with a conspiracy, Gao Yang still felt that ‘dividing the loot’ was a more appropriate term.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Destin had taken everyone away before dawn, leaving the loot to be divided among three parties: Uriyangko, Gao Yang, and Abu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because many things must not be known by too many people, the looting council was convened only among the four of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too many mouths can lead to unwanted leaks of sensitive information.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The four sat on seats made of stacked ammunition boxes, each wearing a face full of joy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The battle of Gesale had given each person exactly what they wanted, so this was a win-win-win cooperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu’s smile was radiant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he hadn’t closed his eyes all night, his spirits were still surprisingly high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After sitting down, Abu immediately chimed in energetically, “Ram, three million dollars in cash has already been prepared for you guys.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just take it with you later.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Also, those three tanks are yours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How do you plan to transport them?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maide and I discussed it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We don’t need to keep the tanks, so we won’t be buying them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, we’d have bought the tanks that belong to you, and you could just walk away with the cash, haha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang waved his hand and laughed, “No problem, I think someone will be very happy to buy them.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uriyangko laughed heartily, “Of course, of course.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’d be very happy to buy your tanks.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a good laugh, Uriyangko waved his hand and said, “According to our agreement, we should collect six hundred thousand dollars for helicopter rental fees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But, since we’re old friends, considering our very good and pleasant collaboration, we’ll waive the fees.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uriyangko and Polovich came to war mainly to make some money through selling weapons and renting helicopters, but they hadn’t expected to get four armed helicopters for free.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A conservative estimate was that the helicopters would earn him and Polovich more than ten million dollars in pure profit, so waiving the rental fee was the right thing to do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu also laughed heartily, “Alright, thank you very much.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Polovich gave Gao Yang a sly smile, “Ram, you just said you want to sell the tanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One million dollars, I’ll buy all three tanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That’s the friendly price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One million dollars for three tanks, Gao Yang felt the price was a bit low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although the M60A3s were second-generation tanks, a price of only about three hundred thousand dollars each was still too low.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Gao Yang could speak, Uriyangko was already shaking his hands, saying, “No, no, one million for three tanks is too low of a buying price.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Listen to me, buddy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ram and I have a much better relationship with Grand Ivan than you think.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We’re offering the real friendly price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After voluntarily raising the price and explaining it to Polovich, Uriyangko turned to Gao Yang and said, “I’ve already inspected the tanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All three are equipped with disruptor-type laser rangefinding fire control systems and have reactive armor installed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, the condition of the engines is very good, as if they had just been overhauled not long ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even though they are old tanks, they’re still quite valuable.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Having said that, Uriyangko stroked his chin thoughtfully for a moment before speaking firmly, “Considering the tanks’ configurations and maintenance condition, the normal price for one tank should be 1.2 million dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, if we want to sell them quickly, the most we could get per tank is one million dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking into account our regular profit and costs, how about this, we’ll buy each tank from you for six hundred thousand dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What do you think?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uriyangko certainly wanted to make a profit too.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A buying price of six hundred thousand dollars per tank was reasonable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Other arms dealers would never offer such a high price, since the demand for tanks is quite limited, and they’re not easy to sell.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One hundred eighty thousand dollars for three tanks was a substantial extra income, putting Gao Yang in a very good mood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately extended his hand and, after shaking hands with Uriyangko, he laughed, “Deal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Polovich shrugged, “Sorry, I really didn’t realize the friendship between you two was this good.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang shook his head, indicating it was no problem, then Abu, eager to continue, said, “Alright, that’s the valuable items taken care of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now let’s talk about our business.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Now that we have six big guns, just having guns is not enough—we need shells too.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Uriyangko spread his hands, laughing, “Don’t worry, you pay and I’ll provide the shells.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As long as you have the money, I’ll deliver as many as you want, and I guarantee a fair price.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After another round of hearty laughter, Gao Yang nodded at Abu and said gravely, “Have you gotten in touch with the British?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did they say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu said with disdain, “I made contact, with a guy who claimed to be named John.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He said if Skull Gang doesn’t want to be wiped out immediately, they’d better release all their people right away.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang frowned and asked, “That assertive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What did you say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu replied with a smug look, “I told him that all of Holmesny’s mercenaries had been killed, and if he didn’t want the remaining ones dead, he’d better pay a ransom of twelve thousand US dollars per person.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We don’t have surplus food to feed freeloaders.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one dime less is sent for anyone, we off one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Forty-eight hours, if the money doesn’t show up, they can come collect the bodies.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu’s response was even tougher, and Gao Yang was really afraid he might have blown the negotiation with the British, so he quickly asked, “How did the other side respond?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu laughed, “What else could they say?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, they’re paying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That guy nearly cried, insisting on a ransom of ten thousand US dollars per head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn F**k, if you’re not brave enough to fight, don’t talk tough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I’ve roamed the seas for many years, I’m not scared of his bluffs!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the end, we settled on ten thousand US dollars a person, plus a thousand for every hour they’re late after forty-eight hours.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they’re over twelve hours late, we’ll kill all the captives, and they won’t have to pay a single dollar.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, they reached an agreement, and Gao Yang breathed a sigh of relief, “Good, the British shouldn’t dare default now.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just wait and collect the money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With this ransom, you won’t come out at a loss from this battle.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu laughed heartily, “At a loss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could we possibly be at a loss?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After capturing Gesale, the entire eastern coast will soon be all ours, and it won’t be long before we get the west.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then, the money will flow in like water, haha.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After his triumphant laughter, Abu grandly waved his hand and declared, “Ram, we’ll split the captives’ ransom fifty-fifty.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang frowned, but he did not accept Abu’s generous offer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was no better employer than Skull Gang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Whatever Gao Yang said was the final word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to buy intelligence, Maide would pay right away.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he wanted to rent a helicopter, Gao Yang himself could decide without even having to ask Maide or Abu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>During battle, Maide and Abu were guaranteed not to utter a single word.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Although he was hired to command, having such complete trust and autonomy with a band of mercenaries was rare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Conventionally, after receiving a salary, one shouldn’t share in the spoils with the employer, that’s the rule—unless there’s a prior agreement, which is why Gao and his team had taken three tanks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, captured prisoners were the employer’s property, after all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If even the ransom for war prisoners had to be split with Skull Gang, that would be going too far, not something friends would do.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang gestured with his hand, “We won’t take a cut of the ransom for the captives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You are in need of cash right now, and we’ve captured two hundred ninety-four prisoners in total.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Let’s say we can get three million US dollars from them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That money actually isn’t much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You better keep it for yourselves.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You haven’t paid for the intelligence yet; we can’t drag that out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Plus, we need to replenish ammunition, which also costs money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most importantly, with heavy casualties in this battle, you need to provide promptly for the soldiers who were killed or wounded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With all these expenses, won’t your finances be stretched?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With that said, Abu also frowned and pondered for a moment before nodding, “You’re right, we do have many expenses.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Maide also said, we are true friends.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>We still owe you money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No matter what, this time, we should let you take more of it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang smiled, “There will be plenty of time in the future, no rush.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu, being a straightforward person, slapped Gao Yang on the shoulder and declared loudly, “Alright, then this time it’s settled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next time we need your help, we’ll make sure to prepare more money.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking what must be taken and refusing what must not—this was Gao Yang’s principle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Abu no longer insisting, Gao Yang felt pleased; this way, everyone made money, and no one had to feel uncomfortable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After a brief chat and laugh, Abu stood up and said, “I can’t stay and talk with you any longer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I need to go check on the prisoners.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The British need to be released, but the Somalis can’t be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Maide said I need to work on the prisoners first, to win them over and get these men to join us.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Alright, you guys chat, I’ll take my leave.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang also stood up and said, “Wait a second; I understand everything you’ve just said, but I want to know, do your ‘prisoners’ also include members of the Somali Youth Party?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu nodded, “Yes, of course, it includes them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These men, how should I put it, are very tough; even the British surrendered, but they wouldn’t.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So I think if they swear allegiance, they will make good soldiers.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang shook his head repeatedly, “No, no way, you can keep anyone, but you absolutely cannot keep members of the Young Party.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Abu, trust me, if you allow members of the Young Party into Skull Gang ranks, the end of Skull Gang will be upon you.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Trust me, these people cannot stay; the best choice is to kill them all.”\u003C\u002Fp>",1855,"2026-06-06T10:20:01.080Z",1,"novelbin.me","87ad938b605ecdbb0df02fe83ffa80eecc0ebc580365db9fec6e95046ff9ec97","mercenary-s-war-chapter-634","mercenary-s-war-chapter-632",2343,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fmercenary-s-war-cover.jpg"]