Goblin Heavy Dependence

Chapter 171 Money Box
The Badger Gang
As a small to medium-sized force controlling a small portion of the slums and several streets in the West District.

In terms of income, it's far less than it appears to outsiders.

Sometimes, it can even make one seem a little embarrassed.

Don't be fooled by those tattooed thugs who hang around the streets all day, looking all rich and carefree.

In reality, they probably just filled their stomachs.

For a mid-tier gang like the Grey Badgers, their sources of income are very limited.

First and foremost, the most stable method is to collect "protection fees" from shops within one's sphere of influence.

You can't charge too much, otherwise you'll ruin other people's businesses and they'll run away, and they won't make any money themselves.

And they really need to send a few gang members to patrol the streets like guards from time to time to get rid of those unpleasant customers who might affect their business and maintain a relatively stable business environment.

Only in this way will these shop owners not have too many complaints when they "occasionally" collect protection fees a few days in advance, or slightly increase the fees by one or two percent.

Then there are other forms of illicit income.

It could be a novice adventurer dressed in decent gear, venturing into the city alone; or it could be an assassination bounty on the black market for a down-on-his-luck merchant.

You can't expect these gang thugs to do manual labor or odd jobs to earn money.

Once they donned the guise of "Grey Badger Gang members," the laws of Newme became meaningless.

Perhaps, on some level, they retain a certain degree of conscience.

But when it comes to making money... naturally, the faster the better.

Of course, this kind of income is very unstable for the Badger Gang.

A good month allows every member of the gang to enjoy several big meals and visit places like "Nightingale's Nest" a few times.

When there is no extra income, the ordinary residents on the street can only suffer.

Meanwhile, their expenses far outweigh their monthly income.

Putting everything else aside, you can't let these young men from the slums go hungry while they follow you.

Even if it's just water and black bread harder than bricks, we'll feed them until they're full.

It's perfectly acceptable to occasionally indulge in a night out at a pub.

Then there are the expenses for weapons and equipment.

Gang fights naturally don't require the expensive equipment that costs tens or hundreds of gold in the fine blacksmith shops that cater specifically to adventurers.

But we're all in this line of work. If you're fighting for territory with a few pipes and sticks in your hand, like a goblin, your morale will be weakened by 30% before the battle even begins. How are you supposed to fight like that?
Therefore, such expenditures are also essential.

The sheriffs and guards in the relevant streets need to be bribed, useful intelligence needs to be bought occasionally from the black market, and the city's homeless need to be funded to spread rumors...

Adding it all up, you don't have much money left each month.

As for more lucrative businesses like casinos and brothels... those are not opportunities for ordinary gangs of the size of the Grey Badger Gang.

After expanding his influence to the West District, the gang leader "Eight Fingers" even personally led his underlings to the "Iron Bucket Toad" tavern, which is a gathering place for many adventurers, to discuss cooperation with the owner "Stubborn Donkey".

They want to book several tables in the tavern's main hall to host card games, with the profits split equally.

Then the stubborn donkey chased him out the door with a broom.

In short, these scumbags who live in the dark sewers like the gray rats are definitely not rich.

And it was precisely for this reason that when the leader of the Badger Gang, "Eight Fingers," called out to his underlings, thanking them while opening the rather exquisite little money box that served as payment for saving them from the rat horde, it was a moment of great joy.

That's why his expression showed such heartache.

My gaze swept over the inside of the open money box in his hand, and his dark eyes reflected a bright yellow light.

It was worth at least fifty gold coins, and there were a few sparkling little stones scattered in the corner of the box.

His gaze swept over the stiff smile on the man's face once more.

Xia Nan raised an eyebrow slightly:

"you sure?"

"Of course!" Bazhi slammed the money box shut with a "snap" and handed it to Xia Nan with both hands.

"Without your help, my brothers and I would probably have been devoured by those damned rats by now, leaving not even bones behind."

"It's just a small token of my gratitude, please accept it!"

Since the other party had said so, Xia Nan did not hesitate and reached out to take the money box directly.

I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief.

I originally thought there wouldn't be any loot from this battle, and I would be satisfied with just being able to improve my combat skills.

Unexpectedly, there was an unexpected gain.

He had just spent a large sum of money at the "Rock Hammer" blacksmith shop, and his bank account balance had plummeted, leaving him feeling uncertain.

Having such an extra allowance during the mission was more than enough for him at the moment.

Of course, Xia Nan didn't forget Wood, who had also participated in the battle. He turned his head to look at Wood, slightly showing off the small wooden box in his hand, indicating that they would distribute the items in detail after they went out.

Unexpectedly, the serious-looking middle-aged man simply waved his hand.

"Keep it yourself, I don't need much money in the city."

"It's getting late. We'd better leave before dark and take care of our business."

Upon hearing this, Eight Fingers, who had been looking reserved in front of the two, also slightly raised his head and cautiously probed:

"I heard from Tie Tou that you two... came to see me?"

Before he arrived, he had already asked Tie Tou about the two men's purpose, knowing that they wanted to find him to ask for "Spittoon" Ben's address.

The reason for not bringing it up proactively, but instead asking the two people first, is to give them control of the conversation.

Caution is one reason.

On the other hand, it was also because of his own little schemes.

In this back and forth, perhaps only one or two words were added.

However, compared to proactively giving out Da Ben's address, he readily gave it to the two professionals in front of him without any further concealment after being asked.

This would allow them, or rather the Badger Gang, to establish a closer relationship with these two professionals.

Even if it doesn't reach the level of "human kindness," their attitude will always change somewhat when they think about what happened today, no matter what happens in the future.

If you're even luckier, you might be able to help them out in small ways, and it's not impossible to become friends with them.

Standing on the opposite side, Xia Nan naturally wouldn't think as much as Ba Zhi. Of course, even if he knew about the other party's little scheme, he wouldn't care much.

With a money box tucked under one arm, he concealed any information related to his mission and directly asked the other party for information about Buck and Ben.

“I know Buck... but I’ve never really had any contact with him on a regular basis.”

He ran his eight fingers along the messy stubble on his chin, recalling the past.

"I've only met them a few times before at the Iron Bucket Toad, we haven't had much interaction." "You should also know that adventurers who are semi-retired, settled down, and returned to a normal life generally don't have much contact with people like us."

He shrugged, a helpless smile on his face.

"As for 'Loop Spoon' Ben, I contacted him a while ago, and his address shouldn't have changed much."

"It's getting late today. That place is winding and no one knows the way. It's really hard to find it in a short time. It's also quite dangerous at night. Oh, it might just be a small trouble for you, but it will still cause some delay."

"If you're short on time... tomorrow morning, let Tie Tou show you the way."

I thought that after arriving, I would have to negotiate with this gang leader for a while, "appealing to his emotions and reasoning with him," and showing him some of my skills.

Who knows, they might even make Wood reveal his identity as a guard of the city lord's household.

Unexpectedly, this "Eight Fingers" was quite sensible. Without them having to say much, he just asked a few questions and told them everything he knew.

It doesn't sound like a lie.

He didn't care about the difference of one or two days. In fact, he had doubts about whether Buck was still in Newme.

Since the other party has said that it is not safe at night and there will be more trouble, it is not unreasonable to continue the mission tomorrow morning.

Xia Nan nodded, agreeing to Bazhi's plan, and arranged a meeting place with Tie Tou behind him for tomorrow.

After asking a few more questions about things that might need attention, I prepared to leave.

Before leaving, his gaze unconsciously swept over the dark and damp sewer environment around him.

His gaze lingered on the gray rat carcass on the ground, several howling gray badger gang members, and the blurry silhouettes and scarlet eyes that flashed through the dark depths of the tunnel.

Without giving it much thought, driven simply by curiosity, I casually asked:

"I heard from Tie Tou before that these rats went crazy because the 'Lunar Feast' is approaching."

"But the 'Moon Feast' should be held every year, right..."

"So you do this every year around this time?"

As he asked, a hint of doubt arose in Xia Nan's mind.

According to information he had previously learned from the bald, muscular man, the Badger Gang had established their core base in the sewers for many years.

If, as the other party explained, the gray rats in the sewers go berserk and become extremely aggressive towards humans every time the Lunar Feast arrives...

After all these years, the Badger Gang should have been on guard.

Whether it's setting up defensive facilities in advance or temporarily withdrawing from the sewers to avoid the rats during this period, these are all good countermeasures.

It shouldn't have ended like before, where even the gang leader was trapped in his den by the rats and almost wiped out.

A bitter expression appeared on Eight Fingers' face as he shook his head in bewilderment.

"In fact, we had already made arrangements near the base in advance."

"Judging from previous years, although these large rats will show strong aggression during this period, they still retain the characteristics of being afraid of fire and light."

"No matter how many there are, as long as you don't actively expose your body to their sight, they will instinctively avoid brightly lit places."

Eight Fingers casually picked up a relatively intact gray rat carcass from the ground and looked into the deep, dark corridor ahead.

"But this year, these rats seem to have been provoked by something. They are not afraid of torches or incendiary bombs and have swarmed over in droves like madmen."

"Looks like I'll have to take my brothers out to hide for a while by this time next year."

Stimulated?

The other party's answer seemed to make Xia Nan vaguely realize something.

But when he realized he had made a discovery and wanted to grasp the clues and think about them more deeply, the fleeting thoughts in his mind were like a lost dream, which he could not recall.

"It's getting late, we should leave."

Beside him, Wood raised his head, his focused gaze seemingly able to pierce through the thick stone wall above him, gazing at the increasingly gloomy sky outside.

Shaking his head, Xia Nan temporarily put aside his chaotic thoughts and nodded in agreement.

"Are you two planning to leave?"

Eight fingers spoke up at the opportune moment, pointing at the bald, burly man behind him.

"Tie Tou, take these two gentlemen with you..."

He had only spoken halfway when he saw the other person crouching down and winking at him, and he immediately understood.

He paused, then moved his finger, pointing to a thin young man with his neck tilted to the side next to Tie Tou.

"Hey, you crooked-necked guy, go! Lead the way for these two gentlemen!"

……

A strong stench of blood mingled with the distinctive sour smell of the sewers, filling the air.

The henchmen of the Badger Gang dragged their weary bodies as they cleaned up the dead rats on the ground.

During this special time when the Lunar Feast is approaching, the blood and stench emanating from corpses can easily attract dangerous troubles and need to be dealt with as soon as possible.

In addition, the thugs in the badger gang who were injured in the battle with the rats were also complaining to each other about treating their wounds.

They didn't have much medical knowledge; they only knew, through word of mouth, that the damp and dirty environment they were in could easily worsen their injuries.

But lacking both money and resources, the thugs naturally couldn't afford to go to the clinics above for proper treatment.

At present, under the command of a few older leaders in the gang, they are simply peeling off the "iron scab moss" unique to the Newme sewers from the walls, grinding the dark red crystals on its surface with simple tools, and applying it to the wound to stop bleeding and accelerate healing.

As for the potential side effects... they can't worry about that right now.

Watching the two professionals disappear around the corner of the utility tunnel in the distance, Eight Fingers breathed a sigh of relief.

His previously reserved and cautious demeanor in front of Xia Nan and the other man instantly vanished, and he straightened his back and raised his head, reverting to the posture of a gang leader.

He turned around and waved to Tie Tou, who was eager to try, his attitude deliberately friendly:

"Hey kid, tell me, what's the good news?"

Tie Tou quickly stepped forward, took out a blood-stained package from his pocket, and handed it to the other person with both hands.

"I got it from a drunkard in the tavern."

"Boss, you'll definitely love it!"

Glancing at Bazhi's slightly frozen expression, he quickly added:
"Don't worry, it has nothing to do with those two professionals."

"He's just a lazy bum with no connections; no one would care if he died on the street."

"I've cleaned it all up!"

Hearing Tie Tou say this, Ba Zhi's expression relaxed.

Tear open the tightly wrapped strips of cloth.

What comes into view is a palm-sized, upright human figure that resembles both a sheep and a deer.

(End of this chapter)