"I..."
Sam's lips trembled.
He wanted to say, "I'll fight you to the death."
He wanted to maintain the last shred of dignity as a maritime overlord.
But the drool dripping from the two giant sea monsters had already formed a small puddle at his feet, emitting a fishy smell mixed with the scent of fish and shrimp.
He had no doubt that if he said one wrong word, he would experience a seven-day esophageal tour the next second.
No, it wouldn't take seven days.
He probably wouldn't even need a day to go through the miraculous process from ingestion to excretion.
"I... I'll join!"
Sam practically squeezed these three words through his teeth.
"Wouldn't it have been easier to just do that earlier?"
Roger snapped his fingers.
A satisfied smile, like an HR manager who had just landed a difficult candidate, appeared on his face.
"You see, only those who understand the times are heroes; embracing change is the only way to embrace the future."
The two giant sea monsters behind him seemed to receive an order, instantly retracting their drooling, foodie expressions and reverting to their clear yet foolish big eyes.
They even scratched each other with their tentacles, looking innocent, as if "nothing had happened."
"Alright, Mr. Wang."
Roger walked over cordially, patted Sam's shoulder, and effortlessly pulled him up from the ground.
"Welcome to the explorer, a vibrant and opportunistic family."
"From today onwards, you are the East Asia Regional President of our group."
"Your probation period is three months, primarily responsible for market development and channel integration."
Sam was stunned by this string of incomprehensible terms.
President? Probation? Channels?
What was all this?
He knew all the words individually, but when put together, he couldn't understand them.
"Of course, given that you are a new employee, we need to conduct a simple onboarding training first."
Roger cleared his throat and began his brainwashing session.
"Your first task is what I just mentioned: establish that East Asia Shipping Order Maintenance Association."
"The name must be grand and impressive, and the charter must be written in a high-sounding manner."
"The core idea is simple: anyone sailing in these waters must listen to us."
"As for those disobedient Japanese pirates..."
A cold glint flashed in Roger's eyes.
"They are non-performing assets, the black sheep of the market; we need to optimize and clear them out, understand?"
Sam nodded, half-understanding.
He finally understood.
In plain terms, it was just robbery under a different name.
And it only robbed others, not their own people.
He was familiar with this business!
"As for the startup capital..."
Roger stroked his chin and glanced at the captured ships nearby.
"Hector, pick two chinese cargo ship that aren't too damaged, repair them, and assign Sam a hundred of his former subordinates."
"This will be the company car and initial team provided to you, use them sparingly, and fuel expenses will not be reimbursed for now."
"Yes, Captain!" Hector took the order and left.
Sam watched Roger's smooth operation, completely numb.
His decades of hard work were "acquired" by him in just a few words?
And he himself had transformed from a maritime overlord into... a wage earner?
"Absurd! You lunatics!"
Lord Beckett, who had been on the side, finally recovered from his shock.
His face, pale from being soaked in water, was filled with the indignation of a civilized man.
"You are trampling on the rules!"
"You are declaring war on the entire civilized world!"
"Oh?" Roger only then remembered there was a bonus item here.
He slowly walked in front of Beckett and used the hilt of his saber to lift his chin.
"Mr. Beckett, don't get agitated. Your East India Company is also a potential high-quality client of ours."
"How about this, for our first collaboration, I'll give you a 20% discount."
"Don't you like monopolies?"
"I authorize you to be the exclusive agent for the shipping routes from East Asia to Europe from now on."
"Of course, this agency right is not free."
Roger extended a finger.
"One million gold coins in brand licensing fees annually, isn't that too much?"
Beckett's breath caught.
He felt like he wasn't talking to a pirate; he was making a deal with a devil who was even more greedy and shameless than him.
One million gold coins!
And that was just for one year!
Why didn't he just rob them!
"You... you're extorting us!"
"You can't say that, Mr. Beckett."
Roger shook his head, his face filled with sorrowful indignation.
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