Mercenary's War

Gao Yang couldn’t think of any good ways for Nate to make money, at least not in Ukraine. What he could do was ask someone like Morgan, who’s an expert in making money off wars, to see if there’s any way to profit.

So he asked without hesitation, but before making the call, a thought suddenly crossed his mind.

"Nate, I suddenly feel that your people can leave now, right?"

"Uh, not all of them can leave, but splitting some shouldn’t be a problem."

Gao Yang put down the phone and said very seriously: "Otherwise, how about I hire you? I’ll pay a higher commission. I’m seriously short on people and really need a strong special ops team."

Nate looked at Gao Yang for a long time, then shook his head and said: "No, I’m not going to work for you, nor will I follow your orders in a fight, don’t even think about it."

Gao Yang laughed bitterly and said: "This is just your misplaced pride at work, but you got it wrong. I’m not asking you to work for me, nor would I order you to do anything. We’re talking cooperation here. Let me think, we have a lot of models to choose from."

Nate finally took it seriously, but after thinking for a moment, he still shook his head and said: "No, I’m still not planning to cooperate with you because I don’t want to leave Ukraine. This is where we can achieve our dreams."

Gao Yang frowned and said: "It’s just giving you an additional way to make money, not making you give up your dreams. You need to make money to support this place in order to maintain your ideals, buddy. Dreams are lush, but reality is often too skeletal."

Nate laughed and said: "I understand what you mean, but I don’t want to do it because it’s not pure enough. You wouldn’t understand me, just like I can’t understand you."

Gao Yang immediately gave up on convincing Nate, but he wasn’t willing to give up on his goal.

"Okay, you decide your own business, but you gotta give me your artillery. You asked me if there’s a way, and I’ve told you what there is. As for the specifics, you’ll have to sort them yourself. Anyway, I’ve answered your question, and you have to keep your promise."

Nate hesitated for a moment, then he said solemnly: "I’ll give you artillery, but you have to continue helping me, help me find a way to make money without leaving Ukraine, right here, using war to support war."

Gao Yang immediately said: "Alright, I can ask for you right away, but let’s be clear, once I give you a plan, whether you use it or not is up to you."

Nate shouted: "Deal! Ask now!"

Gao Yang said seriously: "No, take me to find artillery first. After I find satisfactory artillery, then I’ll ask for you."

"No way, ask for me first."

Gao Yang was helpless. He pointed to his own head and said to Nate: "Is your brain really square-shaped? Buddy, think about it. You now control a large part of Donetsk. It’s like managing a city. Do you think it’s a problem that can be solved with just a sentence if you want to develop a city that has nothing?"

Nate said very seriously: "I don’t understand economics, to be honest, I don’t know how to profit from war. War is a destructive act, it ruins economies. I only know selling arms can make money, aside from that, I can’t think of any opportunities to make money during war, because all commercial activities have come to a halt."

Gao Yang said irritably: "You know it’s not easy, why are you so eager for me to ask?"

"Because I need to see you already taking action, not just saying it."

Gao Yang said very seriously: "Buddy, I’ve always been someone who keeps my word."

"So am I, which is why I’m only asking you to make the call now, first handle my business, then yours."

Gao Yang sighed helplessly and said: "F**k, I finally get it, it’s still that pointless pride at play. Alright, alright, I’ll ask for you now, right now."

Gao Yang took out his phone, but he didn’t call Morgan. After some thought, he dialed Abdul instead.

Abdul had been with Morgan for many years, maybe he knows how to profit from wars.

When Abdul answered the phone, Gao Yang immediately said: "Don’t mention our affairs for the time being, don’t bring up anything now. Let me ask you, is there any way to make money in Donetsk, Ukraine? I’m putting it on speaker, others will hear what you say, so answer seriously."

After speaking, Gao Yang pressed the speakerphone button, letting Nate listen to Abdul as well.

"Donetsk? That godforsaken place is probably all ruins now, how can you make money?"

Hearing Abdul’s words, Nate gently sighed.

Gao Yang shouted: "Not as a businessman seeking ways to make money, but as a warlord profiting from war, is there a way?"

"Oh, that’s easy. Does that even need asking?"

Gao Yang and Nate immediately perked up, then heard Abdul say solemnly: "First, if you actually control Donetsk, then start by plundering everyone’s wallets, make them hand their money over. If no one’s willing, teach them with a gun."

Nate’s face immediately darkened, Gao Yang, laughing bitterly, said: "Buddy, buddy, you can’t do that, you can’t rob..."

Abdul said helplessly: "Who told you to rob? Can you rob each household one by one? I meant collect taxes! Taxes! If even the right to collect taxes is not yours, then what kind of actual controller are you?"

Gao Yang looked at Nate, a bit puzzled, and asked: "Did you collect any taxes?"

Nate shook his head, then said softly: "Collect taxes?"

Abdul shouted: "Collecting taxes is fine, or call it by another name, fundraising. Anyway, get the citizens to shell out money to support your resistance, let them know they must pay to receive protection, everyone doing their part to defend their home. Ukraine is very convenient for this, it’s a war between Ukrainians and the Russ, tell those Russ that if they don’t cough up money, Donetsk will fall into the hands of Ukrainians, let them figure it out. Of course, you can be diplomatic, give it a nicer name, I don’t need to teach you the details, right?"

Gao Yang swallowed and whispered to Nate: "You got it?"

Nate murmured: "Taxes, fundraising, taxes, fundraising, I sort of got it."

Gao Yang shouted into the phone: "Is there any other way? A faster way to make big money in a short time."

"Quick big money? Does Donetsk have resources? Or anything convertible to cash? If so, sell it! What’s the situation after all? If going somewhere to make a quick buck, sell everything that can be sold, sell the future too. Based on my experience, in a city like Donetsk with heavy industry, scraping together hundreds of millions of dollars in a short time isn’t a problem."

Gao Yang asked softly: "Out of curiosity, how...does one sell the future?"

Abdul sighed and said: "Selling the future is a very complex matter, difficult to explain in a few words, and I suspect even if I explain, you wouldn’t understand."