"Welcome to the great Mr. Bacon's Alchemy Laboratory. Each piece of equipment can only possess one additional enhancement effect; it cannot coexist with other alchemical effects or magical enhancements. You are privileged to receive the following alchemical services:

"Increase weapon damage by 1-1. Cost: 100 Pounds Sterling or 1000 Universal Points." "Grant armor the ability to absorb 1% of damage. Cost: 100 Pounds Sterling or 1000 Universal Points." "Increase shoe movement speed by 20 points. Cost: 500 Pounds Sterling or 5000 Universal Points." (This attribute is currently unavailable as you possess no footwear.) (As a side note, Fang Senyan's current maximum movement speed is related to his Agility, estimated around 220 points.) "Grant firearms an additional ammunition slot. Cost: 1000 Pounds Sterling or 10000 Universal Points." (This attribute is currently unavailable as you possess no firearm-type equipment.) (This attribute is somewhat trivial for weapons like submachine guns, but for the single-shot flintlock rifles common in this world, it represents a fundamental change.) "You are currently limited to the services listed above."

Fang Senyan stared at the series of prompts, somewhat dumbfounded. After receiving his share of the plunder from Captain Amand, he had initially believed it to be a considerable sum. Yet, now it seemed that although Pounds Sterling could neither be taken out of this world nor exchanged for Universal Points, they could still play a crucial role in certain situations. Fang Senyan pulled out his coin purse, which now felt somewhat deflated. Although the pleasant clinking sound of the British currency remained, Fang Senyan was overcome by the acute sensation of having money only when one was desperately short of it.

After paying two hundred Pounds Sterling, Fang Senyan enhanced his Cobalt Steel Alloy Exoskeleton with +1-1 attack, and his specially made FBI trench coat gained the 1% damage absorption attribute. However, he was left with only about two Pounds Sterling on his person, returning to the penniless state he was in when he first entered this world. The alchemist, Bacon, finally adopted a slightly more polite demeanor towards Fang Senyan after the transaction, thus grudgingly answering Fang Senyan's inquiry:

"What? You ask how to unlock higher-tier services? Good heavens, what a foolish question! Boy, alchemy is a sacred pursuit that consumes immense wealth. Therefore, higher-level services naturally entail the use of far more expensive materials and incurring terrifying costs—the only way to attain superior services is to prove you possess sufficient means to pay. Only when your total consumption here reaches a certain threshold will you earn my recognition."

"Alright, alright." As Fang Senyan left, his mind raced only with thoughts of how to earn more money. At this moment, however, his only apparent avenue for acquiring cash seemed to be gambling at the taverns. But these pirates were quite shrewd; even though Fang Senyan, relying on his high Perception, won more than he lost and even cunningly set up traps where he deliberately lost, the pirates seemed to have a psychological limit: they would stop playing after losing about two or three Pounds Sterling. Consequently, even after a hard afternoon's work, Fang Senyan could only net about ten pounds—a speed far too inefficient to satisfy the appetite of the greedy Mr. Bacon.

That evening, Fang Senyan returned to his cabin to rest, as he had to train with the blind Matt the following morning. If he could maintain peak condition, he might even manage to advance his Basic Footwork skill a level. However, just then, Kree slipped into the cabin. Seeing Kree's fake smile and hand-rubbing gestures, Fang Senyan warily clutched his wallet:

"What do you want?"

Kree chuckled obsequiously:

"I heard you got quite a handsome cut from the last dividend? I mean the world's local currency, Pounds Sterling."

Fang Senyan replied coolly:

"No."

Kree choked as if his throat had been seized, then suddenly burst out in vexation:

"How is that possible? Charles clearly said Amand gave you several hundred Pounds Sterling..."

"That's my business, isn't it?" Fang Senyan retorted unceremoniously.

Kree spread his hands helplessly:

"Oh, come on, brother, I'm not asking for a handout. I'll buy your Pounds Sterling with Universal Points! 500 Universal Points for 500 Pounds Sterling!"

Had Fang Senyan not spent his money at the alchemist's earlier that day, he might have actually agreed. But now, he understood exactly how unreasonable Kree's offer was. Suppressing his irritation, he asked faintly:

"What do you need so much money for?"

Kree, clearly prepared, launched into a spiel:

"Hey, brother, I'm working on a mission that requires a large sum of Pounds Sterling to placate these greedy plot characters. It will ultimately open the door to an alchemist's laboratory that can grant our equipment all sorts of miraculous attributes—think about it, for us! Don't hesitate, just give me the money."

Fang Senyan said coldly:

"Is the alchemist you speak of named Bacon?"

Kree froze for three seconds:

"W-What? Damn it! How did you know?"

Fang Senyan produced a heavy coin purse, its contents emitting the charming, rattling sound of currency colliding. Hope flared anew in Kree's eyes:

"Listen, I know far more than you do. Tell me honestly what you need 500 Pounds Sterling for, and I'll give you this purse."

"You guarantee it? Do you dare swear by the Nightmare Mark?"

"No problem."

"Alright, you win. That greedy old bastard's exploitation of wealth has reached an outrageous level. If you're willing to pay double the standard alchemical price, you can obtain the alchemical scroll for that service—something that can be taken out of the Nightmare Space! Certain high-quality and popular alchemical scrolls can even fetch a substantial profit—now hand over the money bag!"

Fang Senyan nodded, tossing the heavy purse across. He then ushered Kree out of the cabin and bolted the door, before leaning back on his bed, hands behind his head in lazy repose. Soon, he heard a piercing scream from outside—the scream belonged unmistakably to Kree. The cause of the shriek was, of course, that the seemingly plump coin purse was filled entirely with pennies (the subsidiary unit of British currency, akin to 'fen' in China. 1 Pound Sterling = 240 Pence (1 Shilling = 12 Pence; 1 Pound Sterling = 20 Shillings)).

The immense disappointment Kree felt upon opening the rattling purse, expecting wealth and finding only base coinage, must have been staggering. This purse was merely a prop used by a sharp gambler in the bar earlier that day to pose as a wealthy man. Naturally, that gambler had ended up soundly beaten by the pirates and thrown onto the street, his sole possessions taken by Fang Senyan to settle gambling debts. Upon hearing this news, Fang Senyan instantly understood why that damned old Barry had assessed the worth of that keepsake so highly; indeed, anyone obtaining the cross, possessing moderate charm and sufficient funds, should have been able to recoup at least a 100% profit!

Kree clearly lacked the nerve to confront Fang Senyan about the deception, as, by rights, Kree's own trickery in their dealings had been no less severe. Fang Senyan's action was merely reclaiming a tiny bit of interest. Yet, Fang Senyan did not close his eyes to sleep; a mocking, half-smile played on his lips, as if he were waiting for something. Before long, there was a series of short, soft knocks at the door. Fang Senyan's eyes flickered:

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Mr. Boatswain," came the reply, clearly from the Second Mate, Robben.

The man hurried in:

"I must inform you, sir, that your cousin is currently on the ship borrowing money under your name. He is constantly boasting about how close your relationship is, and he’s borrowing funds at exorbitant interest rates. If he fails to repay the principal and interest when the due date arrives, he will be in serious trouble, and it will put you in a very, very difficult position."

This, obviously, was Kree's cunning counterattack. Since Fang Senyan had previously portrayed their relationship as exceptionally close to secure the agreement, Kree was now exploiting that portrayal, amplifying the fictitious intimacy to borrow money using Fang Senyan's reputation! Fang Senyan considered the situation for a moment and opened his cabin door to find Kree. However, he had clearly underestimated Kree's ability to react; by the time he reached the deck, Kree was already several meters out in a dinghy, rowing towards the shore. Moreover, Kree held a very full and distinctly clinking coin purse—and crucially, it was filled entirely with genuine Pounds Sterling!

Seeing Fang Senyan standing on the deck, Kree grinned triumphantly and shouted loudly:

"My dear cousin, don't worry, I've set the repayment date for seven days from now."

Evidently, in seven days, both of them, as contractors, would have already returned to the real world. But who could say if Kree would return to this world later? If he did, it might not even be with Fang Senyan. Kree, however, could choose never to approach the Bell and Cup again, whereas Fang Senyan could hardly abandon his hard-won position as Boatswain! This meant that the bad debt Kree was accumulating would most likely fall onto Fang Senyan's shoulders; if Fang Senyan defaulted, a guaranteed plummet in reputation would follow. Fang Senyan clearly realized this, letting out a frustrated roar:

"Damn you, don't ever think about setting foot on this ship again! Wait until the guards in Tortuga Port hunt you down to death!"

Kree shrugged with genuine regret, smiling broadly:

"I'll be right back after I've taken care of my business, my dearest cousin, don't be angry. Mr. Charles and I are also quite friendly; even if you don't let me on board, he will still welcome me."

Fang Senyan watched the boat carrying Kree disappear into the darkness with a somewhat stunned expression. His outward demeanor suggested helplessness and anger, but only upon getting close could one detect the faint, cold smirk playing on his lips, much like a hunter watching his prey stumble into a snare!