Chapter 446: Barter Network
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
A set of two knives, one was longer and another shorter. They were sophisticatedly made, different from other hunting knives.
Most of the sheaths were made of copper and were heavily decorated with metal so that they would look beautiful. In fact, these were heavy to hold and not very functional.
The sheaths of these pair of knives were made with hundred-year-old birch, and they were decorated with small horns and bones from animals. They were beautiful and functional. Apparently, they were also valuable.
Hans took him aside. “Do you like these knives?”
“Yes,” Li Du nodded.
“The hunting knives of The Hopi are very well-known and popular,” Hans said. “They are considered artwork. Two’s not enough; we shall bring 20 knives back home. This can definitely make a killing!”
“Okay,” Li Du said, spreading his hands, “we will get 20 knives. Please tell me what we should use to buy them? Money? We need to barter, buddy!”
He just couldn’t get it. The Hopi made a lot of contact with society, so why didn’t they accept US dollars? Every family had modernized furniture and electronic appliances. Had all of this been procured through bartering?
“Apparently we have some problems with the goods we brought,” Hans said. “But, we have run into a great chance—something that happens once in a blue moon, we can’t miss it.”
After that, he hesitated for a while, then said with his teeth clenched, “Let’s just sweep the deck! This isn’t far from the Navajo, who are more modernized. I’ll go grab something we can trade here—wait for me.”
“Sh*t! Are you crazy? Buy something from Navajo? If they recognize you from the canyon conflict earlier, you’ll be dead!”
Hans copied his behavior from earlier and spread his hands. “What other way do we have? It is not easy to come here; and no guarantee we’ll always get the feathers. They will take it from us once we leave!”
Olly and others heard their conversations; they came and said, “Yes, this is a great chance. We can ask them what they lack, buy it, and trade with them.”
Li Du found the tough fellow holding the knives, he asked, “If I want your knives, what kind of item will be good enough to trade for them?”
“What do you have?” The tough fellow did not answer but asked another question instead.
“We have a lot of stuff,” Li Du replied. “But, we are not sure if you need them, so we would like to have your opinion.”
The tough fellow smacked his lips and said, “We need a lot of stuff: generators, diesel, gas, refrigerators, and electronic appliances. But, the best will be guns, shotguns.”
Listening to him, Li Du was overjoyed. He immediately went to their truck with the shotguns inside.
In the distance, Hans could tell something was up from Li Du’s expression. He ran over and, without suppressing his joy, he asked, “Have things turned a corner?”
“Yes,” Li Du said, “there’s a turning point. They need shotguns. Don’t we have ten Raymond 700s? Can these guns be used to trade?”
“Sure, no problem at all; they are shotguns. Besides, we have finished with the registrations. I even registered them at the town police station.”
The others started to get envious. “Oh, buddy, you are so lucky,” Ferris said. “You’ve just found the guns and now can trade them for the knives. This is such a good deal!”
“They still need diesel and gas,” said Li Du. “Our gas tank is full, right? So, we should keep enough gas for the ride home and pump out the rest for them.”
“Are you sure?” Ferris asked in a high tone. “Do they need diesel?”
“Yes.”
Big Beard Carl stroked his beard and said, “We don’t have to keep enough gas for the return journey as long as we have enough for us to reach the first gas station. The Navajo have a gas station.”
They got to work. The rest of the treasure hunters drove and left to find a space where they could use oil drums to pump out the gas.
Li Du and Hans called the tough fellow and asked, “Will you be able to make the decision if this is a massive barter trade?”
“I am the security officer of this highland,” the tough fellow said proudly. “This highland is under my security chief’s jurisdiction. I can decide for sure.”
“Good. Do you know the Remington 700?” Hans asked.
“Sure,” the tough fellow answered immediately. “It’ a safe shotgun. We have some in our tribe. It’s the best shotgun to hunt with.”
The safety performance of the Remington 700 was outstanding. Its design was extremely good. Once the bullets were loaded, their bottoms were covered, and safety was ensured. When the bullets went inside, the bottom of the gun barrel would cover the gun, its outer layer was the cartridge receiver. Like this, layer by layer, its safety was enhanced.
“Look, this is a new gun! We just got it. How many knives do you think can be traded?” Hans passed the gun to the tough fellow.
The tough fellow’s eyes lit up when he saw the shotgun. He practically grabbed it and loaded it immediately. Then, he checked the shotgun thoroughly and nodded his head. “Good gun, no problem!”
“How many knives for one?”
“I’ll trade four sets of double knives for one gun. If it’s the normal hunting knives, I’ll exchange ten for one gun.”
“Can we make a profit from this deal?” Li Du asked Hans in a low volume.
“Sure we can make a profit! The hunting knives of the Hopi are very popular in big cities. Just the normal hunting knives are worth at least 200 dollars each. If we trade all ten of the guns, we can earn double their value!”
He ushered the tough fellow to the trailer. Godzilla and Big Quinn carried down the wooden box. After opening it, the remaining nine brand new shotguns came into their sights.
Looking at these guns, the tough fellow was shocked. “Oh my god! You have so many guns?”
“If you need more, we can get you more!” Hans laughed.
“Just a moment, I have to call my chief. I can’t decide on this.”
“Didn’t you just say you can decide?” Hans asked in a depressed manner.
“I thought you had only one or two guns,” the tough fellow smiled awkwardly. He beckoned them to wait for awhile and left hurriedly, saying that his security chief would be there soon.
Seeing how the Native American security officer had taken this deal seriously, Li Du was worried. He asked, “Big Fox, are you sure our deal is okay? Is it considered a firearms trade with ten shotguns?”
Hans patted Li Du on the shoulder. “Set your heart at ease. Our line of work can ensure our safety, no doubt. These guns have been registered. After trading with the Hopi, we just need to update the registration. It will be okay, as the guns are not lost but sold.”
Li Du was not clear about American laws. Since Hans said everything would be fine, he assumed everything would be okay too.
Soon enough, a big, old, wide-faced Native American man appeared. He arrived riding a motorcycle. He was dressed up like the Native Americans in Flagstaff. It was growing more and more apparent that the Hopi were not as out-of-touch with the world as they were rumored to be.
Yet they would not accept currency transactions, which bewildered Li Du.
The tough-looking security officer returned as well. “This is our security chief, Pierceva,” he introduced. “These two are my friends. They have brought ten shotguns with them.”
“I heard from Marsali that some friends had come to our tribe. I extend my warmest welcome!” The old man laughed.
