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"That's right. When it comes to reliability and loyalty, who can compare with the Unsullied soldiers?" Daenerys said.
The Plane Trading System can trade living beings, but unlike regular trades, trading living beings is a bit more troublesome—the target must either not resist or be incapable of resisting.
But clearly, this isn't an issue when it comes to the Unsullied.
The "Unsullied" are a military force created by the slave masters of Slaver's Bay, who castrated the slaves from a young age, then subjected them to inhumane training—stripped of freedom, status, emotions—leaving only endless obedience.
Before meeting Daenerys, these soldiers had almost all traces of humanity erased, including physical sensation, emotions, even the sense of pain—retaining only 100% obedience to their buyer and complete fearlessness of death or torture.
It wasn't until Daenerys came to Slaver's Bay, tricked the slave masters into giving her the scepter that commanded them, and granted them freedom and dignity, that they became utterly loyal to her.
So as long as Daenerys gives the order to trade them to Josh, they would not resist in the slightest.
It must be said, Josh was very tempted by Daenerys' suggestion.
Though Unsullied warriors might lack brains due to their slave origins, they are ideal as bodyguards.
If he had dozens of Unsullied soldiers and taught them to use guns, he wouldn't need to worry about gangsters—maybe not go head-to-head with the CPD (Chicago Police Department), but street gangs? He wouldn't need to be afraid at all.
He wouldn't have to sneak around just to exchange a bit of gold, either.
As for whether having a bunch of extra people around would cause trouble, Josh wasn't too concerned.
After all, the whole world is at war. Major American port cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York are filled with refugees holding visas who can only live in designated refugee camps—even though Chicago is technically inland, its port connects via the Saint Lawrence River straight to Europe.
That's one of the reasons why Chicago has so many immigrants from Italy and other parts of Europe.
So as long as Josh spends a bit of money, it would be easy to give the Unsullied refugee identities and legally obtain American status.
But after careful thought, Josh ultimately declined Daenerys' offer.
"Sorry, Daenerys. Your offer is a good one. But I also hope you understand the importance of the Trading System to us. I still think it's not appropriate for anyone besides us to know of its existence, because that would be a risk—for both of us—even if that risk is minimal," Josh said, shaking his head.
"You're right, I was being too hasty."
Hearing Josh's words, Daenerys thought for a moment and agreed, saying no more.
After cutting off communication with Daenerys, Josh let out a light breath, waved his hand, and a heavy gold bar appeared in his hand.
"Mwah!"
Staring at the gold bar in his hand, Josh couldn't help but kiss it. Ah, gold—such a beautiful thing.
After a few moments of self-indulgent joy, Josh stood up and packed his things. Seeing that it wasn't too late outside, he decided to go out for dinner.
There was still a bit of bread at home, but he'd been gnawing on that stuff for nearly a week and had no desire to touch it again anytime soon.
Though he'd spent most of the dollars exchanged that morning, he still had a few dozen left. No need to be too stingy.
He adjusted his clothes, checked the M1911 he'd bought earlier, chambered a round, stored it in the system warehouse, and then leisurely headed out.
"Mr. Kane!" Just as he was coming downstairs, he was stopped by a man in uniform.
Josh recognized the man's outfit—he was from the property management company.
"What's the matter?" Josh asked, puzzled.
"Mr. Kane, this is the bill for your property management fees for the past three months. We hadn't disturbed you before due to your parents' passing, but it's been a while now, so…"
Turns out the man was here to collect a debt, though his tone was polite.
Josh was surprised—he hadn't expected property fees to exist in America during this time period.
Of course, that just showed Josh's limited knowledge.
In fact, the concept of property management fees had already emerged in the UK in the 1860s and soon spread to the US.
Though it was only the 1940s now, the US already had a well-developed system in this area.
Though surprised, Josh accepted the bill. Fortunately, the property fees weren't expensive—this was just an ordinary working-class apartment after all. One month's fee was forty-two cents, so three months came to just over a dollar.
He paid on the spot.
Seeing Josh hand over the money, the other man smiled in relief.
Property management companies in Western countries are notoriously powerful. If a homeowner accumulates enough debt, the company can go to court and legally auction off the property.
Before he crossed over, Josh had just seen a news story about a Chinese-American PhD student who got into a conflict with her management company, refused to pay her property fees out of spite, and ended up having her million-dollar house auctioned off cheaply. When the police came to serve the court decision, she violently resisted and was shot dead.
But just because the company isn't afraid doesn't mean the employees aren't—if they can't collect payment or get complaints, it could affect their bonuses. For them, less trouble is better.
"By the way, does your company handle real estate sales?"
After paying and tipping ten cents, Josh casually asked.
"Ah, Mr. Kane, are you planning to move?" the man asked, a bit surprised.
"Yes, that's right. This place is full of sad memories, you understand. So I'm planning to leave," Josh said, feigning sorrow.
Though he was faking the emotion, he really didn't plan to keep living here.
The apartment was too small, not very secure, and someone had died in it—even though it was this body's parents, Josh still found it unsettling.
He had no choice before due to lack of money.
But now, if he sold all the gold in his system warehouse, he could afford to buy a six-bedroom house in a luxury neighborhood—though he didn't necessarily plan to do that, since he didn't need so much space.
And he needed to save most of the money as working capital.
So for now, he just planned to rent a more upscale apartment.
"I see. Our company does handle property sales. In fact, small units like this sell quite easily. If you need, I can help arrange it," the man nodded.
"I'd appreciate that. Just let me know if anything comes up," Josh said, not bothering to explain how to contact him. The apartment might be modest, but it had a doorman, and anyone coming or going would be seen—no need to worry about not being found.
After making arrangements, Josh left the building.
Then, his previously good mood instantly vanished.
Because in the spot where his newly bought second-hand Ford had been parked—there was nothing.