Chapter 201: Dividing the Money

"So, the profit this time is between 135 million and 145 million?"

Though he had already been thrilled by this before, Li Mochen still let out a long sigh of relief, feeling as if the pressure weighing on him had completely vanished.

Earlier, he had borrowed 45 million through various means, all of which he used to hire personnel and establish a security department and combat teams, with little thought given to future war funds.

He did indeed have over a hundred magic-energy professionals under his command now, but during wartime, pensions, bonuses, medicine, medical treatment, and consumables including ammunition—none of these came cheap.

Especially bonuses. Those under him had indeed signed employment contracts, but if Li Mochen wanted to drive them to undertake dangerous tasks, he still needed to pay extra.

And high bonuses could also maximize morale.

Li Mochen's plan was to sustain the war through war itself, but if such an approach failed to yield results at the outset, it could easily lead to the collapse of the entire situation.

Thus, even Li Mochen, once the supreme leader of a realm's righteous path, could not help but feel the pressure throughout the day.

It was only with the acquisition of this wealth of over a hundred million golden shields that the boulder pressing on Li Mochen's heart was removed.

Although this money was illicit and could not be used openly in Atlanta or Ghost City, it could serve as war funds and, at certain times, effectively evade judicial oversight.

Besides, there was another reason for his delight: he had finally robbed a bank! Every time he passed a bank before, Li Mochen had entertained such thoughts but forcibly suppressed them, never acting on them.

"Folks, have you finished counting?"

Outside the armored off-road vehicle, Howard Eisenhower also slid down from a nearby giant tree.

Li Tailai had not dared to let him participate in the counting of the loot, so Eisenhower had volunteered to scout the situation ahead.

"If you're done, I have bad news: Ghost City has been sealed off. It's the Ghost War Song Hunter Group and the Fenrir Wolf Hunter Group. From our side alone, I see over six thousand people, more than two hundred armored off-road vehicles, and nearly thirty magic-powered tanks—a huge formation. I estimate that our three 'Buffalo' vehicles would be riddled with bullets the moment we approach."

Everyone present turned serious. As qualified magic-energy professionals in Atlanta, they knew well the caliber of Ghost War Song and Fenrir Wolf.

"The boss has arranged it. We can leave these vehicles here for now and notify the Skywalker Auto Shop to pick them up themselves."

Li Tailai signaled to Kermit Collinson, who immediately walked to a corner of the dense forest and lifted a patch of turf.

Beneath it lay an old Varyag armored off-road vehicle and a dozen magic-powered motorcycles.

"I knew it."

Eisenhower was not very surprised. "So we're splitting up to enter the city, right? But what about the money and gold bars? And the equipment? I bet they'll check us. We can't hide it unless we have spatial equipment."

Even Li Tailai and the other two fell silent. They couldn't think of a way to bring the money and gold bars back to Ghost City.

As for spatial equipment—the cheapest cost two million and had a space of less than 0.1 cubic meters.

To store all these items, one would need to spend at least twenty million. He guessed that Li Mochen couldn't afford that before.

"We can bury them outside first."

Gene Reddy offered an idea. "Inez and I can set up a magic array to conceal them with spells."

He actually had a spatial item, but it was a trinket worth less than 1.2 million golden shields and couldn't hold much.

"Equipment can be temporarily hidden in the suburbs and retrieved in a few days."

Li Mochen remained nonchalant. "As for the golden shields and gold bars, I have my ways. Let's first talk about how to divide the money. Thirty thousand golden shields each for those on standby, fifty thousand each for those involved in the operation, and one million each for all outlaws. Any objections?"

Li Tailai wanted to say that he and the Collinson brothers didn't need it—they had no use for money at the moment. But under Li Mochen's gaze, he swallowed his words.

Gene Reddy and the others had no objections, each showing surprise and delight. They felt their boss was quite good.

Although he only gave them a little over ten million and kept the lion's share for himself, this robbery of Craig Community Bank was entirely orchestrated by Li Mochen, who also played the key role in the operation.

Moreover, they were Li Mochen's subordinates. Logically, even if he gave them nothing, it would be reasonable.

But he wasn't stingy—just a bit less than they expected, barely above their psychological threshold.

"And Mr. Sky Eye—"

Li Mochen glanced sideways at Eisenhower. "I'll give you 11.56 million golden shields, plus the 440,000 you hid, totaling 12 million golden shields."

Li Mochen saw through his actions clearly. Earlier, under the pretext of observing the situation, Eisenhower had actually hidden some gold bars and shields in a tree hollow.

But Howard Eisenhower had a face as thick as a city wall. Even exposed, he showed no change in expression, only marveling, "Boss, you're really generous. None of my previous employers could match even a hair on your leg."

Li Mochen paid no heed to Eisenhower's flattery. "One-fifth of that is your bonus. The rest you'll use to buy yourself a set of equipment and a good gun. You should know where to get them."

Eisenhower lifted his chin. "Of course. I'm familiar with both Ghost City and Atlanta. I know where to get a good gun."

"Good. But you'll have to return the three guns you have now. You've been complaining they're not good enough, haven't you?"

Before Li Mochen finished, he saw Eisenhower's face fall, but his tone grew firmer. "I know the market. That amount can buy a 17A-class sniper rifle, two 17A-class pistols, and a set of 17B-class or higher armor. If Mr. Eisenhower can't manage that, you know the consequences, right?"

"OK!"

Eisenhower shrugged helplessly. "It's also about my own life. I won't skimp on equipment, boss."

Li Mochen, satisfied, withdrew his gaze and swept his eyes over the others. "Now, do you want to take the money now, or wait until I bring the golden shields and bars back?"

In the end, including Gene Reddy, who had a spatial ring, everyone chose to collect their money after returning to Ghost City.

There was no choice. The Ghost War Song and Fenrir Wolf hunter groups would definitely intercept and search them, even strip-search them. So they didn't plan to bring back any equipment, let alone the conspicuous money.

Then they watched as Li Mochen formed hand seals and pressed them onto the golden shields and bars. His sleeve then acted like a bottomless pit, sucking them all in.

"Boss, you really have such a thing? It must be big, right? Ten cubic meters?"

Li Mochen did not answer. This was actually the top-tier secret technique of the Divine Sky Sect, the Qiankun Divine Seal, which could create its own space.

The bright world had more than ten times the number of spatial artifacts as the Primordial Sky Realm, but its utilization of space was far inferior.

Li Mochen was now using this technique with the aid of an external elixir. The thirteenth-level external elixir was comparable to a Golden Core in that realm, just barely meeting the threshold for executing the 'Qiankun Divine Seal.'

Originally, at this level, one could only open a space about a foot square. But first, this world's magic energy was more than ten times stronger than the Primordial Sky Realm; second, Li Mochen, having once reached the Mahayana stage, was at least a hundred times more accomplished in Daoist arts than an ordinary Golden Core cultivator; third, he used this world's magic stones and only created a temporary space, not a permanent one. So he was confident he could bring the golden shields and bars back.