Chapter Thirty-Six: A Surge in Income (Asking for Votes and Support)

“Business seems to be booming. Has it always been this crowded lately, Xiachuan?”
Karn strolled around the casino, noticing the many carriages parked outside. Inside, the place was packed to the brim; a table that was meant for ten now held at least twenty. The air buzzed with noise, so much that it was hard to hear anything said in a normal tone.
It was fair to call it a frenzy. Daily profits soared above four hundred thousand taels. Since the earnings were so immense, Xiachuan managed the books herself, never letting anyone else handle them.
“Buy the houses behind and to the sides,” Karn instructed. “Renovate them into VIP rooms and expand the storefront. Every half month, pour all the casino’s revenue back into expenditures. Xiachuan, I’ll leave you a plan—follow it. Use this casino’s profits as your foundation, and gradually expand into Chuanmu Town.”
“Oh, and keep twenty percent as working capital.”
Karn spoke with little regard for money in the Shinobi World; to him, if it couldn’t be converted into resources and influence, it was little better than scrap paper.
The casino had not been open long, but its novel games and rare gambling machines had captivated gamblers from across the land. It wouldn’t be long, however, before others began to imitate his methods.
Aside from the gambling machines, the other casino owners would hardly let such an opportunity slip by. If greed got the better of them, they might even hire people to steal the machines. But Karn’s machines required a key to operate; even if stolen, they’d be useless after a while.
Xiachuan nodded in understanding, then asked, “Understood, boss. What about the casino in Tanzaku Street?”
“Let it be for now. There are too few reliable and capable people at the moment. Xiachuan, do you have any good candidates in mind?”
Karn turned to Xiachuan. Although people in the Shinobi World valued trust, one still had to be wary of traitors—especially when a single casino could earn tens of millions of taels a month. If the post wasn’t entrusted to a loyal person, the losses could be catastrophic.
The business hadn’t spread far yet; with just Chuanmu Town and Konoha, Karn could keep an eye on things. But as the operation expanded, he would have less and less time to oversee everything himself.
He was already grooming Xiachuan, who was both worthy of his trust and capable. Still, sending her back and forth would exhaust her—and it was dangerous.
After a moment’s thought, Xiachuan said, “Boss, Miwa and Nanami both have what it takes. Especially Nanami—her arithmetic is even better than mine.”
“Those two, then…” Karn mused. “Alright, when I return, I’ll ask them if they’re willing to leave Konoha.”
Kawaki Miwa and Ohta Nanami—Nanami, it seemed, came from the Senju clan, but lacking a ninja’s talent, she’d changed her name and married a civilian shinobi.
But both Nanami and Miwa had families. Not everyone was as decisive as Xiachuan. If they wished to stay close to home, Karn wouldn’t force them.
“Oh, by the way, boss, someone from the capital of the Land of Fire came looking for you—a representative from Lichun Bookstore. They said they had something to deliver, and it had to be given to you in person.”
Xiachuan suddenly recalled the matter and hurried to inform Karn. It had happened three days prior. Uncertain whether Karn would return to Chuanmu Town, Xiachuan had directed the person to Konoha instead.
“That person should be waiting for you in Konoha now. They insisted on seeing you personally.”
“I see. It must be about the new book releases. Looks like I’ll have to return.”
Karn quickly calculated; the three novels should have been published and selling for some time now. Lichun Bookstore had even taken his advice and inserted many exciting illustrations. The messenger must be bringing sample books and royalties, as well as requesting the second volumes.
After giving instructions for Chuanmu Town, Karn set out for Konoha without delay.
On the road, he resolved to set aside more time to develop his influence outside Konoha in the future.
If he could obtain a position recognized by the daimyo of the Land of Fire, even the Third Hokage would have to treat him with courtesy. Danzo might not be intimidated, but besides assassination, he had little else to his name. He called himself Konoha’s “Root,” but in truth, he was just a bloody dagger, dealing in dirty work.
Upon returning to Konoha, Karn learned from Kawaki Miwa that someone from Lichun Bookstore had come searching for him. He quickly sent Miwa to fetch the visitor.
While waiting for the representative, Little Pepper—who had been tricked by Karn many times—showed up again. Spotting Karn at his desk, she approached, her face bright with delight.
“Boss, you’ve finally returned after so long!”
“There’s always business to attend to, and the Shinobi World is vast. Most of my time is spent traveling.”
Karn replied helplessly. His attitude toward Kushina was neither eager nor dismissive—unless Konoha’s higher-ups intervened. After all, she was close to Tsunade and would one day become a master of sealing techniques—a person of considerable value.
“To be able to travel all over the Shinobi World… how wonderful…”
“Don’t envy me. It’s actually exhausting. By the way, the new game shop next door just opened—you, as my loyal customer, can play for free today only. That’s your exclusive privilege.”
Karn had other matters to attend to and hoped to send Kushina on her way, but she simply shook her head.
“No thanks, I’m not interested in that. But can I eat whatever I want in your store?”
Without thinking, Karn replied, “Three hundred thousand taels, and you can eat all you like for a day. You’d be the only all-you-can-eat dessert customer at Karn’s Food Shop.”
“That’s outrageous!” Kushina’s face fell at the mention of the price, and she grumbled, “Last time you took my wallet, and you didn’t even buy me barbecue…”
“Let’s be clear—you were very happy eating ramen. If you had eaten barbecue, you might not have been happier than with ramen. It was your own choice.”
Karn’s sophistry left Kushina conflicted. She did prefer ramen over barbecue, but she wanted barbecue to recoup some of her money. Now, torn between the joy of eating ramen and the cost, she was at a loss.
Before she could dwell on it, the Lichun Bookstore representative arrived, led in by Kawaki Miwa.
“Mr. Karn, I’ve finally found you!”
The visitor hurried forward, visibly excited. He had expected to wait a month or two, since Karn was often gone for long stretches.
If the wait had truly been that long, the second volumes would have been severely delayed. Now, Karn’s three novels were treasures for Lichun Bookstore.
“Let’s talk inside,” Karn said with a smile, leading the way into an inner room.