Mist Empire’s Rise: Fake Noble to Fog Queen

 

After being lectured by the rigid Troy, Luo Wei finally abandoned the idea of keeping the spider.

She handed the arachnid over to Troy, requesting him to investigate its origin and, if possible, identify who had placed it there.

Troy agreed to the task.

"What about Roman? He's not in any trouble, is he?" Luo Wei inquired with concern.

"What trouble could he possibly be in?" Troy dismissed the notion. "That little rascal is as cunning as they come."

"That's a relief. There's one more thing - I need you to find a certain type of soil for me."

Luo Wei described the soil's characteristics in detail: "It's white or grayish-white, very sticky when pinched, and has a glossy feel when smoothed out. It's a soft mineral..."

"Hold on!" Troy interrupted her. "You said I only needed to protect you. Why are you assigning me all these extra tasks?"

Luo Wei narrowed her eyes, revealing the ruthless face of a capitalist: "Do you still want your gold coins or not?"

Troy fell silent.

"Alright, go take care of it. I'm heading back to school now."

Luo Wei didn't dare linger outside the school grounds, constantly feeling as if someone might emerge to end her life.

"Wait."

"What now?!" Luo Wei snapped irritably.

Troy slowly gripped the hilt of his sword, his sharp eyes scanning behind her: "Someone's following you."

A chill ran down Luo Wei's spine as she whirled around. "Where?"

There was no answer; Troy had already drawn his sword and given chase.

Luo Wei: ...

This level of service was truly subpar.

The autumn wind chilled the nape of her neck, prompting her to tuck her hands in and sprint back to school.

The outside world was indeed perilous!

Luo Wei had firmly resolved not to venture out again today, but merely two hours later, she found herself stepping beyond the school gates once more.

— Because the Hawkins Shop had completed the samples.

It was a day earlier than she had anticipated.

It wasn't until she saw Barton with two large dark circles under his eyes that Luo Wei realized how the samples had been finished so swiftly.

Barton must have stayed awake for two entire nights. He appeared disheveled and haggard, pale as if his soul might depart at any moment.

"Miss Luo Wei, what do you think of this fabric?" Barton approached, cradling a piece of cloth about the size of a small handkerchief.

"Please, sit down, Mr. Hawkins. You look rather unwell."

Luo Wei was genuinely concerned he might faint, so she quickly took the piece of unfinished cloth from him.

The fabric was soft and white, smooth and delicate to the touch. When she lifted it slightly, it was as light as a gauze scarf.

"Not bad at all. This is precisely the fabric I requested."

"Mr. Hawkins, let's have someone draft the contract."

Barton rubbed his hands together, a fawning smile appearing on his face: "Miss Luo Wei, there's something I'd like to inquire about, if I may..."

"By all means, Mr. Hawkins." Luo Wei set down the fabric and assumed a listening posture.

Barton hesitated: "Well, I was wondering... is it truly impossible to sell this fabric to others?"

He had a premonition that if Hawkins Shop could mass-produce and sell such fabric, they would undoubtedly become the largest fabric merchants in the Principality of Lunkos, no, in the entire Western Continent!

By then, countless gold coins would flow into his coffers, barrels of gold would pour into his shop from all corners of the continent. Mountains of gold and silver, wealth and prestige, all within his grasp!

The mere thought of such a scenario nearly caused Barton to swoon with excitement.

The value of this fabric, the value of those secret formulas, was beyond measure!

Barton was unfamiliar with concepts like technological revolutions or monopoly industries, but he had an intuitive feeling that once this fabric became widespread, his life would undergo an earth-shattering transformation.

This wasn't merely a piece of fabric; it was the embodiment of his dream of fortune!

Moreover, the secret formula mentioned something about assembly line production and improved large machines. If Miss Luo Wei were to reveal those as well, no fabric merchant in the world would be able to compete with him for profits!

Barton gazed at Luo Wei eagerly, awaiting her response.

"Mr. Hawkins," Luo Wei's brow furrowed slightly, "I recall explicitly stating that this fabric could only be used for me alone, and you agreed to those terms."

Barton lowered his head in shame: "Yes, you did indeed say that."

"However," he persisted, unable to relinquish the idea, and humbly pleaded, "You mentioned at the time that you had paid a buyout price, which is why we weren't permitted to sell to others."

"What if we forgo the buyout price and instead provide you with clothes free of charge?"

Barton grew more confident as he spoke, puffing out his chest and guaranteeing: "As long as you consent to Hawkins Shop selling this fabric, I'll cover all the clothing you require, without you spending a single coin!"

"And naturally, Hawkins Shop will compensate you handsomely for the use of your secret formula."

"Rest assured, Hawkins Shop has built its reputation on integrity. We absolutely won't divulge your secret formula, and I won't even entertain the notion of buying it outright. I only dare to hope that you'll grant us the right to use the formula."

As a seasoned merchant, Barton knew well the principle that money talks.

Seeing that Luo Wei remained unmoved, he gritted his teeth and proposed: "How about one hundred gold coins per month?"

One hundred gold coins!

And that was just for a single month!

Luo Wei's eyelid twitched involuntarily. She hadn't expected Barton to be willing to invest so substantially.

She hadn't dared to imagine such a sum; she had originally thought that ten gold coins a month would suffice.

Detecting a flicker of interest in her eyes, Barton knew he had a chance and immediately upped the ante: "Miss Luo Wei, one hundred gold coins a month will serve as merely the base price for utilizing your formula."

"Furthermore, for every piece of cashmere clothing we sell in the future, I'll allocate you 30% of the profit!"

Luo Wei was genuinely tempted now, her heart pounding audibly.

"Agreed."

As soon as she spoke, she was startled by her own husky voice.

"Ahem," Luo Wei cleared her throat and spoke again, "I accept your offer, Mr. Hawkins. You are indeed a generous merchant."

Barton's breathing became labored. He had done it, he had truly sealed the deal!

He knew it, no one could resist the allure of money, not even a noble lady!

In that moment, Barton felt so elated he could almost take flight.

There was no deal in this world that he, Barton Hawkins, couldn't close!

After the initial euphoria subsided, Barton struck while the iron was hot: "Well then, Miss Luo Wei, shall we draft the contract straightaway?"

Now the roles had reversed, with him being the one urging to draft the contract.

Luo Wei nodded with a smile: "Certainly."

During the process of drafting the contract, Barton regained a measure of composure.

In truth, one hundred gold coins a month was an exorbitant sum. It would take him four or five years of toil to earn such an amount.

If it weren't for the fact that his father, old Hawkins, was a notorious miser, and that their family had accumulated considerable wealth through generations of astute business practices, he truly couldn't afford this price.

But it didn't matter. He harbored no regrets.

Barton recognized the immense value of those secret formulas. As long as he applied himself diligently, he could have the first batch of goods ready within three months.

Once the merchandise hit the market, he would swiftly recoup his investment.

It was merely a matter of subsisting on their savings for the initial three months. He could weather that storm!

After signing the contract, Luo Wei smiled charmingly: "Mr. Hawkins, your generosity and decisiveness have truly impressed me. As a token of my appreciation, I've decided to bestow upon you some gifts."

Barton inquired excitedly: "Oh, my esteemed lady, what gifts do you have in store for me?"

Luo Wei raised her chin gracefully: "Since you're a fabric merchant, I shall provide you with a few secret formulas related to textiles."

"Fabric formulas!" Barton was overjoyed, barely restraining himself from leaping out of his chair.

"Indeed. Some formulas for dyeing fabrics, as well as design schematics for a spinning machine and a jacquard loom. I'll have someone deliver them to your establishment tomorrow."

She believed that with these innovations, Barton would be able to significantly reduce the production time for cashmere fabrics.

"However, Mr. Hawkins, I must caution you about these two machines," Luo Wei said, her expression turning grave.

Barton sat up straight, all attention: "Please, do elaborate."

"You must not, under any circumstances, divulge the secrets of these two machines. This isn't due to any miserliness on my part, but because if knowledge of such machines were to spread, it could place you in mortal peril."

The spinning jenny was the harbinger of the First Industrial Revolution. She had no desire to see the enclosure movement occur prematurely due to rapid advancements in the textile industry.

The phenomenon of "sheep eating men" had already transpired once in Europe during her previous life.

TBC