At this moment, Henry, the chairman of the Dubois family group, who had been silent until now, finally spoke:
“Charles, I heard Reginald Thackeray just now. It seems this healing potion is the work of a third-tier Beast Master. While I deeply appreciate Mr. Charlie’s willingness to help us through this difficult time, the cost of hiring a third-tier alchemist is something we in Lsengard simply cannot afford…”
A third-tier alchemist might not be a big deal in the imperial capital, where talent is abundant, but in a small place like Lsengard, anyone encountering one would have to respectfully call them an ‘alchemy master.’
The Dubois family group already spent 1,000 silver coins a year just to employ a first-tier alchemist, and the cost of hiring a second-tier alchemist was astronomical.
As for a third-tier alchemist… Henry didn’t even dare to imagine.
“Heh, you’re overthinking it,” Charles replied with a soft smile. “My uncle’s laboratory has developed a batch of alchemy equipment, and one of those systems has already arrived at the Lsengard logistics center. This kind of low-grade miracle drug can be mass-produced.”
Charles continued with ease, then played a video on the large projection screen.
In the footage, a spherical alchemy vat, five meters in diameter, was running non-stop, day and night. The faint glow of firestones bathed the entire alchemy apparatus in a dim red hue. On one end, fully automated robotic arms delivered the raw materials, and on the other, miracle drugs were being produced in a steady stream.
Watching this scene, Raj took a deep breath, nearly losing his balance. His eyes gleamed with excitement as he stared at the video, unable to conceal the broad smile spreading across his face.
Just a few days ago, his family had been scrambling to sell off villas and properties to cover the company’s financial losses caused by Fenton Pharmaceuticals. Charles’ loan of 7,000 silver coins had provided a lifeline at the most critical moment.
Now, in a mere three days, he was not only going to partner with Charles to mass-produce miracle drugs, but he also couldn’t fathom why this was happening.
He had never had much of a relationship with the Bryants, and this mysterious ‘uncle’ of Charles, Charlie, who did business in the imperial capital—why was he going out of his way to help?
Henry stood up from his seat, staring in astonishment at the calm young man before him, his mind filled with surprise.
As he mentally sifted through all the noble families and wealthy figures he had met while doing business in the imperial capital, he couldn’t recall ever hearing of a ‘Charlie’ or any alchemy lab capable of mass-producing such high-quality miracle drugs. freeweɓnovel.cm
While the impact of Fenton Pharmaceuticals on his Stokes family hadn’t been as severe as it was on Raj’s pharmaceutical business, Henry knew he couldn’t let Sly and his crew grow even more powerful.
In his heart, he had already decided to establish a connection with Charles and his mysterious ‘uncle.’
Now that he thought about it, didn’t his daughters Aurora and Celestine know Charles? They were around the same age—perhaps there was a chance to match them up. The only question was whether a young man from the imperial capital, who had seen the world, would be interested…
Everyone around was staring at the enormous alchemy vat displayed on the screen, completely stunned.
The hardest part of alchemy lies in temperature control. Each alchemical ingredient requires a different temperature, and one slight mistake could lead to energy imbalance, resulting in an alchemy disaster commonly referred to as a “cauldron explosion.”
Yet, Charles’ healing potion contained dozens of different ingredients, and still, everything remained stable. Not only that, but it had already been mass-produced—truly a miracle!
As fellow alchemists, they were shocked, their eyes wide with disbelief as they watched the miracle drug being produced on an assembly line in the video!
“Tch, it’s just because he has some impressive uncle in the imperial capital,” Celestine sighed lightly from the back of the meeting room, resting her delicate chin in her hand. She gazed at Charles, who was surrounded by the crowd like a star, her tone laced with displeasure.
She firmly believed in first impressions, and every time she recalled what Charles had done by the river, she couldn’t muster any goodwill toward him. She even questioned whether the person here today was the same Charles.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed her sister, Aurora, looking at Charles with gentle admiration, as if completely enchanted by him.
Celestine reached out to pinch her sister’s cheek, but her hand froze mid-air. “Could it be… I misunderstood him?”
This thought caused her cheeks to flush slightly. Her mind spun into a chaotic mess, and she couldn’t help but shake her head, trying to get rid of these confusing thoughts. She bit her lip, thinking, “That little scoundrel! There’s no way he’s a good person—I’ll have to warn Father after the meeting, so he doesn’t get tricked by him!”
In the silent room, all eyes were fixed on the young man in the center and the bright green liquid he held in his hand.
“Mr. Charles, the fact that you were willing to lend me 7,000 silver coins to help me through this financial crisis was already a great honor…” Raj finally snapped out of his shock, swallowing hard. After a moment of hesitation, he looked at the young man in front of him and spoke softly, “I don’t dare to ask for much.
Just allow Blackwood Pharmaceuticals and the Dubois family group to sell these miracle drugs for you. We can sell them without taking a single cut—the profits will all go to you. We only hope to win back the customers we’ve lost.”
Henry, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. As long as they could stop Fenton Pharmaceuticals from growing even bigger and poisoning the people of Lsengard with their drugs, the Dubois family group was willing to take a loss if necessary.
“How could I possibly accept that? You’ll have plenty of daily expenses for helping me with sales.” The young man pondered for a moment before suddenly lifting his head. “How about this—I’ll only take 8% of the profits.”
Upon hearing this, the entire room was stunned. The miracle drug came from the Bryants, and even the production equipment was provided by them, yet Charles was only asking for 8% of the profits? Was he doing charity? Given the current crisis facing the pharmaceutical companies in Lsengard, even if Charles took all of the profits, no one would have had any complaints.
Raj’s face showed pure astonishment, and he rubbed his ears as if he couldn’t believe what he had just heard. “Sir, did I hear you right? You only want 8% of the profits? How is that fair?”
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Charles waved his hand, smiling calmly. “Not only will I help you, but I’ll also give you the formula for this healing potion, as well as the blueprints for the alchemy production equipment… However, I have a few conditions.”
“Mr. Charles, please go ahead!” Raj’s face lit up with joy. If Charles truly wanted nothing in return for helping him, he’d feel unsettled about it.
Charles pulled out the documents he had already prepared and handed them to both Henry and Raj. “I have three conditions. First, you must carbonate the potion with carbon dioxide, color it caramel, and rebrand it as [Cola], marketing it as a ‘functional beverage’ that can heal injuries.”
“Second, no matter how the market changes in the future, Cola must always be priced at 100 copper coins, and I’ll still only take 8% of the profits. The rest will be yours.”
“Third, while I’m willing to give you the formula and blueprints for the concentrated potion and alchemy equipment, they must be kept confidential. Aside from the three of us, no one else will ever receive the original formula—only the concentrated Cola syrup.”
“If you agree to these terms, please sign the document.”
Raj and Henry stared blankly at the papers in their hands. After reading through the clauses, their mouths hung wide open in shock.
This was a genius plan!
Since they would only be selling the concentrated syrup and keeping the formula and alchemy blueprints under lock and key, they wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else copying it. They could confidently distribute it across Genosha.
As for Charles’ 8% share, given that he was providing both the formula and the equipment blueprints, it was entirely reasonable!
Raj didn’t hesitate for a moment before signing the agreement. After reviewing all the terms, Henry also added his signature to the commercial contract, clearly impressed with the brilliance of the partnership.
“Hehe, a pleasure doing business. Here’s to our Cola selling like hotcakes!” Charles smiled calmly as he left behind the Cola formula and the alchemy equipment blueprints. With the signed agreements in hand, he walked out of the meeting room.
Watching Charles’ retreating figure, Raj and Henry could barely contain their smiles. This wasn’t just a business contract—they had planted a money tree!
As long as no other healing potion on the market could surpass the effectiveness of Cola, they would continue raking in profits from selling the concentrated syrup, possibly even expanding their business beyond Lsengard!
Meanwhile, those in the meeting who didn’t secure primary distributor rights were now filled with regret for not having connected with Charles sooner. Smiling broadly, they flocked to Raj and Henry, hoping to secure secondary distribution rights.
At the back of the meeting room, Aurora’s cheeks flushed as she gazed at Charles’ departing silhouette, stars practically twinkling in her eyes. Charles wasn’t just handsome—his Beast Mastery talents were top-notch, and now he had brought such a major business deal to the Stokes family!
Everyone in the room was utterly amazed!
The days of Fenton Pharmaceuticals, who had taken over the market with their addictive drugs, were numbered!
In less than a week, Cola would dominate the shelves of every store in Lsengard!
…
Leaving the Blackwood Pharmaceuticals building, Charles exhaled deeply. Finding a quiet, deserted spot, he activated his skill, [Darkness Cloak], slipping into the shadows.
“Heh, Sly, Kevin, don’t blame me for being ruthless. After all, you tried to kill me. How could I let you get away with that, right?” A cold smirk curled the corner of Charles’ lips as he sneered.
But… bringing down those two old foxes, Sly and Kevin, wouldn’t be so easy.
the Dubois family and the Draven family, two of the three major families in Lsengard, had been established for centuries. Now, with Sly, Kevin, and Axel forming an almost unbreakable alliance, they were an ironclad triangle of power.
Though David stood on his side, it would still be difficult to fight off so many enemies at once if things escalated. If it came to a head, the fallout would be hard to contain.
“Beyond the three great families, Lsengard also has the City Lord’s mansion, the Misubi family, and the Beast Master Guild—three forces that are not to be underestimated either.”
“However, due to Grace, the City Lord would never have any goodwill toward me.”
“The Misubi family runs the auction house in Lsengard and has always remained neutral, staying out of any city affairs. It would be hard to get their help.”
As Charles mulled over his options, an image of a stern-faced middle-aged man gradually surfaced in his mind…
—
