Chapter 125 Herd mentality
This female elf Agnes had suddenly appeared. Although it had shocked Still and Vivian, no one else knew other than the two of them, so it didn’t create much of a stir.
Banta City’s people still lived their normal lives and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce steadily moved forward according to Xu Yi’s instructions.
The development of the production magic machines went smoothly.
With Great Magician Camilla helping full force, the core Magic Arrays for the Magic Punch Presses had been quickly finished. Great Magician Camilla was responsible for the most important Magic Array positioning and initial changes, and the remaining changes were all left for the assistants in his Magic Tower.
Because Great Magician Camilla’s Magic Tower had worked with the Frestech Chamber of Commerce several times, so even though the workload was quite heavy this time, they were still very organized and Xu Yi was very satisfied with their progress.
In line with Camby and the dwarves’ progress in designing the production magic machines, if nothing expected happens, Xu Yi estimated that they would finish the series of Magic Punch Presses within a month. Then it would only take them a short period of time to put it into use.
Although it was a bit longer than the time he gave Seveni, with Xu Yi’s estimate of the production capacity of the Magic Punch Presses, as long as the Magic Punch Presses became operational, Xu Yi estimated that the first batch of three thousand agricultural magic machines would be complete a month before the deadline. The agricultural department would have plenty of time to arrange these agricultural magic machines.
Of course, in Xu Yi’s opinion, the development time for the Magic Punch Presses was too short.
Although they had Xu Yi tempered mechanical engineering knowledge from earth as a foundation, so they didn’t need to research the basics when it came to these Magic Punch Presses, the production magic machines studied in such a short period of time would definitely have some flaws.
Xu Yi was aware of this, but he had no other choices.
In order to complete the order from the king and the agricultural department in time, Xu Yi had to do this.
Although Xu Yi felt that most of this research fund was wasted on this kind of rushed research project, as long as he could seize this change, it wasn’t something that couldn’t be accepted.
Not to mention that they would be developing a series of production magic machines. Whether it was for Great Magician Camilla and the magicians under him, or Camby and the dwarves in the magic machine workshop, they would all gain plenty of experience from this.
This would create a solid foundation for the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s future development. As long as Xu Yi kept putting in manpower and resources, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce would gradually improve on their magic machines.
What was more important to Xu Yi was that the magicians and dwarves that were a part of this would be influenced. This would gradually form a theory system for magic machines.
Xu Yi had transmigrated from earth, so of course he knew the importance of theoretical foundations to establishing an industry.
The magic machine industry on the Sines Continent could be considered a product of his promotion, so the foundations weren’t solid at all.
If one day Xu Yi came across a problem involving magic machines that he couldn’t solve, it would mean that there would be no one in this world that could solve it.
So when it came to research, Xu Yi kept instilling people with his own mechanical engineering knowledge. He pointed out the key points of combining this knowledge with magic, giving them a complete explanation.
He did this because he hoped that other than him, there would be more qualified magic mechanical engineers on the Sines Continent.
Other than being busy with researching, although this period of time was very busy, the happiest person was actually Heinz.
After the Variable Temperature Magic Air Conditioner had sold over five thousand units in Banta City and the surrounding cities, they began promoting the new Magic Lamps and a new wave of buying came in.
Compared to the high twenty five gold coin price of the Variable Temperature Magic Air Conditioner, which was mainly targeted at rich families, the more beautiful Magic Lamp that was even considered a piece of art by many people was being sold for only one gold coin, mainly targeting normal families.
As for the price of one gold coin, when most people saw the appearance of the Magic Lamps on the four billboards outside the city, they felt it was very appropriate.
There were even some people who thought that this price was too low because some rich people cared about style. This Magic Lamp could already be considered a work of art, it couldn’t have the same price as a normal product.
Not to mention the Magic Crystal Lamps that appeared before on the Sines Continent were not only inferior in appearance, the effects were also much worse.
Those Magic Crystal Lamps had prices of several hundred gold coins, then even if these Magic Lamps didn’t have exaggerated prices, they should be at least worth several dozen gold coins, right?
Of course, with people thinking the price is low, naturally there would be those who thought it was high.
Some families that weren’t as rich felt that one gold coin was considered quite a bit. Although this Magic Lamp did look very good, making people want to buy it, to actually take out a gold coin to buy a single lamp was something that they hesitated to do.
But after the ?Banta Times? ran a new article based on the Magic Lamps that the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had released, it changed the thoughts of these people.
For a normal household, if they used candles or oil lamps to light up their house at night, based on the calculation of one candle or oil lamp per room, they would spend five-ten copper coins a night. They would be spending between two to three silver coins each month.
But if they used the Magic Lamp, they would only use a single Low Grade Magic Crystal each month, which cost less than sixty copper coins.
This number wasn’t clear in just a month or two, but if they calculated by years, one could save over twenty silver coins each year using the Magic Lamp instead of candles or oil lamps.
In just four years, they would have saved up enough for a Magic Lamp.
The Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s Magic Lamps had a warranty for three years. If non-intentional damage was done to the Magic Lamp within these three years, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce promised to fix it.
That meant that if one bought the Magic Lamp, they wouldn’t need to worry about it for three years.
Like this, it was clear that the Magic Lamp was more cost effective compared to candles or oil lamps.
Not to mention that whether it was the candles or oil lamps, they all gave off a smell and smoke, which wasn’t good for the body. And the Magic Lamps used the Magic Array to create the light, so it didn’t give off any smoke at all, not harming one’s body.
Moreover, the Magic Lamp’s light was far stronger than candles or oil lamps. A candle or oil lamp could only light up no more than three square meters, but if one used the Magic Lamp, it could light up every corner of the room!
After the report was published in the ?Banta Times?, the people who hesitated on buying the Magic Lamp immediately made up their minds and decided to buy it.
So after just a single week of being out, the Magic Lamp wildly sold over twenty thousand units!
This was just the amount sold in a small city like Banta City!
If one added in the orders from Banta City, this number reached a terrifying forty thousand!
It had to be known that there were only around fifty thousand people inside and near Banta City, so that was equal to almost everyone in Banta City buying one!
Of course, the main reason was that larger homes didn’t only buy one Magic Lamp, but rather they bought several of them to use in different rooms.
Other than Banta City, the merchants from other cities who had already been working with the Frestech Chamber of Commerce for a long time didn’t want to show weakness, so they also submitted large orders.
If all the orders of the other cities were added together, that was a total of over fifty thousand already!
Putting it together, just in a single week and with just the small Magic Lamp, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had already earned a large income of close to a hundred thousand gold coins.
Each Magic Lamp sold for one gold coin and their cost was just a trivial thirty silver coins.
Putting it together, the Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s pure profits on the Magic Lamps was close to seventy thousand gold coins!
Moreover, this was just in a single week. As time passed and with the Magic Lamp’s current popularity, this amount could still be greatly increased.
According to Xu Yi’s estimates…..No, Xu Yi couldn’t estimate their sales amount at all because even he didn’t think that the Magic Lamps would be this popular.
It was no wonder that although Heinz was being run ragged each day, he had a smile that wouldn’t close on his lips.
Before this, although Heinz felt that Magic Lamp that Xu Yi developed looked good and would sell well, he never thought that the Magic Lamp would have this kind of terrifying sales numbers.
As a veteran general store owner of Banta City, he couldn’t understand at all why people would be so crazy about a lamp that could only be used for lighting.
“It’s very simple, it’s because there is a mob mentality in people. The more people buying it, there will be more people who want to buy it, otherwise they would be different from everyone else.” Seveni held the Magic Lamp in her hand to look over for a while before she couldn’t help praising, “It has to be said, this Magic Lamp is just too beautiful, it’s no wonder so many masters of Banta City praise this as a work of art. Even at the banquet yesterday, there were several Banta City masters of the art who cursed you and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce in front of Count Sean.”
Xu Yi couldn’t help smiling, “Cursing me about what?”
Seveni tilted her head to think before saying with a faint smile, “The masters felt that your Frestech Chamber of Commerce is treating this almost perfect piece of art as a product to mass produce, flooding the entire world with this precious treasure, it is blaspheming this piece of art!”
Xu Yi gave a shrug, “Art doesn’t equal something separated from the masses, these masters are just too biased.”
“No, they aren’t biased. Rather they think that art is something aloof that is above the populace and could only be enjoyed by their small loft group. Your Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s methods are destroying their sense of superiority, it’s no wonder they are becoming angry out of shame.” After saying this, Seveni’s lips curled back into a taunting smile, “If it wasn’t for the fact that the Magic Lamps were just too beautiful and artistic, making them unable to deny it, the masters would act like they looked down on it even if their hearts accepted it.”
Xu Yi never would have thought that Seveni would have such a rude appraisal of these master because no matter what, Seveni was not just a normal member of the agricultural department and her status shouldn’t be normal. She should be one of the upper class that the masters were talking about.
“That’s right, Xu Yi, the person that designed the Magic Lamp shouldn’t be from your Frestech Chamber of Commerce, right? Where did you find this kind of master with such high artistic skills?” Seveni suddenly asked, “Other than this, the billboards on the four sides of the city should also be drawn by this master, right? I can tell that the drawn Magic Lamp is the same style as the design, so it should be made by the same person.”
Xu Yi nodded, “It is indeed the same person and they aren’t from our Frestech Chamber of Commerce. But if you want to ask who they are…..I can only say sorry.”
“You can’t say it? That really is a pity. Although I don’t like those so called masters, I do approve of their appraisals. The artistic value of the drawing is even higher than the Magic Lamp. Based on the appraisal of these masters, just based on this drawing, this person is enough to be known as a grandmaster.” Seveni suddenly revealed a smile, “Of course in my opinion, the reason why it is so outstanding and the effects are so good, other than the Magic Lamp, the intoxicating girl in the painting is actually very important. I’ve heard that this girl is called Still and she’s Great Magician Camilla’s granddaughter?”
Xu Yi looked at Seveni in surprise, “You actually even found this out?”
“This isn’t anything hard to find. I found out accidentally last time and Still is so popular in Banta City. But it is a very normal thing when one thinks about it, she is that beautiful and is always on your Frestech Chamber of Commerce’s advertisements, it’s hard for her not to be famous.” Seveni looked over and asked, “But compared to this, what I’m more interested in is that, I’ve heard the relationship between you and Still isn’t normal?”
Xu Yi remembered the strange look Still had after hearing Agnes’ answer the other night and said after giving two dry laughs, “Young miss Seveni, did you have some important matter to discuss since you specially came to find me today?”
Seveni pursed her lips into a smile and didn’t keep pursuing this matter. After pausing, she said to Xu Yi with a serious expression, “Chairman Xu, I came to find you today because I have some bad news for you.”
Chapter 126 Want the mine?
Xu Yi’s expression didn’t change as he asked, “What bad news?”
Seveni hesitated a bit before answering, “It’s related to the two iron mines.”
Xu Yi couldn’t help knitting his brows, “Is there a problem with the two iron mines?”
The two iron mines were an important part of Xu Yi’s deal with the king, so if there was a problem with them, it could even mean that the transaction this time is a failure.
“It isn’t a problem with the iron mines itself, rather we’ve encountered a problem.” Seveni said in an awkward manner.
Xu Yi’s expression calmed down a bit as he asked, “Then may I ask what problem? Could it be that his majesty has changed his mind?”
“No, since his majesty has already signed the contract with you, of course he wouldn’t easily change his mind.” Seveni shook her head before she said with a soft sigh, “It’s just that two days ago, someone in the kingdom suddenly came up with some argument on the contract you signed with the agricultural department.”
“Oh? Who? What problem?” Xu Yi was a bit surprised.
This transaction was signed between Xu Yi and the agricultural department representing the king. To raise an argument at this was equal to going against the king.
During Xu Yi’s observations from living in the Lampuri Kingdom for several years, the king’s might in the kingdom was unchallenged, so who dared to go up directly against him?
“This is related to a deal from a long time ago. The details say that when the Lampuri Kingdom was formed, the first king made a deal with the families that helped him form the nation, rewarding them for supporting him. The deal with the Jole Family is related to the iron mines of the kingdom.” Seveni replied.
Xu Yi suddenly understood, “That means that it’s the Jole Family who aren’t satisfied with his majesty giving these two iron mines to our company? But this isn’t right, those two iron mines don’t belong to any family and they belong to the royal family. Since it’s like this, his majesty has the right to make any decisions for these iron mines, so can other people bring up arguments?”
Seveni said with a bitter smile, “You’re not wrong, but the problem is in the deal the first king made with the Jole Family. Other than giving them some iron mines, they also guaranteed that as long as the royal family wanted to transfer other mines, the Jole Family would have priority.”
“Priority?” Xu Yi’s expression was filled with surprise, “That means that as long as the royal family transfers the iron mines under their names, they must first be given to the Jole Family? Others can’t meddle in this?”
“It’s not that exaggerated. This priority means that for the same price, the representative of the Jole Family had priority over the iron mines.” Seveni said.
Xu Yi finally understood. Thinking about it, he felt that it was wrong, “But these iron mines aren’t things that the royal family is giving to our company, rather it is the price paid for the agricultural magic machines.”
“The problem is that since the Jole Family thinks that if these iron mines are being offered as compensation, it’s equal to the royal family selling these two mines, so the Jole Family has the right to offer a price. Three days ago, Duke Jole proposed in front of his majesty that he wanted to have a fair auction with your Frestech Chamber of Commerce to decide who will take these two iron mines.” Seveni explained.
“His majesty just agreed to this?” Xu Yi asked.
“After all, this is a deal between the first king and the Jole Family, if we don’t keep it, the royal family would be criticized. Chairman Xu, his majesty is a bit helpless in this matter.” After saying this, Seveni’s voice slowed down a bit as there was a trace of pleading that appeared.
Xu Yi looked at Seveni before saying with a cold snort, “Young miss Seveni, I want to lodge a protest on behalf of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce. Our company has already signed a contract with the agricultural department representing his majesty, but now you want to break the contract for your own reasons. I say that this violates the spirit of the contract and I have my right to show my dissatisfaction.”
Seveni gave a slight nod, “Chairman Xu, I understand very much that you’re dissatisfied, but I ask you to trust that his majesty and our agricultural department wants to cooperate with you. This time it’s because our side didn’t think far enough, causing you and the Frestech Chamber of Commerce to suffer losses, so we will definitely provide compensation.”
“Compensation?” Xu Yi gave another snort, “Even a signed contract can be broken, how do you want me to believe there will be compensation?”
Seveni calmly looked at Xu Yi for a while before shaking her head, “Chairman Xu, I’ve known you for a while, so I know you’re not a person swayed by personal emotions, so let’s not talk about this, alright? As for the two iron mines, his majesty has no way to reject Duke Jole’s request, so we hope that your Frestech Chamber of Commerce can have a fair bidding war with the Jole Family’s representative. As for the losses your Frestech Chamber of Commerce suffers from this event, his majesty has said that he will provide your Frestech Chamber of Commerce a Magic Crystal mine as compensation. Other than this, the kingdom will give your Frestech Chamber of Commerce some special favours. For example the patent idea you had before, his majesty has indicated he will carefully review it and will submit it to the Royal Parliament to verify as soon as possible.”
“The patent law is not something only our Frestech Chamber of Commerce will benefit from.” Xu Yi shook his head before continuing, “But since his majesty has agreed to provide compensation, I am willing to accept this. But only having a single Magic Crystal mine as compensation, I really don’t think will be enough. Young miss Seveni, you should be very clear that those two iron mines had a high value of one million and eight hundred thousand gold coins on the contract. Now that since Duke Joles has proposed that he would have a bidding with our company, he clearly already understands this price. If the Joles Family proposes a higher price, what should our company do?”
Seveni immediately replied, “If the Frestech Chamber of Commerce wants the two iron mines, it’s very simple, you just need to give a higher price. It doesn’t matter if you don’t want it either, just let the royal family give the two iron mines to the Jole Family and directly use the gold coins to pay for the order.”
Xu Yi said with a cold laugh, “Young miss Seveni, in the original contract, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce would have received two iron mines for one million and eight hundred thousand gold coins. Now we either need to raise the price or lose the two iron mines, do you think this is appropriate?”
“Chairman Xu, the value of these two iron mines is just one million and eight hundred gold coins. Your company will receive the same amount of gold coins from the royal family, is there a problem?” Seveni asked.
“What if I really want those two iron mines?” Xu Yi looked at Seveni, not taking a single step back, “Young miss Seveni, I don’t believe that you can’t see that Jole Family’s goal is not the two iron mines, but rather it is to keep all the iron mines in the kingdom in their hands, driving out all their competitors. Like this, they could monopolize all the iron ore business in the kingdom and set the price at all, with no one being able to compete with them.” After saying this, Xu Yi shook his head and his face looked confused, “Actually young miss Seveni, I’ve always been very curious. For an important national resource like iron ores, why is the royal family not controlling it and it is controlled by a family other than the royal family? Could it be just because of the trivial agreement from the beginning of the kingdom?”
Seveni’s eyes looking at Xu Yi had a strange look as she was silent for a bit. After a while, she slowly said word for word, “Chairman Xu, please remember, you are just a normal merchant. There are some things that it is best for you not to think about.”
Xu Yi gave a self ridiculing smile as he said, “That’s right, you are right, I am just a small merchant, I have no plans on questioning the king. Alright, I won’t care about that now. I just want to ask, how do I acquire the two iron mines that should have already been mine?”
“First I want to remind you that before the Frestech Chamber of Commerce completes the orders, the two mines don’t belong to you.” Seveni said with a serious face, “Second, there is a way for your Frestech Chamber of Commerce to obtain the two iron mines that they should have obtained, but we need your cooperation. That is the reason why I came to see you.”
Xu Yi finally revealed a smile and gave a slight nod, “It seems like young miss Seveni has already made plans, why didn’t you say so earlier? Alright, how should I cooperate with you?”
“According to Duke Jole’s request, in a week, there will be an open auction for these two mines in Banta City. Chairman Xu, if you want to obtain these two iron mines, I’ll have to ask you to……”
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A week later, the Banta City’s City Lord Manor was brightly lit and filled with voices. It was clear there was currently a banquet being held.
The City Lord Manor held banquets for many reasons, especially during this time.
Only the banquet tonight was clearly different from the others.
This was because there was an open auction being held at the same time as the banquet.
An auction being held in the City Lord’s Manor really was unprecedented. However the people who knew the inside story were very clear that if this auction wasn’t held in the City Lord’s Manor, there was no other place qualified.
This was because the auction wasn’t selling some precious treasure, rather it was for two iron mines in Banta City.
Although treasures were rare and could sell for sky high prices, compared to these two iron mines, they clearly weren’t worth looking at.
The people who could participate in auctions were normally rich people, but the people participating in this auction couldn’t be simply described as rich.
Just a single iron mine was worth over a million gold coins and the two mines being auctioned together, the amount reached a point that made most people feel dizzy.
So when many people saw Xu Yi at tonight’s banquet, they couldn’t help revealing surprised expressions.
Although the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had developed quickly since they were established, making everyone pay attention to them. Just in less than half a year, they had already established a place for themselves in Banta City. But the Frestech Chamber of Commerce had existed for a short period of time and lacked any depth, so even if each product of the Frestech Chamber of Commerce sold for a large amount, they wouldn’t have accumulated that much wealth in just half a year.
This Xu Yi, what qualification did he have to participate in this highest level auction of over a million gold coins?