LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 7: This is Called Getting Something for Nothing
"I also need some cashmere shawls and coats. The shawls are two gold coins each, and the coats are seven gold coins each."
"Let's start with twenty shawls and ten coats."
Barton quickly calculated the prices on his fingers. One bolt of fabric would require 15 pounds of cashmere, so fifty bolts would be nearly 800 pounds. Cashmere was cheap, so 800 pounds would only cost fifty silver coins.
A cashmere sweater was ten silver coins, one per day for three years would be 100 gold coins. Add in the shawls and coats, and it was already over 200 gold coins.
After deducting costs, he could make a net profit of 200 gold coins, which was equivalent to 2 million copper coins. Two million!
Two million was enough to buy four large houses with gardens in the capital city of Colens!
Barton's heart was pounding as he calculated. His shop's current annual net income was only 20 gold coins, and a worker's daily wage was only 70 copper coins.
This was an astronomical figure - one deal could earn him ten years' worth of income!
Barton's breathing became heavy. He couldn't believe his ears.
"Miss Luo Wei, are you serious? You'll really pay us at this price?" Even if her secret formula was terrible, he could still do it if the price was high enough.
"I always mean what I say," Luo Wei leaned back, "However, I have two more requirements."
"Please, go ahead." Barton now looked at Luo Wei as if she were a god of wealth descended from the heavens. Of course he had to listen carefully to whatever the god of wealth said.
"First, you must strictly follow the secret formula I give you to process the wool. If you can't do this, our cooperation is off."
"Second, the price I'm offering is for exclusive rights. The cashmere sweaters you produce can only be sold to me alone. You cannot sell them to others, nor can you leak my secret formula, even if I leave Siria in the future."
Once at the negotiating table, Luo Wei's aura became particularly impressive, giving off a strong sense of pressure. The cold light in her eyes made Barton feel breathless.
"Of course, of course." Barton wiped the sweat from his forehead, thinking that nobles were indeed different. Just one look at her aura made him want to kneel down.
He naturally understood Luo Wei's requirements.
The secret formula belonged to this noble young lady's family, and she was the one paying. He was just temporarily acting as her private tailor, making clothes for her for a while.
Nobles were all like this - keeping the good things only for themselves.
"Good, since Mr. Hawkins agrees so readily, I feel at ease entrusting the secret formula to you," Luo Wei said with a light smile. "You are Balke's father, so I trust your character."
Barton glanced at Balke, giving him a "well done" look.
Balke immediately puffed out his chest, proud!
However, he scratched the back of his head, wondering. He had only met Miss Luo Wei for the first time today, why did she trust him so much?
Luo Wei took out the copied parchment and handed it to Barton: "If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask me now."
"After you're sure you can make the fabric I want, we'll draw up a contract and I'll pay you a deposit."
Balke unrolled the parchment and held his breath as he looked at it.
The parchment not only contained written explanations, but also had illustrations for important steps. At a glance, it was clear and vivid, very easy to understand.
This scroll of secret formulas filled three entire sheets of parchment.
The first sheet described the raw material processing of wool, detailing complex procedures to make the wool soft and white. The degreasing solvents and washing methods mentioned were unheard of to him.
The second sheet briefly described the art of drawing cashmere threads, surprisingly able to twist cashmere threads as fine as silk threads. The tools used were also unfamiliar to him.
The third sheet described several loom techniques that could weave fabrics of different thicknesses and various patterns.
This wasn't just one secret formula, it was an entire textile manual!
Any single process from it could make them a fortune - it was a precious manual!
Barton looked eagerly at Luo Wei, speaking incoherently as if stunned by a pie falling from the sky: "These, such precious formulas, can I really look at them? This is simply, simply unbelievable! Aren't you afraid I might steal them?"
Luo Wei rested her chin on her hand, leaning sideways in her chair, appearing disinterested: "To me, they're just a few pieces of paper."
"Besides, only some simple things are written here. Even if they were lost, it wouldn't cause me any significant loss."
"Mr. Hawkins, you're a businessman. I think you should understand what's most beneficial to do."
Barton nodded vigorously: "Rest assured, Hawkins' shop will not disappoint you."
Luo Wei revealed a friendly smile: "Mr. Hawkins is a trustworthy person."
She smoothed her skirt and stood up: "It's getting late. Contact me when you've made the fabric samples."
"Certainly, I'll make them in the shortest time possible." Barton hurriedly stood up to see them off downstairs.
"Then I'll await your good news. Goodbye, Mr. Hawkins."
Luo Wei and Winnie left together, while Balke stayed at home.
"Father, why do you think Miss Luo Wei wants us to make clothes for her?" Balke asked puzzledly. "Couldn't she just have her servants bring them over?"
"What do you know," Barton scolded. "How could someone as noble as Miss Luo Wei use piled-up old fabrics?"
"She needs to change clothes every day. Are the servants supposed to come deliver them every day?"
"What if her estate is thousands of miles away from here? How much manpower and resources would it take to deliver clothes once?"
"She may be born noble, but she's not a fool."
Balke hung his head, chastened.
Seeing his son's dejected look, Barton softened and sighed: "My son, you must understand, we are merchants."
"No matter what her motives are for approaching us, as long as she can bring us benefits, we should give her enough respect."
Balke looked up: "I understand, Father. Respecting her means not questioning her decisions. She is our most noble guest!"
Barton patted his head: "Not a guest, but a benefactor."
Those secret formulas, even if they couldn't be replicated, just seeing them once was immensely beneficial.
Balke nodded, lost in thought.
"By the way, is that Miss Charley your classmate?"
"Yes, we're in the same class."
"You should thank her properly, and interact with her more often. She's more quick-witted than you." Barton's eyes gleamed.
Balke agreed: "Winnie is indeed smarter than me. Her grades are in the top ten of our year!"
Barton shook his head and turned to study the secret formulas.
That night, the full moon hung high.
Luo Wei lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.
She had already given out the wool textile technology. Although it wasn't possible to make the improved machines in a short time, a sample of the wool base fabric could be made with existing tools and manpower.
If Hawkins' shop worked through the night, they could weave a palm-sized piece of base fabric within three days, just in time for the day before the horse riding class.
But she wasn't sure if they would proceed as she expected. If Barton wasn't moved after seeing the quality of the base fabric, her plan wouldn't work out.
Not to mention that she couldn't produce even one copper of the 100 gold coin deposit, even if she could, she wouldn't give it.
She was there to make money, not to spend it.
It all depended on whether Barton would play along.
Scenes from today flashed through Luo Wei's mind - her answers in the magic rune class, her conversation with Axina, meeting Winnie and Balke, negotiating business with the fabric merchant Barton...
She suddenly realized she had made a mistake - her attitude towards people today had been too arrogant.