Chapter 29: Installment Payments

ICP Filing Number: Xiang B2-20100081-3
Internet Publishing License: Xin Chu Wang Zheng (Xiang) No. 11
Network Culture Business License: Wen Wang Wen [2010] 128

Early in the morning, before Christine had even awakened, her maid was already exclaiming outside.

"Oh, my lady!"

"What is the matter, Jenny? You are making such a fuss; has the sky fallen?" Christine opened her hazy, sleep-filled eyes and looked at her maid with annoyance.

Hugh D'Aniel was right. After being poisoned by him, she had suffered from insomnia for most of the night, only drifting off just before dawn. She wasn't sure if it was the effect of the drug or the result of the immense emotional shock from the previous night.

"Oh, no, no, my lady. I apologize for my rudeness, but I must say... it is simply astonishing. You really should look out the window," the maid said, her face flushed with excitement.

Christine rolled out of bed and rushed to the window.

She then saw that the plaza of the Serenity Island Hotel was filled with tens of thousands of "Lover's Tears" flowers. They were arranged in the shape of a massive heart, and thousands of candles were lit among the blooms, creating a beautiful ocean of red.

Hugh D'Aniel stood in the center of the sea of flowers, holding a large bouquet of "Millennium Blooms," looking up at Christine and smiling at her.

"My heavens, he is absolutely insane!" Christine exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hand.

Lover's Tears represented love, and Millennium Blooms signified eternity. It was perfectly normal for nobles to use these flowers to woo the women they admired. However, using tens of thousands of fresh flowers to declare one's love and displaying it openly on the street was something that had never been seen before.

Romance required a social context. Although the atmosphere in the Lance Empire was relatively open, such extravagance and such brazen audacity were unprecedented.

Even though it was a tactic used to the point of cliché in the 21st century, the fact that it was so common only proved how effective it was.

Facts proved that no woman had ever been able to resist this method of courtship. Even if she didn't like the man, she would never be repulsed by such a gesture.

As for Hugh, Christine didn't even have the possibility of refusal.

She shouted, "Let him come up. Oh, heavens, I haven't even washed my face yet! Do not bring him in here; let him wait for me in the parlor."

The maid ran out quickly.

Half an hour later, Christine finally emerged, fully made up, looking charming and alluring.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting too long," Christine apologized.

"In terms of the speed of your makeup, your efficiency is already quite high," Hugh laughed. The Millennium Blooms he had brought were already placed in vases for preservation; as long as they had sufficient water, these flowers could remain in full bloom, keeping their beauty for a considerable time.

Dismissing the maid, Christine walked to Hugh's side. "Are you crazy? Buying so many flowers? You didn't have to do that." She bit her lip and added, "Anyway, according to your plan, as long as you need me to, I will invite you to spend the night in my room anytime, anywhere."

"But at least I had to make everyone understand why."

"Fine, this time you certainly gave everyone in the city a plausible reason. I suspect that by this afternoon, everyone will know that D'Aniel, a newly emerged family heir, is using an insane display of wealth to win over Christine."

"And will be highly successful very soon," Hugh said, smiling as he took Christine's arm.

"Only on the surface."

"That is true, so I must apologize to you for one thing."

"What?"

"The bill for those flowers will be sent directly to your estate."

"Oh! Hugh D'Aniel, you bastard!" Christine kicked him in anger.

Hugh laughed and took the blow without offering any resistance.

Christine paused for a moment. She suddenly realized that her life was being threatened and controlled by Hugh, but her behavior didn't look like that of someone being coerced.

"Oh... I'm sorry," she said, sounding a bit flustered.

"There is no need," Hugh laughed. "You can rest assured. As long as we continue to interact, you will soon find that most of the time, I am actually quite approachable."

"I hope so," Christine muttered. "So, what should I do next?"

"How about a walk in the garden? We can chat about anything to improve our understanding and feelings. I am having lunch with the Vice President of the Dodge Trading Firm at noon, and I have business to discuss with others in the afternoon. I hope you will accompany me throughout the day."

"Very well. Count Brooks wanted me to join him for lunch, but it seems I must decline," Christine said helplessly. She was surprised to find that she wasn't truly resistant to this.

"So you must thank those flowers. They let the public believe that you were moved by my devotion, and thus you specifically granted me a day of your time."

"And what about tomorrow?"

"Believe me, Miss Christine, romance is an endless existence. As long as you have the heart for it, there will be surprises knocking at your door every day," Hugh replied with a confident smile.

Walking side by side with Hugh on the garden path of the Serenity Island Hotel, Christine felt a strange sensation in her heart.

Logically, walking with someone as "infamous" as Hugh should make her feel fearful and anxious. But for some reason, she found that she wasn't truly afraid. In fact, there was even a hint of excitement.

There was a vague, thrilling feeling to it.

Just thinking about how she had stood toe-to-toe with Hugh D'Aniel the previous night, and how she was still alive after facing the same youth who had been so fierce and formidable at the Lanya Grand Theater, and was now strolling side-by-side with him, she actually felt a sense of pride.

Especially since she now held his secret, and he hadn't chosen to silence her, but had instead promised to remove the troubles that had been giving her headaches, she felt even more triumphant.

It seemed this youth wasn't as terrifying as he appeared. On the contrary, just as he had said, when he wasn't killing people, he was actually quite charming.

And he didn't seem like the type to slaughter the innocent indiscriminately.

"I always thought devils didn't understand romance," Christine remarked with admiration.

"That is because you do not understand devils," Hugh replied with a laugh. "In truth, when a devil seduces a heart, it does not rely on terrifying fangs and claws, but on all sorts of beautiful methods and enticements. A devil leads people to fall and become obsessed, so they are well-versed in how to provide delightful experiences, making people voluntarily throw themselves into the devil's arms. Romance is merely one way to do that. This is entirely because you are a woman, and a beautiful one at that, so I use this method to win your favor. But if you were someone else, the devil would use other methods to please you. Being adaptable is the secret to a devil's success."

"Is that so? Then is every devil as learned and talented as you? That requires quite a bit of knowledge and insight."

"In fact, devils are indeed learned. To lead people to fall, a devil must learn many things and be skilled at communicating with different types of people. You must be able to discuss alchemy with an alchemist, international affairs with a politician, art appreciation at an exhibition, cooking at a banquet, and clothing with a lady. Not only that, sometimes you must deliberately discuss politics with an alchemist or art with a scholar, because they don't know much anyway, and they are happy to pick up your scraps. You don't need to choose good music when playing the lute for a cow!"

"Ha!" Christine laughed, covering her lips. "That is the most interesting description of a devil I have ever heard."

Hugh said with a straight face, "As a devil, one must possess a spirit of progress and be able to roll forward along with the 'great wheel of the era'."

Christine laughed until she was doubled over. "Oh, my heavens, I finally understand why you survived on Purgatory Island for so long. You are simply a little rascal who can lie to anyone without a shred of conscience. Even the most terrifying things turn into honey in your mouth. It's hard to imagine that the first time I saw you, you were killing people like a madman, and just yesterday, I was scared to death by you. Now, I even have the poison you gave me inside my body, yet I can still laugh when facing you—and laugh so happily. Oh, gods above, this is simply incredible. You are indeed a devil skilled at manipulating hearts. And as you said, a learned and talented devil."

Hugh stared intently at Christine.

He didn't follow up on her topic, but instead frowned slightly. "Forgive me, if I heard correctly, you just used the term 'Purgatory Island'? I mean... do you know of the existence of Purgatory Island?"

"Only a part of it." Christine shrugged. "This secret is becoming less of a secret. Oh, I only heard it from Count Brooks. I think that is also why I am not so afraid of you, because I know you aren't a true devil."

"So that's how it is. It seems I underestimated your power. Even if this secret is known to more people, it's not something just anyone can grasp. Then why would Count Brooks tell you such a major secret? Is he not afraid of losing his head?"

"Oh, you didn't know that I also have businesses related to material management?" Christine looked at Hugh in surprise. "Otherwise, why do you think I would be with that old bastard, Count Brooks? He announced at the beginning of this month that he would reduce his acquisition volume by eighty percent. The hateful bastard! What do you expect me to do with the materials I've collected? He wanted me to go to bed with him, and in return, he promised to purchase the materials I have on hand. This matter has been giving me a massive headache. In fact, I was already prepared to take a loss. You must know that I don't have any excellent alchemists; those are precious materials, and handing them over to mediocre alchemists to process is a shameful waste. I tried every way to find out why the Empire was reducing its material purchases. I had to know if this reduction was a one-time occurrence or a permanent one, so I could make the right choices in my future operations. Brooks told me the secret to ensure he could keep me for the long term. He wanted to threaten me! And then I realized it actually had to do with you! All of this is because of you!"

"So that's it." Hugh nodded. "This is truly interesting. Perhaps I can help you solve this problem. I mean, you seem to have forgotten one thing: I am an alchemist. I mean that when it comes to alchemy, I am confident I can handle the evaluation of 'excellent'."

Excitement flared in Christine's eyes. "Oh, my heavens, are you trying to tell me you can take over my batch of materials?"

"The problem is I don't have that much money." Hugh replied without blushing. "But if you give me time, I can help you process them all into finished products, and then you can sell them. Believe me, you will earn more than selling the raw materials, and you won't have to worry about storage issues."

"That would be perfect." Christine grew excited. From Count Brooks, she had fully understood the level of Hugh's alchemy, and the battle at the Lanya Grand Theater had only further proven it.

"However, as a condition, I need you to provide the capital to help me acquire other materials," Hugh said.

Christine began to understand. "You want me to help you complete the first major transaction of the D'Aniel family? And... you don't actually have that much money on hand."

"The room bill for the Serenity Island Hotel alone is enough to bankrupt us," Hugh said without a hint of shame.

"How many materials do you intend to acquire?"

"Count Brooks gave up eighty percent of the material acquisitions, so I will take sixty percent. What do you think?"

"That would require no less than six million gold Viters. That is not a small amount; even I cannot produce that much money all at once."

"Don't worry about that problem. You know, there are many ways to do business. Often, we don't necessarily need to have as much money as we have tasks. Right?"

Christine's eyes darted around. "You mean... credit?"

"To be precise, installment payments. It is a brand-new payment method I intend to promote. The buyer uses credit as capital, first obtaining a large amount of goods, then using these goods as collateral and bargaining chips for future profits. After earning enough money, the final payments are made."

"That sounds fresh."

"A method of using a small investment to achieve a large expansion. Of course, if I acquire too little, the financial strength of the D'Aniel family will be questioned. But if I acquire too much, the enormous financial pressure makes installment payments a legitimate act. After all, there are only a few families in the entire Empire that can casually produce six million in cash. Furthermore, since I am only acquiring sixty percent, it creates a sales gap of twenty percent in raw materials, which will put sales pressure on many merchants, giving us bargaining chips. Before that, we must also establish a deposit system to dispel everyone's doubts; after all, my goal is not to defraud anyone. So I don't need millions of gold Viters. Just give me six hundred thousand, and I can make that money exert ten times its value. I mean, I intend to take down this batch of goods at one-tenth the price, and then pay off one-tenth of the payment each month, completing the acquisition of these goods within a year. What do you think?"

It had to be said that Hugh's plan amazed even Christine. The youth's mind was meticulous, to the point that he could conceive of such a method; even in business, he showed extraordinary talent.

But involving such a huge amount, a couple of genius ideas alone couldn't solve the problem.

Even ten thousand gold Viters was not a small sum, and Christine couldn't help but hesitate.

She pondered repeatedly, starting to think about some of the details in Hugh's plan. Then she said hesitantly, "Then how do you intend to process those materials? You know these materials are so plentiful they could be stacked into a mountain. Just you alone?"

A confident smile appeared on Hugh's face. "Even back on Purgatory Island, the logistics personnel engaged in mass production to supply a country's armed forces continuously had only a mere ten apprentices. Even then, I still had enough free time to do other things. There has only ever been an alchemist complaining about not having enough materials; where is there an alchemist who cannot finish a mountain of materials? In this regard, Lady Christine, you have absolutely nothing to worry about."

Christine shrugged. "Well then, I can provide you with six hundred thousand gold Viters. That is my current limit; you must know that most of my money is in flux. So, what's next?"

"The establishment of a credit system takes time, and what the D'Aniel family lacks is time. So the best way is to have a guarantor to ensure the reputation and credit of the D'Aniel family."

"You want me to be your family's guarantor? My heavens, if you fail, I am finished!"

Hugh bowed deeply to Christine. "Respected Lady, from the moment you met me last night, your fate has already changed. The only thing you can hope for now is that I will never fail." Christine sighed helplessly.

She realized that in the skirmish with this youth, she had completely lost.

She had once thought she could use the opportunity to blackmail Hugh D'Aniel, but instead, he had dragged her onto his chariot step by step.

This youth was only eighteen years old, yet the maturity of his words had none of the childishness that a teenager should have. The comprehensiveness and depth of his thinking, and his step-by-step approach, were things she found hard to defend against. He was cunning, fierce, decisive, and... he had a very thick skin.

By now, Christine finally realized the helpless fact: the initiative had completely fallen into Hugh's control.

"Even so, they might not agree to such a transaction method. You know they also need cash. And your method means all their money ends up in your hands to use."

"Regarding this problem, you can rest assured; I naturally have a way to make them agree."

"Then fine, you must prove to me that you truly have the ability to digest such a massive batch of materials, and you must also prove that what you make will be a hot commodity with sufficient profit." Christine said weakly; this was her last effort to regain the initiative—in a sense, she hoped Hugh D'Aniel was bluffing.

"Then, I need a quiet space."

Christine borrowed the basement under the Serenity Island Hotel and, according to Hugh's requirements, had a batch of materials delivered.

In the dimly lit basement, there were now only Christine and Hugh.

Christine noticed that as Hugh looked at the table full of materials, a strange, fanatical look appeared in his eyes. At that moment, Christine's heart chilled; she felt as if she were seeing the mad youth who had slaughtered his way through the Lanya Theater.

Christine knew that this was how the youth looked when he was focused.

Behind the youth's gentle and scholarly appearance lay both a fanatical thirst for knowledge and a fearless nature when it came to killing. Today, Christine finally saw how Hugh performed when focused on his work.

The next moment, Hugh's hands quickly picked up the materials on the table, beginning his alchemy processing with masterful techniques. A bottle of metal softener was lightly tapped by Hugh at the mouth, and the cork flew into the air with a pop. Hugh grabbed the bottle and quickly dripped a few drops onto a metal block, then caught the bottle in the air as the cork fell back into the mouth. While setting the bottle down, Hugh's left hand quickly tossed the softening metal block into the air; the block remained suspended, motionless. Hugh's right hand simultaneously flung out several metallic threads, wrapping them around the block. As Hugh chanted a spell, the metal block constantly changed shape in the air, with more and more threads wrapping around it. At the same time, his left hand brought out a crystal ball and other materials to prepare for the next step. In the air, the beautiful patterns woven by the metal threads flew around, and on the experimental table, Hugh's single hand was also operating non-stop. Various materials seemed to have grown legs, moving, combining, and interacting on their own...

Hugh's movements were precise. Long-term training as a warrior had given him steady hands, and his rich knowledge and long-term work experience on Purgatory Island gave him enough understanding of the reactions between these materials. He was like a master chef, cooking multiple dishes at once without ever getting flustered. The materials danced in the air, and Hugh's hands flew like butterflies through flowers, dazzling the onlookers.

It was clearly the manufacture of an ordinary alchemical product, but under Hugh's hands, it turned into a magnificent performance.

Even the most inexperienced person seeing this scene would immediately understand how powerful Hugh's attainments in alchemy were.

Christine was mesmerized.

About an hour and a half later, Hugh looked at Christine with a smile, holding three finished scout bees.

He released one, letting it fly around Christine, and then took out the crystal ball to explain the use of the little thing to her, leaving Christine clicking her tongue in wonder.

Ever since he failed to perform multiple alchemy experiments simultaneously like that legendary master in Electra's laboratory, Hugh had been looking for ways to improve his alchemical production efficiency. He discovered that although he couldn't perform multiple experiments simultaneously like that legendary master, this didn't stop him from simultaneously performing multiple alchemical manufacturing processes.

Experiments were different from production. Many aspects of experiments were unknown, requiring the alchemist to be fully focused on observing and understanding; perhaps apart from Electra, no other alchemist in the world could perform multiple experiments at once. But production was different. Production was repetitive construction based on known foundations, which could be turned into a personal assembly line.

Back then, when Hugh was in a rush to make the Diamond Puppet, he had spared no cost in producing it simultaneously; that was the reason. And when the Magic Puppet Assistant told Hugh that his more suitable path of development was not inventing unknown alchemy, but the extreme application and sublimation of existing alchemy, Hugh completely abandoned the idea of imitating Electra. Thus, he meticulously designed a set of alchemical production workflows.

In this situation, Hugh's production speed was twice as fast as before, which was why he created the stunning visual effect that had left Christine dazzled.

And for Hugh, all of this could be summarized in one word: proficiency.

Coming before Christine, Hugh asked, "How much were the materials you just gave me worth?"

"They were worth a total of thirty gold Viters, but you only used half of them," Christine replied.

Hugh said, "That is to say, the cost of each scout bee is five gold Viters. What you see now is what I made in an hour and a half. If my assistant were here, I could make five scout bees in the same amount of time. In one day, I could complete thirty. Compared to the first time I made them, my efficiency has increased by about four times. Of course, this is also because I don't want it to become a weapon for my enemies to use against me, so I consciously restricted some of its functions and lifespan, reducing some of the manufacturing procedures. This bee can only accept the simplest commands, and its lifespan is only one year."

"From a commercial point of view, making it a consumable rather than a durable good is a more sustainable way to make money." Christine quickly interjected. After all, she was a woman who did business; Christine immediately approved of Hugh's approach from a commercial standpoint.

"That is correct," Hugh laughed. "I must remind you that the cost of a scout bee is only five gold Viters. If I were making more expensive potions or something else, with my speed, I could consume tens of thousands of gold Viters worth of materials every day. It's just that the cost of potions is too high and the loss is too great; in terms of profit ratio, it's not as good as the scout bees. But I think you can rest easy now, right?"

Christine let out an exclamation. "Yes, before this, I never imagined that anyone could turn alchemical production into an art. Hugh D'Aniel, you are truly surprising. It's hard to imagine—no wonder people always say alchemists are the most expensive profession in the world. Six million gold Viters, my heavens, such a huge amount of wealth, if you were willing, perhaps you could consume it all in less than a hundred days."

"Very correct. Then, these little things are for you." Hugh placed the scout bees into Christine's hand, taking the opportunity to stroke her soft, smooth hand. "I am handing over the sales rights to you. You can think about what price would be appropriate for them."

"Need you ask? I'll set the asking price at three hundred to five hundred gold Viters each, with a bottom price of one hundred gold Viters each, and they'll have to sweet-talk me and pull strings to even be able to buy one," Christine said confidently.

"The Lady is indeed well-versed in business," Hugh laughed.

The pricing of a product often does not depend on its cost, but on market demand. The scout bee was currently a technology exclusively mastered by Hugh; no one else could make it. Based on this alone, Christine could name her price. Moreover, the people who could use scout bees were mostly military or private armed forces; ordinary civilians didn't need them. These people were mostly not short of money; let alone one hundred gold Viters, even if it were one thousand gold Viters, as long as they needed them, they would have to bite the bullet and buy them. Exclusive technology and exclusive operation meant absolute super-profits.

If it weren't for the corrupt nature of the Empire, which made Christine afraid to set prices too arbitrarily, she might have truly set a price of thousands of gold Viters. But precisely because of this, this time Christine didn't have to look at the face of the royal purchaser, Count Brooks; conversely, Count Brooks would have to beg Christine to sell some to him.

"Then, Lady, do you have any other questions?" Hugh asked her.

Looking at Hugh D'Aniel's confident smile, Christine thought for a moment and then said, "Can you make the scout bees one more time?"

"Why?" Hugh didn't understand.

Christine's face flushed slightly. "Don't you know that a man is most attractive when he is focused on his work? ...You looked extremely handsome just now."

Hugh was left speechless.