Chapter 257

The Dark King – Chapter 257
I would like to thank MrMartinke & KageMugen for doing an awesome job by editing the chapter!
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“We have heard of this.” Rosie laughed: “According to the master Celsus your crossbow has potential to be ranked as a three-star item. Although the Temple has yet to give a formal identification and evaluation, but we as the Scott consortium believes in master Celsus’s eyes and your talent. So we intend to follow and offer the price of a three-star item to buy the rights for it.”
Dudian looked at her. He didn’t expect that Scott consortium would be so generous because of the assessment of master Celsus since that was quite risky. Because when the Temple assessed the items, then quite a few professional masters examined the product. Sometimes disputes would arise, and the final result would be determined by voting. Scott consortium’s move, in this case, was a bold one.
However, because of the dividends from the new textile machine, Dudian didn’t trust Scott consortium. He pondered a little as he looked at Rosie: “I’ll consider as I’m not in a hurry.”
Rosie laughed: “Mr. Dean the sooner your crossbow is mass produced, the higher the results from sales would be. I believe that we have offered the reasonable price and the other consortia would offer something within this range. They would offer a lower price but not a higher. Also, we have had cooperated in the past, so we have more trust between each other. If your New World consortium wants to produce the crossbows, then it would be very difficult. After all, your relationship with the Mellon consortium is not good.”
Dudian knew what she meant: “I know all of that. But I need time to think about it, and I don’t want to decide in haste.”
Rosie’s brows wrinkled: “Mr. Dean we have offered you the price of a three-star item. Even if the Temple evaluated it as a two-star item, then you won’t suffer but earn twice. Why do you… ”
“Thank you for the trust. If I have any intention to sell the rights to a consortium then…” Dudian continued. “you will be the first to be notified about the issue.”
“Anyway, Scott consortium will always be your best ally, and I hope that the future will be a happy one for both sides,” Rosie said as she stared at the boy.
“Goodbye.”
After bidding farewell, Rosie left the dining room as she followed after the butler.
Dudian didn’t speak about the issue and glanced at Old Fulin for a moment.
Jake who was sitting close to Dudian and Old Fulin seemed like a kid who was tempted by the sweets in front of him: “Mr. Dean this is a rare opportunity. Why are you delaying? The chances will decrease as the time passes. Why don’t you directly agree?”
Dudian cut a piece of steak and put up into his mouth. He gently chewed it and looked up at the man: “The best time to eat the steak is when it’s hot. Not when the steak is warm. Or else you won’t taste the delicacy. Some wolves are attracted to the smell of steak. In this case, there will be lots of hungry wolves who will be attracted to the smell and will come to snatch the steak. In the end, the one who pays the most will get the meat.”
Jake was startled and speechless.
Dudian helped old patriarch to get up and go upstairs after the lunch ended. They were half the way when the butler trotted over and whispered to Old Fulin.: “Master the Huasheng consortium came over.”
“Huasheng?” Old Fulin looked at Dudian and said to the butler: “Let them come in. I’ll be in the study room.”
The butler acknowledged and stepped down.
It didn’t take long before the butler came into the study room and a dignified middle-aged man followed him inside. The middle-aged man glanced at both of them. His eyes lit as he said: “I didn’t expect Mr. Dean to look so young. He looks as handsome as the rumors say…Lucky day…”
Dudian smiled: “If you are looking for the old patriarch then I will go out. If you are looking for me, then Miss Rosie has offered us to purchase the crossbow according to three-star item price. I’m still considering it, and I won’t accept any offer below that price.”
Middle-aged man’s smiled stiffened. He didn’t expect that Dudian would be so direct and the Scott consortium to act so fast. He laughed: “Mr. Dean is straightforward. I have come over regarding the manufacturing and sales rights of the new crossbow but didn’t expect that Miss Rosie would be so fast. It seems that Huasheng consortium has no hope as we would offer the price of a two-star item. However, if you work with us then I will give you very helpful gift.”
“Oh?”
The middle-aged man continued: “This gift may not be useful to others but would be valuable to you. It is the map of the area outside the ‘death passage’! I assume you know our consortium originally leased that passage. The senior hunter had mapped the areas that they have explored. Although it is not complete but it should be of help if it’s used properly.”
Dudian’s eyes lit up: “I know, I will think about this.”
The middle-aged man nodded. The moment Dudian had told Rosie’s name he knew that there was little hope in having talks and he didn’t want to waste time.
After the middle-aged man had departed, Old Fulin asked Dudian: “Which consortium are you planning to sell the new item? If we rely on ourselves, then the efficiency would be very low because of our limited resources.”
Dudian knew that current financial resources of Ryan family were not enough to invest in large-scale crossbow manufacturing. There were two choices, and those were to sell it either to the consortia or the Temple. The price would be naturally higher if he sold it to the consortium rather than the temple. However, he could get points if he sold the Temple. He would be able to buy materials that are rare, and even consortia can’t afford to buy.
However, there were no absolutes. Any rule had loopholes. Moreover, there was the underground black market where he could get more than enough.
Therefore Dudian didn’t intend to sell the crossbow to the ‘Temple of Elements’. Although the points would help him to achieve senior architect or master level but for him, the scariest right now were gold coins. He could buy the ‘fountain of life’ with gold. The level of an architect was a virtual status which didn’t interest him much at this time. Moreover, he was aware that to climbing the ladder wasn’t going to be easy as there will be people on top at every step who would be interested in pushing him down.
As long as he earned more money than a master, he didn’t care whether his title was an intermediate level architect. He didn’t care even if they called him an incompetent architect.
“My crossbow is not inferior to the snake crossbow. Without a doubt, it is at least a three-star level item. If I’m lucky, it would be a top grade three-star item. As long as it gets me enough money I don’t care much. ” Dudian continued: “I can work on other projects and sell again.”
Old Fulin looked at him:”Are you confident in your abilities?”
Dudian shrugged his shoulders. He was confident that as an intermediate level archer his understanding of bows and crossbow was much better than the group of researchers in the Temple. Maybe the design of his crossbow wasn’t as good as the snake crossbow, but in actual combat, it was better than the snake crossbow.