CH79 Business Meeting
***
"Phew~"
Alex exhaled slowly, his eyes fluttering open from deep meditation in his dormâs cultivation room.
He hadnât been meditating to cultivate, but rather to imprint his Spiritual Force onto the spiritual foundation of the bracer artefact Merlin had gifted him.
With the connection now established, Alex could mentallyâor telepathicallyâaccess all of the bracerâs functions. That included the Stealth Function, which concealed all energetic fluctuations that would otherwise expose it as a Legendary-grade artefact.
Well, technically, it wasnât even an active function.
It was a side effect of harmonisation.
By allowing the artefact to synchronise with his own Spiritual Signature, the bracer matched its energy output to Alexâs current level. Anything beyond that was locked away, inaccessible until his strength caught up.
This meant the artefact automatically concealed its true identityâsince its Legendary-grade signature was now hidden within that sealed power.
Until Alex reached the Legendary Rank, the bracer would remain virtually undetectable as an artefact of great power.
He glanced down at it now, resting neatly on his left forearm.
Every Legendary-grade artefact deserved a name.
Unfortunately, none came to mind.
"Since youâre the second proper computer to house the OmniRune AI... letâs call you Beta for now," Alex murmured.
"At least until I get inspired with a real name."
Post-bonding, the Beta Bracer looked even more bland and unassuming than before. Matte black, slim, and shaped like a standard forearm guard worn by archers.
It blended with any clothing, though perhaps not with fashion sense.
Still, its design prioritised function over flashâjust how Alex preferred it.
Satisfied, he left the meditation room.
Sundown was fast approaching, and he had a meeting with Zora.
After a quick freshen-up, he made his way to the doorâonly for the chime to sound just as he reached it.
Opening it, he was greeted by two unexpected visitors.
Baldrick Pinchcoin... and another gnome.
"Master Pinchcoin, what a surprise," Alex said, stepping aside to welcome them in.
They seated themselves in the dormâs modest living area.
"I heard youâll be leaving the Enclave soon," Pinchcoin said with uncharacteristic urgency, skipping their usual exchange of pleasantries And flattery.
"Returning to your family domain?"
"Yes," Alex confirmed with a nod.
"As you know, Iâm Earl Drake Furyâs eldest son. Now that Iâve come of age, I must return to stake my claim as heir."
Pinchcoin nodded, though a reluctant look flickered in his eyes.
It was like watching a mountain of gold walk out of his vault.
"I predicted this day would come," he sighed, clearly regretful. Then, with a glint of cunning, he leaned forward:
"But... does our previous agreement still stand? Will you still rely on our department to monetise your future products?"
"Of course," Alex replied easily.
"The Fury family isnât exactly known for business acumen. Itâs better to rely on professionals like your department. That is... so long as you keep giving me good deals like you have so far."
"That goes without saying, Master Alex!" Pinchcoin said quickly, eyes lighting up.
"Then the only remaining issue is how to keep our partnership discreet." Alexâs tone grew serious.
"If people start linking us publicly, both our profits could take a hit."
"Ah, Iâve already prepared a solution to that."
Pinchcoin gestured to the gnome seated beside him.
"This is Cramwell Haggleworth," Pinchcoin introduced.
"He hails from the Haggleworth family of the Northern Gnome tribeâa lineage renowned for their business acumen and masterful negotiation skills."
âYou could tell just from the name,â Alex snickered inwardly.
"Heâs also the head of the merchant company we set up to handle the sales and marketing of the phones."
"Nice to finally meet you," Alex said, shaking hands with the gnome.
Pinchcoin continued, "I intend to expand the companyâs scope. From now on, itâll manage the commercialisation of all your future products."
"I see... So the company acts as a buffer between us and any curious onlookers?" Alex asked.
"Exactly, Master Alex." Pinchcoin nodded.
He gestured toward Haggleworth, who promptly pulled out a folder and placed it in front of Alex.
"As long as youâre agreeable," Haggleworth began, "youâll be made the majority shareholder. Your stake will rise to 60%. The Enclave retains 30%, while the company itself holds 10% as operational equity."
"Iâve also amended your earning payment method," he added.
"Since youâre returning to your family domain, I assumed youâd need not only rare materials, but also Mana Stones and gold."
"The new proposed payout ratio is: 40% in gold, 30% in Mana Stones, and 30% in rare materials. Of course, itâs a flexible scheme. You can alter the ratio with a monthâs notice."
"Not bad," Alex nodded in approval of his new business liaison.
"Thatâs acceptable to me."
If he was going to build power in the mundane world, then a strong influx of gold was crucial in the short term. He also needed Mana Stones for crafting magical and alchemical tools.
The previous dealâwhere he was paid entirely in rare magical materialsâwas no longer viable.
He took the documents, carefully read through the clauses, then signed them, finalising his position as majority owner of the company.
"Since everythingâs in order," Alex said, setting the signed pages down, "Iâve got a few ideas Iâd like to discuss. Theyâre not products per se, but strategic resources that might help our company going forward."
Pinchcoinâs eyes gleamed instantly.
He pulled out a notepad with a smooth flick of the wrist.
"Please go ahead, Master Alex."
The discussion carried on for another hour.
When Pinchcoin and Haggleworth finally departed, their expressions painted the story clearlyâ
Pinchcoinâs eyes sparkled with excitement, while Haggleworthâs face was steeped in solemn thought, as though a whole new world had just opened to him.
Alex smiled faintly as he watched them leave.
He had managed to maintain his image as an enlightened genius in Pinchcoinâs eyes, but that was getting harder to pull off with time.
He was rapidly exhausting the bag of business tricks from his previous life that were still applicable in this worldâs society.
âWell, Iâve done enough to cement my image and position. Even if I stop "coming up" with new ideas, it wonât hurt me much in the foreseeable future. After all, no man is an ATM of ideas.â Alex mused.
With the gnomes gone, he could finally head out for his late-night appointment.
The venue was the top of the tower, the same place where Zora had once brought him to admire the breathtaking view of the Enclave.
Heâd meant to arrive early, but thanks to the extended meeting, he made it just in time.
***