Mist Empire's Rise-Chapter 351: Twists and Turns
Tim studied Luo Wei after sitting down. He hadn't expected the person behind the porcelain business to be so young and beautiful—barely fifteen or sixteen.
Beautiful won have empty heads, or so they say. Could she really run this business? Or was the real boss soone else, and she was just here to talk?
Tim was curious. He'd spent days waiting in Siria, asking around about Escore Dessert Shop, but learned nothing.
People only knew Escore opened last fall. Good business. Sold desserts and porcelain. The porcelain was expensive—most couldn't afford it—so Escore was famous for sweets, not ceramics.
Tim ca to Siria because of Manager Teresa's letter. His sky-high porcelain prices had angered the Church. They'd investigated all the way to Siria. The pottery workshop was cutting ties.
He'd rushed here in a panic. Then got left hanging for three days.
He figured Escore's boss was angry and making him wait. Since he'd caused trouble, he paced the tavern but didn't barge over.
Now after all that waiting, they wouldn't even show their face? Just sent so woman?
Tim's look wasn't subtle. Luo Wei caught the contempt and suspicion imdiately.
She'd thought this young rchant—willing to set aside noble status for business, bold enough to shake down bishops in the Holy City—would be different.
Turned out he had the sa problem as most n here. He looked down on won.
So many n assud beautiful won were useless. They credited any woman's success to so imaginary man.
Luo Wei was disappointed. Tim wasn't even as good as Barton.
Maybe Barton looked down on won too, but never showed it. Two reasons for that.
First, Barton was a commoner. Nobles were authority figures. A noble woman was first a noble, not a woman.
Second, Barton ca from rchants. Experienced and worldly. He respected whoever brought profit. His judgnt was sharper than green Tim's.
Tim was opposite. He'd traveled under family protection. His noble status gave huge advantages, but he thought success ca from ability alone.
So he acted reckless. Sure, he had guts, but also arrogance.
Young, hot-headed, shallow. Couldn't hide emotions or swallow pride. Still growing up.
These thoughts flashed through Luo Wei's mind. She smiled, dark eyes sweeping past seated Tim to Barton, still standing. "Mr. Hawkins, please sit."
"Yes, yes!" Barton nodded but waited until she sat first. Before sitting, he glanced at Tim, eyes and brows lifting.
Tim felt uncomfortable. Like he was being laughed at.
Why was Hawkins looking at him like that?
Why wasn't this "Miss Luo Wei" even glancing his way?
Unease crept over Tim. Things weren't what he expected. He might've done sothing stupid.
When he arrived, he'd noticed the small estate and shabby manor. He'd assud this "Miss Luo Wei" was so country knight's daughter at best.
But judging by how the old rchant treated her, her status must be significant. Probably higher than his.
Once that thought hit, Tim saw Luo Wei differently. She radiated great noble bearing. Every gesture showed nobility and elegance.
If her family's title was above his, his earlier behavior was incredibly rude—staring at her face, sitting down first.
While Tim squird, Luo Wei placed a small wooden box on the table beside her. "Mr. Hawkins, I received the silk sample. It's exquisite. Thank you for helping."
Barton replied imdiately. "Helping you is my honor. Thanks to you, Hawkins Shop's looms can weave such precious fabric."
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"Miss Luo Wei, I'm being thick-skinned, but I have to ask—if we did decent work on this sample, could you let us handle silk weaving and sales?"
"Hawkins Shop has a hundred years of history. Built on honesty—fair prices, no cheating. Last year, with your help, we built a new textile mill. Trust us—we'll weave the most beautiful silk and make it famous across the Western Continent!"
"Well..." Luo Wei looked troubled. "Mr. Hawkins, I understand. I wanted to do business with it too, but silk is different from wool. Production is way too low."
She said apologetically, "For now, I'm only making myself a few sumr outfits. If you'll weave it into fabric, that's great—I'll pay double market rate. How's that?"
Barton waved frantically. "No, no, no! If I charged you to weave your clothes, what would that make ? So ungrateful bastard?"
He'd almost forgotten—his son Balke said Miss Luo Wei was a royal princess from the Misty Plains. Incredibly noble. She didn't care about money from selling silk.
To convince her, he needed a different angle.
"Miss Luo Wei, if you'd expand a bit and sell just a little silk, nobles and royals would fight over it!"
"You'd wear precious silk gowns while they'd only have handkerchiefs. Everyone would know how noble you are. No more idiots would dare disrespect you!"
Tim, listening confused: ...
Wait. How did this beco about him?
Barton hadn't nad nas, but Tim felt stabbed in the chest.
Barton Hawkins, huh? He'd rember this.
Seeing Barton continue, Tim jumped in. "Miss Luo Wei, forgive my ignorance, but what exactly is silk?"
Start to finish, he'd only heard this chatty rchant going on about precious silk. He hadn't seen what it looked like.
He ca to discuss porcelain but got sidelined while this old rchant mocked him.
If he wasn't even-tempered, he'd have stord out.
The more Tim thought, the more frustrated he got. This rchant wanted the silk business? He wouldn't let him have it.
"Miss Luo Wei, could I see the silk sample? I'd like to learn."
Tim's attitude flipped 180 degrees, voice humble. "You know —I'm a traveling rchant. If there's precious goods, I'll even storm the Holy City."
"If you want to sell silk, leave it to . I can get you a price you'll love!"
Barton's eyes blazed. This guy stayed quiet, then swooped in to steal the deal. Sneaky rchant!
Barton pulled a rolled parchnt from his sleeve, shot up, and presented it with both hands. "Miss Luo Wei, this is a contract I prepared. If you'll give silk work to Hawkins Shop, you can write whatever terms you want!"
Luo Wei looked at both, hesitated, then turned to Bella. "Take the contract. Show Mr. Swift the silk sample."
"Yes, Master."
Bella took the parchnt from Barton and passed it to Luo Wei, then picked up the wooden box and walked to Tim.
"Mr. Swift, the silk sample is inside. Please look."
She opened the box. A moon-white handkerchief with flowing luster appeared.
"This! This is fabric?" Tim yelped.
He'd never seen fabric with such sheen. Like glowing light peeled off white porcelain.
"Can I touch it?"
Bella glanced at Luo Wei. Seeing no objection, she nodded. "Go ahead."
Tim eagerly reached in, touching the light, smooth, soft silk. His eyes filled with obsession.
"This is treasure woven from moonlight. No—woven from sun and moon together!"
He'd already thought up the pitch. Clothes from this could sell for three to five thousand gold coins!
Who cared about porcelain now? Tim poured all attention into silk, determined to secure this deal.
Sure, porcelain made money, but the Church was watching. Sky-high prices wouldn't work again. But this silk could fetch that price without hype.
"Miss Luo Wei," Tim looked excited, "how much more do you have? Na your price—I'll buy it all!"
Barton curled his lip. Buy it all? Didn't he hear production was low and she wasn't selling?
He turned to Luo Wei. "Miss Luo Wei, I'm not in a hurry. I'll weave what you need first. If there's extra, I'll sell it!"
Luo Wei studied Barton's contract—blank parchnt. She felt his sincerity.
Current silk production wasn't high. A separate textile mill wasn't necessary. A contract manufacturer was good.
In her past life, most luxury contract manufacturers had margins under ten percent. After selling to brands, brands resold at hundreds or thousands tis higher.
Her silk didn't have brand recognition yet, and Barton wasn't providing materials. More complicated.
After thinking, Luo Wei decided to price silk first.
Counting labor and materials for growing mulberries, raising silkworms, reeling silk—one kilogram of raw silk cost about three gold coins.
One kilogram woven into fabric yielded twenty square ters. Enough for six simple gowns or ten long shawls.
Adding weaving, tailoring, sales—one shawl cost about forty silver coins. But she couldn't sell at forty.
Luo Wei set down the contract and looked up. "What do you think—how much should we price a silk handkerchief?"
"At least a thousand gold coins!" Tim blurted.
Barton was slower. "Ten gold coins and people will buy."
After answering, they looked at each other, both baffled.
"A thousand is way too high!" The number made Barton's heart race.
"Ten is way too low," Tim shook his head. "With stuff like this, cheaper ans fewer buyers."
Ten was cheap? Barton swallowed. That used to be half a year's inco.
Luo Wei's fingers tapped the armrest. Tim's pricing was too aggressive, Barton's too conservative. Neither satisfied her.
As rare fabric appearing for the first ti, silk could be bold with pricing.
The first sale could rake in money, but not too much—later drops would make people desperate, and not dropping ant hardly anyone could afford it.
Middle ground... one hundred gold coins?
Barton, reading the room, noticed her dissatisfaction. His brain turned. "Miss Luo Wei, pricing handkerchiefs too high might make them hard to sell."
"Ten gold coins is small for many nobles. A thousand—only archbishops could afford that. Even kings couldn't."
"I think ten gold coins is enough for handkerchiefs. We can raise prices on bigger items like undergarnts, gowns, and cloaks."
"Silk is blade-proof and fire-resistant. Vests could sell for two hundred gold coins. Gowns and cloaks could go for five hundred to a thousand."
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