181 5.70 Production And Asking Prices for Refined Steel Plates!

After the members of execom had gone back to their respective homes, we sat down in the garden and looked at the well-lighted warehouses that were churning out hundreds of product items for sale within the towns and cities nearby here.

We had added another 80 or more manpower to support in our external economic affairs, we decided to upgrade on our own production of plates for the Blacksmith Alliance and produce Refined Steel instead. Although the earlier projected price of a Refined Steel plate would be set at 25 gold coins each, we decided to let the Blacksmith Alliance and Kuro-san of our own Blacksmith shop decide how would it costs for them.

We decided to get 4 buckets of iron ores and one each for coal and limestone. We went to our Ops Room and entered the Realm of Mind to make the first trial batch based on the estimated amount of iron ores, coal and limestone.

I visualise a new smelting pot that was made of a stronger material to hold and melt the pieces together. The Visualization and materialisation of the new smelting pot slowly integrate in front of us. After the new smelting pot had appeared, we fired it up using the automated bellows and soon the bed of coals turned red hot.

We dropped the buckets of iron ores, coal and limestone and waited for the whole stuff become melted and we slowly scrape the slag and impurities away and dropped it into an abyss that leads to some unknown place. When the Molten steel had been cleared of slag and impurities, it was tipped over and into the dispenser pot.

The runway rollers were now enclosed and had a conceal cooling chamber instead. This cooling chamber was to force cool air by using multiple cooling units and being extracted by an exhaust unit and released into the atmosphere somewhere, like a depopulated land somewhere in Africa or PNG or even the Middle East!

This method enhances the metals to cool down in a natural environment afterwards. After we had adjusted a moulding tray in the target drop area, I stepped on the release pedal and a stream of Molten steel flows on top of the moulding tray surface and flowed evenly to all the 10 empty plates slot.

The Molten metal was more reddish in colour than the iron one and soon, trays after trays were filled and it emerges from the other end, while Hiko-sama lifted and arranged the refined steel moulding trays until the dispenser unit had drained of its content. The moulding tray emerged at the end of the roller mechanism looked like it contained mercury as the contents had cooled down by half of its temperature.

A load of that proportion had made 20 moulding trays of 200 pieces and we decided to call it a day and head back to our real world as we logged off from our meditative state and into our real world.

"How much do you think the Refined Steel plate would fetch in the open market? You had projected 25 gold piece for a single piece, right? Since Refined Iron was a second tiered class under iron, then the Refund Steel would cost between a 3rd and 4th tiered Iron... Which you termed as Super Purified Iron before, right? "

"Yes Sensei, a Super Purified Iron has not much between its higher or lower class since it was 99.5% pure Iron. No one in this era would have a scientific method to gauge on the purity of higher grade Iron besides being a Common Iron and Refined Iron. Other than that, we just leave it as it is since the Refined Iron plates had made us busy for the 2 months."

"Thankfully for the free weapon parts and the junk of construction materials provided by the head of building and construction, we were able to accumulate such wealth over nothing. Furthermore, we only had about 2 wagons full to create Refined Iron plates and then we stopped supplying and upgrade to Refined Steel instead."

"These Refined Steel would be released to the review by the Alliance and once we have almost depleted our stock. We would leave something like a 1000 pieces of Refined Iron on our inventory before we make the Refined Steel."

"To make Refined Steel we have to consider its costs, even though it doesn't impact much once a sale price is being pronounced. So, in the next duration of 2 weeks, we would have cleared all the iron junk and we can move on to produce Refined Steel and keep the stock for the future."

"Sounds good to me, a 6000 moulding tray daily would finish the whole 2 wagons by 4-5 days and produce an estimated of 300,000 pieces. At the rate we are supplying these Refine Iron plates, we should deplete it in 2 weeks at most."

"Wah seh, Sensei! Your projection is getting better and better. Alright, from tomorrow onwards we will clear the Refined Iron and tomorrow we will discuss on the expansion to other Prefecture."

We go about our nightly activities and went to sleep with a satisfied smile on our faces.

The next following day, the ambassadors had left to check on the affairs of their branch offices and had fully settled the payment of the lease. The property agents had given us free 6 months lease discount and the ambassadors brought it back for us to pool it into the float cash.

New apprentices had been hired and the delivery plans worked like clockwork as they waited to receive the goods in the manned 3rd outpost from the direction of Kitakata. A quick exchange of invoices and deposit slips were made in sealed envelopes, and our delivery boys returned with empty wagons instead.

It was a quick drop and pick procedures and our delivery boys could concentrate to load up for the next day deliveries. Every day, notes were sent to the branch offices to indicate the number of wagons needed for the exchange and every day the messengers had two-way earnings instead of being only one-sided.

The manned outposts were not forgotten as their lunches, dinners and suppers were being brought by the cavalrymen to be evenly distributed to the 12 guards on rotational duties.

One day, we had a surprise as one Imperial Guard came to the courtyard and summoned the execom members to the castle to have a formal meeting with the Mayor.

"What's up? What have we done now that ticked him off or he wanted to ask a favour from us in borrowing some gold? Better not give in, kid... It is easy to borrow and it's difficult to return."

Hide advises me as we made our way to the castle and didn't know what to expect. However, with the calm manner that we were being approached and summoned to the castle means that it would be rather neutral or good news for us.

The moment we reached there and before we could even bow, the Mayor got on his feet and welcomed the execom.

"Welcome... Welcome... Thank you for coming at a moments notice, my fellow honourable citizens. Come let's have a seat at my Sakura garden on the side here while we have tea and discuss matters of the heart."

The mayor welcomed us like friends he had not seen for a long time. I took on my guard and prepare to bombastic him with my sharp wits and tongue.

"Your Excellency, what seems to be the urgent matter that you had immediately summoned us? Is there something that we did or you had been instigated to investigate and probe into our matters? Haa... Haa... Haa..."

I let out a sarcastic remarked and laughed at it making it be as a mocking remark to the Mayor.

"No... No... It is not like that. Luckily I had made the right decisions the first time I met you, and yes... I do not deny that I was instigated and went over to your fine corporation without doing any background checks first. It was entirely my fault."

"Lucky for you indeed, Your Excellency. I heard news of high ranking officials making such blunder like this and was reported to the Emperor. They had their dicks chopped off and glued to the centre of their foreheads. Thus earning the nickname of dick heads. Their dicks on the forehead shrivelled until it became like baby carrots!"

I said in a very casual manner and acted as if I was in shock the moment I mentioned that their dicks were chopped and glued to their foreheads!

The Mayor was shaken when he heard about it and subconsciously he reached and checked whether his dick is still there or had become a tortoise head and had retracted and hid within the folds of his fat. Hahahahaha

"Is it true? Luckily I followed my guts because you had shown me all the proofs. I should have chopped the one who instigated me into following his words blindly. It's fortunate all of you are safe."

"Here, the reason I summoned you here is because of the Emperor that was residing in Shibata and was impressed with the performance of Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha that had opened up a branch office there."

"Furthermore, when he travelled to Tokyo where he is currently residing, all he heard was Fasuto Japan everywhere he goes. He even gave some of your products in his castle in Tokyo for the use if his concubines."

"The Emperor had probed into Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha and he finds that it originated here and would be looking forward to meeting with you guys when he makes a trip to Shibata. He is used to commuting there and resides for a month and then to Tokyo for another month."

"He was very impressed and pleased that you had taken an initiative to make the passageways between Kitakata and Shibata safe as well as through Tochigi too. He was pleased that even the guards' welfare and salaries were taken care of the corporation and had not depended on any of the funds from the government."

"The Emperor had made a financial background check on Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha and discovered that the funds and regular deposits surpass a small village of 10,000 residents and he had sent a decree to me to mention it to you guys. Guess what?"

We sat there placing our elbows on the table and placed our chins in our palms as we listened to him narrates and babbles through his speech. Seemed that he had used the Hamigachiko and his breath smelled rather minty. So it was alright for us.

"I'm not sure what the Emperor has in his mind about us, make us his royal subjects? Be part of the Emperor's financial advisers? Invade other towns?"

¥We don't know, so stop beating around the bush and tell us straight. Furthermore, there's nothing in the bushes there to beat and you might step on human shit if you're not careful. Haa... Haa... Haa... "

"A decree from the Emperor to expand this little village into a town of a projection of 20,000-25,000 residents based on the total population here."

"Your Excellency, what does it got to do with us?"

I was not a bit surprised that the Emperor had plans to turn this village into a town in the future.

"The Emperor has development plans in the future due to your financial status alone. With a constant deposit, your corporation wealth alone is able to support the future development of this village. With the addition of a surge of residents, and a buildup of the residential district on the outermost District, residents of the innermost District would move down at least a few houses down followed by the outermost District."

We looked at the Mayor in a bit of confused state as we noticed that he was basically foaming at the mouth as thick spittle began to form at the corners of his mouth. We were half thinking that this mayor in front of us would turn into a rabid dog anytime and Sango would be unleashing her Hiraikotsu and slice the rabid dog in two!

"So what can we do to help? We are not engineers and we know nuts about building houses."

"Oh No... Nothing like that at all. What this young man commented earlier during the intervention... *Ahem* initial meeting that we had is true. The wealth that is being collected from businesses all over Kitakata had been used to pay the government and militias salaries, as well as the development of the business district to use them for imports of other commodities."

"Ohhh... We were half thinking that you would want to use the funds for your personal benefits from the Treasury... In that case, please increase the half percent profit interests to at least 1 percent. I am sure the Emperor would approve that and we can deposit as much as we can, to develop this village into a town, or even a city in many years to come."

I made a quick calculation that 1 million would make a quick 10,000 gold coins profit and we could use that as our float cash monthly. In these 2 months alone, we had more than 4 million gold coins that we had deposited so far.

"I will see what I could propose to His Majesty."

"And one more thing, in order to provide financial support for the development of this town, we need you to approve the 4 plot of land adjacent to us so that we can increase the output for our products, employ more staffs, increase our influence and awareness of these products in order to increase the deposits two-fold."

"What do you think? If we make a 2 million gold coins per month, with the added land for the build-up of our corporation, you will see an increased revenue of 4 million gold coins per month or 48 million gold coins per year. Would that be enough to support this town?"

"You can strike off that 4 plot of land for us to build our expansion and change the title deed to Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha. Just imagine a 4 plot of land can only be used to build a house and generate a paltry property tax every year."

"But if you strike off that land and change the deed to us, your name would be famous all over Fukushima, Yamagata, Niigata and Tochigi Prefecture. They will chant your name and praise you for performing such a wonderful and worthy humanitarian cause to Kitakata and everywhere Your Excellency go, they will throw flowers at your feet as you and your guards went around the district!"

The Mayor was gloating in his own thoughts and the thought on words of praises from the citizens' lips interests him to a very high extent.

"Considered it done, young man. You have a vision that exceeds mine and I will gladly accept. 2 plots of land on both sides of the current business buildings would be the new owner of Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha and with the expansion of 2 fold, the deposits would also double. I like it... Hahaha... I like it very much... Muuuaaaahahahahhaa!"

"I will undertake the decree from the Royal Highness and I will strike off the names of the title deed of the lands before you and transfer it under Fasuto Japan KabushikiGaisha. Muuuaaahahahhaha...."

"Yes...! I can see the gold coins now being deposited and being used to develop this little booming town... Muuuaaahahahhaha... I can also see people throwing flowers at my feet as I walk along the streets... Muuuaaahahahhaha... I like it..... I like it very much...!!! "

This Mayor is behaving exactly like a cat that buried its face inside a pair of week-old tabi and was totally intoxicated by the stinkiness of the owner's smelly feet while feeling a sense of inexplicable euphoria!

We thanked the Mayor for being able to poke fun at him again and left the castle. On the way down towards our house, I told the execom what I was running through my mind when we saw the Mayor had finally evolved to be a laughing rabid dog in front of our eyes.

The execom members laughed hysterically as I mimicked a cat smelling a tabi and emerged from it with crossed eyes and a stupified look on its face.

"Hitokiri with a sharp tongue strikes again! Not only would we be able to acquire the land for the expansion of our corporation, but it is also going to be free! It costs us nothing to gain something! Kid... I'm totally amazed at you in how manipulative your little mind if yours could do!"

"4 plots of land with 1,000 gold coins would belong to us soon. It's good to know people in high power and make them powerless when they deal with you. I am so proud of you, kid... I wish I could have a mind like you."

"Hahaha...All we need is to reverse the situation to our favour. What is that pieces of land to him? It is peanuts! And talking about peanuts... I've got another project coming through and it's peanut butter spread for our morning breakfast!"

"Peanut butter? Never heard of it... Is it any good?"

"It is sooooooo good on hot toast, believe me!But we need to simplify its process and employ glass blowers to store them in transparent bottles this time. We need people who could design and make the blending machines for us. It's going to be hard work if it goes according to an original plan but we need to make it simple for our girls to operate them."

"Sensei, we can put the production of your pomade into action soon. Now from Cosmetics and beauty, we are going into foodstuffs next!"

"Come, we invite the Blacksmith of our town for tea, we need to show RS97% and ask him about his opinion and projected price. Since it is not marked yet we can say that we got it from the Master of Forge Master. Hahaha!"

"What's RS97%?"

"It stands for Refined Steel and the price that will fetch in the market would be higher than the Refined Iron that we currently supply as the current stock will soon be depleted. Once it's depleted, we can produce Refined Steel and increase our overall financial status."

"How much is the Refined Steel costs? I mean since its more expensive than Refined Iron."

"I'm not sure since it's too early to mention, my speculated price would be 25 gold pieces each."

"Omagai...! That's 5 times the cost of Refined Iron! I can't believe it, but let's see what the local Blacksmith say afterwards."

Miroku was shocked at the price of my speculation and it costs so much higher than a Refined Iron piece. We went to see Kuro-san and invited him over to our place. Once he had seated comfortably with another Blacksmith, I slipped into the Realm of Mind and brought out 2 unmarked pieces that I had wrapped in a cloth and showed it to him.

"Eh...? This is from the Master of the Forge Master? Who is he? Is this another new improved version of the Refined Iron plate?"

He accepted the bundled plates and opened it up and the moment his eyes feasted on the two silvery finished product, he can't help but stared at it with eyes as big as saucers and was practically drooling at the corners of his mouth.

He was kind of shock, surprise, delighted and filled with awe at the same time as he held the two pieces and had not muttered a single word for a minute or two.

Hiko-sama and I drank tea and ate some snacks that were served by the 'aunties' while we watched the two blacksmiths who can't believe the two pieces that were presented in front of him.

"Th... This is remarkable! I... I never thought I ouls hold it in my ha... Hands now! This is a revolutionary piece that would change the world in terms of weapons, armour and other machinery stuff and also everyday item."

"This is steel, right? And from the sheen of it, I could stay that this is a third tiered Refined Steel! This is not a mild steel plate but a highly graded piece of steel...! Is this for me?!"

"Fat chance, Kuro-san. We wanted to evaluate so we could give the reply to the Master of Forge Masters. If the price is right, he would supply 500 pieces for you first!"

The two blacksmiths looked at each other and counted with their fingers in the number of grade upgrades before they reached to the Refined Steel quality.

I didn't know it was third tiered because I forgot about mild steel than normal steel used in making steel pots and pans and now Refined Steel to make finer pieces of weapons and armours plus other daily items. This Refined Steel has a higher resistance to accumulate oxide or rust.

"I would say a price between 18 to 25 pieces of gold each. That's what I would buy for a single piece."

"How can you say 18? This is high-quality steel. Look at the sheen... It won't rust easily and it would produce finer qualities of weapons and armour... I would say 20. YES!! 20 pieces of gold would be an ideal price. I could use 3 pieces to make a broadsword and it will cost between 100-120 gold each... Or even 150 if I made several inserts in them! "

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The other young Blacksmith butted in and revealed at how much they could earn by using 3 pieces of Refined Steel. They could earn an extra 100% profit very soon.

Hmm... 20 gold piece for a single plate. We could clear off our current stock of Refined Iron at 4 or even 3 gold coin... But I dismissed the idea and just exhaust the stock.

Once we announce that the Forger Guild would not be producing this anymore, we could hold the anticipation for them by a month and then ship 11 plates to the Blacksmith Alliance in Tochigi Prefecture and 3 plates to the Blacksmith Alliance in Yamagata and Niigata as well as Fukushima.

"Alright, that settles then. I will get back to you in a month's time and will let you know about the stock. If he in favour of the price, you would get the first 500 pieces at 20 gold pieces each, which means it's a total of 10,000 gold coins. Is it a deal?"

"Hmm...it sounds a good deal. By the way, could we purchase some Refined Iron first so we could produce weapons and armours so we could collect enough funds?"

"We have about 5,000 pieces left. Why not you take all of them and I will give you a huge discount! How do 3 gold and 5 silvers sound to you? You have a good discount only for you OK? Don't tell your Alliance about it! And the total amount would be 17,500 coins."

"Its a bit too much!! Not a bit but a huge difference, even if I mortgage my shop... It barely covers the amount!"

"Do you need a loan without any collateral from the Treasury? I could recommend the Head Treasurer to release 20,000 gold coins to you. Its called micro-financing for a small enterprising business like yours."

"Really... It can be done? Without any collateral?"

"Yup, a 20,000 gold coins at repayment of only 33 gold coins per day over 24 months. You don't have to wait for a month to pay. You can opt for daily repayment instead and it would be easy on your pockets. What say you, fine blacksmiths of Kitakata?!"

"Really? 33 gold coins per day? We easily earn 50 gold coins per day on average and at least 150 on a good day and even 300 on a windfall! Since you are helping me in this way, I would gladly accept your offer of 20,000 pieces of Refined Iron at 3 gold and 5 silvers each! Do let me know when we would begin the transaction."

"Ahhh... let us have some tea and snacks first. Hiko-sama, you and I will go and meet the Head of Treasurer after this and we can ask for his opinion and if he approves, you can get the gold coins straight away!"

"That's wonderful, we didn't know that you could be doing this kind of transaction and knowing the Head Treasurer would definitely have a high chance to take out the micro-financing scheme that you had mentioned."

"Good... Good... Let's have this wonderfully made Gyoza, prepared with love and care by our fine cooks here."