Chapter 263 - 19: The Hardships of Starting a Business (2)_2

Words : 1347 Updated : Sep 29th, 2025

Chapter 263: Chapter 19: The Hardships of Starting a Business (2)_2 "No, you’ll understand. We’re only responsible for mining. The ore we extract will be sold by you. However, the selling price must be negotiated between you and me. If you can’t give me a price I’m satisfied with, I can refer you to better buyers." Jones was a bit confused: "Buyers? Why do I need buyers, and why would I negotiate prices with them? Can’t I just take the gold and mint coins directly?" This time it was Barrel’s turn to be dumbfounded. He looked at Jones puzzled. Jones pulled out the lump of gold he had dug up earlier. Immediately, the dwarves burst into laughter, their mirth turning Jones’ face red. Barrel reached out and took the lump of gold from Jones, took a deep breath, and said, "This is called native gold, usually found in gold mines. But if you’re hoping to make money off of this stuff, you might as well declare bankruptcy now. There’s very little native gold in a gold mine, and at least in this mine of yours, there won’t be much." "Why won’t there be much in my mine?" "Because of the terrain. In short, it’s unlikely. When mining gold, you either sell gold ore or refine it yourself. However, if you can’t even afford to hire Blood Clan overseers, then we’ll have to settle for selling gold ore. To be honest, I’m starting to worry—what if your mine turns out to have no gold at all?" Well, some things are clearly only understood by professionals. Jones’ intelligence was once again humbled. The dwarves’ laughter grew louder, like a cold bucket of water pouring over Jones from head to toe. After a while, a humbled Jones could only ask timidly, "The gold ore is sold by me, right?" Barrel puffed on his pipe, casually replying, "Yes, as long as you can find good buyers." "How do we split it? Twenty thousand Gold Coins to me, and the rest to you?" "No, that arrangement would have problems. We’ll use a profit-sharing model. After deducting all expenses, since the mine is yours and we’re still your slaves, you’ll get seventy percent, and I’ll get thirty percent. After the first batch of ore is mined, you must return my status as a free man. I’ll sign an eight-thousand Gold Coin loan agreement and even pay you interest. This is to prevent you from exploiting loopholes—after all, slaves aren’t allowed to own private property, and I fear you’ll use that as an excuse to deny me my share." "Fair enough." "Deal." "Deal." The two shook hands across the bars of the cage, and the surrounding dwarves enthusiastically clapped in celebration. Though unexpected events kept piling on and the situation was far from promising, at least they had reached an acceptable agreement. For the time being, Jones could still manage his finances without resorting to additional loans. Further investments were currently Jones’ greatest fear. When the tall Blood Clan member delivered the second batch—twenty-odd dwarf women matched one-to-one with the men, along with the rest of the urgently needed mining tools—he was shocked to discover the previous batch of dwarves roaming freely everywhere. Yes, freely roaming, entirely unguarded. The cages from the first batch were piled off to the side, empty. Some dwarves had started chopping wood and collecting timber, while others began hunting or cooking over fires. The rest were making preparations for surveying the site. Everyone was busy with something, leaving only Dora and Jones standing idly by. "Dear me, Young Lord, don’t your slaves need oversight at all?" The tall Blood Clan member handed the second inventory list to Jones in disbelief. "Correct." Jones took it expressionlessly and began meticulously checking the items. "You’re not afraid they’ll escape?" "They won’t run. I’ve already conquered them with my charisma." "Charisma?" The tall Blood Clan member was astonished, his eyes widening incredulously at Jones. "Unbelievable! You look so young, yet your methods are so remarkable. Was it magic? Mind-control magic?" "Yes." Jones quietly signed the inventory and handed it back without changing his expression. This answer instantly sparked a round of exclamations from the surrounding Blood Clan members. After all, mind-control magic was one of the most complex and profound forms of magic, known only to the most elite Blood Clan members. Of course, Jones remained unruffled. After all, he had just lost thirty percent of the mine’s profits. The Blood Clan members delivering the goods finally left, and everything began to fall into place. Each dwarf was brimming with energy. After all, for a slave, what could be more motivating than the hope of regaining freedom? The wind blew softly, rustling the branches of trees. That is, until one of the dwarves ventured into the castle. "Whoa—! What’s this? A Hydra!" "Oh my! There’s a Hydra in the castle." "Help! There’s a Hydra in the castle!" A horde of frantic dwarves rushed to Jones, out of breath, screaming. "Oh, the Hydra? Yes, I know." Jones replied nonchalantly. "It’s your Hydra?" "Is it supposed to be the Hydra owning me instead?" The dwarves were absolutely stunned. From a distance, Jones could already see the Hydra poking its heads out from a window. Helplessly, Jones walked over. "Madam, they’re my subordinates. I hope you won’t eat them. I promise to continue fulfilling my commitments to you." "I don’t like eating dwarves; they’re too tough on the teeth. But you better make sure they don’t disturb my sleep—otherwise, I might not be so picky." "Understood, as you wish, Madam." Thus, the area within a three-hundred-meter radius around the castle was designated a restricted zone, forbidden to anyone. Obediently, the dwarves started building their own houses and stopped whining about wanting to live in the castle. After all, having a massive Hydra residing in the castle was the best reason not to live there—risking its wrath might mean not seeing the sun rise the next day. Except for Jones. Jones insisted the castle was his, and as its master, he had to live in it. Anyway, it somehow ended up like this. After this little episode, everything returned to orderly progress. The dwarves seemed to have changed their attitudes toward Jones, at least no longer outright ignoring him. Who would’ve thought? The Hydra ended up saving Jones’ reputation. Whether it’s a Hydra raising Blood Clan members or Blood Clan members raising a Hydra, neither is to be trifled with. The next day, the airship arrived, and the zombies were delivered as promised. The dwarves promptly assigned all the heavy labor—tasks requiring no intelligence, just brute force—to the zombies, accelerating the construction of the camp. Everyone was busy. At first, Jones still ran home for "meals," unwilling to pay extra for fresh blood delivered from Hilde because he was hypersensitive about spending money. Eventually, he just ate at the camp. They might not have human blood, but there was plenty of animal blood available. Having gotten used to drinking pig blood, Jones pretended for a couple of days before giving in, only returning home to sleep each night. "I don’t want my family finding out that I borrowed money to buy a castle, nor that I’m running a mining operation." "Why?" "Father’s fine, but if my mother found out, she’d worry about a million things. She’d nag endlessly—it’d drive me crazy. So, we’ll just pretend to go out to various events every day. Anyway, they go out to events daily themselves." "Oh..." "Wait—you haven’t already told my mother, have you?" Jones eyed Dora suspiciously. Dora jumped in surprise and hurriedly said, "No! I haven’t! I’ve been so busy these past few days that I haven’t had time." Expressionless, Jones stared at Dora, then sighed helplessly. Regardless, the dwarves had proven diligent, and things finally seemed to be on track. The only hiccup was that Jones could no longer refuse the Brotherhood invitation from Adelle. And so, through all these twists and turns, Jones finished the Silver Moon Year and welcomed the Silver Moon 2nd Year.

Chapter 263 - 19: The Hardships of Starting a Business (2)_2

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