Trench Bolts and Magic

Chapter 118 I'm going to acquire it outright!
When the conversation with these ladies ended and they said they would go back and "whisper in her ear," Cecilia excused herself and left the room.

She gracefully closed the door, and the polite 'business smile' on her face vanished instantly.

Before the head maid Luna, who was standing guard outside the door, could say anything, she lifted her skirt and began to walk quickly toward the hall.

Luna paused for a moment, then quickly followed.

This was the first time she had ever seen her mistress so out of control.

However, when Cecilia arrived at the spot where Morin and the other two were at the edge of the hall, she found that the situation was somewhat different from what she had imagined.
There were no ambiguous eye contact, no frivolous teasing, and no intimate gestures like pulling or tugging.

There, Morin and the blonde girl from the Seeker family were having a heated discussion.

I could vaguely hear words like "magical technology", "cost", and "threshold for use".

There was another unfamiliar girl in a dark red dress, whose figure was so good that she couldn't help but take a second look.

He then lay on a coffee table that was clearly used to hold snacks, holding a pencil and notebook and writing furiously, while muttering to himself.

"If we change the locking mechanism like this, wouldn't it be more reliable?"

"No, that would increase the processing difficulty and make it impossible to control costs."

"What if"

The entire scene was filled with a strong academic atmosphere, which seemed out of place in the surrounding environment of clinking glasses and making merry.

Cecilia stood not far away, momentarily unsure whether she should approach.

What's happening here?
Just as she was in a daze, Morin, who was in the middle of the discussion, noticed her immediately.

He immediately stopped arguing with Patricia, put on a bright smile, and stood up to greet her.

"Sister Cecilia, are you done with your work?"

Seeing that Morin rushed to her immediately, Cecilia's slight displeasure vanished instantly, replaced by a small surge of happiness.

It seems that in Fritz's heart, his sister is still the most important.

The slight unease she felt instantly dissipated.

Patricia and Helga immediately stood up upon seeing Cecilia.

As a nobleman who had lived in Dresden for a long time, the former naturally knew Cecilia's identity long ago.

This 'Queen of Radiant Crystals' was renowned in the imperial high society not only for her wealth and beauty.
Helga, the latter, also did some research on the local nobles after arriving in Dresden.

Seeing this important figure standing right in front of him, he became even more nervous and flustered, unable to utter a word.

In an instant, Cecilia's aura, cultivated from her long-standing position of authority, completely intimidated the two little ones.

Maureen, however, failed to notice the subtle atmosphere between the three women.

After quickly introducing the two parties, he excitedly told Cecilia that he had just come up with a new idea.

"Sister, I have an idea! I want to hire Miss Helga to be a weapons designer at the weapons company we will establish later!"

Helga was stunned, completely unexpected that Morin would say that.

Eh?
Would you like to hire me?
Her mind went blank, and she even forgot how to respond.

Morin realized that his request was somewhat sudden, and he turned to look at Helga with an apologetic expression.

“I apologize, Ms. Schmeisser, I know this request is abrupt, but I truly admire your design talent! I believe that if we collaborate, we can definitely design the best light weapons!”

Helga was a little embarrassed by such a direct compliment.

Her cheeks flushed, and she couldn't help but grip the hem of her skirt tightly.

After a moment, she spoke softly.

“Lieutenant Morin, thank you very much for your appreciation, but my family runs a gun workshop in Thuringia. I came to Dresden to seek development opportunities in the capital.”

The implication was that she probably couldn't abandon the family business and therefore couldn't accept Morin's invitation.

Maureen did feel somewhat regretful.

However, he then thought that if he couldn't recruit the talent, buying the patents or engaging in technological cooperation wouldn't be a bad option.
At this moment, Cecilia, who had been maintaining a powerful aura and silently observing everything, suddenly spoke up.

Her grey-blue eyes looked at Helga.

“Miss Helga Schmeisser, is that right?”

“Yes, yes, madam,” Helga replied nervously.

"Where in Thuringia is your family's gun factory located? How large is it? How many workers does it have? What is its annual sales?"

A series of questions left Helga somewhat bewildered.

Feeling flustered by the other person's sharp gaze, she could only cautiously describe the general situation of her family's workshop.

"It's in Suhr, Thuringia. It's a small business with about forty workers and annual sales of around 300,000 marks."

With each word she spoke, her voice grew softer until it was almost inaudible.

However, Cecilia did not show any disdain after hearing her description.

She pondered for only a moment, and then without hesitation, she made a suggestion that left everyone present speechless.

"If Miss Schmeisser and your family are willing, I can acquire your gun workshop entirely."

"Furthermore, after the acquisition is completed, I will immediately make additional investments to help you expand your production scale."

Maureen was stunned.

He hadn't expected Cecilia to make such a big move right from the start, acquiring a company.
Just because you said you admired someone's talent?

Patricia was stunned.

She stared at Cecilia in astonishment, her emerald green eyes filled with shock.

When they see a designer they like, instead of thinking about how to poach them, they just buy the company outright?
With money, you really can do whatever you want.
Helga was even more dumbfounded.

She felt like she was dreaming.

She was just there to attend a cocktail party, how could her own company be about to be acquired? The young girl's eyes reddened, and she looked like she was about to cry.

Just then, Cecilia continued speaking in that calm yet powerful voice.

“You don’t need to be nervous, Miss Schmeisser.”

"I guarantee the acquisition price will be fair and won't result in your family suffering a loss. Furthermore, after the acquisition, your family members and the existing workers in the workshop can continue working in their original positions."

Cecilia turned her gaze to Morin, a hint of doting flashing in her grey-blue eyes.

Then he turned back to Helga, his tone becoming gentler.

"I did this simply because my brother Fritz recognized your talent."

"In that case, I also want your talent to be used by him without reservation."

Helga felt dizzy, as if she were drunk.

She glanced cautiously at Morin, then at the imposing Cecilia, and finally mustered the courage to speak softly.

"This is such a big matter, I need to discuss it with my family."

"of course."

Cecilia readily agreed to the request, and after glancing at the time, she demonstrated her remarkable efficiency.

“I can immediately arrange for someone from our company’s office in Sull, Thuringia, to come directly to your family.”

She looked at Helga, her tone softening.

“In fact, if Miss Helga is willing, she can stay at my manor tonight.”

"I'll send a car to pick up your family first thing tomorrow morning so we can discuss the specifics of the acquisition in person. What do you think?"

A wave of intense dizziness washed over her, and Helga felt she could no longer think.

She nodded almost instinctively.

"All is well, madam."

Before long, the party came to an end.

Morin, Ludwig, and Patricia said goodbye.

After tonight's seminar, his relationship with Patricia is not as awkward as before.

Patricia was also very interested in many of the ingenious ideas about magical technology that Morin had put forward.

She felt that although this guy was sometimes unreliable, he did have some genius-level ideas.

So Morin also made an appointment with the latter to go to the Magic Research Institute to find her after he finished dealing with Helga's matter.

The atmosphere was somewhat quiet on the carriage back to the manor.

Cecilia maintained her commanding presence, occasionally asking Helga questions about the family business's operations.

Every question hit the nail on the head, forcing the little girl to pay close attention in answering them.

However, upon learning that Helga had come to Dresden alone, Cecilia couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for this young girl who was only nineteen years old.

Her aura softened considerably, and she even took the initiative to inquire about Helga's accommodation and meals in Dresden.

Morin, on the other hand, didn't say a word the entire time.

Once back at the manor, after Helga was settled into a guest room by the head maid Anna, Cecilia turned to Morin and spoke.

"Fritz, once the acquisition is complete, you will be the owner of this new company."

Morin quickly shook his head.

"This is bad, Sister Cecilia! You're the one who acquired this company! I didn't do anything!"

Cecilia laughed.

"Didn't you want to start a weapons company? Since you've taken a liking to this girl's talent, and her family workshop has skilled workers, she's perfect for you to practice with."

Morin: "But acquiring the processing plant and making further investments won't be a small sum. Once my patent compensation is paid, I will still have to repay you this money."

"Silly boy, why are you making such a big deal out of your relationship with your sister?"

"Consider this money as my investment in you; just remember to give me dividends every year."

Silent all night.

At least that's the case for Morin.

But for Helga Schmeisser, it was definitely the longest and most nerve-wracking night of her life.
She lay on the incredibly soft bed, covered with a silk quilt that exuded a faint fragrance, but she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.

What happened yesterday was a huge shock to her.

The next morning, when the maid knocked on her door and brought her clothes that Cecilia had prepared from her wardrobe, Helga was still somewhat dazed.

When the little girl came downstairs to the hall, Cecilia couldn't help but frown slightly when she saw the relatively conservative dress in her wardrobe being stretched taut and revealing the curves of the other girl's chest.

How did this little girl grow up like this?

In the afternoon, Helga's father, Mr. Schmeisser, along with several key managers from the Schmeisser gun workshop, arrived at the manor, travel-worn.

They breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that their daughter was safe and sound and seemed to have been well taken care of.

Cecilia then joined Morin in their living room to formally discuss the full acquisition.

The discussion process was much simpler than Morin had imagined.

Or rather, this couldn't even be considered a 'discussion' or 'negotiation'.

Cecilia got up early today and obtained all the detailed information about the gun workshop through company channels.

This includes asset valuation, current patent holdings, and a general market prospect analysis.

So, right off the bat, she offered an exorbitant price that old Schmeisser and his companions simply couldn't refuse.

(End of this chapter)