Saint George Borough, Satch Street.
Klein and Jurgen had just stepped down from the carriage when they saw a behemoth parked in front of the inventor Repad's house.
It was completely iron-black, had three sets of twelve wheels, and a smokestack towering from its top like a ship's, from which residual smoke was drifting.
This was a steam-powered vehicle that Klein had seen before in magazines and on the streets, described by the public as an ironclad warship travelling on land, possessing an exaggeratedly large body.
If it weren't for streets built or rebuilt in the last twenty or thirty years, it would take up the entire road, leaving no space for carriages, which is why such vehicles were only seen in certain areas.
Just then, the heavy door with a glass window opened, and two figures stepped down.
One of them was precisely the steam-powered vehicle tycoon Klein had met before, Flaming Cage. He had a quarter Feysac blood, his blue eyes were very pale, he was tall but had already grown stout, and a pipe was clenched between his teeth.
The man next to him wore a heavy black wool overcoat and a gray scarf. His appearance was unremarkable, with the most common black hair and brown eyes, but he inexplicably gave off a feeling of amiability.
"Hi, Detective Moriarty, you're punctual. This is my lawyer and business partner, Pacheco Dawn."
As he spoke, two burly men descended from the steam-powered vehicle, clearly Flaming's bodyguards.
How unprofessional. Shouldn't they come down first and then open the door for their boss? Klein grumbled inwardly, smiled in greeting, and then introduced his own lawyer, Jurgen.
While waiting for Repad to open the door, he casually chatted:
"Mr. Cage, are these steam-powered vehicles popular? Are many people interested in them?"
Flaming Cage laughed:
"Those who consider themselves refined say it's too crude and rough, while ordinary people can't afford it. Only fanatical enthusiasts of machinery and steam like me are willing to buy it."
"It's also mainly because many streets are too narrow." Klein offered a consolation.
Flaming Cage was an investor he had found himself; it wasn't Repad's doing.
While playing cards at the Cragg Club, he deliberately brought up the matter. The equestrian instructor Talim immediately said that Flaming liked similar inventions and could introduce everyone for a meeting.
This made Klein feel quite emotional: The club was truly a great place to develop connections. The members who truly joined never valued the free food, drinks, and event spaces the most.
"Haha, that's definitely one reason. As the population grows and cities get bigger, carriages will surely be eliminated because they're too slow. The world today pursues efficiency!" Flaming said confidently.
He then revealed a smile:
"And I've already secured an order from the military. They want me to make certain improvements, just like what was mentioned in Roselle's manuscripts: add bulletproof iron armor, covered tracks for travel on rough roads, and on top of that, a thick cannon barrel. This will be a brand new weapon of war."
Roselle's manuscripts... Klein sighed silently, momentarily at a loss for what to say, until Repad finally opened the door.
In the discussion that followed, the protagonists were Jurgen and Pacheco. The two lawyers were sometimes confrontational, sometimes consulting with their employers on terms, while the unprepared inventor Repad just stood by in a daze, only stating his opinion when asked.
In the end, the three parties reached an agreement. Flaming invested 1,000 pounds for a 20% stake. Klein and Repad's shares decreased proportionally, one to 28% and the other to 52%.
At the same time, Flaming would purchase another 18% of the shares from Klein at a certain premium, for which he would pay 1,000 pounds, post-tax.
Similarly, he would buy 9% of the shares from Repad at a post-tax price of 500 pounds.
After these transactions, Flaming became the largest shareholder of the newly established Backlund Bicycle Company, holding 47% of the shares. He would be responsible for subsequent industrialization and sales promotion, and the company's accounts would have the 1,000 pounds he invested as the initial start-up capital.
Repad was the second largest shareholder, with 43% of the shares. His job was to assist in completing mass production on an assembly line.
Klein only had 10% of the shares left, which was purely a financial investment.
The 1,000 pounds he got from selling his shares pushed his personal wealth to 2,235 pounds, enough to gather the confidence to purchase a main ingredient for a "Faceless"—as a private detective, he had continued to take commissions over the past month or so, and his daily expenses didn't require touching his savings.
He still had to give Lawyer Jurgen 50 pounds as a fee, leaving only 2,185 pounds... He would have to thank Talim later too... This thought flashed through Klein's mind as he put pen to paper, signed, and stamped his seal. He then stood up, shook hands with Flaming and Repad, and said:
"Pleasure doing business with you."
Flaming took out a gold pocket watch, glanced at it, and chuckled:
"Normally, we should go have lunch together to celebrate the agreement, but a certain important person is waiting for me. My apologies. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future."
An important person, another important person... Is it the one behind Talim? The one who had a lot of his funds drained by the false information I gave him pointing to the Aurora Order? Klein suddenly felt a bit guilty, quickly smiled and said it was nothing, not to mind.
After leaving Repad's house and getting on a carriage, Jurgen suddenly frowned slightly and said:
"Sherlock, you agreed far too readily."
"Why do you say that?" Klein asked, puzzled.
He didn't even know which matter Lawyer Jurgen was referring to.
Jurgen said quite seriously:
"When we were negotiating the share transfer.
"Based on your description and Flaming's actions, I can imagine the bright market prospects for the bicycle. Although it is only an invention right now and the overall valuation won't be too high, 5,000 pounds is a good price, but you should have kept more shares to have better returns in the future.
"I originally thought you would only sell 8%, and I was confident I could negotiate for 500 pounds. But in the end, you agreed to 18%. Even if it's only 500 pounds, you've recouped several times your initial investment. You shouldn't have been in such a hurry."
Because I was in a hurry for the money... But I did agree too readily just now, without a hint of hesitation. This was a large transaction; this isn't like the normal me... Klein recalled the scene, and a trace of doubt gradually crept into his heart.