While there were many things Luke thought he might become one day, owning a mega workshop in New Florence was one of the last things he expected.
When he was younger, he thought he would simply inherit his father’s lands and become the next Duke. He never imagined he would end up trying to become a businessman instead.
Over in the warehouse district, Lin Moon was waiting for him. She had assumed Luke had finished buying the property, so she brought the contractors with her. The problem was that the warehouse didn’t belong to Luke yet. Now the contractors were arguing with the warehouse workers after entering the place without permission.
By the time Luke arrived, Lin Moon didn’t look happy at all.
"Master Luke, I expected this district to be bought already, she said. "We’re offering forty percent more than the asking price, and the lease is currently in distress. This deal should be a fast transaction..."
"My bad," Luke apologized sarcastically. "I keep forgetting I’m just a student at the academy. Sorry I can’t bend time whenever I want like the great Mr. Blackstone."
Lin Moon frowned and crossed her arms.
"Fine. Then let’s go to Public Holdings and get this over with. Hand me the check, and I’ll deal with the clerks."
"No." Luke shook his head. "I’ll hold onto my own check."
"Master Luke, I have much more experience dealing with these kinds of things—"
"It’s my money, Miss Moon," Luke interrupted as he started walking away.
"Master Luke...!"
*********
Inside the PHA building, people were surprised to see Luke Kingsley again. He looked much healthier and more confident than the last time he was here.
The moment he walked in, people started turning their heads. Having Lin Moon beside him only made the effect stronger because they thought he had become important enough to hire his own assistant.
His first stop was the City Chamberlain’s office.
Mark Lewson grinned like a demon as a client he knew all too well entered his office.
"Luke Kingsley! What a surprise!" the beaver laughed, patting his round belly. "Let me guess. Are you here to beg for another workshop after your little one burned down? Womp! Womp! Looks like you’re just a lousy blacksmith who couldn’t even handle his own fire!"
Luke let the man enjoy his joke until he ran out of gas and began coughing on the stench of his own cigarettes.
"You pathetic ball of pigshit," Luke said, breaking the silence. "You’re right. I am here for a new place. Since my workshop burned down, I’ve decided to buy the entire district instead."
Huff—ptui
Cough! Cough!
BAM!
The City Chamberlain slammed both hands on his desk and jumped to his feet, coughing as hard as ever, his shadow larger than the window behind.
"What the hell makes you think you can just barge in here and talk to me like that, you piece of trash? This is my office! You think you can just buy a whole damn district? Who the hell do you think you are?!"
Luke didn’t react. He calmly sat down and gestured for Lin Moon to go forward.
Lin Moon approached the desk and wrote out a check for 110 million.
"That’s forty percent more than the district is worth," Luke explained as he crossed his legs. "I want all the paperwork finished today. Before the sun sets, that district belongs to me."
Lin Moon stepped back, leaving the matter in Mark’s hands.
The City Chamberlain was still furious, but now confusion had just been added to the anger.
How was a banished son like Luke able to get that kind of money out of nowhere? Had the Duke changed his mind and made Luke his heir again?
Even though the offer was impossible to refuse, Mark wasn’t ready to throw away his pride so easily.
"I’m not signing a damn thing!" he shouted. "Now get out of my office!"
Yet, Luke and Lin Moon remained persistent.
As a final move, Lin Moon wrote another check for 1 million and slid it across the desk to Mark.
Things changed immediately.
Mark’s shoulders calmed down when he saw the bribe.
He became less angry, and he started to smile.
"Luke Kingsley..." he whispered, but Luke frowned at him in disgust.
*******
"I hate to admit it, Miss Moon, but you were right about paying off that greedy hog," Luke said as they walked out of the building. "If it were up to me, I wouldn’t have given him even a grain of rice if he was starving."
"Think of it as a small price for convenience, Master Luke," Lin Moon replied. "If we hadn’t paid him, we’d probably be stuck in his red tape for a month. Trust me, I deal with people like him all the time."
Luke nodded as they got into Lin Moon’s ride. He couldn’t argue with her reasoning.
"Do we start work tomorrow?" he asked.
"Yes," Lin Moon answered. "We’ll begin first thing in the morning. I can send you a catalog of building designs tonight, or you can tell me what you want right now."
"No need for fancy designs. I’m sticking to Mr. Blackstone’s advice," Luke said after thinking about it. "We build what fits the customer’s eye—something trusty and reliable.
Just a typical factory and a standard office layout, nothing more." He looked out the window. "I’d rather spend money on quality than on making the building look to my taste."
"Great thinking, Master Luke. You’re going to make a fine businessman," Lin Moon praised. After a pause, she added, "My apologies."
"For what?" Luke asked.
"For your title," Lin Moon answered. "I shouldn’t be calling you Master Luke anymore. Since you now own such a large piece of land, it should be Lord Luke. Interestingly, this is how many noble families begin."
--
--
--
A/N: Thanks for reading! Using this medium to give thanks for reading so far. I’ll be happy to answer any of your questions