Building A Business Empire From Scratch In Another World

HALF A MONTH LATER.

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"Welcome, Family Head!"Claire greeted Felix with a professional smile as she stood before him.

"And welcome to you too, Mr. Quill," she added, shifting her gaze to Quill, who was standing beside Felix. Felix nodded slightly and asked,"How is it? Has it been completed?"

"Yes! The two models are ready and currently at the test site,"Claire affirmed with a nod.

"Great! Take me there right now,"Felix replied calmly.

"Follow me,"Claire instructed, turning on her heel and leading the way with Felix and Quill trailing behind.

A few minutes later, they arrived at a vast expanse of land, completely empty except for a small tent-like structure at the entrance.

A large sign reading."Test Site" stood proudly beside it.

"Boss, you've arrived just in time!"Thormir beamed at Felix, his short fingers rubbing together as his long beard fluttered in the wind.

Felix nodded quickly."Where is it?"

"Please follow me,"Thormir gestured as they entered the half-tent.

Inside, Felix's eyes lit up at the sight of two gleaming bicycles.

One was a deep brown color, reminiscent of classic designs but with an innovative twist: its wheels were made entirely of metal instead of rubber.

It resembled a 1905 motor bicycle, but purely pedal-powered! Everything from headlights to brakes was fully functional.

Thormir approached the bicycle with pride. "This is our basic model for everyday users. We've tested it thoroughly; an ordinary person can travel four to five times faster than walking using the same amount of energy! The brakes work exceptionally well."

Felix smiled broadly, satisfaction evident in his eyes as he examined the bike. "Impressive! How did you design the headlight?"

Thormir pointed excitedly at it."We used moon illumination stones! This small chain here opens up a compartment that lets them shine brightly when pulled, just like opening a window to let sunlight into a room."

Felix nodded thoughtfully,"And how long do these stones last?"

Thormir replied confidently,"They last about two to three months and cost only two copper coins each."

Felix considered this; moon illumination stones were common yet beautiful, practically found everywhere in their world!

Turning to Claire, he asked,"What's our production cost for one bicycle?"

Claire glanced through her papers and reported promptly, "About ten silver coins per unit."

Felix pondered for a moment before asking with a slight grin,"What do you think we should sell them for?"

Claire paused for a moment, her mind racing as she calculated. "Considering the production cost is ten silver coins per bicycle, we could sell each one for around fifteen or even seventeen silver coins. If we start selling in bulk to retailers, they could buy them at fifteen silver coins and sell them for seventeen to eighteen. This way, they'd make a profit of two or three silver coins on each bike."

Felix nodded in approval. "Great idea! We'll go with your pricing strategy."

Turning to Thormir, he asked, "How many days will it take to manufacture a thousand units?"

Thormir replied confidently, "I estimate we can produce a thousand bicycles in five days. The apprentices have become quite familiar with the design and manufacturing process over the last few weeks."

Felix frowned slightly. "Five days for a thousand units? That seems low."

"Boss," Thormir reassured him, "this is our first time making these bikes. While we're getting the hang of it, there are still some aspects we're not entirely comfortable with yet. But I believe our speed will improve as we gain experience."

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Felix conceded, "A thousand in five days isn't bad at all. Let's get production started; we'll launch in a month!"

"Yes!" Claire and Thormir chimed in.

Quill, who had been bouncing on his heels nearby, couldn't hold back any longer. "Big bro! Can I try one now?"

Felix glanced at Quill's jiggling frame and then at the small bicycle beside him; he couldn't help but chuckle at the sight. "I think you should wait until we finish testing the second model."

Disappointment flashed across Quill's face as he replied softly, "Okay…"

Felix turned his attention to the second model standing proudly next to its basic counterpart.

This bike was fiery red, tall and robust, with intricate ocean blue runes weaving through its frame like flames dancing against water. It looked stunning!

"Boss," Thormir began enthusiastically, "this is our magic model designed specifically for Mana Cultivators! After testing it out, we found it can boost their speed by five to six times!

Each handle has unique functions: when mana is channeled into the right handle, those fiery red runes activate for speed enhancement.

Channeling mana into the left handle activates an ocean blue shield that can withstand attacks from Tier 2 Mana Cultivators without breaking, and even resist some Tier 3 attacks!"

"Good,good,good!" Felix nodded with satisfaction. "You've done well with this one! A shield that can hold up against Tier 2 and Tier 3 attacks is impressive, a solid start indeed."

"Thanks of the complement boss, it's what we should do. But I believe we can create even more advanced models with enhanced features!" Thormir said, enthusiasm lighting up his face.

Felix nodded thoughtfully. "I get that, but let's see how this one performs in the market before we dive into making upgraded versions." He waved his hand dismissively, focused on the task at hand.

"What's the production cost for this model?" Felix asked, rubbing his chin as he considered their options.

Claire chimed in, "The materials for this model are on a whole different level compared to the basic version. We're using high-grade materials, almost enough to craft two Star Weapons! So you can imagine how pricey it is to produce. It costs 200 Gold Coins to manufacture each unit."

Felix raised an eyebrow in surprise. "I didn't expect it to be that expensive. What can we sell it for?"

Claire quickly replied, "We could price it between 400 and 500 Gold Coins. For bulk purchases, we'd offer a rate of 400 Gold Coins each."

"Sounds good," Felix said with a nod. Turning to Thormir, he asked, "How many can you produce in a given timeframe?"

Thormir scratched his beard thoughtfully. "This model is quite complex; the manufacturing process involves intricate rune carvings and takes time, like crafting a weapon. I estimate it'll take at least ten days to produce five hundred units."

Felix rubbed his chin again, contemplating the timeline. "Ten days? That's manageable for now, but let's ramp up production speed. Consider hiring a few more blacksmiths to help out."

"Understood, Boss," Thormir replied seriously.

Just then, Quill couldn't contain himself any longer. "Hey big bro! Can we take them out for a spin now ?" His eyes sparkled with excitement as he pointed eagerly at the two bicycles.

Felix shook his head playfully. "Alright."

"Yes!" Quill shouted joyfully and lunged toward one of the bikes, but was halted by Felix's hand.

Confused, Quill looked up at him. "What gives?"

"Before you test them out," Felix smirked mischievously, "I need to give them a go first!"

Quill rolled his eyes dramatically. "Seriously?"

"Of course! It was my idea after all," Felix said with a grin.

With an exaggerated sigh of resignation, Quill stepped aside but not without throwing Felix an amused glare.

Felix tossed Quill his white cane and overcoat before picking up the basic model bicycle.

Sitting comfortably on the bicycle, Felix gripped the handlebars lightly.

With a gentle twist of his legs, he began to pedal forward. A smile spread across his face as he felt that familiar thrill rush through him.

It had been a while since he'd ridden, but after just a few moments of getting back into it, he started pedaling faster and faster. Soon enough, his legs became a blur!

The wind whipped against his face, filling him with pure joy and contentment.

A few minutes later, he returned to the rental station. With a light squeeze of the brakes, the bicycle came to a smooth stop.

"That was great!" Felix exclaimed, looking over at Thormir with an approving nod.

Next up was the magic bicycle! He grabbed it eagerly and applied the same technique as before but this time channeled a small amount of Mana into the right handle.

Instantly, fiery red runes sprang to life as Mana pulsed through them like blood in veins.

With a whoosh, the bicycle transformed into a streak of fiery red light! In an instant, it disappeared from view, only bolts of blazing red lightning remained racing through the vast test site.

Felix couldn't believe how fast he was going; he hadn't even used all his Mana yet! Realizing this filled him with deep satisfaction, this bike truly delivered!

A few minutes later, he returned with an ear-to-ear grin. "This is amazing; I really love it!"

Thormir beamed back at him with excitement radiating from his expression.

"Okay big bro, it's my turn now!" Quill chimed in impatiently.

"Go for it!" Felix replied as he hopped off the bike.

Quill rushed forward and took hold of the bicycle like a kid receiving candy on their birthday!

"Boss," Thormir suddenly asked thoughtfully, "how should we name these two bicycles?"

Felix paused for a moment in surprise before breaking into a smile. "I almost forgot about that!"

After some contemplation, he declared confidently: "The basic model will be called Soaring Clouds and the Mana model will be Flying Nimbus."

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