MM Racing Chapter 297 Earl Hall, Ready to Take the Blame
Chapter 297 Earl Hall, Ready to Take the Blame
Chapter 297 Earl Hall, Ready to Take the Blame
"Mr. Scott, from today onwards, the Welter Metalworking Plant shall be called the Scott Metalworking Plant."
"It's a pleasure working with you."
Lorne took the contract from the lawyer in a good mood, quickly glanced at it, and after confirming that there were no legal traps, readily signed his name "James Scott" at the end.
Four thousand pounds! A raw material processing plant that's much larger than his own gun factory is only asking for four thousand pounds! That's less than 30% of the normal market price; it's practically free.
The "Mysterious Queen" made the payments remarkably quickly. Within two days of Lorne sending her the translated Roselle diaries via messenger, the enormous sum of 100,000 from the formula sale had safely arrived in his account. This efficiency truly astonished Lorne.
He couldn't help but sigh inwardly, "The Mysterious Queen" is truly an incredibly wealthy woman.
If it were before, I might actually have used the methods from deciphering Russell's diary to ask him to support me—
—Lorne was joking to himself.
These days, he used the money to solve the factory's raw material shortage problem. At the same time, taking advantage of the excellent opportunity that the financial crisis caused many factory owners to go bankrupt and liquidate, and asset prices to fall to the bottom, he launched a "bottom-fishing" acquisition.
Not only this Welter processing plant, he also successively acquired a precision machining plant specializing in the production of gun parts, a small forging workshop with good forging capabilities, and even bought the wood processing plant next to the gun factory that was originally on the verge of bankruptcy, planning to transform it into a supporting workshop specializing in the production of gun stocks and handguards.
He even spent a fortune acquiring a majority stake in Larrivey Steel. The steel company's owner, Phil Larrivey, had suffered a huge loss in the stock market due to excessive greed and failure to withdraw in time, desperately needing a large sum of cash to recover. This massive company, including equipment and factory buildings, cost Lorne less than £50,000.
Although the "Eastern Hero" phenomenon temporarily resolved the gun sales issue, the "hero's weapon" gimmick made many wealthy young people eager to acquire the "Ripper" lever shotgun. Add to that the captain's maritime smuggling network, and logically, he didn't need to spend so much money acquiring these factories.
But—Ted's words back then were indeed too tempting. A supply chain that is completely under one's control, from raw materials to parts to products to final sales, can generate profits and create barriers that far exceed those of a simple assembly plant.
Now, because of the financial crisis, all these properties are being sold at rock-bottom prices. Such a good opportunity may never come again in a lifetime. This made Lorne's mind wander.
Unfortunately, £100,000 was still not enough. Even at rock-bottom prices, that amount couldn't build a complete supply chain. Even though some factory owners, out of respect for his reputation as the "Hero of the East End," lowered his prices further, hoping he would treat his factories and workers well, the funding gap remained enormous.
Sigh, a larger-scale capital investment is still needed to complete the integration quickly — but introducing external investment means the dispersion of power and being subject to constraints — Lorne felt a sense of helplessness.
"The industries we've acquired so far are already enough to create initial synergies, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. As for the rest, let's just take it one step at a time." He sighed softly, pulling his thoughts back to reality. He turned to look at the lawyer beside him who was carefully organizing documents.
"Thank you for your hard work, Attorney Cooper."
"Your recent performance has been quite professional," he sincerely praised.
The lawyer, named Jürgen Cooper, who was introduced by Ted, has been accompanying him to various factories recently, handling all contract-related matters for him, and has also astutely spotted some loopholes in the acquisition contract on several occasions, helping him avoid considerable losses.
Of course, the other party was not the unlucky guy who was beaten up by the substitute in order to bail him out.
"Thank you for your compliment, sir," Jürgen replied politely, adjusting his gold-rimmed glasses.
Despite the heavy workload these past few days, the employer's payment was so generous that it was hard to refuse, and the employer was also very respectful, making him feel that the hard work was worthwhile.
"By the way, Attorney Cooper," Lorne asked as if he had suddenly remembered something, "do you know anything about the high society parties in Backlund—such as the etiquette to observe?" He was thinking about the upcoming charity gala and wanted to inquire about it as well.
Jürgen, a high-level lawyer who frequently interacts with high society, must have attended many parties and galas.
"I've been working out of town for a while and only recently returned to Backlund, so I'm not really familiar with the social norms here," Lorne explained, meeting the lawyer's somewhat questioning gaze.
After all, in the other party's eyes, someone like me who can casually take out thousands or even tens of thousands of pounds to do business should be familiar with these social etiquettes.
"I don't attend many parties, but I do know some of the basic etiquette, which I can offer you as a reference," Jürgen said modestly.
"This one—no consultation fee, right?" Lorne said half-jokingly, in a good mood.
Jürgen was taken aback at first, then joked, "Of course I won't accept it. Of course, I wouldn't mind if you wanted to give it to me."
"Haha————" The two looked at each other and laughed, the atmosphere relaxed and harmonious.
After a few minutes, having listened to the other person's explanation, Lorne frowned slightly.
Formal attire, aristocratic etiquette, and—dancing?
What a hassle! These nobles, if they want to talk business, they have to do all this formality. It's so decadent! Wouldn't it be more efficient to just sit down, have a meal, and talk while we eat?
"Sigh," he sighed, rubbing his temples. "Looks like I'll have to quickly find a way to brush up on my knowledge."
The office of the Truth Guild.
"We'll be organizing a party soon, Sherlock, would you like to come?" Charles looked at Klein and smiled as he spoke.
A party? You called me here specifically for this? I still have a favor to do. Klein thought to himself, but outwardly shook his head slightly, indicating his polite refusal.
"Don't want to go?" Charles asked, somewhat surprised. "You know, Sherlock, you're quite well-known in the Society. The name 'Mr. Rustig' has been making waves in certain circles lately; many people want to meet you, including several of your numbered superiors."
That's exactly why I don't want to go! It'll attract too much attention—Klein thought to himself, fuming.
He knew Charles was doing it for his own good; attending such events would help him build connections and advance his career within the organization. But Mr. Fool still wanted to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention.
After a few seconds of pause, he said, "I think the entire police force in Backlund probably wants to 'see' me even more right now."
"Hmm—that's true." Charles nodded with a smile, teasingly adding, "You're worth thirty thousand pounds now, it's better to keep a low profile."
"You need to be careful lately. The authorities have started a full investigation into this matter, and MI9 has mobilized all its personnel."
"Ah—what if something unexpected happens?" Klein asked with some concern. He had quite a few buffs on him.
"Don't worry," Charles said confidently. "As long as you don't talk too much and don't leave any direct evidence, nothing serious will happen."
"Besides, our guild has been operating here for so many years, with so many extraordinary members under our command, and we've still managed to stay safe and sound." He presented "concrete evidence" to reassure the other party.
After Klein left, Charles's smile faded and his expression turned serious.
Although he was confident in the society's foundation, it would be quite troublesome if it really came under attack from the authorities.
After all, this financial bombshell was far too powerful and involved too many people.
If he doesn't handle this matter well, his future promotion prospects may be ruined. Conversely, if he handles it well, his future promotions will be meteoric.
"The investigation has only just begun, but as it deepens and the situation escalates—perhaps it's time to find someone to draw the fire," Charles muttered to himself.
Finding a scapegoat to draw attention is a common tactic used by societies. Even if it doesn't solve the problem at its root, as long as it diverts attention and reduces pressure, it's considered a good thing.
Unfortunately, this is a financial crisis, not an extraordinary one. Those organizations that were previously suitable as scapegoats—the Aurora Society, the Witch Cult, the Rose School, and the like—are no longer viable this time.
In fact, sometimes you don't even need solid evidence to draw attention to someone; a personal attack is enough. Even if it simply serves as a smoke bomb, it's still a good thing.
"Baron Sindras." This was the first person that came to Charles's mind.
Baron Sindras was known as the Conservative Party's "money bag," but he was one of the kingdom's most famous bankers, investors, and business owners, while also maintaining an ambiguous relationship with the New Party.
He keenly sensed an opportunity during this crisis, making frequent moves and snatching a lot of profits from the organization, earning a fortune. Coupled with his reputation for being "two-faced" and "profit-driven," he was well-suited to be portrayed as the "mastermind" behind the crisis.
"No—" After thinking for a moment, Charles shook his head.
It was precisely because of this person's shrewd and diplomatic nature that he had many business dealings with the society, and even in his early development, the society had invested in him through a front. Who knows, this person might be an unknown mole within the society's upper echelons, or a secret collaborator.
"Who else is there?
The target used to draw fire this time must meet these requirements:
First, he is a big shot in the financial industry.
Secondly, he doesn't have much cooperation or interaction with the society; ideally, they should be competitors.
Third, he did not suffer any losses in this financial crisis.
Fourth, he not only did not suffer losses in the crisis, but made a fortune because this allowed him to provide dubious "evidence".
Fifth, since the conservative nobles suffered heavy losses and harbored great resentment in this turmoil, he could not be a staunch ally of the conservatives and it would be best for him to keep his distance from them.
Sixth, he should ideally be a hereditary nobleman from a wealthy family. Such a person is less likely to be a spy planted by a society.
Seventh, if he also has close ties with the Church of the Night, that would be even more perfect, because the Society and the Church of the Night have always had a strained relationship. Using him as a target can both shift the pressure and disgust the church, killing two birds with one stone.
"Hmm—" Charles's fingers tapped unconsciously on the table. His brain raced, and after a moment's thought, a suitable candidate suddenly appeared in his mind. The other person almost perfectly met all the above requirements.
"Count Hall".