bookpub Chapter 65: Break the Binds
Chapter 65: Break the Binds
Chapter 65: Break the BindsIt was a joyous occasion for ViTech and its employees. All celebrated the first new step into the spotlight and per Vivian’s instruction, they expected to get really busy from the following day.
Many aspiring inventors will approach ViTech for support, some with mad ideas and others with real hopes and dreams. Their next mission was to separate the wheat from the chaff. So, new employees needed to be hired for interviews and testing ideas, people with scientific and technological backgrounds, and now was the best opportunity to make an employment campaign right when the iron was still red.
But these are tomorrow’s missions, today’s mission is to eat food and make friends. Vivian was standing right next to Isabella as they conversed with the professors who kept saying all kinds of nerdy things and Vivian was witnessing how Isabella was handling these people even though she doesn’t understand 10% of what they say.
"Lady Vivian, today was a pleasant surprise." A female professor approached Vivian with an ice cream bulb in her hand.
"Professor Ansley Graham, the woman who eluded me for an entire week." Vivian faced the professor and smiled wryly, "How do you find a De Clare party?"
"The rumors didn’t give the truth justice. Truly there is no end to what money can do." The woman said with an obvious hint of envy.
Vivian has always found that Ansley Graham woman to be unpleasant despite her great need for someone with her skills. Professor Ansley Graham is the leading expert on Chemistry and someone who is considered a genius in the field, albeit her attitude is selfish and greedy.
"Well, my dear Professor, that’s why I am here. With minds like yours and money like mine, we can make the world a better place."
"I guess you are right. Sadly, a selling idea like Bellfield’s light technology is hard to come by." She said.
"Unless I fork out a sweet idea from Vivian’s stash to help grease the wheels." Vivian replied.
"My Lady, I am sure we will be good friends." Professor Ansley spoke with glee and provided her own takes, "I was thinking of fuel. A new efficient way to make those machines that are loved by the Moore Conglomerate hum with more vigor, what do you think?"
"What kind of fuel are we talking about?" Vivian asked.
"A combustible form of hydrocarbon extract created by fractional distillation. Please don’t let the definitions startle you, it is a simple..." Professor Ansley said and tried to outsmart Vivian.
"Paraffin?" Vivian asked.
The professor frowned.
"Yes, the Lady is familiar with Paraffin?"
"I was reading about it in some historical record, the white naphtha, as it was called by its discoverers a few centuries ago."
Seeing how informed Vivian is, Professor Ansley seemed to be trying to change her approach.
"Since Lady Vivian has such great insight, I am sure you’ll be pleased to know that I have been re
To her bewilderment, Count Julian acted outside of his calm and collected nature. He grabbed her by the shoulders and suddenly took her behind a pillar before anyone could see or hear them.
"Vivian, speaking those words to anyone is treason to the crown."
"What?"
"You must understand, Vivian. Coal is not our family’s blood, it is its curse."
"How, Father?"
"Who do you think supplies us with coal to make our steam engines run?" He asked her with a serious face as his violet eyes shone with dangerous light.
Vivian was scared of her father’s sudden change but he was serious like nothing before.
"Well... we are partnered with a few companies, especially the ones in Morvish Highlands where the nearest coal mines exist... and from the colonies, I think the Blackguards haul them to us from the mines managed by... oh!"
Vivian was hit with a realization.
"The Graysons." She blurted.
"The Grayson parasites, yes." Her father nodded with obvious spite in his words.
House Grayson isn’t only House Moore’s rivals, they are bitter enemies with years of struggle between the two.
"The Graysons provide us with coal by the order of the King." Count Julian said.
"The King doesn’t set the price though. I assume the Graysons are making quite the cash selling it to us." Vivian said.
"If the Graysons wanted it to be, they’d make us pay for every coal piece with its weight in gold. And by the decree of the King, we are not allowed to buy coal from anywhere else." The Count said and spoke with obvious anger, "That decree was put more than 300 years ago and it is still crippling us to this day."
"But in exchange, we can monopolize the industrial sector without limitations." Vivian said.
"Guess who is regretting that now." The Count asked.
"His Majesty it seems." Vivian replied.
"Yes. Back then, being an industry tycoon wasn’t that much but the Hawks still soared to the sky with a leash of coal binding their talons. Either the King yanks it or the leash gets broken."
"But the consequences, Father, they won’t be light." Vivian warned her Father.
"We can deflect anything so long the crown stays in our debt." The Count said.
Seeing how determined he was, Vivian thought and thought and thought.
It wasn’t a simple matter now, he wanted to deal a blow to the Graysons and the Kings by converting the energy source from coal to something else.
That woman who wants to make Kerosene is still nearby but that’s not the problem here.
"The energy source you want can’t be a resource harvested from a mine. While we have a monopoly over industry, the Graysons have a monopoly over coal mines and many natural resources. If we tried, for example, to harvest crude oil to make a new type of fuel, the Graysons will activate the right of monopoly and the King will take their side."
"Yes, that’s practically true."
"I see." Vivian seemed to have been cornered with one last choice, "If we can’t harvest, we can only take what is free. Inefficient as it may be, no one can monopolize it."
The Count frowned.
"So you have an alternative energy source?" He asked while holding his breath.
Vivian only nodded but her face seemed not sure.
"As I said, inefficient and very primitive technology but if we can develop it right, in a few years or by the next generation, it may be the thing you are looking for."
"And the Moores will be free?" He asked.
"The Moores will be free, the Graysons will be skint." She replied.
"I believe the world you are going for is bankrupt, daughter." The Father said with a gleeful smile.
"Bankrupt, skint, brassic, whatever you say, daddy." Vivian smiled back.
The Villainess and her father had a very dangerous air to them as they exchanged smiles. Her villainous genetics were indeed coming from her father’s side.
By the next few days, the Moore Conglomerate started to lowkey purchase all the vacant industrial plots of land that are right next to the Great Ralin River that crosses through the city of Archester as well as a few acres of land at the high meadows a few miles south of Archester per Vivian’s instructions.
It was time for energy to go green.