Free Web NovelChapter 480: Chapter 276: Harvesting Supplies, "Thunder" and "Flying Lotus
West and the others had seen Fang Zhen pull things from the King’s Belt before, but it was still an amazing sight every time.
Fang Zhen took out the steel ingot and placed it on the table.
West, who was beside him, examined the steel ingot carefully, a look of profound surprise on his face.
"The quality of this steel ingot is incredible! Weapons forged from it would certainly be far superior to the ones we have now. They’d even surpass the quality of weapons used by the common soldiers of the Eternal Night Council and the Kingdom."
"Even our most skilled Blacksmiths couldn’t produce a steel ingot of this quality. It would be incredibly expensive," West said.
Fang Zhen chuckled.
He knew the Whig Society had many skilled artisans and craftsmen. They knew quality when they saw it and would understand just how good the steel he held was.
Iron production in ancient times was inherently low, raw materials were difficult to obtain, and smelting techniques were poor. It required constant manual hammering to remove impurities from the iron to turn it into steel, a process known as being "refined a hundred times."
Moreover, the techniques for forging this refined steel were also poor, and there were even fewer master craftsmen who knew how.
The combination of these factors made steel extremely valuable in ancient societies; even iron itself was very expensive.
In the history of the Xia Country, there were clear records of a fifty-times-forged Longsword selling for 1,500 *zhu* at the time, roughly equivalent to 1,500 yuan for a single sword.
And the purchasing power of the currency back then was very high; two copper coins could buy a steamed bun.
The Curse Sealer World was likely at a similar level.
What Fang Zhen had just taken out was alloy steel—to be specific, a manganese steel alloy. In modern society, this type of alloy steel costs between 3,000 and 5,000 yuan per ton.
Fang Zhen had a plan.
He planned to acquire some of the Curse Sealer World’s paramilitary resources.
He had actually found out earlier that the Whig Society intended to provide him with some resources as a thank you for his military assistance.
Free things were nice, of course, but the Whig Society wasn’t wealthy and had its own matters to attend to, so Fang Zhen’s reward wouldn’t amount to much.
Fang Zhen’s consistent philosophy was that rather than waiting for others to bestow gifts upon him, it was better to acquire things himself through force or trade. frёewebnoѵēl.com
And he had found the perfect trade commodity: military supplies.
In other words, he was going to become an arms dealer in the ancient setting of the Curse Sealer World.
The alloy steel ingot Fang Zhen had placed on the table was passed around among the members of the Whig Society.
The Whig Society members present all had a broad, scholarly knowledge—a common trait among the society’s upper echelon. They all recognized that the quality of this steel far surpassed the standards of their era, making it a superb forging material.
Aside from certain alchemical materials, no ordinary metal could compare to Fang Zhen’s ingot, leading the Whig Society members to shower it with praise.
Some among them were part-time Blacksmiths or Alchemists, and the Whig Society’s leadership was intensely interested, praising it ceaselessly.
Alexander looked at Fang Zhen and said, "You mentioned wanting to do business with the Whig Society. Were you referring to these steel ingots?"
Fang Zhen nodded slightly. "You all wish to thank me, and I appreciate the sentiment. However, it doesn’t feel right to just accept your things for free."
"Let’s do it this way. We’ve already built a foundation of trust and camaraderie on the battlefield, so we shouldn’t be afraid to talk money. I would like to propose a major business deal with the Whig Society."
"I won’t concern myself with how you gather your resources. What I can provide you are special steel ingots of this quality."
"Weapons forged from these ingots will allow you to more efficiently kill aberrations, as well as the nobles and soldiers controlled by the Eternal Night Council who act as their pawns."
"Furthermore, the steel I provide will be enough for you to forge powerful alchemical equipment, bolstering your high-end combat power. You could even arm the mid-tier Curse Sealers of the Whig Society with what could be considered high-end gear."
After a brief pause, Fang Zhen added:
"You should all be aware that Gwendolyn once mentioned I have Alchemy Potions for treating inflammation—or rather, post-injury infections—as well as the key ingredients for creating Bloodburst Potions. These items are also on my list of available goods for trade."
"I believe I can offer a fair price that will be satisfactory to us both."
After hearing this, both Alexander and West were very interested.
West held direct authority over some of the society’s procurement, and he looked at Fang Zhen. "In that case, let’s discuss the details."
Fang Zhen’s negotiations with the Whig Society were highly efficient. In less than twenty minutes, they had finalized a plan for the purchase of military supplies.
Although the Whig Society was not known for being fabulously wealthy and didn’t have an abundance of Gold Coins, as the second-largest power within the Kingdom, it still had considerable resources.
Moreover, they had countless skilled artisans and Alchemists.
In the end, Fang Zhen signed a contract with the Whig Society. The society would purchase the materials Fang Zhen had, including the alloy steel, fever reducers, and other antibiotics.
This portion of the deal involved relatively few Gold Coins; it was primarily a barter trade for various alchemical items the Whig Society had accumulated over the years, such as Alchemy Ointments, energy gels, and other such materials.
Fang Zhen promised to provide one ton of alloy steel in exchange for 200 bottles of Alchemy Potions. At this exchange rate, Fang Zhen realized something. ’It seems like selling steel is even more profitable than selling Gold!’
’The lowest price for this category of alloy steel is about 3,000 yuan per ton, with the highest around 12,500. The price fluctuates depending on the chemical elements and manufacturing process, but even being generous, you can buy most types of alloy steel for 15,000 yuan a ton.’
