Chapter 463 – Cooperation Achieved

“Uncle Dong.”

Lu Yuan greeted Uncle Dong politely.

“Get in the car first.”

Uncle Dong held Lu Yuan’s hand as they walked towards the luxurious hover car of a volcanic gray color, speaking warmly to him as they went.

“Don’t go back this time. Stay at my place from now on. Just find someone to look after the mine; there’s no need for you to suffer there.

I have a daughter about your age. I’ll introduce you to her later…”

Uncle Dong’s enthusiasm was beyond Lu Yuan’s expectations, his friendliness seemed completely genuine.

His words made Lu Yuan suddenly realize.

Lu Lingfeng daring to have him bring Lu Feng to leave everything behind for the “backwater” place of Planet Lirva perhaps intended from the start to have him stay with Uncle Dong for care.

Uncle Dong, whether by surname or appearance, was a typical Old Duoling person.

He was also of nobility, a second-class baron.

Possibly due to these two reasons, he had formed a connection with Lu Lingfeng.

On their way to Dongmu Manor, Uncle Dong kept warmly holding Lu Yuan’s hand, inquiring about his well-being with the demeanor of a close family member.

If it were the former Lu Qiyuan, he would probably have already wholeheartedly accepted this unexpected uncle.

But Lu Yuan’s mind was very clear.

He remembered very well that during the last waste ore purchase, Uncle Dong as a middleman had taken a nine-tenth cut.

This guy was definitely an old fox.

Lu Yuan had already labeled Uncle Dong in his mind.

“We’ve arrived.”

Twenty minutes later, the hover car stopped at a manor on the outskirts of Red Diamond City.

This manor’s scale and luxury far surpassed that of the Lu family estate.

The manor was bustling with servants and bodyguards, and various drones patrolling overhead. Lu Yuan even spotted small mechas occasionally sweeping by, indicating a very tight security.

“Don’t take it to heart, it’s just my nature. I never feel secure unless I’m on my own turf…”

Uncle Dong explained to Lu Yuan with a smile.

Lu Yuan asked casually, “Where are you from, Uncle Dong?”

“Planet Beizhen.”

Dongmu remarked with a sense of nostalgia, “A small planet, it’s not even called that anymore, so you won’t know it. But your father did mention it once. He said the Lu family’s ancestral land is quite close to Planet Beizhen…”

Lu Yuan nodded, not asking further.

Dongmu, however, kept talking, sharing stories from the past, most of which involved Lu Lingfeng.

Lu Yuan listened silently.

The two walked all the way to the depths of the manor, entering a luxurious building that resembled a castle.

Once inside, Dongmu greeted Lu Yuan before leaving on his own.

Lu Yuan and Lu Feng were then led by Dongmu’s servants, each to a lavish lounge.

After a brief freshening up, someone knocked on the door.

Lu Yuan was subsequently taken to a spacious and elegant study, where Dongmu, now in a change of clothes, was sitting at a meeting table, waiting quietly for him.

Compared to earlier, Dongmu now exuded a more composed and scholarly demeanor.

“Have a seat.”

Seeing Lu Yuan come in, Dongmu cheerfully invited him to sit down, then proceeded to brew tea for him.

The brewed tea was served in a delicate white porcelain cup with gold trim, giving off a light reddish-brown hue.

Lu Yuan lifted the cup, catching an indescribable rich aroma, reminiscent of boiled milk. He took a sip, tasting a sour bitterness with a subtly sweet aftertaste.

“This is Bitter Mud Tea, a specialty of Red Diamond City. It’s made from grinding sun-dried wild fruits into a powder for brewing.

The taste is a bit peculiar, and it might not be to your liking at first, but the more you drink, the more you’ll appreciate its benefits…”

Dongmu explained to Lu Yuan with a friendly smile.

Lu Yuan nodded, took another sip of tea, and then waited quietly for Dongmu to continue.

“Your father contacted me saying you were average in aptitude, restless in personality, and difficult to discipline, asking me to take extra care of you. But now I see he was being too modest…”

Dongmu looked at Lu Yuan and softly remarked, “If only my child had half of your poise and calmness, I wouldn’t have to worry about everything at my age.”

“You’re too kind, Uncle Dong.”

Lu Yuan shook his head, waiting as Dongmu continued speaking.

“I heard you’re interested in acquiring waste ore?”

Dongmu took a sip of tea and finally got to the point.

“Yes,” Lu Yuan nodded.

“Are you planning to start a Waste Ore Recycling and Processing Company?” Dongmu asked with a smile. “I understand you want to make something of yourself now that you’re out of your father’s control for the first time. But some things are worth thinking through; jumping in impulsively can easily lead to mistakes.”

“You are indeed right, Uncle Dong,” Lu Yuan responded calmly. “I do intend to start a Waste Ore Processing Company. However, the main goal of recycling waste ore isn’t that-it’s to pursue energy regeneration.”

“Energy regeneration?” Dongmu frowned, not quite grasping Lu Yuan’s point.

Lu Yuan deliberately leaned in slightly closer to Dongmu, lowering his voice as he spoke. “I know someone who has been researching how to extract Source Worm fluid from bismuth metal waste ore for years. Uncle Dong, you should know the value of Source Worm extract…”

A look of surprise appeared on Dongmu’s face, “Has he succeeded?”

“Not exactly,” Lu Yuan shook his head, then quickly added, “But he did accidentally stumble upon a way to extract bismuth metal materials contaminated by the Source Worm fluid. I paid a hefty sum to acquire this technology, and this will be the core of my business venture…”

“Oh?” Dongmu’s eyes brightened slightly as he picked up his tea cup. “How much usable bismuth metal can be extracted from a ton of waste ore?”

“It mainly depends on the quality of the waste ore,” Lu Yuan stated earnestly. “Generally, the yield can reach about one-tenth of the standard.”

Finishing his statement, Lu Yuan noticed a subtle change in Dongmu’s expression, though Dongmu was shaking his head.

“One-tenth is quite low.”

Lu Yuan appeared “anxious” and leaned even closer to Dongmu, “eagerly” explaining, “Uncle Dong, one-tenth isn’t low. Don’t forget, waste ore itself isn’t valuable.”

“Waste ore indeed isn’t valuable,” Dongmu replied slowly, “but have you considered the costs involved? Transportation, storage, and your extraction process-all these add up. When you account for all those miscellaneous costs, how much profit is left?”

“This…”

Lu Yuan was momentarily “at a loss for words.”

He put on an appearance of awkward contemplation, and after a brief silence, spoke with a “determined” tone, “Anyway, there’s definitely profit to be made. And it’s certainly more comfortable than the hard labor of mining…”

“That’s true indeed,” Dongmu said with a smile, leaning back in his chair. “Mining requires purchasing mining rights and acquiring a lot of equipment… The mining rights on Planet Lirva are hard to come by now. For you, this truly seems like a suitable business venture.”

“Does this mean Uncle Dong supports me?” Lu Yuan looked “pleasantly surprised,” then “gratefully” said, “Don’t worry, Uncle Dong, as long as you help me secure the channels for inbound and outbound shipments, your share in this venture is a given.”

“Nonsense. You’re Ling Feng’s son; helping you is like helping my own son. It’s only right, and there’s no need for any reward,” Dongmu shook his head. “I’ll sort out the logistics for you.

Tonight, I’m attending a banquet, and there will be a few people there who can assist with this matter. You should take the opportunity to talk to them.”

“Thank you, Uncle Dong.”

In the time that followed, Lu Yuan and Dongmu continued to discuss the details of “this business.” Throughout the conversation, Dongmu provided Lu Yuan with numerous valuable suggestions.

Lu Yuan was “greatly inspired” and felt not only closer to his uncle but also “respectful” and “grateful.”

He eventually insisted that once things were underway, he would give Dongmu thirty percent of the business profits as a “network equity share.”

Dongmu “declined repeatedly,” but could not withstand Lu Yuan’s “heartfelt sincerity,” so he eventually accepted.

“With your promise, Uncle Dong, I feel much more confident now…”

An hour later, Lu Yuan looked at the draft agreement on his personal terminal with a satisfied smile. “Rest assured, Uncle Dong, I will work hard and not let you down.

My friend mentioned that in time, the extraction technology might be further improved. Who knows? The yield might increase from one-tenth to one-fifth, or even one-third, or one-half…”

Dongmu simply smiled at Lu Yuan’s “ambitious words” and gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.

With everything agreed upon, Lu Yuan seemed to remember something important and spoke earnestly, “There’s one more thing, Uncle Dong. Please don’t mention our business collaboration to my father. I don’t want him to know about it.”

“I understand,” Dongmu nodded with a smile.

He then glanced at the vintage clock hanging on the study wall and said to Lu Yuan, “It’s almost time. Go get ready; I’ll take you to the banquet.”

“Alright, Uncle Dong.”

Feeling quite pleased, Lu Yuan stood up, showing significantly more affection and respect towards Dongmu than before. He turned and walked out of the study.

Once Lu Yuan’s figure disappeared through the doorway, Dongmu picked up his teacup. He intended to take a sip but realized the tea had gone cold, so he set the cup back down.

“What exactly am I expecting?”

Dongmu shook his head and muttered to himself, “Wasted more than an hour of my time for nothing.”

After a moment, he casually tapped his personal terminal communicator and, with a stern expression, said, “Contact the young lady. Let her know she must attend tonight’s banquet. If she doesn’t, she can stop considering me her father…”

Meanwhile, as Lu Yuan walked out of Dongmu’s study, the joy, excitement, and exhilaration on his face quickly subsided. He reverted to his usual calm and collected demeanor.

“It went rather smoothly…”

Lu Yuan had never intended to hide his motives from Dongmu. Otherwise, it would be difficult to explain his extensive acquisition of bismuth metal waste ore.

The topic of separating bismuth metal ores contaminated by Source Worm fluid has been researched by many. His minor success in this area was relatively insignificant.

What Dongmu didn’t know was that Lu Yuan could fully utilize the bismuth metal waste ore, achieving a 100% usage rate. Moreover, he didn’t need any significant costs; he could manage the entire process by himself.

“A yield of one-tenth, with all those non-existent costs deducted, indeed there’s hardly any profit to speak of. Dongmu might overlook it, but for someone like me who has just stepped out from under the wings of my parents, full of ambition and ready to make my mark as a young noble, it’s a very suitable opportunity…

Offering thirty percent of the profits will ensure Dongmu pays attention and assists me properly.”

In addition, Lu Yuan used the excuse of being short on cash and unwilling to ask for money from his family to “borrow” five million Duoling Coins as startup capital from Dongmu. The frequent calls of “Uncle Dong” over the past hour weren’t for nothing.

“Acquiring and devouring waste ore allows me to restore my strength. The revenue from selling the refined bismuth metal can provide funds to acquire the materials needed for the soon-to-be-unlocked Demon God Mechs on the [Spirit Devouring: God and Demon Species (Transcendent Mythical)] main panel…”

This opportunity was indeed perfect for Lu Yuan.

Once successfully implemented, his path forward would snowball, gaining momentum and growing steadily bigger and faster.

Lu Yuan was in high spirits, feeling that his trip to Red Diamond City was well worth it. The primary goals he set before coming had mostly been achieved; what remained was genuine leisure and relaxation.

Led by the servants of Dongmu Manor to a rest room, he changed into an outfit that Dongmu had specially arranged for him. Lu Yuan left the room and met up with Lu Feng, who had also changed into new attire. They then waited quietly in the hall.

Ten minutes later, Dongmu appeared, dressed in noble attire.

This time, however, he was accompanied by someone else-a girl who looked to be around seventeen or eighteen.

She had a graceful figure, sweet features, and exceptionally fair skin.

She wore a wine-red evening dress made of light silk, paired with exquisite amethyst earrings and a ruby necklace.

Overall, she looked elegant, beautiful, and noble.

However, the girl’s expression was filled with clear displeasure, begrudgingly following behind Dongmu with a visibly sour demeanor.

“Uncle Dong,” Lu Yuan greeted Dongmu politely and courteously.

Dongmu nodded with a warm smile, then introduced the girl beside him, “This is my daughter, Dong Lingxue. She’s probably a few months older than you… And this is Qiyuan, the son of my best friend. Aren’t you going to say hello?”

Dongmu’s brows furrowed slightly as he spoke to his daughter. She greeted Lu Yuan reluctantly, then, without waiting for anyone else, lifted the hem of her evening gown and briskly walked towards the door.

“That girl…” Dongmu watched Dong Lingxue’s retreating figure, looking both troubled and helpless. “She hangs out with a bunch of idle people every day, becoming more rebellious by the day. It’s as if she won’t even listen to me anymore…”

“It’s just a phase; it’ll pass with time,” Lu Yuan consoled casually.

Dongmu sighed lightly and nodded, then couldn’t help but say to Lu Yuan, “I truly envy Ling Feng for having such a capable and sensible son like you…”

“You’re too kind, Uncle Dong.”

“Let’s go; if we wait any longer, we’ll be late,” Dongmu suggested, gesturing for Lu Yuan to get moving.

Exchanging a few more pleasantries, the group left the house and boarded a few luxurious extended hover cars, quickly soaring in a particular direction.