Chapter 103: Joint Investment

In the research lab, everyone gathered around the coffee table. New Reporter slowly laid out his proposal, and the suggestion to purchase operating rights immediately received enthusiastic, unanimous support from Tu Tiao and Ri Wan.

The reasoning was simple: both were Chip Warriors. Leveling was manageable, but the money spent on equipment was astronomical. Chip Warriors relied on finding crystals to refine alloys, and with a dedicated technician on board, they could cut those costs by at least 30%.

Yu Jialing pondered for a long time before saying, "I can only scrape together 200,000 credits; that’s my entire savings. But I have one condition: Sister Brick is a dear friend of mine. She must work here, and she must be paid a salary no lower than what she currently earns."

Wu Hua was overjoyed. He was desperate to keep a freakishly talented technician like "Brick" around; if she could develop high-end gear in the future, the potential was limitless.

When he thought about the rivalry between Ice Coffee and her, however, he felt a twinge of worry. But looking up, he saw that Ice Coffee had shed her cold exterior; she was already jumping up to join Brick in a playful dance. "Hahaha, this is great! Our sisters can finally work together in the game!"

Wu Hua’s eyes widened in disbelief.

New Reporter sighed. "Women. I really can't understand what’s going on in their heads, especially those who work in tech."

Tu Tiao chimed in, "Mad Brother, Ri Wan and I can chip in 100,000 credits each. We really can't spare any more."

"No problem," Wu Hua replied.

"My wife and I can put in 100,000," New Reporter said.

"Then I’ll put in 500,000," Wu Hua added, "bringing the total to exactly one million."

Ice Coffee brought over the electronic contracts. Everyone signed. The terms were roughly as follows: operating rights were collectively owned. Profit sharing would be: 30% for Wu Hua, 20% for New Reporter and Ice Coffee, 20% for Yu Jialing, 10% for Tu Tiao, 10% for Ri Wan, and 10% for Brick. No one could withdraw for four years. If the venture operated at a loss, everyone had to cover it proportionally. Additionally, the first 20,000 credits of monthly profit would go to the salaries of Ice Coffee and Brick, with the remainder available for dividends.

Everyone understood that even though Brick hadn't invested a cent, her 10% share was well-deserved. A technician of her caliber was rare; if she invented a new product, they would be the direct beneficiaries—a value money couldn't buy. Her previous employer, Green Arrow Studio, had paid her 40,000 credits a month. If not for her tight bond with Yu Jialing, she never would have quit on a whim.

Under federal regulations, a portion of the factory's white-tier items had to be supplied to the Star Dream Shopping Center. However, they established a new internal rule: any new product above red-tier quality must be kept for the team’s combat players, with any surplus handled by Wu Hua through the Divine Light Auction House. Furthermore, Wu Hua and the others were responsible for providing crystal energy to the two technicians.

Brick then proposed a series of demanding conditions: purchasing new equipment from the shopping center, acquiring technical e-books, and stocking up on high-level materials. These were all intended to accelerate research. Of course, since the factory was a collective asset, everyone was determined to see it grow and thrive.

"How much will all of that cost?" Wu Hua couldn't help but ask.

Ice Coffee calculated the figures on her device. "About 200,000 credits."

Wu Hua did the math: 700,000 credits had vanished from his crystal card in one go, leaving him with only a little over 20,000. If he didn't find a way to make money, he’d be back to square one overnight.

"You handle the paperwork at the Federal Bureau; we need to find a way to rake in some cash," Wu Hua said.

New Reporter patted his chest. "No problem, I can have that done in an hour."

"Also," Wu Hua turned to Ice Coffee.

"What is it?" she asked.

Wu Hua pulled the ghost-possessed Voodoo Doll from his pack. "You can't charge me for the appraisal this time, can you? We’re all family now."

Ice Coffee took the doll and said coolly, "Of course I won't charge you for this one."

Wu Hua was thrilled—free services were the best.

However, after putting on her glasses, she added, "But this fee will be added to the next one. Even the boss can't break the rules."

Wu Hua slumped onto the coffee table. "I don't like women."

The white ray emitted from her gold-rimmed glasses made Wu Hua feel that something was wrong. Sure enough, a moment later, Ice Coffee began to sigh.

"White-tier?" Wu Hua asked cautiously.

Ice Coffee shook her head. "No."

"Dark Gold?" Wu Hua felt a glimmer of hope.

"Have you ever even seen Dark Gold equipment?" she glared at him.

Wu Hua chuckled. "Just kidding. What is this thing actually for?"

"It has no attributes?" Ice Coffee mused.

"How is that possible?" Wu Hua snatched the doll back. The display showed only a brief line: "Cloth Doll, attributes unknown!"

"Damn it all! I risked my life to get this useless piece of junk; where is the justice?" Wu Hua felt like the mainframe system was trolling him.

"Let me see," Brick grabbed the doll. "There isn't anything I can't identify." She put on her specialized appraisal "gas mask."

The ray from her lenses remained white, scanning for ages, but no data appeared. Ice Coffee sneered from the side, "Don't think just because you're four levels higher than me that you can identify it."

Brick fiddled with it for a long time before crying out, "What’s going on? Is my equipment broken?"

Wu Hua snatched it back to check. It still read: "Cloth Doll, attributes unknown!"

He was deeply depressed. The ghost bride had played a massive prank on him.

"It might not be completely useless. It could be an unknown quest item, but one thing is certain: it is definitely not a piece of equipment or an accessory," Ice Coffee consoled him. "Just treat it as a souvenir."

Wu Hua thought about it and decided she was right. He was quite sentimental, after all. He would treat the Voodoo Doll as a memento of Master Monica’s contribution. It was a bit eerie, but seeing the ghost bride would remind him of his glory days in the Ayat Underground Dungeon.

Although the boutique would now be renamed the "Tech Boutique Factory" rather than the "Firearm Boutique Factory," Wu Hua decided to name it the "Master Monica Tech Boutique Factory." He hoped it would eventually produce weapons that surpassed the Star of Finland. He believed that if Master Monica knew, she would be proud.

"Mad Brother, I suggest we go earn some money and get some gear. I'm broke," Tu Tiao suggested.

Wu Hua laughed. "Heh, I’ve thought of a great place, and this time, we have a way to take down a boss."

Tu Tiao was excited. "Where?"

"The prerequisite is that you help me recruit a doctor, someone with decent skills," Wu Hua said.

Tu Tiao patted his chest. "That’s absolutely no problem. Recruiting doctors is my specialty."

"Great," Wu Hua grinned. "Let’s head to the service port."

Yu Jialing quickly added, "Wait, don't leave me behind! I'm coming too, because I'm broke as well."

"Okay," Wu Hua said. "Let's move out. Destination: Mulin Grassland!"