r18novel Chapter 349 Audrey and Zhang Li
Chapter 349 Audrey and Zhang Li
Chapter 349 Audrey and the Return Gift
office.
Lorne was reading a letter that Danitz had sent him from Bayam.
In the letter, Danitz, in his usual boastful and excited tone, briefly described the booming success of the last arms sale and stated that the batch of arms he had was currently in short supply, hoping that Lorne could take advantage of the good market and quickly send over another batch.
"It was sold to the rebels in the Rothschild Islands—the ones who worship the 'sea god' Kavituwa—"
"Hmph, my weapons are definitely much better than those outdated junk discarded by the army." The booming sales were not beyond Lorne's expectations.
At the end of the letter, Danitz mentioned a figure—6800 pounds.
This is the net profit Lorne can get from the previous shipment of arms after deducting all costs, freight, and the commissions due to the captain and Danitz.
The captain has already transferred the money in installments through multiple anonymous overseas accounts.
"The same thing, just transported by sea, more than doubles in price."
"The arms market in Backlund hasn't fully recovered yet. There's no reason not to do this business—but—"
""
There are two crucial aspects to arms smuggling: the sales channels and the source of the goods.
The captain can handle the distribution channels, but there's a slight problem with the supply of goods on his side.
Even though he now owns several arms factories, he doesn't have that much stockpiled ammunition. What's left in the warehouse won't be enough to make many sales. If he were to rashly sell newly produced weapons, the authorities would definitely notice something amiss.
It's a very simple point—the factory's raw material purchase records and finished product shipments don't match up. As soon as someone comes to check the accounts, the discrepancy will be exposed immediately.
"Although I could manipulate the yield rate and secretly cut off a portion, that would be too much trouble—" Lorne rested his finger on his chin, pondering for a moment.
"Perhaps—I could try acquiring inventory from other factories—"
Due to the financial crisis and fierce market competition, many small and medium-sized arms factories went bankrupt. Their stockpiled weapons and ammunition became a mountain of unresolved debts.
The factory is gone, and the accounting books are all in a mess, making it difficult for the authorities to investigate thoroughly.
"I've made a name for myself in Backlund's arms industry now. I could easily use the excuse of acquiring bankrupt factories to expand my business scope and scale to get Ted to investigate for me—"
"Acquiring this inventory is definitely much cheaper than producing it ourselves."
"If you resell them at sea, the price can at least triple."
"Hmm, not bad, you're starting to feel like a winner."
Lorne chuckled, his mood brightening. He took out a necklace he had prepared beforehand, inlaid with a large ruby, from his personal storage space.
"The most dazzling jewel in Backlund—"
There's a gathering of extraordinary people today. Hugh told him that Miss Audrey would also be attending.
Lorne was thinking that some time had passed since Dr. Allen's incident, and the Night Watchers hadn't made any further moves. He could take advantage of this opportunity to send out the thank-you gift he hadn't been able to give out before, thus repaying the favor.
You can also take the opportunity to see if there's anything you need at this gathering.
"I just feel like it would be a bit troublesome to get along with a real noble lady —" He rubbed his temples.
"And she's an extraordinary one—we need to watch our words and actions."
"Hugh, you actually possess the fruit of the Elder Tree!"
Before the party began, Audrey learned in a private conversation with Hugh that he wanted to sell "the fruit of the Elder Tree" at the party.
She had just received the Sequence 7 "Psychotherapist" potion recipe from the Psychological Alchemy Society. One of the main ingredients was "Fruit of the Elder Tree." Her main purpose in attending this gathering was to try her luck and see if she could purchase the corresponding potion ingredients; she had even planned to try and buy them at the Tarot Club later. Unexpectedly, Hugh had them in stock right here.
"I'm just reselling for someone else," Hugh replied somewhat embarrassedly.
"Oh? Who is it?" Audrey asked curiously.
Hugh lowered his head, somewhat embarrassed, and said, "The other party—hopes I can keep this a secret."
"Excuse me, Hugh." Audrey immediately realized she had misspoke.
"In short, I want the fruit of the Elder Tree; I can offer £650."
"Miss Audrey is really rich," Hugh thought to herself. She had originally planned to list the item at the party for £600, but Audrey immediately asked for £650.
She had no reason to refuse that price.
"By the way, Mr. James Scott, will he be coming today?" After the transaction was completed, Audrey changed the subject and asked casually.
"Yes." Hugh nodded. "Scott—he's been wanting to find a chance to properly thank you."
"Actually, I didn't do anything—" Hearing this, Audrey's cheeks flushed slightly. She really hadn't been of much help with Scott's matter.
However, she was indeed very curious about this legendary "East End Hero". At the last charity gala, she had hoped to take the opportunity to observe and talk to him up close by dancing with him, but the Macht family's daughter beat her to it.
"By the way, isn't Fors coming today?"
"Fors," Hugh scratched his head, "she—she's at home working on her manuscript—"
Having changed into an inconspicuous dark coat, Lorne, disguised as James Scott, arrived at the party.
An unremarkable house in Queens.
After greeting Hugh, he was led to a quiet private room where he met Audrey Hall, who was dressed in elegant casual attire.
The dog wasn't nearby—her spiritual reactions were restrained and steady, not particularly strong, suggesting she was a low-sequence extraordinary being, and not the type skilled in direct combat—more inclined towards support or social interaction.
Mr. Scott had thick calluses between his index fingers and on the web of his thumb, indicating that he often held something, most likely a firearm—which fits his heroic persona of breaking into a gangster's villa alone.
He didn't seem completely relaxed; he appeared slightly reserved. Was it because of the difference in their status that he was a little nervous?
But his gaze toward me was very calm, without the awkwardness or obsequiousness often seen in ordinary citizens facing nobles, nor was it uneasy; on the contrary, it was quite natural—which showed that he had considerable confidence in his own abilities and did not feel pressured by my status.
In summary, the other party should be an experienced and highly capable extraordinary individual.
The moment they met, they had already made their own assessments of each other.
"Good afternoon, Miss Audrey. It's an honor to meet you here." Lorne spoke first, bowing slightly in a standard gentlemanly manner.
"Good afternoon, Mr. James." Audrey returned the greeting gracefully, a genuine smile on her face. "I've also been eager to meet you, the legendary hero of the East End."
"Those are just exaggerated claims in the newspapers," Lorne smiled modestly. "Speaking of which, I'm truly grateful for your help last time. Otherwise, I might still be locked up in the police station right now."
"You're too kind. I only helped with a small thing." Audrey looked at him with her emerald green eyes. "You are a hero yourself. I believe you would have been safe and sound even without my help."
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The two exchanged a few more polite words about topics such as "heroes" and "reputation," creating a harmonious and courteous atmosphere.
At this moment, Lorne took out the beautifully packaged little gift box that had been prepared beforehand.
"This is a small token of my appreciation, please accept it." He handed over the gift box.
Audrey initially wanted to decline, but based on her observations and conversation, she deduced that Lorne was the type who disliked owing favors.
A direct refusal might make the other person feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. Besides, deep down, she was a little curious about what kind of gift this mysterious hero would give.
So she accepted the gift with a smile.
Upon opening the gift box, a simple yet exquisite necklace lay quietly on a velvet cushion. The necklace's pendant was a teardrop-shaped ruby with a warm, flowing golden light emanating from within. Just looking at it evoked a sense of inexplicable warmth.
"This—" Audrey's eyes widened slightly; she could sense a pure spirituality emanating from the gem.
This is not just a piece of jewelry, but an extraordinary item. Moreover, its design perfectly matches her aesthetic—exquisite yet understated.
"It's just a small token of my appreciation; I hope it brings you good luck," Lorne said with a smile.
He then went on to describe the necklace's exorcising and purifying effects, as well as its unique flashlight mode.
To be honest, Lorne felt inexplicably awkward during the introduction. He suddenly recalled the kind of glowing plastic jewelry he had seen when he was a child before he transmigrated.
However, Audrey was quite accommodating, befitting the image of a wealthy young lady with a keen interest in the occult.
Just then, Hugh walked in from outside, came to Lorne's side, and whispered, "Scott, Miss Audrey just bought the fruit of the Elder Tree."
Lorne showed a slight surprise on his face, then looked at Audrey, his tone a mixture of surprise and understanding: "I see—Miss Audrey, that fruit was actually entrusted to Hugh to sell on my behalf. I didn't expect that after all this, you would be the one to buy it in the end."
Audrey was also somewhat surprised, but after glancing at Hugh's slightly embarrassed expression, she quickly understood the reason.
"Perhaps this is fate, Mr. James." She gracefully closed the jewelry box, carefully putting it away, her smile unchanged. "It seems I'm very lucky today, receiving both a beautiful gift and the materials I needed."
"If Miss Audrey needs any more special materials in the future," Lorne said casually, "I might be able to help."
"Of course, there might be a small handling fee," he joked.
A hint of surprise flashed in Audrey's eyes, but it was quickly masked by a polite smile.
Getting to know a capable and exceptional individual with special connections wouldn't be a bad thing for her.
Moreover, James Scott, Fors, and Mr. World are very close; friends of friends are friends too.
At least this "Eastern Hero" doesn't seem like a bad guy right now.
She nodded gracefully: "Okay, I'll trouble you if I need anything in the future."