CH281 Online Store

***

"Well, sir, we will be upfront with every faction. A mysterious, sagely man found us and asked for help to sell the product. Apparently, they are in urgent need of funds to continue their research. We don't know who they are, but what we do know is that they must be powerful. After all, who other than a master of great ability could solve a problem that has stumped the craftsman community for millennia?" Haggleworth explained.

Had Alex been drinking something, he would have spat it out.

Haggleworth's answer was a textbook cliché he had read in countless novels in his past life—a convenient half-truth designed to take advantage of people's biases and plant a believable narrative.

"That all sounds well and good, but what if they try to hypnotise you or scan your mind?" Alex asked, pointing out an obvious flaw.

"You don't have to worry about that, Chairman. I was once groomed to serve as a trade envoy for the gnome race. Back then, the powerhouses of my people placed many countermeasures in my mind to secure my secrets. If someone tried to pry too deeply, I would most likely be dead before they got anything from me.

"Most powerhouses capable of such methods will sense the restrictions and not bother. As for those who cannot sense them, they wouldn't be strong enough to break into my mind in the first place, so they're not worth mentioning."

As for kidnapping and physical torture, Haggleworth dismissed the idea outright. No major faction would dare.

Right now, Haggleworth was their only known link to the mysterious craftsman behind the product. No one wanted to risk offending an unknown powerhouse. Even if that supposed master lacked the strength to directly threaten their families, none would wish to chase away a potential ally of such calibre.

And as for the rabble too ignorant to grasp this simple calculation—they were likely weaklings. Haggleworth's personal security detail alone would be enough to handle them.

After considering and understanding these subtle points, Alex decided to leave the matter entirely to Haggleworth.

"Will you be sending someone over to collect the item?" Alex asked.

"No. Ever since I announced the auction, there have been too many eyes on our shipments. We can't risk our premier product being stolen and falling into the wrong hands.

"You will be attending the auction, won't you, Chairman? In that case, may I trouble you to bring the item yourself?" Haggleworth said.

"Alright," Alex agreed.

What kind of majority owner would he be if he didn't attend his company's first major auction? Besides, he wanted to witness the world's reaction to his creation firsthand.

Since that was the case, he might as well act as the courier himself.

"Speaking of couriers…" Alex muttered aloud, before asking, "Cromwell, how is our logistics network across the Empire? What about the other nations?"

"Our coverage within the Empire is about fifty percent. We have a presence in most major settlements, but the hinterlands are still out of reach for now. As for the neighbouring Empires, our network only stretches as far as the Imperial Capitals and the larger cities of the Duchies and Grand Duchies. We're still working on expanding further," Haggleworth explained, a faint note of disappointment in his voice.

Alex, however, was stunned. How old was the Golden Palace again? Barely a year, and they had already spread this far? He hadn't expected such rapid growth.

"Do you perhaps have a solution, Chairman?" Haggleworth asked eagerly, his tone rising a notch.

It was a habit. Whenever Alex questioned something, he usually followed up with a solution if there was a problem.

Alex's lips twitched.

He cleared his throat with a fake cough.

"You don't have to build the entire network yourself. Use the networks of companies already established in those regions. Treat it as an opportunity to form loose alliances that grant us access to their territories."

"But Chairman, you were the one who insisted the Palace should never get tangled in political webs," Haggleworth pointed out.

"And I still stand by that," Alex replied firmly. "This should remain a purely business arrangement. The Palace would pay Company X to use their logistics in City Y, as needed. A clear fee per shipment—nothing more. We can even rotate between multiple companies, even competitors, to emphasise our neutrality. Our identity as a strictly neutral business entity must be made crystal clear to all parties."

Alex paused. Even over the phone he could sense Haggleworth's scepticism.

"I understand that maintaining neutrality requires a certain measure of strength. Don't worry. Think about it—after the auction, the Palace will be recognised across the continent. We can leverage that reputation to expand both our influence and our network of contacts rapidly. Soon, we'll reach a point where no faction will dare antagonise us, whether to recruit us to their side or to deny us to their rivals.

"Besides, my proposal isn't meant as a blanket policy. It's to be applied case by case. If we can partner with local forces without being dragged into their politics, then we should. If not, it would be wiser to build our own independent network.

"The key is to keep all cooperation loose—so that if a partner strays from our agreement, we can cut ties and withdraw with minimal losses."

"Understood, Chairman," Haggleworth replied, though his tone had clearly dropped by a few notches.

Alex smiled faintly. He could tell how the man was feeling.

"Cromwell, this is only a suggestion. You don't have to follow it if you feel it's not right. I meant it when I said the company is in your hands," Alex reassured.

"No, it's not that, Chairman," the gnome said quickly. "I'm just weighing your words. I wouldn't discard your advice so lightly." Then, as if recalling something, to shift the mood, he added hastily, "But I believe there was a specific reason you asked about our logistics network?"

"Yes," Alex confirmed. He knew the man was trying to divert the conversation, but he went along nonetheless. "I want to introduce a new concept I've just thought of—something I call 'online stores.'"

"Online… stores?" Haggleworth repeated, confused.

"Yes," Alex said with certainty. "Once the Rune-Net becomes widespread, Rune Phones capable of accessing their faction's Rune-Net servers will also become commonplace. When that happens, it would be unbecoming for us—as the creators of this technology—not to take advantage of it.

"Other factions will limit their servers to their members alone. We, however, will keep our servers open to anyone with a compatible Rune Phone. We'll market it as a standard feature of these devices, giving users direct access to our store page.

"From there, they'll be able to order any product in our catalogue and have it delivered straight to their doorsteps, so long as they're within a reasonable delivery range."

"Thanks to the convenience of not having to waste time at a physical store, we should see customers willing to pay more for delivery. After all, anyone wealthy enough to afford a Rune Phone values their time far more than the extra cost of delivery. This scheme should significantly increase our earnings.

"More importantly, since the feature will seem built directly into the phone, buyers of Rune-Net servers won't immediately realise they can replicate it. Until they do, we can charge them to advertise their products on our store page—raising both the page's value and our profits."

"I see…" Haggleworth muttered, then added with growing respect, "It's a brilliant idea, Chairman. But it still hinges on the strength of our logistics—whether we can reach the customer at all, and how quickly."

'As expected, he noticed.' Alex smiled faintly.

Still, just to confirm, he asked, "Shouldn't having the product on hand be the most important thing?"

"You don't need to jest with me, Chairman. It's obvious this 'online store' isn't about the product—it's about convenience. Even if we don't stock it ourselves, we can acquire it from a third party. Customers won't care if it's ours or not, so long as it arrives at their doorstep. In other words, the logistics network is the linchpin of the entire service. Isn't that right, Chairman?"

"As expected, you caught on quickly," Alex replied. "In that case, I'll leave the planning and execution to you."

"You can count on me, Chairman," Haggleworth said, his voice reinvigorated.

The call ended after a few other minor discussions.

Alex leaned back in his chair, basking for a moment in the thought of being chairman of a thriving company.

But soon, he shook his head with a wry smile. That wasn't his style.

"Average Joe Alex… don't get complacent," he muttered, straightening his posture.

"It's been a few days since I spoke with Father. I should prepare to speak with my siblings next."

After mulling it over for a moment, he reached for the stack of papers on his desk and began writing.

There was no rest for the weary.

***

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