Chapter 522: Buying People’s Hearts
If it weren’t for the war, Clayton Xavier was certain his grandfather could have built an even bigger business. Whenever his grandmother spoke of his grandfather, her eyes would fill with admiration. Even though his grandfather had wronged her, she still loved him. That was why she had pushed him to get into Aethelgard University, so he could then go abroad to find his grandfather.
Clayton Xavier’s expression turned somber. He had never met his grandfather. When the war broke out, his grandfather sold off the silk factory and other assets in Tristone and left for a foreign country with his concubine’s family. A few letters had arrived afterward, but in recent years, there had been no word at all.
He felt it was a great injustice to his grandmother—spending her whole life waiting for a man who didn’t love her. She might even die without ever seeing his grandfather again. He knew that his grandmother’s greatest wish was to see his grandfather just one more time.
He hoped he could really find his grandfather. No matter what, he had to bring the old man back to see his grandmother. He also wanted to ask his grandfather why he hadn’t taken his grandmother with him back then.
Why leave a vulnerable woman like his grandmother behind?
It was such a turbulent, war-torn era, with fighting everywhere. His grandmother had to raise the then twelve-year-old Storm Xavier while also protecting the Xavier family’s assets. Clayton Xavier had no idea how his grandmother managed to endure those years.
But he knew it must have been incredibly difficult for her.
His grandfather owed his grandmother that much. He wanted to bring his grandfather back to say "I’m sorry" to her.
Adrian Hawthorne noticed him spacing out but didn’t interrupt. Once Clayton Xavier snapped out of it, Adrian said, "At fifty-eight cents, I can definitely make a profit. I can also give you a commission of five cents per foot."
The cost of the fabric was thirty-five cents per foot. Even selling at fifty-eight, he’d still have a profit of twenty-three cents. After giving Clayton Xavier a five-cent commission, that left eighteen cents. Factoring in travel expenses and potential fabric damage, he would make at least fifteen cents per foot.
The machinery factory had 1,500 employees. At ten feet of fabric per person, that meant a profit of 1.50 yuan per person. For 1,500 people, that was 2,250 yuan. In reality, the profit would only be higher than 2,250 yuan. The larger the volume, the lower his costs would be. Only a fool would turn down an order that could earn this much in one go.
Besides, there was the potential for future collaborations. With three major holidays a year—the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and the Spring Festival—Adrian Hawthorne felt it would be worthwhile to build a better relationship with Director Wood.
He could, for example, gift a radio or some fashionable clothes. A wife’s pillow talk was a powerful thing.
Clayton Xavier’s eyes widened in astonishment as he quickly did the math in his head. A commission of five cents per foot... He soon had his answer: he could earn 750 yuan.
His mother’s annual work points were only worth a little over two hundred yuan. In a single day, he had earned what would take his mother three years to make.
"Clayton, you must understand, the one who just lowers his head and works is an ox, and he’ll always be an ox. If you want to make real money and get ahead in life, you have to use your brain. That’s how you get the oxen to work for you!"
The old madam’s words rang in Clayton Xavier’s ears. He hadn’t quite understood them before, but now he did.
His mother was the ox his grandmother had spoken of. His grandmother wanted him to use his brain to make money. Now, he had done it and tasted the sweet rewards. Clayton Xavier’s ambition was ignited. If he could find a few more factories, he could earn even more money, and his mother would no longer have to be the ox.
"Isn’t five cents a foot a bit too much?"
Clayton Xavier felt a little embarrassed.
"It’s not a small amount, but it’s what you’ve earned. Don’t worry, I’m definitely making more than you are," Adrian Hawthorne said frankly. He certainly wasn’t going to take a loss.
He would never do something as foolish as sacrificing himself for others, like cutting off his own flesh to feed an eagle. Not even in his next life.
He was simply trying to win Clayton Xavier’s loyalty and motivate him to work harder.