Chương 18: A New Path Forward

Arthur leaned his head against the taxi window, his gaze landing on nothing in particular. His mind was entirely blank regarding what he had to do next. By the time they crossed the Inner Sector B checkpoint, it was already noon. By his side, Geoffrey sat silently. Arthur felt his brother was at an age where he could already understand that something was wrong. Arthur instructed the driver to head towards Donner Street, the very same street where the Mawman Materials shop resided.

After arriving at their destination, Arthur paid the fare, and the two of them stepped out of the taxi. Since it was noon, they stood in front of a cookhouse, intending to have their lunch there. Since his plans did not develop as he had envisioned, he could no longer care about anything else. At the very least, he could treat his brother to a good meal. After all, they had never eaten at such a fancy cookhouse before. Following which, both of them entered the building and seated themselves at an empty table.

Arthur quickly browsed the menu, telling Geoffrey to select whatever food he liked. Shortly after, the food they ordered was served. Steam billowed from the dishes, making them look absolutely delicious. Arthur had ordered a good standard steak along with some sides, whereas Geoffrey ordered noodles with a pork cutlet and some sweet buns. While the two of them were enjoying their lunch, a voice suddenly called out Arthur's name. Arthur, who was currently chewing his meal, was surprised by this.

Turning his head towards the source of the voice, he discovered a young lady standing alongside a small group of people. Arthur instantly recognized the lady. She was the daughter of the workshop owner he had worked for up until yesterday. It was a shop that assembled engineering parts, and Arthur had worked there as a load man, carrying items around. Since he had awakened last night, he had been extremely busy. Naturally, he did not have the time to visit and inform them of his unavailability.

"Arthur, is that you?" she asked, separating from her group of friends and walking towards their table.

"Hello, Miss Ina," Arthur greeted her.

"I saw you when you entered through the door. However, I was reluctant to call out to you, thinking it was someone else. But after checking a few times, it really was you. What a surprise," she said. Arthur was not offended by her speculation. After all, a person who earned only 500 Credits a month at their shop dining at an Inner Sector B cookhouse was indeed a shocking sight.

"My father was furious when you did not show up for your shift yesterday, I hope you will visit the workshop," she continued.

"I understand, Miss Ina. I will visit right away," Arthur reassured her.

"How come you are here? I mean," she said, gesturing towards the restaurant.

"Actually, I awakened last night, so we are currently celebrating. This is my brother," Arthur explained.

"Oh, is it? Congratulations, then. If you want, I can inform my father about your awakening and your resignation as well," she said in a gleeful tone.

"That will not be a problem. It is better that I visit and inform him personally," Arthur said. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Okay, all the best. I will see you later, then. Bye," she gave a departing greeting and returned to her group of friends. Arthur continued eating his food, his mind failing to stay on a single thought. There were a lot of people who obtained their license even at Outer Sector B, yet they lived in Inner Sector B. For example, the workshop he worked at was located in the Outer Sector, but the owner lived in the Inner Sector. All these things led to one conclusion.

Arthur would not get his Industrial License in his lifetime unless he moved to Inner Sector B and changed his address. Only then would people at least listen to his request. However, he needed money for that. Arthur tasted nothing in his food as his thoughts swirled like a typhoon. Should he give up and earn by doing some other similar job, like continuing his work in the workshop? Or, he could take on quest commissions to earn a few credits that would put quality food on their family table.

However, his mind could not accept this defeat, since he had to complete his death quest from the notebook. When he placed the last piece of meat into his mouth, a thought arose in his mind. Since people established their workshop or shop in the Outer Sector as a branch, he could also start a branch for an established company like Mawman Industries. Arthur was pretty sure Mawman Industries would have their own forging branch. If he were to partner up with them, he could easily start a branch in his rented shop.

Then, he would not need to get a license separately. He could try negotiating with these people, instead of giving up before trying. He was going to lose nothing if he did not get their partnership. After paying the bill, they exited the cookhouse and walked towards the Mawman Materials shop. Once he entered the shop, he quickly searched for the old man he had met yesterday. That old man seemed to be the manager or hold some high position within the shop.

Hence, he felt that if he were to talk to him, he might get the chance to meet the owner of this shop. Fortunately, the old man was present in the hall. However, he was currently inside a cabin, conducting some discussions. So, Arthur decided to wait, declining the other salesperson's assistance. After waiting for a while, the energy shield disappeared. Arthur asked Geoffrey to sit on the waiting chair as he walked towards the old man. The old man looked at the approaching Arthur, but he did not give any reaction.

Arthur understood this. There were a ton of customers the old man met every day, so he could not remember everyone's face.

"Hello. We met yesterday morning; we have done business," Arthur explained about the meeting to remind his memory.

"I remember you, young man. How can I help you? Do you have any materials to sell again?" the old man said.

"No, I do not have any materials. However, I am here to discuss a partnership. Would you be interested in hearing about it?" Arthur spoke in a straightforward manner.

"A partnership?" the old man muttered.

"Yes." After hearing about the partnership, the old man pondered for a moment before saying, "Let us talk inside. Follow me." Following which, he walked into a private room. Arthur gave a signal to Geoffrey to wait, then followed the old man. After the two of them entered, Arthur discovered it was a very spacious room with only a single, large desk placed within it. There were also several doors attached to this room.

"Please, take a seat," the old man said, pointing towards the desk as he seated himself at the main spot.

"Now, could you explain the details of this partnership?" he asked.

"Would you like to establish a Mawman Blacksmith branch in Outer Sector B with me as the branch manager? I will forge high quality weapons for you, and you will sell those weapons. You will then take a small commission from the profits," Arthur suggested the partnership and the idea of the Mawman Blacksmith branch. The old man remained silent for a long time after hearing the partnership proposal. Currently, Arthur sat there filled with anxiety, his heart beating abnormally.

He had never imagined the old man would be willing to even listen to his proposal in the first place. Hence, it was completely unexpected for him to be sitting here.

"Okay, I am fine with that. Mawman will open a Blacksmith branch in Outer Sector B. Let us prepare a partnership contract, then," the old man suddenly spoke. He then stood up, extending his hand for a handshake. Arthur felt his world spinning madly. Was he hearing things clearly? Was this old man actually ready to open a Blacksmith branch and form a partnership? Just what in the world was going on?