Following the call from the letter, it didn't take long for the crowd to gather around the machine stuck in the mud and block the street. Freya folded her arms and watched this scene with interest, wondering what Mavey planned. How it ends.
"I'm afraid you asked Felix to attract people here to promote the potion..." Freya said.
"I've been wondering...what was the purpose of the magic potion?" Ma Wei did not answer Freya's question directly, but took out a bottle of translucent liquid with strange blue ripples from his arms, He said to himself: "The carefully prepared potion contains great power."
"The ancients discovered the magic of potions, developed formulas one after another, and passed them on to future generations. Was their purpose just to make money?"
"I think potions are also a discipline of science. When any discipline is first established, its purpose is to benefit mankind, and potions... are no exception."
Freya glanced at the glass bottle in Mavey's hand: "Hercules's stick... The legendary Hercules, the stick obtained by cutting down trees from the Nemean Forest, is an illusion of her god's power, a symbol of her power. With her astonishing strength, not even the frost giants in the far north can compete with her..."
"That's right, Hercules is a legendary being. The stick she got from the Nemean Forest is not her weapon, and it does not mean killing..."
Gently shaking the glass bottle, staring at the blue rippled translucent liquid washing back and forth, Ma Wei murmured: "Those who drink it will gain unparalleled power in a short period of time. It is not marketable at all. Compared with it , the nobles prefer sleeping toast and mercury blood that can subdue extraordinary creatures."
"Now I finally understand that the stick of Hercules was not prepared for the upper class from the beginning. It was a magic potion developed by the sages for the common people. By putting it on an expensive shelf, I have tainted the responsibility it bears." meaning."
The potion that the nobles looked down upon was a good thing for the common people. Ma Wei found that the price he had set for Hercules' stick was too high. The price of 3 gold pounds/bottle was beyond the affordability of most people.
And the big men who can pay the price of 3 gold pounds will not take the stick of Heracles to do what they consider to be a lowly and menial job.
"Steven."
Ma Wei called Jacob and threw the glass bottle to him: "Let everyone see the power of potion."
Without any hesitation, Jacob caught the glass bottle, opened the cork, raised his head and drank the liquid with a strange luster in one gulp. The glass bottle, which was only the size of a finger, quickly reached the bottom, and it was less than a mouthful. .
After drinking Hercules' stick, Jacob's body trembled slightly, and the crackling sound of muscles and bones sounded from within his body. His arms thickened at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his figure began to rise, inflating like an inflated balloon. got up.
With a 'stab' sound, the white shirt fell apart, leaving only the more flexible sweater struggling to hold on. In front of everyone, Jacob, who was not tall at first, turned into a little giant with a height of over 2.5 meters, bulging. The muscles and veins are exposed, full of explosive beauty.
"What...what kind of monster is this?!"
The crowd of onlookers began to boil, looking at Jacob with fear in their eyes.
Jacob ignored the astonishment coming from around him, and understood the task Mavey had given him. He moved his body, walked up to the machine that was difficult for more than a dozen people to move, bent down and grabbed the protruding part, slightly With some force, the machine that was stuck in the mud and couldn't move was lifted up!
The workers looked at Jacob blankly. They had just used all their strength to lift one corner of the machine, but Jacob, who had taken the potion, could do it easily and they could not even imagine it. thing!
What a strange power this is!
The machine, which weighed an unknown number of pounds, seemed to be made of plastic in Jacob's hands. After weighing it, it seemed that it was too light. Jacob simply held the machine with only one hand and walked toward the factory in a swaggering manner. Wherever he passed, people gave way.
There were exclamations one after another, and the onlookers were in awe of Jacob's strange power. Seizing the opportunity, Ma Wei loudly said to the crowd: "What we just showed is the magic potion produced by our Manstein Potion Company-Sea Anyone who takes Gris' stick can gain huge strength in a short period of time, which is very suitable for workers with heavy workloads. Our Manstein Potion Company is running a promotion, with the original price of 10 pence for a bottle of potion. Now it’s only 5p! Limited time only for three days!”
"10 pence?" The messenger raised his ears: "Brother, isn't the price of Hercules' stick priced at 3 gold pounds per bottle?"
"That was the old price."
Looking at the excited crowd, Ma Wei said with a smile: "Magic potions also have their own position. Of course, the noble master will not carry goods, but for the workers who carry goods, Hercules' stick is perfect. , as for the price, including shipping costs, it is very close to the cost price. Although the profit per bottle is not much, we must take into account the consumption power of the audience... Small profits but quick turnover."
The message was understood, and Daniel also understood it, but Daniel frowned and said with worry: "Brother, Heracles's stick can provide considerable strength to the user in a short period of time, and it is also cheap. It is good for laborers." It’s a good thing for us, but in the long run, will the emergence of Hercules’ stick have an impact on the machinery manufacturing industry?”
"That's right!" The letter came back again: "Factories are all driven by steam engines. If Hercules' sticks can replace machinery, won't the machinery industry stop moving forward?"
"Well, you have considered it very comprehensively." Ma Wei nodded and said, "But you have overlooked one thing. Although Hercules' stick is cheap, it is compared to the price of other potions. Three days after the promotion period, The price will rise to 10 pence a bottle, and this price will not have an impact on the machinery manufacturing industry."
Freya also explained for Mavey: "Hercules' stick can only last for a short time, no more than 1 hour. In other words, the cost of use is 10 pence/hour, which does not include the time cost, after use The cost of physical recuperation... Generally speaking, under the premise of transporting goods of the same weight, the cost of machinery is far lower than the cost of Hercules' stick."
“The applicable scenarios of Hercules’ sticks are different from those of machines. Hercules’ sticks are more flexible. For example, in situations that require flexible strength such as moving, maintenance, and disaster relief, Hercules’ sticks can come in handy. On weekdays, I still use them. Machinery is cheaper,” Mawe said.
"If that's what you say, then I have nothing to worry about."
Daniel's hanging heart was relieved. He had been exposed to the kingdom's government affairs since he was a child. William V had always trained him as his successor, which made him very sensitive in some aspects. He knew the future development potential of machinery and did not want to be ruined by magic. The emergence of drugs has destroyed the industrial chain that has been perfected after years of accumulation.
In his eyes, industry and potions are equally important, and one cannot favor one over the other, causing the two to lose balance.
"The magic potion targets people, while the machine can liberate humans. There is no conflict between the two."
Back at the factory, Ma Wei looked at the workers who were assembling the machinery and said: "When the production line is debugged, we will first produce the Hercules sticks. I have a hunch that in the next few days, the Hercules sticks may become Manstein's." The potion company’s best-selling item must have sold in huge quantities.”
"Have we prepared enough materials?" The letter counted the inventory: "Among the materials shipped in the last batch, there were not many raw materials related to Hercules sticks. I am afraid that we can only make a dozen gallons. Replace them with 1 ounce. Glass bottles, a maximum of two thousand bottles can be produced...."
"It's enough for the time being. The raw materials for Hercules's stick are not difficult to obtain. Except for the main material of seaweed, all the materials can be obtained through church channels. One seaweed is enough to produce 1 gallon of magic potion. It only takes a few boxes, we can ensure market supply.”
"I suggest not to release too many potions at once." Freya suddenly said: "The workers who have tasted the benefits will definitely rush to buy Hercules' sticks. If we only release 100 bottles in the initial stage, then there will be about 30 of them. The bottles flowed into the black market and into the hands of scalpers, and the price slowly increased..."
"Freya, if I'm going to sell it at a high price, why do I have a promotion?"
"What I mean is that if a large number of Hercules' sticks appear on the market, it will definitely destroy the current market balance!" Freya said righteously: "According to today's market conditions, the daily salary of an ordinary worker is 4 pence, and one worker who has taken the Hercules stick can support more than a dozen people! For the boss who needs it, why doesn’t he just bear the 10 pence price of the Hercules stick and hire only one worker?”
"If the price of the Hercules Stick is not raised appropriately, the emergence of cheap potions will definitely have a huge impact on the bottom labor market! We must find a balance point in order to maintain the market!"
Freya spoke quickly: "In the early stage, in order to build your reputation, there is no problem with the price reduction strategy you adopted. It can make cheap potions popular in London in a short time. However, if the market is destroyed, many workers will lose their jobs and cannot What should they do to support their families in Hukou?"
Freya's insights impressed Ma Wei. After pondering, he discovered the shortcomings of his strategy: "You are right. I was too reckless when it came to pricing potions. There were insufficient or even scarce and single jobs. At this moment, we must not destroy the market balance, otherwise it will cause a chain reaction..."
On the issue of potion pricing, Dino had already given Mavey precise guidance. The price of 50 gold pounds for a bottle of mercury blood was set by Dino, including Hercules' stick. Dino also took it into consideration. many factors.
Perhaps, he gave the price of 3 gold pounds per bottle because he did not want the cheap potion to hit the market too early, causing a large number of people at the bottom to lose their jobs and causing a heavy blow to the economy...
There is a balance between the use of human power and potions. Only by finding the balance can we ensure that the emergence of the Hercules stick will change people's lives instead of leaving many people unemployed and falling into economic crisis.
While the machine was being installed in an orderly manner, an hour passed. Jacob, who had taken the potion, suddenly returned to his original shape like a deflated balloon. His clothes were in tatters, as if he had been squeezed dry, and he collapsed on the ground. Breathing heavily.
】
"Steven, are you okay?" Noticing Jacob's strange behavior, Mavey borrowed two chocolates from the snack box that Yunia carried and handed them to him: "Hercules' stick has side effects. After the decline, the user will enter a period of fatigue and need to quickly replenish energy.... Come on, eat some chocolate."
Jacob raised his arm with difficulty, took the chocolate and bit it in his mouth. He felt dizzy and might faint at any time. After eating the chocolate, he rested on the ground for a while before feeling that he had regained some strength, but he was still weak when speaking. "Boss, my body feels like it has been drained of energy. I can't exert any strength at all. This potion won't cause any harm to my body, right?"
"Heracles's club is a potion that uses up your physical strength to gain explosive strength. As long as you replenish your energy in time and take a good rest, you can fully recover."
"What if there is the blessing of the eternal realm?" Jacob asked: "Can't the eternal realm heal injuries?"
"Strictly speaking, Hercules' stick does not cause injuries. The reason why the user feels dizzy and exhausted is that it greatly consumes the energy in the user's body. The realm of immortality... I am afraid that it cannot be used in this regard. use."
Symptoms such as muscle soreness and muscle congestion and swelling after exercise are still within the treatment range of the immortality field, but it cannot replenish the energy lost by the human body. When the war was first launched, the soldiers of the Kingdom of Windsor were able to march day and night because of the immortality field. The blessing of the soldiers constantly repairs tired muscles. At the same time, the continuous logistics supply line of the Kingdom of Windsor is also one of the reasons why the soldiers will not fall.
Having said that, the immortality field is not useless. At least after using the stick of Hercules, people can use the immortality field to repair the body, and then eat a lot to replenish energy. When they wake up the next day, they can basically recover as before.
Factoring in these factors, the base cost of taking the stick of Hercules increases again.
Ma Wei still had to go back and think carefully about how to set the price. He planned to ask Dino at night. As the financial officer of the church, Dino was far better than him in this regard.
After eating two large pieces of chocolate and wolfing down a few pieces of bread, Jacob finally stood up from the ground and held the box tremblingly. His dizzy mind gradually became clearer and he continued to direct the workers. Engineers in the construction plant Build the machine with the help of
It was busy until the evening when a production line was barely set up. Workers filled the steam boiler with coal and cold water and started heating. Soon, the boiling hot water raised steam, pushed the heavy piston, and output a large amount of machinery. force, the pointer on the hydraulic gauge rose rapidly, accompanied by a roar...
A production line dozens of meters long began to operate slowly.
