The Industrialist

Chapter 19: Tyllrium

"Nice shades, buddy!" Grebert praised.

Lance sat on a metallic chair behind a tempered circular top glass table of Grebert’s office. The scent inside the facility where the waste water was exposed in the confines of metallic and concrete walls, was appalling that one could die of a chronic disease.

The WWMD personnel had their gas masks on, industrial-grade, as they operated aerobic and anaerobic tanks for water pollutant digestion stages.

But the offices, with stark and sophisticated interior design, immensely contradicted what was outside. Some of the office staff, especially the section supervisors were mid-classers. It was evident in the white-clad uniforms and jewelry they wore.

Grebert, mid-thirties, with cheeky features, and a mesomorphic body type, trained his fingertips towards the samples that lay on top of his top glass office table.

"Fine grade, the smoothness of the material and the consistency of its color says its a month or so usage life," Lance said.

"You know your materials, kiddo!" Grebert said. "Where did you get these? You don’t have access to the Tier 2 scrap yard yet, aren’t you?"

"Not yet, Mister," Lance replied. "I acquired this from a friend who had access to the source. And the source was beyond the grasp of common scrappers."

"Really? Can you acquire more?" Grebert asked. He typed his fingers against the glass top glass of his table.

"Your consumption?"

"According to my records," Grebert inspected the holographic dashboard that appeared on the glass surface of his table. "I have to replace Tyllrium strands, a total of 30 pieces. Are you good for it?"

"I am just curious, why aren’t you buying at MFs in Steam?" Lance referred to the Metal Factories in Steamhaven District.

"Budget, those top execs!" Grebert cursed. "These Tyllriums cost me much more if I buy from the MFs. 20% of my consumption was traded from Scrappers Tier 2. But’s not enough. Scums, I say!"

Lance was a scrapper Tier 1 and was only serving scrap metals for Grebert. Scrappers Tier 2 had access to a Tier 2 scrap yard where uncommon-level materials were dumped for disassembly.

"How much are the Scrappers charging you for one piece?" Lance asked.

Grebert halted his reply for a few seconds of awkward stares. Lance knew that Grebert would tell him a fake price for the negotiating party would decrease his trade price in mind. Judging from the samples, Lance could market them for 80 units each.

"65 units, lad. It’s a high price for a trade," Grebert snorted. "In MFs, I am buying at 160 a piece."

Grebert smiled. He squinted at the dashboards that reflected on his glass table. His fingers were tapping against the tempered glass surface.

"75 units each." Grebert negotiated.

"90 units," Lance responded, with firm tonality.

"80 units," Grebert laughed.

"90 units and final," Lance retorted. His body turned towards the opposite side as if heading to the exit to retract the negotiation.

"OK, it’s a done deal. Give me my 30 pieces for two months," Grebert extended his hand for a handshake. Handshaking these days still was gesture used for a gentleman’s agreement for both parties.

"Deal!" Lance shook Greberts hand hard.

He knew that Grebert would take the 90 units per piece deal. Grebert disclosed a trade secret that Lance knew how to leverage from it. Grebert was ordering from the MFs for 160 units a piece and with his budget constraint and delay in fulfilling production targets, Lance assessed that he had the upper hand.

"To clean water!" Lance teased.

Lance held one secret of Science. The WWMDs across Axe Central City were recycling wastewater to its potability state. Tyllriums were used as UV-emitting materials forged by different uncommon metals to cleanse water from microbial contaminations.

Removing metallic contaminants was one way of cleaning water but with equal importance, cleansing it with microbes would satisfy the consumers, Commoners, and higher status alike, and greatly contribute to its palpability.

Lance knew the significance of the deal. Top Executives of these private corporations had budget constraints due to a worse economy, short-changing their services to the masses.

With 40% dirty water due to the lack of Tyllrium filtration, there was also a 40% shortage of water supply to the citizens. If this predicament persists, citizens will rage to a state of emergency because of the lack of potable water.

And who would take the fall?

Grebert of WWMD Facility 2.

"What else do you need, Mister Grebert?" Lance fished upon the need. He had leverage for the supply of uncommon, rare, and masterwork-level materials and electronic components.

"Do you have salt, kid?" Grebert asked after releasing a great sigh.