It was 2 in the morning before I got home. My second day as a dungeon core master had come. Didn't feel like it had been that long ago. And I'm already a criminal.
Gonna have to avoid being that kind of person in the future.
I needed to sleep after today. But before I do, I need to check on Buddy.
"Nola can you make me a medium healing potion for Buddy"
-Insufficient material - Exotic material missing
Oof. Those potions are no joke. At least I know I can get a low grade one
"One, nah, 5 low grade potions please" Can't hurt to stock up.
I force feed Buddy another healing potion and check his bandages. Clean. Everything else was too.
I would need to get him some water tomorrow. Food too. I hope Nola has something saved he can drink that won't end up poising him.
But that is a problem for future Roy. Present Roy is going to bed, cause he is bone tired after the day he's had. He's even started speaking in the third person!
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The morning came far too soon.
They always seem too. Never enough energy, no matter how much you sleep. There's a good potion to ask Nola about. Magic coffee. Full nights sleep in a glass.
Probably costs a skyscrapers worth of rocks though. Best not to get the hopes up. We have other things to spend our matter on.
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I called ahead to a junk man I had met at work. Charlie 'Chopper' Antalia. Really cheap dude. He'd cart his own cast offs away rather than pay the 8 cent a pound disposal fee. I know that selling him on free disposal will be a breeze. With the volume he alone brings in every week I could keep Nola well fed. With his connections to others in the business we might have more than we can handle
I agreed to meet him at his place later in the afternoon to discuss terms. He seems skeptical, who wouldn't be, but a demonstration of the mini processing plant will make a believer out of any skeptic.
That conversation would be easy. Maybe even fun. Something to look forward to after what I am sure will be a difficult morning.
"Nola, I want you to stay and protect Buddy. If anyone comes into the room, stop them." She was too big for the pouch now and I didn't want to risk anyone running into her while I am out. Even invisible I think someone might notice getting hit in the face with a rock.
I assume the baseball sized crystal tried to comply with the order, but as I drove down the street I felt a physical tug as we reached the limits of our bond. By the time I got to the stop sign at the end of the road the feeling was that of a rubber band stretched to its limits. If I didn't head back now, something would break. A quick illegal u turn later I am running back inside to Buddy's room.
Nola had embedded herself into the wall facing the direction I had been going. She appeared to be stuck too. I didn't get a feeling of total frustration, yet, but it was coming. I should help her out of the wall before she starts eating the house.
"Its all right, I'll get you out of there" I said as I started pulling off sheet rock. It's a good thing I can print money now. I'd be worried about expenses otherwise
She'd gotten herself wedged between two studs placed too close together. I thought it was funny to see a stone that ate trucks last night held in place by some 2x4s, but I appreciated that she didn't start eating things without permission.
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Definitely bodes well. She's less likely to deliberately destroy things if that's her personality.
I grabbed an old gym bag before heading out again. I can hide her inside this, hide the bag in the trunk, lock the car, and then nobody has to know she's there and she can stay close to me. That'll work. No more issues today.
The unplanned delay had set me behind schedule. I needed to hurry to make the morning appointment.
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"You Sir, are Late" Melvin said with an exaggerated point as I parked out in front of the fence.
God I hate this man already. Who shows up to a junkyard in a suit? Is he stupid? Nope, stop it, we need him to let us buy the place. Put on your best ass kissing face and pucker up. We are buying the place from this Gordon Gekko wannabe.
"Sorry about that Melvin, hit some traffic on the way in here" I got out of the car as quickly as I could. I resisted the urge to check the trunk. Nola was fine there. Don't act suspicious.
"Yeah, well time is money and you are wasting mine." He exaggeratedly whipped out a pair of white oakleys. Come on man, it isn't even sunny out. Are you trying to fit yourself into every stereotype?
"Well in the interest of not wasting any more, I will get to the point. I want to buy your fathers old yard. I want to re open it with my new process and have a go at being a recycler. I am prepared to offer fair market value for the area" I had researched the place. The land wasn't worth much, 50k on the high end. The permits and zoning however were perfect for me. I could open tomorrow without any harassment from the city. I could print 50k in cash without raising too many red flags for the irs. Maybe even a hundred. Anything higher and I would need some sort of paper trail for legitimacy. I probably can't go too far over 150, maybe I can get a loan against my house...
"Alright then Ryan" It is Roy asshole "A million dollars and the whole thing is yours."
I had to choke back my first reaction to that offer. And the second. I should count to ten before responding
"I'm sorry, What the fu..." He raised a hand in my face stopping me dead.
"Hold up a minute there boss, I have a phone call. Chew on that offer a beat and I'll get back to you"
I will not commit murder and have Nola hide the body. I will not commit murder and have Nola hide the body.
I have to collect myself, this guy is the difference between starting tomorrow and starting a year from now. You can print money and gold. Get him to accept a payment plan for this highway robbery and we can make this happen. Sure, he's charging 20 times the value of the place. But you can afford it. Don't cheap out now.
"So what do you think Robert" he held out his hand as if I'd shake on this bad a deal "Do we have a deal"
"I can't afford that for this land Melvin, any way you can come down from there?" What are you doing you idiot! Just pay the man!
No. Its the principle of the thing. This douche canoe is not getting a million dollars for this scrap of land. He isn't even getting my name right!
"Well, I suppose I could be tempted to take an equity stake in your business. How's 51% sound" Like you think I am an idiot. "I've been wanting to go back into the family business. I could be a silent partner" I would rather eat glass Melvin
"Here's my offer, 100k for the property. Cash. I can have it to you by the end of the day" The implication of tax free bills flashed across Melvin's eyes, but there was something else there. I am not sure why he hasn't been taking the offer seriously since I got here. He seemed excited to sell when I called. There's something else at play here.
"I need an equity stake my man. I am diversifying my portfolio. 200K, 25% stake, we can shake and make it happen." There it is. He wants a piece 'for his portfolio'. I don't know why. I am an unknown nobody looking to go into recycling. I need the land though.
"100k, 1% stake. Option to buy you out in a year for another 100k" That is more than generous. Take it. Take the deal and get off my dump.
"Make it 10% and a 150k buyout. Final offer"
I hate you Melvin
"Deal"
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I absolutely got screwed in that deal. Even being able to print money didn't soften that. If I didn't feel a sense of urgency around the core, I would have gone somewhere else.
Next year I am paying the buyout in pennies. Unwrapped dirty pennies soaked in motor oil.
We got the deal signed and notarized at the bank nearby. Its official. Nola and I can start our empire here.
Melvin did give me a key to the gate, but it didn't fit. One last insult from him to close out the day. I had Nola eat the lock. Nothings stopping me now
The well worn gravel driveway lead to a half collapsed shack with a broken smelter inside. Useless. I can put the mini processing plant inside for now while we have Nola make the largest pieces she can for the full sized version. I will end up having to assemble the big one by hand, but I can just have the pieces designed to slot together. Its not like it has to actually function anyway. It just has to look cool and hide the core inside.
I check the time. I have a little over an hour before I meet Chopper. I should check on Buddy.