Chapter 55 Traveling Through the Middle Ages 055

Chapter 55: Through the Middle Ages

When Filippo Pebatti mentioned introducing his fellow countrymen from Nice to Louisa, Louisa was quite surprised.

The Pebatti Company is a major corporation in Roland, and although its shareholders include people from several regions of Roland, the 'Pebatti' family is indeed a representative family of the Republic of Nice.

Louisa had thought that those shrewd, opportunistic merchants would come to Troyes to place orders with the Mirror Workshop. But she didn't expect someone to approach her directly, and it was a merchant from the Republic of Nice.

It's no secret that the owner of the Troyes Mirror Workshop is Count Balzac, and it's not hard to find out with a little inquiry. After all, it's a newly established and highly profitable industry in the Troyes area. If it had no connection with the local lord, that would be strange!

And it's not too difficult to trace from Count Balzac to Louisa being the actual controller of the Troyes Mirror Workshop. After all, those who have access to the Brudo court know how sought-after Louisa, the female heir of Brudo, is. Count Balzac trusts her immensely, and she has proven her worth by handling many matters.

Moreover, every action leaves a trace. Although Louisa keeps the mirror-making technology confidential, she hasn't deliberately hidden her control over the mirror-making industry. On one hand, it's unnecessary, and on the other, it's about building her reputation—this is different from sugar production.

Sugar production isn't a monopoly; even in Roland, some know the sugar-making techniques. Their attempts to grow sugarcane in the southernmost part of Roland suggest they know something. The sugar industry in Brudo stands out not for using sugarcane but for using sugar beets, which can be grown everywhere locally.

Once this is revealed, it's only a matter of time before people realize that making sugar from sugar beets is essentially the same as from sugarcane. Therefore, keeping the fact that Brudo can produce sugar locally unknown is crucial! Creating a blind spot might be more effective than any confidentiality measures.

Mirror-making is a different matter. There's no large-scale cultivation of sugar beets visible, and the technical threshold is very high at this time, making it easier to keep the technology under wraps. As for whether the local area produces glass mirrors, that can't be concealed because, unlike sugar, such high-quality glass mirrors aren't produced elsewhere!

Since it can't be concealed, there's no need to put in extra effort... Louisa can openly manage this matter, letting everyone see her contributions, status, and how her reputation and respect are gradually built up.

What surprises her now is that knowing the Mirror Workshop is backed by her and coming to see her are two different things. There have been some orders placed with the Mirror Workshop, but no one has ever specifically sought her out for a visit.

One reason is that it's unnecessary; if you want to buy something, does the owner have to personally greet you? Another reason is that it seems somewhat disrespectful. As a noble young lady, Louisa manages her industries, which is acceptable because the industry is profitable, and she is the female heir of Brudo, destined to handle such matters. But others shouldn't really approach her directly for business.

Additionally, the fact that this person is from the Republic of Nice is quite interesting... After this incident, the mirror-making industry in Nice has been severely affected!

"Oh, if it's your request... of course, I would also like to meet outstanding figures from the Republic of Nice," Louisa first agreed to Filippo's request.

After the partner of the Pebatti Company visibly relaxed, she continued, "But I don't quite understand, if wealthy people from Nice are also interested in 'dressing mirrors,' placing orders should be enough, why do they need to see me specifically?"

She was probing Filippo, who didn't hesitate long before answering, "Because they have a big deal to discuss with you... the Brudo Great Mirror, I mean the dressing mirror, if they are to order, it's not just one or two. They want to confirm the production capacity of the Mirror Workshop and negotiate some discounts."

It seems there are many and significant matters to discuss, and they believe the managers of the Mirror Workshop don't have the authority to make decisions, so they want to meet Louisa directly.

Although Filippo is acting as a go-between for his fellow countrymen, and their family relations are quite good, for Filippo Pebatti personally, it's clearly Louisa who is central to his core interests. So, 'betraying' his fellow countrymen doesn't require much thought—of course, he doesn't consider this as betrayal.

Such matters are bound to come up when they meet; what betrayal is there? It's just that he informed Princess Louisa beforehand.

With this, Louisa had a clear idea and, after asking a few more questions, nodded and had the Nice merchants waiting outside the living room brought in.

There were more than one person, totaling four or five. After they sat down, the maid served drinks as usual. Unlike the iced lemon water common in summer, it was now October, and even at the warmest time of the day, it felt cool. The drinks served matched the temperature, being room-temperature juices that were healthy and delicious.

Two pots of juice were seasonal, one pear juice and one pomegranate juice, both light and fragrant, sweet and sour.

After the maid served these, it was Louisa's personal maid who poured the drinks. Louisa asked them if they preferred pear juice or pomegranate juice—this even impressed the Nice merchants.

After the drinks were poured, the initial interaction was mainly introductions and friendly exchanges. After a while, a Nice merchant named Giovanni, seemingly the leader among them, spoke up, "Princess Louisa, the purpose of our visit is to order a batch of Troyes 'dressing mirrors.'"

"That's fine," Louisa smiled, "The Troyes Mirror Workshop accepts any orders, but you might have to queue, as there are many orders recently, and we have to follow the 'first come, first served' principle."

The Mirror Workshop does have production capacity limits, but not because of themselves. If anything, the workshop doesn't employ many workers, but even at full capacity, they can handle production with ease—their work isn't difficult, just adjusting solutions temporarily and performing the silvering reaction on glass panels.

In fact, the mirror-making industry is the least technically challenging.

The reason the workers are highly paid is simply because the profits from making glass mirrors are high, and they don't need to worry about wages. It's also a form of bribery; everyone knows they get such high pay not because of their outstanding skills but because the Mirror Workshop has a monopoly.

This way, it's harder for others to bribe them to betray the technology... although, they don't really have much technology to betray. Even the solutions and raw materials they receive, they mostly can't tell what's what. As for sneaking them out to sell to others, not to mention the oversight by the Count's and Louisa's people, even if they did manage to sneak something out, it would be hard to reverse-engineer.

Reverse engineering, even in Louisa's previous life when analytical methods were already advanced, was still something only a few high-tech institutions could accomplish, let alone now.

What truly limits the Mirror Workshop's production capacity is other parts of the manufacturing chain. For example, glass panel production can easily get stuck at the polishing stage... Polishing is indeed a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Unless the glass workshop hires an unlimited number of 'mirror polishers,' they have no choice but to wait.

Additionally, the production of raw materials for various solutions is genuinely difficult to improve in efficiency under current conditions. As for laboratory extraction efficiency, well, those in the know, know.

However, Louisa isn't overly concerned about boosting production capacity. After all, it's a luxury product, and producing too much would devalue it. Within a certain range, producing as much as possible is sufficient... Filling orders at a leisurely pace actually gives potential customers a sense of exclusivity, which helps maintain the luxury product's prestige and price.

Of course, Louisa isn't aiming to create a 'top-tier luxury' product with a sky-high price and a handful of potential buyers, which wouldn't sustain an industry. So, she generally doesn't intend to make buyers wait—it's just that the 'dressing mirrors' are newly launched, and orders have piled up.

Presumably, such a backlog of orders for a high-end product like the 'dressing mirror' won't last long.

"Yes, first come, first served, but we hope for some special consideration," Giovanni quickly added, seeing Louisa's unchanged expression. "For our substantial order... We plan to order at least 10 dressing mirrors in one go, and this is just the first batch!"

Louisa recalled what Filippo had revealed about Giovanni's business situation and asked in a calm voice, "Ordering 10 at once, with potential follow-up orders... Are you planning to introduce the 'dressing mirror' to the East?"

The Republic of Nis, with its strategic location, has profited immensely from East-West transshipment trade. Although the Near Eastern countries are 'infidels' to them, money clearly transcends religion—in fact, Nis merchants enjoy many privileges in the Near East, having turned it into their own territory, heavily guarded against Western competitors.

Giovanni and his associates are involved in transshipment trade, reportedly having connections with high-ranking officials in the Eastern Roman Empire and even favorites of the Sultan. Their intention to order dressing mirrors is unlikely to be for domestic sales. Moreover, their large order and hints of follow-up orders suggest they are targeting the Eastern market.

Even if they can't capture the entire Eastern market, just a portion of it could rival the local orders for the Mirror Workshop... The East is wealthier, and its nobility is more extravagant, as everyone knows. Sending a product like the dressing mirror there might make it even more popular than locally!

Ordering 10 mirrors in the first batch is merely a cautious approach. Additionally, it's because they have limited liquid funds available. They are indeed wealthy merchants (without substantial capital, transshipment trade wouldn't be feasible, at best a minor operation), but the bigger the merchant, the more accustomed they are to keeping their money rolling, making money generate more money!

As a result, the funds they can quickly access are inevitably limited.

If it were a typical upstream supplier, Giovanni and his associates would be confident in securing the goods first. They could start the business with minimal or even no deposit. But when dealing with a Count (referring to Count Balzac), it's a different story.

They mostly don't understand that merchants often operate with 'ten jars and nine lids,' where debts and credits are the norm. They seek stability, requiring substantial deposits and prompt payment of the balance—something Giovanni and his associates, who frequently deal with Eastern nobility, are well aware of.

Conservative yet greedy—that's Giovanni and his associates' view of the nobility.

"Yes... We plan to sell them in the East," Giovanni admitted after a moment's hesitation, realizing that Filippo had likely revealed their intentions. He even added, "Knowing this, you should understand that we are trustworthy, and the market is vast."

"If we are fortunate enough to sign a contract with you, it means a continuous flow of orders, and we will bring you unimaginable profits... In fact, if you allow us to pay a smaller deposit and extend the payment period, we could even double the first batch to 20 mirrors!"

Regarding the 'big promise' of doubling the order (which would materialize if she agreed), Louisa remained noncommittal. She deliberately avoided the topic and spoke generally, "If you can market the Troyes dressing mirrors in the East, it would benefit us, and the Count and I have no reason to oppose it."

If it were just about placing an order, even a larger one, there would be no need to visit her. As Filippo had revealed, Giovanni and his associates had more significant interests at stake.

Sure enough, seeing that Louisa didn't take the initiative to address the issue or fall for his 'big promise,' Giovanni had to state his request himself: "...We are confident about the 'dressing mirror' in the Eastern market, but the transportation risks are significant, and the financial pressure is substantial. So, we hope you can offer a discount and extend the payment period, given the size of our order."

"Additionally, regarding the dressing mirrors, we hope the Troyes Mirror Workshop can supply only the mirror cores, which would facilitate transportation."

Giovanni knew it would be challenging to get all these requests fulfilled. After all, the nobility is greedy! Asking them to earn less or receive payment later is like stealing from their pockets, which is absolutely unacceptable. But he was confident he could eventually persuade Louisa, partly due to the shrewd merchant's underestimation of a young novice and partly due to the male underestimation of females.

Louisa is a young lady, and people often can't help but 'judge by appearances.' This isn't necessarily malicious, just a deeply ingrained mindset that doesn't even rise to the level of malice.

Seeing that Louisa didn't respond immediately, Giovanni added, "You should understand that retail and wholesale are entirely different. You can sell to others at 1000 pounds per mirror, which is retail. What we're doing is wholesale, and asking for a discount is entirely reasonable. Without some profit margin, we can't sell your mirrors in the East."

"As for the payment period, well! That's also common in business. You're not a merchant, so it's normal not to understand. But in normal commercial trade, longer payment periods are expected."

After listening to this, Louisa smiled and said, "I don't quite understand what you're saying, but I don't think it matters—I mean, you're right, my father and I are not merchants, and we're not really in the business."

"Or to put it another way, we are willing to do business our way, even if it means earning a bit less."

Does Louisa really not understand? She understands perfectly! She just doesn't want to be led by the nose by Giovanni. And her apparent indifference to earning a bit less indeed left Giovanni and his associates momentarily speechless... The merchants and nobles they usually deal with would never be indifferent to earning less. Giovanni thinks nobles are greedy, but are merchants any less greedy?

But when Louisa says this, Giovanni genuinely believes it might be true. This is also a way of leveraging the current underestimation of women—in men's eyes, women lack brains, are fickle, and doing things that don't align with profit is quite normal, isn't it?

This is about recognizing one's own 'foolishness' and inability to handle complex issues, choosing to simplify matters even at the cost of earning less.

For a moment, Giovanni was torn between persuading Princess Louisa not to give up so easily and explaining the intricate interests involved in detail.

After a few seconds, he forced a smile and said, "You should take more time to consider. If you realize in the future how much profit you're missing out on, you'll feel pain and regret..."

Princess Louisa continued to smile without speaking.

Giovanni's arguments were correct in normal business dealings. Whether it's getting a better price for wholesale compared to retail, or requesting longer payment terms, or even asking for an 'Export Special Simplified Version' (mirrors without frames), these are common practices both now and in the future.

But the problem is, this is not a normal business transaction; the underlying logic is completely different—Princess Louisa is currently running a monopoly, selling luxury goods!

Setting aside the monopoly, having something that no one else has is always the most expensive. In the future, monopolies can exploit the world, and everyone must endure it until they can produce it themselves. In such cases, what room is there for discounts? If they can accept your order amidst their busy schedule and squeeze you in, you should be extremely grateful!

Moreover, they often raise prices for various reasons, such as floods affecting production at the main factory location or global raw material price increases...

As for luxury goods, in Princess Louisa's previous life, she never heard of top luxury brands giving discounts to bulk buyers. Items that are in high demand are sold at the original price no matter how many you buy. At most, they might offer some convenience, like reducing the required purchase quota or offering better options among the required purchases—forget about fly swatters, at least give a few scarves.

If a luxury item is being discounted or reduced in price, it can only mean that the brand is failing, or at least that the style is out of fashion. Moreover, such discounts and price reductions won't entice core customers to rush to buy; they will quickly abandon it and opt for other seasonal hits or even switch brands.

Those modern industrial products (some semi-handmade) that lack core competitiveness and rely on sentiment, stories, and prestige have the confidence to maintain their prices. Princess Louisa is now selling something truly competitive, the 'Dressing Mirror' that only the Mirror Workshop in Troyes can produce. Why should she lower the price?

What does it matter to her if Giovanni and his group need to make a profit? And Princess Louisa is confident that even without offering a discount, they would still sell to their Eastern clients at a higher price, ensuring their own profit. As for the smaller market due to high prices, that's not the point here.

Moreover, if Princess Louisa were to give a discount, how much could she give? Giving too much would displease the Count and herself, and she would also have to guard against Giovanni and his group potentially re-importing the goods. After all, selling to the East, according to him, involves high shipping costs and risks, so why not sell locally and make an easy profit?

And if the discount is too small, what's the point?

Later, when Giovanni tried to continue the discussion, Princess Louisa just 'played Tai Chi' with him... Giovanni, being a very shrewd businessman, is no fool. By the time he left, he should have realized that Princess Louisa had been deliberately avoiding the issue.

Filippo, who had introduced them to Princess Louisa, was waiting for them and left together. After exiting the 'Red Tower' where Princess Louisa resided, Giovanni's companion couldn't help but complain to Filippo, "Mr. Pepati, you really spilled all our details to Princess Louisa! This put us at a great disadvantage in the negotiation."

Filippo dismissed such complaints and easily deflected, "You're exaggerating! I did tell Princess Louisa about you, but only what was necessary as an introducer. Could I have brought you to Princess Louisa without saying anything, just asking a noble lady to meet a group of strangers?"

"As for your disadvantage in front of Princess Louisa, that's your own mistake." At this point, Filippo even spoke in a seasoned tone, "I suppose you didn't show the necessary sincerity. Princess Louisa is not the usual kind of fool; she is a woman who is both intelligent and strong-willed."

"If you fail to recognize in the negotiation that she is a formidable opponent and let her take the lead, that's quite normal."

Giovanni, who had been pondering Princess Louisa's performance, was stirred and asked, "So, Princess Louisa is not someone insensitive to interests, right?"

"Of course," Filippo replied without hesitation, "But sometimes it depends on what 'interests' are. I can only say that Princess Louisa always grasps the key points. Her focus on interests is different from those who cling to money and ignore everything else. Often, if necessary, she indeed doesn't care about money."

"This indifference stems not from a lack of sensitivity or understanding, but from her making choices entirely based on her own will. Choices, do you understand?" Filippo looked somewhat teasingly at his fellow countryman of similar age. He had already guessed what Giovanni and his group had encountered.

Similar things had happened more than once since he met Princess Louisa... Everyone who underestimated her ended up paying a price until they could respect her as an opponent or partner.