The final bell rang.
Students poured out of the school building in every direction as another day came to an end, and as usual, Alexander, Ginny, and Chuck left together.
The routine had become familiar over the past months; Chuck headed toward the parking lot and Ginny and Alexander toward Roland's waiting vehicle.
Before leaving, Chuck pointed dramatically toward Alexander and said, "Remember, Lex."
Alexander let out a resigned sigh, already expecting what he was about to say, yet he still asked, "What now?"
"The next tournament. I'm going to win it, so prepare another cool dragon for me!"
Alexander raised an eyebrow and said, "You've been saying that for a week."
"If something is repeated enough times, then it will become true even if it isn't."
"With such reasoning, you could become a politician."
Chuck grinned and said, "Nope. I'd like to keep my soul and integrity."
Ginny once again laughed at their usual banter, then a few moments later the three separated.
Chuck climbed into his car and departed while Alexander and Ginny entered Roland's vehicle.
The drive began shortly afterwards.
The trip to Ginny's home passed quietly, and, as always, Alexander and Roland waited until she safely entered the house; only then did Roland start the engine again.
He glanced into the rearview mirror and asked, "Home, Master Alexander?"
In response, Alexander shook his head and said, "No."
Roland calmly waited, and soon Alexander added, "Take me to Thomas's factory."
One eyebrow rose slightly as he asked, "The prototypes are already ready?"
"No."
Alexander leaned back in his seat and added, "Not even close."
Level 8 monsters had only recently become available, and several negotiations with Duel Spirits still remained; there simply weren't nearly enough cards to fill an entire booster set.
Roland nodded and guessed, "Then I assume this visit concerns manufacturing."
"It does."
The car smoothly merged back into traffic, and for several moments silence filled the cabin, then Roland asked, "What exactly do you have in mind?"
Instead of answering immediately, Alexander asked his own question, "What do you think of Thomas?"
Roland thought about it, not because the answer was difficult but because he suspected where this conversation was heading, and eventually he replied, "He is competent."
Alexander nodded and agreed, "He is."
"He is reliable."
Another nod.
"He is."
Roland continued, "He possesses significant experience within his industry."
"Correct."
"He plans ahead."
"Also correct."
"He is willing to take calculated risks when opportunity presents itself."
Alexander smiled, "Exactly."
Roland fell silent, then he said with certainty, "You wish to bring him into the company."
Alexander's smile widened as he asked, "That obvious?"
"To me?"
"Fair point."
The butler's expression remained calm while Alexander looked out the window.
The city slowly passed by before he said, "When Duel Monsters launched, outsourcing production was the correct decision."
Roland nodded.
Neither of them questioned that because building a factory from scratch would have been absurdly expensive and partnering with an existing manufacturer had been the practical solution.
"But?" Roland prompted.
Alexander sighed and admitted, "But now it's creating more problems than it solves."
He tapped the armrest thoughtfully as he expanded that thought, "We're growing too fast. Demand keeps increasing. Production requirements keep increasing. And eventually international distribution will increase them again."
Roland listened quietly while Alexander continued, "At some point Thomas effectively becomes our manufacturing division anyway."
That was the truth.
The factory already revolved around Duel Monsters, and every month the relationship between Industrial Illusions and Merriweather Printing grew deeper; eventually the distinction would become artificial.
"So," Roland said, "You intend to formalise the relationship."
Alexander nodded and said, "I want him inside the company."
Roland hummed thoughtfully before asking, "And what are you offering?"
"Head of Manufacturing."
That earned genuine approval, a very slight one, but it was there. Then Alexander continued, "He would oversee every aspect of production. Factories. Equipment. Expansion. Hiring. Supply chains. Everything."
Roland nodded slowly and commented, "That's a significant responsibility."
"It should be."
"And ownership?"
Alexander smiled and said, "Shares. Thanks to our collaboration, he should be fully aware of their value and potential, and on top of that, this will also further align his interest with that of Industrial Illusion. Making sure that he will do his best to ensure the company's success."
The butler was silent for a few seconds, then he nodded again and commented, "That's a sensible proposal."
Alexander laughed and said, "That's a very Roland way of saying you approve."
"I do."
The car continued forward, and after a moment Roland asked, "Should I contact Elizabeth and tell her to come with us?"
Alexander shook his head and replied, "There is no need. At least not at the moment."
His lawyer would become involved eventually, probably sooner rather than later, but today wasn't about contracts; today was about discussion and negotiation.
"If Thomas accepts in principle, we can bring Elizabeth in afterwards to officialise everything."
Roland agreed with him.
The conversation faded, and for a while neither spoke, which allowed Alexander's thoughts to drift elsewhere.
Toward the upgrade he had recently purchased, toward the Level 8 monster Duel Spirits.
The difference compared to Level 7 entities was immediately noticeable as their presence felt heavier and more substantial, yet unlike before, he had endured the pressure surprisingly well.
His Ba had grown stronger, significantly stronger.
The negotiations themselves had also become easier, but not because the spirits were weaker; quite the opposite. However, many Level 8 Duel Spirits seemed more mature, more composed, and wiser.
Most of them still tested him; some tested him harshly, yet very few immediately attempted to devour him, or dominate him, or destroy him.
Alexander considered that an improvement; however, as he interacted with more and more Duel Spirits, he also realised that Level doesn't actually fully represent their strength and power.
In fact, all of the Level 8 Duel Spirits he contacted "felt" much weaker than Dark Magician, Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and Neos, which are a level lower, making Alexander conclude that the Level mostly represents the monster "Status" within the Spirit World and the level of influence they have over humans and the Spirit World.
Then another thought appeared in his mind, Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
Immediately, his expression became complicated, something that Roland noticed but wisely chose not to ask.
Alexander stared out the window while thinking, 'Part of me wants to establish contact. After all, Blue-Eyes White Dragon is iconic. Possibly one of the strongest and most important Duel Spirits in existence. Yet another part of me hesitates because there is one tiny concern... One named Seto Kaiba.'
Alexander rubbed his forehead as he thought, 'The man had literally built technology capable of reaching the afterlife all because he wanted another duel and his attachment to Blue-Eyed "Wife" is equally legendary. I'm genuinely not sure what would happen if Blue-Eyes appeared in this world and suddenly developed a relationship with someone else. Would Kaiba care? Very likely. Would he overreact? Absolutely. Would he find a way to reach this universe and cause a mess out of sheer spite? I'm not sure, but from what I know of Kaiba, it isn't impossible...'
Alexander wasn't eager to find out so soon, so he decided to postpone the creation of Blue-Eyes White Dragon until his situation was a bit more solid.
Fortunately, the factory appeared before further speculation could occur.
The facility dominated several city blocks, and even from outside, its activity was obvious.
Workers moved constantly, trucks entered and exited and equipment operated.
The entire place hummed with industry, and much of it existed because of Duel Monsters, as this was a factory on the verge of bankruptcy before Thomas took over.
Roland parked, and the two exited the vehicle.
Several employees immediately recognised them, and a few minutes later they were escorted toward the administrative offices.
Thomas Merriweather greeted them personally.
"Alexander."
"Thomas."
The two shook hands, then Thomas glanced toward Roland and respectfully said, "Mr Cooper."
"Mr Merriweather."
Formalities completed, they entered the office where coffee was offered and accepted by Roland while Alexander preferred fresh water, then everyone sat down.
Thomas leaned back and said, "I assume this isn't a social visit."
Alexander smiled and confirmed, "It isn't."
"I figured."
Thomas folded his hands and asked, "So, what can I do for you?"
Alexander didn't waste time and directly said, "Join Industrial Illusions."
Silence.
Thomas blinked while Roland remained perfectly still.
Then Alexander continued, "I don't mean as a supplier. I mean officially."
That immediately got Thomas' full attention.
The factory owner stared for a moment, then slowly leaned forward.
Now they were talking.
Thomas leaned back in his chair and asked, "Why?"
Alexander blinked and asked back with a knowing smile, "Why what?"
"Why me?" The manufacturer spread his hands and said, "Industrial Illusions is growing fast. Very fast. You could hire executives from larger companies. People with more experience. So why me?"
Alexander answered immediately, "Because I know and trust you."
Thomas seemed genuinely surprised.
Alexander continued, "You've delivered every order we've requested. When demand exploded, you expanded production. When problems appeared, you solved them before they reached us."
He gestured toward the factory outside, "And because more than half of this place already works for Duel Monsters."
That earned a laugh, "Fair."
Alexander leaned forward slightly and said, "Right now you're our supplier. In another year you'll effectively be our manufacturing division anyway. I'd rather stop pretending there's a difference."
Thomas nodded slowly, "I can see the logic."
Then his expression became more serious, "And what happens to Merriweather Printing?"
"There are several ways to structure it." Alexander deliberately kept the answer vague as he lightly threw in a few suggestions, "Acquisition. Merger. Subsidiary. That comes later."
Thomas almost sighed, remembering a certain scary blonde woman with thin-framed glasses and said, "Meaning your lawyer can argue about it."
Seeing Thomas' reaction, Alexander grinned and confirmed, "Exactly."
Thomas laughed softly and said in an almost grieving tone, "I pity my lawyer already."
Roland remained silent, but a proud smile appeared on his face.
Alexander suspected that was because Elizabeth was his dear niece and Thomas' reaction was clear proof of her ability and success.
The discussion continued.
Questions became answers. Answers became new questions.
Thomas asked about expansion. Alexander asked about production limits.
Thomas outlined potential bottlenecks. Alexander outlined future growth projections.
Neither tried to overwhelm the other as both understood enough business to recognise when the other had a point.
Eventually the conversation reached the real issue.
Compensation.
Thomas folded his arms and asked, "What exactly are you offering?"
"Head of Manufacturing."
The manufacturer nodded and said, "I expected that part."
"You would oversee every factory we own."
"Reasonable."
"Every future factory as well."
Thomas raised an eyebrow and commented, "That's ambitious."
Alexander smiled and said, "We're planning to be."
The older man chuckled, then he asked the question Alexander had been waiting for, "And ownership?"
Roland's eyes shifted almost imperceptibly as now they were truly negotiating.
Alexander slid a document he prepared beforehand across the desk.
Thomas glanced down, then looked up, then down again before saying, "Three per cent?"
"Immediately."
The manufacturer hummed thoughtfully, "Not bad."
"But?"
"But you wouldn't have handed me a sheet of paper for three per cent."
Alexander smiled as Thomas once again proved his sharpness, "Correct."
He tapped the page and said, "An additional two per cent if production capacity doubles successfully."
Thomas read the line again, then the next one out loud, "And another two per cent after nationwide expansion."
"Correct."
For several moments he said nothing, and Alexander allowed the silence to exist.
Finally Thomas leaned back and said, "Interesting."
Roland seemed equally interested.
Thomas tapped the paper with one finger, "If I understand correctly, I only receive the additional ownership if I actually create the growth."
"Yes."
"And if expansion fails?"
"The company keeps the shares."
The manufacturer laughed, "There it is."
"There what is?"
"The trap."
Alexander looked offended, "Hey, it isn't a trap."
"It absolutely is."
Thomas pointed at the proposal, "You've structured this so that if I succeed, everyone benefits. If I fail, you lose very little."
Alexander considered that, then nodded, "That was the idea."
The manufacturer stared at him for several seconds, then laughed again, but not because the offer was unfair, quite the opposite; it was clever, very clever.
Roland appeared impressed as well, but not by the numbers, by the structure.
The proposal rewarded success, protected the company, and aligned everyone's interests, particularly Thomas'.
Finally, the manufacturer looked toward Alexander; a smile slowly spread across his face, "I have to say, you are a scary but brilliant kid."
Alexander grinned, "I've been told that before."
Thomas shook his head, "I'm not surprised..."
The negotiations weren't finished, not yet, as lawyers would become involved, contracts would be drafted, and details would be refined, but as Alexander looked across the desk, he already knew that the hardest part was over; Thomas wanted in.
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