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Chapter 33: Investing in Illegal Potions

  The moment Lucas revealed his identity, the intimidating aura of the four men blog his way vanished pletely.

  They were merely an illegal potion workshop and had no power to stand against the formidable Imperial Secret Intelligence Bureau.

  The old man hurriedly bowed to Lucas. "Ior Meteor, hello. I am Ralph, and these three are my sons.

  I know that our illegal produ of potions viotes imperial w. t our punishment."

  Ralph spoke about accepting punishment with practiced ease, indig that their workshop had frequent visits from the Secret Intelligence Bureau and likely from the Security Bureau as well.

  As long as they paid the fihe illegal potion produ tinued.

  However, Ralph couldn't fathom why this time the Ior himself had e. He had no idea how much it would take to get rid of this official.

  Thinking of this, Ralph's expression turned grim. It seemed this time he would have to make a substantial payment.

  But Lucas smiled and said, "Old Ralph, I'm not here to fine you. I'm here to talk business."

  Business?! Ralph uzzled.

  He ran an illegal potion workshop specializing in stimunts.

  What business could an Imperial Secret Intelligence Bureau Ior possibly have with him?

  "Ior, please don't joke with me."

  "I have no reason to joke with you. This isn't the pce for busialks; find a proper spot."

  Ralph, unsure of the Ior's iions, could only invite him to his office.

  Which also served as his potion mixing room.

  On the workbench, curved gss tubes ected various tainers, with a hemispherical gss pot boiling some green liquid.

  Ralph first removed the oil mp from uhe pot and had his sons bring in chairs, thehem all out.

  "Ior... we, the illegal potion merts, may seem profitable, but our margins are very thin.

  Purchasing raw materials, hiring workers, transportation, and bribing officials leaves us with little money in hand.

  If we truly made money, we wouldn't still be living in Illegal Potion Alley.

  Please, have a seat..."

  Lucas didn't sit down. Instead, he walked around the small mixing room, examining the equipment.

  "Old Ralph, other potion workshops likely don't have equipment as professional as yours."

  Proud of his equipment, Ralph replied, "Sir, most potion workshops here follow existing recipes. They are safe, but petitiveness.

  I enjoy tweaking potion formus to make them more potent.

  Our enhaimunts are highly sought after in the wealthy district."

  "But... someone died."

  Ralph immediately de. "No, no, no. The deceased noble did not drink a potion made by us. Every potion we make is tested by me personally before finalizing the formu.

  If anyoo die, it would be me first."

  "You personally test them?" Lucas looked skeptically at Ralph, who seemed too old to walk steadily.

  "If you don't believe me, Ior, I drink a bottle right now."

  "No need, no need..." Lucas stopped Ralph.

  If a noble from the wealthy district had indeed died from drinking an illegal potion, someone would have e knog long ago.

  This rumor was likely fabricated out of jealousy by petitors.

  Or it could be that the noble's death pleased many, and those who beed didn't want to stir up trouble.

  But whatever the truth, it had nothing to do with Lucas's purpose here.

  Lucas sat down, with Karina standing slightly behind him, still clutg her magid.

  "Please sit…" Lucas motioned for Ralph to sit down, then said, "I want to i in your potion workshop."

  "What?!"

  Ralph was utterly shocked. "Ior, did I hear yht? You want to i in my potion workshop?"

  "You heard correctly, and you don't o ask why. You'll i your workshop as a share, and the profits will be split: twenty pert for you, eighty pert for me.

  I provide you with prote and distribution els. The potions produced here get special permits from the Seawall District Secret Intelligence Bureau and be escorted by imperial agents out of the port, sold worldwide."

  Lucas's words made Ralph excited.

  A special permit from the Secret Intelligence Bureau alone could make Ralph's family prosper, not to mention the bureau to escort their goods.

  This was like the Imperial Secret Intelligence Bureau shoving gold bars into your arms—impossible to refuse.

  But Ralph still asked cautiously, "Ior, is this really okay? We're an illegal potion workshop, this is against the w…"

  "My presence here is to make you legal. With the Seawall District Secret Intelligence Bureau and me bag you, what are you afraid of?

  Are you in or out? If you're too scared of the risk, I find another workshop."

  "In!"

  That's right... If the Ior of the Secret Intelligence Bureau is leading the produ of illegal potions, what's there to fear!

  "Good!" Lucas poi the green potion Ralph had set aside earlier. "This is your primary stimunt, correct?"

  "Yes…" Ralph hurriedly brought the vial over, proudly saying, "This stimunt acts quickly, is potent, and doesn't put too much strain on the body. It outperforms all simir products on the market.

  The nobles in the wealthy district love it. If we market it worldwide... we're guarao make a fortune!"

  Lucas took the vial, shook it in front of him, and then ha back to Ralph.

  "Follow your inal formu, but make a new batch with the ingredients I specify. Reduce the pntain powder by 10 grams, increase the whale fat by 5 grams, add 8 grams of firethorn to the slime extract before stirring, and bake it into a pudding.

  After preparing the base potio it until it turns the same blue as my secretary's eyes, the in a refrigerated et at minus five degrees for half an hour."

  Ralph was astonished. "Ior, you know my formu? That's impossible. Only I know the formu, not even my sons."

  Lucas replied mysteriously, "Don't worry about how I got the formu. Just make the potion as I instructed and then evaluate its effectiveness."

  Ralph dared not ask further and immediately began to prepare the potion following the eps on the spot.

  Karina softly reminded Lucas, "Ior, as a senior imperial official, personally involving yourself in the produ, transportation, and sale of illegal potions...

  If this gets exposed, it will definitely affect your career."

  Lucas responded, "You should know I've e to the Seawall District Secret Intelligence Bureau with a signifit mission. Everything I do is to plete the task assigned by Her Highness.

  I brought you because I trust you."

  Karina suddenly uood.

  The fact that the Ior was being so closely monitored by the Princess meant his as had deeper implications.

  As the Ior's fidential secretary, she only o focus on how best to support the Ior.

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