Chapter 97 Torrential Rain
I knew how urgent the situation was, so I went back inside right away to pack my bags. Ellen needed to come with me on the trip.
I had already contacted every supplier in the province, and it was clear. None of them could deliver in bulk. We had no choice but to look out of state.
At first, Jude did not want me to go alone. But with Aiden stirring up trouble agained messing up several projects, Jude had no choice but to stay behind.
Unfortunately, even after we checked nearby provinces, there were only a couple of factories that could ship small quantities, and at a higher cost. The numbers just did not add up.
While I was stressing out over what to do next, I got a call from Dorian. He had a supply source, and the price was surprisingly low.
“There’s a catch,” Dorian said. “The goods are in Seainwood. Shipping’s going to be more expensive, and transportation’s not exactly easy. Since it’s our first time working with them, we’ll need to see the materials in person. When can you go?” Seainwood was mostly mountainous terrain. Moving large amounts of construction material would mean taking rough mountain roads, which definitely pushed the transport cost up.
After running the numbers, including shipping and expected loss during transit, I figured it was still worth checking out.” Dorian, please get in touch with the supplier for me. I’m willing to go see the materials myself.”
“Great. I already talked to them before. Let’s go together. I’ll meet you at the airport tomorrow.” Before I could say no, he hung up.
I thought about messaging him on WhatsApp, but ended up putting my phone down. Truth be told, going into a remote area felt a lot safer with someone I knew.
It took some real effort, but we finally made it to Seainwood. And only then did I truly understand what difficult transportation meant.
The mountain roads were a nightmare. After hours on a coach bus, we still had to ride a tractor for over an hour just to get to the factory.
By the time we arrived, Ellen and I were both on the verge of throwing up.
The driver chuckled at the sight of us. “You just got to puke a few more times and you’ll get used to it. This is way better than before. Back when there was no tractor, you’d have no idea how long it’d take to get in.”
The place did have a working mine, and the land was spacious. And labor costs were low. But with that kind of road, getting anything out of there would be a huge pain.
I started second–guessing everything when Dorian caught me by the arm. “This place has good materials, and it’s supported by the local government. It’s a solid option for a long–term partnership.”
He added, “Elitara Group doesn’t have high demand right now. Otherwise, I would’ve already signed a deal with them. If our two companies share shipping, we could cut the cost in half. Sound fair?”
I gave him a grateful nod. Honestly, I knew Elitara Group’s needs weren’t enough to justify this whole trip. But after seeing the materials in person, I was genuinely impressed.
It was the same quality, yet half the price. I figured I could live with higher shipping costs if it meant saving overall.
That night, I called Jude on video chat. He looked annoyed the second he saw my room. “You’re staying in that dump? Does it leak? What about wild animals? Wolves? Tigers? I heard spiders out there are bigger than your head.”
I rolled my eyes.“With all the tech we have these days, can you stop acting like the mountains are prehistoric?”
Jude gave a sheepish smile and kept glancing behind me until he spotted Ellen. Only then did he relax a little.
“You two be extra careful out there,” he said. “The factory’s offering a decent price, but for a long–term deal, they really need to handle shipping on their end.”
Jude and I were on the same page. We could not fly out here every single time. It would be way too time–consuming and not worth the effort.
But from the looks of it, the factory was already stretched thin just producing the goods and locking down partnerships. That dirt road outside was probably staying the way it was
Successfully unlocked!
Just as Jude and I started discussing whether it might be possible to get the road fixed, and maybe even use that to negotiate a better price, someone knocked on my door.
“Ada, are you guys still awake?” Dorian’s voice came through.
Jude’s sleepy face immediately lit up with rage. “You wouldn’t let me come with you, but you’re sharing a trip with him?”
1/2
Chapter 97 Torrential Rain
Ellen had already opened the door, and Dorian’s upper body was clearly visible on camera.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Drowning Him In Regret