The Mechanical Era



20th of Heinz, 5018.

The embers crackled and flickered around in the fireplace, illuminating the opulent room with its orange light. The heat emanating from the fire provided a comforting warmth for the room's occupants, who sat there on a row of chairs, wearing 3 piece suits.

On two of these dozen wooden chairs, sat Marco Dietrichson and Vice Grotti. The two were both dripped in a suit, waiting patiently for their turn. On Marco's lap, was a brown leather briefcase, filled up with documents and files about the bicycle workshop.

It had been 39 days since they had evaluated and invested in the bicycle workshop, located in the downtown area. During that time, there had been exceptional innovations and changes in the business and the product. 

The workshop had started using and employing airless hemp tires, originally made to be used for carriages. The tires made the bicycle much faster while providing a smoother ride. It became evermore popular among the residents in the downtown area. 

With Marco and Vice's investment, the workshop was able to establish a contract with the firm, being able to buy off a lot of hemp tires to use in their bicycles. The move had managed to dramatically increase sales among the local population, and improve the bicycle's popularity among the residents.

Their value had definitely gone up dramatically in a short period of time, pressuring Marco and Vice to get more investors to the workshop as quickly as possible, to keep this momentum going. 

Marco and Vice both sat next to each other, with Marco holding the briefcase. They had been patiently waiting for their turn to be summoned into the venture capitalist's office. They were there to get a form of investment from him, to help them continue to find and grow the business.

As Marco and Vice sat in the opulent waiting room, the anticipation in the air was palpable. Marco took another glance at the Card he was given. Written in black ink, it had the number '05' written on it. If his memory served him correctly, the two of them should be next in line to meet the merchant.

"How long will this take?" Vice whispered into Marco's ear, his patience waning thin. Marco glanced at Vice, his eyes reflecting the shared anticipation. He understood Vice's restlessness, as they had been waiting for what seemed like an eternity.

"I'm not sure, Vice," Marco whispered back. As they exchanged whispers, a door at the far end of the waiting room creaked open. The room fell into a sudden silence as all eyes turned toward the entrance. A tall emerged, dressed in a tailored suit leaves the room, followed by another tall figure in a suit. 

Marco and Vice immediately recognize the two figures. They were the ones who were previously summoned into the merchant's office. As these mysterious men leave the waiting room, their anticipation rises, hopeful that they will be summoned next.

The assistant walks out of the room. He was just another average working man, and an avid listener, of Marco and Vice's preachings. It was through him that they managed to get a chance to talk to these venture capitalists.

"Number 05, please enter the room," he speaks. Marco and Vice both stand up and stretch a little. They walk inside the room, to face a 37-year-old bald man with sharp cocoa-brown eyes, decked out in a black suit with a blue tie, Oswald Audley. 

"Hello there gentlemen. May I have your names?" he asked while extending his hands. Marco and Vice gave it a firm shake, before repeating their names for Oswald to hear. Oswald gives off a polite smile, before telling them to sit down.

"Now, how may I help you two young gentlemen?" he asked the two teenagers. 

"Mr. Oswald, we have an investment opportunity for you," Marco began, his voice filled with a blend of confidence and excitement.

"I see. Well, please! Tell me more about this investment opportunity. I am eager to know," Oswald stated.

"In the downtown area, there is a workshop that is selling a very unique product called a 'bicycle'. It had been gaining popularity among the locals, who view it as an easy way of transportation," Marco explained.

"From our evaluation of the business, we discovered that the workshop has immense potential for growth, and thus acquired a 30% stake in the company," Vice added.

"With our minuscule investment, they have already made significant strides in improving their product and capturing the attention of the market." Marco nodded in agreement with Vice.

"Considering that the workshop does not have any competitors, for now, this could be a great opportunity for them to monopolize the market."  Oswald leaned forward, his eyes fixed on Marco and Vice.

"That sounds intriguing. What is it that you are seeking from me?"

"We are seeking additional investment to scale up production, expand marketing efforts, and establish a factory to produce more bicycles, in an effort to reduce cost and expand our market base," Marco explained.

"With your support, we can accelerate the growth of the company, and sell this product all over the kingdom." Oswald Audley leaned back in his chair, contemplating Marco and Vice's proposition. Though he was impressed by their enthusiasm and the potential they saw in the bicycle workshop, he was still skeptical as the two didn't appear a day older than 15, around the age Oswald had started. 

"Marco and Vice, your proposal is compelling," Oswald began.

"However, before making any investment decisions, I would like to understand the financials and projections of the workshop more comprehensively," he stated. Marco nodded in response.

"Of course, Mr. Oswald. I understand your skepticism about this new company, considering we don't have that much history behind us. It is good to be cautious," Marco replied. 

"That is why we have prepared a detailed financial analysis that outlines the current financial performance of the workshop, as well as future projections based on market trends and growth potential," Vice stated.

Marco opened the briefcase and pulled out a stack of documents. He then hands them over for Oswald to take a gander at. Using his reading glasses, Oswald quickly reads and digests all the information present inside the files.

The files contained a list of financial statements, including sales figures, expenses, and profit margins that extended for about 3 whole months! Considering the workshop started selling its product so recently, it was no wonder why he wasn't aware of it.

After carefully reviewing the financial statements, it was evident to Oswald that the workshop had experienced remarkable growth in a relatively short period. It was quite impressive that these two youngsters not only managed to accumulate a substantial amount of money to invest but also put their money in a company engrained in an emerging market that could prove to be very lucrative. 

"Although I consider these numbers impressive, I have one question to ask of you two," he stated.

"What is it, Mr. Oswald?" 

"Regarding the figures for 'future projections based on market trends and growth potential', where do you intend to sell your product, other than the capital city of Hoverdam?" 

"As we said before, we are interested in selling this product all over the kingdom. As such, we thought it would be for the best to account for that factor," Marco replied.

"Hm... Very good. However, if the factory is located in the city of Hoverdam, how are you planning on sending it to other cities? Do you plan on building a factory in every city?" It was a simple question Oswald threw in to evaluate the duo's business knowledge. 

"We simply load it up on cargoships and sail them across the kingdom," Marco answered.

"From there, we can establish partnerships with local shops in each city to distribute the bicycles to the local population there," Vice added in.

"And why would you partner with these local businesses? What benefits would they offer instead of setting up your own shops?" Oswald continued to question them further.

"By collaborating with existing businesses, we can save us the expenses of setting up individual stores, while simultaneously benefiting from the expertise and local knowledge of our partners. At our current state, it is the most cost-effective solution that will get the job done."  Oswald nodded, a smile forming on his face.

"Your strategic thinking is commendable, Mr. Marco and Mr. Vice. I could have not expected such knowledge from youngsters such as yourself."  Oswald leaned back in his chair, visibly impressed by the young entrepreneurs' comprehensive understanding of their market expansion strategy.

Oswald Audley leaned back in his chair, thoroughly impressed by Marco and Vice's thoughtful responses. Their understanding of the importance of partnerships and cost-effective strategies showcased their business acumen beyond their years.

"Well, Mr. Marco and Mr. Vice, I am genuinely impressed with the knowledge presented today. I shall discuss this with my other business partners, and contact you two as soon as possible," Oswald stated.

"May I have an address?" he asked. Maco took out a business card and passed it on to Oswald.

"Here, just send a letter to this address on the card. We will be patiently waiting for a response," Marco stated. With that, their business concluded. Marco and Vice took their briefcase and said farewell to Mr. Oswald. They walked out of the room, confident that they will get a response from the OSAC group. 

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