Obviously, It’s My Child - Chapter 211

At that time, at the Gagern Mine.

It was the first time that Marquis Ludendorff had visited the mine. Aside from the importance of the business, there was no real need to climb the difficult mountain roads and get his face and body dirty.

The practical work could be left to his sons. His job was to make important decisions, not to manage miners or check how deep the tunnels had gone.

However, now, for the first time, he regretted that thought.

“Fool!”

The Marquis tore the letter in half and threw it at Horst’s face. Horst staggered backward with a pale face.

“Father, you shouldn’t do this.”

He bent over and picked up the letter. It was from Count Krozik, asking for an explanation about the accident at the mine.

“How did you manage things that County Krozik found out about it in just one day?”

“A representative from the County has been staying here. You knew about it, Father.”

It was natural for a representative from the business partner to be here, and Marquis Ludendorff had agreed to it willingly.

Yet, the Marquis still seemed to blame Horst as if it were his fault.

Marquis Ludendorff gasped several times.

Thump, thump.

At that moment, someone knocked roughly on the office door. Horst snapped.

“What is it now?”

“Excuse me.”

The person who poked their head in was Jacob, the leader of the miners.

Marquis Ludendorff glared at him, but Jacob held his head high and stared back at him.

“It’s payday today, and there’s no word, so I came to ask.”

“What? Payday?”

Marquis Ludendorff asked, as if in disbelief.

“After collapsing the tunnel, you’re asking for money? Are you mad?”

“If you’re giving work, you need to pay. To say the miners aren’t going to be paid after an explosion at the mine? Do you think that makes sense?”

“You cheeky bastard. You should be thankful that I didn’t have you whipped!”

“Well, your son didn’t say anything, it seems. I told you we shouldn’t use explosives. I wasn’t the only one who told him not to.”

Jacob muttered.

It was Jacob and his crew who had deliberately chosen weak ground to dig when using explosives, adjusting the spacing of the supports to cause a chain collapse.

But what would these nobles know? There was no proof.

“Or do you want to try and throw us out with nothing? Not a single miner will come to work here.”

“Are you threatening me now?”

“Any miner who’s done a little digging knows better than to work at a place where they’re cheated out of their pay. We came here because the Kohlberg mine is closed.”

Marquis Ludendorff glared at him.

“We all know what’s going on here, too.”

But Jacob, with an arrogant and indifferent face, continued to speak, as if the Marquis’s anger meant nothing.

And in truth, Marquis Ludendorff had no way to enforce any physical or financial sanctions on him.

The Marquis slammed his fist onto the desk. However, Jacob continued speaking without concern.

“We’re still digging outside. If you can’t pay the wages, we’ll leave.”

“Father…”

Horst desperately called out to stop the Marquis. Then he waved his hand at Jacob.

“Please step outside for now. We’re not trying to cheat you. We were in the middle of an important discussion. Once it’s decided, we’ll let you know.”

“Well, we can wait a couple of days. Please take care of it.”

Jacob replied, sounding as though he was making a huge concession, and then left the office.

Horst turned to the Marquis, who was seething with anger.

“Right now, we need to pay the wages, Father.”

“Are you serious? You’re watching that bastard speak to me like that and still defending him? You’re the one who picked him, cheap as he is!”

Horst swallowed the words about how it had been his father’s decision to save on labor costs and instead said what needed to be said.

“But right now, paying them is the only way to save any additional funds.”

Horst spoke earnestly.

“I don’t want to pay that bastard either. But right now, digging up the equipment is our top priority.”

“Hah.”

“The longer the equipment stays buried, the more useless it becomes. We can’t afford to buy new equipment. And if we send these men away and recruit new miners, it will take time and cost twice as much.”

They didn’t have the funds to do that.

“We need to get as much out as possible while we can still afford them. And…”

Horst shook the letter he had picked up at the Marquis.

“Count Krozik won’t miss this opportunity.”

Marquis Ludendorff stared at Horst with eyes bloodshot from anger. A long sigh mixed with frustration escaped his lips.

In truth, the financial situation was even tighter than Horst knew. The Marquis had already spent part of the investment money.

Realizing this, he finally regained his composure and asked his son.

“What if we took more investment?”

“Then we’d have to give up more shares.”

Horst said with a strained expression.

“Count Krozik won’t simply offer us a favorable deal.”

If things went wrong, they could end up running the mine at a loss for someone else. In fact, at that point, it would be almost the same as handing over the mine completely.

“Right.”

Marquis Ludendorff regained his calm and answered. He had realized that if he started discussing the investment from Krozik, it would only lead to him being blamed.

“I understand. I’ll look into the funding issue. For now, let’s keep this quiet.”

“Yes.”

Horst answered readily.

But the truth was, Marquis Ludendorff didn’t have any particular plan.