Chapter 439: Additional Investment and Special Approval for Laboratories
Inside Great Wizard Sura's office, Alicia Plutarch handed a funding slip to Locke. "Grandfather gave me some more leverage over three Crystallized Wizards of the Plutarch Family, and I also asked my father, Gregory, to help out..."
Alicia handed Locke a document stamped with a magic seal, and Locke saw that a three-million-magic-stone funding application had been approved.
"Three million?" Locke was stunned; this was an enormous sum he had never seen before.
Alicia smiled, saying, "Yes, the Plutarch Family has decided to add three hundred magic crystal cards to your investment, without adding any new requirements. You only need to participate in the competition under the Plutarch Family's name and provide us with some seeds of the completed products. As for the specific cultivation methods, you are free to publish articles and apply for patents."
"Grandfather said that, after all, he only supported your participation from the beginning to complete the transaction of helping him perfect that magic. Therefore, for your participation this time, all cultivation methods within your research group are still exclusively yours, and even with additional funding, it will not exceed the limits of the original contract."
"I know the Yunze Cup competition is very fierce, and three million may not be enough, but I want to help you as much as possible. Only with sufficient funds can you possibly produce the work within a year."
"You should have a total of 420 magic crystal cards now, right?"
Alicia said, "The Yunze Cup competition is full of difficulties, and our Six Towers Land is severely lacking in both equipment and talent. Therefore, our only advantage might be funding."
"Although I don't know how much investment other participants will receive, I have secured the maximum funding our Six Towers Land can give you."
"I hope the help of these funds can accelerate your results."
Locke calculated in his mind, "Hmm, if all this money is used to produce results, a pile of finished products can be created in a very short time."
"I can also change my previous penny-pinching approach. This way, I have greater confidence, and the finished products will definitely be more complete."
Alicia smiled, "That's good. Oh, Locke, you need to pay attention to rest. I've rarely seen a wizard with dark circles under their eyes, but you've had them for a while now."
Alicia said, "In addition, the Plutarch Family will also grant your research group access to a top-level laboratory, and you can access all relevant project data of the Plutarch Family."
"This is our family's full support for you, and both Grandfather and I hope you can achieve a good result in the Yunze Cup competition."
Alicia said, "Grandfather said he hopes you can achieve a top-five result. As long as you can achieve a top-five result, all this investment in you will be very worthwhile. And if you can achieve a top-three result, he will give you the Primal Fire."
Locke nodded. "Thank you."
Top three, that would be third place?
He could get the bronze cup.
It seems Great Wizard Sura wants to obtain the Yunze Cup's bronze cup through himself, thereby increasing Alicia Plutarch's prestige.
Since he passed the third round of preliminaries, this Yunze Cup competition was no longer a joke, but a competition that attracted the attention of most wizards in the Six Towers Land, becoming a major project invested in by Alicia Plutarch.
Its significance was no longer ordinary.
Great Wizard Sura must also be eager to complete this major project to confirm Alicia Plutarch's managerial position in the Plutarch Family.
It's just that he probably won't be able to get what he wants.
His goal from the beginning was not third place, but first place!
Locke looked at the second additional investment document in his hand, and his confidence immediately surged. With this investment and a higher-level laboratory for his use, he could completely purchase a large amount of equipment and magic plant materials after returning, using exhaustive methods for continuous cultivation and synthesis, and using the Finite Element Cultivation Method to collect the special plant essences of the subspecies he obtained.
Locke thought of the several most expensive First Ring breeding equipment he had always wanted to buy but couldn't afford before—
The Dragon Crystal Ecological Dome, a set of ecological systems that can simulate various extreme magic climates, costs one million per set, and the consumables required each month are worth one hundred thousand magic stones.
Any extreme environment can be simulated with it.
Moreover, magic plants can be accelerated in it. Even the King of magic plants, a One-Ring Magic Plant, can be made to grow rapidly in a very short time, just like apprentice-stage magic plants, by using consumables.
Greatly reducing the cultivation cycle.
This is essential equipment for cultivating advanced magic plants, but his previous laboratory never had one.
He could only endure the long cultivation cycle of One-Ring Magic Plants, where each One-Ring Magic Plant required half a month to a month to cultivate, and this was based on using nutrient soil, nutrient solution, and moss wood marrow without regard for cost every day.
But with the Dragon Crystal Ecological Dome, the cultivation speed of One-Ring Magic Plants could be shortened to a few days.
Increasing his cultivation speed by an unknown number of times, at least ten times or more.
This is the difference between having advanced experimental equipment and not having advanced experimental equipment.
Now that he had money, of course, he had to find a way to get a set.
In addition, the holographic magic plant sequencing scanner and Super Large Radiation Cauldron he had always dreamed of could now be purchased.
And the moss wood marrow, which was originally limited for daily use, could now be opened for use by everyone in the laboratory.
Although Locke had long known that the Plutarch Family would add investment, he did not expect them to be so generous this time.
This would make his chances of winning the championship even greater.
'Having money is so useful; any research can be accelerated because of it.' Locke sighed. If it weren't for this huge sum of money, he wouldn't be able to hire so many people or purchase so much advanced equipment.
Originally, that project seemed too early for him; he should at least wait until the First Ring Crystallization Stage, or even the Second Ring, to start, as it was originally a project participated in by Second Ring Breeders.
But now, with the sponsorship of so many magic stones, Locke's confidence greatly increased.
Locke said to Alicia, "By the way, recently I've noticed that the family wizards have a strange attitude towards me, and they are full of jealousy towards the wizards in my research group, even frequently provoking the wizards I've brought."
"Alicia, are you aware of this situation?"
Alicia nodded very seriously, "I know. In fact, there is a group of wizards now demanding that I, as the financier, get your consent to replace half of the wizards in your research group with our family wizards."
"Look at these lists on my desk. They are all family wizards who want to gain prestige and fame. These people are not thinking about winning the championship, but about being able to go to the Yunze Cup finals, even if just being there is worth it for them."
Alicia said, "These people don't understand the significant role played by Civilian Wizards in this competition, so they only think that it's your personal ability that's strong, and they want to follow you."
"These people have all been rejected by me. It's just that recently, you'd best tell the wizards in your research group to be careful. The family wizards within the Six Towers Land will become more hostile towards you as you achieve success. Especially now that my refusal to let them join further provokes them."
"Like mad dogs biting randomly, although they dare not do anything in person, nor dare to provoke you, they have even begun to greatly admire you, just like they admire those excellent wizards from outside, subconsciously wanting to make you their leader."
"But now you, their leader, have chosen others. So they will want to attack those you have chosen and reclaim their ecological niche. Therefore, I think they will ostracize, mock, and provoke your research group wizards next."
Alicia sighed. "So, the real battle is only just beginning. The closer you get to success, the more difficult it becomes."
"Locke, your research group will have to overcome new difficulties next. The good thing is that I can legitimately grant your research group special privileges without anyone questioning it anymore."