Chapter 442 Phenomenon
Elliot was a whiz at graphic design and had a knack for appreciating calligraphy and painting. Seeing the awe in his eyes always made me genuinely happy.
He once told me, "At first, I thought you were a rough diamond, and Brad was the one who'd polish you into a star that'd dazzle everyone. But turns out, you've got your own shine, carving yourself from the inside out."
His words made me chuckle. I knew I was good at painting, but I didn't think I was as amazing as he made it sound.
"Elliot, you're making me blush," I said with a shy smile, feeling a bit embarrassed. He just laughed at my reaction.
Elliot leaned over the painting, his tall frame bending down. He raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I'm being totally fair. Don't doubt my professional opinion."
While we were chatting, Elliot got a call from an unknown number. It was a local from the mountains. He said he was visiting relatives at the address he gave us and would be there for a few days. He asked if we wanted to join him and offered to guide us into the mountains.
Together, Elliot and I finished the first batch of handmade pigments. The colors were vibrant, but we needed to see how well they'd hold up over time. We also had to track how the colors changed under different conditions like light and humidity to tweak the formula.
Waiting around wasn't an option; we had to stay busy.
No matter how this trial turned out, the mineral was key to the formula. If it worked, we'd need a lot of it, so we had to get the raw materials ready to avoid delays when we ramped up production.
Sure, we could buy the material from the market, but the price would skyrocket after passing through multiple hands, and the quality might not be reliable unless we mined it ourselves.
So, finding the source and being self-sufficient was the best plan.
After talking it over with Elliot, we decided that since we couldn't do much else while waiting, we might as well head into the mountains to check out the mineral deposits. If they looked good, we'd get our geology classmates to do a field survey.
This way, we could cut costs and maybe even form a top-notch team for mining, production, and sales, setting a solid foundation for our future business.The next morning, Elliot and I packed our bags again, grabbed all the necessary tools, and took a car to meet up with Declan. Then we headed into another part of the mountains together.
The trip was long, and we got to chatting with Declan.
"I'm Declan Ross, forty-two years old. Just call me Declan. Life in the mountains is tough now. All the young folks have left for work, leaving only the elderly, kids, and the sick in the village. A few years back, I thought about leaving too. But with three elderly family members and two school-aged kids to care for, my wife couldn't handle it alone, so I stayed."
Declan was quite the talker. His words painted a pretty clear picture of rural life these days.
As he spoke, Declan looked worried, pulling out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his coat pocket. He took one out, ready to light it, but after glancing at the clean car interior, he put it back and sighed deeply.
Honestly, there were plenty of teachers in their forties at school, all energetic and in their prime. Their attire and demeanor made them look much younger than their actual age.
Declan was only forty-two, but he looked older with his dark skin, thin frame, slightly hunched back, and deep wrinkles. Compared to the teachers at school or even any guy on the streets of Regalia and Sunhaven, Declan looked much older.
But Declan had a big heart, always thinking about the people in the village and doing more than anyone else.
In my family, I was the only one studying, and my parents often felt the financial strain since acquiring specialized skills was pretty costly.
Declan had two kids in school, both needing financial support.
It was then that I really got why Declan wanted us to mine in the mountains.
He knew that working anywhere wasn't easy. If his family could open a mine, those working far away could come back, stay close to home, and still make a good living.
The car wobbled along the rugged mountain road all day, and it was dark when we finally arrived.
It was a small village nestled halfway up the mountain, with dozens of scattered courtyards, some lit and some not. A dog, disturbed by our arrival, barked non-stop.
In my twenty-four years, this was the first time I found myself in an unfamiliar village at night. Besides Elliot and the somewhat familiar Declan, I didn't know anyone else.
I suddenly felt a bit scared.
Since I was a kid, my parents had always warned me about safety, fearing I might be kidnapped by traffickers.
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