Chapter 218: Chapter 218 I Knew You’d Find Me Something to Do_1
The next day, Rose Iron Prison, Textile Workshop No. 1 in the ordinary area.
"...The more common disposable hygiene products on the market include this type of plug, made from better water-absorbent fabrics such as hemp or cotton, wrapped around a sanded wooden core. The better ones are made from horn or ivory cores. When you use it, you insert it in. The wrapper can be replaced, and the core can be reused multiple times," a convict in the ordinary area explained to Aiden while holding a physical sample. She had only recently been imprisoned and had run a workshop producing women’s products before, "But many people aren’t comfortable with inserting things there, so they often use cotton pads instead, which are multi-layered like this, with a layer of cotton fabric on the outside and a layer of coarser fabric underneath that absorbs well, with cotton and dried sphagnum in between. The diapers used for infants on the market now are like this, except they’re filled with peat."
"It looks quite substantial," Aiden commented.
"Yes, the absorption capacity of cotton fabric is relatively limited, and it tends to leak, so it needs to be a certain thickness," the convict said, holding the cotton pad, "It can be a bit bulky when worn, so it’s only suitable to be used with skirts. It’s also problematic in hot weather—it’s quite stifling, and sometimes it can cause eczema from being so sweaty."
Aiden was conducting market research for a new business venture. Although he felt that the materials provided by the witches’ gathering had great potential for application, turning it into a profitable market venture was another matter. If he changed the prison workshop’s products without care and incurred serious losses, as the warden, he could hardly escape blame.
He also inquired about the existing costs and prices of women’s products on the market, then estimated his own costs.
According to his research so far, the product he imagined was still very competitive. This sanitary pad couldn’t be compared to the modern products from the world of his previous life, but in this world, it was already a revolutionary invention.
Compared to ordinary factories, prison labor costs were extremely low. Even when waging a price war with similar products, he still had an advantage.
If he were to take this product to pitch to dealers, the merchants would probably start fighting on the spot at the bid.
"So, with our current equipment here, is it feasible to make pads of this shape?" Aiden asked, showing the convict the schematic diagram of a sanitary pad.
"It’s feasible... but with this size, you can’t fill too much," the convict inquired.
"That’s no issue. I have a better filling material," Aiden waved his hand.
In that case, it would only take a few days to slightly readjust the textile workshop’s facilities and train the convicts. Once they received the raw materials provided by the witches’ gathering, they could start production.
Entering a new market had its risks, but the potential profits were significant. If this product became a best-seller, Rose Iron Prison could completely overcome its financial troubles.
At that moment, a cacophony of shouting mixed with the sound of smashing came from the direction of the textile workshop managed by the core section, making Aiden immediately furrow his brow—the noise seemed to be coming from there.
He immediately left the workshop and strode towards the source of the noise.
Standing at the door of Workshop No. 1, a mercury amalgam golem automatically stepped out, closely following Aiden with identical steps, almost like his shadow.
When Aiden burst into the workshop from where the commotion was coming, the alarm bells were already ringing.
Four convicts were fighting, knocking over several sewing machines. The other prisoners in the workshop watched with their arms folded, some even cheering from the sidelines, enjoying the commotion. Those convicts who usually helped Aiden maintain order in the prison were not in this workshop.
The guards on duty blew their whistles and warned with their batons to no avail. The duty guards rarely interfered directly when several convicts were fighting, except in the case of someone like Veronica who was good in a scrap. They would generally call for professional riot squads to deal with the situation.
However, this time, Aiden, who happened to be nearby, arrived on the scene first.
"Target four people, shackles mode," he said, snapping his fingers.
The mercury alloy golem standing behind him received the command and immediately rushed to the center of the conflict, pouncing on the four struggling inmates. It then instantly transformed into several iron hoops linked by chains, which automatically clamped around the prisoners’ necks and wrists, before the chains quickly tightened, pulling all their hands in front of their necks, rendering them immobile.
In the blink of an eye, the mercury alloy golem had each of the four inmates bound, with additional chains connecting the iron hoops around their necks. A portion transformed into solid metal spheres chained to the ground, ensuring the excessive weight wouldn’t break the prisoners’ necks.
With the core provided by Vila, the mercury alloy golem had become more intelligent and controllable, no longer requiring the feeding of precious metals to ensure its loyalty, and had already become a quite handy management tool.
"Eh? What’s going on?"
"What is this thing!?"
The brawling inmates momentarily fell into chaos, with those fighting turning their heads to notice the Warden, immediately paling with fear.
Only one prisoner, still fierce despite her hands being tied, attempted to lunge at another inmate: "Die, bitch!"
"Ophelia," Aiden recognized the prisoner and spoke coldly from behind her.
Ophelia froze on the spot, her body tensing.
She recognized whose voice it was.
After a while, she turned her head, rusty and stiff in movement: "You, you..."
"Wanting to bask in the sun again, are you?" Aiden gave her a "kindly" smile.
Ophelia immediately didn’t dare to speak.
Clearly, the punishment Aiden had imposed on her after her last failed escape attempt had left her with quite a psychological shadow.
"What happened?" Aiden turned to the on-duty prison guard to inquire about the situation.
The on-duty guard promptly saluted and stepped forward to report the cause of the conflict.
The three inmates Ophelia was fighting with were from the same cell, and one of them had rubbed Ophelia the wrong way over some trivial matter that morning. While working today, they mocked Ophelia, who was in the same workshop, calling her "the queen of the groundhogs" and "a wild dog licking up pig’s blood from the slaughterhouse"—of course, such foul-mouthed exchanges were not uncommon among the inmates in the core area.
But today, they had struck a match to the powder keg. Ophelia, already haughty and under pressure from prolonged restraint and accumulated stress, exploded in rage at the mockery that hit her sore spot, grabbing a nearby tool and hurling it at one of them.
After the two of them started fighting, the other two inmates immediately joined the fray, resulting in the scene that Aiden walked in on.
As Aiden anticipated, Ophelia, who had been repressing her feelings for so long, indeed erupted over a trivial matter.
"Alright, good! I guessed you’d stir up some trouble for me," Aiden nodded at Ophelia, "You really didn’t disappoint me."
