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Liu Guanfeng smiled lightly upon hearing Zhao Jun's praise. "Thank you for your kind words, my lord. Please follow me to the study for a discussion." Liu Guanfeng led Zhao Jun to the outside of his study.
Zhao Jun turned to Ren Xing and said, "You all can wait for me here."
"Yes," Ren Xing replied. This was the usual practice; negotiations were easier with just the two of them, but it became inconvenient with more people present.
Liu Guanfeng then instructed Huang Tie, "Go and bring some tea and snacks for the chief guard."
After that, Liu Guanfeng and Zhao Jun entered the study. On the tea table inside, a pot of tea, two cups, and several plates of exquisite snacks were already arranged.
The two took their seats, with Liu Guanfeng speaking first. He raised his tea cup and said, "Come, Lord Zhao, try this tea and see if it suits your taste."
Zhao Jun symbolically picked up the cup and took a sip, nodding repeatedly as he said, "Not bad, good tea."
Liu Guanfeng awkwardly set down his cup and smiled. "Lord Zhao, I sincerely apologize for what happened earlier. I hope I didn't startle you." Although he was acknowledging a mistake, there was no hint of regret on Liu Guanfeng's face.
Zhao Jun politely replied, "It's nothing. My subordinate was too impulsive; I'll punish them when I return."
"That won't do! Your guards are doing an excellent job; they are here to ensure your safety. Such guards should not be punished but rather rewarded."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, they got down to business. Liu Guanfeng looked at Zhao Jun and asked, "Lord Zhao, what brings you here this time? Your last letter mentioned ordering a batch of weapons and armor?"
Zhao Jun felt pleased that they were getting to the main topic but maintained a neutral expression, simply nodding in response.
"Then how much are you looking to order this time, Lord Zhao?"
"I would like to order fifty thousand sets of armor from you." Zhao Jun lifted his teacup and slowly sipped the tea, continuously observing Liu Guanfeng's expression. Liu Guanfeng was taken aback; he did not expect Zhao Jun to place such a large order for equipment all at once.
These fifty thousand sets of armor would be enough for his Merchant Guild to operate for a year. Seeing Liu Guanfeng's surprised expression, Zhao Jun felt quite satisfied. The next issue was the price.
Liu Guanfeng raised his head and asked, "When do you need them, Lord Zhao?"
"How long will it take you to prepare these fifty thousand sets of armor?"
"About a year, I suppose."
Zhao Jun nodded and said, "A year is acceptable, but I hope President Liu can expedite the delivery."
Liu Guanfeng nodded in agreement. "That's no problem. However, what kind of armor do you need, Lord Zhao? What are your quality requirements? What price has the Military Supply Office quoted?"
Liu Guanfeng threw out three questions in quick succession, and Zhao Jun had already thought about these matters. After a moment of contemplation, he replied, "The design and quality of the armor should be based on the equipment your Merchant Guild donated to the country. As for weapons, it would be best if you could include some greatswords and staffs in addition to steel blades. Regarding the price, the Military Supply Office quoted thirty gold coins per set. What do you think, Vice President?"
This price was set by Zhao Jun himself. When he left Spring City, Cai Sidong had advised him that pricing was a minor issue; as long as it did not exceed one hundred gold coins per set, he could make the decision. Previously, under Chen Si's leadership, they had purchased equipment from the New Home Chamber of Commerce at fifty gold coins per set, with an actual cost of forty gold coins. The extra ten gold coins were a kickback to Chen Si. To ensure they did not lose out, they negotiated with the Merchant Guild to purchase equipment at thirty-five gold coins per set. This way, they could also collect their own kickback of five gold coins from purchases in four cities.
Additionally, with the annual gifts from the New Home Chamber of Commerce, it could be said that procurement in these four cities was quite lucrative. Today, Zhao Jun offered such a price to make things difficult for Liu Guanfeng. He chuckled inwardly: "You, a mere Merchant Guild, dare to oppose the Military Supply Office? Do you think you can negotiate prices with His Majesty?"
In his impression, large Merchant Guilds like the New Home Chamber of Commerce had never negotiated prices with them before. Even if they quoted thirty gold coins, the Merchant Guild would still sell to them. If negotiations were necessary, they would secretly offer benefits to themselves. If he asked for even more benefits during negotiations this time around, he would secure a lifetime of wealth after closing this deal.
If the other party disagreed, he could simply walk away from negotiations and report back to Cai Sidong for a decision, allowing the state to suppress this small Merchant Guild. This way, their partner would revert back to the New Home Chamber of Commerce. If the state continued its cooperation with them due to their contributions, then his benefits would be beyond imagination.
Liu Guanfeng looked at Zhao Jun and understood that this was an intentional difficulty being placed upon him. Even in their Merchant Guild's front store, armor and weapons purchased would certainly cost more than thirty gold coins. Moreover, the two thousand sets of equipment donated to the country were crafted by artisans whose products were only available on the second or even third floors of their shops. The items produced by these craftsmen were definitely top-quality goods within the New Home Chamber of Commerce.
Liu Guanfeng softly said, "General Zhao, our Merchant Guild can certainly meet your requirements. However, regarding your quoted price..." Liu Guanfeng deliberately elongated his last word.
Zhao Jun's face dropped in surprise. "What's wrong, President Liu? Are you dissatisfied with the price offered by our Military Supply Office?"
Liu Guanfeng straightened up. He knew that Zhao Jun was waiting for him to offer benefits. As long as he could present something enticing enough to sway Zhao Jun, the price would be agreeable. However, Zhao Jun underestimated Liu Guanfeng; he was not short on money at the moment. Even if he did nothing, he could still support his group of subordinates. So even if the state pressured him and his Merchant Guild could not continue, he could easily integrate everyone into the New World.
Liu Guanfeng had nothing to lose, so he did not need to pay too much attention to Zhao Jun's feelings. If the deal wasn't suitable, then it simply wouldn't happen. As for benefits, if the other party genuinely wanted to cooperate, he would ensure they were compensated fairly. But if Zhao Jun intended to suppress him, there was nothing more to discuss.
Liu Guanfeng looked at Zhao Jun and said, "Lord Zhao, I want to know if your purpose in coming here today is for negotiation or confrontation? If you truly came to negotiate, we can clarify things. Lord Zhao, your offered price is too low; that amount wouldn't even buy any equipment in our lobby on the first floor. The price must increase, and how much it increases depends on your decision. Conversely, if you are here to confront our Merchant Guild, I can tell you now that you have succeeded; our Chinese Chamber of Commerce will not sign a purchase agreement with your Military Supply Office."
Liu Guanfeng's tone was very firm, leaving Zhao Jun momentarily stunned. Everything he had previously considered was now irrelevant because he had never anticipated Liu Guanfeng's strong attitude. Moreover, Liu Guanfeng did not seem to act like a typical businessman; he had dealt with numerous Presidents of various Merchant Guilds before, and none had ever spoken to him in such a manner.
Zhao Jun did not understand that the reason other Presidents of Merchant Guilds had been so deferential was that they needed to make money, and government contracts were the easiest and most lucrative source of income. However, Liu Guanfeng and his Chinese Chamber of Commerce were different; their goal was not profit. In other words, whether they made money or not was irrelevant; this Merchant Guild was merely a facade—a cover under which they could cultivate talent and forge weapons for the New World.
After staring at Liu Guanfeng for a few seconds in shock, Zhao Jun suddenly stood up angrily. "You dare speak to me like this, Liu Xin? Just wait for your Chinese Chamber of Commerce to close down! No one has ever dared bargain with the Military Supply Office! I will report this to His Majesty and have your little Merchant Guild shut down!" Zhao Jun glared at Liu Guanfeng. This was Zhao Jun trying to find an excuse for himself while also attempting to intimidate Liu Guanfeng; if Liu Guanfeng changed his attitude and agreed to offer him benefits, then Zhao Jun would sit back down.
Liu Guanfeng looked at the furious Zhao Jun and smiled slightly. "Lord Zhao, safe travels; I won't see you out. As for closing down, our Chinese Chamber of Commerce will be waiting for you to seal our shop." Liu Guanfeng called out toward the outside.
At this moment, Zhao Jun was taken aback again. Was the other party really unafraid of being shut down? But having said this much, there was no way for him to back down now. He pointed at Liu Guanfeng and said, "Just wait." After saying this through clenched teeth, Zhao Jun turned and left the study.
Outside the door, Huang Tie escorted Zhao Jun and his guards out of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce. Upon returning, Huang Tie said to Liu Guanfeng, "Master, it seems that Zhao Jun was quite upset with you just now; I could still hear him cursing you even after he got into his carriage."
Liu Guanfeng smiled slightly. "If he wants benefits from me, he should adjust his attitude. The way he spoke to me indicates that there must be some connection with the New Home Chamber of Commerce here. Don't forget that they used to order equipment from New Home Chamber of Commerce; surely they received benefits from it?"
"Master, what if he comes back for revenge?"
"Revenge? Let him come! At worst, our Merchant Guild will stop operating; we can always return to the New World. Don't worry; as long as I'm here, you'll be fine; they can't do anything to me. However, Huang Tie, notify all the blacksmiths right now to start working overtime because if my guess is correct, everything we produce will eventually sell."
"Master, do we still want to divide into three groups like before?"
Liu Guanfeng thought for a moment and then shook his head, "No, doing this will consume too much of our people. Starting today, all blacksmiths and guards in our Merchant Guild will implement a shift system."
"Shift? What does shift mean, Master?"
"A shift means the first group works from 8 AM to 4 PM, the next day they work from 4 PM to midnight, then they rest for a day. On the fourth day, they work from noon to 8 AM, rest for another day, and then continue with the day shift. You will divide the blacksmiths into several groups, ensuring that apprentices and blacksmiths are evenly distributed, and the guards must also be reasonably allocated."
Huang Tie thought for a moment, "Master, don't worry. I'll go back to my room and think about it. I'll assign them to groups tomorrow and start the shifts the day after."
Liu Guanfeng was quite confident in Huang Tie's ability to get things done. He nodded, "Just take care of it."
With everything arranged on Liu Guanfeng's side, Zhao Jun had already returned to the inn in a carriage. At the inn, the Shopkeeper wore a distressed expression as he brought a brand new set of tables and chairs along with vases and other decorations for Zhao Jun.
Zhao Jun paced back and forth in his room alone, muttering, "I'm so furious! Liu Xin, just wait! I will make your Merchant Guild close down for daring to oppose me. Not only will I shut down your Merchant Guild, but I will also have you arrested so you can taste life in a cell. I'm so furious!"
Just as Zhao Jun was grumbling, there was a knock at the door. He irritably shouted, "Who is it? Come in!"
Ren Xing walked in from outside holding a letter. This letter was once again from Cai Sidong to Zhao Jun. Cai Sidong sent out this letter the day after releasing the first Messenger. Originally, this Messenger was only one day behind the previous one; however, it arrived today because it encountered a Seventh-Stage Flying Beast, the Thunder Eagle, while flying to Winter City. The Thunder Eagle is known for its speed among flying magical beasts, and to avoid it, this Messenger had to hide away, which caused the delay. This slight delay changed Zhao Jun's entire life.
Ren Xing handed the letter to Zhao Jun, "My lord, this is the letter just delivered by the Messenger."
Zhao Jun angrily tore open the letter. After reading it, he sat down heavily in his chair, all his anger dissipating without a trace.
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