Chapter 17: Chapter 17: Final Sale_1
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"Spot goods mean goods that can be delivered on the spot, and futures refer to goods that can only be delivered on a specified date. Old Qian, didn't you say you need to adjust the goods and can only deliver them in ten days?" Wang Shouzhe casually shared that knowledge with him.
"That makes sense, now that Brother Shouzhe mentions it, I see the difference," Qian Zhushi's spirits lifted, his eyes rolled, and he whispered, "Brother Shouzhe, these five thousand bags of Insecticide Powder couldn't possibly be from your own stock. Could it be, you've found a new business opportunity?"
"Haha, since Old Qian calls it a new business opportunity," Wang Shouzhe smiled and sipped his tea, "I help your firm clear the inventory, and I also make a modest profit from it, it's a win-win, right? Old Qian, give me a fair price."
"Hahaha, win-win, Brother Shouzhe's words are indeed intriguing. In that case, I won't pry further. As such, for these five thousand bags of Insecticide Powder, I'll give you a 10% discount, a total of four thousand five hundred Qian Gold."
"Four thousand!"
"Four thousand two is the lowest, brother."
"Then four thousand two it is, but I'll be paying with the credibility of the Ping'an Wang Family." Wang Shouzhe stated calmly, "In one month, I'll deliver exactly four thousand two hundred Qian Gold."
Qian Zhushi paused for a moment but then smiled, "That's workable, but we need to make a contract. If the payment can't be made on time, our firm has the right to undertake any measures to collect the debt."
Though the Wang family had fallen on hard times, they remained a Profound Martial Prominent Family and still had some assets, just the sale from Fenggu Farm alone is worth at least tens of thousands of Qian Gold. Once there is a contract, the powerful Qian Family's firm has plenty of means to retrieve their debt.
"Old Qian, even if you didn't mention the contract, I would have insisted on drafting one," Wang Shouzhe stated earnestly, "I've already contacted the ships, and three days from now, I will send someone to pick up two thousand bags of Insecticide Powder from your warehouse; the second batch will follow ten days later. If your firm breaks the contract and refuses or fails to deliver the goods, you will have to pay triple the order price as compensation."
"Little brother, rest assured, credibility is the foundation of our Qian Family's enterprise for hundreds of years," Qian Zhushi stated gravely, "No matter what, we will deliver the goods on time and in full."
"I trust your firm's credibility, but for a small entity like our Ping'an Wang Family, this deal is crucial," Wang Shouzhe also spoke solemnly, "With the contract written in black and white, I too can be at ease."
"In that case, let's write it down." Qian Zhushi saw no reason for his side to violate the contract, and it was just a matter of thousands of Qian Gold—a trivial sum for the entire Qian Family.
The two spent two hours under Wang Shouzhe's scrupulous attention to detail, fine-tuning every clause of the contract.
When both parties finally signed and each held their copy of the contract, Qian Zhushi was sweating profusely; he wiped his sweat and chuckled, "In my twenty years of business, this is the first time I've encountered such detailed contract terms and meticulous wording. However, that said, such detailed terms do prevent pointless disputes in the future, broadening my horizons and teaching me quite a lesson."
Hehe~
Wang Shouzhe just smiled—it's nothing; some complex commercial contracts on Earth are a hundred times more sophisticated than this rough contract, incomprehensible to the layman.
Having finally secured the contract, a big weight was lifted from Wang Shouzhe's heart.
Given his understanding of the Qian Family's business practices, even if the contract had not been so detailed, they would not have violated their integrity. Decades of accumulated credibility are the most valuable asset of a firm.
As for dispatching experts for something as minor as killing off a family for this bit of money, that was even less likely.
Their own Longyan Old Ancestor might be nearing the end of his life, but he was, after all, an old-brand Spiritual Platform Ancestor who graduated from the Purple Abode Academic Palace; what trump cards he had up his sleeve, no one knew. Should he choose to unleash everything in a life-risking burst, it's very likely he could take a Spiritual Platform Realm with him.
Such considerations weighed upon making Wang Shouzhe's risky decision; there was no helping it—the Wang family was too poor, so poor that they counted every "Little Pei Yuan Dan," and continuing this way would only spiral into a vicious cycle.
The only one he felt sorry for was probably this Qian Zhushi.
Reaching middle age just to be a minor principal in a remote branch office, he obviously didn't come from a prominent lineage within the thriving Qian Family. Chances are the branch manager might force him to take the fall for this unprofitable move.
"Old Qian, it was a pleasure doing business this time," Wang Shouzhe stood up to leave, then whispered, "If all goes well, I might bring a great merit to Old Brother soon."
Qian Zhushi paused, then laughed, "Thanks for the good words, brother. Let me see you out." As they talked and laughed, Qian Zhushi personally escorted Wang Shouzhe out the door.
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After leaving the Qian Family business, Wang Shouzhe's mood had become utterly joyful, anticipating that in just three days, he could significantly alleviate the Wang family's financial crisis.
"Family Head."
The two household guards who had always stood outside, respectfully greeted him as they led the horses over.
"Wang Zhong, Wang Yong." Wang Shouzhe smiled, "I haven't been out in a long time, accompany me for a good stroll around Guard City."
"Yes, Family Head." Both household guards replied respectfully and walked the horses, accompanying Wang Shouzhe as they leisurely strolled through Guard City.
When Zhou Xuan's Old Ancestor was alive, during the peak of the Wang family, there had been forty-seven household guards, the highest rank among them had reached Level Nine of Qi Refinement Realm.
Now, the Wang family only had nine household guards, and the highest-ranked among them was merely at Level Five of Qi Refinement Realm.
Household guards were different from household servants; they were not slaves, but rather, they belonged to the vassal class. However, they were unlike guest elders who were contractual outsiders.
Most of the household guards were trusted followers cultivated from within the family. They held high positions and received good treatment within the family but did not possess the freedom to come and go as they pleased. Born as household guards, they would die as household guards.
Their fates and life, old age, sickness, and death were all tightly bound with their masters. One prospered with the other, one suffered with the other. This was why some families often married distant or illegitimate children to exceptionally outstanding household guards. Firstly, it would bind even more tightly; secondly, it could enhance the family bloodline.
The nine household guards of today's Wang family had all been personally trained by Zhou Xuan's Old Ancestor and had been passed down generation by generation with extremely high loyalty.
"Wang Zhong, your youngest son is already around seven or eight years old, right?" Wang Shouzhe casually asked, "Has he entered the ranks of Profound Martial?"
Wang Zhong hurriedly took two steps forward to answer, "Thanks to the Family Head's concern for my son, the boy took part in this year's spring talent test and was rated as Low Grade Class C. He has now started his enlightenment in the clan school and is beginning the stage of nurturing his meridians."
While speaking, the corners of his mouth slightly curled up into a smile, obviously very satisfied with his son's talent.
Entry into Profound Martial was firstly divided into qualified and unqualified; being qualified was crucial as it indicated potential for cultivation. From within the low grades, it was further divided into four classes: A, B, C, and D. Being rated as Class C was already considered second level, worthy of significant investment for cultivation by the family.
"Like father like son," praised Wang Shouzhe, "Raise him well, he'll be stronger than you."
"Thank you for your auspicious words, Family Head," Wang Zhong grinned, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes gathering—he was thirty-six this year, had fathered two sons both with qualified Profound Martial talent. The elder son was fifteen and would be considered an adult the following year, ready to serve the family as a household guard. The younger son possessed a talent reaching Low Grade Class C, entering the key cultivation sequence.
In contrast, the expression of another household guard, Wang Yong, appeared somewhat embarrassed. He was around the same age as Wang Zhong, had married a woman from a collateral branch of the Wang family, and had a son and a daughter.
His son had not qualified in the Profound Martial talent test and could only pursue scholarly studies, currently seventeen and working at the Silkworm Manor. His daughter, only six years old, had not yet been tested for Profound Martial talent, but even if she had, she was just a girl.
"Wang Yong, you have to seize your last few years of opportunity and put in extra effort with your sister-in-law, try for another child," Wang Zhong joked with a laugh, "Who knows, the times might change, and you could have a son with Grade B talent."
"Get lost!" Wang Yong waved dismissively, his mood somewhat dampened whenever this topic came up.
The three men idled through Changning Weicheng, and for Wang Shouzhe, the memories of Changning City gradually became clearer; the city housed a steady population of about 150,000 to 160,000. Several longstanding Profound Martial prominent families resided there, among which the Xu family of Changning shared a relatively close relationship with the Ping'an Wang family.
But after all, it was only relatively close; the disparity between the sizes of the two families had become larger, putting them on different levels, thus Wang Shouzhe had no plans to visit the head of the Xu family.
Beyond managing traditional farms, Changning Xu Family's unique specialty industry was mainly centered around silk weaving.
All the cotton and raw cocoons cultivated in the Changning Guard region were supplied to the Xu family's several workshops. They produced fabrics and silk, selling throughout the entire state, making a tidy profit
Chapter 18: Chapter 18 Spirit Bee Hive_1
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Let's momentarily leave aside some irrelevant details.
In Changning Weicheng, the East Market and West Market are undoubtedly the liveliest. The East Market mainly consists of various street-side shops selling local specialties from the towns beneath the Weicheng, such as fruits and vegetables, meat and poultry from different animals, fuel, rice, oil and salt, and daily necessities, etc. The fish stall of the Ping'an Wang Family was also among them.
Wang Shouzhe and others, leading their horses and immersing themselves in the market, felt as if they had entered a large farmer's market. All kinds of agricultural products and handicrafts were available. There were not only large specialty shops belonging to wealthy merchants or prominent families but also many scattered peddlers occupying corners of the marketplace. They were selling all sorts of odd items. These peddler spots were specifically set aside by the Changning government office to prevent these Independent Cultivators from setting up stalls everywhere which could be hard to manage.
Independent Cultivators didn't usually have high-quality items, but they often roamed all around. The items they sold were diverse and occasionally unique.
"Top Level Two Fierce Beast - Black-Backed Fierce Bear's bile, only one pair left, priced at fifteen Qian Gold, no haggling." A scarred man, clad in an animal hide armor and an Independent Cultivator, at his stall. His stall was spread out on a sturdy bear hide, on top of which a pair of shadow-dried bear-bile was hanging on a tree branch. There was a sign standing erect, giving the vibe of 'stay away, stranger'.
"This bear hide is black on the back and white on the belly, the texture is thick, it indeed seems to be the hide of a Black-Backed Fierce Bear." The head of the household, Wang Zhong, whispered on one side, "This pair of bear-bile has a golden color and the quality seems good. Fifteen Qian Gold is not expensive, if sold to Danfang, you can at least earn four or five Qian Gold".
Having studied the Fierce Beast Atlas since childhood, Wang Shouzhe could identify most common beasts and the materials on their bodies. He just smiled and said, "We can't be greedy about this kind of stuff." Then, he walked away without looking back.
"Does the family head think that it's a fraud? I think this bear-bile's color and quality are excellent, it can't be wrong." Wang Zhong was somewhat unwilling but obediently followed him. His eyes were somewhat reluctant to leave the stall, "If the family head doesn't care about making a small profit... maybe..."
"Idiot, the family head must have noticed something strange!" Wang Yong gave him a harsh stare.
"Hehe~ The tip of the bear hide is dry and black, obviously, it is quite old. That pair of bear-bile, although shadow-dried, is still bright in color and must have been taken out within the past three months." Wang Shouzhe laughed, "Wang Zhong, if you want to buy it, I can lend you the money. You don't have to share the profit with me."
He couldn't help but silently laugh. Compared to Earth, the stall fraudsters in our Profound Martial World seem so crude. They don't even make up a strange story or anything, not professional at all.
"No, no. Luckily, I came out with the family head today." After a cold sweat, Wang Zhong was like a cat on hot bricks. He grumbled, "These Independent Cultivators are indeed untrustworthy. There are too many scam artists."
"We, the Profound Martial World Prominent Families, have homes and businesses, foundations, and bases. As long as we secure these bases, we will have incessant cultivation resources." Said Wang Shouzhe leisurely, "Those Independent Cultivators are homeless drifters. They have to find everything by themselves, and their lives are inherently difficult, and they are also very likely to be deceived or cheat others. Once they commit something wrong, they can pack up and leave without hesitation. They might even disguise or change their identities. What's the point of our ancestors' hard work, sacrifices, and the establishment of a family business to guard the family's properties if Independent Cultivators could have resources easily?"
What the family head said made perfect sense.
Both Wang Zhong and Wang Yong grew increasingly respectful of Wang Shouzhe. They had begun to notice the differences between the new family head and the previous one, and could clearly distinguish the situation of the Independent Cultivators and the prominent families in just a few words.
From then on, they became increasingly cautious about those random, differently-dressed Independent Cultivators who set up stalls with all kinds of junk along the sides of the road. As soon as they saw Independent Cultivators, they thought they were dealing with frauds.
"How much for this beehive?"
At this moment, Wang Shouzhe suddenly squatted in front of a stall. The stall-owner was a sloppily dressed man in his forties and looked like he had reached the peak of the third level in the realm of Qi refinement.
But this was also the normal state for most Independent Cultivators; having the inability to find systematic ways of cultivation, lacking guidance from elders, and an unstable supply of cultivation resources made it hard for most Independent Cultivators to get ahead.
As soon as the stall-owner saw Wang Shouzhe's lavish attire and the two heavily-armed guards behind him, it was clear that they weren't ordinary people. He immediately swallowed his exorbitant initial price and put on a pleasing smile: "This young master, this is a Tiger Head Spirit Bee Hive, which I obtained by risking my life in the mountains. As you can see, there is still plenty of spiritual honey and bee larvae in this hive. I want to trade it for two Little Pei Yuan Dan."
When it came to Little Pei Yuan Dan, there was a rumbling sound in his throat.
"Are you trying to rob us?" Wang Yong's face changed, and he put his hand on his knife handle, "This beehive is only the size of a head, at most it could yield two 'liangs' of spiritual honey. The little bee pupa isn't even enough for a stir-fry dish. The most it could be sold for is a few Qian Gold."
"Good sir, please don't be angry." The stall owner appeared slightly fearful and spoke, "This beehive is freshly harvested and many of the bee pupae inside are still alive. If your family possesses an Insect Master, it's likely you could cultivate a Tiger Head Spirit Bee colony."
Many independent cultivators roam across the world. Their strength may not be impressive, but their knowledge is extensive.
"You're overthinking. There is not a single Insect Master in the entire Changning region. We purchased this rare item to spice up our meals." Wang Shouzhe took out ten Qian Gold, "This is enough to buy a Little Pei Yuan Dan. Take it or leave it. If you add even a shilling more, I'm walking away."
The stall owner, after much hesitation, niuantly sold at a painful loss, "Young Master, if this were in a bigger town or county, it would be worth twenty Qian Gold. Unfortunately, by the time I get it there, these bee pupae will all be dead."
If the bee pupae could live for another few days, the stall owner would earnestly consider the wearisome trip to sell it at the county, given the difference of ten Qian Gold. Once the bee pupae die off, the value of this Tiger Head Spiritual Bee Hive plummets.
After finalising the sale, Wang Shouzhe told Wang Yong to pack up the hive and carry it away, not bothering with any further haggling with the stall owner.
While this purchase couldn't be considered a real bargain, it wasn't a loss either. If he gave it to his fifth younger sister, Wang Luo Jing, to play with, there was a slight chance that a wonder could happen. If they really managed to cultivate Tiger Head Spirit Bees, that would add a unique industry to the family assets.
Sighting a Tiger Head Spirit Bee in the wild was practically impossible. One would only incidentally encounter them in extremely remote areas. Even with a concerted effort, finding one could take anywhere from six months to a year.
Afterward, they casually strolled around other independent cultivator stalls, but didn't come across any other items of interest. Without realizing it, they ended up at the center of the East Market, near one of their own family businesses—the Changning East Market Fishmonger stall.
Ping'an Wang Family Fishmonger
The six-character name spanned over three shops. Compared to the scruffy stalls, the tidiness and upscale ambiance of the fishmonger were noticeably superior.
Looking at this Wang Family fishmonger, memories overwhelmed Wang Shouzhe, instigating a powerful emotional surge.
These three storefronts, along with the private courtyard at the back, were the last remaining assets of the Wang family in Changning Guard City.
Ever since those two major battles fifty years ago, the prestige of the Ping'an Wang family plummeted. To support the family, and to raise a new Spirit Platform Realm powerhouse as soon as possible, the Wang family resolutely sold many of their fixed assets in Changning Guard City.
Unfortunately.
The highly expected Wang Dingtian met a premature death at the young age of twenty, leaving no offspring behind.
Wang Xiaohan, the sixth grandfather, did manage to reach the peak of the Vital Energy Refining Realm in his forties and attempted to impact the Spirit Platform Realm. Unfortunately, after depleting a massive amount of resources, his attempt was unsuccessful. Today, the sixty-five-year-old Wang Xiaohan is still stalled at the Vital Energy Refining Realm.
As for Wang Shouzhe's father, Wang Dingyue, his fate was even more tragic. At a time when the family's resources were not sufficient to support him in impacting the Spirit Platform Realm, he daringly ventured into the outer region in search of an opportunity. Regrettably, he ended up losing his life.
If the family were to continue selling off their assets, such as selling all three of their farms, they would undoubtedly gather enough resources for Wang Dingyue to impact the Spirit Platform Realm. But if they did so and failed, the Ping'an Wang family would be instantly reduced to penury.
Wang Shouzhe had a vague feeling that when he reached the peak of the Vital Energy Refining Realm, the family might indeed decide to sell off all their assets in a final gamble.
However, if they had to resort to that desperate measure, it would surely signify the failure of Wang Shouzhe, the transmigrator.
"Fourth Brother, what brings you here?"
While Wang Shouzhe was deep in thought, a surprised voice called out.
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Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
239 Power
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