Cheng Zongyang said, "I’d like to ask you two to take a proposal back with you: to establish a branch of the Da Yi Comrce Association here in Jade Peak County Town."
Li Lu and Zhou Zhendong already knew of this plan. Upon hearing Cheng Zongyang say it aloud, they too turned to look at Chen Kaishan and Zheng Tianhai.
Zheng Tianhai remained silent, as these matters were Chen Kaishan’s responsibility. Besides, they only had the authority to make a recomndation, not the final say on establishing a new branch.
Upon hearing this, Chen Kaishan shook his head. "If you know our business, then you understand the conditions for establishing a branch. Jade Peak County doesn’t et those conditions, nor does it have the necessary advantages."
Cheng Zongyang nodded. "That’s right. Which is why I’d like you to hear my proposal.
"First, as I’ve ntioned over the past couple of days, Jade Peak County is now under our clans’ complete self-governance. As such, we can gift you the land your Comrce Association needs, right here in West City. This will save you ti.
"Second, we will build and furnish village-style warehouses for you at no cost. You won’t have to spend a single coin; you only need to provide the grain. These warehouses outside the town will serve as convenient hubs for storing and transferring your goods.
"Third, this will be the center for developing Wilderness Rice. As I’ve said, only the original seed stock can produce grain. This ans anyone who wishes to cultivate Wilderness Rice must buy the original seeds from . I’m sure you two understand the implications. This is the Da Yi Comrce Association’s opportunity as well.
"Fourth, we have a main road leading toward Linchuan, and it’s one of the most direct routes. This makes it easy for your Comrce Association to expand its reach toward Linchuan, and even further south along a highway that leads directly to the sea. The geographical advantage is undeniable."
After Cheng Zongyang finished, he looked at Chen Kaishan and smiled.
"The first two and last points might not be significant advantages, but the third point—the Wilderness Rice—is the Cheng Family’s unique edge. I don’t need to elaborate on what the ergence of Wilderness Rice ans. You two understand it perfectly."
Chen Kaishan and Zheng Tianhai didn’t argue; they just gave a slight nod. This was precisely the point they valued most.
But now, hearing Cheng Zongyang’s claim about the original seed stock, Chen Kaishan’s brow furrowed. He stared at Cheng Zongyang and asked gravely, "Tell the truth. Is that real?"
Cheng Zongyang’s expression grew serious. "This isn’t sothing I can lie about. If it were, I could have just let you plant it without a warning. In two months, the absence of any grain would be far more convincing than my re words are now."
Zheng Tianhai, who had been on the sidelines, suddenly interjected, "Have you considered what you’ll be facing if this is true?"
At his words, Li Lu and Zhou Zhendong stiffened and fell silent.
This ant enormous profits!
It ant the danger of the entire clan being annihilated!
"Of course," Cheng Zongyang replied, his expression calm. "If I dare to bring this out, it’s because I have the confidence to back it up. I am the only one who knows the special cultivation thod for this original seed stock. No one else.
"Gentlen, as I just said, this is also an opportunity for the Da Yi Comrce Association. After all, your association has a presence in nations all over. If the Da Yi Comrce Association is willing to establish a branch in Jade Peak County and enter into a deep partnership with the Cheng Family Trading House, then I can sell the Wilderness Rice seeds exclusively to you. I don’t need to spell out the profits involved; everyone here understands them clearly."
Instantly, both Chen Kaishan and Zheng Tianhai were lost in thought.
Li Lu and Zhou Zhendong remained silent observers, but they too began to ponder the partnership Cheng Zongyang had proposed.
They were weighing the potential profits against the risks.
They understood that Cheng Zongyang’s proposal was essentially binding the Da Yi Comrce Association to his family. It would make the Comrce Association a shield, transferring the risk. Everyone would believe the original seed stock ca from the Da Yi Comrce Association, not the Cheng Family.
With the Da Yi Comrce Association presenting the seeds, no one would dare investigate them. The Cheng Family, in turn, would avoid trouble while not only making money, but making even more of it.
The Comrce Association, for its part, would gain indirect control over the sales rights for the original seed stock. Every nation and powerful family would want to buy this high-yield rice. That would give the association imnse influence.
Once you control both the supply and distribution, the benefits are on another level entirely!
Chen Kaishan and Zheng Tianhai had considered this as well.
What they didn’t know, however, was that Cheng Zongyang’s goal wasn’t just to save himself trouble and use the association as a shield. More importantly, he wanted to make the Da Yi Comrce Association his sole agent—his super-distributor!
The Wilderness World was waiting to be explored, and he had far too many valuable things there. In the future, he would inevitably find a way to bring items from the Wilderness World to sell in the outside world. Selling them slowly through his family was an option, but it would be far too slow to reach markets in every nation.
Recouping capital would be slow, and so would sales.
He hadn’t originally planned this, but the idea ca to him after he learned about the scope and scale of the Da Yi Comrce Association’s operations.
He wasn’t worried about being controlled by the Da Yi Comrce Association, either. A single feast, or a lifeti of als? He refused to believe that the people who had built the Da Yi Comrce Association into such an empire would be so shortsighted.
If that situation ever ca to pass, Da Yi’s losses would be far greater than his own!
"What exactly do you an by ’deep partnership’?" Chen Kaishan suddenly asked.
Cheng Zongyang smiled. "Let’s not rush that. I have many valuable things in my possession, things that even the Da Yi Comrce Association doesn’t have. But it’s too early to discuss them. For now, let’s start our partnership with the Wilderness Rice.
"I have the authority to sell the Wilderness Rice seeds exclusively to the Da Yi Comrce Association. I won’t sell them to anyone else. All the Da Yi Comrce Association has to do is establish a branch in Jade Peak County. As for other collaborations, we can discuss them after our venture with the Wilderness Rice proves successful. I’m sure these terms are more than enough to satisfy your association."
"I need a comprehensive report on the Wilderness Rice, as well as the terms you ntioned in writing." Chen Kaishan no longer hesitated. If this was a huge boon for the Comrce Association, he stood to gain a great deal as well. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been so invested.
"That’s not a problem." Cheng Zongyang’s smile grew wider. "I hope Master Chen will give this his strongest recomndation. By the way, how long do you think this will take?"
Chen Kaishan said, "I’ll have to return to the headquarters in the Prefecture City. If things go smoothly, the official approval to open the branch will be decided in as few as three days, or seven at most. It will take about two months for the branch to be fully operational, as the shop’s scale and style will need to be designed from scratch."
Cheng Zongyang was very satisfied. "That won’t be a problem at all. I’ll get the report and the written terms to you both later."
"Agreed," Chen Kaishan replied.
With the matter settled, Cheng Zongyang could finally relax.
To save ti, Cheng Zongyang stayed in Tiantuan Village to write, leaving Li Lu and Zhou Zhendong to keep Chen Kaishan and Zheng Tianhai company.
That afternoon, Cheng Zongyang finished writing the preliminary partnership agreent and the report on Wilderness Rice.
’If the Da Yi Comrce Association still won’t agree even after all this, then there’s nothing more I can do,’ he thought. ’I can’t just reveal everything, like the formulas for the Body Refining dicine Bath or Foundation Establishnt. Those are the foundation of the Cheng Family; they can never be leaked.’
After receiving the two docunts, Chen Kaishan departed Jade Peak County, taking two hundred catties of rice grain with him.
The Wilderness Rice harvest took three full days. Once all the grain was brought into the granary to dry, Cheng Zongyang left the remaining tasks to Zhou Zhendong. He, in turn, began preparations to deal with the captive Martial Artists in the prison.
Chen Kaishan’s round trip to the Prefecture City would take over twenty days. Factoring in the ti to conduct his business, it would be a month at the very least. And that was a conservative estimate. After all, Xiangyang Prefecture City was in the heart of Xiangyang Prefecture, while Jade Peak County, part of Qianye Prefecture, was far to the west. The journey involved many winding mountain roads and would naturally take a great deal of ti.
As for his promises—the construction of the village warehouses and the renovation of the Comrce Association’s shop—those would have to wait until he had an answer.
Naturally, he wasn’t going to wait around idly. He tasked Zhou Zhendong with handling certain matters personally, while he attended to his own plans.
In the warehouse’s dungeon, Cheng Zongyang used Wilderness Bean Water to knock out He Shujun and the forty-odd other Martial Artists. He then brought them all into the Wilderness World and handed them over to Luo Dingran, who was instructed to give them water at regular intervals to prolong their comas.
He planned to imprison these Martial Artists in a cave in the Celestial Break Mountain Range and deal with them once his Middle Tier Soul Crystal Stone was fully charged. He needed to make arrangents for this so he wouldn’t have to handle it personally.
Back in the study of his residence, he summoned Xu Yang and Ma Yue.
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