Damn it, how did he know it was the Roosevelt Trading Consortium? Reynolds never let any of their people show up—how could he possibly know?
He knows it's the Roosevelt Trading Consortium, so why is he still so calm? Is he doing this on purpose?
Good heavens, he must be doing this on purpose. Deliberately staying silent, deliberately allowing those who returned the Universal Core to get a full refund—he's done nothing at all. What is he really after?
What good does this do for the Gilded Rose?
In these ten or so days, sales of the Gilded Rose's Universal Core have plummeted by at least sixty percent. With all those returned Universal Cores, the Gilded Rose is probably left with only a tenth of its original profit. Why isn't he worried at all?
If the reputation of the Universal Core is completely destroyed...
What is his confidence based on?
A flurry of thoughts raced through Dick's mind. Looking at Leon's calm demeanor, it didn't seem fake at all—not pretend indifference, but genuine lack of concern...
"Master Leon, aren't you worried at all?"
The original negotiation plan was completely scrapped. Dick couldn't help but ask.
Leon looked a little puzzled.
"Why should I be worried? If those people don't want the Universal Core anymore, then they shouldn't use it in the future either.
Anyone with half a brain knows the truth about the Universal Core. Everyone is clear on what it really is. If someone thinks it won't sell, let them wait and see.
I don't care. If the Universal Core isn't sold publicly, I'll just supply it to my collaborators. The production was always low, and public sales were already stressful—now it's perfect."
Dick looked conflicted, his expression like someone suffering from constipation. Not only had the original negotiation plan failed, even the backup plan was now useless...
Anyone who's used the Universal Core knows what it's like. Those who understand its value—once they've had a taste, there's no way they'll give it up.
Exactly—the Gilded Rose's Universal Core has always had low and unstable output. They never accept pre-orders, and the public sales were just to spread a little around. Even if it's not sold publicly, there's still overwhelming demand.
There's never any worry about it not selling—demand always outstrips supply...
Damn, this guy is so confident—how are we supposed to negotiate now? He doesn't care at all about the Roosevelt Trading Consortium's slander against the Universal Core. If worst comes to worst, he'll just stop selling it...
If public sales stop, the Gilded Rose's collaborators will probably be ecstatic. Their supply will instantly increase, profits will grow, and the Gilded Rose's own profits will hardly be affected...
Dick mulled over it for half a minute, his face twisted in indecision. He couldn't think of any way to squeeze a profit out of the Gilded Rose—the plan to take advantage had completely failed. But the Universal Core was something he couldn't give up...
"Master Leon, actually, I'm here on behalf of the Lincoln Trading Guild to discuss a collaboration with the Gilded Rose—specifically about the Universal Core in the Stoneland Kingdom."
After much deliberation, Dick decided to treat this negotiation as just a regular business meeting.
A hint of amusement flashed in Leon's eyes. In negotiations like this, who needs whom is crucial. If Dick thinks the Gilded Rose desperately needs the Lincoln Trading Guild, then the talks are doomed—and the demands will only get harsher.
But if the Gilded Rose doesn't need the Lincoln Trading Guild at all, and considering the Universal Core's uniqueness, then it's the Lincoln Trading Guild that's coming to the Gilded Rose with requests. With that premise, the negotiations can continue—and now it's the Gilded Rose's turn to make demands.
Still, everything said before was true—the Universal Core never has trouble selling. If it's not sold publicly and just supplied to collaborators, it's actually better for the Gilded Rose. The reason for public sales before was simply to boost the Gilded Rose's reputation and quickly build its network in the Odin Kingdom.
Looking back, that ambitious approach did carry a lot of risks. Now's the perfect chance to weed out some unqualified collaborators.
As these thoughts flickered through his mind, Leon's face showed a hint of regret.
"Lord Dick, regarding the Universal Core collaboration, I'm truly sorry—the Gilded Rose simply doesn't have that much supply. The materials are far too rare, and extracting and refining them is a nightmare. The defect rate is high; if a batch fails during production, the materials are completely wasted.
That's why the quantity never increases much—it's taken ages to build up the current supply. Although a lot of Universal Cores were recently returned, all of them were snapped up by the Gilded Rose's collaborators.
Just Skyhold Fortress alone has already bought another ten thousand, and they're preparing to take all the returned Universal Cores. Unfortunately, with so many collaborators, we have to consider everyone. Right now, we're still behind on delivering ten thousand to Skyhold Fortress—they're our closest partners, and I always make sure to meet their needs first...
As for selling Universal Cores to the Stoneland Kingdom, I'm truly sorry, Lord Dick—the Gilded Rose just doesn't have enough.
Maybe in a few years, once the Gilded Rose's technology improves and output increases, we'll consider selling Universal Cores to the Stoneland Kingdom.
Of course, when that time comes, I'll give priority to the Lincoln Trading Guild and Lord Dick."
Dick looked constipated—every contingency plan was ruined. Even after repeatedly changing strategies, he never expected this outcome.
Leon had already said everything that needed saying—what else could Dick add? When something is always in short supply and priority goes to partners, there's nothing to criticize. The Gilded Rose's reputation is solid, loyal to old allies. People like that make the best partners—you never have to worry they'll kick you out for a better deal...
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He hadn't expected to be refused, and certainly not with the excuse of low output. Dick's mind was about to explode—he had no idea how to continue negotiating. It was a perfect, unassailable reason...
And it's a reason everyone knows—everyone knows the Gilded Rose's Universal Core is always in short supply, demand always outstrips supply.
No one expects the Gilded Rose to mass-produce Universal Cores. Even for bulk deals with partners, the best price is fifty thousand Purple Gold Coins each, while the retail price in stores is eighty thousand.
Everyone can imagine how high the profit is—it's certainly not low. With such high profits and overwhelming demand, the Gilded Rose naturally sells every unit it can produce; every sale means a pile of Purple Gold Coins.
"Lord Dick, you came all this way—I'm truly sorry to have wasted your time. I can authorize the release of twenty Universal Cores, and you can have them at our partner price of fifty thousand Purple Gold Coins each.
I hope you don't mind the small quantity—twenty is the absolute maximum I can spare right now..."
A strained smile appeared on Dick's face. The Lincoln Trading Guild had bought Universal Cores before, but only managed to get ten at a steep price. Every time the Gilded Rose sold Universal Cores, the Lincoln Trading Guild couldn't get a single one.
At first they didn't care, but when they finally did, trouble with the Universal Core had already erupted. Many started returning them to the Gilded Rose, while others tried to buy them up. Unfortunately, too many things have gone haywire recently.
Even offering a high price couldn't win buyers' trust. Either the Universal Cores were being returned to the Gilded Rose, or they'd already been snatched up by others.
Now the Gilded Rose isn't selling Universal Cores to outsiders at all—getting even one is nearly impossible. To buy twenty at once is the biggest deal on the market right now.
Dick smiled, paid a million Purple Gold Coins without hesitation, and left with twenty Universal Cores.
After Dick left, Farrow finally asked, puzzled.
"Lord Merlin, according to my research, half of the Stoneland Kingdom is desert and the other half is snow. The two peoples mostly live in their respective halves. While they've integrated better lately, competition is still fierce.
The Lincoln Trading Guild is Roosevelt Trading Consortium's main rival. As long as the Lincoln Trading Guild helps us, Roosevelt won't have the resources to target the Gilded Rose. So why did you...?"
Leon smiled slightly.
"You're wondering why I refused Dick's partnership, aren't you, Farrow? Remember, the Stoneland Kingdom is different from Andalusia and Odin.
In Andalusia Kingdom, the strongest force is the Wizard Tower—they hold the highest status. The royal family isn't that powerful, really just one of the top factions in Andalusia.
In Odin Kingdom, the royal family is extremely strong. They've inherited some legacy from the Third Dynasty, and their influence reaches every corner of the kingdom. The royal family is truly one of the mightiest powers in Odin.
After that come the noble families with titles—their strength is the backbone of Odin Kingdom. Those with only titles, or families who've risen in the last thousand years, lack depth. The Wizard Tower rarely stands among Odin's top tier.
In Stoneland Kingdom, all power and everything else is controlled by the trading guilds. None of their members are pure mages—they're the most business-savvy mages in Northend, always chasing profit.
If I'd agreed to the partnership right away, they'd have made outrageous demands. And if I refused, those vampires who can smell Purple Gold Coins from ten thousand kilometers away might try something else..."
Farrow nodded, but still seemed a bit confused.