Chapter 653 Bidding for Crayfish Agency Rights
When the time came, Cheng Wanwan appeared at the venue.
She attended the event in full regalia, adorned with a jade hairpin and a hair ornament, followed by old women and maids, exuding an air of grandeur.
"We have met Lady Sui!"
All the businessmen present, regardless of which floor they were from, stood up, cupped their hands, bowed, and bowed respectfully in unison.
Cheng Wanwan's smile was approachable: "Everyone has come from afar, please have a seat."
She sat down at the front, took a sip of tea, and looked at everyone, saying, "I'm sure you've all heard about the first investment promotion conference in Dahe Town. The format and process of this second investment promotion conference are no different from the first one. However, the first one was about competing for the right to operate a shop, while this second one is about finding food agents, with the highest bidder winning."
“Once you become a food agent, Dahe Town will only provide the food to this one and only food agent in the region.” She smiled. “Because this is the first time we are trying this out, the supply is limited, so we are only recruiting one agent for each food item for the time being. After we get a good market response, Dahe Town will readjust the rules. If you have any questions, you can ask us now.”
A young man stood up and said casually, "I am a citizen of Quanzhou. If I become the Quanzhou agent for crayfish, does that mean I can only sell crayfish in Quanzhou?"
"No, that's not it." Cheng Wanwan shook her head. "What I mean is, you're the only one in the entire prefecture who's qualified to get supplies from me. You can sell them in Yangzhou or even the capital, it all depends on your own abilities. If the crayfish are very popular, then in the second or third year, Dahe Town will recruit agents in other regions. After all, you can't have it all to yourself, can you?"
Upon hearing this, everyone present began to rub their hands together in anticipation.
We're all business people; everyone knows the importance of seizing the initiative. Once you get the agency rights, you can seize the market immediately, and the second or third agents simply can't compete with the first one.
In short, the first one is very important.
County Magistrate Zhao smiled and said, "Now that everyone understands the rules, let's begin."
He made a gesture, and Zhao Tiezhu, who was behind the screen, came out carrying a tray with a bowl of preserved eggs on it. He even cut one open as a demonstration.
"This is a unique delicacy of Dahe Town—preserved egg. Since its introduction to the market, preserved egg has been loved and sought after by the general public. Currently, preserved egg is only sold in one county and town near Ping'an County, and it is not available in other places... After becoming the regional agent for preserved egg, Dahe Town will help the Zhu family expand production and provide the agent with a source of goods... The starting bid for the first agency right for this delicacy is one hundred taels of silver. Please raise your paddles."
Old Mrs. Zhu was also present, and she handed out the cut preserved eggs to the merchants one by one so that they could taste them.
She didn't understand what investment agency rights were. It was Da Shan Niang who told her that this could expand production and increase profits, so she participated without hesitation.
She collaborates with outside merchants to help Dahe Town establish its reputation as a food capital. In return, Dahe Town helps her expand the production of preserved eggs. She benefits, Dashan Niang takes a cut, and Dahe Town also gains something from it. It's a sure-fire way to make money.
Everyone present received one-eighth of a preserved egg and swallowed it in one gulp.
Some people like to eat it, and some people don't, but it must be said that this is indeed a unique delicacy. As long as it is unique, it has market value.
"I'll offer one hundred and fifty taels."
"One hundred and eighty taels."
"Two hundred taels..."
The price increased slowly, and eventually a merchant from the whole state acquired the agency rights for four hundred taels.
"Next, the second delicacy is a new variety cultivated by the Sui Gong people, presented as tribute by the envoys of the Laji Kingdom. The Sui Gong people named it potato. They have developed five ways to eat this potato, and each one is absolutely delicious." Magistrate Zhao began to promote the second delicacy. "Because there are many people here today, the five flavors will be auctioned separately, and the highest bidder wins."
First, spicy baby potatoes were served, one serving to each person to sample. Those who were interested could raise their paddles to participate in the bidding.
This potato is a novelty; it may not look particularly appealing, but the dishes made from it are surprisingly delicious. Even people who weren't initially interested started raising their hands in anticipation.
Finally, the spicy baby potatoes were sold for 800 taels of silver, while the other four snacks were sold for 900 taels, 1,0 ... and 1,200 taels of silver respectively.
The investment promotion conference became increasingly lively, and finally, amidst everyone's anticipation, the crayfish arrived.
Similarly, the four flavors of crayfish were auctioned off separately.
The vast majority of the businessmen present were there for the crayfish, their eyes gleaming, already having various plans in mind.
"Mr. He, which flavor of crayfish do you prefer?" The Yangzhou merchant asked Mr. He in a low voice. If Mr. He was interested, he would simply give up and not bother with the rest.
Old He stroked his beard: "Of the more than ten kinds of delicacies, the one that fetched the highest price was the secret chili sauce. A bottle of sauce actually sold for two thousand taels of silver. So it seems that this crayfish must be at least three thousand taels. None of the merchants here are short of three thousand taels of silver."
Another businessman standing nearby said, "We donated so much money to build the canal. If we can't get the crayfish agency rights, it would be a huge loss."
"I've prepared 10,000 taels of silver for the auction; I should be able to win that exquisite braised shrimp."
"I just overheard some merchants from Qingzhou talking. It seems they raised 20,000 to 30,000 taels of silver together, specifically for spicy crayfish and braised prawns."
Old He narrowed his eyes: "Everyone came here for the crayfish, so naturally they don't want to leave empty-handed. Joining forces to win the bid for this delicacy is indeed the best choice. We all belong to the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce, so how about we bid for the exclusive agency rights for the crayfish in the name of the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce this time? After winning the bid, we can then divide the profits internally. This way, we won't have unnecessary bidding among ourselves. What do you all think?"
More than a dozen Yangzhou merchants followed Old He's lead, and since Old He had said so, they naturally nodded in agreement.
"The starting bid for Steamed Shrimp with Garlic is one thousand taels of silver. Please place your bids."
"Two thousand taels!"
"Three thousand taels!"
"Four thousand taels!"
As soon as the crayfish arrived, the atmosphere at the scene became lively, and the price skyrocketed instantly.
Cheng Wanwan remained calm and composed, sipping tea as she watched the bidding unfold. The price quickly exceeded five thousand taels of silver.
Originally, there were about forty or fifty people participating, but because the price exceeded the budget, only four or five people remained.
The four or five people were bidding against each other, each raising the price by at least five hundred taels. Gradually, the price approached ten thousand taels. During this process, two more people gave up, and in the end, only a merchant from Qingzhou and Old Man He remained to compete for the same price.
Seeing that the price was getting more and more outrageous, Cheng Wanwan had to speak up: "You two, stop for a moment. There are three more flavors of crayfish to come. You don't necessarily have to stick to this garlic steamed crayfish. If the agency fee is too high, you two won't make any money, right?"
Even if a pound of crayfish can sell for four or five taels of silver, the remaining crayfish in the pond can only earn about twenty thousand taels of silver. After deducting costs, travel expenses, losses, etc., it is not possible to earn back the agency fee in the first year.
Although she wants to take advantage of others, she can't take advantage of them completely, otherwise it will be difficult to cooperate in the future.
After she spoke, Old He readily agreed, saying, "Then this old man will accept your offer. I hope that you will also give way to this old man in the future."
He observed that the most popular dishes were spicy crayfish and braised prawns, and the Yangzhou Chamber of Commerce was determined to get these two.
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