Chapter 107 Dealers
"Right, Murant Lu Rodanzo, a master who earned the title of Viscount solely for his pastry-making skills! It's a pity he only cooks for His Majesty the King, so we can only enjoy his food during banquets." Annina also ate two pieces of pastry and said with a lingering feeling, "Xiaoyou, I heard that you cook very well too. Can you show off your cooking skills tonight so I can have a taste of your cooking?"
"Of course!" Jiang You hadn't cooked for a few days and was really itching to cook. "Then why don't we go to the market? I want to see what special ingredients the capital has."
"It's not that easy!" Annina knocked on the wall of the car, and Jericho turned the car around and drove towards the market.
"Just buy whatever ingredients you like, I'll cover all the expenses!"
With the promise from her sponsor, Jiang You was eager to try it out. She had long been curious about what ingredients could be bought in the capital, including the famous curry! She wondered what curry would taste like in this era.
The bazaar in the royal capital was exceptionally lively, with rows and rows of shops neatly arranged in sections, and vendors wandering the streets and alleys. There were more people there than attending the Witch Forest Beer Festival... and this was just the daily scene.
"Sugar! Crystal clear white sugar! Pure sweetness, no adulteration. You get what you pay for!"
"Newly arrived spices from Southeast Asia! A wide variety, and incredibly fragrant! Essential for making curry!"
"Soy sauce! Soy sauce! Eston West City specialty soy sauce! Even the King said it's good!"
"Hmm?" Jiang You turned around. What was going on? She seemed to hear someone selling her soy sauce?
The lich took two steps at a time and scurried over. When his eyes met the dwarf vendor selling soy sauce, the man suddenly shrank his head, his height instantly seeming to shrink by a third. "Boss You, Boss You! Why are you in the capital?"
——Wow, this face looks so familiar, it’s a regular customer.
Jiang You had some impression of this face - although the dwarves looked very similar, all had a big face full of wrinkles, thick beards and big red noses, but this dwarf had been to her store many times since the beer festival in the Witch Forest, and each time he bought a lot of soy sauce as if he was purchasing goods... Now it seems that he really was purchasing goods.
Jiang You glanced at the price tag on his soy sauce and was instantly shocked by the ten silver coins per bottle. "Wow, you're really jacking up the price too much!"
The other person chuckled smugly, "That's because Boss You's soy sauce tastes so good! I just travel between cities, buying local products for guests who can't travel far, and making a little money off the travel expenses. My name is Pixie Anxie, a dwarf merchant specializing in selling unique items and a professional treasure hunter. There's no treasure in the world that I can't find! Boss You, since you're in the capital, would you like to discuss business with me?"
——Wow, he’s also a professional scalper purchasing agent.
But it's understandable when you think about it. Even in the era of Takumi Yuu, purchasing agents and scalpers were everywhere. Wherever there was a business opportunity, these merchants would appear. Whether it was limited-edition game merchandise sold in a specific city, membership-only stores in major cities, or a special milk tea collaboration... scalpers would buy them all.
Once the product is sold, it's sold. Whether the customer consumes it or resells it is not their business. After all, it's a physical good purchased by the customer, not intellectual property. As long as the other party doesn't use it to research, replicate, or produce their own soy sauce, Jiangyou has no reason to stop them.
Not to mention that this is the magical Middle Ages with inconvenient transportation and imperfect laws. The circulation of goods between many cities has to rely on these traveling merchants. Some traveling merchants will even cooperate with local lords to directly turn "cross-border purchasing" into "legal distribution."
The passenger flow of a city is limited, but if business can be expanded to other cities, the business opportunities are unlimited. Therefore, many local lords like to do business with traveling merchants and exchange what they have with other cities.
"You say." Jiang You had some guesses in his mind, but he didn't show it on his face.
"Come with me, I'll treat you to afternoon tea." Pixie rolled up the soy sauce on the stall and put it on the cart behind him. Then several other dwarves came and took over the cart to look after it.
Pixie took Takumi to the cafe next door. When he saw Annina and Jericho following behind Takumi, his expression became even more respectful.
The group sat down in the cafe. Pixie picked up the menu and quickly ordered a bunch of delicious food and drinks. The cafe waiter was also very quick. In just a few minutes, a large table was filled with a variety of exquisite cakes and drinks.
"It's like this," Pixie Anxie said, "I've been doing business in the capital for many years and have accumulated a lot of connections. Many important people come to me to buy local specialties. Recently, Boss You's soy sauce has been selling very well in the capital, but the quantity of goods I can get each time is limited, so it's really a bit of a shortage of supply.
"The population of West Eston is limited, and Mr. You's soy sauce is a seasoning. If poor people use it sparingly, a bottle could last them for over six months. But the Royal Capital is different. The permanent population of the Royal Capital alone is dozens of times that of West Eston, not to mention the tens of thousands of travelers who travel to and from the Royal Capital every day. These people come and go, buy a few bottles of soy sauce and take them back home. After their families, relatives, and friends try it, they'll go around looking for more, creating a constant source of new customers."
Jiang You listened expressionlessly. The dwarf merchant's opening remarks had gone on for quite some time without anyone responding. Unsure of her intentions, Jiang You simply continued, "I'd like to cooperate with you, Boss You. I'll be your authorized distributor in the capital. I'll buy the goods directly from you and sell them at a uniform price. We'll split the profits.
"According to the rules of the jianghu among traveling merchants, each city has its own route for the same goods. Whoever controls this route can sell that specific product in that city. Other merchants who want to come and do business must first seek permission from the dealer, or they can only sell things that others don't sell. I've already taken over your soy sauce. You have the goods, I have the customer base and a safe transportation route. If we work together, we can make the most money in the easiest way."
"How do we divide the profits?" asked Jiang You.
"Apart from the normal price of your soy sauce in Eston West City, we'll split the extra profit in the capital 50-50," Pixie Anxie said. "This 50% profit is only in exchange for your agreement to franchise our business in the capital. We'll cover the remaining transportation costs."
This split sounds quite reasonable.
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