Chapter 660: Management Levels
The shopkeeper thought for a moment before saying, "Master Wan, the person you want is not easy to find. This manager is also in short supply and hard to come by. But you are lucky today. I just received a batch of goods the other day. They are criminal slaves exiled from the capital, and some were transferred from Jiangnan. But there are only five in total, which is still half of the number Master Wan mentioned. This..."
When Wan Laoer heard this, he thought he was really lucky. Wang Jiawei had told him on the way here that it was not easy to buy from the store, unless you inquire in advance and then go directly to the store, you would be lucky if you could buy one or two, because the good ones had already been reserved, so there was no chance for them to get a turn. Now there were five, wasn't this lucky?
Wan Lao Er did not hesitate and immediately said, "How about these five people? If they are good, I will take them all."
Wang Jiawei quickly pulled Wan Laoer's sleeve. This second brother was still as "honest" and "sincere" as before.
"Manager Chen, can you please call someone over for us to take a look first?" Wang Jiawei immediately smiled and suppressed Wan Laoer's anxiety.
"Of course. I'll go get the person right away. Have some tea first."
"Oh, okay."
After Chen left, Wang Jiawei said to Wan Laoer, "Second brother, you are too impatient. You show everything on your face. How are you going to negotiate the price later?"
Wan Lao Er rubbed his face, a little embarrassed, "Brother-in-law, it's not that I'm impatient, it's just that our family is really short of people. I haven't asked you yet, how much does this steward usually cost?"
"The average male slave is ten taels of silver each, and a steward must be twice that much, and the more powerful the steward, the higher the price. I once heard Manager Chen say that he sold a steward from a merchant's family for one thousand taels of silver. So the price should be determined based on the steward's ability, not simply based on physical condition and gender."
Wan Laoer was surprised that the service was so expensive.
"This butler is so expensive? If I buy ten butlers, wouldn't it cost nearly a thousand?"
"Second brother, do you think it doesn't take time to train a steward? A good steward needs at least five or six years of training and learning. You want to use a ready-made one, so you can buy it from a broker. This has already saved a lot of money. For businessmen, time is money. If you train ten stewards yourself, how much money will it cost? And how much less money will you earn? Have you calculated it?"
Wan Laoer felt that what Wang Jiawei said made sense, and he instantly felt that the price was acceptable.
"How are we going to bargain with him then? According to what you said, this manager is hard to buy, and he can't raise the price?"
Wan Laoer also began to have doubts in his heart. If each person wanted one hundred taels, he really had to think about how long it would take to make back his investment.
"So let's see. The basic skill of a steward is to be able to read and do accounts. Only one level higher can be a steward. Stewards are divided into high, medium and low levels. Manager Chen should not ruin his reputation just to get more money. Second brother, don't worry. Even if he makes money, he knows the amount. What's more, you are a big customer."
Wan Lao Er listened to Wang Jiawei's words, thought about it for a while, and then said: "You mean, even if he wants it casually, it won't be too much, right?"
"Yes, that's what he meant. But he definitely left us some room for bargaining."
Wan Lao Er nodded in confusion and said simply, "I will try to speak less for a while. You tell me. You used to manage so many people, so you must know more than I do."
Wan Laoer was lucky that he met Wang Jiawei, otherwise he would have to find a random broker to buy someone, and he would have no idea how the person worked out in the end or whether he had wasted his money.
Soon, the broker came over with five middle-aged men.
The five men were of different heights, weights and bodies, but most of them were in their early thirties, and one was a little older, probably around forty years old.
Several people stood behind the broker, with their heads slightly lowered, like commodities for people to choose.
"Master Wan, look, these are the five managers I mentioned. These are from the capital, and this one is from the south."
The toothman pointed at the oldest man and said.
Wan Laoer couldn't help but take another look at the man. He saw that he looked neither humble nor arrogant. Although he lowered his head slightly, there was no ripple on his face, nor was he cautious. He gave people a sense of free and easy calmness.
Wan Laoer nodded secretly. Although he was in this situation, he could still maintain such a calm mentality. This person must have experienced many ups and downs.
Then, Wang Jiawei asked a few questions and conducted a test himself. He found that these managers were good at reading, writing and arithmetic, and most of them had certain management skills. They arranged things in a clear and appropriate manner.
Even Wan Laoer, who was standing by, felt that these people were much better than him. If he were asked to deal with the emergency, he might not be as smart as these managers.
Especially the oldest steward, who is better in reading, writing and problem-solving abilities.
Wang Jiawei secretly winked at Wan Laoer, who nodded.
This means he likes all of these.
Wang Jiawei then said to Shopkeeper Chen: "Shopkeeper Chen, let them go first, and then we can talk?"
Shopkeeper Chen smiled happily, he was impressed.
He immediately waved his hand and asked these people to go back.
"Master Wang, what do you think of these people? Are they all good fighters?"
"It's okay, right? But for our shop, it's still a little lacking in capabilities. Even if we buy it back, we'll have to train it for a few more years."
Both Shopkeeper Chen and Wang Jiawei knew that this was the time to make an offer, so they should take it easy.
Shopkeeper Chen laughed, "Okay, okay, if you like what you have, Master Wang, take them all away. I'll give you a discount. How about that?"
"Then Shopkeeper Chen, please tell us first. If the price is right, we will take everything away."
"We are old friends, how can I cheat you? You just saw that the abilities of these managers vary, but the basic skills of managers are the same. It's just a matter of whether they are in charge of a big shop or a small shop. With a few more years of experience, they may all be good assistants to Master Wan in the future."
Shopkeeper Chen always had a smile on his face when he spoke, which made him seem very approachable.
"Then Manager Chen, can you please tell us the price first?" Wang Jiawei didn't want to talk nonsense with him. There were patients at home waiting for him to go back and take care of them.
Shopkeeper Chen also wanted to promote this deal. If this person stayed one more day, he would have to take care of his food, drink, defecation and urination for one more day. Moreover, although stewards were in high demand, it depended on the market. Only when there was a need for a steward would they buy one. Generally, wealthy families would promote one from their own people, and few would buy stewards from outside, unless it was a newly established family, but there were not many such people.
Shopkeeper Chen had already calculated the price in his mind, so when Wang Jiawei opened his mouth, he responded: "The two with inferior skills are thirty taels each, the other two with better skills are fifty taels each, and the best one is two hundred taels each. Master Wang, you are also a man who has seen the world, and you also know that our business is also based on market conditions. You know whether I have falsely reported it to you."
Wang Jiawei didn't say anything, but Wan Laoer had already started complaining in his heart, why is it so expensive to buy a manager?
The old man actually wanted two hundred taels, which he found a little unacceptable. In this case, wouldn’t the two maids that Quan’er gave to Fubao be more expensive?
Wan Laoer couldn't help but be shocked.
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