Old Lin, who is over 60, has seen many such large animals before, but generally speaking, those that are so big are farmed, and it is rare for wild ones to be this big.
“Of course, my brother dug it on the beach,” Xiao Hu said proudly.
"Does your village have such a large elderly man?" Old Lin was still a little skeptical. "I've never seen one like this before."
"Well, this is quite rare. Maybe we're just lucky today. How much do you think we can offer?" Ye Cheng replied calmly.
"Well, the stuff is good, but it tastes similar to clams, so it won't fetch a good price. I can only offer 12 yuan per pound?"
"12?" Little Tiger shouted excitedly, his happy expression immediately giving him away.
Ye Cheng glared at him. How could this kid do business if he couldn't keep his composure?
When Old Lin, that cunning old fox, saw that one of the two had agreed, he immediately went to get the bucket to weigh it.
"Wait a minute." Ye Cheng pressed the bucket down calmly.
"What? You think it's too little?" Old Lin's expression softened. He put the bucket down and spread his hands. "If you think it's too little, then forget it. This is the price I've offered. You don't have much here anyway. I wouldn't have accepted it otherwise."
Ye Cheng calmly took a puff of his cigarette; he had seen this kind of trick many times before.
Just like the client, no matter what, they first pick out a bunch of thorns to drive down the price.
Yes, the taste of the clam king is similar to that of the clam, and it's not much better than the sand clam or anything like that, but when it comes to seafood, it's all about those little differences.
And look at that head! When people invite guests to dinner, they want it to be impressive.
It's not as bad as he described.
Old Lin is all about the price.
"Boss Lin, I know we don't have much stock, but the quality is indeed good. Could you add a little more? I'll come back to you next time I have good stuff," Ye Cheng said.
Old Lin flicked his cigarette ash, shook his head and said, "This is the price. I need to make a profit too, you know. If you don't like it, go to another store."
Xiao Hu wanted to speak again, but Ye Cheng glared at him and he quickly swallowed his words. He couldn't understand why Ye Cheng wasn't satisfied with 12 yuan per jin.
Ye Cheng feigned a sigh and said with a disappointed look, "Forget it, we won't disturb Boss Lin's fortune-making. Let's ask around at other places."
"Little Tiger, let's grab the stuff and go." Ye Cheng picked up a bucket and walked out first.
Xiao Hu was stunned for a moment. Why did they suddenly stop selling? He didn't understand, but he listened to Ye Cheng and followed him out with the bucket.
Seeing the two walk out of the store without looking back, Old Lin couldn't sit still any longer. He came out and chased after them for a couple of steps, then called out helplessly, "Hey, wait, wait, let's talk again when you come back."
Ye Cheng smiled smugly. All merchants in the world are the same; this trick has been effective every time for so many years.
However, if Xiao Hu hadn't let slip, he wouldn't have had to resort to this tactic.
"Brother, let's not go. He was clearly trying to lower the price just now. What a swindler!" Xiao Hu realized what was happening and was a little angry.
"Business is about negotiation, don't get angry," Ye Cheng said calmly.
In business, you must remain calm and composed. Don't pay attention to what others say or do; making money should be your top priority.
Ye Cheng returned carrying the bucket, but this time he stood right at the entrance, signaling to Boss Lin that he could leave at any time, putting psychological pressure on his opponent. "Boss Lin, what do you say?"
Old Lin shook his head and said to Ye Cheng with a smile, "Everyone says Ye Lao Er is a good-for-nothing, but I think they've all misjudged him."
Ye Cheng smiled without saying a word. They hadn't misjudged him; they just didn't know that his soul had changed, turning him into a seasoned office worker.
Ye Cheng remained silent, and Old Lin had no choice but to set his own price: "How about this, 15 yuan per jin, consider it making friends."
"20, I'll come to you first if I find any good products in the future."
"20 won't do, absolutely not. I can't even sell them for that much money, I'd lose money." Old Lin shook his hands like a fan.
"Then how much do you want?"
"A maximum of 16, any more and I'll lose money."
"18, fixed price. If it works out, great. If not, I'll go to another place." Ye Cheng picked up the bucket.
"Hey, hey, why are you using this trick again? Fine, 18 it is, I'm scared of you." Old Lin looked annoyed. Who the hell told him that Ye Lao Er was a small-time hoodlum? He's smarter than a ghost.
Xiao Hu, standing next to him, was dumbfounded. "Brother Cheng is really amazing. He managed to get the price from 12 yuan to 18 yuan in one go."
But when did Brother Cheng become so powerful? Did he realize something after peeping at Widow Zhang taking a bath?
After agreeing on the price, Lao Lin quickly picked out the king clams, becoming happier with each selection. Even at 20 yuan per jin, he could still make a considerable profit.
Seafood is like jade; once the quality improves, the price increases tenfold.
Many big bosses love these rare, high-quality wild specimens. They don't mind paying a high price; for them, money is not an issue, and finding them is a matter of fate.
"I won't take these little clams," Old Lin said, picking out the king clams while leaving the smaller ones in the bucket.
"It's okay, we'll eat these ourselves when we get back."
After draining the water, it was weighed. "32 jin, totaling 576 yuan."
"More than 500!" Xiao Hu's breathing quickened. That was equivalent to half a month's income for his family.
"No problem, scan the code." Ye Cheng instinctively reached for his phone to scan the code, only to realize that this wasn't the future, and there were no QR codes here.
"What do you mean by scanning a QR code?" Old Lin was taken aback.
"It's nothing, I was just saying. Cash is fine."
Only now has he realized a problem: he doesn't seem to have a cell phone.
This was in 2002. In later generations, it would be impossible to survive without a mobile phone.
Old Lin glanced at Ye Cheng with suspicion, thinking to himself that the nickname "Two-Time Scoundrel" wasn't given lightly; he really was a bit of a scoundrel.
After counting out five large bills and 76 yuan in change, Lao Lin handed the money to Ye Cheng, adding, "Remember to look for me next time you have good stuff."
"No problem, definitely, thanks."
After receiving the money, Ye Cheng felt all the fatigue of the day disappear. A person needs to have something to strive for.
More than 500 yuan—in later generations, that wouldn't even be enough for a meal.
But now, that's half a month's income.
Ye Cheng felt that this income was acceptable.
"Brother, with so much money, shouldn't we have a good meal?" Xiao Hu was already getting a little carried away.
He was met with a flick on the forehead: "What are you eating? All the money you earn is being eaten up."
Ye Cheng counted out 150 and handed it to Xiao Hu, saying, "Take this back home, don't spend it on yourself."
Xiao Hu scratched his head a little embarrassedly, "Brother, you gave me too much. You dug them all up. Just give me enough for a pack of cigarettes."
"Just take it because I told you to. You'll make plenty of money with me in the future. So why won't you take it later?"
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