Discussing Cooperation 2
An effective negotiation tactic is to first slap him and then offer a sweet treat. She has already slapped Xu Shangqiang in the face; now it's time to offer the sweet treat.
Fu Zhi Qiao was actually unwilling to go against Xu Shang Qiang. She had no connections in Qingzhou City, while he had influence in both the legal and illegal worlds. If she went head-to-head with him, she would only suffer.
Xu Shangqiang is no ordinary person; he has managed to make Penglai Residence one of the most prestigious residences in Qingzhou City.
She was gambling that Xu Shangqiang would protect his reputation, and with that in mind, Penglaiju wouldn't openly suppress her, but would only dare to use underhanded tactics in secret.
Chen Zheng is the most direct example. Apart from resorting to petty tricks to disgust people, there's nothing they can do about her.
Clearly, she won her gamble.
If this had happened in her previous life, she wouldn't have been afraid of anyone, but now, in this situation, she couldn't afford to be without any power.
As a completely new type of liquor, Taibai Liquor has a very promising market prospect. However, it is difficult for Fu Zhiqiao to maintain it on her own. Xu Shangqiang is also interested in Taibai Liquor to make money. Since she cannot take over the entire market by herself, she might as well bring more people into her team.
She had already figured out Xu Shangqiang's background, and the power behind him was something she could use. She had to secure conditions that were favorable to herself. "I have a compromise here. I wonder if Mr. Xu would be interested?"
"What method?" Xu Shangqiang really couldn't figure out what the person in front of him was thinking.
"I certainly won't sell the secret recipe for Taibai wine, but I can sell the wine to Penglaiju."
Firmly refuse to reveal the wine recipe, lower the other party's expectations, then offer the method of buying and selling, and then it will be a natural progression.
Upon hearing this, Xu Shangqiang thought that if he couldn't buy the recipe for the wine, he could at least buy the wine.
People's bottom line is lowered little by little like this.
The fish had finally taken the bait, and Fu Zhiqiao wasn't about to let him go easily. She said, "Penglaiju must order wine from the wine shop every month, and each time it must be no less than six hundred jars."
Six hundred jars of wine is equivalent to six thousand taels of silver.
The price was acceptable, but he still felt uneasy. Xu Shangqiang was a respectable figure in Qingzhou City, and now he was being led by the nose by a little girl. What would people say if word got out?
What if I insist on buying the son?
Fu Zhiqiao: ...
What does this mean? Is he trying to spite her?
Fu Zhiqiao gave a forced smile: "Then, if you come to Penglaiju to buy wine, you can only follow the rules of the wine shop."
According to the rules of the wine shop, each person can only buy one jar. The wine shop supplies a fixed amount of wine every day. Even if he asks people to come early every day to queue up and buy several jars a day, how can that make up for the daily consumption of wine at Penglai Residence?
In the market for high-end and rare products, the seller always holds the dominant position.
Because the "uniqueness" of a product can bring more benefits to the seller, in other words, if Taibai Wine Shop is determined not to sell wine to Xu Shangqiang, then no matter how much money he has, he cannot buy it.
This realization made Xu Shangqiang feel disheartened, knowing that he couldn't gain anything from her. He changed the subject: "Boss Fu, let's continue discussing the wine order. I'd like to hear the details."
"Penglaiju shall not order less than 600 jars of wine per month for a period of five years. As for how Penglaiju sets the price and how it sells the wine, I have no say in it."
The wine at Penglaiju was already more expensive than wine outside. A jar of wine was broken into several portions and sold individually, which, when converted, was more expensive than ten taels of silver.
Based on this calculation, Penglai Residence is guaranteed to make a profit.
"Six hundred jars is no small amount, but the price..."
Want to lower the price? No way!
Fu Zhiqiao smiled and said, "Ten taels of silver for a jar is not expensive. Taibai wine is unique even in the entire Great Wei. I dare say that if it were sold in Penglai Residence, it could earn at least 100,000 taels of profit a year."
This is not something Fu Zhiqiao made up. Qingzhou City has a population of nearly 700,000 to 800,000, and Penglaiju is a high-end restaurant with high prices. Earning 100,000 taels a year is a conservative estimate.
It has to be said that Xu Shangqiang was tempted.
Looking at the determined girl in front of him, Xu Shangqiang had a strange intuition that she could do it.
If what Fu Zhiqiao said is true, Penglai Residence earns at least 100,000 taels of silver a year from its wine sales, then my status in the family can be raised again, and the position of patriarch will be just around the corner.
Back then, when his younger sister Xu Shuangqin was sixteen, she married Fang Licheng, who was thirty. Behind his back, many clansmen despised him for selling his sister for personal gain. But now Fang Licheng holds a high position, and with this connection, he has also gained a foothold in Qingzhou. The entire Xu family benefits from his success, and those envious clansmen only dare to say a few sarcastic words about him behind his back.
Composing himself, Xu Shangqiang asked, "What kind of wine does Boss Fu's wine shop still sell?"
"Currently, only Taibai liquor is available."
"Currently?" Xu Shangqiang understood the key point, meaning there would be other wines later.
"Would it be convenient to take a look at the wine cellar?" Xu Shangqiang asked.
This means they want to inspect the goods; it seems this deal is going to go through.
"Mr. Xu, please follow me." Fu Zhi Qiao gestured for him to come in.
Xu Shangqiang followed Fu Zhiqiao into the warehouse on the other side. As the candles in the wine cellar were lit, the vision became clear. Xu Shangqiang's eyes were as sharp as a hawk's, scanning every corner from top to bottom.
The warehouse was filled with three-tiered wooden shelves, which were piled high with wine jars. He estimated that there were no fewer than five hundred jars of wine in the warehouse.
Xu Shangqiang thought to himself: They actually have so much stored wine, aren't they afraid it will spoil if left for too long?
"So, Mr. Xu, do these wines meet your standards?"
Xu Shangqiang pondered for a moment, then looked at Fu Zhiqiao seriously.
"If I buy your wine, and then you resell the recipe at a high price, wouldn't I be at a loss!"
"Mr. Xu, you're overthinking it. Since I've sold the wine to you, I won't sell the recipe to anyone else. This will be written in the contract, and there's no way to fake it."
Xu Shangqiang nodded, thinking that this way everyone could get what they needed.
Seeing that Fu Zhiqiao had already taken a step back, Xu Shangqiang's eyes flashed with a sharp light, preparing to press his advantage and gain even greater benefits.
"Ordering six hundred jars of wine per month is no problem, however, Taibai Wine Shop can no longer supply wine to other restaurants!"
Xu Shangqiang was very clear-headed. Since he couldn't negotiate a lower price, he needed to control the purchasing channels to minimize the competition from other restaurants.
Fu Zhi Qiao agreed without hesitation: "Okay, Taibai wine won't be available in other restaurants from now on! However, the manager of Baiweilou has already made arrangements with us..."
Xu Shangqiang: ...
Baiweilou is nothing more than a small restaurant and cannot threaten the status of Penglaiju. The two restaurants both have Taibai wine, so there will definitely be some competition, but with Penglaiju's reputation, they have an absolute advantage in Qingzhou City.
If things continue to stalemate at this point, it will harm the interests of both sides.
Xu Shangqiang thought for a moment and then agreed.
"I admire Mr. Fu for his young age and his remarkable abilities!"
She speaks with neither arrogance nor servility, and acts with ease, displaying a maturity beyond her years.
"Mr. Xu, you flatter me."
Two copies of the contract were made. After the two parties signed and stamped them, they went to the government office to get official approval. In this way, the two parties reached a cooperation agreement, and Taibai Wine Shop officially became the wine supplier for Penglaiju.
Fu Zhiqiao chuckled and said, "Mr. Xu, now that we're friends, I won't hold back anymore."
Xu Shangqiang's eyes widened. So you had a backup plan?
"The brewing process of Taibai wine is complicated and requires several steps to produce a clear, transparent, and clean wine without impurities. Therefore, the longer the wine is aged, the higher its value."
Good wine needs to be aged. After a period of time, the impurities in the wine will evaporate, resulting in a mellow and fragrant wine.
This is also why she insists on aging the wine in the cellar for six months before selling it. Aging the wine for a few years will not only improve its taste, but also double its price when it is sold.
The wine is currently aged too young, and most people wouldn't think that far ahead. However, she has informed all her business partners, and whether they have kept any wine on hand is beyond her control.
Xu Shangqiang was shocked again. "The older the vintage, the higher the value? Boss Fu, are you joking? Even a three-year-old knows that wine will taste bad if it's left out for too long."
"That's ordinary wine. My Taibai wine, if stored properly, won't go bad even after ten years!"
Xu Shangqiang understood the deeper meaning in her words: if this Taibai wine could be stored for ten years without changing its flavor, then its value would be equivalent to ten taels of silver.
Is this really true?
"Of course, Mr. Xu can verify it himself if he doesn't believe it."
The wine jar must not be opened, must not be exposed to direct sunlight, and must be stored in a dry and cool environment. Fu Zhiqiao told him the method for preserving Taibai wine.
"I've already told you the secret. How to proceed from here is up to Mr. Xu's skills."
She plans to gradually popularize the concept that "aged wine is more valuable" among the public. The first few batches of wine were the most valuable. She kept one batch for herself and sold the rest one by one.
Xu Shangqiang is a smart man. With his help to manipulate wine prices, she can save herself a lot of trouble. Next, she can just sit back and wait to reap the rewards.
*
As soon as Xu Shangqiang left, Song Dali immediately came up to him: "Boss, are we really going to sell our wine recipe to them?"
Defu glared at him, his eyes conveying: How dare you speak to your employer like that?
Song Dali scratched the back of his head with a silly grin. He had worked in the shop for so long that he had gotten a feel for Fu Zhi Qiao's personality and knew that she wouldn't hold a grudge.
"No, Penglaiju has already agreed to order wine every month."
Song Dali was somewhat incredulous. This wasn't the first time Penglaiju had tried to come up with a wine recipe, so how could they just give up like that? "They just gave up like that? Could it be a trap?"
Defu couldn't hold back any longer and slapped him on the head: "This is none of your business, go back to work!"
Song Dali ran away in a flash.
Defu also felt it was unreal that the deal had been struck. "Girl, what if they try to sabotage us?"
Fu Zhiqiao smiled faintly: "There are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests. If Penglaiju can't benefit from Taibai wine, they will definitely try to hinder our business. You saw what happened with Chen Zheng. He can cause us trouble with just a few mischiefs. We've managed to avoid it this time, but what about the future?"
"The purpose of Penglai Residence is to make money. As long as there is money to be made, everything is easy."
A common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime.
Taibai Wine has only just begun to gain recognition in Qingzhou, yet so many people are already envious. If she brews even more wine in the future, it will surely attract the attention of even more people with ulterior motives. Xu Shangqiang is merely the brother-in-law of a Sima in Qingzhou, yet he dares to use his power to oppress others. If real power were to exert its influence, crushing her would be as easy as crushing an ant.
When that time comes, how will she conduct herself?
Xu Shangqiang was the brother-in-law of the Sima of Qingzhou. The Sima position was not a sinecure with only a name, but a very important military position. He managed the troops of the entire Qingzhou city. He and the Chief Clerk were one civil and one military, and they were the capable generals under the governor of Qingzhou.
Geographically, Qingzhou can be considered the last line of defense for the capital. The "Imperial Road" within the city was designed to facilitate the dispatch of troops when defending against enemies, so military officers held a very high status here.
Therefore, winning over Xu Shangqiang would be entirely beneficial.
"Now we don't need to worry anymore. The addition of Penglai Residence is a good thing for us. Other forces in Qingzhou City will have to think twice before trying to cause trouble for Taibai Wine Shop."
She currently lacks connections and networks, while Xu Shangqiang possesses both. Cooperation between the two parties would benefit both sides.
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