Chapter 130
“However, this matter is complicated and requires a detailed plan. At most, we’ll take longer to prepare than simply collecting funds directly from the merchants. But if the merchants voluntarily forgo this great opportunity, there’s nothing I can do. Time is not an issue for me. The Western Qi Corridor has been this way for years, so why rush? Don’t you agree?” Ming Yu looked at him with a harmless smile, which made Ma Jinyu feel inexplicably uneasy.
”Yes, that’s reasonable,” Ma Jinyu responded. What could he say? The man didn’t need their money, so what could they leverage against him? In the future, however, merchants would need to go through Duan Wang to do business in and out of the Western Qi Corridor and the Western Regions.
When he returned, he relayed Duan Wang’s words exactly to his father. His father remained silent for a long while before finally sighing deeply. “Duan Wang is a man of unparalleled talent!”
The matter was put to rest, and the Ma family stopped overthinking it, focusing on their preparations instead. Hearing Master Zhu’s words now, they could sit back and see what would happen. If the Zhu and Wang families were to fail, they’d be quite happy to watch.
Small and medium merchants like Liu Shun and Zhao Yan whispered to one another. With little capital, the less money they invested, the less profit they’d make. To maximize their gains, they needed to unite. At least, if they joined forces, they could secure a third or fourth rank. When the profits came, they would share them based on individual contributions. This was much better than going solo.
After a lengthy discussion, they had made up their minds. Any uncertainties they had would be raised and clarified.
Zhao Yan, who had been chosen as their leader, was the perfect person to represent them.
Liu Shun leaned in and repeated the news they had just received. Zhao Yan looked up at him, puzzled. “The Zhu and Wang families are setting conditions? Isn’t that a bit hasty?”
“Who cares if it’s hasty? If they unite, and if negotiations succeed, wouldn’t that benefit us as well?” Liu Shun was clearly in favor of the idea.
Zhao Yan frowned. “Just the Zhu and Wang families? What about the Ma family? Haven’t they joined in?”
Liu Shun shook his head. “Not sure. The news came from the Wang family head, and all the merchants here are aware of it. Most of them support it, and the few who don’t are irrelevant.”
“Oh?” Zhao Yan understood. “You mean we should follow the Zhu and Wang families?”
Liu Shun nodded. “It’s not a bad deal. Whether or not the negotiations succeed, the Zhu and Wang families are taking the lead, so the consequences won’t fall on us. We can proceed as usual.”
”With so many merchants in Jinling, are we one unified group, or should we discuss things with the others? As per tradition, the minority follows the majority?”
Although Liu Shun made a reasonable point, he still wanted to discuss it with everyone, and this was one of the reasons Zhao Yan was able to gain everyone’s trust. He took everyone’s thoughts into account and never acted arbitrarily.
Liu Shun understood his concerns and smiled as he said, “Alright, it’s good to discuss it.” He had already asked everyone for their opinions, and they were all willing to proceed; otherwise, he wouldn’t have brought it up again.
It wasn’t just them; others, too, had been swayed by the Zhu and Wang families. When it concerned their own interests, who wouldn’t want to take advantage? So, everyone expressed their agreement.
A servant leaned close to Ming Yu’s ear and whispered something. Ming Yu listened, then smiled lightly and waved his hand dismissively, not taking it to heart.
After waiting for about half an hour, once everyone seemed to have understood the situation, he spoke softly, “It seems everyone has understood. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I will help clarify. If there are no further questions, you can fill out the forms in your hands. This is your investment contract, detailing how much you invest and what your returns will be. It’s all outlined in this contract. Take a look at the terms and conditions, which are clearly written. If there are any violations in the future, they will be handled according to the contract.”
A few more sheets of paper were handed out, with a detailed explanation. When everyone saw the thoroughness of the contract, they were surprised. They had been in business for many years and were used to simple contracts, just a brief statement, with a witness, and then a thumbprint. But this was far more detailed, covering nearly everything that needed attention in the cooperation. It outlined the responsibilities of both parties, as well as penalties for breach of contract.
Everyone was pleased; if what Duan Wang said was true, and the contract guaranteed the protection of both parties’ rights, they no longer had any concerns.
“This is truly excellent. Perhaps in the future, we can prepare a similar contract for our transactions, and there will be no further disputes,” one person commented.
This method suited them well for business deals. If everything was settled in advance and documented in such a contract, everyone would abide by it, leaving no room for disagreements or confusion.
Once everyone had understood, someone finally stood up and asked, “I still have a question. You mentioned in the booklet that the estimated return for our investment would be at least two or three times in three years. But what if that’s not the case?”
Ming Yu smiled and replied, “The contract specifies that this is an estimate, with a fluctuation range of up to 10%. But since I’ve made a promise, your returns after three years will only increase, not decrease.”
This reassured many people. This meant that if they invested now, they were guaranteed a profitable business deal after three years.
“Wang Ye, may I ask about the tax reductions for the first-class investment line in the Western Qi Corridor? You said that the taxes would be halved for the next ten years, but what about the fifth-class investment line, which will only be reduced by 10% within three years? How is this calculated?” someone inquired.
“This is just an added benefit,” Ming Yu explained. “The larger the investment, the greater the discount. Once the Western Qi Corridor opens, all merchant caravans entering or leaving will have to pay customs duties. The tax will be calculated based on the value of the goods, with a rate of 10%.”
“Ugh!” Everyone winced at the high tax rate.
Master Zhu squinted his eyes. No wonder the Ma family was so eager to secure the first-class investment line. A tax reduction of half for ten years alone was enough to tempt people to take risks.
“Why set such a high tax rate? There are plenty of places to do business. Must we use the Western Qi Corridor? Can’t we trade elsewhere?” someone complained.
“If you don’t want to go, someone else will. If you’re unwilling to pay the taxes, there’s no need to trade in the Western Regions,” another person countered.
The shortsighted person didn’t realize how much money Duan Wang had made from his trips to the Western Regions. Now, with the value of goods from there, even though more merchant caravans would come through the Western Qi Corridor after it opened, the value of these goods would still be high, even if slightly reduced. After all, the demand in the Great Yan was immense. In the end, a trip to the Western Regions would still be profitable.
Ming Yu smiled, noticing that many people were understanding. “That’s right. You don’t have to use the Western Qi Corridor, and no one is forcing you.”
The person who had spoken earlier was left speechless, his face turning red as he awkwardly sat back down.
If someone wanted a greater discount, they simply had to invest more money. This principle was clear to everyone. However, not every merchant could secure the first-class investment line. Even Zhao Yan and his associates, if they pooled their resources, would only manage to get a third-class investment line, which was already impressive. Some might even struggle to get together enough capital for a fifth-class investment line.
After all, businessmen needed to keep their capital working, so they couldn’t afford to keep too much money at home. Moreover, they had received this information quite suddenly, with no time to properly prepare.
This was a major issue. Someone immediately raised the concern, saying, “The investment lines that Wang Ye listed are not a small sum. It would be impossible to gather such amounts of money in such a short time.”
Ming Yu nodded. “I understand your difficulty. That’s why the contract clearly states that you can pay a portion of the deposit in advance, and then you will have three months to raise the remaining amount. Of course, you need to think carefully about how you wish to proceed. If, after three months, you haven’t gathered the full amount, it will be considered a breach of contract, and the deposit will not be refunded.”
This statement brought mixed reactions. Some were pleased because the three-month period gave them more time to gather funds, and the more they invested, the more they could earn. Others were hesitant, worried that if they couldn’t gather the money in time, they would lose their deposit, which seemed unfair.
At this moment, Master Zhu stood up and cupped his hands in a salute. “Wang Ye, the investment lines are set too high. Even the lowest, the fifth tier, requires a hundred thousand silver. How much more the first tier demands?”
Ming Yu narrowed his eyes, as though sensing an attempt at bargaining. He smiled and replied, “The amount I set is for the first batch of participants, with preferential treatment. Going forward, don’t even think about entering at this price.”
These individuals were the first to hear about the opportunity, having rushed here from nearby areas, while others from farther locations couldn’t make it in time. This was why Ming Yu had set such a tight schedule; otherwise, there would have been even more people present.
Master Zhu remained calm, playing the role of a businessman to perfection. He didn’t beat around the bush and directly said, “Wang Ye, bargaining is a necessary part of business. After all, no one’s silver comes easily. The investment lines are high, yet the profit share Wang Ye has set is too low, don’t you think?”
The Zhu family was one of the four prominent families in the capital, with a significant standing in the business world. They had already had preliminary discussions, and most people present agreed with Master Zhu’s statement. A few others, like the Ma family, kept silent—neither opposing nor agreeing.
Ming Yu’s gaze swept across the room, and his eyes briefly lingered on the Ma family leader, sending a sharp, almost tangible aura. Fortunately, his glance was fleeting, and the tension dissipated quickly.
Prime Minister Wen, who had been listening to the conversation, immediately understood Master Zhu’s strategy. He was trying to leverage the collective will of the group to pressure Ming Yu into yielding. This old fox was truly relentless in business; once Ming Yu gave in even once, he would likely face relentless pressure in the future.
The worry that Prime Minister Wen had anticipated finally came to pass. The majority of the people in the room agreed with Master Zhu’s proposal. If Ming Yu didn’t yield, they might simply walk away, leaving him with no one. Such a large-scale gathering, and yet, nothing would come of it—how could the Dean Wang save face after that?
Those merchants are ruthless! They deserve punishment! Prime Minister Wen was furious. He slammed his hand down on the table, ready to speak out. However, Ming Yu quickly silenced him with a single glance.
“Prime Minister Wen, just watch the show,” Ming Yu said with a smile, completely unbothered by the current situation.
He had already anticipated that today would come with challenges, so he had prepared well in advance. What needed to be kept secret was kept tight, and what could be shared, he had already disclosed. This strategy left the other parties with little time to devise a real counterplan. In such a short period, he didn’t believe Master Zhu could truly win over everyone in the room.
Master Zhu was beaming with pride. His ability to sway the majority in such a short time was proof of the effectiveness of his persuasion.
“Wang Ye, if the profit-sharing for the next three years could be renegotiated, I would sign and seal the contract without a second thought. Otherwise, I regret to say that I can’t help but feel that I cannot ease Wang Ye’s concerns,” Zhu said, turning to the others. “What do you all think of my suggestion?”
Master Wang also stood up and added, “Indeed, we’re investing so much silver now. Who can say what the situation will be in three years? Just based on a piece of paper and Wang Ye’s words, we’re all taking risks. With this much capital, wouldn’t it be better to focus on present opportunities?”
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