The Journey of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 136 - 97: Offering Strategies and Suggestions_2

Chapter 136: Chapter 97: Offering Strategies and Suggestions_2

Deng Hao has been running the Cloud Tiger Trading Team for over a decade, always with great diligence and caution, as if treading on thin ice. The reason is that the scale of his merchant team is too small, with too few hands, unable to withstand losses, and cannot endure too much turmoil. Small private merchant teams like his are quite common; everyone’s dream is to latch onto a large city or trading company—once their informal operations are officially incorporated, many worries would no longer trouble them.

The benefits of joining a large trading company are clear, and this time it’s even an invitation from Qingfeng Main Branch. By agreeing, it would mean that from not even being a casual worker, he would suddenly join a large state-owned enterprise and immediately enter an organized system—afterward, obtaining manpower, money, and resources would be much easier than now. However, he has been flying the "Cloud Tiger Trading Team" banner for over a decade, and moving forward it would have to be changed to "Qingfeng Trading Company", which inevitably makes him a bit reluctant.

Yet, Deng Hao is a sensible man; he wouldn’t reject Qingfeng’s invitation just because of this sentimentality, since his old subordinates wouldn’t let it go either. The real difficulty he faces, however, stems from a related issue.

"If I agree, the Cloud Tiger Trading Team will merge into Qingfeng Trading Company’s Leizhou Branch." Leizhou is situated to the west of Rock City; it would take about another month to get there, just in time to handle the handover procedures, "but from what I’ve heard, the Manager of the Leizhou Branch, Fu Chang’an, is a man who values money as dear as life. Honestly, despite the Cloud Tiger Trading Team has been in business for many years, I haven’t saved much money," he admitted truthfully. Merchandising is a high-risk business; natural and human disasters can cause losses, and Deng Hao, being a kind-hearted man, compensates the injured workers generously, therefore he lives more comfortably than ordinary members but has not much surplus money to bribe the Manager of Leizhou Branch with.

"Leizhou Branch already owns seven merchant teams. Being newcomers, we will inevitably be looked down upon." Deng Hao frowned, "Miss Ning, you may not know, in large trading corporations, lucrative and low-risk routes are known as ’fat routes’ and are generally managed by merchant teams under the direct control of trusted managers. For ones like us..."

She understood. Deng Hao worried that after joining Qingfeng Trading Company’s Leizhou Branch, they would be suppressed by the Manager, not only making it inconvenient to operate but also being assigned difficult trade routes; current freedom and happiness of the Cloud Tiger Trading Team might be preferable. However, if they were to leave Qingfeng Trading Company and go independent, it would offend others and be disadvantageous.

She pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you know how capable this Manager Fu is at his job?"

"It’s said that he is quite diligent and hardworking. He was just transferred to the Leizhou Branch, which only had two merchant teams then," Deng Hao obviously did some research, "In just six years, the number of merchant teams at Leizhou Branch has grown to seven, and the yearly profit reports are very impressive, indicating that he is indeed a capable person."

So, besides being greedy, he’s also clever and competent, then?

"Then, how are the profits from each trade distributed?"

"On this matter, Qingfeng Trading Company is quite generous. Merchant teams retain eighty percent, while the trading company takes twenty percent."

Her eyes twinkled, and she chuckled, "Brother Deng, this is not difficult to solve. I have an idea that might work, and you wouldn’t even need to pay out of your own pocket."

After worrying for two days without finding a solution, this young lady claims she has one? Deng Hao’s interest was piqued, "Oh? I would like to hear the details."

She organized her thoughts, "It’s quite simple. After you get somewhat acquainted with Manager Fu, just make a request to him."

Make a request upon first meeting? Deng Hao frowned, but continued to listen as she went on, "Brother Deng doesn’t have surplus money, nor can he offer silver and rare items to please him like other merchant team leaders. This is indeed a disadvantage, but you also hold a great asset--the Cloud Tiger Trading Team!"

"Even if the Leizhou Branch performs well, it only benefits the branch, not Manager Fu personally— at most, he might receive a small reward from the main branch. Thus, you might as well tell Manager Fu frankly that though you don’t have ’silver’ on hand, you can reserve a share of money in the Cloud Tiger Trading Team for him. If he invests in your merchant team, the share of silver he is entitled to would be gladly presented to him after each trade’s settlement."

Deng Hao’s feeling of disbelief grew as he listened. Miss Ning was suggesting not to offer gifts, but instead to get money out of Manager Fu’s pocket. "He would agree to that?" Too unreliable.

She smiled and retorted, "Why wouldn’t he agree? He would only need to symbolically invest twenty to thirty thousand silver coins as a seed in the Cloud Tiger Trading Team; thereafter, he would have a continuous flow of profit. Having operated in Leizhou for many years, such an amount of money is trivial to him. If Manager Fu is as smart as you say, he would realize that the best part of this method is that the profits from the silver are not considered bribe income but merely his personal investment returns. If Qingfeng Main Branch ever audits, he can rightfully justify it."

"Since the Cloud Tiger Trading Team has joined Qingfeng Trading Company, the profits from trading would not be limited to the current amount anymore. Allocating a small portion to Manager Fu, what’s the harm in that?"

Deng Hao’s eyes brightened, and he began to weigh his options.

"Moreover, once he knows that he has a share of money in the Cloud Tiger Trading Team, he certainly wouldn’t allocate unfavorable trade routes to us, which would ensure the maximization of his profits. Even if the assigned routes are not the most lucrative, moderately profitable ones would still be better than the various dangerous routes the Cloud Tiger Trading Team currently undertakes."

"Finally, the leaders of other merchant teams naturally cater to those in authority. If Manager Fu treats you with courtesy, the other team leaders would naturally have to treat you with courtesy on the surface too, and wouldn’t dare make things difficult for you. That way, Brother Deng wouldn’t feel oppressed when conducting trade under the Leizhou Branch."

(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit qidian.com to vote for it through recommendation tickets and Monthly Tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read on m.qidian.com.)