Chapter 169 - 151: The Old Fox and the Little Fox
Chapter 169: Chapter 151: The Old Fox and the Little Fox
Since he’d run into someone unexpected, and an acquaintance at that, Li Qian didn’t leave right away. Instead, he started chatting with Zhao Xiwei.
In reality, there wasn’t much to talk about. Although they had fought side-by-side once, strictly speaking, he and Zhao Xiwei weren’t very close.
Li Qian wasn’t surprised to see Zhao Xiwei here, but the fact that she had actively sought him out was intriguing.
It definitely wasn’t just to reminisce; after all, they didn’t have much of a past to reminisce about. Sure enough, after a bit of small talk, Zhao Xiwei got to the point.
"Li Qian," Zhao Xiwei began, stating her purpose for seeking him out, "our deputy director would like to discuss something with you."
Li Qian knew, of course, that the small talk was just a pretense. He didn’t know the deputy director of the Jiangnan Province Public Security Bureau at all, though. ’Why would he want to see me...’
At this thought, he suddenly recalled the agreement he had made with the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau, and a guess began to form in his mind.
"I wonder what your deputy director wants with me?" Although he had his suspicions, Li Qian didn’t voice them.
He had an agreement with the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau to supply them with Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragons at an extremely favorable price. That was due to his attachment to his hometown.
After all, his parents lived in Lingshui City. Strengthening the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau would indirectly help protect them.
That’s why Li Qian didn’t mind whether he gave a little more or a little less. But the Jiangnan Province Public Security Bureau was a different story.
Although they were technically guardians of his home province, they were too far away. Distant water can’t quench a nearby thirst. If something happened in Lingshui City, he couldn’t count on them at all.
So, cooperation was possible, but a major discount was out of the question. At best, the price would be slightly lower than the market rate.
Having made up his mind, Li Qian decided to play dumb. ’In any case, I’m not going to be the one to bring it up.’
’Whether you bring it up is your business. The bottom line is, I won’t give up the initiative. The worst that can happen is we just keep making small talk. I’ve got all the time in the world, anyway.’
Li Qian entered the deputy director’s office with this mindset. Once inside, he froze for a moment.
Inside the office, a middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties or fifties was looking at him with a warm smile.
Li Qian glanced at the middle-aged deputy director, then shot a look at Zhao Xiwei, his expression a little strange.
The deputy director bore a striking resemblance to Zhao Xiwei. ’Could they be father and daughter?’ Li Qian couldn’t help but wonder.
Li Qian’s odd reaction naturally caught the deputy director’s attention. He smiled and explained, "Li Qian, you may have already noticed, but Xiwei and I are indeed related. My name is Zhao Yong, and I’m Xiwei’s uncle."
Hearing this, a look of realization dawned on Li Qian’s face. No wonder they looked somewhat alike; they were uncle and niece.
"If you don’t mind, you can just call me Uncle, like Xiwei does," Zhao Yong said, proactively trying to build a closer relationship.
Li Qian went with the flow, obliging with a, "Hello, Uncle Zhao."
"Come, come, have a seat." Hearing Li Qian’s form of address, the smile on Zhao Yong’s face grew even wider. "I’ve heard a lot about you from Xiwei, and the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau has also submitted reports. I must admit, I was quite astonished when I first heard about it."
Zhao Yong seemed quite talkative. He continued, "To have researched two evolutionary paths for the Koi Carp before even graduating high school... such Talent is simply astounding!"
Hearing Zhao Yong’s praise, Li Qian’s guard went up another notch. ’Flattery without a cause means he’s up to no good.’
He spoke up, feigning modesty, "You flatter me, Uncle Zhao. I was just lucky. I’m not confident I’ll be able to research any new cultivation results in the future."
"Discovering two evolutionary paths for Overlord-level Pet Beasts, and two with such great Potential at that, can’t be summed up by the simple word ’luck’," Zhao Yong added, laying on another compliment.
Li Qian just smiled and didn’t respond. Seeing this, Zhao Yong’s expression remained unchanged, but inside, he couldn’t help but grumble.
’This kid... He’s so young, just graduated, but the way he talks and handles things is as slick as an old fox who’s been around for years.’
Li Qian’s refusal to take the bait was putting him on the back foot. He tried probing a few more times, but when Li Qian still didn’t bring up the matter of the Pet Beasts, he had no choice but to get to the point himself.
Beside them, Zhao Xiwei, who had been silently and coolly observing the whole exchange, knew her uncle all too well. Seeing him get flustered, she had to suppress a laugh.
Noticing his niece holding back her laughter, Zhao Yong shot her a glare before speaking. "Alright, here’s the deal. I had Xiwei bring you here today because, besides wanting to meet the genius young Breeder of our Jiangnan Province, I also heard about your cooperation with the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau."
Li Qian’s expression didn’t change. He remained silent, but he was grumbling inwardly. ’Old fox. After all that beating around the bush, he’s finally showing his tail.’
"That’s right," he said noncommittally, and then said no more, simply looking back at Zhao Yong.
Zhao Yong chuckled, his voice gentle. "Here’s what I’m thinking. I’ve studied your cooperation model, and I find it quite meaningful. Not only does it strengthen the defensive capabilities of local areas and contribute to social stability, but it also provides a stable sales channel for the major Cultivation Bases..."
Li Qian put on a smile that he knew the old fox was expecting. "Uncle Zhao, you’re quite far away, so you might not be aware. While our Cultivation Base’s cooperation with the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau has been very successful, it might be difficult to replicate."
"Oh? And why is that?" Zhao Yong asked, a look of interest on his face.
Li Qian explained with a grave expression, "Whether it’s the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon or the Frostfire Salamander, the cultivation costs are extremely high. When I made the deal with the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau, I went into it with the intention of taking a loss to benefit my hometown."
"After all, I can only research and cultivate evolutions in peace because of the stable and peaceful environment. Now that I’ve achieved a little something, I can give a little back, so there’s no need to count the costs. But if this were to be rolled out everywhere, I’m afraid I’d go bankrupt even if I sold the Cultivation Base."
Li Qian’s tale of woe was so dramatic that Zhao Xiwei almost burst out laughing on the spot, and it made the corner of Zhao Yong’s mouth twitch.
Although he didn’t know the exact cultivation costs for the Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragon and the Frostfire Salamander, he had done some digging. Based on his information, the cost shouldn’t exceed five million.
And as far as he knew, the Lingshui City Public Security Bureau had made a deal with the Jiaoyang Cultivation Base to purchase Cyan-Scaled Flood Dragons at a price of ten million each. ’This kid is definitely making a profit; it’s just a question of how much.’
But now here he was, crying poverty and talking about taking a loss to support his hometown. The meaning was crystal clear.
’Cooperation? Fine. But getting them for ten million a pop? Not a chance!’
At this thought, Zhao Yong couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.