Chapter 89 - 84: Mutual Deception
Chapter 89: Chapter 84: Mutual Deception
Zhang Xincheng sneered inwardly. ’You fucking idiots. Just watch me slaughter this pack of wolves.’
An excited look immediately appeared on his face. "Xiaowei, you’re right. Every man for himself. But a mere million or two isn’t worth the risk for me!"
"Brother Zhang, name your price," Xie Xiaowei said, perfectly composed.
Zhang Xincheng immediately named an exorbitant price. "Alright then, I won’t beat around the bush. A flat 30 million yuan."
"..." Xie Xiaowei was speechless for a moment. He had expected an outrageous demand, but not one this high. His palms began to sweat, but he forced himself to remain composed. "Brother Zhang, that’s not exactly fair."
Zhang Xincheng sneered. "What? You think it’s too expensive? You should know, both the Rokkaido Eel Company and the Brown Company paid a technology licensing fee of 30 million US dollars. I’m only asking for a seventh of that. That’s not too much to ask, is it?"
"But I don’t even know if the technology is real!" Xie Xiaowei tried to haggle.
"You don’t trust me? Then why did you come looking for me?" Zhang Xincheng looked as if he was about to show them the door.
Xie Xiaowei, naturally not wanting to miss this opportunity, quickly countered, "Brother Zhang, it’s not that I don’t trust you, it’s just that your price is too high. My boss would never agree to that. How about we each compromise? What about 10 million?"
"Ten million isn’t worth such a huge risk. At least 25 million, and it needs to be wired to my bank account in Hong Kong."
Xie Xiaowei’s eyes darted. He recalled that his boss had bought an apartment in Kowloon, Hong Kong, a few years back, and made a new offer. "Brother Zhang, I know you’re taking a huge risk. How about this? Ten million, plus I’ll have my boss give you an apartment in Hong Kong. It’s in a prime location in Kowloon, at least 100 square meters. What do you say?"
"An apartment in Hong Kong?" Zhang Xincheng considered it for a moment before shaking his head. "No good. Real estate transactions leave a paper trail, and I don’t want that kind of hassle. Let’s just stick with 25 million."
"Well..." Before coming here, Xie Xiaowei’s boss had only given him a budget of 10 million. This was clearly beyond his authority. He could only say resignedly, "Brother Zhang, I need to discuss this with my boss."
"Suit yourself. But it’s getting late, let me treat you to dinner over at Jinting Bay." Zhang Xincheng gestured toward the sunset glow outside the window.
Without realizing it, they had been talking for over an hour.
Fortunately, it was summer, so the sun set quite late. Even past six, a faint twilight lingered.
In front of the others, Zhang Xincheng called his wife, Jiang Xia. He told her a few friends had dropped by and that he needed to entertain them, so he would probably be home a little late.
Soon, Zhang Xincheng was driving his pickup truck toward Jinting Bay.
Xie Xiaowei, riding in the passenger seat, chatted and laughed with him the entire way, showing no intention of reporting back to his boss.
His two subordinates, however, were on their phones, using a messaging app to inform their boss of the outcome of the evening’s negotiations.
...
「Anye Aquatic Products Co., Ltd., Pingtung County.」
The fifth floor of the office building.
Inside the chairman’s office.
Jiang Anye stared at the update on his laptop, lost in thought.
It wasn’t that he couldn’t afford the 25 million price tag. His business empire extended beyond just aquaculture and aquatic hatcheries to include real estate, retail stores, hotels, plantations, and a number of entertainment venues. His family fortune was worth no less than 2 billion yuan.
The issue was that much of his wealth was tied up in fixed assets; he only had about 120 million yuan in liquid capital.
The reason Jiang Anye liked to engage in shady dealings was mainly related to his past. Around the year 2000, he had been the leader of a major gang in the southern part of the island.
But starting in 2005, he realized there was no future in the criminal underworld, so he transitioned into legitimate business.
But even in business, Jiang Anye couldn’t quite shake his old ways.
The 25 million price tag was a bit beyond his expectations, but if he could acquire the genuine eel breeding technology, it was not an unacceptable cost.
After thinking it over, Jiang Anye decided it was a gamble worth taking. After all, if the technology was real, he stood to make at least several hundred million a year. A lucrative deal this straightforward was hard to come by.
He then replied to his subordinate via the messaging app on his laptop.
Greed in the human heart is like a boulder rolling down a mountain; once it starts, it’s nearly impossible to stop.
...
「A seafood restaurant in Jinting Bay.」
Zhang Xincheng had specifically chosen a seafood restaurant overlooking the sea, in a private room on the second floor.
Xie Xiaowei, emerging from the restroom, had already seen the message from his boss, Jiang Anye. He now wore an unhurried, composed expression.
The moment he sat down, Xie Xiaowei spoke. "Brother Zhang, my boss has agreed. However, we need to verify the technology first. We’ll pay a deposit of 10 million, and if there are no issues with the tech, we’ll pay the remaining 15 million."
"Verify the technology? If your boss takes the tech and then refuses to pay, wouldn’t I be out the remaining 15 million?" Zhang Xincheng had zero faith in their integrity.
But Xie Xiaowei had come prepared and had his rebuttal ready. "I know you wouldn’t trust a verbal promise, Brother Zhang, but we can’t just hand over the full amount before we’ve even confirmed if the technology is real."
"I understand the principle. So how do you propose we resolve this?" Zhang Xincheng asked, looking at him.
"How about this? My boss will wire the 15 million into my overseas account. I’ll stay here as a hostage. You just need to provide me with a place to live, Brother Zhang. As soon as the technology is verified, I’ll immediately transfer the money to your account. Then you can let me go. How does that sound?"