Chapter 109: The Deal Was Sealed

Prices vary from place to place. For instance, in Wang Qiang’s hometown, seafood is remarkably cheap because of its proximity to the coast. In inland regions, especially during an era when transportation was not yet well-developed, it is likely that only the wealthy could afford such luxuries. Conversely, many goods that are cheap inland are prohibitively expensive in coastal areas.

Currently, Wang Qiang is comparing the prices of electronic products between Shenzhen in the south and Shanghai in the north, and it is evident that Shenzhen is more affordable. This was clearly reflected in the supply price he just offered. The owners of the audio-visual equipment businesses were left looking incredulous after hearing his quote.

"That is the lowest price I can offer," Wang Qiang said calmly, looking at the several business owners.

Wang Qiang’s lowest quote was thirty-eight yuan. Cheng Weihong and the others were currently acquiring portable cassette players at forty-five yuan per unit. While a difference of seven yuan per unit might seem modest, it becomes significant when scaled to a thousand or ten thousand units.

After hearing the quote, the five or six owners exchanged glances, feeling a mix of shock and suspicion. They wondered if he was trying to pull a "get-rich-quick" scam. The price was so low that it seemed comparable to what only a primary distributor or a manufacturer could offer. The problem was, primary distributors and manufacturers usually have clients knocking on their doors; they wouldn't need to hire someone to find customers and then personally travel to negotiate.

Their first instinct was that Wang Qiang was likely a con artist—the type who baits merchants with ultra-low prices only to vanish after collecting a deposit. How else could the price be this low? It rivaled the supply costs of primary distributors. Aside from a scam, they couldn't imagine any other explanation.

However, Wang Qiang’s confident demeanor made it seem as though he truly possessed the resources. For a moment, the owners were unsure; they wanted to refuse, yet feared missing out on a genuine opportunity. If this young man really could provide such cheap goods, they could save a substantial amount of money each year. It was impossible for them not to be tempted.

Seven yuan saved per unit. The group of five or six of them handled over a thousand units a month through wholesale and retail combined. Even at just a thousand units, that would mean seven thousand yuan in cost savings every month! Furthermore, based on Wang Qiang’s tone, it seemed he had access to a wide range of goods, from digital watches to subwoofers. Even if every item wasn't seven yuan cheaper like the cassette players, if he could truly provide prices ten percent lower than their current costs—as Cheng Weihong had previously suggested—they would be making a fortune.

The owners began whispering among themselves, uncertain whether to cooperate with Wang Qiang. In reality, none of them knew that Wang Qiang could only quote prices for cassette players at the moment.

Watching them deliberate, Wang Qiang felt nervous, fearing they might impulsively agree. If they did, he would be forced to bluff his way through; to secure business with them, he would have to offer prices for other goods that were slightly lower than what Cheng Weihong had mentioned. He had no idea what the market prices for other goods were in the Shenzhen and Guangzhou areas, and there was a potential risk of losing money.

*Don't believe everything,* he thought. *It's better to be half-skeptical.*

"Please, don't be reckless," Wang Qiang said, looking at the owners with a slightly strained expression.

Old Zhu, however, suddenly felt more confident. He turned to Cheng Weihong, who was consulting with the others, and asked, "Brother Cheng, what do you think of our quote?"

Everyone else looked toward Cheng Weihong. He gave a nod and said, "The price is indeed excellent."

It wasn't just excellent; it was as low as it could possibly be. But none of them would dare say that out loud, as they still weren't sure about committing to the order.

Old Zhu seized the momentum: "So, do you want to take some stock?"

Cheng Weihong looked at Wang Qiang with a troubled expression. "Young Master Wang, may I ask where you source your goods?"

"I apologize, but that is a trade secret I cannot disclose," Wang Qiang replied bluntly.

Cheng Weihong realized his question might have been rude, but his uncertainty about whether Wang Qiang was a swindler remained. He nodded slightly. "The price is certainly beyond reproach. However, I will be honest—this price makes us doubt its authenticity. Please don't take it personally; I am a blunt person. Think about it: if we agree to take stock from you, we would have to pay a deposit. If you disappear afterward, who would we turn to for recourse? I shouldn't be saying this to your face, but I believe that in business, it is best to be transparent. We are tempted by your price, but we are terrified of being scammed."

*Hooked.*

*As expected of an old hand,* Wang Qiang thought. *A novice would have been overjoyed and agreed immediately.* Wang Qiang said to himself, *I prefer dealing with an old hand like you; this is exactly how I want things to develop.*

Old Zhu frowned. "I am a local from Shanghai. You can ask Old Xiao; I run a hotel next to the train station." Since his business failed, Old Zhu had spent his time playing cards and mahjong, socializing with countless friends, and Old Xiao was one of them. Although they weren't particularly close, Old Xiao knew something of Old Zhu's background and nodded to confirm he wasn't lying.

"Brother Zhu, that's not what I meant," Cheng Weihong said smoothly. "I don't doubt you; I’m just worried about the money." He continued, "Even close friends can run off with money. Two years ago, a fellow townsman I knew well claimed he was in trouble and borrowed a thousand yuan from me. And then? I still can't find him today." He sighed. "I really want to take stock from you, but we are strangers. A single order involves tens of thousands of yuan; it would be a lie to say I’m not worried. If you were in my shoes, you would have second thoughts too, right?"

Indeed, the amount of money involved was substantial. No one would feel comfortable with tens of thousands of yuan at stake. Yet, this apprehension was exactly what Wang Qiang wanted. Watching Old Zhu interact with them, Wang Qiang felt a secret urgency. He wished Cheng Weihong would propose a compromise, such as taking a small batch of goods to test the waters without a deposit. If that happened, he could take the initiative and set his own terms.

*Come on, say it,* Wang Qiang urged silently. *Don't drag it out, make the proposal.*

Wang Qiang looked at Cheng Weihong and the others, his eyes flickering; the deal was just one step away from being closed.

Old Zhu, being rather stubborn, argued, "True, you're right. But if I and Little Wang bring the goods back and you refuse them, what then? We can't just let them sit in our hands..." He turned to Wang Qiang. "Little Wang, say something yourself."

"Fine, I'll say a few words," Wang Qiang said, sensing the time was right.

Cheng Weihong and the others immediately turned to him, eager to hear what he had to say. Wang Qiang pondered for a moment, then looked at Cheng Weihong and asked, "Brother Cheng, you're afraid that we might take your deposit and run, correct?"

Cheng Weihong nodded in agreement.

Wang Qiang continued, "But Brother Zhu and I have our own concerns. As Brother Zhu just said, if we bring the goods back and you don't take them, we will be left helpless as well."

"We won't refuse the goods," Cheng Weihong stated.

From that sentence, Wang Qiang knew Cheng Weihong was truly tempted. He smiled and said, "You don't trust me, and I don't trust you. So, I have a compromise. See if this works: if it does, we sign an agreement. If not, consider this conversation as if it never happened, and Brother Zhu and I will leave immediately."

Cheng Weihong exchanged looks with the other owners, and they all nodded, signaling their willingness to hear the proposal.

"Since this is our first meeting, to prove our sincerity, I will not ask for a deposit for this first batch of cassette players. We won't discuss other items for now until you are completely confident in me. Of course, because I am also wary, this batch will not be large—the total value will be between ten and twenty thousand yuan." Wang Qiang laid out his thoughts calmly and asked, "Can you handle a batch of ten to twenty thousand yuan worth of cassette players?"

Portable cassette players always sold well, whether wholesale or retail. Cheng Weihong had no objections; after all, since the other party was offering goods without a deposit, he couldn't ask for more. Besides, he and the other owners were in genuine need of them.

However, Wang Qiang's words seemed a bit patronizing. Cheng Weihong replied with a wry smile, "At thirty-eight yuan a unit, ten to twenty thousand is only a few hundred units. Why wouldn't we be able to handle that?"

"Excellent," Wang Qiang said with satisfaction, adding a bit of bravado, "Even if you decide not to take them once they arrive, I can afford the loss of ten or twenty thousand yuan."

*He can afford a loss of twenty thousand? His business must be quite substantial.* For some reason, the group actually believed him a little.

After a pause, Wang Qiang added, "Conversely, once you see that the goods I bring are of good quality, you can settle the payment. That will put your minds at ease, right?"

Cheng Weihong smiled broadly. "Absolutely. No deposit, no worries."

The other owners chimed in one after another.

"That's right."

"If the goods are good, we will settle the account."

Seeing their stance, Wang Qiang finally stated his ultimate goal: "Since I will have proven my integrity by then, you can trust me and cooperate with me in the future, right?"

Although Cheng Weihong and the others were still slightly hesitant, Wang Qiang had shown enough sincerity that it would be unreasonable to demand more. But if they didn't ask, who knew if Wang Qiang might try to pull a scam during their second transaction?

Clearly noticing their hesitation, Wang Qiang said without ambiguity, "For the second transaction, we can sit down and negotiate properly. If you're still worried, we can have a legally notarized contract signed. For now, let me just show you my sincerity with this first batch. Is that a deal?"

Since he had brought up legal notarization, Cheng Weihong and the others had no reason to refuse. Besides, they really did want to see the quality of the goods Wang Qiang would bring back.

"Fine, I agree," Cheng Weihong said.

*Phew, they finally agreed.* Wang Qiang was overjoyed. He immediately followed up, "Great, let's discuss the details and sign the agreement."