The night was tranquil.
Chen Yu's low whisper seemed to make the night even more silent. Anticipation surged in Chen Yu's eyes as he saw Fu Hua Elton raise his eyebrows and glance at him.
"Are you dreaming?"
Hearing Chen Yu's exorbitant demand, Fu Hua Elton's face almost turned green.
"The Elton family for you? Then I might as well hand it over to the Tatu Royal family, maybe then I can become a royal noble."
"You can't put it that way."
Chen Yu grinned, pushing aside the tea on the table.
"The royal family stabs you in the back, and you happily hand over your family to them? That would make you a fool. Follow me, and at least your future will be bright."
"I don't see it."
Fu Hua Elton shook his head, tapping his fingers lightly on the table.
"You know my clan's situation, and I also understand yours. Our predicaments are quite similar. As you yourself said, we are both drowning people, and only by sticking together can we solve our problems. I've been frank with you, so don't truly see me as a piece of fat meat to be slaughtered."
"Is there really no possibility?"
"I am sincerely here to discuss cooperation. If Mr. Chen does not wish to cooperate, then I shall take my leave."
"Alright, alright..."
Seeing Fu Hua Elton about to leave, Chen Yu quickly stopped him.
Wanting to swallow the Elton family whole was indeed an overly ambitious appetite. Chen Yu hadn't had such an idea from the very beginning; it was purely to gain more profit in subsequent negotiations.
Chen Yu and Fu Hua Elton appeared to be having a candid discussion.
In reality, both of them had their own calculations in mind.
Cooperation was inevitable. Therefore, who would hold the dominant position in this cooperation and what proportion each party would invest were extremely important.
Although it seemed like Chen Yu was making an exorbitant demand for the Elton family, and Fu Hua Elton was unwilling to accept it, even if he hadn't stated it that way initially, and had made a very reasonable proposal, Fu Hua Elton would still have absolutely refused.
Negotiation was like buying groceries.
You had to bargain!
"Look at you, about to leave just like that," Chen Yu said with a look of helplessness, having persuaded Fu Hua Elton to stay. "Tell me, what would you do if I really let you go?"
"Mr. Chen, your demands are truly too harsh."
"Let's talk,"
Chen Yu raised his hand, poured a cup of tea, and pushed it towards Fu Hua Elton.
"Anything can be discussed. As I just said, it was merely a small proposal, not a final decision. How about this, Patriarch Fu Hua, why don't you tell me your thoughts?"
"Fifty million."
Fu Hua Elton spread his five fingers.
"I am willing to invest fifty million gold coins with you to purchase a piece of land to build the Elton family's commercial district. With the Elton family's participation, countless businesses will flock here, leading to prosperous commercial development, and your city's population will also surge."
"Such a small amount," Chen Yu pouted.
???
Fu Hua Elton, with his palms open, stared blankly at Chen Yu, silent for a long time.
"Small? You actually think it's little?"
"Is this a lot?" Chen Yu spread his hands and shrugged. "Even the camps on the outskirts of the underground caves, a few village chiefs can pool fifty million gold coins. As the commercial leader of the Tatu Kingdom, is fifty million gold coins a lot?"
"Can you generalize like that?"
Fu Hua Elton frowned, a hint of anger in his expression.
"The camps outside the caves pooled resources, but I am providing you with fifty million in gold coins. Throughout the entire Tatu Kingdom, the Elton family is the only one capable of producing such a large amount of liquid capital."
"Add a bit more."
Chen Yu raised his eyebrows with a smile.
"I can provide an additional thirty million gold coins in basic resources at most," Fu Hua Elton added, holding up three fingers again. "This is the limit of what I can accept."
Hearing this number, Chen Yu leaned back in his chair, falling silent for a long time.
Eighty million.
This was still some distance from his initial expectation. He had initially thought that the Elton family investing tens of millions would be sufficient.
After all, the basic salary in the lower levels of the underground caves might not even reach one gold coin in a year.
However, the wealth of those village chiefs outside the caves made Chen Yu re-evaluate the wealth held by the upper echelons of the underground world. He felt that the Elton family could definitely afford to contribute one hundred million.
"This is truly my limit."
Fu Hua Elton broke the silence of the private room, whispering in a low voice.
"Although our clan appears prosperous, we actually pay a great deal of taxes each year. Unlike those camps outside the caves, where their treasure hunting gains belong entirely to themselves. Over seventy percent of our clan's annual revenue must be paid to the royal family in exchange for their support."
"One hundred million gold coins in basic resources."
Even though Fu Hua Elton's tone was very sincere, Chen Yu's expression remained unchanged as he extended his hand.
"I don't need your cash; I need resources. All resources must be calculated at your family's procurement price. The specific resource requirements will be negotiated by Lord Kailin with your people."
Gold coins were not important to him.
He needed resources.
Even if he obtained gold coins, he would still need to convert them into resources to build his city and camps. So why would he pursue the wrong path and directly demand resources from Fu Hua Elton?
Otherwise, what would he do with the gold coins? Stare blankly at those piles of gold?
Gold coins are currency only when spent. If they cannot be spent, what difference do they make from scrap metal?
Of course, Chen Yu was also very aware that his resource demand was overly exaggerated. He then took out two bottles of canned goods from his bracelet.
Flame Fruit Canned Goods and Magma Fruit Canned Goods.
"I can allow the Elton family to sell these two types of canned goods, and I promise to provide you with a 10% profit. Patriarch Fu Hua, you should understand the hidden benefits these canned goods can bring you."
Upon seeing these canned goods, Fu Hua Elton's eyes lit up with fervor.
This was precisely why he had come.
As long as he could secure the sales rights for the canned goods, he wasn't seeking immense personal profit. What he truly valued was the possibility of using these canned goods to turn the tide of his decline.
He wanted to show others in the Tatu Kingdom that even without the kingdom's support,
Even if the kingdom was actively pushing for their downfall,
The Elton family could still stand tall, still possess countless rare treasures, and attract those who desired them to trade with him.
The kingdom's behind-the-scenes actions were precisely to restrict others from trading with the Elton family.
If this could be broken, the Elton family would still have a way out.
"How many can you provide me?" Fu Hua Elton frowned.
If the quantity was too small, then the considerable cost would not be worth it. A resource investment of one hundred million gold coins was a major decision he had never made in his long career in business.
Chen Yu smiled and dipped a finger into his teacup, writing an ∞.
"What does that mean?"
Fu Hua Elton frowned, looking at the symbol.
"This symbol means infinity," Chen Yu tapped on the table. Fu Hua Elton's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you saying you have an infinite supply of Flame Fruit Canned Goods and Magma Fruit Canned Goods?"
"Mhm..."
Leaning back in his chair, Chen Yu tilted his head and pondered for a moment.
"Theoretically, yes."