Director Ma was greatly surprised upon hearing Zhang Tianxing's background.
The Crayfish Association was flourishing, and many people wished to join but couldn't. It could be considered an association that everyone in Yangcheng's business circles wanted to be a part of.
The potential of crayfish was immense, as evident during the Crayfish Festival.
He wondered why this new business magnate was at the granary.
"President Zhang, meeting you in person is more impressive than hearing about you. You are young and accomplished, a soon-to-be university student who makes us feel inferior," Director Ma Xiangqing chuckled heartily.
"May I ask what brings you here?"
Zhang Tianxing cut to the chase. He was here to inquire about prices; grain ultimately needed to be circulated.
"Our purchase price is determined by grade, and it's stipulated in upper-level documents," Ma Xiangqing said, though he was somewhat puzzled.
He hadn't heard of Zhang Tianxing purchasing grain. Wasn't this guy involved in the crayfish business? Why was he here to sell grain?
Zhang Tianxing saw through Ma Xiangqing's reservations. "It's like this, we've obtained some grain from home and want to sell it. The amount is quite large, so I was hoping for your assistance, Director Ma."
Ma Xiangqing didn't commit but simply stated, "As long as it meets the standards, we will purchase it and settle with cash upon delivery."
Hearing this, Zhang Tianxing smiled. This was the assurance he was waiting for. If they purchased it and paid in cash, then his trip wouldn't be in vain.
If they only offered IOUs, then money would be spent, but only IOUs would be received. In that case, he might as well pack it in and forget about doing business.
Having settled that matter, Zhang Tianxing immediately headed to Ma's Orchard.
From the outside, the orchard seemed vast. Looking inside, branches were laden with fruit, a true harvest.
Upon arriving at the orchard entrance, he chanced upon two people conversing.
"Mr. Ma. I'll tell you something: pay up now. Debts must be repaid; it's only right."
"Boss Sun, look at my orchard. The pears are ready to be loaded. As soon as they're sold, your money will be no problem. The Ma family is reputable."
"I know the Ma family is reputable, or I wouldn't have lent you the money. But you need to consider my situation. I can't survive right now. I had to come here to demand payment. You can't just let me wait to die. By the time you sell your pears, my cucumbers will have wilted."
The man surnamed Ma pleaded earnestly. Finally, Boss Sun relented, "Alright, I'll give you a chance to raise the funds. Three days. After three days, if I still have no solution, you can give me the orchard, and I'll then give it to the Wu family."
The man surnamed Ma repeatedly expressed his gratitude. He had no choice; he had to bear the bitter fruit of his own making, a consequence of his misjudgment.
In a moment, he saw Zhang Tianxing standing at the entrance. What a dashing young man! Zhang Tianxing was tall and imposing.
"What business do you have here?"
"I'm here to see the owner. I want to purchase a batch of fruit."
"Feel free to pick whatever you like in the orchard. Pay when you leave. There's nothing much to discuss," the man surnamed Ma said listlessly.
"I need a large quantity. If the quality is good, I'll buy all the fruit in your orchard," Zhang Tianxing said, glancing at the pears on the trees. They were large and looked good, but he wasn't sure about the taste.
Seeing the look in Zhang Tianxing's eyes, the man surnamed Ma instantly understood. "What should I call you? I'm Ma Tianxiao, the least capable one of the Ma family. My fruit is guaranteed in quality and quantity. Try these pears, these apples."
He directly plucked a few from the trees and handed them to Zhang Tianxing.
Zhang Tianxing took them and took a bite. Mmm, they tasted quite good, very sweet.
Ma Tianxiao, being sharp, knew from Zhang Tianxing's expression that their fruit tasted good and had won over another customer.
However, he didn't expect Zhang Tianxing to deviate from the expected script. "Your fruit is good, but it doesn't quite meet my requirements."
Ma Tianxiao was stunned. Who complains about good quality fruit? What was this tall, imposing, handsome young man up to?
Was he here to crack jokes? He clearly liked the fruit; was he trying to negotiate the price? Ma Tianxiao looked at Zhang Tianxing, bewildered, not understanding what was happening.
Zhang Tianxing was actually quite satisfied with the fruit. However, the scene at the entrance made him hesitant.
This seemed to be an economic dispute. If he got involved blindly, wouldn't he be tricked?
In this society, one couldn't overestimate people's bottom lines; bottom lines were meant to be broken, constantly refreshing one's perceptions.
Deceived every year, but each deception was different. As the saying goes, one should not harbor ill intentions towards others, but one must guard against them.
Seeing Zhang Tianxing's confusion, Ma Tianxiao couldn't help but give a wry smile.
It seemed that good news never traveled far, but bad news spread like wildfire.
Zhang Tianxing pondered for a moment and finally asked, "If I were to purchase your goods, what would be our settlement method?"
Ma Tianxiao hastily replied, "Pay eighty percent as a deposit upfront. Any excess will be refunded, and shortages will be accounted for. What do you think, handsome young man?"
Hearing this, Zhang Tianxing turned and walked away. Eighty percent upfront was an outrageous demand, a "lion's mouth."
Seeing Zhang Tianxing leave without a word, Ma Tianxiao felt anxious. This wasn't right; the young man clearly liked his fruit.
Zhang Tianxing inwardly grumbled, it wasn't gold. Eighty percent upfront, was he kidding? If he was lucky, he'd get a truckload; if not, he might not get any fruit at all.
If the money was transferred, and he didn't get the fruit, that would be bad, but if it delayed production, that would be a bigger problem.
"Don't go, we can discuss it. Or how much do you think the upfront payment should be?" Ma Tianxiao called out, stopping Zhang Tianxing.
"How about this: I'll give you my address. Deliver the goods there, and as long as the quality is up to par, you'll get paid upon unloading."
Hearing Zhang Tianxing's proposal, Ma Tianxiao remained silent. This was far from his requirements.
"This would be beneficial for you, and the most convenient part is that I'm also from Yangcheng, so transportation would be easier for you."
Upon hearing this, Ma Tianxiao looked up and asked, "What if I unload the goods, and you refuse to pay me?"
"That's simple. The goods will be at my factory. If I don't pay you, you can simply empty out my factory. At the very least, you can apply to the court to auction off my factory and equipment."
Ma Tianxiao still hesitated. The main reason was that he needed cash now, as much as possible. He needed a quick way to make money.
"There's no problem. I'm Zhang Tianxing of the Crayfish Association. I won't cheat you out of the fruit money. The only reason I'm making this demand is because you're burdened with debt, and I'm afraid that after paying a deposit, I might not receive the fruit."