Chapter 371: Doing Business

The Eight War Riders were still together, their leader, Zhang Yi, didn’t show any thoughts. Four of the riders had secretly made a deal with the Caravan Alliance, and Zhang Yi knew about it. He chose not to interfere because he didn’t know what the future held. He was observing the situation, but Xiao Nan had just crossed a line with his words.

Xiao Nan was a member of the Eight War Riders and was loyal to the Caravan Alliance, which embarrassed the rest of the riders.

Zhang Yi kept quiet in front of the stranger, Zhang Mu, but his cold tone made the other five people in the room feel uneasy.

Xiao Nan realized his mistake and sat back silently, pretending to drink tea. He avoided eye contact with Zhang Yi, knowing Zhang Yi was truly angry when he called him “Fifth Brother.”

The Eight Riders’ promise.

Zhang Yi signaled for Zhang Mu to share his plan. Zhang Mu confidently said he would secure the Caravan Alliance’s goods after midnight. He didn’t elaborate on how, leaving it for the night to reveal.

“What do you want us to do for you?”

Zhang Yi cut to the chase and asked the critical question without questioning Zhang Mu’s methods.

Zhang Mu calmly responded, “You just need to pay upfront, and I’ll give you a 10% discount on the auction price.”

“Do you want to borrow money?”

Huyan Tu looked at Zhang Mu with a strange expression and finally understood that the others had different reactions to Zhang Mu’s intentions.

Bara seemed intrigued. He leaned in because the Caravan Alliance was crucial for their Eight War Riders, as it provided vast resources. Now, Zhang Mu claimed to have similar resources and offered them at a price of ninety percent, which was tempting to Bara.

Don’t underestimate the discount Zhang Mu offered. For instance, if it was one hundred thousand elemental crystals, it would save them ten thousand.

Xiao Nan still looked disdainful. He didn’t believe that Zhang Mu had the ability to deliver.

Huyan Tu was curious, while Zhang Yi remained unreadable and deep in thought due to Zhang Mu’s words.

“If you are not satisfied with the discount, we can negotiate further.”

Zhang Mu smiled slyly at Zhang Yi, his expression akin to a sly fox who thought he had everything under control.

Because he knew that Zhang Yi’s considerations went beyond just the discount. If Zhang Mu could truly deliver, it would have a significant impact, potentially ending the Caravan Alliance’s monopoly.

The significance of the Eight War Riders is not comparable to tens of thousands of elemental crystals or even hundreds of thousands of elemental crystals.

“How many elemental crystals do you need to achieve what you’re saying?”

Finally, Zhang Yi spoke, looking casually at Zhang Mu.

“Naturally, the more elemental crystals, the more satisfying the result will be.”

“Seventy percent off.”

Since Zhang Yi agreed, things became easier. Zhang Mu was not in a hurry and sat down with Yuan Rui, pouring a pot of freshly brewed premium Longjing tea on a bench facing the four of them.

Even if it was a fifty percent discount, Zhang Mu didn’t mind. With the price of second-rank healing potion, there was still a double profit margin at this time. Even at fifty percent, they could earn half of the original price. Besides, Zhang Mu also had a twenty percent discount when purchasing Era Universal Merchandise.

In a price battle, Zhang Mu was not going to lose.

Seeing Zhang Mu silent, Zhang Yi thought he might have offered too low a discount, making it difficult for Zhang Mu. After all, giving away twenty percent of the profit at once was a lot. But why didn’t Zhang Mu raise the price? Zhang Yi believed the fair price was eighty percent, and even if Zhang Mu suggested eighty-five percent, he would agree.

Because at his position, he no longer needs to worry about these petty elemental crystals.

All he wants is Zhang Mu’s attitude.

The previous Caravan Alliance ended up like this because of this attitude issue, which led to the current situation of the Eight War Riders.

He needs a cooperative ally, not a ambitious threat. Caravan Alliance is an example, but their power is immense. They alone have eighteen second-rank evolutionists, and with the ones they bribed, only the Eight War Riders can stand up to them.

Even within the Eight War Riders, discussions about eliminating threats have led to internal strife. Zhang Yi and Zhang Mu are both aware of this.

Zhang Mu’s appearance at this time is undoubtedly key to breaking the deadlock. But Zhang Yi worries that Zhang Mu might become another Caravan Alliance, posing a great risk. Though Zhang Mu is alone, his resources can quickly make him a significant player.

“Chief Zhang Yi, I’ll offer you a 40% discount.”

40% off?

Including Chief Huyan Tu, the three War Rider chiefs were stunned, wondering if Zhang Mu had misspoken. Especially Xiao Nan and Bara, who had defected. Caravan Alliance had not offered them any discounts, only promising full support during the capital’s trial.

The man named Zhang Mu unexpectedly offered a discount of forty percent to himself and others. They knew the Caravan Alliance would make a profit, but they wondered if the price of these goods had been inflated. If it was really a forty percent discount, was Zhang Mu losing money in this deal?

If they knew that even with a forty percent discount, Zhang Mu could still make nearly half the profit, they would probably be very angry.

Although puzzled, Zhang Yi did not show the same surprise as the other three. He calmly asked, “Please tell us everything at once.”

“I need all of you to give me your elemental crystals, at least four hundred thousand, in order to proceed with my plan.”

Zhang Mu looked directly at the four people and said confidently.

“Four hundred thousand elemental crystals? Are you crazy? Do you think these crystals just fall from the sky? There are not even that many zombie hordes around Hohhot City.”

“Also, aren’t you losing money in this deal? Can you afford a discount on four hundred thousand elemental crystals?”

Xiao Nan was the first to speak out, still doubting Zhang Mu. To him, Zhang Mu offering this discount meant he had been taken advantage of for months, and he was unwilling to believe.

Zhang Mu smiled and said, “City Lord Xiao Nan, you don’t need to worry. I have my reasons.”

Zhang Yi thought for a while and slowly said, “The four of us probably can gather around three hundred thousand elemental crystals. We won’t burden you with all the treasure, this is the maximum limit. As for discounts, we’ll figure that out later.”

“Alright, then it’s three hundred thousand.”

Zhang Mu agreeing so readily caught the other four off guard, making them feel like they had fallen into Zhang Mu’s trap.

But the leader of the Four War Riders, Zhang Yi, spoke up, leaving the others with no choice but to quietly pay up.

Zhang Yi reluctantly took out a hundred thousand elemental crystals, while Huyan Tu surprisingly handed over his entire fortune to Zhang Mu, also a hundred thousand. Bara tentatively handed over a card with fifty thousand elemental crystals, and Xiao Nan, under pressure from the group, hesitantly handed over the last fifty thousand.

“If he runs off with the money and causes trouble with the Caravan Alliance, it will be a disaster.”

Ignoring Xiao Nan’s muttering, Zhang Mu looked at the forty-six thousand in red on his Era Card, finally feeling relieved.

The three hundred thousand from the Four War Riders, the fifty thousand from Qizilbash for buying second-rank healing potions, the compensation from horse trainer Su Rui Huang Yan, and the entire fortune of a hundred thousand elemental crystals Hachikuju handed over before leaving.

That adds up to a total of four hundred and sixty thousand elemental crystals!

Zhang Mu’s eyes lit up with excitement, the midnight operation today was all set!

…

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep