Chapter 46: A Woman Who Excels at Negotiation!

Upon hearing Xu An's compliment, Song Ziyan initially felt quite pleased, but the latter part of his remark caused her heart to tighten involuntarily.

Yet, on the surface, she remained completely composed, looking at Xu An with a gentle smile. "Oh, is that so?"

"Indeed!" Xu An said earnestly. "Though Miss Song wears a veil, the space between your brows bears a striking resemblance to his."

Song Ziyan’s expression remained serene, still carrying that warm, amiable smile.

"To be frank with Master Xu, over the years, quite a few self-proclaimed talented youths and scoundrels have used such tactics to try and get close to me."

"Master Xu possesses an extraordinary demeanor, and I believe you are certainly not a vulgar person. I suppose what you said is true. Viewed in that light, you and I do share quite a remarkable affinity."

"You had just wished to see me, and then you happened to encounter someone who looks remarkably like me. Would you not call that fate?"

*This woman manages to twist everything into a matter of fate. I am truly impressed!*

Xu An gave her a mental thumbs-up. He gave a dry cough and smiled, "Actually, the person I met earlier was a man. Mentioning this, I merely wanted to ask whether Miss Song might have a younger brother who has also come to Linyuan County, as he actually helped me out earlier."

Song Ziyan replied, "I have elder sisters, elder brothers, and younger brothers alike, yet none of them share my facial features, so Master Xu must be mistaken. However, this only further highlights the connection between us, does it not?"

Xu An wanted to say: *Are you certain there isn't one? Say, your father's illegitimate child, or perhaps your mother's?*

However, such remarks were far too offensive, and Xu An would never utter them aloud.

"Miss Song is right. Since that is the case, let us proceed to the main topic. Given how closely tied we are by fate, I am certain I can reach a most pleasant cooperation with Miss Song."

Xu An looked at Song Ziyan with a smile. "I believe Manager Qin has already informed you of my requests and our previous conversation. My demands remain largely unchanged, and now I would rather hear Miss Song's thoughts."

With that, Xu An picked up the teacup before him and took a gentle sip.

The tea fragrance was light and left a lingering sweetness on the palate, quite comparable to the Tieguanyin of his past life.

Fine tea!

As he withdrew his gaze, he also glanced discreetly at Song Ziyan's chest.

Compared to Mu Qingqing and Tao Qianqian, they were not particularly large. However, they were round and pert, falling well within the standard range. Such a modest and well-proportioned scale only served to better complement her gentle, refined image as a young lady of a prominent family.

***

Song Ziyan offered a soft smile. "Since that is the case, I shall be straightforward, Master Xu. Forgive my bluntness, but a thirty percent profit share is somewhat too high."

Xu An retorted, "Miss Song, if you put it that way, there is truly no need for us to continue this discussion. The quality of my sugar is entirely unique throughout the entire Great Wei, and indeed the whole world."

"The moment I bring it out to the market, there are plenty of people eager to cooperate with me; Miss Song is hardly my only option."

Song Ziyan replied, "What Master Xu says is reasonable, but have you ever considered this: even if your sugar is peerless, sugar remains merely sugar, not an absolute necessity. It is merely a treat that wealthy individuals occasionally enjoy to satisfy their cravings."

"While its value is high, it is ultimately limited. If the price is set too high, people will feel it is not worth the cost and will choose not to buy it. Even if they do purchase it, it will not generate sustainable consumption."

"When we take stock from you, we not only bear the initial cost but also incur labor fees, transportation expenses, shop maintenance, taxation, and various other expenditures. If we were to cede an additional thirty percent of the profit to you on top of that, we ourselves would be left with virtually no profit margin."

"Since this is a partnership, Master Xu can hardly expect us to work for you for free, don't you agree?"

Xu An remained silent.

Her words were exceedingly candid and fair!

Song Ziyan continued, "My Song Family's sugar shops are spread across the entire Youzhou, totaling one hundred and fifty-three establishments, large and small. We are currently planning to expand into the markets of other provinces. While I dare not claim we are the absolute leader of the white sugar trade in Youzhou, we certainly belong to the topmost tier."

"As for other competitors, they may not possess the capability to distribute white sugar everywhere, and even if they do, they might not be as reasonable to deal with, nor would cooperation necessarily proceed smoothly. After all, anyone would naturally covet the craft required to produce white sugar of this quality."

"Yet we are genuinely sincere in our desire to cooperate with Master Xu, and I personally wish to make a friend of you. Once the partnership is established, we guarantee that we shall harbor no disloyal intentions, and no one else shall ever discover your true identity."

"At the same time, we will publicly claim that this white sugar technique was developed by myself, ensuring that no trouble befalls Master Xu. We will offer you the highest degree of protection."

Hearing this, Xu An nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and asked directly, "Then what percentage of the profit does Miss Song intend to offer me?"

"Twenty percent!" Song Ziyan said.

Xu An shook his head. "Too low."

Song Ziyan smiled. "Master Xu, I do not see it that way. As I mentioned earlier, I wish to make a friend of you. Since we are friends, we shall assist one another in times of need. Although the Song family is not a top-tier aristocratic clan, we still possess a certain degree of influence."

"Therefore, this price is entirely reasonable."

At this point, her gaze suddenly shifted to Xu An with a knowing, playful smile. "If I am not mistaken, this technique for producing white sugar is actually mastered by yourself, is it not? That so-called distant relative of yours is presumably a fabricated excuse."

She sighed softly. "It is truly wonderful to master a technology; one can simply lie back and earn a double income."

Xu An felt his heart tighten. "Miss Song jests. How could someone like me possibly master such a breathtaking and astonishing craft? If I had truly mastered it, would I still look as impoverished as I do now? I would have already made my fortune."

One must admit, this woman was truly perceptive.

Yet, upon careful reflection, it was entirely within reason.

***

Song Ziyan smiled and tactfully refrained from probing further into the topic.

By making this brief remark, she was extending goodwill to Xu An, signaling that she harbored no malicious intentions toward him.

Others might not be so benign.

"Regardless, the Song family is more than willing to make friends with Master Xu, and what I value most is Master Xu himself. I only wonder if Master Xu looks down upon someone like me!"

Song Ziyan was truly skilled at negotiation.

As she spoke, she raised her teacup with both hands, her eyes brimming with limpid affection as she toasted Xu An.

She believed that within a reasonable range of mutual benefit, any man of decent upbringing and character would never allow a poised and beautiful woman to keep her cup raised indefinitely!

Indeed, things unfolded precisely as she had anticipated.

Initially, Xu An had harbored some hesitation.

However, seeing how reasonable she was, holding up her cup with abundant goodwill and sincerity, he felt somewhat embarrassed to dwell on his reservations any further.

Promptly, he lifted his own teacup and clinked it gently against Song Ziyan's.

This subtle clink signified that an initial partnership had been struck, laying the foundational tone for comprehensive cooperation!

Naturally, Xu An was no fool.

As they clinked their cups, he had carefully weighed the pros and cons in his mind.

If the other party could truly deliver on their promises, it would bring him immense benefits while sparing him a great deal of trouble.

Moreover, despite their brief conversation, it was evident that this woman was quite remarkable—at the very least, sufficiently sincere.

Based on this alone, she made for an exceptional business partner.

Should she fail to fulfill her promises, he could cut off the supply at any moment and seek another partner elsewhere.

After all, the technology remained firmly in his hands, granting him absolute dominance in the partnership.

Song Ziyan was greatly pleased. "In that case, Master Xu, let us proceed to discuss the pricing of the raw sugar!"

Xu An smiled faintly. "Then I wonder what price Miss Song has in mind?"