Next was another round of bargaining, and Zuo Feng watched the two verbally spar, completely unable to interject.
He had heard the words 'bottom line,' 'limit,' 'last chance,' and 'completely unacceptable' from their mouths countless times.
Each offer was stated with such finality, seemingly leaving no room for negotiation, yet in reality, the other party only needed to concede slightly for talks to continue.
The so-called bottom line was merely a bargaining chip.
Zuo Feng couldn't help but rub his ears, wondering if he had misheard something.
He had originally thought negotiations were just a back-and-forth exchange, but to his surprise, between these two, every word was like a meticulously planned chess game, both confrontational and perfectly coordinated.
Yun Qianqian and Wen Wudao seemed to have long known each other's strategies; every rejection from one laid the groundwork for the other's next concession.
Watching the chips on the table gradually decrease from astronomical figures, Zuo Feng finally understood that the real contest in this negotiation wasn't about the price, but about who could control the rhythm.
The two seemed to be pressing hard, yet they had an unspoken understanding, much like performing an extremely complex dance, needing to show opposition while ensuring overall harmony.
He almost suspected that he had stumbled into a play that had already been rehearsed.
Just the bargaining alone lasted a full half-hour.
Finally, the two settled on a price of 100 thirteen-line loss crystals, with the ten-year installment plan remaining unchanged.
Because Yun Qianqian knew this was Wen Wudao's bottom line, any alteration would provoke a strong backlash from him, and Wen Wudao also understood that Yun Qianqian's bottom line was that she wouldn't buy it without the ten-year installment plan, nor could she afford it otherwise.
So, both sides tacitly maintained this framework, leaving Zuo Feng utterly dumbfounded and secretly grateful that Da Bai Tu had been called; otherwise, his straightforward nature would never have been able to handle the situation, and it would likely have collapsed long ago.
Although the price was negotiated to 100 thirteen-line loss crystals, the deal was not yet closed, because the real contest had only just begun.
Next was the Firefly's list of supplies, which meant Wen Wudao's price-cutting and Da Bai Tu's price-raising segment. Zuo Feng watched the two verbally spar, silently offering them tea.
He secretly mused, 'These two aren't here to negotiate; they're here to duel.'
Wen Wudao smiled slightly, picked up his teacup, and took a big gulp, but there was no hint of relaxation in his eyes; instead, a sharp glint flashed.
“Miss Yun, I need to consider the price of 100 thirteen-line loss crystals. How about we first look at the list of supplies and prices offered by your base?”
Yun Qianqian smiled gently, took a few sips of tea, then unhurriedly set down her cup and looked directly at Vice Leader Wen.
“Since Vice Leader Wen is willing to continue talking, please take a look at the list of supplies we can provide. Let me make it clear, most of these supplies are not for external sale, and the outside world is completely unaware of them. I ask Vice Leader Wen not to spread this information.”
Wen Wudao nodded in agreement and opened the list.
Seeing Wen Wudao nod, Da Bai Tu unhurriedly took out a few documents one by one from the kongling crystal and handed them to Wen Wudao.
She did this deliberately to let Wen Wudao witness the marvel of the kongling crystal; only by piquing his interest would there be an opportunity to raise the price.
Of course, these documents did not contain any information about the kongling crystal, which was also intentional on Da Bai Tu's part. These documents were about the unpatterned Pigeon eggs, all of which were Professor Yan's analysis reports.
These items were not intended for external sale, so there was no time to organize them into a list, and naturally, they had no prices.
Wen Wudao took the documents, his brows raising slightly. He didn't rush to read them but fixed his gaze on Da Bai Tu's actions, a hint of disbelief and a touch of greed flashing in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure.
Seeing the change in Wen Wudao's expression, Yun Qianqian secretly smiled to herself—Wen Wudao had taken the bait—but on the surface, she calmly continued to emphasize:
“Vice Leader Wen, these are some of our base’s special supplies. Each item is extremely precious and a top secret of our base. I hope Vice Leader Wen can keep these secrets.”
Wen Wudao nodded, his gaze already fixed on the documents in his hand. As the contents of the documents gradually unfolded, Wen Wudao's eyes became more focused, and his expression grew more solemn, clearly deeply engrossed by the information within.
Beside him, Da Bai Tu narrowed her eyes slightly, a faint smile playing on her lips, as if she had long anticipated Wen Wudao's reaction.
Wen Wudao examined them very carefully; each page made his pupils constrict slightly, and he read every word meticulously, his fingertips unconsciously clenching. He seemed to forget the time, and even his breathing became shallow.
Suddenly, he closed the documents, his eyes flickering, and a surge of undisguised shock and excitement welled up in their depths. But he also noticed one thing: there was no introduction to the kongling crystal.
Wen Wudao looked up at Yun Qianqian, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
“Miss Yun, the items in these documents are indeed extremely precious, but... did you deliberately omit something?”
As a Vice Leader, Wen Wudao naturally possessed extraordinary insight. He had already understood Yun Qianqian's intention in exposing the kongling crystal to him earlier, and he knew that if he spoke first, he would inevitably be at a disadvantage.
But he couldn't help it; the function of the kongling crystal was too tempting, and he was particularly wealthy now. He was a big shot now, and for the sake of the kongling crystal, he could afford to lose just a little bit.
Yun Qianqian smiled gently, her eyes as calm as still water.
“What is Vice Leader Wen saying? These supplies are all the information our base can provide. As for the 'omission' Vice Leader Wen mentioned, I wonder what Vice Leader Wen is referring to?”
Yun Qianqian tilted her head slightly, her tone soft, yet carrying a subtle hint of probing.
She didn't directly expose him, nor did she show any panic, as if everything was under her control.
She knew that Wen Wudao was already tempted, and with the kongling crystal transaction, she had already gained the upper hand.
Wen Wudao's mouth twitched slightly. This woman truly had everything calculated perfectly.
Didn't that previous action show him something that could store items? Now she was playing dumb with him, wasn't it just to get a good price?
Wen Wudao gritted his teeth inwardly, but this loss, he could only accept. He cleared his throat lightly, trying to appear less flustered.
“Miss Yun, just tell me directly, what exactly is that item on your wrist that can store things? I want to know its specific functions and value.”
Yun Qianqian gently raised her wrist, her gaze calmly fixed on Wen Wudao.
“Since Vice Leader Wen has already noticed, I won't hide it any longer. This item is called a 'kongling crystal,' and it's a storage space 100 meters long, wide, and high. However, our current stock of these is extremely limited, and even our internal staff haven't been fully equipped yet. Vice Leader Wen, are you… thinking of buying one?”
Actually, what Yun Qianqian wore on her wrist was a (true) kongling crystal, with a storage space of 1,000 meters in length, width, and height, but she naturally wouldn't sell the (true) kongling crystal.
When Wen Wudao heard the words “kongling crystal,” his eyes lit up. When he learned that the internal storage space was actually 100 meters long, wide, and high, his breathing almost stopped for a moment. Firefly actually possessed such a divine object—this was a product of myths!
It had the same wonderful effect as the mustard seed space in myths!
Wen Wudao suppressed the wild joy and shock in his heart, keeping his tone as steady as possible, “Miss Yun, name your price!”