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Chapter 198 Red Wine, 08:12 pm
Rolla's image didn't move for a while, and he didn't touch the sandwich with a bite. He just kept turning the cigarette case in his hand. After a long while, he slowly pulled out a lady's cigarette from it, and "chucked it" at his fingertips."Lighted it up, and looked up with a cigarette in between.
She looked at Rosie again with wary and respectful eyes, and the usual lazy obsequiousness disappeared without a trace.
The intention of the Hunter's Guild was discovered by Rosie. The guild is good at doing business, but it is like a toddler in politics. It is too naive and superficial. No matter what, it can't hide from the eyes of a seasoned politician like Rosie.
For a long time, the Hunter's Guild wanted to enter the second district, not just for the dividend.It is true that drawing commissions from the task rewards is enough for the guild to make a lot of money, but the high-level members of the guild are always exploring more ways to make profits, such as collecting information in the name of tasks, in the main city and the secondScalping between regions, or when a war breaks out, they can accept commissions from both sides at the same time, taking the opportunity to raise prices to make huge profits.
The previous leader, Victor, didn't have Rosie's vision and couldn't see through the hunters' calculations.The reason why the guild did not enter the second district when Victor was in power was because the corruption from top to bottom in the second district at that time made the plan to move in repeatedly postponed.
There is no corruption problem under this leader Rosie, but the new problem is...he sees it too clearly, and considers the consequences of all aspects. He not only introduces legislation to protect the rights and interests of bounty hunters, but also insists on handing over power toTo his confidant Deng Huailing, to avoid the dispersion of power leading to management chaos, and finally, to prevent the possibility of the guild sucking blood from the second district.
Is it possible to achieve such a meticulous level with just a small matter?Rolla appraised Rosie's daily workload in awe. Establishing a branch is just a drop in the bucket of the leader's busy work. There are more matters to stimulate economic development and promote public works waiting for the leader to make decisions. It is true that Rosie is not overwhelmeda miracle.
"I understand what you mean by the rules. You want the branch to be separated and completely independent." Rolla took a drag on his cigarette and organized his thoughts amidst the smoke, "But in this model, the guild is uselessPic. Even if we put the money in a trust fund, we can still receive dividends, why bother to set up a chapter?"
"So, do you admit that the guild originally wanted to seek gray interests other than dividends?" Rosie continued with a half-smile, "Rolla, you are right, there is no need to bother to set up a branch.The second district has sufficient resources, and we can build a system similar to the guild in the main city, so why should we cooperate with the guild?"
"Of course you have a reason to cooperate with the guild. You have a list in your hand, which records the names of all the talents you extradited from the main city to the second district, but in this list, only a very small number of people agreed to serve'At your service, right?' Rolla reacted quickly, and she still didn't panic under Rosie's pressing attack every step of the way.
Holding a cigarette, she knocked on the edge of the ashtray, "The vast majority of them don't want to be drawn into the political vortex again, so they hug each other and stay away from the government to protect themselves. According to the information I got,District 2 currently has an underground organization of these people, they call themselves 'The Watchers', they keep each other safe, you can't recruit them."
"I've heard about this organization, and I have acquiesced in their activities in the second district." Rosie said, "their activity frequency is very low, they just sporadically eliminate a few spies from the urban area, and protectNewcomers also charge low prices to help ordinary people fight against injustices, and they do not pose a threat to 'skills'."
Rolla nodded: "So, you need our help. I know you want to bring this group of people under your command, but you represent the 'shu', the official government of the second district, and they have always hated the government. You want to useIf a non-governmental organization came to recruit them, the golden sign of the Hunter's Guild became the best choice, which is why you must cooperate with us."
"I have to cooperate with you? I'm afraid it's not possible. Even if we have this golden signboard and recruit many talents, it's just icing on the cake for the second district, not a necessity."
Rosie showed a lack of interest on her beautiful face, but behind her drooping eyelashes there was a sly light, and the conversation suddenly changed, "However, if you are willing to show some sincerity, agree to my three conditions, andThe power is all handed over to Huailing, and we are willing to make concessions on the proportion of dividends.”
It wasn't until she heard this sentence that Rolla realized Rosie's negotiating strategy belatedly—it turned out that Rosie had decided to cooperate with the guild a long time ago, and deliberately took a tough stance at the beginning of the negotiation in order to lower Rolla's expectations.At the lowest level, worrying uncomfortably about how to explain the failure of the negotiation to other high-level officials.
Proposing favorable conditions to make concessions on dividends at this time is tantamount to pulling Rolla's depressed mood from the bottom to the peak.If her will had been a little weak, she might have agreed with a sigh of relief.
After all, Rolla is a hunter who has experienced countless storms. After the initial hesitation, she gradually stabilized her mind.Before obtaining sufficient benefits for the guild, she will not let go easily:
"As I said before, dividends are not very attractive in the eyes of the guild. Unless your concessions are considerable enough, we would rather invest the idle funds than waste time and money on establishing a branch."
"Rolla, this is not honest." Deng Huailing smiled, and intervened in a timely manner, "I have been in the hunter's guild for eight years, so I can probably estimate it. Currently, the guild can freelyYou don’t have much funds at your disposal, so where do you get the money to invest? For you, establishing a branch is a sure-fire business, and you just want to earn more.”
"...how did I forget that you were there." Rolla held his forehead with a look of embarrassment, "Little devil, it's fine if you don't help me out, I've helped you so much, you can't shut it up for the sake of your friendsa mouth?"
Having said that, she also knows the relationship between Rosie and Deng Huailing in her heart, and she doesn't expect Deng Huailing to be on her side, "Assuming that the guild agrees to your conditions, how much are you willing to share in dividends?"?”
"What's the price in your mind?" Rosie asked back.He did not reveal his expected price hastily. Since he holds the initiative, he will use his advantage to the end and let the other party speak first.
"We want 40%," Rolla happily reported the number. In this situation, she can only use her own bottom line to test the other party's bottom line. "When cooperating with the Cesina government, the government and the guild'sThe rake rate is 25%, and the total rake is 50%; in view of the additional conditions added by the 'art', the guild will share with you 40% while keeping the total 50% unchanged."
“We add 5% to the price quoted by the Cecina government, and you get 30%,” Rosie said flatly, as if they were bargaining for a basket of potatoes or a bunch of mushrooms.Reasonable pricing."
Rolla's eyes moved slightly, glancing somewhere off-screen.Another holographic screen was placed on her left, showing various plans planned in advance by the high-level executives.She was confirming whether the final result met the guild's expectations, which meant that Rosie's offer had reached the bottom line required by the high-level executives. She was not so satisfied, but barely acceptable.
This small gesture was immediately noticed by Deng Huailing. He exchanged glances with Rosie, nodded slightly, and Rosie put forward the final offer, and allocated another benefit to the guild:
"35%, how about it? The extra 5% is used to thank you for your help to Huailing over the years. Huailing doesn't have many friends left. No matter how you look at me, as long as I am his friend, I will be like a friendtreat."
"This is 5% worth at least one billion credits, so just give it to the guild?" Rolla was surprised for a moment, she was about to agree to Rosie's offer, but Rosie made a counter-offer, 5% for nothing.
Then she finally smiled knowingly, relaxed her tense shoulders, and picked up the sandwich that was on the plate before, "It seems that he is really priceless in your heart."
"Your help to him is worth these credits. When Huailing was ten years old, he was helpless in the main city. It was you who lent him the money to modify the chip and register him as a bounty hunter; when he was wanted by the whole city, and you provided him with a place to stay. I know there are many benefits for you to help him, but Rolla, you have your morals, which I respect."
Rosie spoke earnestly, partly to liven up the stiff atmosphere during the negotiation between the two parties just now, and partly out of sincere gratitude, "Negotiations belong to negotiations. Outside of business, I still want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. Huailing is very lucky to have you.Such a friend and Bole."
Rolla was holding a sandwich in her mouth, her slender and charming eyes were lowered, and she was silent for a long time.She looked up at Rosie and said helplessly, "I now know why you have so many followers. You... are a person who cannot be hated at all. Those who like you can't even love you."
Those few words of sincere thanks and recognition of her value are one aspect, and the benefits that Rosie has actually given up have enhanced the credibility of this passage.On the premise that the guild's bargaining bottom line is 30%, Rosie took the initiative to increase the dividend ratio to 35%, a concession of one billion credits, in exchange for the friendship between Deng Huailing and Rolla not to be broken, but also in exchange for a harmonious relationship between the two parties.Rolla admires such a magnanimity in the cooperative relationship.
"So, everyone's cooperation has been concluded? This is something worth celebrating, and we must have a glass of wine." Igor concluded.He nodded happily, and left the table to go to the kitchen to get some wine.
This shrewd old man has just been burying his head in the Chinese food made by Su Qing, showing a huge appetite that does not match his age.He didn't take part in this negotiation hanging on a tightrope at all. He was a neutral agent, and no matter which side he spoke for, he would be hated.
Now that the negotiation has been successfully concluded, both parties are very satisfied, and Igor is also happy to see the result.He brought decanted red wine from the kitchen and poured it for everyone present: "To the Bounty Hunter Club! Oh, Rolla, you can only pour yourself a glass."
Rolla runs the HOPE bar, and the most indispensable thing is wine.She casually picked up the half-drunk red wine at the table, poured a full glass, and said with a smile, "We respect the Bounty Hunter branch, and we respect your cooperation!"
Under the warm light, four glasses rippling with dark red wine liquid were lifted up one after another, and together with the wine glasses in the holographic image, they collided crisply.
"Would you like to stay a little longer?" Deng Huailing and Rosie stood in front of the door and said goodbye to the Igor couple.Their elbows were covered with self-brewed wine sent by Igor, and Rosie wore a silk scarf that Su Qing dyed herself with natural pigments around her neck.Although it was late spring, the wind blowing from the ground at night was still expected to be cold, Su Qing carefully told them to be careful not to catch a cold.
They tactfully declined the kindness of the Igor couple to stay. The two old people also saw that the couple was eager to go home and spend time alone, so they let them go with a smile.
The two walked out of the apartment hand in hand, the doors of the shops on the street had already been closed, the road was deserted, there were not even a few street lamps left, the mercury-colored artificial moonlight reflected on the metal, the whole underground city was as quiet as the sea under the moon, It seems to be a mysterious world that belongs only to the two of them.
Rosie happily climbed to the high bridge, leaned on the railing and looked down, raising her hand to point out the distant scenery for Deng Huailing from time to time.Knowing that his lover was drunk again, Deng Huailing sensibly wrapped his arms around her waist to prevent her from falling. The spring breeze lifted Rosie's long hair..
Rosie turned her head sideways, looked at him with drunken eyes, her eyes were flushed with water, and her cheeks and lips were also thinly crimson, like a ripe flower.Deng Huailing hugged the man in his arms, kissed the other party's bright red slightly parted lips for a while, and asked the leader who was limp in his arms a question that he was curious about during the negotiation:
"The one billion credit points you gave out, how much is for me, and how much is for the partnership?"
"Of course it's all for you. You're just a few friends. How could I make your relationship stalemate." Rosie said drunkenly in a daze, with a bit of aggrieved tone, "How dare you ask me such a question?I don't know how much I like you..."
"Oh?" Deng Huailing was amused, and asked casually, "Then tell me, how much do you like it?"
Rosie buried her head in front of his chest, her eyelashes trembling slightly, her breath was moist and slightly hot, "I really want to pick... the moon for you."