Chapter 193: Masters' Duel (Extended, Please Subscribe, Please Send Monthly Tickets!)

"Only a hundred thousand units? That's more than enough."

Xu Yuexin faintly smiled, "And my Chip uses a 40‑micron process, perfect for making televisions."

Alyosha also smiled.

"A 40‑micron process? That's fine."

"Let me brief you on the Birch Wood and Ermine Fur we have here."

"The Birch Wood is all rough‑processed lumber, each trunk with a diameter over 38 cm…"

"Wait, I haven't agreed to your terms yet."

Xu Yuexin waved his hand to cut in.

Alyosha felt a chill inside, but kept his smile outwardly: "May I ask what you have in mind?"

"I need higher‑quality wood and furs."

Xu Yuexin stared at Alyosha's slate‑blue eyes and said.

Alyosha's gaze showed a hint of difficulty.

"Birch Wood is already a mid‑to‑high grade timber, and Ermine Fur is also of fairly good quality."

"It's also hard to produce something better."

"Hmm, I understand. But consider that me agreeing to a Barter trade is itself a difficult matter."

Xu Yuexin said calmly, like water.

Birch Wood and Ermine Fur are acceptable, but fundamentally they remain ordinary goods, and selling them would take considerable time.

Moreover, Xu Yuexin is not a professional timber or fur trader, so he cannot hold inventory for long.

He needs precious, scarce wood and furs, preferably ones he can flip the moment he acquires them.

Facing Xu Yuexin's request, Alyosha was momentarily at a loss and did not reply immediately.

Xu Yuexin didn't press him, just waited quietly, and even casually picked up the menu to order a few dishes and a bottle of wine.

Soon, Bordeaux wine was placed on the table; Xu Yuexin opened the bottle and poured a glass each for Alyosha and himself.

"Thank you."

Alyosha rested his hand on the base of his glass and said, then looked at Xu Yuexin, "Speak up, what do you want."

"He lets himself set the price?"

Xu Yuexin put his mind to work, scanning his memory for all the precious woods and leathers he knows.

"Fir wood, Black bear skin."

Soon, he gave Alyosha his answer.

"Both of the items you mentioned are hard to obtain."

Alyosha frowned and said, "Alright, let me see if I can coordinate with the people at the Foreign Trade Committee."

"I'll get back to you by the day after tomorrow at the latest."

Fir wood and Black bear skin are extremely precious mountain products.

Even the Soviet Union, as the main source of these two resources, produces them in very scarce quantities each year.

For Alyosha, meeting Xu Yuexin's request is indeed not an easy task.

"Hmm, the sooner the better."

Xu Yuexin raised his glass and said, "My Chips are in high demand."

Alyosha understood the meaning behind Xu Yuexin's words, took a deep breath, and raised his glass: "Cheers."

Two days later, Xu Yuexin and Alyosha met again at the Moscow Restaurant.

The difference from last time was that today Alyosha was accompanied by a short, stout middle‑aged man.

"Hello, this is the Foreign Economic and Trade Department Leader I mentioned to you, Mr. Alexander."

Alyosha introduced him to Xu Yuexin.

"Hello, Xu."

The middle‑aged man greeted in somewhat halting Chinese and stepped forward to shake hands with Xu Yuexin.

"Hello, Mr. Alexander."

Xu Yuexin and the middle‑aged man shook hands and sat down on opposite sides of the table.

"You want Black bear skin and Fir wood, right?"

As soon as he sat down, Alexander got straight to the point, "Both of those items are hard to obtain."

"Finding a Barter partner who agrees is also difficult."

Xu Yuexin leaned leisurely back onto the leather chair and said, "So, the fact that we can sit here together is itself a rare occurrence."

Alexander replied swiftly, "I'll treat today."

"Great, thanks to you, we'll have a feast today."

Xu Yuexin smiled and said, and the previously tense atmosphere instantly eased.

After picking up the menu, the ordering was mainly done by Xu Yuexin and Alexander.

Alyosha didn't participate much, merely pouring drinks for everyone throughout.

After the dishes were ordered, Alexander still didn't discuss trade with Xu Yuexin, only kept clinking glasses with him and saying pleasant things.

Xu Yuexin understood that he was dealing with a master.

If Alexander kept steering the conversation toward trade, it would not only make the atmosphere tense again but also reveal how urgent their side is.

In contrast, just drinking without other talk could regain some initiative for them.

It's just that Alyosha lacks foreign trade experience and had already shown their hand earlier.

Otherwise, Xu Yuexin would indeed be a bit hard to handle.

After three glasses of vodka went down, everyone's complexion turned rosy.

At that moment, Alexander posed a question to Xu Yuexin.

"Mr. Xu, may I ask whether your Chips are self‑produced or bought from elsewhere?"

Alexander swung his glass and asked as if casually.

"All are self‑produced."

Xu Yuexin replied with the same nonchalant demeanor.

He knew Alexander was trying to probe the source of supply.

If he let Alexander know that he would later purchase some Chips externally, Alexander would try to bypass him and deal directly with the upstream supplier.

Just as he had done when buying Chip patents.

Although few merchants accept Barter trade, Xu Yuexin still has to keep a guard.

"Oh, where is your factory?"

Alexander persistently pressed.

Xu Yuexin ignored him, raised his glass high, and toasted in the Soviet manner: "Come, let's drink to friendship."

Alexander simply lifted his glass and clinked it with his: "May friendship endure forever."

Soon, steaming dishes arrived.

Xu Yuexin and Alexander ate while resuming negotiations around the core trade issue.

"Xu, I just said Fir wood and Black bear skin are hard to get; I'm not lying to you."

Alexander, as if wearing a mask of pain, said bitterly, "Even I have no use for Fir wood furniture."

"My wife wants a Black bear skin Coat; she's been nagging for years, and I haven't been able to buy it for her."

"Mr. Alexander, your words just now only reflect your personal consumption level."

"And you now represent your department in negotiating with me."

"If you can't get Fir wood or Black bear skin, does your Foreign Trade Committee also lack them?"

Xu Yuexin hit the point directly.

Alexander was left speechless.

The young man's logical and linguistic abilities far surpass any trade counterpart he has ever faced.

He truly met a hard‑to‑handle fellow.

Alexander sighed.

"Then, I'll go discuss with my colleagues again."

After careful deliberation, Alexander replied, "Suppose—if I could settle with Fir wood and Black bear skin—what price would you quote for them?"

"One hundred Chips for a whole adult Black bear skin, or ten cubic meters of Fir wood."

Xu Yuexin answered without hesitation.

Back when he negotiated with Alyosha, he had already set the price in his mind.

His current bottom line is two hundred Chips for a bear skin, or five cubic meters of Fir wood.

Above the bottom line, how high the price can go depends on one's skill.

(End of chapter)