Chapter 224: The Game of Chicken

Xiao Baoyue's eyes darkened gradually:

"So, you stirred up such a commotion not just to take down Liu Yin, but to put on a show for me. No wonder you had me book a table at Fragrant Snow Pavilion so early; you were afraid I wouldn't notice and would miss the good show..."

Wang Yang smiled slightly:

"The show shook Jingzhou; I was afraid you wouldn't know? Mostly, I just wanted to eat at Fragrant Snow Pavilion."

Xiao Baoyue did not believe him:

"If you wanted to eat at Fragrant Snow Pavilion, couldn't you have booked it yourself?"

Wang Yang looked at Xiao Baoyue as if she were an idiot:

"Booking it myself would cost money..."

"You!!!"

Xiao Baoyue gritted her teeth, both angry and furious! Her mood, which had finally calmed, surged again. Originally, her face had been pale from the stomach pain, but now, blood rushed to her head from anger, and some color actually returned to her cheeks!

She truly could not imagine that a person could be so detestable to this extent!!!

Did this little thief possess some special skill for infuriating people?!!

Wang Yang looked at Xiao Baoyue's flustered appearance and advised:

"Look at you, is a meal at Fragrant Snow Pavilion really worth all this—"

"How could it not be worth it!!!" Xiao Baoyue exploded.

"Alright, alright, it's just a meal at Fragrant Snow Pavilion, isn't it? I'll treat you! Let's go right now, and once we're there, you can order whatever is most expensive, and I won't say a word!"

Xiao Baoyue sneered incessantly:

"You've already set an ambush waiting for me, haven't you..."

Wang Yang secretly laughed, but said:

"Look at you, being suspicious again, aren't you? I'm showing sincerity! Tell me, how many times have I shown sincerity from start to finish? I've already conceded twice—"

Xiao Baoyue interrupted:

"You haven't shown a shred of sincerity from start to finish! Don't think I can't tell! What concessions? Your plan from the very beginning was to have me alter the household register of the Ministry of Personnel!!!"

Xiao Baoyue glared at Wang Yang!

Wang Yang did not deny it:

"You were able to alter the Ministry of Personnel's reply to the Prince of Badong; altering a household register shouldn't be too difficult for you, right? Besides, isn't your father the Minister of Works?"

A hint of mockery flashed in Xiao Baoyue's eyes:

"You want my father, the Marquis, to help you forge a household register?"

Wang Yang leaned back, his tone relaxed and casual:

"It doesn't necessarily have to trouble the Marquis, does it? You are a noble daughter of a Marquisate, and you hold a commission from the Crown Prince; can't you even handle such a small matter?"

Xiao Baoyue looked at Wang Yang, her gaze cold, and said slowly:

"You really... do not... know... how to live..."

Wang Yang smiled:

"Confucius said: 'If you do not know life, how can you know death?' In this world, how many people truly know the difference between life and death?"

Xiao Baoyue was silent for a moment, then nodded:

"What you say is not wrong. Fine, I can help you register, but you must also help me with a favor."

"What favor?"

"I want you to have the brocade workshop tamper with the dye for the crimson coats, or use inferior dye; in short, it must fade when it touches water. You don't need many, just three hundred pieces will do. This batch of goods is for the barbarians; what do barbarians know about silk? The Prince of Badong won't inspect them carefully either. Even if he does, it won't matter; unless they are soaked in water, how could he tell? You pack these three hundred coats separately in the very bottom of the crates, and when the time comes to deliver the goods, it will be done without anyone knowing."

Wang Yang fell into deep thought.

Xiao Baoyue said with utmost solemnity:

"Do not ask me for the reason; this is a transaction. Rest assured, this has nothing to do with you. Two thousand brocade robes, two thousand crimson coats—mixing in three hundred problematic ones won't be detected. This is my final condition; there is no room for further negotiation. If you do not agree, you may walk out that door right now. I won't stop you today, but our cooperation ends here, and from now on, we are enemies.

Dealing with enemies naturally means using any means necessary. Of course, you are also free to use any means necessary to deal with me. As for the outcome, since you are skilled at plotting, you can calculate that for yourself.

If you agree, I can give you one more guarantee: once this is done, we are even, and I will never make any demands of you again. You won't need to come to this courtyard anymore.

You won't need to worry about the Prince of Badong's affairs anymore. Isn't this the best opportunity to get rid of me?"

Xiao Baoyue stared down Wang Yang:

"I have made myself clear. Now, let's see how you choose. Do you agree, or do you not?"

Negotiation Principle One: Do not fall into a passive choice.

A passive choice is a precursor to failure. It means you have lost control of the situation and can only react within someone else's framework.

The high-level approach is to jump out of the choice, lead the opponent into your own rhythm, and seize the initiative.

"The Xie Xie Niangzi Xiao has made herself very clear, but her calculations are not very clear."

Xiao Baoyue's eyes narrowed slightly:

"How are my calculations unclear?"

"I tell you about the barbarian trade route, and you handle the household register for me at the Ministry of Personnel. That is a fair trade. You ask me to tell you about the trade route, and then you ask me to tamper with the crimson coats—that is bullying."

Xiao Baoyue's gaze became dangerous:

"So you are not agreeing?"

Negotiation Principle Two: Do not make unilateral concessions.

Unilateral concessions are not negotiation; they are submission.

As British negotiation expert Gavin Kennedy pointed out incisively: "Negotiation is an exchange."

Since it is an exchange, when you make a concession, remember to ask the opponent for a reciprocal concession.

Wang Yang did not hesitate at all, saying directly:

"I certainly won't agree to bullying! But if you insist that I tamper with the crimson coats, it's not impossible, but my first condition must be brought up again. Will the Xie Xie Niangzi Xiao agree?"

Xiao Baoyue said decisively: "I already told you, I cannot agree to the first condition!"

Negotiation Principle Three: Dynamic Equilibrium.

What is the underlying logic of a game?

It lies in viewing problems dynamically.

Rigidity and stubbornness can lead to deadlocks and failure.

True masters of the game know how to find opportunities in change and adjust strategies dynamically to seek equilibrium.

Equilibrium represents stability and represents something both sides can accept.

"This time is different from before. You don't need to write that everything I did in Jingzhou was under your orders; you only need to write down how you helped me assume the surname of the Wang family of Langya—"

Xiao Baoyue immediately opened her mouth to refuse, but Wang Yang said:

"Don't be in such a hurry. You only need to keep this statement with me temporarily. Once you have handled the household register at the Ministry of Personnel, I will return it to you.

This request of mine is the most appropriate for both of us. Because for me, I need a guarantee. I don't know when the household register at the Ministry of Personnel will be handled, but you want the trade route information now; this is equivalent to you wanting to take the goods first and pay much later. It's not too much to ask for collateral, or an IOU, is it?

For you, having this statement with me is perfectly safe. Because the content you write concerns my assuming the surname of the Wang family of Langya, I wouldn't dare show it to anyone, nor could I use it to make any trouble. Once this statement is exposed, I face the death penalty, and you would only be an accomplice, so I wouldn't risk it. Once you have settled the household register, I will naturally return it to you intact.

This is the lowest bottom line I can accept; it cannot be changed further."

The situation between Wang Yang and Xiao Baoyue now fits a model in game theory called the "Game of Chicken."

The basic pattern of this model is: two cars driving toward each other; the one who swerves first loses. If neither swerves, both cars are destroyed.

This model has only four outcomes. If we use numerical scores to represent gains and losses, where winning is 10 points, losing is 0 points, and a crash is -10 points, then in the Game of Chicken, the scores for both sides are:

(1) Both advance (-10, -10) (2) A advances, B retreats (10, 0) (3) B advances, A retreats (0, 10) (4) Both retreat (0, 0)

Calculating by total score, the optimal solutions in the Game of Chicken are (2) and (3), the worst is (1), and the intermediate term is (4).

Regarding the negotiation between Wang Yang and Xiao Baoyue, two points are crucial.

First, there is no intermediate term like (4). (4) would mean both take a step back—Xiao Baoyue stops making demands of Wang Yang, and Wang Yang stops making counter-demands of Xiao Baoyue—which is impossible.

Xiao Baoyue has laid out her plans to this point and is determined to succeed; she has made it clear that if Wang Yang does not cooperate, they are enemies and it means war. Therefore, although (4) seems the fairest, it is excluded first.

Second, there are two optimal solutions in this situation. Precisely because there are two, there exists a "first-mover advantage."

If A advances first, B must retreat to avoid (1). Similarly, if B advances first, A must retreat to avoid (1).

However, the premise for using the "first-mover advantage" to achieve victory is that both A and B must confirm that the other will indeed compromise to avoid (1), rather than reaching a situation where one side, unable to achieve their goal or accept the outcome, would rather crash than retreat.

Therefore, the series of actions Wang Yang took—the tug-of-war, adjustments, observation, and appraisal—all had the core purpose of finding a point.

A point where Xiao Baoyue could achieve her goal without being unable to accept the terms.

This point is the premise for using the "first-mover advantage."

Wang Yang now judged that he had found this point. He could use the first-mover advantage.

So, how exactly to use it?

Returning to the original game: now that two cars are driving toward each other, and you are certain the opponent does not dare to perish together, what is the best thing to do?

Wang Yang's answer is: in front of the opponent, take your hands off the steering wheel, put them behind your back, and floor the gas pedal.

"Since the Xie Xie Niangzi Xiao does not agree, I will take my leave. From now on, life and death are up to fate; each will rely on their own abilities."

Wang Yang stood up and bowed to Xiao Baoyue: "We shall meet again in the world of men!"

Xiao Baoyue smiled beautifully: "Very well, we shall meet again."

Wang Yang left nonchalantly.

Xiao Baoyue sat still.

One...

Two...

Three...

Ten!

Xiao Baoyue's brow furrowed imperceptibly, and her peripheral vision glanced quietly toward the door.

Finding the view poor, after a brief hesitation, she stretched her neck and peered out the window.

Just then, she heard footsteps approaching. Xiao Baoyue immediately sat up straight, lowered her eyes, and began to fiddle with her nails in a leisurely manner. She hummed softly and asked coldly:

"What did you come back for?"

"Uh... Young Mistress, the medicine is ready. Would you like to..."

Xiao Baoyue looked up in astonishment: "Where is Wang Yang?"

"Young Master Wang? Servant was brewing the medicine; I heard Young Master Wang had already left..."

Xiao Baoyue's face darkened. She stood up abruptly and walked quickly to the door: "Someone! Bring Wang Yang back!"

"What did you call me back for?" Wang Yang asked calmly.

Xiao Baoyue felt as if she had been hit by a boomerang!