Chapter 105: The Deal

Seeing Wang Hu ask so straightforwardly, Sui Ran was instead hesitant.

Someone who could produce this item must be either wealthy or noble; when did such a person come to Qingxi County?

This is Fine Salt!

It is something only princes and nobles can afford, a specially supplied good that cannot even be bought on the ordinary market.

But the profit on this is immense, and the implications are somewhat significant, so Sui Ran could not quite make up his mind.

Watching Sui Ran's hesitation and thinking of Cheng Feng's warnings before departure, Wang Hu's tone suddenly turned regretful: "It seems the Boss Sui cannot handle this business?"

Wang Hu's plain, unremarkable words exploded in Sui Ran's ears like a thunderclap. He knew deeply that someone capable of obtaining such goods was definitely not an existence he could afford to provoke. Without connections that could reach the heavens, how could one easily produce this item for sale?

As if to verify his inner suspicions, Sui Ran felt his throat go dry and asked with a slightly trembling voice: "Is this all there is? Or will there be more in the future?"

Wang Hu struck a haughty pose, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, and answered with full confidence: "Of course there is more than this; there will be more in the future. However, I hope Boss Sui keeps his mouth shut and does not leak this matter."

Hearing that there would be subsequent supplies, Sui Ran's heart gave a violent jolt; as expected, this person's background was extraordinary to be able to provide such precious goods in a steady stream.

However, what followed was an uncontrollable surge of ecstasy in his heart. These items were undoubtedly extremely scarce goods; once resold, one could obtain a staggering profit of several dozen times the cost! It was just that if the news were to leak, it would indeed invite many troubles.

Fortunately, the rebel army had been driving deep into the territory recently, showing a strong momentum to attack. This made the various families within the prefecture feel like they were sitting on pins and needles, restless and eager to act, all beginning to hoard wealth frantically with increasingly despicable methods.

Their greed had become increasingly unsightly of late, simply unbearable to look at. Now, he could only pin his hopes on whether his cousin had enough ability to stabilize the situation.

It was precisely because of these turbulent circumstances that Sui Ran could conduct this black market business and fill his pockets to the brim.

Black market business naturally requires someone to provide cover; otherwise, relying only on the meager scraps left by predecessors, one would starve to death sooner or later.

It was also fortunate that Sui Ran's channels were quite good; through his ability to navigate relationships, the business gradually improved, which was how he gained this reputation.

Sui Ran had actually come today for another batch of goods, but since he had seen this item, how could he let it go?

He had failed to probe Wang Hu's background, but this unexpected gain was also excellent.

Sui Ran steadied himself, took a deep breath, and tried hard to calm the excitement in his heart. He understood that the decision at this moment would concern his future destiny.

He raised his head, looked at Wang Hu with a firm gaze, and said in a deep voice: "Brother Wang, since you are full of sincerity, how can I back down? This business, I, Sui, will take it!"

Hearing this, a satisfied smile appeared on Wang Hu's face. He knew that by coming this time, he had successfully pulled Sui Ran into his camp. He stood up, patted Sui Ran on the shoulder, and said: "Boss Sui is indeed straightforward! From now on, we are partners; please take care of me."

Sui Ran also stood up, returned the smile, and said: "Brother Wang is too polite; please give me your guidance in the future."

The two looked at each other and smiled, and the atmosphere immediately became much more harmonious. Wang Hu took a Jade Pendant from his bosom, handed it to Sui Ran, and said: "This is our token; if you have need in the future, just bring this Jade Pendant, and I will do my best to help."

Sui Ran took the Jade Pendant and saw a lifelike fierce tiger carved upon it, vivid and imposing. He could not help but feel more curious about Wang Hu's identity, but this was not the time to delve into it. He put the Jade Pendant away, nodded solemnly, and said: "Many thanks, Brother Wang; I will certainly cherish this friendship."

Wang Hu waved his hand and said: "No need for thanks. It is getting late, and I should head back. If there is a need in the future, we can contact each other at any time."

Sui Ran nodded and personally saw Wang Hu off. Watching Wang Hu's departing back, an inexplicable excitement surged in his heart.

This time, he must earn enough.

Cheng Feng watched this transaction, which was filled with undercurrents, from the side.

One jin of Fine Salt for twenty taels—it was truly unimaginable.

The transaction of Fine Salt went very smoothly; after the initial agreement was made that night, naturally, it would not be necessary for the big bosses on both sides to show up every time.

Afterward, as long as the time and place were agreed upon, along with the quantity of the transaction, one side would bring the goods and the other would bring the silver, and they could just find a place to trade directly.

Cheng Feng had no interest in all of this, but he was astonished by the transaction amount of twenty taels of silver per jin.

He had not expected this Fine Salt to be worth so much money; Cheng Feng was grateful that he still remembered those little tricks for filtering and refining.

As expected, knowing a little more knowledge is never a mistake.

According to the plan, after the martial arts competition in the second month, Wang Hu would take the Fine Salt that Cheng Feng had worked hard to produce to find that underground merchant they had already discussed with to sell it.

Wang Hu gathered a few trusted brothers and prepared to set off for the underground merchant's hideout. Before leaving, Wang Hu specifically came to Cheng Feng's residence to report the itinerary and plan to him in detail.

"Leader, everything is arranged properly." Wang Hu's face was filled with a confident smile, "This time we will definitely make a big profit!"

Cheng Feng nodded, a trace of appreciation flashing in his eyes. He knew deeply that Wang Hu was a person with brains and courage; being able to sell the Fine Salt smoothly this time was inseparable from Wang Hu's careful planning and brave execution.

"Wang Hu, I have always trusted you when it comes to doing things!" Cheng Feng's mouth lifted slightly, revealing a smile of trust, and he said slowly: "However, one must be cautious in doing anything! After all, we have only dealt with that underground merchant a few times; as the saying goes, 'you can know a person's face but not their heart,' so you must heighten your vigilance and strengthen your defenses!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Hu nodded vigorously, indicating that he had fully understood and remembered what Cheng Feng had said.

Because he knew very clearly in his heart what great significance this transaction held—it was not just about whether the Hong Sect could obtain more considerable economic benefits,

but it even directly affected the overall development direction of the Hong Sect where he was located.

Precisely because of this, Wang Hu could absolutely not hold even the slightest bit of contempt or slackness toward this mission.

A few days later, Wang Hu finally succeeded in bringing that ten-jin bag of Fine Salt to the underground merchant named Sui Ran. Next, the two sides launched a fierce and brilliant business negotiation... After countless rounds of verbal sparring and haggling, they finally reached an agreement with terms that made both sides feel quite satisfied.

And so, Wang Hu confidently handed over the Fine Salt he had been clutching for a long time to the other party, and at the same time, he also received a quite substantial amount of remuneration as a reward, just as he had hoped.