...
He stared at Wang Shouzhe for quite a while before speaking, "Younger brother, are you trying to trick me or set me up again? I've already reached this point... is there still a chance for me to redeem myself?"
"The cause of the insect plague, the reason why the Insecticide Powder is gradually losing its effectiveness, along with the research directions for the new Insecticide Powder..." Wang Shouzhe said calmly, "If these are not enough for Brother Qian to make a comeback, then it's my mistake in underestimating Brother Qian's abilities."
"Is this true?" Steward Qiaan suddenly stood up, a powerful aura of a peak Qi Refining Realm Ninth Layer exploded, with a gleam in his eyes, he said, "If there's indeed such great merit, younger brother Shouzhe, you are truly my brother, Qiaan Xue'an."
What a powerful aura!
Even Wang Shouzhe was slightly surprised. This Steward Qiaan, who had always been low-key, actually had such high cultivation. Truly worthy of the Longzuo Qian Family, even a small steward in a branch could have such cultivation.
A glimpse of a part reveals the whole, how strong the Longzuo Qian Family truly is.
"Is Steward Qiaan aiming to use this great merit as an opportunity to strive for the Spirit Platform Realm?" Wang Shouzhe squinted slightly, knowing that the other was not releasing his aura frivolously. It was a way to show Wang Shouzhe the value and potential of Qiaan Xue'an.
"Younger brother understands me." After "displaying" his strength, Qiaan Xue'an immediately reverted to his harmless Maitreya Buddha-like demeanor and said, "To be honest, younger brother, I am an illegitimate child of a direct line in the Qiaan Family. My status and treatment in the family can be imagined, and how difficult my path to this day has been. Without exceptional merit, it's extremely unlikely to gain family support to strive for the Spirit Platform Realm. If younger brother aids me in this, I'll be eternally grateful regardless of the outcome."
"Does Brother Qian know why I don't contribute this merit to the Purple Mansion Academy myself?" Wang Shouzhe smiled, as if testing Qiaan Xue'an's intelligence.
"The matter of the Insecticide Powder is significant, and your Ping'an Wang Family is too weak." Qiaan Xue'an also smiled, "Even if you contribute your research findings to the Academy, with the high and mighty attitude of the people there, they might not even feel grateful towards your Wang Family. But our Longzuo Qian Family is different. With this information, we have the qualification to negotiate with the Academy, even if we could secure an extra ten percent share in the future profits of the new Insecticide Powder, it would be a colossal amount! Thus, younger brother choosing to give this great merit to me is... what's the phrase younger brother used?"
"Maximizing benefits." Wang Shouzhe sipped his tea and replied.
"Yes, that's the phrase." Qiaan Xue'an replied earnestly, "But this matter has a condition, that is, I must show gratitude and reciprocate towards younger brother Shouzhe. We can sign a secret alliance for this. If I violate the alliance, younger brother is free to make the alliance public, leading to my utter disgrace. You know, our Qiaan Family values reputation, and a personal disgrace leads to severe consequences."
This Steward Qiaan is indeed a clear-minded friend.
Wang Shouzhe was somewhat relieved; nowadays, the biggest fear is to offer goodwill to a blind person, or to find out later that the one you supported is ungrateful.
Based on his interactions with Qiaan Xue'an, he realized this is a meticulous person, otherwise, with his illegitimate direct line status, how could he have reached this far?
"Brother Qian, if we sign the secret alliance, we'll be in the same boat. Are you sure about this?" Wang Shouzhe finally asked.
Qiaan Xue'an pondered slightly, "If it were any other ally, I would certainly need to consider it carefully." He paused, then looked at Wang Shouzhe seriously, "But forming a secret alliance with younger brother Shouzhe is something I desire. Your detailed mind and bold strategies, flipping fortunes with a wave of hand, are what I deeply admire. I firmly believe that standing on the same side with you, younger brother, is my lifelong fortune."
Although the words were a bit exaggerated, Wang Shouzhe could feel his genuine intention, so he promptly decided to draft the secret alliance.
In line with the idea of addressing potential issues upfront, Wang Shouzhe drafted alliance terms that were meticulous and devoid of any apparent loopholes, clearly outlining mutual responsibilities and obligations.
When Qiaan Xue'an finished reading the alliance, he was stunned on the spot, not because the terms were too complex or harsh, but because they were too simple and fair. In his view, his future either ends bleakly or soars dramatically, all depending on Wang Shouzhe.
Even if the conditions were harsher, it would be normal, as he had already prepared himself mentally.
"Younger brother Shouzhe, this alliance..." Qiaan Xue'an frowned slightly, "Should there be more restrictive terms for me?"
"Brother Qian, I'm looking for allies, not collecting subordinates." Wang Shouzhe said leisurely, sipping his tea, "Since we are allies, we should naturally uphold the principles of fairness, justice, mutual respect, and assistance. If one day, brother feels the alliance is meaningless, you can refer to the last clause, compensate your ally with ten thousand Qian Gold, and the alliance is void."
Qiaan Xue'an took a deep breath, signed and stamped the two copies of the contract, then respectfully bowed, "Younger brother Shouzhe, your broad-mindedness is unparalleled in my lifetime. I swear, as long as you do not betray me, I will not betray you, or let the heavens strike me down with lightning."
"Brother, no need for such heavy words. From now on, we are brothers, sharing both glory and loss." Wang Shouzhe was very satisfied with this outcome, putting away the contract, he handed the prepared documents to Qiaan Xue'an, "How to operate forward, I'm sure you understand better than I do."
Qiaan Xue'an focused on the documents, the more he read, the more his expression turned marvelous, "Unbelievable, unbelievable, yet perfectly reasonable. Younger brother Shouzhe, this data is extremely valuable, preventing future ineffectiveness of new Insecticide Powders."
This document was written by Wang Shouzhe himself, using simple and clear language to explain the resistance of the Honey Bees. To eliminate the current resistant Honey Bees, the ancient Insecticide Powder must be adjusted.
As for how to adjust and experiment, Wang Shouzhe gave no suggestions, leaving the Purple Mansion Academy to explore.
Moreover, Wang Shouzhe never intended to develop new Insecticide Powders himself, as the stakes involved were too high. This is like levying an insect tax on all fertile lands in Longzuo County; the astronomical interests were enough to crush the Wang Family.
"Good, good, good, with this great merit." Qiaan Xue'an's eyes shone brightly, "If I, Qiaan, still can't handle it, truly I've lived thirty-eight years in vain."
He solemnly kept the contract, then smiled and said to Wang Shouzhe, "Younger brother Shouzhe, I must admit, without this great merit, I would really resent you. But now, hehe, I can only say, younger brother, well played."
"Just following the momentum." Wang Shouzhe smiled, "How much is your shopkeeper planning to pay to redeem the contract this time?"
"Initially, the shopkeeper's bottom line was double the contract price. Although ideally, you would back off after taking a thousand Qian Gold." Qiaan Xue'an squinted his eyes, "However, this insect plague is quite severe, estimated to reduce yields by sixty to seventy percent without effective measures, translating to a loss of about ten Large Copper per mu. If a double-dose of Insecticide Powder is used in time, the loss is at most one or two Large Copper."
"According to brother, the noble families' psychological bottom line for investment in Insecticide Powder is around six Large Copper per mu?" Wang Shouzhe had already calculated and smiled, "Then if Qiaan's Trading Company repurchases the contract at double price, not only won't they lose, they will earn?"
"Wrong." Qiaan Xue'an squinted and smiled, "The noble families' psychological bottom line is at least twelve Large Copper investment, possibly more. They even need to beseech our Qiaan Family to sell to them because the Insecticide Powder supply is far from enough to save all noble families."
"Rather than losing more, they'd choose not to invest, letting grain yield decrease." Wang Shouzhe frowned, slightly puzzled.
"Younger brother should know, Daqian Law prohibits speculative trading of grain prices in good harvest or disaster years, which superficially looks like an excellent policy to stabilize people." Qiaan Xue'an said with a knowing smile, "In disaster years, it actually causes much harm. Merchants won't act without profit, and if grain prices don't rise, how many would be willing to sell? Many commoners won't be able to buy food even if they have money."
"Most noble families have enough stored grain to manage during disasters, but certainly, a significant portion of the commoners will struggle to buy food even with money, as supplies can't cover everything."
...