Chapter 16: : Talking about business has to go gnomes .....

The cooperation was quickly agreed upon. Lord Brewmaster provided technical support, some outdated equipment, and even transferred high-quality technical personnel. In return, Xiye had to provide Lord Brewmaster with 400,000 tons of raw fire ant minerals annually, selling them to Jiuxian at a 30% discount from the market price.

After the successful negotiation of this major cooperation, Jiuxian left promptly. As a lord capable of selling dragon-level beasts, he had numerous responsibilities and couldn't afford to waste too much time with Xiye.

The individual who came to negotiate with Xiye for the capital procurement prices was a golden goblin, sporting yellow teeth and an unappealing appearance.

In the Universal Federation, goblin creatures held a unique status. They were one of the ancient races that had existed since the federation's establishment.

Goblins had a poor reputation among ordinary people, often seen as dirty, lazy, vile, and ugly. They were considered to be almost unchangeable in their appearance.

Genetic modification had no effect on goblins. Surgical procedures or pairing couldn't change their appearance either. So, even if a goblin mated with a dragon, the offspring would still be a goblin. This unique trait set them apart from other species.

Moreover, goblins were one of the very few races in the universe that couldn't be genetically altered in any way. Their evolution was limited to becoming more goblin-like. The golden goblin negotiating with Xiye was an advanced variety among goblins.

In the market, evolved goblins like gold goblins were highly valued. They possessed remarkable business acumen and financial sensitivity. In fact, three of the top four business schools in the Federation were founded by goblins, with two of them exclusively enrolling goblins.

Many lords hired goblins for financial and investment consulting, as well as risk assessment in their major organizations.

However, for Xiye, the last negotiator he wanted to meet was a goblin. Doing business with goblins was nearly impossible without paying a high price. This was considered common knowledge among lords in the Federation.

"Oh, Your Excellency Lord Xiye, as per our lord's requirements, we will provide you with a batch of high-quality mold machine tools, including precision ore picks, mineral carts, detection vehicles, and various mold tools for daily necessities. You can rest assured, we are offering you our latest technology within three generations, which ensures both production efficiency and product quality will be top-notch."

Xiye found it hard to believe.

"So expensive?"

"Expensive? Where does Your Excellency see the expense?"

"It's expensive for everything!" Xiye retorted, "A mining pick mold machine costs 500,000 **** coins. Are you trying to rob me?"

"Your Excellency Lord, you're quite serious. The production of precision ore picks is a complex process. We employ the latest black metal gold technology from the Federation. The ore picks we produce are exceptionally durable and far superior to the Yunsteel picks available in the market. The price reflects the value of this equipment."

"Is that so?" Xiye pointed at another item with a cold tone, "The mine cart assembly mold costs 100,000 **** coins?"

"You see, Your Excellency, the core product of Pandaria Interplanetary is the engine. Our engines, which are available in the second- and third-tier free markets, are just as competitive as ordinary official products. Did you know that the most renowned force in the Federation, Lord Norsas, has recognized the quality of our engines? They have chosen to collaborate with us. Even their latest model of the fang series of mechas is powered by our Pandaria 18.0 optical drive turbocharged engine, a superior product. Therefore, the high cost is justified."

Xiye was momentarily taken aback. He was familiar with Lord Norsas, who ranked fifth among the top ten federated lords. The alliance under his command had the most powerful fleet of warships among the confederate lords. Collaborating with them was indeed impressive. Xiye had also seen the latest fang series mechas, and the engines for mechas of that size were top-notch. Providing this technology indicated that Lord Jiuxian had developed more impressively than he had initially thought.

However, when it came to minecarts, which Pandaria model was used for the assembly line? Xiye inquired.

"What about housing? Isn't selling it for 50,000 **** coins a bit excessive?"

"Not at all," said the goblin, rubbing his hands and explaining, "This is a pure bronze family process. Its stackability, durability, interior design, and craftsmanship all justify the price."

Xiye shook his head, "I only need basic accommodation for ordinary people. I don't need high-end housing. Give me a black iron assembly house for a hundred **** coins."

The goblin couldn't believe what he heard. "You can't make people live in those! Even for ordinary citizens, such living conditions are too harsh. I thought that anyone capable of collaborating with our lords would have a long-term perspective. Don't you realize that treating people poorly can lead to long-term resentment and hinder development?"

Xiye was caught off guard, "I... Well, my people are resilient."

"See, the boss doesn't want his people to endure hardship," the goblin said to others behind him, "and yet he is being harsh on them. As a result, he will only realize the significance of kindness when his people revolt, which is often more expensive than being generous!"

Xiye was left speechless. The goblin was clever.

"But it doesn't have to be so extravagant. How can we improve the treatment later?" Xiye weakly argued.

"Ah, it appears you are not a superficial lord, considering this," the goblin commented, pleased. "Let's do this then. We'll provide these bronze craft accommodations as a reward. If someone performs well, you can reward them with these accommodations. Otherwise, we'll recommend a group of tree essence accommodations. They are well-made, high-quality, and more affordable."

Xiye felt overwhelmed and signed a list totaling more than three billion **** coins. This amount didn't even include hiring technical staff and obtaining raw materials.

Originally, Xiye thought he was borrowing too much, but it seemed that it wasn't enough now.

As his business and power continued to grow, he realized he would need to consult a senior goblin for future negotiations.