Chapter213

"Was it in Marigold City?"

"Yes."

Sylvan slowly withdrew his hand from the paper, his long fingers resting on his chin. His delicate eyes smiled at Elara.

"Miss Bai said earlier that several deals would be made today, right? What are the other trades about? I'm very curious."

The topic suddenly shifted.

The paper deal was left unfinished.

Elara looked calmly at Sylvan. She felt no hesitation or confusion about this sudden break in the negotiation. Instead, it was very familiar.

This is a common business tactic.

Sylvan was trying to break the rhythm of the deal and take control.

He was better at trading than Manager Yang.

Manager Yang was experienced but mostly followed orders. He rarely took the lead in talks.

Sylvan, on the other hand, was skilled. He didn't answer about the paper deal but changed the subject. His sudden interruption was meant to unsettle his opponent and control the pace.

If Elara were a rookie, she might have been controlled by him.

But she wasn't. All these business tricks were old to her.

Elara smiled but didn't follow Sylvan's lead. She lightly took back the control of the conversation.

"Sylvan, didn't you just say you've wanted to do business with me for a long time? Since today is our first meeting, I'm curious too. What business do you want to do with me?"

Sylvan looked at Elara with calm eyes, but his lips curled up slightly. He leaned on the table, loosening his upper clothes, revealing much of his overly developed chest. His chest rested heavily on the table, as if tired, needing the table to share the weight.

"Miss Bai, the rumors about you are true. I heard you just came of age this year and never handled business before. But seeing you now, I realize those rumors were ridiculous. You are a natural merchant."

Sylvan spoke admiringly with no change in expression.

Elara kept her gaze above his neck but quietly frowned.

Even if Sylvan acted bold and careless, as a high executive of Lianyi Tower, this gesture was almost shameless.

His clothes looked almost worse than not wearing any.

Though Elara didn't mind a man showing his chest, his half-worn, half-open shirt, and his overly strong chest looked strange.

She didn't know if Sylvan acted like this with others, but since she sat opposite him, he had repeatedly opened his collar to show off his chest in front of her.

Such behavior was seen as very improper among men in the Matriarchal Kingdom. If anyone there saw this, they might curse Sylvan for being shameless.

In the Patriarchal Kingdom, this was also unusual. It almost hinted at hidden desires or questionable intent.

Elara pushed aside the strange thoughts and lowered her eyes to sip her tea.

"Flattered."

Sylvan watched her carefully, not missing a flicker of expression.

Seeing her lower her gaze without looking at him, his smile deepened. He stayed leaned on the table, showing off his chest as if unaware of anything wrong. He rested his chin on his hand and continued:

"Alright, Miss Bai, I specially waited here for you today. The first deal I want to make with you is indeed the paper. You bringing it up first makes me very pleased. Though it's a pity that your first paper deal isn't with me, I'm very satisfied with the terms you proposed."

"Let the paper trade go as you said. Sylvan has no objections."

Elara finally lifted her eyes, her gaze fixed above Sylvan's neck, a smile rising on her lips.

"Pleasure doing business."

Sylvan smiled more warmly. "Pleasure doing business. Hmm... what about the other deals? Can Miss Bai speak now?"

Elara shifted the topic back to him. "Why don't you talk about what you want, Sylvan? You mentioned you noticed changes in Plumera City. If there is anything interesting, just say it."

Sylvan laughed, a pleasant sound that gave a slight tingling feeling.

"Alright, since that's the case, I won't beat around the bush."

"Plumera City has changed greatly under your renovation. It really made me find many interesting things."

"The special bricks you used for roads and walls, I have never seen such bricks elsewhere. Even in first-class countries, their pavements use whole stone slabs polished at great cost and time."

"So when I saw you use this new kind of brick to cover the whole city so quickly, and even expand outside, I was surprised and curious how these bricks are made."

Elara watched his smiling face. They had a tacit understanding. The second business she wanted to do with him today was bricks.

Like paper, bricks were not weapons of war but materials for daily construction.

Low threat, high commercial value. So using brick making as the second business brought her more benefit than harm.

"The bricks for roads and buildings are indeed made by a special method of mine. Sylvan, if you're interested, I can sell you bricks at a low price and also sell you the production method under a profit-sharing system like recipes."

Her brick making method was not directly given by System 92 but modified from her previous life's technology combined with the iron-making techniques from the system.

The result was surprisingly good, producing very high-quality bricks.

However, good bricks alone were not enough to build strong roads and sturdy city walls like hers.

To build solid structures in Plumera City, besides quality bricks, the most important was the adhesive for bonding bricks.

Ancient times had no cement, but System 92's "Ancient Basic Construction Manual" gave a special ancient adhesive similar to cement.

This adhesive was made from dozens of special herbs and clays from this world. Though not as strong as cement, its bonding was close.

This adhesive was the key to the stronger walls Elara could create.

As for bricks, though an improvement for this world, primitive ceramic firing already existed. In the future, anyone clever enough could improve it to make basic bricks.

Of course, such basic bricks could not compare with hers, which combined future firing techniques.

Therefore, the technique she mastered could still sell for a high price.

She was a businesswoman who valued honesty. She would not cheat partners with worthless things.

Otherwise, if others made basic bricks and partners realized they were overcharged, future business would be cut off.

Elara did not do that. Besides, Sylvan's business was a giant in the commercial circle.

"It seems this technology is not as important to you as paper making."

Sylvan rested his chin, looking at her. He had refused to sell paper making before but was willing to accept brick firing.

Elara did not hide it. They were both experienced businessmen. Even if she did not say, Sylvan would understand the reason.

"It's not that it is unimportant. If I had to compare, brick firing and papermaking, I guarantee only I have them on the whole continent. Why I only sell brick firing…"

Elara met Sylvan's gaze. "Sylvan, you surely know. Brick firing is good but not irreplaceable. Like you said, paving with marble or whole stones is possible, just more expensive and labor-intensive."

"So although this technology is good, it's not absolutely necessary."

"Also, having too many secret techniques can bring trouble. I trust Sylvan's business and am willing to share the brick firing technique with it. Consider it thanks for their support to my Bai Family's business."

Sylvan smiled again. "Miss Bai is truly wise. Then how do you plan to trade the brick firing technique?"

Elara took out her estimated price. "Like the recipe system, profit sharing, but with a higher percentage. When Sylvan's business takes orders from others and makes bricks, you keep 70% of the profits, I get 30%."

She only provided the original technique but demanded 30% of every future brick order sold by Sylvan's business.