The Innkeeper

Chapter 1404  New Business Partners II

Chen was momentarily distracted, looking at the Midnight Games. The allure of the games, even as just a viewer, had gripped him from long ago, and almost made him want to participate. But though he felt motivated and impassioned, he was not a fool.

He did not have a planet to defend, nor a war to fight, so it was completely pointless for him to participate in such a battle. Risking his point needlessly was not something he would do. Unfortunately, he did not have a reason to risk his life either.

"You're supporting the Mavericks?" he could not help but ask as he recognized the army on screen.

"More like betting against them," a Wingan said. "They lost one of their leading attackers in a fight yesterday. While on paper the loss of a single soldier does not affect the whole army, his performance of coming through in critical moments is one of the main reasons the army has had so many achievements so far. Without him, we predict they won't last another campaign, but they chose not to retreat."

Chen only nodded, not commenting. Unfortunately, he agreed with their assessment of the situation. That did not mean he liked the way they were looking to make a profit off the death or failure of an entire army. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.

But, as a decent businessman and even better soldier, he knew how to not allow his emotions to get in the way of his objectives. They sat down with the Wingans and began their negotiations.

For all it was worth, Chen really did his best to make the deal happen. After spending years working in the Guild room at the Inn, the siblings had gained numerous exclusive supply chains, allowing them to trade various products at extremely profitable prices, catering to numerous customers. But this would be their first, major client who would be larger than all their other sales combined together.

Yet this deal, which seemed like a great deal for both parties, seemed to reach a sudden hurdle when the Wingan raised their final, yet most important demand.

"Since everything is in order, the only thing remaining to discuss is the payment. We can pay in any denomination of spirit stone you desire, or if you have any other currency in mind you can mention it. The exchange will be made on site whenever you make a dropoff."

Chen and Lily paused, and looked at each other. They could somewhat guess what the Wingans were alluding to, but pretended as if they did not understand.

"You can choose whatever currency you prefer. The Midnight Inn is not choosy."

"Ah, Brother Chen, you amuse me. For a trade of this scale, we prefer to trade in person. There is no reason to go through the Guild room now that we've discussed business privately. That 1% fee can begin to get really hefty on deals of such a large scale."

"Yes, but this way, both the buyer and seller are protected. You don't have to worry about faulty goods, while we don't need to worry about delayed payments. In the long run, 1% is not such a huge deal for such a sense of safety with our deals."

"Come, Brother Chen, Sister Lily. We do not doubt you will provide the best materials, so why doubt that we will pay on time? We, the Elet Corp, would prefer to deal outside of the Guild room. To be entirely honest, this is not the first deal we've done outside of the Guild room. Once you try it too, you'll see that it works out best for everyone."

Chen and Lily exchanged glances, and even without the need for spirit sense, they could communicate with each other.

"We will need some time to think about the logistics of such an exchange," Chen said diplomatically.

"That's perfectly fine, but don't take too long. Who knows when a better deal might drop into our lap," responded the Wingan with a polite smile.

The siblings left with polite smiles, but dropped the act as soon as they left. Over the years they'd experimented with many things, including avoiding the Guild room, and knew better than to avoid small expenses for a small profit.

With the 1% charge of the Guild room, they provided the quality assurance, payment assurance, as well as made sure that no one got scammed. Trying to bypass it for small profits was a very good way to get scammed.

They had long decided not to avoid the Guild room ever again. However, the massive profits of this deal could very easily tempt them. Even Chen was tempted. If nothing else, those funds could go a long way in helping him progress towards the immortal realm. But…

"Sis, let's just let it go," he said in a low voice. He did not trust the Wingans at all. He did not doubt at all that if he tried to pass them goods outside of the Inn, they'd just kill and loot him rather than pay up.

"We might be able to convince them," she said, but even she didn't sound hopeful.

Before Chen could respond, however, an Inn worker approached them.

"Dear guests, I hope I am not finding you at a bad time. Would you have a moment to talk?"

Chen and Lily looked at each other, confused.

"We're free. Go ahead, how can we help you?"

"In that case, I would like to begin by congratulating you. Brother Chen, Sister Lily, as one of the oldest members of the Guild room, you have been specially selected to participate in a couple of new initiatives that the Inn is taking. Of course, it all depends on whether you yourself are interested in participating. Are you interested in learning more?"

"Of course!" the siblings answered together, filled with pleasant surprise as well as a hint of excitement. The possibility of working together with the Midnight Inn was something they could never have even imagined? Eten Corp what? Wingan who? They were dealing with the real big boys now.