BSI Chapter 60 Exclusive Agency
Chapter 60 Exclusive Agency
Cheng Chumo was completely stunned, frozen on the stone bench, his eyes filled with astonishment.
He grew up in the shadow of his father, Cheng Zhijie. Whenever people saw him, the first thing they would say was "the eldest son of the Duke of Lu's mansion," not Cheng Chumo.
Whatever he did, the evaluation he received was always, "Cheng Zhijie's son is indeed extraordinary."
No one ever regarded him as an independent Cheng Chumo.
Not to mention such complete trust, entrusting such a huge business opportunity entirely to him as a person, rather than the family power behind him.
Cheng Chumo's Adam's apple bobbed violently, and when he spoke again, his voice was slightly hoarse.
"Brother Wang, you trust me so much, I... I can't repay such a heavy favor."
"Who asked you to repay a favor? If you say that again, we can't be brothers anymore."
Wang Zhihuan chuckled lightly, his tone frank and casual.
"This is a fair business deal. I'm giving you the agency rights because you're the most suitable, for two reasons. First, we're like brothers; as the saying goes, 'the meat stays in the pot, it's still our own.'"
Secondly, I know you are a reliable person and would never dilute the wine with water to ruin my reputation;
With your extensive network in the elite circles of Chang'an, you can accurately connect with customers who can afford high prices and know their wines.
More importantly, you are straightforward and efficient, without being coy or calculating. Dealing with you is a breeze for me.
Wang Zhihuan understood.
With Cheng Chumo, the eldest son of a distinguished family, taking the lead, and with the lively and outgoing Cheng Chuliang running around and making connections, it won't be long before he can easily integrate into the circle of scions of prominent families.
They quietly built their own network of connections among young people, gradually infiltrating the social circles of Chang'an's upper class.
Cheng Chuliang, who had been holding back for a long time, finally couldn't help but interject.
"Brother Wang! What about me? Can I work with my brother? I promise to run errands and get things done without hesitation!"
"you?"
Wang Zhihuan looked at him, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Your brother is the exclusive distributor, and you're his top assistant. But you have a skill that your brother can't match."
Cheng Chuliang's eyes lit up instantly, and he leaned forward.
"What skills do you have? Tell me, Brother Wang!"
"When it comes to eating and drinking, you are number one. You not only know how to eat, but you also know how to appreciate wine."
"When the distillery releases a new wine in the future, you'll be the first to taste it. If you say it tastes good, that wine will definitely sell well."
Cheng Chuliang immediately patted his chest, his face full of pride.
"Don't worry, Brother Wang! When it comes to tasting and enjoying fine wines, you won't find anyone in the entire city of Chang'an who has a more discerning palate! Leave this to me!"
He slammed his hand on the table with considerable force.
Startled, Grey jumped off the stone bench and turned back to him, meowing in dissatisfaction.
Hua Hua wrinkled her nose, licked her paws indifferently, and showed no interest in the group's grand business plan.
"Brother Wang."
Cheng Chumo composed himself, put down his teacup, and looked at Wang Zhihuan with a serious expression.
"I've agreed to the agency arrangement. But you decide the pricing and profit sharing; I won't haggle."
Wang Zhihuan nodded slightly, took out the crumpled mulberry paper from his pocket, and laid it flat on the stone table.
Several new lines of text had already been added to the paper. The handwriting was still not very neat, but it was well-organized and easy to understand.
"There's something I need to make clear to you first. As the saying goes, even close brothers should keep clear accounts."
He tapped the paper lightly with his fingertips, his tone becoming more serious.
"My wine is different from ordinary goods. The newly distilled wine is strong and spicy. It must be sealed in jars and aged in cellars. Over time, the wine will gradually become mellow. I call this process 'aging'."
"Songlao needs to be aged for at least one month; Yunmenchun needs to be aged for three months; Tianlu needs to be aged for at least one year, and only those that can be aged for three years can be considered truly top-quality wines."
Cheng Chumo suddenly realized what was going on and immediately spoke up.
"So the jar we drank last time was new wine that hadn't been aged?"
"That was the first brew, before it had aged, yet General Yuchi already loved it so much."
Wang Zhihuan smiled slightly, a hint of certainty in his eyes.
"Once the aging period is over, the taste of the liquor will be several times more mellow than it was then."
Cheng Chuliang couldn't help but gasp, his eyes widening in shock.
That last jar of new wine was the best he had ever tasted in his life.
I never expected that aging would bring such a pleasant surprise. I was filled with anticipation and couldn't wait to taste the fine wine that had been aged in the cellar.
"The distillery is just starting out right now, and the cellars are full of new wine. Songlao will not be ready for release for at least a month, Yunmenchun will take three months, and Tianlu will take even longer."
Wang Zhihuan looked at Cheng Chumo and slowly came up with a completely new method.
"So we can't do it the usual way of buying and selling spot goods, I plan to sell futures."
"Futures? What do you mean by that?"
Cheng Chumo frowned slightly, pondering this unfamiliar word with a heart full of doubt.
"To put it bluntly, it's just a pre-sale."
"There is no stock available at the moment. Interested customers should pay a deposit to reserve the goods, and then take delivery in the agreed order after the aging period is over."
"Songlai is released once a month, Yunmenchun is released once a quarter, and Tianlu does not accept any pre-orders; I decide who will receive the gift."
Wang Zhi paused for a moment, then explained the benefits in detail.
"There are three major benefits to doing this."
"Firstly, the distillery's production capacity is limited, and the pre-order system can precisely control the shipment volume, so there will never be a situation where over-selling results in failure to deliver."
"Secondly, by collecting a deposit first, I will have enough money on hand to purchase brewing equipment and grain raw materials, and I will no longer have to worry about money circulation."
"Thirdly, the rarer and more time-consuming a good thing is, the more precious it feels when you get it, which further highlights the scarcity of the wine."
Cheng Chumo remained silent for a long time, pondering these words repeatedly in his heart, and the more he thought about it, the more impressed he became.
The young man in front of me seemed lazy and carefree, only wanting to live a simple life on the farm, but his business acumen was completely different from that of all the merchants in Chang'an.
He wasn't just doing simple business; he was setting unique rules for his wine.
"I've already arranged the payment."
Wang Zhihuan traced the numbers on the mulberry paper with his fingertips, his tone calm.
"Each jar of Songlao wine is priced at ten strings of cash, and each jar of Yunmenchun wine is priced at fifty strings of cash."
"For every jar sold, thirty percent of the proceeds will be taken as your reward for your efforts. The remaining seventy percent will be mine to cover the daily purchases and equipment costs of the winery."
This division is straightforward and simple, in line with the common sense of doing business in ancient times. It is clear and unambiguous, without any falsehood.
Cheng Chumo understood immediately upon hearing this, without the slightest sense of misunderstanding.
Cheng Chumo quickly calculated in his mind and instantly understood the potential profits involved.
A jar of Songlao wine costs ten strings of cash, so three-tenths of it is three strings of cash; a jar of Yunmenchun wine costs fifty strings of cash, so three-tenths of it is a full fifteen strings of cash.
Simply by securing a stable connection with powerful and influential clients, one can easily earn a far greater income than ordinary scions of wealthy families—truly an incredible opportunity.