I've already become an immortal, and the global cultivation world is only just beginning?

Chapter 12 Zhao Pavilion Master's Path to Wealth

As soon as Jiang Heng arrived at his workstation, Chen Linyu peeked out from behind the screen opposite him.

"Hey! You're here early today too."

His hair was still plastered to one side of his scalp.

"Didn't you go home to wash your hair?"

Jiang Heng glanced at him, then looked at the takeout box on his desk. "Did you sleep at the company last night?"

"Yeah, the company computers are great." Chen Linyu yawned. "After finishing overtime, I was too lazy to go home, so I just ordered takeout and played games at the company until midnight."

As he spoke, he glanced at Jiang Heng and said, "You look radiant today. Did you secretly go for a massage last night?"

[You exchanged pleasantries with Fellow Daoist Chen Linyu, an "inner disciple" of the sect. He observed that your qi and blood were abundant and your Dao foundation was solid, and mistakenly thought that you had obtained a dual cultivation opportunity.]

"What massage? I just petted the cat."

Jiang Heng shook his head and smiled, then took out his phone and showed a picture of Little Coal Ball.

The photo shows Little Coal Ball curled up asleep in its cat bed.

"Look, isn't my kitten cute?"

Jiang Heng doesn't usually have a strong desire to share, but after suddenly getting such an adorable kitten, he couldn't help but want to tell his friends.

"Oh? You have a cat?"

When Chen Linyu took a closer look, the fluffy black lump of coal in the photo instantly struck him as adorable.

"What the hell? You raised this?"

He wished he could crawl into Jiang Heng's phone and say, "When are you going to bring it out so your brother can see it?"

Or perhaps I could bring some wine and visit you sometime?

Upon seeing the young form of the 'Yin Sha Black Wind Cat,' Fellow Daoist Chen Linyu was captivated by it, causing his Dao heart to waver. He voluntarily offered 'blood, flesh, wine, and food' to the demon beast in order to accumulate good karma.

"Sure, let's do it when I'm not busy." Jiang Heng was very happy to hear that his friend genuinely liked his kitten.

"By the way, do you own a cat?"

Chen Linyu also found a new topic and started talking to Jiang Heng about raising cats.

Both of them were basically novices in the field.

Anyway, we'll talk about whatever we want, so let's just treat it as a break.

However, about ten minutes later...

The sound of high heels clicking away suddenly grew louder as they approached.

Upon hearing the sound, Chen Linyu instantly switched to work mode.

Jiang Heng immediately sat up straight and looked at the product information in front of him.

When Elder Zhang Li of the Hongyunda Steel Clan came over, her gaze first swept over Jiang Heng and Chen Linyu, and finally settled on Jiang Heng.

"Jiang Heng".

She slammed a stack of documents on Jiang Heng's desk. "Go to the hardware and electrical machinery market in the northern suburbs now, to Jieyou Building Materials Store."

The boss's surname is Zhao; his phone number and address are listed above.

She used her nail polish to point out some information and gave a brief introduction: "Mr. Zhao from Jieyou Building Materials Store wants to buy our company's goods and has inquired about a batch of small-diameter welded pipes several times."

She pointed to one of the pictures of steel pipes.

"The amount he asked for wasn't large, but it wasn't small either."

They just kept complaining that our price was too high and kept dragging their feet.

Go and have a good talk with him, and try to finalize this deal.

It would be best if we could win it.

If you can't get him... at least find out what he's after and what price he's asking for.

[Elder Zhang Li of the sect was inspecting the camp when she noticed your aura fluctuating, suggesting you had made progress. Therefore, she bestowed upon you the 'Mysterious Iron Refined Gold Token'.]

[Mission: Go to the North Golden Thunder Market and persuade Zhao Qianjun, the master of the Jieyou Refining Pavilion, to purchase refining materials for the sect.]

[Reward: Officially promoted to Inner Disciple of the 'Hongyunda Steel Sect']

After officially becoming an inner disciple, you can receive a monthly spirit stone stipend.

[If the mission fails, there is a high probability that you will be expelled from the 'Hongyunda Steel Sect' and become a rogue cultivator, losing all face in the sect.]

Is this the reason for that "temporary inner door"?

Jiang Heng saw the hint and immediately understood.

"So there was a quest to be triggered..."

However, this mission comes with a penalty: expulsion from the sect...

Jiang Heng paused for a moment, then carefully examined the information.

It's still unknown whether other sects will accept me, and it's even more unknown whether this sect is the only one, so I should proceed with caution and protect my spirit stone stipend.

Seeing Jiang Heng staring at the documents without saying a word, Zhang Li shook her head inwardly, thinking that Jiang Heng only knew how to slack off and do odd jobs to get by. Now that he saw something important, he suddenly became listless.

"That Boss Zhao is very shrewd; sending a newcomer to run into trouble is just what's needed."

Zhang Li glanced at Jiang Heng, who was still looking at the documents.

"If Jiang Heng succeeds in the deal, it will be a great achievement for him, and giving him a permanent position wouldn't be out of the question..."

If the talks don't go through, it'll be good to get rid of this lazy bum.

She thought to herself, but her tone was exceptionally gentle.

"Young people need to go out and gain more experience; they can't stay in the greenhouse of the company forever."

She said earnestly, "But remember, the bottom line of the price list is on the last page. Don't get tricked into saying anything, and don't let Boss Zhao see it."

"Okay, Manager Zhang."

After reviewing the documents, Jiang Heng was full of enthusiasm. "I'll try my best to negotiate a deal."

After saying that, Jiang Heng picked up the documents and prepared to leave.

When Zhang Li saw Jiang Heng suddenly become so energetic, she was slightly taken aback, but then regained her composure and nodded.

"Okay, let's set off early."

The document includes the address and Mr. Zhao's phone number; remember to be flexible during the discussion.

After saying that, she turned around and continued to patrol her territory with a "tap tap tap" sound.

……

Northern suburbs, hardware and electrical machinery city.

crunch...

As soon as Jiang Heng arrived, he heard various sounds of metal cutting, collisions, and the roar of forklifts and trucks.

The air was filled with the smell of engine oil and rust dust.

This mixture of feelings seems to make this summer even more irritable.

Fortunately, Jiang Heng had one hand in his pocket, and the cool, refreshing water energy he was circulating countered, warding off all the restlessness.

Combat Power +0.01

Looking at the numbers that kept changing on the panel.

Jiang Heng quickly arrived at Jieyou Building Materials Store following the address.

You have arrived at 'Northern Golden Thunder City - Excellent Refining Pavilion'

Jiang Heng glanced at the panel, then looked at the shop in front of him.

The shop is quite large, with various hardware fasteners and rows of pipes displayed on the shelves outside.

Behind the store, there is a fairly large warehouse.

At this moment, several workers covered in oil were going in and out, carrying bundles of steel and loading them onto forklifts.

Jiang Heng glanced at it a few times and then walked into the shop in front.

The store also had a lot of goods on display.

Perhaps it's because there's too much steel that it has a cooling effect.

Or perhaps the store is well-ventilated.

Jiang Heng suddenly stepped into the sun and felt a bit cool.

Inside the small office near the entrance.

A stocky man, around fifty years old, was holding a calculator and comparing accounts with a waiter who was holding a bill.

Just then, he saw Jiang Heng, carrying a folder and dressed relatively "respectably," walk in through the doorway. He immediately put down the ledger in his hand, walked out of the office with a smile, and asked Jiang Heng:

"Hello, boss, what would you like?"

"Boss Zhao."

Jiang Heng also stepped forward, smiling, and handed over his business card and documents.

"Hello, I'm Jiang Heng from Hongyunda Steel. Manager Zhang asked me to talk to you about that batch of welded pipes."

"Oh? About sourcing goods..." Boss Zhao's enthusiastic smile faded somewhat.

But he then politely put on a smile again.

"Come in, come in and sit down. Let's chat inside. There's air conditioning. It's so hot outside."

Boss Zhao returned to his office, telling his employees to get back to work while pointing to the "battle-damaged" sofa next to the coffee table.

The bottom of the sofa is tattered, mostly with cuts from metal, but it looks quite clean.

"Want some water?" Boss Zhao asked, sitting on another, nearly worn-out sofa opposite him.

"No need, Mr. Zhao, thank you."

Jiang Heng sat down opposite him and got straight to the point.

"Manager Zhang said you're interested in our batch of small-diameter welded pipes, but the price..."

"oops!"

When Boss Zhao heard Jiang Heng mention this matter, he seemed to have thought of something, slapped his thigh, and interrupted Jiang Heng.

"Xiao Jiang, it's not that I intentionally wanted to lower the price, it's just that business is tough these days!"

Boss Zhao pointed to the shelves outside the office.

"Look at all these old, unsold goods that I can't sell; they're all tying up my money."

But I'm not saying, what are you guys like?

The quality of your Hongyunda products is undeniable, I acknowledge that!

only……"

He drawled out the words and shook his head, "This is just a small business for me. I have so much inventory stuck in the inventory, and so many workers need to eat..."

As he spoke, he poured tea for Jiang Heng.

"Bro, I'm under a lot of financial pressure!"

Boss Zhao poured the tea naturally, but out of the corner of his eye, he was observing Jiang Heng's reaction.

Jiang Heng picked up the teacup, but his eyes were fixed on the panel in front of him.

Although Pavilion Master Zhao possesses profound cultivation and is well-versed in the supernatural power of "making money from money," the "Four Seas Refining Hall," which he had previously befriended, recently raised its prices by 10% without any apparent reason.

[Pavilion Master Zhao was furious and severed ties with him, and urgently needs to find a new source of 'Mysterious Iron Viscera'.]

[He carefully infiltrated and secretly investigated multiple sects. Ultimately, he found that while the price of your 'Hongyunda Steel Sect' wasn't the lowest, the materials were of superior quality, and the sect's headquarters were located in this city, saving a significant amount on 'earth-遁法宝' (earth-遁法宝, a type of magical artifact), making it an excellent choice.]

However, Master Zhao, who "mainly cultivates the Way of the God of Wealth," deeply understands the principles of buying and selling; not negotiating prices is not the way of the "God of Wealth."

Looking at the "Insightful Observation" prompt on the panel, Jiang Heng fully understood the "cause and effect".

It turns out that the recent price increase at "Sihai Refining Hall" has left Boss Zhao without any stock.

He searched for other manufacturers and eventually found his own company, "Hongyunda Steel," which he felt was more reliable and closer to him.

He wanted to buy more goods, but he wasn't in a hurry, so he thought he could use the "delay" tactic to see how much he could hold onto.

"So that's how it is! I understand now!"

After understanding the hints, Jiang Heng smiled and was no longer affected by the other party's "complaints".

in contrast.

Jiang Heng organized his thoughts and, following the key keywords on the panel—"good material, low shipping cost, and close proximity"—began to elaborate.

Everything was done to secure his position as a "formal inner disciple".

"Boss Zhao, I understand the difficulties you mentioned. Business is indeed tough these days."

Jiang Heng first offered a word of comfort, expressing that he understood his difficulties.

After Boss Zhao slowly nodded.

Jiang Heng's tone changed again, and he said confidently:

"However, not to brag."

Jiang Heng took out the company documents from his bag, flipped to the data page, and pointed to the parameters on it.

Choosing Hongyunda is definitely a wise decision.

Our factory uses raw materials from major manufacturers for its steel pipes, ensuring not only the quality of the materials but also the precise national standard thickness.

Jiang Heng showed him a quick look and then pointed to a line of text.

"If the data does not meet the standards in the contract, we will offer a full refund or replacement. It's all clearly written down here, in black and white."

"I know, I know your quality is absolutely up to standard." Seeing that the young man spoke quite professionally, Boss Zhao straightened his relaxed expression and prepared to discuss the price again.

"only……"

"Boss Zhao, you can't say that."

Jiang Heng preemptively interrupted with a smile, "If Boss Zhao wants to talk about prices, I'd like to say that our factory is located in the industrial park in the west of the city, only about 20 kilometers from here."

If you need goods, just give us a call, and our own fleet will depart in the morning and deliver them to our warehouse door in the afternoon.

The saved shipping and transportation costs, when factored into the price, are much more cost-effective than sourcing goods from other places, right?

If you say their factory offers free shipping, then they've definitely made money off you in terms of materials or goods.

These are all the truths; nobody does business at a loss.

"That makes sense." Boss Zhao chuckled. "I've been in business for decades, so of course I know the saying 'the buyer is never as shrewd as the seller.'"

"That settles it, doesn't it?" Jiang Heng took out a cigarette from his pocket. "We live close by, both in the same city, so it'll definitely be cheaper."

Not to mention, if there really is a problem, we're both from the same city, so one phone call and we can meet and contact each other in less than half an hour.

"Communication issues also incur costs, Mr. Zhao."

Jiang Heng's words were reasonable and well-founded.

He broke down and explained all the advantages of "Hongyunda" to Boss Zhao.

Jiang Heng particularly emphasized the two points of "local manufacturers" and "fast contact," which perfectly met Mr. Zhao's needs.

There are many disputes between stores and manufacturers due to product issues.

But if people are from the same place, although it won't be much better, psychologically they all think that being close to each other will make things a little better.