Chapter 35 Large Scale Purchase, Large Scale Trade
Steam-powered lamps were 50 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000.
Compasses were 20 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500.
Round watches wrapping around your wrists were 100 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000 Foldable collapsable backpacks were 10 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000.
Automatic collapsible umbrellas were 5 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500. Steam-powered fans were 60 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500.
Underground breathing equipment were 400 jin of rice each (came with 2 canisters of air), purchasing quantity 5000.
Thousand li telescopes were 10000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 100.
Horseless chariots (enlarged) were 1 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10.
Grounded birds (enlarged) were 500000 each, purchasing quantity 5000.
Multi-purpose foldable knives were 200 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500.
…
Dwarven Made: Carbon Steel, 1000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10000.
Dwarven Embedded: Real Leather, 2000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10000.
Dwarven ground: Rock Tower Shields, 10000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000.
City Attackers: Swirling Cannon, 400000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 200.
The Light of Progress: Guardian, 50000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 5000.
The Burden to Carry: Dwarven Mortar, 5 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500. Watchmen of the Battlefield: Cover of the Night (small investigative machinery), 1 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10.
Carrying Hope: Freed from Chains (small transportation airship), 4 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 5.
…
Looking down at the long purchasing list in his hand, McQueen did some rough math: total spendings tallied up to 4 billion jin of rice, which meant 800000 in gold coins. Toss City’s tax income of a single year was supposedly no more than 50000 gold coins, which meant 5000000 RMB*. This single trade was going to cost 80000000 RMB. If McQueen weren’t so sure of himself, he wouldn’t dare do any of this.
Of course, this still wasn’t the final list. Up to this point they still hadn’t figured out the pricing of the two biggest items. One was the underground pioneers, the other was the totem cannon. To McQueen these were necessities, embedded with the true meaning of strategy and battlefield tactics. He wanted them and the dwarves wanted to sell them. A deal that should’ve come together like a clap had dragged on for a whole day without resolution.
In addition to the trade deals from before, McQueen and the others had spent five days in the Wrench Tribe. The tunnels were now underneath Rafael, and they were preparing to dig upwards for an exit.
Inside of the totem pole, the servant girls had served and replaced the teas and waters countless times, but the humans and dwarves kept tearing into each other. From yesterday afternoon to afternoon today, McQueen didn’t know how many cups of tea he had, nor how many times he’d been to the bathroom.
“Craftsman Lance, your pricing is really too high for us. Even if we sold Toss City, we still couldn’t afford it.” Mcqueen felt his abdomen swelling again with the need to go to the bathroom.
Lance put down his tea and sighed. “Castellan McQueen, I can’t lower the price further. You know, a titanium layer alone costs this price just for its technology and labor. It’s only because we’re friends that I was able to give you this great price.”
“Can you really call a single underground pioneer for 5000000000 jin of rice cheap? Then everything else we’ve bought is basically free. Craftsman, I can’t pay any more than 500000000 jin of rice. Any more than that and Toss City won’t be able to handle it.” Bruce was shaking McQueen’s list in front of them, his old face filled with pain. It was an Oscar-worthy performance.
Honestly Bruce didn’t really care about the money. McQueen could take out a spiritual wind stone without blinking that was far more than that. But those were too rare to sell out more than one at once. If they really produced too much at once and were noticed, then it would really be trouble for them.
So as a matter of fact, McQueen and Toss City couldn’t produce that kind of money all at once. Whether it’s reselling dwarven products or selling spiritual wind stones required time, and McQueen didn’t have enough of that. Toss City was a lamb at the slaughter right now.
“With thousands of years of the Wrench Tribe’s inheritances, we only accumulated 300 of them. If we hadn’t been forced to abandon 150 during our great migration, I would be willing to sell them for cheaper. But right now that’s not possible. The Wrench Tribe doesn’t live in the Damolo mountains anymore, which means we no longer have titanium at hand to maintain more than 50 underground pioneers. Thankfully titanium can be reworked, or else we wouldn’t be able to buy even a single one.” Franco’s frowning face was enough to pinch a fly in its folds, like selling ten underground pioneers would cost him his life.
Will sat on the edge of his seat. He hadn’t been to the bathroom even once. Super warriors were a different breed, indeed. “Master technician, according to my knowledge, you need to reach the level of master technician. Including you, there are only thirty seven. So the rest of the
underground pioneers can’t be used in battle. Letting them stay there is just taking up storage space, you might as well sell them to us and make more space.”
“This is inaccurate. Although we only have thirty seven master technicians, our children are growing now. Among them, there are many with the potential to become master technicians.” Master Technician Truman retorted proudly.
McQueen couldn’t help but feel disdainful. With only a handful of technicians, that was definitely nothing like having 170 or 180. Especially Truman, who was reportedly over 190 years old. Dwarves only lived around 200 years. Even if your potential recruits could become master technicians, half of the current living master technicians will have died off by then.
But he could only slander away in his heart. McQueen wasn’t stupid enough to say these things out loud.
“How about this, let’s each take a step back. 2000000000 jin of rice per underground pioneer, and let us pay in installments. What do you think, Master Lance?” McQueen compromised. He didn’t have enough time for this. Seems like dwarves knew what they were doing: by taking advantage of the fact that Toss City needed more firepower, they wouldn’t let up. He couldn’t do anything about it.
“No, that’s too expensive.” Bruce, Will, and Bank hollered at the same time.
“No, that’s too expensive.” Franco and the other master technicians exclaimed.
Craftsman Lance raised his head toward McQueen. McQueen shook his head, demonstrating that he was at the end of his line. Clenching his jaw, Lance stood up and said loudly. “All right, for our friendship, let’s do it. But the installment payments can’t go on for longer than a year.”
Of course McQueen had come up with the idea of installment payments. Everyone exclaimed in awe at this, praising him as an intellectual.
“All right, for our friendship.” McQueen stood up too, saying this loudly.
Now that the bosses had made their decision, everyone else in the party started to discuss the details among laughter. For example, repair parts, training, reconstructing the cockpit. McQueen and Lance sat down separately, closing their eyes to start storing up energy again.
After that, it was going to be a bitter battle with the totem cannon. After taking the totem cannon, it was time to head home.
Toss City, wait for me to come back!
*Chinese currency.
Chapter 35 Large Scale Purchase, Large Scale Trade
Steam-powered lamps were 50 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000.
Compasses were 20 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500.
Round watches wrapping around your wrists were 100 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000 Foldable collapsable backpacks were 10 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000.
Automatic collapsible umbrellas were 5 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500. Steam-powered fans were 60 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500.
Underground breathing equipment were 400 jin of rice each (came with 2 canisters of air), purchasing quantity 5000.
Thousand li telescopes were 10000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 100.
Horseless chariots (enlarged) were 1 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10.
Grounded birds (enlarged) were 500000 each, purchasing quantity 5000.
Multi-purpose foldable knives were 200 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500.
…
Dwarven Made: Carbon Steel, 1000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10000.
Dwarven Embedded: Real Leather, 2000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10000.
Dwarven ground: Rock Tower Shields, 10000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 1000.
City Attackers: Swirling Cannon, 400000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 200.
The Light of Progress: Guardian, 50000 jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 5000.
The Burden to Carry: Dwarven Mortar, 5 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 500. Watchmen of the Battlefield: Cover of the Night (small investigative machinery), 1 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 10.
Carrying Hope: Freed from Chains (small transportation airship), 4 million jin of rice each, purchasing quantity 5.
…
Looking down at the long purchasing list in his hand, McQueen did some rough math: total spendings tallied up to 4 billion jin of rice, which meant 800000 in gold coins. Toss City’s tax income of a single year was supposedly no more than 50000 gold coins, which meant 5000000 RMB*. This single trade was going to cost 80000000 RMB. If McQueen weren’t so sure of himself, he wouldn’t dare do any of this.
Of course, this still wasn’t the final list. Up to this point they still hadn’t figured out the pricing of the two biggest items. One was the underground pioneers, the other was the totem cannon. To McQueen these were necessities, embedded with the true meaning of strategy and battlefield tactics. He wanted them and the dwarves wanted to sell them. A deal that should’ve come together like a clap had dragged on for a whole day without resolution.
In addition to the trade deals from before, McQueen and the others had spent five days in the Wrench Tribe. The tunnels were now underneath Rafael, and they were preparing to dig upwards for an exit.
Inside of the totem pole, the servant girls had served and replaced the teas and waters countless times, but the humans and dwarves kept tearing into each other. From yesterday afternoon to afternoon today, McQueen didn’t know how many cups of tea he had, nor how many times he’d been to the bathroom.
“Craftsman Lance, your pricing is really too high for us. Even if we sold Toss City, we still couldn’t afford it.” Mcqueen felt his abdomen swelling again with the need to go to the bathroom.
Lance put down his tea and sighed. “Castellan McQueen, I can’t lower the price further. You know, a titanium layer alone costs this price just for its technology and labor. It’s only because we’re friends that I was able to give you this great price.”
“Can you really call a single underground pioneer for 5000000000 jin of rice cheap? Then everything else we’ve bought is basically free. Craftsman, I can’t pay any more than 500000000 jin of rice. Any more than that and Toss City won’t be able to handle it.” Bruce was shaking McQueen’s list in front of them, his old face filled with pain. It was an Oscar-worthy performance.
Honestly Bruce didn’t really care about the money. McQueen could take out a spiritual wind stone without blinking that was far more than that. But those were too rare to sell out more than one at once. If they really produced too much at once and were noticed, then it would really be trouble for them.
So as a matter of fact, McQueen and Toss City couldn’t produce that kind of money all at once. Whether it’s reselling dwarven products or selling spiritual wind stones required time, and McQueen didn’t have enough of that. Toss City was a lamb at the slaughter right now.
“With thousands of years of the Wrench Tribe’s inheritances, we only accumulated 300 of them. If we hadn’t been forced to abandon 150 during our great migration, I would be willing to sell them for cheaper. But right now that’s not possible. The Wrench Tribe doesn’t live in the Damolo mountains anymore, which means we no longer have titanium at hand to maintain more than 50 underground pioneers. Thankfully titanium can be reworked, or else we wouldn’t be able to buy even a single one.” Franco’s frowning face was enough to pinch a fly in its folds, like selling ten underground pioneers would cost him his life.
Will sat on the edge of his seat. He hadn’t been to the bathroom even once. Super warriors were a different breed, indeed. “Master technician, according to my knowledge, you need to reach the level of master technician. Including you, there are only thirty seven. So the rest of the
underground pioneers can’t be used in battle. Letting them stay there is just taking up storage space, you might as well sell them to us and make more space.”
“This is inaccurate. Although we only have thirty seven master technicians, our children are growing now. Among them, there are many with the potential to become master technicians.” Master Technician Truman retorted proudly.
McQueen couldn’t help but feel disdainful. With only a handful of technicians, that was definitely nothing like having 170 or 180. Especially Truman, who was reportedly over 190 years old. Dwarves only lived around 200 years. Even if your potential recruits could become master technicians, half of the current living master technicians will have died off by then.
But he could only slander away in his heart. McQueen wasn’t stupid enough to say these things out loud.
“How about this, let’s each take a step back. 2000000000 jin of rice per underground pioneer, and let us pay in installments. What do you think, Master Lance?” McQueen compromised. He didn’t have enough time for this. Seems like dwarves knew what they were doing: by taking advantage of the fact that Toss City needed more firepower, they wouldn’t let up. He couldn’t do anything about it.
“No, that’s too expensive.” Bruce, Will, and Bank hollered at the same time.
“No, that’s too expensive.” Franco and the other master technicians exclaimed.
Craftsman Lance raised his head toward McQueen. McQueen shook his head, demonstrating that he was at the end of his line. Clenching his jaw, Lance stood up and said loudly. “All right, for our friendship, let’s do it. But the installment payments can’t go on for longer than a year.”
Of course McQueen had come up with the idea of installment payments. Everyone exclaimed in awe at this, praising him as an intellectual.
“All right, for our friendship.” McQueen stood up too, saying this loudly.
Now that the bosses had made their decision, everyone else in the party started to discuss the details among laughter. For example, repair parts, training, reconstructing the cockpit. McQueen and Lance sat down separately, closing their eyes to start storing up energy again.
After that, it was going to be a bitter battle with the totem cannon. After taking the totem cannon, it was time to head home.
Toss City, wait for me to come back!
*Chinese currency.
