Chapter 418: Chapter 256: Vindication, Money and Face Returned

Chen Baokun mulled it over for a moment, then asked, "Are you sure you can supply this much Gold every month?"

Fang Zhen nodded slightly.

The amount he mentioned was still within a normal range. It would require between seven and twelve million in capital. For a precious metals dealer, that wasn’t a small sum, but it wasn’t impossible to come up with.

Chen Baokun narrowed his eyes, seemingly calculating the profit from these transactions.

After a while, Chen Baokun’s eyes widened slightly.

"I can handle this volume. How about we discuss the specific price?" Chen Baokun asked, his tone now somewhat more polite.

Fang Zhen nodded slightly.

Fang Zhen and Chen Baokun negotiated for quite a while longer, specifically haggling over the price.

Fang Zhen was quite satisfied with the final price they settled on. It largely followed the market rate, but on top of that, Chen Baokun offered him a 7.5‰ premium compared to most other precious metals dealers.

Chen Baokun also found this result acceptable.

In reality, although Fang Zhen appeared very serious during the negotiation, he was actually quite relaxed.

He could tell that Chen Baokun assumed he was acquiring this Gold from some ordinary channel. The profit margins in precious metals trading were an open secret—just a few percentage points. Even when the market was good, that was about it. Profits primarily came from high volume, and some dealers also traded in futures.

So, even though the monthly transaction value reached nearly ten million, in Chen Baokun’s eyes, Fang Zhen’s profit was only about three to four hundred thousand a month.

While that wasn’t a small amount, it wasn’t enough to be worth taking any major risks for.

Of course, Fang Zhen had no intention of telling Chen Baokun what price he was getting his Gold for.

If he ever said it out loud, Chen Baokun would probably go crazy on the spot.

Fang Zhen’s actual profit was dozens of times higher than what Chen Baokun had calculated. Of course, that was something Fang Zhen would never tell him.

With the general terms of the deal settled, Chen Baokun also relaxed a little.

But Chen Baokun’s attitude toward Fang Zhen had changed. His previous air of composure was gone, replaced by a very proper and serious demeanor.

After they had more or less finalized the deal, Chen Baokun tentatively asked Fang Zhen, "Assistant General Manager Fang, I have a question that might be a bit blunt. Feel free to answer or not, as you wish."

"Go ahead," Fang Zhen said.

Chen Baokun nodded slightly and said, "I consider myself to have been in the precious metals business here in Xiahai for many years, and I’ve become quite familiar with the ins and outs of the industry. But, but... I’m not quite sure what channel you’re using to acquire all this Gold."

"It’s fifteen to twenty kilograms a month. Are you collecting scrap gold from smaller sources and refining it yourself?"

Hearing this, the corners of Fang Zhen’s mouth curled into a slight smile.

Fang Zhen said lightly, "The market is vast, and Xia Country is vast. When you’re in business, you can’t limit yourself to a single place like Xiahai. You have to broaden your horizons, think on a grander scale."

It was as if Fang Zhen had said something, and yet, it was as if he had said nothing at all.

Upon hearing this, Chen Baokun looked pensive, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.

Seeing Chen Baokun lost in his own thoughts, Fang Zhen couldn’t help but smile faintly.

The last time they’d done business, the transaction had gone smoothly. Still, Fang Zhen felt that Chen Baokun had been putting on a bit of an act. It hadn’t particularly bothered him, though. Even though his negotiating position had been weaker back then, his own personal strength meant he was never truly at a disadvantage.

This time, however, Fang Zhen’s power had increased. Coming back to do business again, he had successfully turned Chen Baokun’s previous posturing right back at him.

The feeling was incredibly satisfying, making Fang Zhen want to laugh.

He picked up his teacup and took a sip. As the liquid went down his throat, he thought, ’This really is good tea. The flavor is so rich and pleasant.’