Originally, Mr. Gage thought that someone like Alan, who was just a cook, wouldn't understand much. Also, judging from Alan's demeanor, it seemed like he was in a hurry to find a shop. So, Mr. Gage was confident that he could make a good deal with Alan. However, he didn't expect that the actual buyer for the shop wasn't Alan, but someone else entirely. Moreover, this person seemed to have caught onto the intricacies of the situation.
"So, Mr. Jake, what price are you willing to offer?" Mr. Gage asked, his tone not as forceful as before, his confidence shaken.
How much to offer? Of course, Jake wanted the lowest price possible. However, he also knew that offering too low a price might not be agreeable to Mr. Gage. It could even potentially anger him, jeopardizing the deal.
Jake was indeed satisfied with the shop, and he really wanted to make this deal. As for competing with Kailomen, others might lack confidence, but Jake had it.
"Mr. Jake should know that I need funds for turnover recently, so I don't want to rent this place. I only want to sell it!" Mr. Gage spoke before Jake had a chance to say anything.
Selling only, not renting? Originally, Jake was thinking of renting it first, as directly purchasing it would be too expensive. Now, from Mr. Gage's words, it seemed like he didn't want to rent at all, only to sell. This put Jake in a bit of a predicament.
"Selling it, how about 25 million?" Jake said.
"25 million? Mr. Jake is quite the shrewd negotiator. You're reducing the price by 5 million all at once. This price won't work!" Mr. Gage said, somewhat angry.
"Mr. Gage, this price is already fair," Jake said. "However, given Mr. Gage's relatively good relationship with Alan, I can consider adding a bit more."
Both Mr. Gage and Jake understood that the small connection between Mr. Gage and Alan had little influence on the final price. Their words were simply excuses. One wanted to sell, the other wanted to buy, so there was room for negotiation in this deal.
In the end, the price for the shop was settled at 26.5 million. Both Jake and Mr. Gage seemed somewhat dissatisfied with this price, as if they felt they were losing out, but in reality, they could both accept this price.
"Alan should have told Mr. Jake that the payment for this shop must be made in a lump sum," Mr. Gage said.
"A lump sum payment is no problem," Jake said. "However, it's not a small amount of money, and I need some time to prepare."
"How long do you need?" Mr. Gage asked.
"About a month," Jake said.
"No, a month is too long. I can't wait that long," Mr. Gage refused. "At most two weeks, and you'll need to provide a deposit. I can wait for two weeks, and if you haven't prepared the money by then, I'll sell the shop to someone else, and the deposit won't be refunded."
Jake wanted to negotiate on this issue, but Mr. Gage's attitude was firm. He absolutely wouldn't agree to give Jake more time. It was clear that he urgently needed funds for turnover, and he wasn't willing to make any concessions on this matter.
In the end, Jake could only reluctantly agree and paid a deposit of $500,000. After all, he was quite satisfied with the shop. Of course, the deposit money was advanced by Alan. Jake couldn't come up with that much money himself.
Two weeks to raise $26.5 million was a significant pressure for Jake. In the past, he wouldn't even dare to consider it, as he certainly couldn't afford it. However, now Jake dared to promise it, even surprising himself with his audacity.
"Master, you're amazing. You returned over 3 million so quickly," Alan said, full of admiration for Jake after leaving the shop.
During the negotiation between Jake and Mr. Gage, Alan had been watching in a daze. He had initially thought that due to his relationship with Mr. Gage, he might be able to intervene and lower the price. However, when he got there, he realized he couldn't say a word, and his connection with Mr. Gage seemed to be of no use.
Alan was usually obsessed with cooking and didn't pay much attention to other matters. If he had to negotiate prices, he probably wouldn't be able to get even a cent off. Therefore, he was very impressed by Jake. His master not only excelled in culinary skills but also had a knack for bargaining.
"Three million down, still 26 million to go. I don't even know if I can raise it," Jake said with a wry smile.
"Master, I have a few million here. If you need it, you can take it," Alan said to Jake.
Alan genuinely respected Jake as his master, and since he didn't value money much himself, he was willing to offer his entire savings if Jake needed it.
"Thank you," Jake said gratefully. He realized that even though he hadn't taught Alan much so far, Alan was going all out for him. Alan was busy with his matters and even invested his own money. This made Jake feel a bit guilty.
However, several million wasn't much help for Jake at the moment; the shortfall was still significant.
Jake even prepared himself for not being able to raise the money in two weeks. In reality, he could accept it. Worst case, he'd have to look for another shop. As for the $500,000 deposit paid by Alan, he'd have to repay him later.
Of course, as long as there was a chance and time hadn't run out, Jake wouldn't give up. After all, he was quite satisfied with that shop, and besides, he had fought hard to bring the price down by 3 million. How could he easily give up?
Was there any way to make money quickly? Jake started brainstorming for solutions. If he were still in the game world's Hermit Village, he could chop some wood and sell it. There would be some risk of exposure, but it would be a way.
Unfortunately, Jake was in Pergamon County in the game world, and he was leaving for a more distant place tomorrow. He likely wouldn't be able to return to Hermit Village in the short term, so he'd have to think of other ways.
What else could he do? Jake thought about his abilities and talents, trying to see if there was anything that could help him solve his current problem. However, before he could come up with a solution, he received a call from Dirk. Dirk invited Jake to have dinner together that evening.
Jake had a good impression of Dirk, so he didn't refuse the invitation, even though he didn't know why Dirk wanted to meet.