"Twenty boxes of cigarettes?"
In a bar nestled in a small Italian street adjacent to Chinatown, Anastasia surveyed the customer in front of her. With a Cuban cigar dangling from his mouth, he asked again.
"Are you sure you want that many?"
"Twenty boxes of cigarettes, perhaps even more."
After leaving Kovell's watch shop, Li Yian, carrying thousands of dollars, spoke directly.
"Mr. Anastasia, if our cooperation goes smoothly, I may need more cigarettes next time. Of course, you need to ensure a steady supply."
"Supply is not a problem. In New York, only we can provide a sufficient supply of cigarettes. We have a wide range, including Lucky Strike and Camel!"
Anastasia looked at the man in disbelief, asking, "But are you sure you need this much?"
The reason for his doubt was clear. He knew that most sailors only smuggled a few cigarettes, maybe fifty or sixty packs at most, along with some coffee beans.
But this guy was asking for twenty boxes, which totaled five thousand cigarettes—not a small amount. After all, a smuggling ship could transport hundreds of boxes of cigarettes.
"Sir, I am sure."
"In that case, you need to understand that each box of cigarettes requires the purchase of 100 pounds of coffee beans. That's the rule. If you find the price unacceptable, then I'm afraid we won't be able to proceed..."
"Why do we have to include coffee beans?"
It was because a month ago, the government had lifted restrictions on coffee beans. This left the Gambino family, who had just shipped a boatload of Colombian coffee beans, with a hefty loss. To quickly dispose of those beans, each box of cigarettes would be paired with some coffee beans.
"Are you sure?"
"Of course, we need to negotiate the price further for our long-term cooperation."
"Well, for a long-term partnership."
"Let's go with the market price, the regular prices you find in stores. How about that?"
"Not increasing the price?"
Upon hearing this, Li Yian felt a wave of joy. He immediately agreed.
"Believe me, Mr. Anastasia, this transaction is just the beginning of our collaboration. We will definitely continue to work together, and you won't regret it."
"God willing, we will continue to collaborate!"
As their hands clasped tightly, Zhu Yihai, who was sitting nearby, seemed to have something to say, but he held back.
Now that the deal was done, it was too late to say anything.
After agreeing on the delivery method, Li Yian left the little Italy. Seeing Zhu Yihai's hesitant expression, Li Yian asked, "You seemed to have something to say from the bar until now?"
"Mr. Li..."
After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Yihai explained everything he knew.
"Actually, you might have been able to negotiate a lower price just now. The price they offered you could earn them at least double the profit."
After the explanation, Zhu Yihai apologized with regret.
"I'm sorry for not reminding you before you went in. You lost quite a bit of money. I'm really sorry."
"Loss in business?"
Li Yian didn't feel that way. According to the system's "rewards and penalties" rules, he would definitely lose experience points in a loss-making business. But the system hadn't deducted any points, indicating that he hadn't suffered a loss. Besides, Li Yian didn't feel like he had lost.
"It's not really a loss."
Li Yian smiled.
"Since everyone knows that cigarettes from Cuba are more than twice as cheap, why does Chinatown still need to purchase them from Little Italy?"
"Knowing it and acting on it are different. They can't get it shipped here. Smuggling cigars and liquor during Prohibition was the same. It's not just about having ships; you also need to bribe customs, police, and many officials. We can bribe the police in Chinatown, but once we leave Chinatown, we don't know who to bribe."
"One sentence sums it up: it's all about channels!"
Li Yian smiled.
"It's because those Italians have established that channel. That's why they can make twice the profit."
After sizing up Zhu Yihai, Li Yian saw that although he hadn't grasped the crucial details, he had been honest in his advice. He could be useful in the future.
Checking the time, Li Yian said, "It's getting late. Do you have any Chinese restaurants to recommend? I haven't had Chinese food in a long time, and I'm craving it."