What a sly fox!
Lin Yu couldn't help but chuckle after hearing Huo Xiaotian's words. The man had skillfully woven a logical web, starting with the free-spirited mission of soul master academies, leading to the need for justification in promoting Lin Yu's sect, and ultimately landing on the idea of discounted pills for Blazing Academy.
However, Lin Yu had already anticipated using discounts as leverage to complete a deal with both Blazing Academy and Botanical Academy. Thus, Huo Xiaotian's "reveal" didn't irritate him. Instead, Lin Yu feigned contemplation, furrowing his brow slightly before responding.
"So, how much of a discount do you have in mind?"
Huo Xiaotian didn't answer directly. Instead, with a sly smile, he raised his right hand, extending all five fingers and wiggling them suggestively.
Fifty percent off?
Seeing the gesture, Lin Yu couldn't help but laugh to himself.
That's quite a steep cut!
But Lin Yu knew this was just a case of Huo Xiaotian asking high to negotiate low. If he took this seriously, he'd lose the game.
"Fifty percent is out of the question," Lin Yu responded coolly, shaking his head.
Huo Xiaotian believed that since Lin Yu needed to recruit students from Blazing Academy, he could leverage that to push for a substantial discount. But Lin Yu didn't see this as a weak spot—at least not in the way others might. After all, Huo Xiaotian had no idea that Lin Yu specifically sought out Blazing and Botanical Academy graduates to train them as alchemists, nor did he understand the advantages fire- and wood-type soul masters had for becoming successful alchemists.
Lin Yu could easily claim that his interest in these two academies was arbitrary. If Blazing Academy's price was too high, he could simply pivot to other institutions, removing Huo Xiaotian's leverage and shifting the power of negotiation back into his own hands.
"Fifty percent is indeed a bit much, Huo Xiaotian. Let's not make things difficult for Young Master Lin. I think seventy percent sounds fair," Lin Man chimed in with a soft smile.
Her tone seemed supportive of Lin Yu, but Lin Yu could tell she was playing along with Huo Xiaotian. Seventy percent was still a steep discount, bordering on a clearance sale!
"Seventy percent is still too high," Lin Yu shook his head again, this time more firmly.
"Then what percentage do you think is reasonable, Young Master Lin?" Huo Xiaotian asked, trying to gauge Lin Yu's bottom line.
"Well, it's not seventy percent," Lin Yu replied, deflecting the question without providing a clear answer. If he gave his number now, he'd be revealing his hand too soon. Instead, he wanted to see how far Huo Xiaotian was willing to go before making his move.
Frustrated by Lin Yu's refusal to give a straight answer, Huo Xiaotian felt like he was trying to catch a slippery eel. How could this boy, who was only in his teens, have such a shrewd and evasive approach?
What Huo Xiaotian didn't know was that Lin Yu had seen countless negotiating tactics like this in his previous life, reading urban and historical novels where similar ploys were common.
"Fine, ninety percent! That's my bottom line. If Young Master Lin agrees to sell us the pills at a ten percent discount, we'll gladly recommend our graduates to join Immortal Palace," Huo Xiaotian declared, gritting his teeth.
"Even ninety percent is too high. My final offer is ninety-five percent," Lin Yu replied, standing up abruptly and slashing another five percent off Huo Xiaotian's price.
"Fire Master Huo, you may not realize this, but refining pills like the Soul Nourishing Pill, Soul Replenishing Pill, and Body Tempering Pill requires costly ingredients. The process is also quite difficult, with a high failure rate. It often takes several failed attempts just to produce one successful batch.
"Refining pills isn't an easy money-making endeavor. Moreover, Immortal Palace is still in its early stages. Establishing and maintaining it will require a great deal of funding. I simply can't offer you too big of a discount. Ninety-five percent is the best I can do. However, if our collaboration goes smoothly in the future, we can revisit this conversation and potentially negotiate further."
You must be joking!
Huo Xiaotian cursed inwardly. He knew how expensive it was to establish a sect—such endeavors typically required sums in the billions of gold soul coins.
Even the Nine Hearts Begonia Clan, with their considerable resources, couldn't shoulder such a burden alone. And as for the Four Great Clans or the dwindling Jade Phosphor Clan, they didn't stand a chance.
Yet Lin Yu was already recruiting disciples, indicating that he must have made an enormous fortune from this pill sale alone. He couldn't have been struggling for funds as he claimed. However since Huo Xiaotian didn't fully understand the intricacies of alchemy, he couldn't challenge Lin Yu directly on this point. Reluctantly, he held back his frustration.
"Not! My bottom line is ninety percent!" Huo Xiaotian declared defiantly, standing firm.
Unfortunately for him, Lin Yu knew Huo Xiaotian better than Huo Xiaotian knew Lin Yu.
"Ah, what a shame. If that's the case, I suppose I'll have to reach out to Tianshui Academy and Divine Wind Academy instead. Apologies for wasting your time. Goodbye," Lin Yu sighed, feigning regret as he turned to leave the room.
As Lin Yu moved toward the door, both Huo Xiaotian and Lin Man watched his retreating figure, their hands clenched tightly. Their faces remained composed, but the tension was palpable. They were waiting to see who would crack first.
This was a battle of patience.
Huo Xiaotian and Lin Man were betting that Lin Yu had specifically chosen their academies for a reason and wouldn't walk away from the deal. They hoped he would turn back before stepping out the door.
But Lin Yu was calm and collected, showing no sign of stopping as he reached the door and prepared to leave the hallway.
"Wait!" Lin Man suddenly called out, unable to contain her anxiety any longer.
Unlike Blazing Academy, Botanical Academy was a mid-tier institution in the Heaven Dou Empire. Lin Man's threshold for negotiation was much lower than Huo Xiaotian's. She had been hoping that aligning with Lin Yu would elevate her academy's status.
Seeing Huo Xiaotian push for more, she had hoped to ride the wave of negotiations. But now that it was clear Lin Yu wouldn't bend further, she was willing to settle.
"I've been betrayed!"
Huo Xiaotian couldn't help but feel his stomach twist in frustration. He had been playing the game of patience, expecting to hold out and force Lin Yu to yield, only for his partner to give up halfway through the match. As Lin Man rushed after Lin Yu, Huo Xiaotian's face twitched in disbelief.