Zhou Jue asked for it in person, but he only wanted 100 kilograms; while Ouyang Si, the prime minister, could only promise 20 kilograms.
How precious must this thing be? For two people of such extraordinary status to quarrel over this thing?
While Zhang Hao was still thinking wildly, Ouyang Si and Zhou Jue had already started arguing.
One said: 100 kilograms is already the limit and cannot be reduced.
One said: Up to 20kg.
One said: Star gold is indispensable for refining weapons.
One said: What you are refining is a war weapon, not a magic weapon.
"But among the tools for making war instruments, there are many magic weapons!" Zhou Jue exploded, "I also know that the country is in a difficult situation now. We don't ask for elixirs or spiritual stones, and we don't take advantage of the situation.
Just a little bit of star gold.
Only 100 kilograms!
Only 100kg!”
Ouyang Si fell silent, and then slowly said for a while: "I won't go into details about the preciousness and importance of star gold. But star gold is really rare.
The country's annual output is only a little over 500 kilograms. What can be saved every year is very little. There are only fifty or sixty kilograms in the national treasury now.
You want 100 kilograms of star gold, but I really can’t agree to it.”
"Then we need 50 kilograms!"
"I will give you a maximum of 25 kilograms. The country must keep some as a spare."
Zhou Jue thought for a moment and nodded: "Okay, 25 kilograms is 25 kilograms. But as I said earlier, star gold is an indispensable spiritual material for refining magic weapons. And if we want to refine war magic weapons, various kinds of materials are indispensable.
A variety of magic weapon level tools.
Therefore, 25 kilograms of star gold...we cannot guarantee the progress of the weapon refining."
Ouyang Si frowned, with anger on his face: "Can't you take out the tools and utensils from your respective families and use them first?"
Zhou Jue shook his head: "Prime Minister Ouyang, I respect you very much. But there are some things that you may not be clear about.
The standards of each of our families are different. It’s the same ‘one foot’, but the difference between the longest and the shortest is nearly one-tenth!
If we take out the tools in our family and use them, it will be a question of whether the final components can be assembled together.
Therefore, we need to uniformly create brand new tools according to new standards; then each family and craftsman must produce according to the new standards.
As the saying goes, 'If a worker wants to do his job well, he must first sharpen his tools.' I asked for the star gold in order to make better tools."
Ouyang Si gritted his teeth and said, "I will report to His Majesty. I will also try my best to help you get some star gold."
"Then I would like to thank Prime Minister Ouyang." Zhou Jue really stood up and thanked you, his face almost touching the table as he bowed, which was regarded as repaying the bow you just made Ouyang Si.
Ouyang Si calmed down and looked serious: "The Zhang family and the Black Iron Guild are about to send 3,500 tons of Black Iron. I request that it be turned into a war weapon as soon as possible."
Zhou Jue said again: "We need the country to provide design drawings of war instruments, etc."
"Okay!" Ouyang Si gritted his teeth and nodded.
"Then what price is the country prepared to pay to build these weapons of war?"
Ouyang Si was furious: "Didn't I just say that the country will send craftsmen to guide you in the production of Linggui Castle, and the design drawings of Linggui Castle have also been given to you. What else do you want?"
"If we want us to produce war weapons such as Linggui Castle, the country should send craftsmen to guide us and give us design drawings, shouldn't we?"
Ouyang Si rubbed his brows, knowing that this negotiation would not be easy. The only bargaining chip the country could offer was a pitiful slogan: Everyone is responsible for the rise and fall of the country!
With no other choice, Ouyang Siqi said: "Okay, if you want anything else, tell me and I will listen."
"No, no, no, our country is in crisis. We can't just think about what we want. Let's ask Prime Minister Ouyang to tell us what the country can provide now."
Ouyang Si looked at Zhou Jue and said nothing for a long time. Young people nowadays are all little foxes.
Suddenly, Ouyang Si turned to look at Zhang Hao who was silent next to him. "My nephew, during the negotiation at the Black Iron Guild just now, my nephew's performance was amazing. Do you have any opinions?"
"Ah... I'm sorry, Uncle Ouyang, I was distracted just now and didn't hear what everyone was talking about. This Mu family's Yunwu tea is really good."
Ouyang Si:......
Because the prerequisites are at a disadvantage, Ouyang Si is now very passive.
But Ouyang Si had no choice but to take a deep breath, suppress the anger in his heart, and calmly explained the matter again, and finally asked Zhang Hao: "My dear nephew, my uncle is at his wits' end now. Do you have any advice?"
What suggestions?”
Zhang Hao took a look and thought, it was enough to force a prime minister to do this.
He looked at each other and Zhou Jue and others, and everyone nodded slightly.
Zhang Hao finally spoke: "Since Uncle Ouyang asked, my nephew has made a fool of himself. My nephew has an immature idea, an idea that will neither put my uncle in danger nor make the guild dissatisfied.
That is, the National Procurement Plan."
"Oh... tell me?"
"Roughly speaking, for future national purchases, as long as the Weapon Refining Guild has it, the country must give priority to purchasing from the Weapon Refining Guild. Only when the Weapon Refining Guild cannot provide it, can it be outsourced."
As soon as Zhang Hao finished speaking, the eyes of everyone in the Weapon Refining Guild suddenly brightened.
But Ouyang Si narrowed his eyes: "My nephew, this idea is good. But there are many problems. What is your price? How is the quality?
Also, will it be purchased from other places and then sold to the country?"
Zhang Hao smiled and said: "This is just an immature suggestion from my nephew. As for the details, can we discuss it?"
Zhou Jue spoke: "This proposal is very good. As for the details, we can negotiate."
Everyone in the Weapon Refining Guild expressed their agreement.
Ouyang thought for a while and began to ask questions. "The Weapon Refining Guild is a bit far from the imperial capital. Will there be some delays in transportation, supply, etc.?"
Zhang Hao said without thinking: "We will set up a branch in the imperial capital to serve the country specifically."
"What about the price?"
Zhang Hao continued: "Is it a price issue... We can guarantee that the price we sell to the country must be the lowest."
"How does it compare to your peers?"
Zhang Hao: "This cannot be guaranteed. Even similar products will have differences due to different production processes, production techniques, product quality, etc. We can guarantee the quality, but we cannot guarantee the price."
"But price is important. If you are more expensive than your peers, the country has no reason to purchase from you."
Zhang Hao immediately said: "Well, if our products are indeed more expensive than those of our peers, then the country can purchase them separately."
"That's pretty much it."
"But... once the country does this, the Weapon Refining Guild has the right to remove this product from the preferential list. When the country wants to purchase this product again in the future, we will only provide it at the market price."
What Zhang Hao said was a bit nonsensical.
Ouyang Si frowned slightly: "What does this mean, nephew?"