Chapter 526: Mian Li Zang - The New Generation Overtakes the Old
“Lord Mian Li Zang... Actually, our current collaboration on the dragon rider potion business is quite similar to the tea business...” Zi Di smoothly shifted the conversation from tea to the dragon rider potion, transitioning with remarkable ease.
She then discussed the potion's current status, its future prospects, and the substantial profits it promised.
Upon hearing this, Zong Ge couldn't help but inwardly praise her ingenuity.
Zi Di's approach was undoubtedly a clever entry point. Though she hadn't yet mentioned the mysterious forces, Zong Ge could already foresee where this was headed.
Mian Li Zang sipped his tea, equally aware of the undercurrent.
A smile played on his lips, yet his eyes remained as still as a deep well, quietly awaiting Zi Di to broach the true subject.
But Zi Di showed no haste. Instead, she proposed revisions to certain details of their prior agreement regarding the dragon rider potion.
Zi Di's aims were twofold: first, to gauge Mian Li Zang's negotiating prowess through this discussion; second, to leverage her familiarity with the details and her thorough preparation to significantly drain his negotiating energy and patience.
The latter point was particularly crucial, as patience in business negotiations is a key factor influencing outcomes.
What Zi Di hadn't anticipated was that Mian Li Zang was equally well-versed in these details! No matter which clause Zi Di brought up, Mian Li Zang could accurately assess it and voice well-founded objections.
"He knows these details so thoroughly. Back then, I finalized the terms with Magician Kong Pan. Mian Li Zang's rebuttals are so well-reasoned, this isn't just memorization. He must have communicated with Kong Pan." Zi Di's heart sank slightly.
“Perhaps his delay stemmed from contacting Master Kong Pan the moment we initiated this visit.”
The fact that the Li Jian Clan Leader had prepared so thoroughly for these negotiations only intensified Zi Di's psychological pressure.
Zi Di focused her mind and engaged Mian Li Zang in a debate over these clauses.
Observing from the sidelines, Zong Ge now noticed the stark contrast in negotiation styles between the Axe Gang leader and Mian Li Zang.
The Axe Gang leader adopted an aggressive stance. Once he latched onto certain clauses, he refused to budge, showing not an inch of retreat. Zi Di, however, skillfully employed clever maneuvers and deliberately introduced various concepts to successfully confuse the Axe Gang leader, thereby safeguarding her side's interests.
Mian Li Zang was different.
He always wore a smile, speaking with great politeness, even appearing somewhat gentle. By comparison, the silver level Zi Di seemed almost aggressive.
Mian Li Zang wouldn't stubbornly cling to a single bottom line, but whenever he lost some advantage, he'd use it as leverage to gain elsewhere.
In short, dealing with him was like kneading dough.
Though seemingly malleable, whenever Zi Di pressed down hard, the dough would bulge elsewhere, reclaiming the space it'd lost.
“Mian Li Zang is tougher to handle than the Axe Gang leader!” Zong Ge gained a deeper understanding.
Yet as time passed, Zi Di gradually gained the upper hand through her exceptional eloquence and increasingly adept business negotiation skills.
"Old age dulls the mind. Ah...” Mian Li Zang sighed wryly, massaging his temples. “Magician Yao Ma, what were you saying just now?"
“I forgot already. My apologies.”
“No, I mean, what was your last question?”
Mian Li Zang employed a strategy of retreating to advance, repeatedly thwarting Zi Di's aggressive maneuvers.
As a gold level powerhouse facing a silver level opponent, such tactics might seem somewhat underhanded. Yet he executed them without the slightest qualm.
This was his modus operandi—and precisely why he proved so formidable!
Zi Di grew increasingly frustrated. Confronting Mian Li Zang felt like punching water, she couldn’t find a solid target, making her attacks stiflingly ineffective.
Yet her expression betrayed nothing.
She understood this was Mian Li Zang wearing down her patience.
Negotiations continued.
Mian Li Zang’s tricks grew more varied.
“Oh dear, it's snowing.” Facing Zi Di's relentless pressure, Mian Li Zang abruptly changed the subject.
Both turned to the window, where scattered flakes had begun drifting down.
Mian Li Zang looked at the two across from him and said amiably, “You might not be aware, but the weather in Igloo City is notoriously unpredictable.”
“Based on my decades of experience, don't be fooled by the light snow now, it will only intensify.”
"This study of mine, you see, lacks any heating facilities. As the clan leader, every action I take must be mindful of its implications. So, do you need blankets?"
“The snow's coming down hard. Sitting in the study will get pretty chilly.”
Faced with such concern, Zi Di and Zong Ge found it hard to say anything.
Zong Ge shook his head and declined, while Zi Di smiled, saying that a blanket over her legs would surely keep her warm.
Mian Li Zang rose, retrieved a blanket from the cabinet, and handed it personally to Zi Di.
Who knows how a ghost could feel cold.
“Shall I bring you some more tea? I was right about this study having that flaw.”
“Ah, I'll fetch a blanket too. One must take care of their body in old age.”
“Look, the snow is falling harder.”
True to Mian Li Zang's prediction, the snow outside the window grew heavier. Simultaneously, the cold wind howled, causing the windowpanes to tremble slightly.
Zi Di’s negotiation rhythm was disrupted time and again.
“This opponent is tough to deal with,” Zong Ge thought. Mian Li Zang seemed like one of those enemy commanders skilled in feints and strategic deception.
Whenever their main force launched a full-scale attack, they always came up empty-handed. That feeling was unbearable.
Zong Ge glanced at Zi Di again, worried she might lose patience.
Yet her composure surpassed even Zong Ge's expectations.
From start to finish, she maintained a steady smile, her speech not once hastening. Her remarkable patience and poise were evident.
Such poise even earned her Mian Li Zang's quiet admiration. He promptly extended an invitation: “I wonder, Magician Yao Ma, have you ever considered changing your living and working environment?”
Zi Di froze.
Mian Li Zang promptly slapped his forehead, chiding himself: “Old age is catching up to me. My bad, I spoke out of turn.”
He then added meaningfully: “Still, being able to calmly drink seven or eight cups of tea, that's not something just anyone can manage.”
“Ah, my old habit resurfaces. Whenever I see talent, I can't help but want to recruit them into the clan.”
“I hope Commander Long Fu will forgive me.”
Zong Ge hastened to express his understanding.
Little did he know this would unlock Mian Li Zang's floodgates of conversation.
Shaking his head with a wry smile, he sighed, “Ah, sometimes I truly envy young people like you, always so full of drive and vitality.”
"I've held the position of clan leader for the Li Jian Clan for many years now. To keep it going this long has left me utterly exhausted, barely holding on."
“The Li Jian Clan may appear prosperous but sustaining that prosperity is incredibly difficult. The effort and sacrifices required far exceed what outsiders imagine.”
"I've pushed myself to my absolute limit for this cause. Even so, I have failed."
“I neglected cultivating the next generation, leaving only Yue Qian, a gold level fighter, as my heir!”
“You both understand the nature of the Inner World bloodline. While it grants extraordinary cultivation advantages, its notorious flaw is the scarcity of capable descendants.”
“That's why I've gone to great lengths to attract external talent.”
“But executing this well is no simple task. Talent is rare, and even after recruiting them into the clan, exceptional management is required to fully unleash their potential.”
"Thus, I also envy the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps. Your corps was established only recently, yet you've managed to recruit so many talented outsiders."
"Commander Long Fu and Auxiliary Commander Shi Qi need no introduction. Silver level pillars like Chi Lai and Men Shi came to you effortlessly."
“Through this negotiation, I've realized: Your value, Magician Yao Ma, extends far beyond that of a silver level magician!”
"And then there's Bu Quan... She's an alchemy prodigy with an absolutely promising future!
After lavishing veiled praise on the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps, Zi Di and Zong Ge grew distinctly wary.
Mian Li Cang steered the conversation back: "Our clan's creed is ‘Hide wealth in emptiness, stand firm amidst snow and wind.’ But standing firm in the blizzard is no simple feat."
“The larger the snow house, the greater the blizzards it must endure and confront.”
“The higher the peak, the colder the summit.”
“Take your corps, for instance. After Long Fu, as leader, publicly slew Teng Dong Lang, your fame soared, echoing across the nation.”
“The dragon rider potion proved a commercial stroke of genius, immense profits poured in daily, with market response reaching fever pitch.”
“Such vigorous growth propelled your corps into the eye of the storm, drawing attacks from mysterious forces.”
"First, an ambush in Cold Wind Valley. Then, the caravan transporting potions was destroyed. Frankly, though the subsequent clash between those two gold level fighters followed, their motives remain highly suspicious."
“Being targeted by forces of gold level, your group's situation is truly concerning.”
The study instantly grew tense.
The sudden, pointed attack laid bare the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' predicament. Like an enemy who always plays feints, suddenly launching a preemptive strike, though hardly a fatal blow, it did strike at the Dragon Lion Mercenary Corps' weak spot.
Even Zong Ge sensed the sharpness in these words!
If Zi Di handled this poorly, she would inevitably be at a disadvantage, and the subsequent negotiation would be controlled by the other side.
Zi Di and Zong Ge exchanged a swift glance, both registering the gravity in each other's eyes.
Little did they know that Mian Li Zang, too, was acting out of necessity.
For the first time, he faced an opponent whose patience surpassed his own, whose negotiation skills outmatched his.
The young appearance of the Magician Yao Ma stirred an uncontrollable admiration in Mian Li Zang for her talent. Had he known Zi Di's true age, he would have been stunned.
Moreover, constantly evading the younger generation's advances with excuses was hardly commendable.
Mian Li Zang valued his dignity, however modest his demands might be.
His frequent lamentations about growing old weren't entirely feigned. Facing the dragonman and Magician Yao Ma, he genuinely felt the melancholy of being overtaken by the rising tide of the next generation.
Thus, after being drained of considerable energy and patience by the previous detailed negotiations, Mian Li Zang could no longer hold back. He chose to strike first.