Chapter 285: Wu Er’s Potential
Hearing Wu Zhao’s words, Yu Luo was overjoyed. She never expected to find such a big buyer as soon as she left the wilderness. If Wu Zhao wasn’t exaggerating, then they would never have to worry about selling their crops again.
“Business is about fate, and it seems that you and I are quite fortunate to have crossed paths, Boss Wu.”
“Miss! I finally found you!”
Just as Yu Luo finished speaking, Wu Er’s excited voice rang out from the entrance of the small hall.
Yu Luo was surprised to see him here. After all, she had been in this place for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea—how had Wu Er found her?
Noticing the questioning look in her eyes, Wu Er quickly explained.
“I saw you enter this trading house with this gentleman earlier, so I followed. But the servants outside wouldn’t let me in. I pleaded with them for a long time before they finally agreed to bring me in.”
“I see. You seem quite anxious to find me—what happened?”
“Miss! All of our cool melons and tomatoes were bought by a merchant from the capital! That person said that if they sell well, they’ll return to Yueyang City in ten days to buy more.
“Miss, we can go home now!”
Hearing Wu Er’s words, Wu Zhao’s expression subtly changed.
He had planned to monopolize the market in Dongfeng Kingdom’s capital using Yu Luo’s goods. After all, the wealthiest people were concentrated in the capital.
But now, someone had beaten him to it. Whoever bought the first batch of goods would establish themselves first, meaning Wu Zhao would be a step behind. Since cool melons were rare and valuable, their price would drop if the supply increased.
Meanwhile, Yu Luo had already learned from Wu Zhao that her goods had been bought out. She was not surprised, but she hadn’t expected Wu Er to specifically come looking for her. After all, she could still negotiate another deal—having multiple buyers was always a good thing.
“I already know. Boss Wu here went to the East Market to buy cool melons from you, but he arrived too late.
“The locals told him that you had already sold everything to a single buyer.
“Now, Boss Wu wants to place an order with us.”
Yu Luo intentionally said this to test Wu Er’s reaction.
She already knew that Wu Er had increased the prices earlier. If that was the case, this first big sale had likely brought in a hefty profit.
And just as she expected—Wu Er’s mind worked quickly.
Hearing that Wu Zhao wanted to place an order, Wu Er immediately grinned and cupped his hands in greeting.
“I see! Boss Wu, how much do you want to order? If it’s a large amount, we can personally deliver another batch to you in the coming days.”
“How much cool melon do you have left?”
As expected of a savvy businessman, Wu Zhao did not directly state his request.
Instead, he tried to gauge their inventory.
If they claimed to have too little stock, he might hesitate to place a large order. But if they claimed to have too much, he could use that against them to drive down the price.
Yu Luo smirked slightly and remained silent.
She wanted to see how Wu Er would handle this negotiation.
Wu Er, however, was no fool.
“Heh, that depends on how much Boss Wu can sell. We prefer to build long-term partnerships. If you buy too much and can’t sell it, you’ll lose money and won’t want to work with us again. But if you buy too little, you might have to wait for the next batch, since we’ll have other buyers to serve as well.”
Hearing this, the smile in Yu Luo’s eyes deepened.
It seemed that Zhang Hu had been thoughtful in selecting members for this trip. Wu Er, in particular, had great potential in business.
Sure enough, Wu Zhao was caught off guard by Wu Er’s evasive answer.
Perhaps he had underestimated this seemingly young merchant—turns out, Wu Er was just as cunning as himself!
“Haha! Miss Yu, this subordinate of yours is quite impressive! It seems your business is thriving—not only do you personally seek out deals, but even your young assistants are seasoned negotiators!”
“Boss Wu flatters me. But since we’re discussing business, let’s also talk about the tomatoes. Why don’t you try them first, and then we’ll discuss further?”
Yu Luo took out a few tomatoes from her bag.
Wu Zhao gave a single glance, and a nearby servant immediately stepped forward, took the remaining tomatoes, and carried them off—to let the store staff sample them.
Wu Zhao himself picked up a tomato and took a bite.
At first, his expression tensed—the initial sourness was unexpected.
But as he continued chewing, the unique blend of sweet and tart flavors spread through his mouth, and his eyes lit up!
“This fruit has a very unique taste!”
“Indeed.
“You can eat it as-is or dip it in sugar for a refreshing summer treat. But more importantly, tomatoes can be used in a variety of dishes. Cooked properly, they bring out exceptional flavors. If you sell them, there are many ways to market them.”
“Oh? Is that so?” Wu Zhao raised an eyebrow, then laughed.
“No wonder these tomatoes are selling for three taels of silver per pound. Three taels could buy over a hundred pounds of pork or three hundred pounds of rice! It seems this fruit is only affordable to the wealthy.”
“Exactly! No other country has these seeds—they come from overseas.
“We spent years cultivating them, and only recently succeeded!”
Wu Er seamlessly took over the conversation, praising the tomatoes extensively.
This was exactly the sales pitch Yu Luo had trained them to use—highlighting the fruit’s rarity and difficulty to cultivate, making it feel even more valuable to potential buyers.
“Oh? That does make it sound quite precious. But I wonder—what do they taste like in dishes?
“Could your assistant prepare a dish to demonstrate?”
Wu Er was speechless for a moment.
He didn’t know how to cook!
Yu Luo, however, simply smiled calmly.
“I’ll do it. Your trading house has a kitchen, correct?”
Wu Er couldn’t cook, but she definitely could.
Wu Zhao, however, looked shocked.
“This… isn’t appropriate. It would be beneath your status to personally cook!”
“It’s fine. I’m just a businesswoman. And if cooking a single dish can help finalize our deal, I see no harm in it.”
A short while later, Yu Luo emerged from the kitchen, carrying two simple dishes—scrambled eggs with tomatoes and tomato egg drop soup.
Wu Zhao was stunned.
