Liu Long stared dumbfounded at the young man in front of him, who looked no older than twenty. His worldview had been thoroughly shaken.
How could this young man's mouth be so eloquent? He was born to do business!
He wanted to refute, but found no suitable reason. Gritting his teeth, he finally said decisively, "Stop talking, how much cheaper do you want it?"
"Brother, this isn't about how much I want it cheaper, but rather how much of a discount you can offer. From my perspective, of course, the cheaper the better!
Qin Chuan said unhurriedly, "But I also know that everyone needs to make a living, and everyone has a family to support. So, let's settle on a fair price that satisfies both parties. What do you say?"
Liu Long felt a little better. Although this young man was haggling, he still had some conscience; he wasn't a complete troublemaker.
"One thousand four hundred yuan per room. That's the lowest price I can offer!"
After a long hesitation, Liu Long named a figure.
"One thousand four hundred yuan per room. If I charge Ren Qiheng's family fifteen hundred yuan per room, for two simple houses, I can make two hundred yuan..."
Qin Chuan quickly calculated in his mind.
"Brother, as businessmen, we value auspiciousness. The number four sounds unlucky, similar to 'death.' How about this, I won't quote a price, but thirteen hundred and fifty per room. What do you think?"
"No!"
"That's too low. I've been building houses for so many years, and I've never worked for such a low price!"
Liu Long refused.
"Brother, don't be so firm. I see that there aren't many house-building jobs around these days. For people like you who rely on construction for a living, you might not even get one job a month!"
"If you miss today, who knows how long you'll be idle. That wasted time is money!"
"Don't you agree?"
Liu Long still tried to maintain his facade, "Nonsense! We have plenty of jobs, and several other clients..."
"Brother, let's not say things that deceive ourselves. If business were really that good, why couldn't I find a single construction site after walking through half the county?"
"The county is like this, let alone the rural areas?"
Qin Chuan mercilessly exposed Liu Long's pretense, turning Liu Long's already dark face even blacker.
Seeing this, Qin Chuan continued to persuade, "Besides, you won't be short-changed by these fifty yuan for nothing. Once the work is done, if the owner delays payment, you can come to me!"
"I can even advance the payment. There will absolutely be no issue with delayed wages!"
"Young man, can you guarantee that with your word?"
As soon as Qin Chuan finished speaking, Liu Long, who had been hesitant, suddenly's eyes lit up, and his tone became extremely urgent.
Qin Chuan knew why Liu Long had suddenly become so agitated. As someone who had been through it, he understood the severity of delayed wages for laborers!
It could be said that no laborer liked their boss or employer to delay their wages. If there were, it would be for some ulterior motive.
"Of course, when I, Qin Chuan, make a promise, my word is my bond!"
Qin Chuan guaranteed.
"Alright, thirteen hundred and fifty it is. I agree!"
Liu Long decisively agreed. For a mere one hundred yuan, he felt it was worth it to have the wages settled so promptly.
"Great, I'll call my neighbor now and see if they want to build a simple house!"
Qin Chuan said, then glanced at Qin Gang standing beside him and said with a grin, "Don't worry about me running away. My second brother is here as collateral!"
Qin Gang: "..."
Is this kid really going to be unstoppable? He was just standing there, not saying a word, quietly learning, and he's still being roped into this?
"Why call outside? I have a phone. We can just call from here, no need to run around unnecessarily!"
Just then, Liu Long suddenly pulled out a mobile phone from his pocket and handed it over.
Qin Chuan and Qin Gang were slightly stunned, not expecting Liu Long to have a phone.
In this era, mobile phones were absolute luxuries, costing thousands of yuan, and both making and receiving calls cost money. Ordinary people couldn't afford them.
But considering Liu Long was a contractor who often had to network, Qin Chuan quickly understood.
"Oh, I didn't expect it, Brother Liu, you're quite the hidden gem, carrying such a treasure!"
While thinking, Qin Chuan flattered him.
Liu Long's vanity was somewhat satisfied, but he still feigned helplessness, "It's unavoidable. My line of work requires me to travel a lot. It's very inconvenient to get things done without a phone!"
"I saved up for many years and just bought this phone during the New Year!"
"Do you know how to use it? If not, I can teach you..."
Qin Chuan quickly refused, "No need! I know how to use a phone!"
As a reborn individual, how could he not know how to use a phone?
Taking the phone from Liu Long's hand, Qin Chuan took a closer look. It was a Nokia, one of the earliest models.
He recalled that Nokia didn't become truly popular in China until around '97 to '98. After the millennium, Nokia dominated half the mobile phone market, being incredibly influential.
Unfortunately, Nokia failed to keep pace with the revolution of smartphones and gradually declined...
But at this moment, Nokia was just beginning to shine, competing with Motorola, Ericsson, and Sony for market share.
He skillfully dialed the number of Aunt Guihua's house in the village. When the call was connected, Qin Chuan asked Aunt Guihua to fetch Ren Qiheng and then hung up.
"Brother, I'm saving you money. Let's wait five minutes before calling again!"
Qin Chuan joked with Liu Long.
Liu Long grinned. Honestly, phone calls were really expensive back then, and he rarely made them unless necessary.
Wouldn't the money saved be better spent buying his son or wife some snacks?
Five minutes passed quickly. Qin Chuan dialed again. This time, Ren Qiheng had already arrived at Aunt Guihua's house.
"Uncle, I've found my friend. He quoted me a price of fifteen hundred yuan per simple house, fully inclusive. You won't need to worry about anything at home, just provide meals and lodging for the workers."
"Also, I've inquired with other places, and this price is definitely the market rate, very fair! No rip-offs!"
"I think it's a great choice for your family to opt for brick and tile houses!"
Qin Chuan spoke loudly on the phone to Ren Qiheng, without any attempt to conceal it from Liu Long.
Both Qin Gang and Liu Long overheard this conversation.
Qin Gang couldn't help but watch Liu Long's expression change with a hint of concern.
But he noticed Liu Long's expression was calm, as if he had expected all this.
As fellow businessmen, he understood that Qin Chuan was acting as an intermediary.
The profit he was making was essentially the one hundred and fifty yuan difference he had argued for.
For two simple houses, that was three hundred yuan, a very profitable deal, equivalent to what an ordinary family worked hard to earn in a month!
"Okay! Then it's settled. I'll bring the people with me when I return!"
At this point, the conversation on the phone had been settled, and Ren Qiheng agreed. Qin Chuan grinned and hung up.
"Brother Liu, let's go. I'm treating today, we're having a meal!"
"Also, invite your workers. Let's get acquainted..."