Above the mage!

Chapter 625 Expansion and Agents
After leaving the White Pagoda of the Abyss, Gao De went straight to the Walmart Magic Materials Store.

He rarely goes back to the dormitory arranged by the sea sentry now.

Since Yugathira advanced to the third rank, the charging time for Astral Teleportation has become shorter, so he has been traveling to and from the Northern Territory more and more frequently, and the trips have often been much longer.

In the crowded and noisy naval barracks, frequent unusual movements are bound to attract attention.

Out of caution, Gaode moved his entire base in Dorn to the second floor of Walmart's Magic Materials store.

The carriage stopped in front of a small shop with a sign that read "Walmart Magic Supplies Store".

Gaode got off the train.

The shop is small and looks no different from an ordinary magic supplies shop.

However, those who pay close attention will notice that all the items displayed in the shop window are extraordinary ice-element materials that are not commonly found locally.

Upon entering the magic supplies shop, Eli was already inside. When he saw Gao De enter, he immediately stood up.

He was Dorn who came on the same airship as God.

However, since Gao De had to go to the White Tower of the Abyss to claim his reward after returning to Dorne, he sent Eli to the Walmart Magic Materials Store first.

“Come with me.” Gao De nodded to Eli, gesturing for him to follow him upstairs.

The second floor isn't very big, but it's fine as a temporary meeting room.

A narrow window let in dappled afternoon light, illuminating the dust particles that floated slowly in the air.

In the center of the room stood a dark oak round table, surrounded by four high-backed chairs.

"Sit down." Gao De pointed to the chair by the window and sat down opposite him.

Eli sat down as instructed, placing his hands on his knees, his eyes filled with a mixture of anticipation and trepidation.

He knew that Gaode's attitude meant they were about to discuss serious matters with him, namely, the so-called industry operations.

Since this was indeed the first time Gaode had brought outsiders up to the second floor, he did not prepare any traditional hospitality items.

However, he remained calm, picked up the cup, and let the magic threads flow between his fingertips.

A moment later, an amber-colored liquid appeared in the glass, emitting a blend of mint, laurel, and some indescribable exotic aroma.

"The Panacea: Intoxication, give it a try," Gao De introduced.

Eli carefully picked up the secret medicine and took a small sip.

The warm liquid slid down my throat, bringing a wonderful sensation: like the lightheaded feeling of being slightly tipsy, yet maintaining absolute mental clarity.

"Amazing." He exclaimed sincerely, gently placing the cup back on the table.

Gaode didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "I currently have three businesses."

"The first one is from this Walmart Magic Supplies store, which has been open for a year."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the table. "As you can see, our external business has been lukewarm at best."

“Yes,” Eli nodded. “I’ve been here for almost two hours and only seen three guests come in, two of whom just looked around and left.”

“However,” he paused, hesitated slightly, and finally said, “your magic supply shop is not quite like a typical magic supply shop.”

"Go on," Gao De said, noticing Eli's hesitation.

"From my brief observation, I feel that your so-called magic material shop is more of a cover than a real business; its actual purpose is more about acquiring various tree species?" Eli asked tentatively, carefully choosing his words.

"Your observation skills are indeed extremely sharp. Tell me, how did you figure that out?" Gao De looked at him with admiration.

Eli thought for a moment and then answered:

"I noticed that the store had a prominent notice that said it would buy all kinds of trees, including magical plants and ordinary plants, at high prices, with the purchase price being 30% higher than the mainstream market price."

This is extremely rare, or rather, abnormal, in the operation of a magic supplies store.

“Normal magic material stores only buy mature magic plants or ores, and would never pay so much attention to tree species.”

"Secondly, while I was waiting, I caught a glimpse of the ledgers spread out on the counter."

Eli admitted, "The sales records are few lines long, and the meager profits are not enough to cover the store's operations, but the expenses for purchasing tree species account for most of the books, and the entries are numerous and continuous."

"Finally, in the warehouse in the backyard of the shop, I saw through the crack in the door that it was almost entirely filled with wooden boxes and pottery jars of various sizes, labeled with words such as cedar seedlings and iron acorns, rather than the common extraordinary materials."

He looked up and stared directly at Gao De: "These signs indicate that acquiring tree species is the shop's core business, while selling magical materials is just a sideline. Am I right?"

“Absolutely right. I have a great need for all kinds of tree species, especially magical tree species.” Gao De smiled appreciatively and then continued the topic he had just finished.

"Walmart Magic Supplies Store is my first property. My second property is a prime shop in the Van Troon district, which was a reward from Marquis Drake for my outstanding performance on the mission."

"This is a four-story townhouse in a prime location in Dorne. It used to be a watch shop, and the location is superb."

"I just haven't had the energy to take care of it, so it's been sitting idle." Gao De's tone was calm, as if he were talking about a trivial matter.

“My third business is a shipyard I own in Auckland, but you don’t need to get involved in that shipyard,” he continued.

The shipyard was moved from Markco to Auckland with the assistance of the Earl of Roland, and is now fully legalized and open, belonging to the company.

However, the shipyard is also involved in secret shipping routes to the North and the Blue Flame Islands, and God doesn't intend to let Eli have access to these.

“Back to the main topic,” Gao De also poured himself a cup of the Intoxication Elixir, took a sip, and continued, “As you said, I have a great need for tree species, which is why I opened this magic material shop. The main purpose is to purchase tree species and do some business to supplement my expenses.”

"But you also understand that a small shop like Walmart's Magic Materials Store, which is not very popular, has too small a reach. It can't even cover the entire dynasty, let alone the tree species in Dorne, let alone the rare species in remote cities."

"To achieve my goal, I must expand the Magic Materials Store business, make a name for it, and let the name Walmart Magic Materials Store spread throughout the dynasty."

"At the same time, branches should be opened in all counties and cities of the dynasty to form a network."

Gao De's gaze sharpened. "Of course, as you know, the business in the magical materials field has long been monopolized by the Dynasty's major giants, who control more than 80% of the market."

In this situation, it's incredibly difficult for new players to stand out.

“However,” he changed the subject, “I have a unique advantage.”

"Harland Shipyard has established stable trade relations with the northern tribes and the Blue Flame Islands, and can obtain many extraordinary materials that are rare in the Golden Flower Dynasty at low prices."

"Even so, to get ahead, you need to spend a lot of energy and time and develop a precise business strategy, which I can't do, so I came to you."

“In addition to a stable and high-quality supply of goods and the two shops we currently have, I can also provide no less than 50,000 Goldfinch coins as start-up capital. Furthermore, I have the backing of my status as a Sea Sentinel Lieutenant and an Honorary Mage of Auckland, which is at least enough to overcome most of the obstacles in Byrre County.”

"What you need to do is develop a detailed operation plan, carry out specific and accurate operations, and build the 'Walmart Magic Material Store' brand from scratch."

"Store management, expansion pace, pricing, talent recruitment, system building—all of these require you to build them from scratch."

"Do you have a way, or are you confident you can do it?"

Gaode's words included some neologisms that Eli had never heard before: "brand," "operation," "system building," etc.

However, its meaning can be understood by considering the context, so it cannot be considered obscure or difficult to understand.

These words were like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up a tidal wave in Eli's heart.

Gaode's goals are a bit too "ambitious".

But he showed no fear whatsoever; on the contrary, his eyes grew brighter as he listened, and his hands unconsciously clenched.

The greater the challenge, the more it ignites his fighting spirit.

Moreover, if the goal is not ambitious enough, how can one talk about making a comeback?

He took a deep breath and spoke slowly, his tone calm and firm: "Mr. Gao De, I not only have confidence, but also a concrete implementation plan."

"Your resource advantages are unparalleled. With the right strategy, I can make Walmart Magic Materials Store a rising star in the Magic Materials industry in Barro County within ten years!"

“The market for magical materials is indeed dominated by giants who control most of the customer base, but we can definitely carve out our own market space through differentiated competition.” Eli stood up, waving his arms and beaming with excitement.

“First, the dual-track core mode.” Eli held up one finger.

"The giants focus on a full range of products and large-volume strategies, while we go against the grain and adopt a dual-track system of specializing in the sale of scarce materials and purchasing high-priced tree species."

“We have set up two areas in all our shops. One area is dedicated to selling rare magical materials from the North and the Blue Flame Islands. These materials are rare in the Dynasty and have high price elasticity and profit margins.”

"Another area is a dedicated zone for purchasing tree species, where various tree species, especially Magic Plant seeds and seedlings, are purchased at prices 30% to 50% higher than the market price."

“The beauty of doing this is,” Eli looked at God with shining eyes, “that selling rare magical materials can quickly build our professional image and cash flow, while buying tree species at high prices can not only meet your needs, but also attract a large number of small and medium-sized mages, herbalists, and explorers.”

"They will become our stable customer base and will spontaneously promote us. The news that Walmart's Magic Material Store offers the highest prices for tree species will spread quickly in relevant circles."

“Secondly, the strategy of expanding in a different area,” Eli continued.

"Aside from the current Walmart Magic Store and your property in the Van Traren district, when we expand thereafter, we will never directly confront the giants in the core cities. We will avoid them and start with the secondary cities in the counties."

“These cities have less competition, and real estate prices are only one-tenth or even less than those in large cities, but they still have access to a large number of mages, hunters and herbalists from remote areas.”

"These smaller cities have fewer customers, so the giants haven't ventured into them. But our Walmart Magic Materials store doesn't sell in large volumes, so the impact on us is far less than on the giants."

"Each branch adopts a standardized design, with unified signage, pricing strategy, and service standards, resulting in low investment and low risk."

"The countryside surrounds the city," Gao De said softly.

"The countryside surrounds the cities?!" Eli was taken aback for a moment, then raised an eyebrow, becoming even more excited: "Yes, that's it, the countryside surrounds the cities, Master Mage, your description is absolutely accurate!"

"Go on," Gao De said with a smile.

"Third, building an alliance network: we not only do business ourselves, but also win over local forces."

“Each city selects one or two local small and medium-sized magic material stores or herbal shops to form an alliance through supply cooperation.”

“We offer them specialties from the North and the Blue Flame Islands at preferential prices, and they become our tree seed purchasing points and share local customer resources.”

"This allows us to rapidly expand our acquisition network while also spreading out operating costs."

Fourth, a tiered pricing system, with different prices set for different customers.

"Regular customers enjoy the standard price; partner stores enjoy the wholesale price; customers who have provided precious tree species enjoy the member price; and customers who provide three or more magical tree species at once can even obtain priority purchase rights for certain scarce materials."

"This will both incentivize tree seed acquisition and cultivate customer loyalty."

Eli spoke more and more fluently: "Fifth."

After expressing all his thoughts in one breath, he picked up the cup of the "Intoxication" panacea and drank it all in one gulp. The warm liquid made his mind even clearer.

“This is my initial idea,” he said, taking a deep breath. “The specific details still need to be further refined based on the subsequent operation.”

"But the core idea can be basically determined: avoid the main battlefield of the giants, use our unique advantages to quickly establish a foothold in the marginal and niche markets, and form a network."

Ultimately, they secured a foothold in the magical materials industry by employing a strategy of encircling the cities from the countryside.

He looked directly into Gaode's eyes: "Most importantly, this solution perfectly matches your core needs."

“Each branch is a tree seed collection point. The faster the stores expand, the wider your tree seed collection network will be.”

"Operating a magic supplies store can be profitable in itself, enough to support network expansion, and may even generate considerable profits. It is a strategy that achieves multiple goals at once."

Gord looked at Eli, and a brief silence fell over the room.

Suddenly, Gao De smiled, not a polite smile, but a genuine smile of appreciation and joy: "It seems I really did find the right person."

He stood up, walked to a cabinet by the wall, and took out a thick roll of parchment.

"This is the property ownership document for the prime shop in the Van Troon district. From now on, you have full authority to dispose of it."

"I will inject the 50,000 Goldfinch coins later. For now, you should use the funds in Walmart Magic Materials Store's account to start the store's renovation and construction."

He paused, his tone becoming serious: "But I have two requests."

"First, tree species acquisition is always the top priority, and no business decision should compromise this core objective."

"Secondly, I need to see a detailed operating report and a list of tree species purchased every quarter. Apart from that, I don't interfere with the day-to-day operations."

Gao De extended his right hand. "If you accept these conditions, then Eli, you will be my agent from now on, fully responsible for the brand building, operation and expansion of Walmart Magic Materials Store."

Eli looked at God's outstretched hand and, without hesitation, grasped it.

“I accept, Mr. Gao De.”

Eli's voice was calm and firm, "I will not let you down."

(End of this chapter)