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Chapter 360 Since we're friends, we should raise the price significantly (Please subscribe)

The dwarf's private office, Bellergas's personal office.

boom!

The heavy oak cup was slammed onto the stone table. The icy wheat juice, not a drop left, had already slid down his throat and into his stomach. Bellegas let out a long sigh, feeling all the fatigue of the day exhale with that breath.

In the office, the other dwarves also put down their cups, their faces all showing the same satisfaction.

[At this point, I hope readers will remember our domain name, "伴你闲" (Ban Ni Xian), which is waiting for you to find it.]

Today, I attended the opening of some shopping mall with humans during the day. The lunch was incredibly lavish, but unfortunately, I was too busy exchanging information and analyzing data with humans and elves, figuring out how to bring benefits to my people.

Everyone was chewing on delicacies but found them tasteless because their minds were working too fast—faster than the bellows in a blacksmith's shop.

Only now, back in this familiar room filled with the smells of rocks and ale, have my tense nerves finally relaxed.

After a few more glasses of chilled wheat juice, the atmosphere in the office became completely warm.

"Alright, the drinks are finished, your heads should be clear now." Bellegas tapped the table with his thick fingers, making a dull thud. "So, tell me, what did you figure out today?"

Bellegas's confidant, a dwarf in charge of business planning, immediately spoke up in a loud voice: "The humans' meaning is very straightforward. They need stability and long-term commitment. As long as there is stability, it is acceptable to sell them at a higher price in exchange for resources."

In exchange, they need the various ores and raw materials we possess! But our resource extraction capacity is limited. We can sustain this for decades, but what happens after the resources are wasted?

"This is easy! As long as we establish the distribution rules internally, and gradually learn their techniques, once we've mastered that knowledge, we can internalize their technical training capabilities. I think this deal is feasible!" Another dwarf stroked his beautifully woven beard. "However, our old-fashioned guild rules are too numerous; some of them need to be broken down and rebuilt!"

"That's fine. We can't compete with our human friends, but using our market to make money while accumulating technology aligns with our race's strategic development."

"Alright, let's do it that way! As for pricing, we also need to work on various products. We must develop some things that our human friends can't live without. For the two races to maintain a long-term friendship, they must have common interests! Just like our relationship with those damn long-eared creatures."

The long-eared elves and dwarves were driven to their knees by the humans of the south. Faced with the crisis of their survival, they had no choice but to unite and hide in the remote north.

Even if everyone is incredibly treacherous among themselves, when faced with a life-or-death crisis, they will all hold their noses and help each other.

Long-term contact between the groups taught the dwarves that only mutual benefit could maintain a normal relationship.

"All kinds of medicines!"

"Our alchemy manufacturing technology!"

"Our cave-based aquaculture technology!"

"The ships' navigation techniques in those devilish waters have become even stronger, and the workers possess an iron will to work!"

"There's too much to cover, so let's start with the most important things."

"Medicine! I believe it's medicine!" A dwarf with a face full of scars slapped his thigh, making the empty cup on the table shake. "Our human friends are absolutely obsessed with our warrior potions! I dare say, this stuff can be our race's trump card product, and it can definitely sell for an astronomical price!"

As soon as he finished speaking, a relatively cautious dwarf frowned: "Our potion is good, but humans will probably want it in large quantities, right? Don't they have anything similar themselves? They'll definitely conduct research on it in the future!"

"Similar? If they had that, would they be watching our warriors chugging potions like they're being forced to drink alcohol? We just need to keep it a secret, and we can definitely make this a long-term business," the burly dwarf sneered, holding up a finger. "You know what? They have at least 100,000 soldiers! None of them have undergone alchemical enhancements. If they just want 50,000 potions, we can make a fortune!"

He became more and more excited as he talked, and then stood up and paced around the room.

"Guys, you've seen those soldiers, haven't you? They're all so weak! After administering 50,000 doses of this potion, their soldiers will need to take it once a year to maintain peak physical condition. This stuff is a consumable; it needs to be replenished every year! They'll go through tens of thousands of doses in the coming year! This is much better than selling it to the south. This business is like an inexhaustible magic essence mine—no, it's practically a super magic energy gold mine!"

"A magic gold mine—" A dwarf in charge of the tribe's finances had his eyes light up instantly. He quickly calculated in his mind, "If the other party really needs such a large quantity, our potion workshop will have to be at least doubled—no, quadrupled!"

With this primary hard currency, our funds and wealth will no longer just flow out without flowing in, as before!

"Yes, with those funds, we can also improve our own technology and train more craftsmen."

"That's right! We must reclaim the great title of skilled craftsmen in the future."

"What we really need now is to trade the medicine for more of their food, more cloth, and those metal boxes that can run and sing!"

"Don't indulge in such luxury. Those metal boxes are too expensive. Let's just exchange them for food and cloth!"

The office was buzzing with conversation; all the dwarves seemed to already see chests of gold coins filling their own treasuries.

"Don't rush to divide the gold, let's discuss the profits first."

Bellegas's calm voice silenced all the noise, and his sharp gaze swept over every excited member of his tribe.

"The product is excellent, and the buyer is very generous. However, determining the price is the real challenge."

He paused, his tone becoming meaningful.

"If the price is set too high, and humans get pushed too far, they might just turn around and develop their own imitations. But if the price is set too low..."

Bellergas grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, but his smile carried a hint of coldness.

"Our own people are the ones who have to cough up blood first."

Bellergas's words echoed in the Rock Office, like a boulder thrown into a boiling oil pan, instantly freezing the previously lively atmosphere for a moment before it exploded completely.

"Of course we need to consider it carefully!" A dwarf with a three-strand braid, his eyes practically shaped like gold coins, slammed his hand on the table, spitting as he spoke. "I think the price must be raised! They are our human friends; they will understand!"

"Hehe, it's easier to raise prices between friends, which also strengthens the friendship!"

Another dwarf immediately chimed in, slamming his empty wine glass down with a loud thud: "That's right! What do you call this? You call it buying our friendship! Since our human friends are so generous, they definitely don't care about such a small amount of money!"

"Fools!" Asgard, the old dwarf in charge of guild rules, bristled and glared, pointing at the two men's noses as he cursed, "Are your brains filled with gold? If you anger your friends, aren't you afraid that your ancestors' hammer will smash your skulls and prevent you from ascending to the Temple!"

"Uh... that can't be right?" The dwarf who was being scolded shrank back. "Our ancestors were definitely on our side, making money for our people and securing our future. That's right."

"But our ancestors also said that humans are our friends!" A younger dwarf weakly raised his hand. "I—I think we can sell our warrior potions at cost price as a sign of sincerity."

Upon hearing this, the two factions of dwarves, who had just been arguing heatedly, turned around and looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Get lost!"

"You fucking siding with outsiders!"

The office was in complete chaos.

A dwarf, his face flushed from drinking, staggered to his feet, hiccuping, and held up a finger: "No—listen to me—our potion is a unique treasure! It's a necessity! I think the price—hiccup—should be increased by ten percent!"

"You money-grubbing idiot!" Asgard's beard trembled with rage. "If we offend humans, and they raise the prices of food, cloth, and those running metal boxes, who will suffer? We'll be the ones who lose out!"

"Asgard is right!" The treasurer also calmed down, sweat beading on his forehead. "Humans' various daily necessities and farming tools are all very cost-effective. If the other party rashly raises prices, it will be the interests of our people that are harmed."

"Furthermore, I even believe that the price of human products can definitely be lowered. You have to understand that they have an incredibly terrifying ability to manufacture steel! Our warrior potions are good, but for them, they are just icing on the cake, far from being indispensable!"

"Yes, human weapons are so powerful. Our drugs only make their soldiers physically stronger, able to withstand a few more hits. In terms of increasing combat effectiveness, it's actually limited!"

As everyone chimed in with their own opinions, the initial enthusiasm gradually gave way to a more realistic perspective.

Gold mines are great, but if they dig underground, the gold above will collapse, and everyone will be buried underneath.

That can kill people.

Everyone had their own opinion and exchanged ideas, but no one could come to a definitive conclusion!

As the arguing in the office gradually subsided, everyone's attention returned to the head of the table.

As the discussion gradually subsided, Bellegas tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table and slowly began to speak. His voice was soft, but every dwarf could hear him clearly.

"Gentlemen, have you all forgotten about those despicable humans to the south?"

One sentence silenced the entire office instantly.

Bellegas scanned the drastically changed expressions on everyone's faces and continued, "Our informants have witnessed firsthand that representatives of the human caravans have already made contact with those bastards in the south and are engaged in trade. Do you think we're the only ones with warrior potions? Raising the price more than tenfold is an incredibly foolish move!"

"Well?"

"I'm sorry, Elder Bellegas, I forgot about that!"

"I forgot too!"

"Me too!"

"So, shouldn't we refrain from interfering with each other's business and trade?"

"What should we do? They're human! They're naturally more approachable than us!"

"Yes, we are only half-human after all!"

The dwarf, who had just been clamoring to raise prices tenfold, was half-sober now, his face alternating between red and white, wishing he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

They were so focused on the treasures in their hands that they forgot they weren't the only sellers in the world.

A dwarf, with a pained expression, asked cautiously, "Gentlemen, let's not talk about this terrible thing! We can't just not make money, can we?"

A mysterious smile appeared on Bellergas's lips.

"To earn, of course we have to earn."

With Southerners involved, their outrageous prices will absolutely not be accepted!

"We can't act like mindless mountain trolls, rushing headlong at the sight of gold." He stood up, walked to the map, and pointed heavily at the border between the human kingdoms and the southern forces.

"We want a price that they feel is a good deal, but at a price they won't bother haggling with those guys up south. A price that will absolutely entice them!"

"This is the art of business."

Time-Space Portal Base!

When Su Mingjin saw the reports sent back by Dou Jiankang and Bi Shengli, her fingertips tapped lightly on the smooth tabletop.

I thought I would only gain some friendships, but the result was better than I expected.

It was better than I expected.

"Don't underestimate the video that mysterious person recorded beforehand; its power was unexpected!"

Dou Jiankang's voice came through the communicator with a hint of relaxed laughter.

"President Su, this isn't because our video was well-made. According to the intelligence we gleaned from the royal servants, the ancestors of the Targaryen royal family, in the past, were saved multiple times by the dragon god and angels. You know, that was a catastrophe that could destroy a nation! That mysterious person is very powerful. This time, we just happened to hit their weak spot."

"They've been destroyed so many times, and saved so many times! Yet they still haven't learned their lesson. The Fire Dragon Dynasty must be hiding something from us!" Su Mingjin said with a cold laugh. "Perhaps this is the worst thing about the feudal imperial system."

""

"Perhaps there are other reasons too! There are some powerful beings in this world who are comparable to gods, and the existence of those guys is the biggest uncertainty!" Dou Jiankang said quietly.

Su Mingjin remained silent for a long while before saying, "One day we will also have a large number of powerful individuals!"

Human nature is complex and chaotic. You can't define a person or a force by simply being kind or evil; otherwise, you're just being a complete idiot.

The Fire Dragon Dynasty may have many strong individuals and reformers, but it also has a large number of those who are complacent and greedy.

To completely get rid of all this, perhaps only artificial intelligence can solve most of the problems.

However, the system of artificial intelligence also has loopholes, and it needs to be corrected and maintained.

After years of development, it is estimated that those who maintain artificial intelligence will eventually become the dominant force.

"You recently had a conversation with Queen Rhaenys. What are your impressions of her?"

Dou Jiankang paused, a strange feeling creeping into his voice: "That queen, Rhaenys Targaryen, is definitely not a fool. Some of the surveillance equipment we deployed nearby detected that she once mentioned some kind of prophetic magic."

"Another prophetic spell?" Su Mingjin said, then suddenly added, "You didn't set up surveillance cameras in their room, did you?"

"Ahem, those are our friends, how could we possibly deploy them? We just deploy them on some streets and in places where there might be security vulnerabilities. The main purpose is to ensure their safety. As for the information they provide, it was just something our surveillance personnel overheard by chance."

Su Mingjin pointed to Du Jian on the other end of the screen and didn't say anything.

Behind the light lies the shadow.

Some things should never be exposed to the sunlight!

"President Su, my analysis is that although the other party believes in prophetic magic, they are gambling, betting that we are the new generation of angels in their legend. That's why she was so straightforward in teaching us the knight training secrets as a pledge of her allegiance."

"Well, let's keep an eye on them then. Maintain good relations with them. As long as they don't betray us or do anything inhumane, we should respect them. As for prophetic magic—once they see a vision of the future, they've already fallen into our trap! They're like elves, too obsessed with that."

Looking at the data, Su Mingjin added, "By the way, Professor Deng and his team also need this firsthand information."

"OK!"

If Old Darryl and his men truly and wholeheartedly help human warriors master the "breathing technique" without any safety risks or backdoors, then giving royal family members preferential treatment or even providing them with protection would be a trivial matter.

but----

If simulation tests and cross-validation reveal that the other side has held back a secret, or has planted some traps in the teaching materials, then the speed at which humans turn against them will definitely be faster than they imagine.

After ending the frontline communications, Su Mingjin did not hesitate and immediately dialed Professor Deng Dakang's number.

After the call connected, Su Mingjin told the other party about Dou Jiankang and the others' discovery.

Upon hearing this, Professor Deng's voice was filled with surprise: "It's solved just like that? Mr. Su, we actually believe that the knight breathing technique used to teach others is very simple. Even without their help, we could have cracked it in a month!"

Deng Dakang's confidence practically overflowed from the receiver.

They are powerful, confident, and speak with authority.

With complete support from behind, and having been in the other world for nearly ten months, they are no longer novices and know a lot about many things.

With collective wisdom and command, they have easily solved many problems.

For example, the Knight Breathing Technique, after investing a large amount of resources and then simulating it through a supercomputer, had its operating mechanism figured out in just a few days.

Now they are continuing to record what old Derry guided the soldiers in learning breathing techniques.

This is the power of technological progress.

With more experience summarized and data recorded, humans can easily learn everything.

Unfortunately, just as they were about to tackle the challenge and unravel the mysteries of human nature, their friend offered them a scientific teaching method.

This is really upsetting!

Many scientists on the project team would probably curse if they heard this.

That's an absolute scientific achievement. It's something that will bring honor to one's ancestors and will be recorded in textbooks in the future.

The royal family of the Fire Dragon Dynasty is too straightforward!

"Professor Deng, there's no need to make such promises! In these matters, they are the true teachers!"

Professor Deng Dakang nodded, his face revealing his regret.

"Professor Deng, with their help, how much faster can your research speed be improved? This needs to be expedited! You know, the battlefield in another world is constantly changing. You say it will take a month to complete, but how much more sacrifice will our frontline warriors responsible for clearing the celestial intersection have to make? We can afford to wait, but our warriors cannot!"

Deng Dakang fell silent!

"This—President Su is right, I'm sorry!" Deng Dakang's tone softened, but a new worry immediately arose, "President Su, however, this means we'll owe a huge favor. Favors between nations are hard to repay!"