"Of course. No—Brother Long, do you have four billion?"
Long Aotian smiled. "I do, but... hehe, I can't exactly work for nothing, can I?"
Lu Chengwu froze. "Huh? Huh? Oh, oh—! I understand, I understand!"
Lu Chengwu said, "You're putting up the principal, so naturally I won't leave you out! How about this: we split it proportionally. The three-billion-dollar guarantee fund—you're covering four billion, right? That's about 13.5 percent, so I'll round it up to 15 percent!"
"That way, I take 15 percent from that rich guy—that's six billion. You take 15 percent of mine, which would be..."
"Brother, brother, hahaha!"
Long Aotian laughed. "That's not how you calculate it!"
"Huh? My math isn't wrong!"
"The math isn't wrong, but... think about it. Without my four billion... wouldn't your two-plus billion be useless?"
"No, Brother Long, I treat you like an older brother."
"And I treat you like a younger brother!" Long Aotian said. "But even real brothers have to settle accounts clearly!"
"Then... Brother, how much do you want?"
"Fifty percent."
"What!?" Lu Chengwu shot to his feet. "No! No, no, absolutely not! I went through all this trouble... The resources are mine, the deal is mine, I carry the reputation, I shoulder the risks, I put up the bulk of the money... and when it comes time to settle up, I split fifty-fifty with you? I won't do it! That's bullying!"
"Brother!" Long Aotian persuaded him. "You said it yourself, there aren't many expenses. Didn't you establish that manor for resources and connections? And the guarantee fund—you said yourself it'll just sit there safely; it's not like you have to spend it. As for the legal team, the banks, the notary office... those are your resources to begin with. That's what they do. Whether they have work or