"You're the mine owner, aren't you? Now that you can sell the mine for a price that guarantees no loss, why can't you make the decision?" Richard asked curiously.
Sai Meng sighed and looked at Richard. "That's right, sir, I am indeed the mine owner. But as I said before, this mine was bought with the savings my family accumulated over several generations. As the mine owner, I'm merely the manager. The true owners are the family members who contributed the money. I was chosen for this position only because I'm relatively capable at management and have a better reputation for honesty."
"So aside from managing the Miners, you have no control whatsoever over the mine itself. Yet you still serve the mine so diligently?" Richard asked.
"Actually, I do have some control over the mine," Sai Meng said. "I contributed money when we bought it too. It wasn't much, only five hundred gold coins, but I still have the right to share in the mine's profits. That's why I want to run the mine well and don't want to damage my reputation. That way, when the profits are divided, I can receive my share."
"So you own one two-hundredth of the mine, correct? The reason you stick to your principles is really just to ensure that your one two-hundredth ownership isn't affected," Richard said.
Sai Meng hesitated before admitting frankly, "You could put it that way."
"Then this is simple." Richard said, "Since you can't make the decisions for the entire mine, I don't need to buy the mine. I only need to buy your share of the ownership. You originally put in five hundred gold coins. I'll give you one thousand gold coins now, free and clear, and specifically for you alone. My request remains the same: mine