Ning Fengzhi's Investment
Ning Fengzhi asked Jiang Lan, "Little friend, are you interested in opening a branch? I can provide the funding to help you open one."
He found out about Honey Snow Ice City when he opened his store in Jiang Lan.
It's simply a beverage made from certain ingredients and sold at a low price, called milk tea.
As Dugu Bo's disciple, how could Jiang Lan not learn about Honey Snow Ice City?
As for Jiang Lan's information, the investigation is almost complete.
Ning Fengzhi had calculated the cost of Honey Snow Ice City milk tea and found it to be profitable. If he opened stores throughout the entire Heaven Dou Empire, he could earn a considerable amount of money every year.
Upon hearing the words "opening a branch," Jiang Lan's ears immediately perked up, but she still managed to maintain a calm demeanor.
He put his hands behind his back, looked up at Ning Fengzhi, and looked like a small business owner negotiating with a wealthy tycoon. "Uncle Ning, how do you plan to open it?"
Ning Fengzhi smiled, stood up, and glanced at the bustling scene inside the shop. "I'll provide the money and the shop, you provide the technology and the staff, and we'll split the profits 50/50. Once you've made a name for yourself in Heaven Dou City, the next step is to expand to the major cities under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Each branch can be equipped with a few robots you built, and some ordinary people can be hired as shop assistants. This way, we won't need to train Soul Master, and we won't have to worry about a shortage of manpower."
"Split in half?" Jiang Lan blinked, her mind racing with calculations.
A 50/50 split sounds fair, but he has to provide the formula, the robots, and the training, which means he's putting all the core technology on his shoulders.
Ning Fengzhi only offered money and a shop, which would be an incredible bargain for an ordinary merchant. But Jiang Lan wasn't an ordinary merchant. He could even pressure the Heaven Dou Crown Prince to marry him in the street; why would he care about giving up a few percentage points?
"Three times seven," Jiang Lan said, holding up three fingers.
Ning Fengzhi raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest in his eyes. "You get three, I get seven?"
"I'll take seven, you take three," Jiang Lan said seriously, his tone so casual that it didn't sound like he was talking to the richest person on the entire continent.
Bone Douluo beside him raised an eyebrow and muttered in a hoarse voice, "Such arrogance."
Jiang Lan shrank back, then immediately put on a smiling face, "Grandpa Gu, you were so loud, I'm too scared to speak."
"I wasn't trying to scare you," Bone Douluo snorted, but he wasn't actually angry.
Ning Fengzhi waved his hand, smiling gently, "Then tell me, why should you take 70%?"
"It's very simple." Jiang Lan counted on her fingers. "First, I'm the only one on the entire continent who knows how to make milk tea. You guys can't even figure out how to mix tea leaves and milk properly. The ingredient ratios, cooking time, sugar content, temperature—a slight difference will change the taste. Second, I'm the only one who knows how to build robots. Without robots, a shop would need at least four or five people. I'm saving you manpower. Third, the brand is Honey Snow Ice City. I've already made a name for myself on Vermilion Bird Street. If you use another brand, even if you sell the same thing, customers might not buy it. Fourth, if Sister Rongrong comes to my shop in the future, I can give her free milk tea for the rest of her life."
He finished listing them one by one, and before Ning Fengzhi could even speak, Ning Rongrong's eyes crinkled into crescent moons with laughter. She grabbed Jiang Lan's arm and shook it, exclaiming, "This one's good! This one's good!"
Ning Fengzhi looked at his daughter's unambitious appearance, shook his head, and chuckled, "Six and a half is better than three and a half."
"Deal!" Jiang Lan raised his little hand, and Ning Fengzhi bent down and gave him a symbolic high five.
Ning Fengzhi chuckled at the crisp high-five, straightened up, and turned his gaze back to the four busy robots. Those tin penguins moved back and forth with precise, steady movements, working for at least two hours since the shop opened without a single mistake. Such things would be a cash cow in a shop, but elsewhere, their significance would be entirely different.
"Jiang Lan, are you selling these robots?" Ning Fengzhi asked tentatively.
"Not for the time being." Jiang Lan shook her head, answering without hesitation.
Ning Fengzhi didn't give up, and changed the subject. "What if I want to purchase a batch for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? The price is negotiable, just name your price."
Jiang Lan shook her head again, looked up at Ning Fengzhi, her little face full of seriousness. "I can't sell robots, but I can sell some other things to Uncle Ning."
Ning Fengzhi became interested. "What is it?"
Ning Fengzhi chuckled at the crisp high five, straightened up, and turned his gaze back to the four busy robots.
Those tin penguins moved back and forth with precise movements and a steady rhythm. They had been working for at least two hours since the door opened, and they hadn't made a single mistake.
Such a thing is a money tree in a shop, but its meaning is completely different in other places.
"Jiang Lan, are you selling these robots?" Ning Fengzhi asked tentatively.
"Not for the time being." Jiang Lan shook her head, answering without hesitation.
Ning Fengzhi didn't give up, and changed the subject. "What if I want to purchase a batch for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect? The price is negotiable, just name your price."
Jiang Lan shook her head again, looked up at Ning Fengzhi, her little face full of seriousness. "I can't sell robots, but I can sell some other things to Uncle Ning."
Ning Fengzhi became interested. "What is it?"
"Uncle Ning, come with me." Jiang Lan waved to Ning Fengzhi, then turned and wiggled her chubby little body as she walked towards the backyard.
Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo exchanged a glance, then stepped forward and followed.
Ning Rongrong wanted to follow, but Ning Fengzhi her in her tracks with a single look.
She puffed out her cheeks and pulled Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing to continue watching Number Four Robot pack milk tea.
Jiang Lan asked Ning Fengzhi and Bone Douluo to wait in the courtyard, while she went into the small warehouse next door and tinkered for about half an hour.
When he came out again, he had something else in his hand.
It was a crossbow with a unique design, made entirely of metal and animal bone, and completely black. The crossbow arm was extremely short, and the crossbow body was angled. One side was equipped with a foldable bracket, and the other side was a simple revolving device.
The crossbow was only about the length of an adult's forearm, but it fit Jiang Lan perfectly in his hand. Its lines were sharp, its structure was compact, and every piece of metal fit together seamlessly. It was clearly not crafted by this world.
"This is Repeating Crossbow." Jiang Lan placed the crossbow on the wooden table, pointing with her little finger to the reel on the crossbow. "It can hold fifty short arrows, and can fire single shots, triple shots, and fully automatic volleys. Its rate of fire is six times faster than a regular crossbow, and its range is about 150 paces. Ordinary people can use it; no Soul Power is required."
He initially intended to take out his gun, but then thought better of it.
Guns are far too overpowered in the Douluo Continent, and he felt that if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect obtained one, they might have some inappropriate ideas.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect was honest because it was not as strong as other forces, but once it had a gun, things changed.