In business, the atmosphere at the negotiating table often depended on the difference in strength between the two sides.
When one side held an overwhelming advantage, the stronger party would usually delay its response with ambiguous wording and haggle repeatedly over key terms, wearing down the other party's patience and confidence until they were forced to make concessions on unfavorable terms.
When facing the strong, the weak often had to prepare for a protracted battle, and even steel themselves to start all over again after being rejected.
Catherine knew this all too well.
Over the past few years, as she dealt with various powers as an illegitimate daughter of the Roman Merchant Guild, she had experienced this unequal pace of negotiation countless times.
She had long since grown used to being left waiting in reception rooms for an hour or two, and to having her proposals brushed aside with all sorts of excuses.
But what happened today completely overturned her understanding.
Only an hour had passed between her sitting down and getting up to leave.
Yet in that single hour, she and the masked Deputy Bishop had finalized every aspect of their cooperation.
Or, more accurately, the other party had accepted every proposal she made without a single objection.
Whether it was the proportional division of investment contributions, the priorities for resource allocation, or even provisions for expanding their future cooperation, the other party had simply listened to her finish, nodded, and said, "Agreed."
There had been no bargaining and no additional conditions.
Catherine even felt that all the persuasive arguments she had prepared had gone entirely unused.
Granted, out of respect for the stronger party, she had drawn up all her terms on the basis of fairness and mutual benefit.
But even so, by normal business standards, the other