"You're the financial backer... you... you financial backer, you..."
Le Luoluo could not go on.
He felt his imposing air growing weaker and weaker. It was rather uncanny...
After thinking it over, he felt something was wrong. He suddenly turned to Wang Yang and asked in disbelief:
"So when you explained what a financial backer meant earlier, you were laying the groundwork to make me pay taxes now???"
Wang Yang loudly protested his innocence:
"How could that be! Who would lay groundwork that far in advance just to use one word? Do you think that's possible?"
That did seem reasonable?
Le Luoluo nodded instinctively, then all but sprang up the next instant:
"That's exactly what you'd do!!! You're far too devious!!! I'm absolutely not paying this tax! I won't!!! Since you're the precious financial backer, you can pay the whole thing yourself!!!"
"Oh, you're overthinking it... fine, then here's another choice. I'll cover all the transaction taxes, and you won't have to pay a single coin, but from now on, your Wenyang Tribe may only do business with me. In other words, you can't sell your goods to anyone else. How does that sound?"
Le Luoluo considered it briefly and immediately realized that this was Wang Yang's true objective! If he agreed, it would be the same as having his hands and feet bound. He would not even have room to haggle afterward! That price was far higher than the two-percent transaction tax, so he flatly refused, leaving no room for discussion.
Le Luoluo thought he had seen through Wang Yang's scheme. What he did not know was that the supposed true objective he had identified was, in fact, an illusion Wang Yang had deliberately created.
Wang Yang's proposal was actually a retreat made to advance. He had previously taken