RISE OF EROS

The conversation had barely begun, and it was already obvious that Conrad was looking for something beyond money in this negotiation. If Andrew noticed this, then Candice, Gastón, and even Canna, who were better and more experienced merchants than he was, understood it as well.

This created an uncomfortable silence in the office, and the most curious part was that Conrad, the creator of this situation, was the most comfortable among them all. It seemed he wanted things to unfold this way.

Candice quickly recovered from the momentary discomfort and tried to resume the conversation, attempting to steer the negotiation in a more pleasant direction, even though it hadn't even started.

Unfortunately for her, Andrew wasn't going to allow it. While he might not have been as skilled a negotiator as she was, despite having been a business administrator in his previous life, he had conducted larger business ventures in that life than he had in this one. The truth was that this world was different from Earth, so Andrew didn't have the best qualifications.

Still, he was the boss here, and while he wasn't the best negotiator, he had learned a few things in this world—one of them being that the weak would always be trampled on, something he wouldn't allow at this point.

When he started his businesses in this world, he always tried to act cautiously, as he didn't want to make enemies, but he encountered them anyway, so he had long since abandoned that approach.

"Before we go into details, I'd like to know—how does our young employee know someone like you, Mr. Conrad?" Andrew asked, cutting off the words Candice was about to say.

While she wasn't pleased that Andrew was inserting himself into the conversation this way, she didn't interrupt him. Andrew was the boss and also her husband, so she would never undermine him in front of strangers. She remained silent, waiting to see what Andrew wanted to do.

Conrad didn't seem affected by the question. In fact, he was pleased that Andrew was participating, as he preferred talking to him over anyone else present, so he remained outwardly calm.

"Well, young Ves worked for me," Conrad replied while taking another sip of tea. "And here I thought we hadn't let people with ulterior motives join us," Andrew replied, somewhat self-deprecatingly.

While it sounded like criticism of his employee selection process, Conrad wasn't stupid and could see Andrew's discontent, something he found not only troublesome but also dangerous.

Andrew wasn't a weak negotiator. In fact, he exuded a strong presence, especially within the Cannes Palace. However, Conrad was an experienced man and quickly clarified, "Mr. Andrew seems to be misunderstanding something."

"Really? What might that be?" Andrew asked, feigning curiosity, though no one believed his act; he wasn't trying to be convincing. He wanted them to feel his displeasure.

"The young man, Ves, worked for me, but that doesn't mean I asked him to come here to get closer to you," Conrad replied, to which Andrew, maintaining his same tone and attitude, asked, "Oh? No?"

"Of course not. I'm aware that doing so would only make our future relations more difficult," Conrad replied immediately, trying not to fall into Andrew's attitude. "Honestly, Mr. Conrad, I find it hard to believe you," Andrew continued, and Conrad went on justifying himself, "The boy wanted better opportunities and tried his luck."

Conrad paused briefly and added, "He got the job and said goodbye to me. Then he learned that you were looking for suppliers of firebird eggs and, knowing I am the largest distributor in the city, he approached me to show his qualities, maybe to earn a bonus."

"I see. So it's a simple coincidence that benefitted everyone," Andrew replied, still suspicious but not sounding as displeased as before. Conrad noticed Andrew's attitude change and nodded in confirmation.

With the change in attitude, Conrad saw his chance and tried to steer the conversation toward the negotiation, but Andrew was faster and asked, "Well, that doesn't matter. It's true I like your products and would like to acquire them from the source. Now, what do you want for them?" Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire

Though it seemed like a normal negotiation question, no one was foolish enough to believe it. Andrew was being aggressive and threatening. Through his tone and attitude, he was telling Conrad not to be greedy.

Conrad obviously understood the message, but he hadn't come here to be minimized. Sitting up straight, he said, "Mr. Andrew, intimidation is unnecessary. You want something of mine, and I want something of yours—there's no need for hostility."

Andrew smiled at his words, but instead of backing down and resuming the conversation more amicably, he did the opposite. Leaning forward to appear more intimidating, Andrew said, "What you say is true, but something tells me that what I have, which you want, is far more valuable than what I want from you."

After those words, there was another uncomfortable silence in the office. Even Gastón, who was the most experienced, didn't dare interfere, as even Aki, who wasn't very skilled in these matters, could see that an impressive negotiation was taking place.

Conrad had to admit he felt a bit intimidated by Andrew, but he managed to maintain his façade and said, "Well, Mr. Andrew, that's subjective," to which Andrew replied, "Oh, really?"

"Of course. It's true I only have firebird eggs, but they aren't easy or cheap to obtain, so it's just a matter of which value are we putting on them," Conrad replied, regaining his composure.

Andrew nodded as if agreeing since Conrad wasn't technically wrong, but he didn't intend to back down and asked, "Well, tell us, what does Mr. Conrad want from us in exchange for your products?"

"I see that Mr. Andrew doesn't like to beat around the bush, so I'll be direct. Like everyone who wishes to get close to you, I want to establish a connection with the Pixoy family," Conrad replied bluntly.

"More specifically?" Andrew continued, to which Conrad replied, "Business, Mr. Andrew. I am a merchant, so what I seek is expansion."

"That's odd. What more expansion could Mr. Conrad want?" Andrew asked, adding before Conrad could respond, "From what I know, you are the largest supplier of firebird eggs in the duchy."

"That may be true, but that doesn't mean I am the only one," Conrad replied, causing Andrew to frown. Sensing Andrew may have misinterpreted his words, Conrad clarified, "I don't intend to ask for the Pixoy family's help to make me the sole supplier of these goods."

At the comment, Andrew raised an eyebrow, prompting him to explain further, and Conrad explained, "What I want is support. If the Pixoy family endorses me, my competitors and enemies in the duchy will not interfere with my business."

"I see. I have to admit, it's not a bad proposal," Andrew said, finding Conrad's perspective acceptable, but before Conrad could celebrate this, Andrew spoke again, "Still, I think you're mistaken about something."

These words made Conrad frown, and he asked, "About what?" to which Andrew replied, "Indeed, I have a good relationship with the Pixoy family. You might even say we are friends, but that doesn't mean that one word from me would make them agree to support you."

"Mr. Andrew…" Conrad started to reply, but Andrew interrupted him, saying, "You, like most in the city, believe that because I am close to the Pixoy family, I have some influence over them, but that isn't the case."

Andrew paused and continued, "The truth is that we get along personally, but our relationship is based on the same thing as yours and mine—I have something that benefits them, so they help me, nothing more."

Conrad was reluctant to believe this. He thought Andrew was only putting up a front to gain better terms in the negotiation, but Conrad wouldn't let himself be deceived—or so he thought.

"If that's the case, then it seems we have no deal," Conrad said, trying to play the same game or at least the one he thought Andrew was playing. It was true that if Andrew recommended Conrad to the Pixoy family, they might show him favor and assist him, but what Andrew had said wasn't a lie.

The Pixoy family was only close to him because he was a candidate for a god, and they needed him in the future battle against the fallen god and his followers. While they had grown close, Andrew had no voice in their decisions.

Although this was a minor matter that could be handled, Andrew did not look kindly on Conrad's attitude of wanting to take advantage, so he preferred to end the negotiations here.

Initially, Candice didn't share this stance, but after thinking about it a bit, she understood why Andrew was doing this. If he yielded now, he would have to yield again in the future, which would not only make him look weak but could damage the relationship with the Pixoy family.

Conrad couldn't believe that Andrew wouldn't negotiate and was simply agreeing to part ways, but he held firm. He was convinced that Andrew would come looking for him again, and then he would have the upper hand.

Andrew didn't care what Conrad might be thinking. He simply stood up and extended his hand, saying, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Conrad." Though it wasn't the outcome he had hoped for, Conrad kept up appearances and shook Andrew's hand, replying, "The pleasure was mine."

After the brief handshake, Conrad left, and the office remained silent. Andrew took a sip of his now-cold tea and said, "The days when we had to tiptoe around are over. We've already passed the stage of being taken advantage of, now it's time for us to take advantage of others".