Ku Qin Zemin left the lift, heading straight for Ming Jia Ying. To some of the guards nearby it seemed that he was brazenly challenging the girl to detonate the surrounding blasting caps as they prepared to intervene in the conflict. Truthfully, Ku Qin Zemin had simply forgotten about their existence the second he saw Ming Jia Ying.
As his cousins continued to watch with dumbfounded expressions Ku Qin Zemin reached Ming Jia Ying's side. He lightly reached for her hand, carrying it away from the detonator as he guided her to her feet. Now face to face their eyes met and their hearts beat as one. The rising rhythm gently pulsed through the ground because Ming Jia Ying failed to maintain control over her breathing and Chi.
Ming Jia Ying nuzzled into the palm of Ku Qin Zemin's hand as it cupped her cheek. “Is this real? Are you actually here?” he asked, but the warmth of her blushing face against his hand was all the confirmation he needed. He leaned forward and lightly kissed her forehead. Tears filled his eyes and his voice hovered on the edge of cracking, “I thought you died. I was told you still lived, of course. We even exchanged letters. But I'd been so worried this was all just a pleasant dream. Seeing you again was a wish I thought would never come true.”
Ku Yu Zhengzhong approached the couple and elbowed Ku Qin Zemin in the ribs, “You sneaky bastard. I know our families don't always see eye to eye, but to think I wouldn't even warrant an invite to your wedding. Or were you worried she might know a better deal when she saw it?” His tone made it clear it was a jest, but the way he puffed up with pride was real.
Ku Qin Zemin wasn't the one to answer though. “The Ku Yu branch loves their little deals, don't they? Zemin and I are a long term investment, not something you'd know anything about. You Ku Yus are always chasing quick profits, never satisfied with what you have. No wonder your father is on his... sixth wife, was it? And how many heirs does he have now in case the current deal proves unprofitable?”
Tsubame whistled, this was a side of the young girl she'd never seen before. Ku Yu Zhengzhong was unprepared for Ming Jia Ying's rebuttal and was left deflated. Before he could respond Ku Qin Zemin stepped in, “No need to make things personal, Cousin Zhengzhong was just joking. And Cousin, there was no wedding, at least not yet. Now, lets start over and I'll introduce you. Ying'er this is Ku Yu Zhengzhong, my cousin, and over there is another of my cousins, Crown Prince Ku Xue. Cousins, it is my pleasure to introduce my fiance, Ming Jia Ying.”
Hearing Ku Qin Zemin use her mother's nickname for her made Ming Jia Ying's receding blush return in full force. Ku Xue and Ku Yu Zhengzhong each gave slight bows dripping in formality from years at court. The surrounding guards breathed a collective sigh of relief, they had not been looking forward to intervening in matters between the young masters of the Ku Clan.
Feeling that there was no longer any immediate threat Ku Xue began moving the carts of silver off the platform, but Tsubame called out to stop him, “Wait just a moment your princeliness. We might all be friends here, but that doesn't change the fact were opponents in this competition. So, unless we come to some sort of agreement, you'll just have to wait your turn.”
Ming Jia Ying gently removed herself from Ku Qin Zemin's embrace. “She's right. Qin has already begun our transaction with the quartermaster. Xiaobo has given us the authority to trade on his behalf. His fifteen carts plus our eleven means yours will sell at a two hundred and sixty point discount when we're done.” Ku Yu Zhengzhong's face visibly blanched at the mention of lost profits as Ming Jia Ying turned to face him before continuing, “Unless you'd like to make us an offer.”
Ku Yu Zhengzhong thought for a moment before proposing a deal, “Sell our carts at the end. We'll take the base value and we can split the bonus points from your bulk multiplier.” Ku Wang Xiaobo couldn't help but snicker while Ming Jia Ying and Tsubame wore knowing smiles. Flabbergasted and appalled, Ku Yu Zhengzhong demanded, “What's so funny?”
Tsubame turned to Ku Wang Xiaobo and fought back a laugh of her own as she asked, “Would you like to do the honors?”
Ku Wang Xiaobo nodded as he got his laugh mostly under control before addressing his cousins, “On the carriage ride over Qin predicted you'd make that exact offer almost word for word and here's his counter: 'We'll alternate selling one of theirs and one of ours. Each group gets the full value from their carts, but they have to give us their bulk multiplier and point boosters to use from the start.' As you can tell Qin saw through your ploy of cleverly stating 'our' bulk multiplier would be split so you could save 'yours' for the end and cut us out. However, I believe his counter was more than fair. So, dear cousins, do we have a deal?”
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Ku Yu Zhengzhong's eyes bore into Ku Wang Xiaobo. After years of acting as his lackey Ku Wang Xiaobo's desire to avoid that stare borderlined on instinct, but he confidently held his gaze. Then there was a shift, it was akin to a look of recognition. For years Ku Yu Zhengzhong's glances at him held nothing but contempt. Something Ku Wang Xiaobo had always attributed to his ancestry, but now he knew it was because of how he'd been acting. Now that he was standing up for himself Ku Yu Zhengzhong could finally see someone worthy of being his cousin, his family. Ku Yu Zhengzhong didn't say a word, he just held out his hand. As Ku Wang Xiaobo took it to shake on the deal there was another subtle shift in Ku Yu Zhengzhong's gaze, a hint of respect.
“Well, now that's settled let's get these carts moving,” Tsubame said as she moved to help Ku Xue unload. “By the way, how many carts do you have?”
Ku Xue spoke as he tallied them up, “Between the three of us we came in with seventeen. We got two off the first team we encountered, another off the second, and two more off the third, so twenty two all together.”
Ming Jia Ying and Ku Qin Zemin stayed behind to collect the next set of carts while the rest delivered the first batch to Lin Liqin. Upon arriving at the quartermaster's office Ku Yu Zhengzhong handed over his team's bulk multiplier and point boosters with a smirk, “You're a tough negotiator.”
Seeing that Tsubame had removed her mask Lin Liqin did the same, then ran his fingers through his hair before giving the young man a wink, “Just imagine the deal I'd have gotten if I'd been there.”
The quartermaster was a woman this time. Lin Liqin handed her the additional tokens with a smile and she nearly swooned. Tsubame teased from the side, “Perhaps you should put your mask back on so she can focus on her work.”
The quartermaster blushed at her words but collected herself, stating in a somewhat forced professional tone, “That's two bulk multipliers and five point boosters. Your first cart will be worth one thousand points. Are you ready to begin?”
“One moment. Tsu, how many carts did they have?” Lin Liqin asked.
“Twenty two.”
“In that case we'll sell one of ours first, since we have more. Consider it a courtesy on behalf of your brother.” Lin Liqin was addressing Ku Xue, but Ku Yu Zhengzhong gave a slight humph because he thought he meant Ku Shen. Ku Xue however connected the dots, he'd been curious how Ming Jia Ying had come to be here, but if these people were Ku Wei's friends it made more sense.
Ku Yu Zhengzhong nearly choked when he heard Ku Xue's polite tone, “Pass along my regards when you next see him.”
Lin Liqin just nodded before returning to the quartermaster. Ku Xue and Ku Yu Zhengzhong were very curious how this other group had transported twenty six carts so quickly without traveling through the mines, but as they looked around they didn't spot any carts other than their own. Under their questioning gaze Lin Liqin produced a bar of silver from within his jacket, and then another, and another. They continued to watch in slack jawed surprise as an ever growing stack of silver was placed on the table before the quartermaster.
The quartermaster for her part was the picture of professionalism despite the magical way in which silver continued to appear before her. When Lin Liqin placed the twentieth bar she moved them to a scale to confirm that it was the intended twenty kilograms. The readings came back affirmative and she noted it down on her clipboard before motioning for them to continue.
After the first five carts the price increased to four thousand a cart due to the bulk multipliers. However, something unexpected happened after the tenth cart was processed. “The rest of your carts will be purchased for five thousand points,” the quartermaster stated offhandedly.
Lin Liqin tilted his head in confusion, but maintained his smile, “If my math is right, shouldn't the next set go for sixteen thousand?”
“Oh, I'm sorry, but didn't they tell you that there is a limit on the prices? They can't fall below a hundred and fifty or exceed five thousand.”
The others looked annoyed at this, but Lin Liqin and Ku Yu Zhengzhong were truly troubled. They'd both done the calculations and this change would force them to give up on millions of points. “Is there anything that can be done?” Lin Liqin asked as he lightly placed his hand on the back of the quartermaster's.
The quartermaster blushed and wouldn't meet his eyes, but made no attempt to withdraw her hand. “I wish I could help, but I'm not sure what I can do...”
Sensing that she was wavering Ku Yu Zhengzhong interjected, “They're just points. It's not like they cost the military anything. We invested plenty of points in those multipliers and boosters without any mention of a cap. Could you give me and the other Ku Clan heirs present some face? How about we set the price for the remaining carts at the sixteen thousand we were expecting and call it a day?”
“I... Well... Okay...” the quartermaster stammered.
Once the transaction was complete Ku Yu Zhengzhong walked away with a receipt for 286,000 points for his alliance while Ku Shen's Lesson Three and Ku Wang Xiaobo would be splitting 347,000.