892: Chapter 882: Formal Negotiations 892: Chapter 882: Formal Negotiations Questions that must be asked will be asked, and those that mustn’t, cannot be asked.
Where the cargo is to be transported from and to, that’s a question that must be asked; however, who owns the cargo and who will take possession of it at the destination, these must never be asked—it’s taboo, and naturally, Gao Yang had no desire to know.
In theory, asking what the cargo is would also be off-limits, but since the type and value of the goods being escorted determined the level of danger involved in the transportation process, it wasn’t considered too excessive or impertinent to inquire.
As for whether any official government was involved, some Mercenary Groups didn’t care, but Gao Yang cared deeply.
He had a principle: never get involved with the official government, no matter the country, whether it was powerful or weak.
Hence, this was a detail he had to clarify.
Knowing what one shouldn’t could be lethal.
Knowing some detail that should have remained hidden, especially if it involved the official government, and getting oneself entangled in it, that was a surefire way to end up dead.
Regardless of what others thought, Gao Yang’s belief in this was always steadfast.
Understanding Gao Yang’s concerns, Tomler assured him solemnly, “I can guarantee it, and I stand by my word, that this matter absolutely does not involve any official government!”
Once he said this, Tomler’s tone became gentler, “As for the location, you just need to pick up the goods near Baghdad, Iraq, and then escort them to Aleppo.
The pickup might be a bit troublesome—the convoy is stuck there and doesn’t dare move.
Moreover, the journey won’t be peaceful, given Iraq’s situation, you know.
Of course, it won’t be very calm in Syrian territory either, but I think a commission of fifteen million dollars is reasonable.”
Gao Yang remained silent for a moment.
The amount was indeed not low; in fact, it was excessively high, which must be related to the value of the cargo.
It was frustrating not to know what the cargo was, but he could still inquire about who was paying.
According to the usual practice, Tomler should first collect the money from the client, deduct the referral fee, and then pay the Satan Mercenary Corps.
However, Tomler had not mentioned his cut.
Gao Yang shrugged his shoulders and said, “So, how is the commission paid?
How much commission do I owe you, and may I ask who the payer is?”
Gao Yang had to dive into detail as he couldn’t reveal what the cargo was, and Tomler, knowing Gao Yang’s considerations, also knew what Gao Yang wanted to find out by asking these questions.
After hesitating for a moment, Tomler nodded and explained, “Here’s the deal: This job is a favor you’re doing for me, so I obviously won’t take any commission on my end.
As for the payment method, I’ll pay an upfront deposit of five million dollars.
The rest will be paid upon the arrival of the goods—cash only.
And as for the financier, they are Arab people.
That’s all I can reveal.”
After finishing, Tomler stood up and smiled, “How come the coffee still hasn’t arrived?
Please wait a moment, gentlemen, I will go and see what’s going on with the coffee.”
Tomler was certainly not concerned about the mere delay of two cups of coffee.
He had laid out all the facts, and now he needed to give Gao Yang and Little Donnie a chance to discuss whether to take on the task.
Even if they couldn’t agree to take the job immediately, they needed to come to a conclusion quickly on whether the job was worth considering.
After Tomler left the office, Gao Yang immediately said, “Can we take it?”
Little Donnie, stroking his chin, replied, “It sounds doable.
Iraq and Syria are chaotic, but it’s not impossible to take the job.
The only problem is that we don’t know what the cargo is, and that makes it difficult.
However, since the cargo is being sent to Syria, it’s definitely for the Rebel Army.
With that in mind, it’s not too hard to guess what the cargo is.”
Gao Yang said in a grave tone, “It’s definitely not weapons.
The arms dealers would love to settle down in Syria, as they deliver weapons directly there.
And how many covert arms shipments from the Americans are there?
Since it’s not going to be weapons, what else could it be?
Let me think, if it’s not weapons and the commission is this high, it must be something of great value.”
Little Donnie laughed and said, “Think about who supports the Syrian Rebel Army, and then tie it to the fact that the financial backer is an Arab person.
The cargo is small but extremely valuable, and it can’t be transported by an attention-grabbing large force.
So what could it be?”
Gao Yang laughed and said, “It seems we have the same answer.
Aside from money, I can’t think of anything else.”
Little Donnie nodded and said, “That’s correct, it has to be money, a lot of money!
Those wealthy Arab people want to support the Syrian Rebel Army, so they need to discreetly and safely get the money into the hands of the Rebels.
Direct cash is the safest way.”
Gao Yang scratched his head and remarked, “This is tricky.
A commission of 15 million dollars is a big business deal, but if we are transporting cash, and the entire route is through the most tumultuous regions in the world, that’s problematic.”
Little Donnie gave a bitter smile, “You’re the Boss, and the risk is yours to take, so I can’t offer any advice.”
Gao Yang pondered seriously for a moment, then said in a solemn voice, “The risk is bearable, provided that we come to an agreement with Tomler.
If we encounter irresistible factors, such as scenarios that exceed the capabilities of a super small mercenary group and the mission fails, we will return the deposit, but we cannot be held responsible for any losses.”
Little Donnie said, “Of course.
They’re looking for a super small mercenary group, so they can’t expect us to deal with situations only a large army could handle.
Also, the commission has to go up.
There has been one failure already, and even by industry standards, the commission should be increased, not insignificantly either.
At least 20 million USD.
I think that’s still quite certain.”
Gao Yang said in a deep voice, “Alright, you handle the matter of the price, with 20 million USD as the bottom line.
If Tomler agrees, we can seriously consider it.
As long as no one objects, we’ll take on this mission.”
In someone else’s office, you have to consider the possibility of devices like bugs.
This was entirely possible, and Gao Yang and his team had already said everything they could.
Nothing more could be said, at least not in Tomler’s office.
Little Donnie nodded, didn’t speak any further with Gao Yang, and instead, bowed his head to contemplate the negotiation tactics he would employ shortly.
Tomler had given them ten minutes to discuss and consider.
After ten minutes, he tapped lightly on the door and then pushed it open, entering the office, and said with a smile, “I’m very sorry, the coffee needed to be ground fresh, which caused some delay.”
After the secretary served the coffee and left again, Gao Yang dropped two sugar cubes into his cup, stirred it, lifted the coffee, and took a sip before raising his eyebrows and remarking, “Not bad at all, definitely worth the wait.”
Gao Yang wouldn’t speak again.
He had entrusted the rest of the matter entirely to Little Donnie.
If Little Donnie struck a deal, it was struck; if not, there was no need for further discussion with him.
After sipping his coffee and expressing his admiration, he conveyed this message to Tomler.
Then, Gao Yang began to focus solely on enjoying his coffee.
In fact, the coffee was rather mediocre, far behind what Nate Schumacher brewed, and possibly was just instant.
Of course, this wasn’t at all important.
Little Donnie didn’t even pick up his coffee.
He smiled and said, “Mr.
Tomler, we are very interested in this mission you’ve offered, but we need to reach a consensus internally, so I’m sorry that we cannot give you a definite response immediately.
Additionally, there are two key issues regarding the mission that need to be addressed.”
People in negotiations don’t drink coffee, so Tomler didn’t touch the cup in front of him either.
Tomler chuckled, “I understand.
The mission obviously requires consensus, haha.
But what do you think are the key issues that need to be resolved?”
Little Donnie smiled and said, “Thank you for your understanding.
Also, regarding the mission’s commission, it seems there is room for discussion.”
The reason why Little Donnie first mentioned his interest and the need for internal discussions, followed by the need to resolve key issues, was clear.
If the issues were resolved, they could reach consensus.
If the issues couldn’t be resolved, or the resolutions were unsatisfactory, then whether a consensus could be reached was unknown.
Tomler was very clear on what was needed, Little Donnie’s suggestion wasn’t excessive, and it wouldn’t make sense if a mission that had already failed once didn’t result in a higher commission.
That was the industry standard.
So Tomler readily agreed, “May I ask what your bottom line is?”
Little Donnie didn’t ask for an exorbitant amount.
He said solemnly, “20 million USD.”
Tomler nodded, “That’s a quarter more, a bit of a large increment, but it’s not a problem.
I can ask the employer to see if they agree.
Maybe as soon as I bring it up, the employer might offer even more themselves, haha.
Alright, you can now address the other key issue.”
Little Donnie spoke firmly, “If we encounter a situation we cannot handle, one that exceeds our capabilities, regardless of whether we are annihilated or retreat safely, we cannot be held responsible for the failure, or be asked for compensation.”
After speaking, Little Donnie added with a smile, “Of course, if the mission fails, we will certainly return the deposit.
And believe me, the Satan Mercenary Corps’ tolerance to threats, as well as our handling outcomes in any situation, will definitely exceed your highest expectations for a super small mercenary group.”
Tomler responded seriously, “That’s a fair request, and I must agree.
Because I believe in Satan’s capabilities and professional ethics.
Actually, your reputation has always been very good.
If you must abandon the mission, then surely it must be a situation that a super small mercenary group absolutely cannot handle.
I have no doubt about that.”
Tomler’s attitude was very positive, the negotiation proceeded smoothly, and it was quite pleasant.
Little Donnie smiled, “Thank you very much for your understanding, Mr.
Tomler.
I have now finished stating our requirements.”
Having presented their demands, it was naturally Tomler’s turn to present his.
Leaning forward, Tomler spoke earnestly, “The only demand from my side and the employer’s is speed.
You must get to Baghdad, Iraq as quickly as possible, and then deliver the goods to Syria with utmost speed.
That’s the only requirement, and the most crucial one.”
That was reasonable.
As Tomler was so cooperative, clearly because he was in a difficult spot, Little Donnie promptly said, “Okay, we will get back to you as soon as possible.
Please wait for my call; I believe I will be able to give you an answer very shortly.”
Since the demand was for urgency, they couldn’t waste any time.
Little Donnie and Gao Yang nearly stood up at the same time, and Gao Yang said with a smile, “Since time is of the essence, let’s not delay any longer, Mr.
Tomler.
Thank you for inviting us over, and for the coffee.
We’ll take our leave now.” (To be continued.
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