With Shane agreeing on the 2.5 million gold coins exclusive retainer fee, Leo decided to move on to the second condition in their contract.
"I don't like the last bit where he makes us liable for not hitting production targets. I mean….what if we don't?" Leo whispered in Ben's ears, as Ben nodded his head in understanding.
Leo's concern about not meeting production targets was a genuine one since just like the two of them had no experience in the merchant industry, they had none in the manufacturing sector either.
The chance of them failing to hit a production target, especially during the start of their production operations was a real possibility and hence Leo decided to take that bit out of the contract, so that his profits stayed intact.
"Let me handle this one…" said Ben just as Leo was about to speak up, as Leo leaned back into his chair and gestured for Ben to speak when he took the initiative himself.
"Mr.Shane…. How about we loosen those production target rules. You see, we don't appreciate the part where it says our profit share will be reduced if we don't deliver…" Ben said, in the most thuggish yet professional way possible, as Shane could not make out whether Ben's statement was a threat or a request.
"I'm sorry, Sir Assassin, I mean, gentleman Ben, what exactly is your role in this company?" Asked Shane, as he genuinely wondered as to why one of the greatest assassin's of their time was suddenly involved in the merchant world?
"Seriously? Are you really that clueless?" Asked Ben, rolling his eyes as he pretended to be almost disgusted by that question.
"Let me answer that…." Said Leo, cutting Ben's speech mid-way as he volunteered to pitch in at this moment.
"Yes, please educate them Leo–" said Ben gesturing for him to speak up, as all the executives in the room paid absolute attention to the words coming out of Leo's mouth.
"Pardon Sir Ben's rudeness, but the name itself is evident isn't it? 'Ben Faulkner' and 'Mount Faulkner Trading Company'...." Leo said, stressing on the word 'Faulkner' , as immediately Shane's sweating became even more profuse when he finally realized the connection between Ben and the company.
"So he's a partner?" Shane asked, his voice trembling as he questioned whether partnering with a firm that counted Ben Faulkner among its founding members was a wise decision.
"No, but he's a benefactor. Although I own 100% of the company, Ben Faulkner has helped massively in the research and development of some of the poisons and hence I consider him to be a close ally.
It's because of his life experiences that I'm able to come up with these innovative products, so he deserves a lot of the credit" said Leo, as listening to his words Ben's nose tilted upwards.
Ben absolutely loved this filial disciple of his who never missed an opportunity to hype him up.
"So some of these poison recipes are brewed from the life experiences of Ben Faulkner?" Shane asked in elation, as while the rest of his staff was bewildered by this revelation, Shane found it to be the most wonderful thing ever.
Since Ben Faulkner was already an urban legend, Shane saw immense potential in leveraging Ben's notorious reputation to his advantage.
As a kingslayer and modern villain, Faulkner's name struck fear into the hearts of many. However, Shane recognized that what was a nightmare for the common people could be a goldmine for him.
The idea of marketing poisons under the label "created by the great Ben Faulkner" thrilled him.
He imagined the curiosity and allure that such a branding could generate as the fear and respect associated with Faulkner's name was sure to add a layer of mystique and danger to the products, making them irresistible to certain buyers.
All he needed to do was start a popular legend about the new products available at the White Tiger Group stores were crafted and used by Ben Faulkner himself and it was sure to attract customers to his stores like sugar crumbs attracted ants.
Shane understood that this storytelling approach, combined with Faulkner's legendary status, could lead to explosive sales and with his excellent business acumen, he identified this as an opportunity of a lifetime.
It was a chance at creating a niche yet highly lucrative market, and that opportunity excited Shane to no end.
"Well I mean yes, some of them are recipes that were passed down to Ben by his father" Leo said, as Ben shrugged his shoulders and agreed to Leo's words, not understanding what all the fuss was about.
"Hahaha, of course then…. Since the products are created by Mr.Faulkners life experiences, I can remove the condition where you will be penalized for not hitting production goals.
So now, regardless of when you deliver the goods, the profits will always be split equally, without you losing out at all" Shane said, as he readily accepted Leo's second condition as well, although it pained his heart to do so.
Should he not have been extremely interested in Leo's products, he would have never agreed to such an unfavorable deal, however, he understood that Leo's products were worth taking the risk, which is why he decided to be lenient and agree to the condition of not having any repercussions for failing to hit production targets.
'Huh, he said yes to the second condition too?' Leo wondered, as he suppressed his smile and looked towards Ben gleefully as his master gave him an 'O.K.' sign as if to say 'Look I handled it perfectly'.
To which Leo replied with a 'Heart' shaped sign as if to say, 'Oh wow master, you're the best'.
In Leo's mind, it was Ben who had managed to corner Shane into accepting their conditions with his excellent negotiation skills, however, in reality that was not the case at all and Shane had only agreed because he was that desperate to make a deal.
—-------
/// A/N - Bonus chapter for hitting the GT Target, good job everyone! ///