Chapter 703: Chapter 435: Agricultural Production_2
"This is, of course," Colin chuckled.
Relations thrive on reciprocity.
However... doubts suddenly arose in his heart because no power had approached him in recent days to negotiate grain transactions.
The celebration of White Flower Sea had just passed, and the pollution of the farmland had only been resolved a few days ago; perhaps they simply had not had the chance to come over yet.
After chatting a few more sentences with Nois, Colin excused himself and returned to Golden Barley.
...
"Master, Councilman Nickler is here again."
In Johnson’s study, the voice of a maid emanated from the crystal on the brand-new desk.
Johnson sat in an armchair, his eyes half-closed, perhaps because of recent troubles; his complexion looked noticeably worse than before.
"... Let him in."
After a while, Johnson rubbed his brow and said gently.
The Tate Family... in the end, was still an existence he could not afford to provoke.
Perhaps it would be best to act in good faith and let Nickler cancel the contract; after all... The act of cultivating farmland this time was destined to be a loss.
"Good afternoon, Councilman Johnson," Nickler strode in.
"Good afternoon, Councilman Nickler, I believe I roughly know the purpose of your visit; please sit down," Johnson straightened up, smiled, and gestured for him to take a seat.
"You’ve already made up your mind?" Seeing Johnson’s demeanor, Nickler was slightly pleased and asked with a smile.
"Last time, I was busy dealing with the farmland affairs, so I wasn’t able to respond in time. The Carmen Family has always been on good terms with the Tate Family, and of course, we would not let mere grain trade damage our relations," Johnson shook his head magnanimously.
But his heart was bleeding; as the direct leader of the farmland cultivation action, he was the primary person responsible for the losses... The cost paid was indescribable.
"Councilman Johnson’s statement is not without merit; the Carmen Family has indeed always been a good friend of the Tate Family," reassured by Johnson’s words, Nickler finally relaxed and chimed in, then added:
"Given that, why not cancel that contract right now?"
Johnson’s heart twitched, but his expression remained unchanged. He decisively pulled out the contract, placed it on the desk, ready to destroy it together with Nickler.
However, at that moment, a thought struck Johnson and he held the contract again.
"Councilman Johnson, what does this mean?" Nickler furrowed his brow.
"May I know how the Tate Family plan to manage next year’s grain supply since the contract is canceled?"
Nickler squinted his eyes, "The farmlands of the Tilamei Plain have all been restored, everything is as before; naturally, the grain supply will be as in previous years."
"Though the farmlands have been restored, to say that everything is as before might not necessarily be the case... Nowadays, the Tilamei Plain belongs to Councilman Colin," Johnson pushed the contract forward slightly and released his hand to continue:
"I have a proposal, would you care to hear it?"
Nickler took the contract in his hands, paused, and said, "If it concerns Councilman Colin, I’m quite interested to hear it."
Johnson smiled, "What I’d like to suggest is actually very straightforward—the Tate Family, have you considered changing your source of grain supply?"
"I’ve been exploring various lands and have nearly cultivated them all. Although limited by the cost, most have been abandoned, but the lands developed in the Keg Kingdom are still retained."
"Though not extensive, the grain produced would likely be less than half that of the Tilamei Plain, but it would still be more than enough for the Tate Family."
"Councilman Johnson... can offer a lower price for the grain?" Nickler toyed with the contract in his hands and asked.
"Exactly," Johnson said with a smile, nodding.
Holding the contract, Nickler weighed this carefully for a moment and smiled, "If we can secure a grain deal at a price lower than in previous years, the Tate Family has no reason not to choose your offer."
"Then it’s settled; shall you now on behalf of the Tate Family sign a letter of intent with me for purchasing grain?" Johnson laughed and pulled out a new contract.
As he had said, most of the farmlands cultivated this time, due to poor geographical conditions, had been abandoned after the restoration of the Tilamei Plain farmlands—
After all, if they persisted in cultivating food in those places, the input to output ratio would surely not match that of the Tilamei Plain. If the Tilamei Plain farmlands had not been restored, a higher input would not have mattered, as food is always essential, and setting the price a bit higher wouldn’t scare anyone away.
But now, continuing to farm those lands would not be a wise choice, as the grain produced would likely cost more than that of the Tilamei Plain and might not sell; and if priced the same, it might still incur losses.
However, aside from those not-worth-cultivating farmlands, they had discovered some with favorable geographical conditions this time.
The input to output ratio of these farmlands was in no way inferior to the vast majority of the Tilamei Plain, and they were now capable of competing!
Of course, this was predicated on securing a market share originally belonging to the Tilamei Plain.
"Councilman Nickler?"
Thinking this, Johnson’s smile grew more enthusiastic as he pushed the new contract across.
Nickler’s eyes flickered... If he could secure a cheaper grain supply channel for the family, perhaps this could make up for past mistakes.
But thinking of Colin, he hesitated before saying, "I cannot decide this matter alone; I need to go back and consult with the Family Council."
Despite Colin being a half-blood wizard whom he despised, he also dared not underestimate him.