Product Differentiation.
Xiulan had been spending her time since the duel doing some market research with the system. It was interesting to see the price of iron ore fluctuate as a new boat unloaded from the Knag or Zhao families.
The main problem in displacing the Kangs was that buyers in temple gorge and down river in the capital did not discriminate in who they were buying their ore from. Kang or Zhao ore from the mountains at the river’s source or Rockcreek the only difference to the price was the weight sold.
That was why the Zhao’s had been losing ground to the Kang’s despite being more established. The Zhaos had a drop in their production of raw goods and that drop directly translated into a loss of business.
What the Zhaos needed was product differentiation. A brand name was the only real way to plant a stronger foot in the iron ore market. Xiulan had a few ideas of how to accomplish that but first she needed to come to an agreement with the Zhao Patriarch.
Long Yanlin was standing behind her shoulder and whispering the conditions of the Kang mining operation into Xiulan’s ear as Patriarch Zhao waited for her to begin their talk.
…”looks of it the Kang Clan has some kind of hold over the local administrator of Rockcreek. All of their mines are sub-contracted from the local government on very favourable terms. Whatever their leverage is remove that piece and the Kang Clan does not have very deep roots. The contracts are about to expire but the last time that happened the contracts were renewed without any change in the price.”
Xiulan tapped her finger and then wrote out a note for Yanlin. The note was brief it contained a symbol for the Zhao family as well as the symbol for gold that she had taken as her own.
Xiulan whispered back, “show that to the administrator and tell him that new friends are outthere if he has any difficulties. Also give him this,” Xiulan handed over a bag of several thousand gold coins.
Xiulan had deliberately performed this exchange in front of Patriarch Zhao to give him the impression that she was a mover and shaker. When Xiulan finished her instructions Yanlin disappeared into the shadows.
Xiulan smiled at Patriarch Zhao, “well lord Zhao now we can talk about business.”
Patriarch Zhao looked unwilling to start the conversation but despite his family’s long presence in Temple Gorge at this moment he had less presteige than this strange woman who had flipped the city on its head.
“What exactly do you have against the Kang Clan? Are they just a convenient punching bag so that you can show off prestige in the city?”
Xiulan laughed, strangely enough the was deep and throaty. Such a sound should not have come from a petite woman but rather a fat merchant.
“You need not worry I do not intend to fight against the whole cities established order of the city. I had a pre-existing grudge against the kang Clan.”
Patriarch Zhao frowned, “The Bai clan might argue differently those qi gathering pills of yours are badly affecting their medical business.”
Xiulan shrugged, “that is just market competition I am not even pulling any tricks against them. If they cannot improve their products, then they should blame themselves. Besides I think with the state of your own family’s affairs you should be more interested in what I have to offer than the Bai Clan.”
Patriarch Zhao admitted the point, “so what is it that you have to offer?”
Xiulan replied, “First I assume your drop in production is temporary?”
Patriarch Zhao waved his hand as if to dismiss the matter, “of course we are just opening up a new seam and have devoted our resources to that.”
Xiulan smiled, “great then my proposal is this give me the first shipment of that new seam and exclusive right to its use for one week and I will ensure that your ore will always outsell the Kang’s. if I deliver on this promise, I want a one percent cut from the profits of every one of your ore mines. Both the existing mines and the new ones that I will deliver once the Kangs are ousted.”
Patriarch Zhao narrowed his eyes, “why not just take the mines for yourself if you are so sure to remove the Kang’s from their territory?”
Xiulan sighed, “I am not interested in running a series of mines. I Patriarch Zhao am in the business of making money not in the business of operating a logistical nightmare.”
Patriarch Zhao smiled he liked this woman and decided to test the waters, “alliances such as this are usually sealed by marriage. I have a son who…”
Xiulan cut him off, “I am not one of the clans patriarch Zhao the only need to ensure my loyalty is good business.”
Patriarch Zhao shrugged, “The deal sounds fair to me if you can deliver the kind of market you claim to be able to. The new seam will start to ship iron in around a week. I will have it sent here?”
Xiulan shook her head, “I will inform you of the delivery address in a few days I need to make some more arrangements.”
Patriarch Zhao rose to his feet and bowed, “I will await a message from your shadowy servant then.”
Xiulan stood to return the bow and as Patriarch Zhao turned to leave she added, “one last thing Patriarch Zhao once you have the mines do not think that I have no leverage. The fate of the Kangs should be enough of a warning that I am not an enemy you wish to have.”
Patriarch Zhao paused but did not reply. He then strode off as if the threat had not been made. Xiulan was sure he would take it to heart despite his apparent nonchalance.
Yen Wen moved out from behind a pillar and made her way to Xiulan. She picked the smaller woman up and taking her seat for herself placed Xiulan on her lap.
“Not tempted by the marriage offer,” Yen wen teased, “I hear that the young master of the Zhao family is a one in a lifetime genious of cultivation in the city.”
Xiulan rolled her eyes and caught Yen Wen’s chin in her hand. She kissed Yen Wen aggressively and growled into her mouth, “he would not have the right parts to please me.”
Xiulan let go of Yen Wen’s chin and addressed the now panting woman, “I think we are going to need more guards for our business now. Zheng Ling’s practice might be targeted by agents of the Bai clan any day now we should be prepared. Can you train a few reliable people. Handpicked from those with potential unwilling to join the army?”
Yen Wen nodded but looked apprehensive, “I am not sure if I should teach them my technique. I am not sure if you realize this but a heaven grade technique is not common place. If you go around teaching that grade of technique indiscriminately you will draw the wrong kind of attention. The only other clan I have heard of with a technique of that grade is the royal clan.”
Xiulan had not considered that but nodded, “okay I will figure out something else. Just find the personal for now. The most important quality is loyalty everything else can be trained.”
Yen wen left to go and find some guards and Xiulan was left to her own devices. The problem with this philosophy of doing no work herself was that it left her very bored when her lovers where away.
She idly started to browse through the local weapons market on the system. At least she could entertain herself by planning her next moves.
Product Differentiation.
Xiulan had been spending her time since the duel doing some market research with the system. It was interesting to see the price of iron ore fluctuate as a new boat unloaded from the Knag or Zhao families.
The main problem in displacing the Kangs was that buyers in temple gorge and down river in the capital did not discriminate in who they were buying their ore from. Kang or Zhao ore from the mountains at the river’s source or Rockcreek the only difference to the price was the weight sold.
That was why the Zhao’s had been losing ground to the Kang’s despite being more established. The Zhaos had a drop in their production of raw goods and that drop directly translated into a loss of business.
What the Zhaos needed was product differentiation. A brand name was the only real way to plant a stronger foot in the iron ore market. Xiulan had a few ideas of how to accomplish that but first she needed to come to an agreement with the Zhao Patriarch.
Long Yanlin was standing behind her shoulder and whispering the conditions of the Kang mining operation into Xiulan’s ear as Patriarch Zhao waited for her to begin their talk.
…”looks of it the Kang Clan has some kind of hold over the local administrator of Rockcreek. All of their mines are sub-contracted from the local government on very favourable terms. Whatever their leverage is remove that piece and the Kang Clan does not have very deep roots. The contracts are about to expire but the last time that happened the contracts were renewed without any change in the price.”
Xiulan tapped her finger and then wrote out a note for Yanlin. The note was brief it contained a symbol for the Zhao family as well as the symbol for gold that she had taken as her own.
Xiulan whispered back, “show that to the administrator and tell him that new friends are outthere if he has any difficulties. Also give him this,” Xiulan handed over a bag of several thousand gold coins.
Xiulan had deliberately performed this exchange in front of Patriarch Zhao to give him the impression that she was a mover and shaker. When Xiulan finished her instructions Yanlin disappeared into the shadows.
Xiulan smiled at Patriarch Zhao, “well lord Zhao now we can talk about business.”
Patriarch Zhao looked unwilling to start the conversation but despite his family’s long presence in Temple Gorge at this moment he had less presteige than this strange woman who had flipped the city on its head.
“What exactly do you have against the Kang Clan? Are they just a convenient punching bag so that you can show off prestige in the city?”
Xiulan laughed, strangely enough the was deep and throaty. Such a sound should not have come from a petite woman but rather a fat merchant.
“You need not worry I do not intend to fight against the whole cities established order of the city. I had a pre-existing grudge against the kang Clan.”
Patriarch Zhao frowned, “The Bai clan might argue differently those qi gathering pills of yours are badly affecting their medical business.”
Xiulan shrugged, “that is just market competition I am not even pulling any tricks against them. If they cannot improve their products, then they should blame themselves. Besides I think with the state of your own family’s affairs you should be more interested in what I have to offer than the Bai Clan.”
Patriarch Zhao admitted the point, “so what is it that you have to offer?”
Xiulan replied, “First I assume your drop in production is temporary?”
Patriarch Zhao waved his hand as if to dismiss the matter, “of course we are just opening up a new seam and have devoted our resources to that.”
Xiulan smiled, “great then my proposal is this give me the first shipment of that new seam and exclusive right to its use for one week and I will ensure that your ore will always outsell the Kang’s. if I deliver on this promise, I want a one percent cut from the profits of every one of your ore mines. Both the existing mines and the new ones that I will deliver once the Kangs are ousted.”
Patriarch Zhao narrowed his eyes, “why not just take the mines for yourself if you are so sure to remove the Kang’s from their territory?”
Xiulan sighed, “I am not interested in running a series of mines. I Patriarch Zhao am in the business of making money not in the business of operating a logistical nightmare.”
Patriarch Zhao smiled he liked this woman and decided to test the waters, “alliances such as this are usually sealed by marriage. I have a son who…”
Xiulan cut him off, “I am not one of the clans patriarch Zhao the only need to ensure my loyalty is good business.”
Patriarch Zhao shrugged, “The deal sounds fair to me if you can deliver the kind of market you claim to be able to. The new seam will start to ship iron in around a week. I will have it sent here?”
Xiulan shook her head, “I will inform you of the delivery address in a few days I need to make some more arrangements.”
Patriarch Zhao rose to his feet and bowed, “I will await a message from your shadowy servant then.”
Xiulan stood to return the bow and as Patriarch Zhao turned to leave she added, “one last thing Patriarch Zhao once you have the mines do not think that I have no leverage. The fate of the Kangs should be enough of a warning that I am not an enemy you wish to have.”
Patriarch Zhao paused but did not reply. He then strode off as if the threat had not been made. Xiulan was sure he would take it to heart despite his apparent nonchalance.
Yen Wen moved out from behind a pillar and made her way to Xiulan. She picked the smaller woman up and taking her seat for herself placed Xiulan on her lap.
“Not tempted by the marriage offer,” Yen wen teased, “I hear that the young master of the Zhao family is a one in a lifetime genious of cultivation in the city.”
Xiulan rolled her eyes and caught Yen Wen’s chin in her hand. She kissed Yen Wen aggressively and growled into her mouth, “he would not have the right parts to please me.”
Xiulan let go of Yen Wen’s chin and addressed the now panting woman, “I think we are going to need more guards for our business now. Zheng Ling’s practice might be targeted by agents of the Bai clan any day now we should be prepared. Can you train a few reliable people. Handpicked from those with potential unwilling to join the army?”
Yen Wen nodded but looked apprehensive, “I am not sure if I should teach them my technique. I am not sure if you realize this but a heaven grade technique is not common place. If you go around teaching that grade of technique indiscriminately you will draw the wrong kind of attention. The only other clan I have heard of with a technique of that grade is the royal clan.”
Xiulan had not considered that but nodded, “okay I will figure out something else. Just find the personal for now. The most important quality is loyalty everything else can be trained.”
Yen wen left to go and find some guards and Xiulan was left to her own devices. The problem with this philosophy of doing no work herself was that it left her very bored when her lovers where away.
She idly started to browse through the local weapons market on the system. At least she could entertain herself by planning her next moves.
