Chapter 19: Asking an Exorbitant Price and Haggling in Return

"You're too kind, it was just a small favor!" Chen Dabao scratched his head. Facing two faces more beautiful than flowers, he didn't even know where to look.

What a pure and innocent young man.

Huo Anni gave Chen Ya a teasing wink, causing Chen Ya to blush deeply and glare at her fiercely.

"Dabao, let's eat and talk!" Chen Ya quickly invited Chen Dabao to sit down. After a few bites, the atmosphere in the private room warmed up.

"Xiao Ya, where are these 'premium' strawberries you mentioned? You called me over in such a rush; if the quality is only average, I’m going to be mad at you!"

After some small talk, Huo Anni ate a few bites and got straight to the point. She had come today because Chen Ya called her yesterday, claiming to have discovered a type of premium strawberry that tasted better than any imported variety. That was exactly why Huo Anni had come.

"Just you wait!" Chen Ya turned and went upstairs, returning with a tray filled with large, red strawberries. As soon as Huo Anni saw them, her delicate eyebrows furrowed.

These strawberries were so large and red that they looked like they had been pumped with growth hormones. When treated with growth stimulants, strawberries grew large, and with a bit of sweetener, they became sugary and palatable. However, those were chemically induced, and you couldn’t fool someone who knew the industry.

"Xiao Ya, is this why you asked me to come?" Huo Anni said, sounding a bit displeased. "Dabao, I heard from Chen Ya that you grew these. Since you're a friend of hers, I won't treat you like an outsider, but I’ll be honest: these kinds of chemically-treated strawberries are everywhere. My store, Xianxian Fruits, doesn't sell this kind of produce!"

Chen Ya grew anxious and hurriedly tried to explain.

Chen Dabao shook his head, stopped her, and said, "Miss Huo, my strawberries have never been treated with chemicals. If you don't believe me, just try one and you'll see."

"Young man, I thought you were honest, but I didn't expect you to be so deceitful. There's no point in tasting these," Huo Anni said, shaking her head. She stood up, looking disappointed. "Xiao Ya, I have things to do at the company, so I'm leaving."

"Anni, we've been friends for so many years. Do you really think I’d lie to you? Just try one, and you’ll know whether Dabao is telling the truth or not!"

Chen Ya, frantic, grabbed Huo Anni and shoved a strawberry into her hand.

"You really are a romantic fool, losing your head the moment a man deceives you!" Huo Anni rolled her eyes at Chen Ya, but reluctantly picked up the strawberry. She valued integrity in business; she didn't deceive others, and she didn't like being deceived. Even if it was a supplier introduced by a long-time friend, she wouldn't hold back if the product was substandard.

"Stop talking nonsense. Just taste the fruit and be done with it. Why bring up other things?" Chen Ya blushed and glanced quickly at Chen Dabao. Seeing he had no reaction, she felt a strange sense of disappointment.

"Fine, I'll taste it. I’ll be blunt about whether it’s good or not, so don't get mad!" Huo Anni warned, then took a small bite.

The moment she bit into it, Huo Anni froze.

A sweet, rich flavor bloomed in her mouth, the intense fragrance of the strawberry stimulating her taste buds. The pure sweetness was addictive. Unable to resist, she popped the rest of the strawberry into her mouth.

Chemically-treated strawberries usually had nothing to offer besides size and sweetness, but this one was different. It was not only sweet but possessed an incredibly rich, fruity aroma. It was many times better than any ordinary strawberry. Based on Huo Anni's years of experience in the fruit industry, these were definitely not grown with chemicals. This was a heavenly fruit.

She ate another one, and then another. After several, she was certain: these were not ordinary market-grade strawberries. Milk strawberries, organic strawberries, imported strawberries—they were all just marketing gimmicks, and none could compare to these.

"Young man, what variety is this? Why is it so delicious?" Huo Anni’s eyes sparkled. She grabbed Chen Dabao's hand and asked excitedly, "Where did you get these?"

"They're just standard varieties, but the growing method is unconventional. I grew these myself," Chen Dabao replied.

"Standard? How is that possible?" Huo Anni looked at him in disbelief. She had never seen a standard strawberry taste this good.

"Anni, I wasn't lying, was I? I told you they were premium strawberries, but you didn't believe me!" Chen Ya struck while the iron was hot. "Dabao has two acres of strawberry fields, all of this premium quality. His strawberries are a bit expensive and hard to sell, so you two should collaborate!"

Huo Anni’s Xianxian Fruits catered to the high-end market, selling mostly imported or organic produce. Since Chen Dabao’s fruit was expensive, it would be difficult for him to sell them without a high-end partner.

"Young man, how many pounds can you supply daily? If I buy them all, what’s the lowest price you can give me?" Huo Anni suspected Chen Dabao wasn't telling the whole truth about the growing method, but she figured it was his trade secret, so she let it slide.

"Supplying two to three hundred pounds a day is no problem," Chen Dabao said calmly. "As for the price, I sell them to Sister Chen for fifty yuan a pound. If you're buying in bulk, I can give them to you for forty."

Fifty was the retail price; wholesale would obviously be lower. Still, he couldn't make them too cheap. That’s how business went—you start high and negotiate down.

"Forty is too expensive. During peak season, when dealers go to the countryside, they only pay around ten yuan a pound!" Huo Anni shook her head. "For this level of quality, I’ll offer you twenty yuan a pound, and I’ll take every bit you can produce."

"Miss Huo, fifteen to twenty is too low. Even ordinary strawberries retail for twenty or thirty yuan a pound in the city. You won't find strawberries like mine anywhere else. The lowest I can go is thirty-five."

Chen Dabao shook his head.

Chen Ya sipped her tea, unable to intervene. They were both her friends, so she had to let them negotiate.

"Brother Dabao, you're a friend of Chen Ya, which makes you my friend too. The quality is undeniable, but the harvest period is short, and they are hard to store. With this volume, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anyone else in Jiangcheng who can move this much product. A partnership is a win-win," Huo Anni said sincerely. "How about this: I’ll give you twenty-five yuan a pound. That’s already higher than the retail price of ordinary strawberries. What do you think?"

"Sister Anni, thirty yuan a pound. I’ll sign an exclusive supply agreement with you, guaranteeing I won't sell to anyone else," Chen Dabao said after a moment of consideration, naming his bottom line.

"Fine. Exclusive supply it is. Thirty it is. I'll prepare the contract!" Huo Anni took the initiative to reach out and shook Chen Dabao’s hand firmly.