Chapter 656: Job at Risk
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Linda pondered for a while and finally decided to have a discussion with Luo Feng first, after all, this was just the beginning.
Only after initiating talks with Luo Feng could she consider moving on to deeper discussions with Eld.
“The price you’ve quoted is indeed challenging,” Linda began, “but it’s not entirely out of the question. I’ll discuss it with our boss and see if he’s interested. If he is, I’ll get back in touch.”
After saying her piece, Linda departed.
Luo Feng could discern from their interaction that Linda hadn’t genuinely intended to conduct business with him from the outset. Nevertheless, he wasn’t too bothered by it; after all, he was currently assisting Eld, so spending a little extra time was inconsequential.
On the other side, after her conversation with Luo Feng, Linda headed straight to Eld’s office.
“Eld, our shipment volume next month might need to be reduced, probably down to a third of what it used to be,” she announced.
Eld was stunned. A reduction to one-third was not a minor amount. “What’s going on? Are you unsatisfied with our company’s services in some
“Not at all,” Linda replied. “It’s just that we’ve found another logistics company whose pricing and services we’re quite pleased with, so we’re considering giving them a try.”
“But rest assured, the long-term contract we signed with you ensures that you’ll still get the base shipment volume as stipulated.”
As she spoke, Linda keenly observed Eld’s reactions. Yet, Eld remained composed, as if he wasn’t particularly concerned.
Unable to gauge his intentions, Linda added, “You might have heard of the new logistics company. They are called National Transport.”
By mentioning this, Linda was dropping less of a hint and more of a clear statement: she knew Eld was trying to undercut National Transport’s business. If he didn’t offer a competitive price, not only would he fail to snatch their customers, but he might also lose his existing ones.
Even with such an overt implication, Eld didn’t show the slightest intention of budging.
“In business,” Eld began, “we Americans value freedom above all else. Business dealings should be even freer.”
“If their services surpass ours and their prices undercut ours, then it’s our fault for not retaining customers. We’ll work on our shortcomings.”
Eld’s reaction left Linda perplexed. She’d heard that several companies had approached Eld in the past and successfully negotiated lower prices without much effort. Yet, despite her own strenuous efforts, Eld seemed unyielding.
“Manager Linda, do you have any other business here? If not, please leave. I have some pressing matters to attend to and probably won’t have the time to entertain you any longer,” Eld stated firmly.
Caught off guard by Eld’s resolute demeanor, Linda was unsure of how to respond and chose to leave.
Once outside, she immediately phoned her boss. Without a clear understanding of the situation, her boss merely piled on the pressure.
“Other companies have managed to reduce their logistics costs by at least 20%. I’m not asking for that much from you. If you can’t get 20%, can you at least negotiate a 10 to 15% reduction?”
“If you succeed, your bonus this year will be doubled. If you don’t, don’t bother coming to work! ”
The call ended abruptly. Faced with her boss’s demands, Linda felt overwhelmed.
Reluctantly, she approached Luo Feng once more. However, he showed no signs of yielding.
Linda tried everything, even resorting to her charm, which had always worked wonders in the past. But this time, Luo Feng remained unaffected.
Fearing the potential loss of her job, Linda grew desperate. After much effort, she managed to squeeze out a couple of tears.
“Mr. Luo,” she implored, “please help me out. Your price is even higher than the average market rate. It’s impossible for us to agree to such terms.”
“If you can’t agree, then seek partnerships elsewhere,” Luo Feng responded coolly. “To be honest, working with big corporations like yours puts us under immense nressnre-”
Realizing something, Linda asked, “Mr. Luo, you’re acquainted with Mr. Eld, aren’t you?”
Seeing that Linda was finally getting to the heart of the matter, Luo Feng decided not to beat around the bush. “Of course, I’m aware. After all, they’ve taken so much business away from us. It would be hard not to notice.”
“In that case, Mr. Luo,” Linda proposed, “even if you raise your prices slightly, just ensure they remain below their quotation, and I promise to entrust all our logistics to you.”
It was a significant concession on her part. Yet, even with such an offer, Luo
Feng calmly declined..
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