Chapter 393: Aggressive Negotiations Part III
Silence persisted between the two men of power longer than anyone could have possibly anticipated. Even Bruno himself was shocked by how long it took the Austro-Hungarian Emperor to finally make a sound.
For a moment, he even thought the man had strained his mind so much that, in his old age, he had suffered an aneurysm and died on the spot. But in the end, Franz Joseph sighed, completely relenting to Bruno’s terms as he did so.
"All right... Fine, consider me convinced... I really hate to say it, but I think I have no other choice... Name your price, and so long as you can fulfill your end of the bargain, I will pay it in full when the job is concluded!"
Bruno smirked as he stood up, straightening his jacket. There was no reason to settle on a price now. No, as a businessman, he knew that unexpected costs could arise in any process, and with the vast wealth of the Habsburg family, there was no reason not to exploit that reality.
As a result, he was quick to extend his hand in friendship while also stating his final terms.
"When the job is complete, I will send you an itemized bill of all our expenses, which can be paid in full upon fulfillment of our agreement or in payments over an agreed-upon time if it turns out to be more than you originally anticipated.
Like I previously said, war isn’t cheap, but you can rest assured you will be given the greatest combat force that money can possibly buy. And yes, these professionals are indeed exceptional at their jobs.
Whether fighting the organized army of another nation or rooting out guerrillas and irregulars, I assure you, the job will be done to a standard so clean and proficient that you might consider hiring a company of my men full-time as advisors to your Leibgarde.
Now, if my terms are acceptable, you can shake my hand. I will let the men know that they are in business, and they will send over a formal contract within the hour. After that, you can expect them to have already begun operations by the time you wake up in the morning.
By the way, you should make it abundantly clear to the forces under your control that you are hiring these men and where they are coming from well in advance of their arrival because they will be treating anyone who opens fire on them as an enemy combatant and will naturally be ruthless in pursuit of victory under such engagements."