Chapter 290 : Transaction (1)
Chapter 290: Transaction (1)
After finishing his lecture to the residents of Samarkand, Muhammad Majid turned his gaze toward me.
"The attack on your group was entirely the Rahman Family's doing. We of the Majid Family would much rather sit down and talk with you than cross swords."
"So long as you're not planning to ambush us like the Rahman Family did, I don't see any reason to refuse," I replied, accepting Muhammad Majid's request without hesitation.
"This isn't exactly the best place for a proper conversation. Allow me to invite you to the Majid estate."
With that, Muhammad Majid ordered his soldiers to clear a path, and we fell in step behind him.
The soldiers watched us with eyes full of suspicion, but thanks to Muhammad Majid's command, they didn't dare make a move.
We walked through Samarkand's darkening streets for a while until we arrived at an estate. It was slightly smaller than the Rahman Family's mansion, but still impressively grand in its own right. Curiously enough, the Majid estate is located almost directly opposite the Rahman residence.
Following Muhammad Majid's lead, we were guided to a banquet hall where, just like at the Rahman estate, they laid out a spread of food for us.
But the Black Tiger Corps members aren’t too eager to eat. After almost getting poisoned once, they are too paranoid to touch the food.
Muhammad Majid seemed to understand why we were hesitating.
"Once again, I apologize for the Rahman Family's rudeness."
"I'm glad you know it was wrong. Now, let's make sure the rest of this conversation is actually productive."
Despite my somewhat aggressive tone, Muhammad Majid simply smiled with the ease of a seasoned negotiator.
"Hahaha. I only hope our discussion proceeds in a direction beneficial to both parties."
"That makes two of us."
We locked eyes for a moment before Muhammad Majid broke the silence with a chuckle. "So then, how long are you planning to stay here?"
"We're thinking of heading west as soon as the sun comes up tomorrow."
"To sell your goods, I presume?"
"That's right."
At my matter-of-fact answer, Muhammad Majid made his opening move. "I'm afraid that might prove difficult for you on your own. You don't even know where the major markets are, do you?"
"Sounds like the Majid Family knows where to find these big markets."
"Hahaha. Our family has lived in Samarkand for hundreds of years. Of course we know that much."
"Then how about this? I'll pay you. Sell us a map, a place to sleep, and some food."
I was just testing him, but he dodged my jab with a laugh.
"Hahaha. You're dreaming if you think you can make it alone. We helped you here, but you might run into more people like the Rahmans on the road."
"Hmm. So how exactly do we avoid running into people like them?"
"Hahaha. Simple, really. The Majid Family has a long and distinguished history. If you travel with us, others won't be so quick to attack."
I knew it.
This was exactly why he stopped his soldiers from attacking us earlier.
As the second-in-command of Samarkand, he wasn't content with just watching the top family fall; he wanted a piece of our business too.
But I kept my thoughts hidden and played dumb.
"Oh? That's certainly a tempting offer. So the Majid Family would protect us all the way to the market?"
"Given your group's considerable strength, ‘vouching’ might be a better word than 'protect.'"
"Haha! To think you'd offer such kindness for free, the Majid Family's generosity knows no bounds!"
I tried to slick-talk my way into getting it for free, but Muhammad Majid didn't even blink as he shook his head. "Hahaha. Even for the Majid Family, making the journey to those markets and back is no small undertaking. So I'd appreciate it if you could show at least a token of... good faith."
"Good faith, you say... How much did you have in mind?"
"I'd say fifty percent would be appropriate."
I let out a soft laugh.
‘I expected this, but so this is how you want to play it?’
Asking for half the cut? He was basically a bandit in fancy clothes.
He must have realized my smile meant trouble, because he quickly added, "Don't get emotional. Think about it logically. If you come with us, you're guaranteed to make it to the market safely. You guys are strong, but these lands aren't exactly friendly to foreigners who don't know their way around."
Basically, he was saying that without them, we'd starve, die of thirst, or get lost before we ever found the city.
"Also, once you go west of Samarkand, the nomad dialects won't work anymore. Who's going to translate for your business deals then?"
Ohalak flinched when he translated that, looking guilty.
‘Come to think of it, Ohalak couldn't even translate Bazakh Rahman's words earlier.’
I hadn't thought of that until now.
Taking advantage of the pause, Muhammad Majid delivered his final blow.
"So why not come with us? You worked so hard to get here; it'd be a waste to turn back now, wouldn't it? Or you could just sell everything to us right here. We'll pay you as much as we can."
Translate: You came all this way through hell and back, and now you're going to walk away over a profit split you don't like?
‘He reminds me of some gangster CEO of a talent agency bullying an idol trainee.’
The ridiculous comparison made me chuckle inwardly so much so that I let a faint smile cross my lips.
I'd taken enough hits. Time to counterattack.
"You're right. It would be a shame to go home empty-handed. But if we leave, aren't you going to lose out too?"
"Hahaha. What would we have to lose?"
"Well, let's see. Wouldn't things turn out rather differently from what you promised the people of Samarkand?"
A crack appeared in Muhammad Majid's carefully maintained smile.
I'd never fully trusted this man's words from the start. Especially after hearing how he'd persuaded the crowd.
‘In a lot of ways, he reminds me of those Orthodox Faction’s bastards.’
His condemnation of the Rahman Family was all about legitimacy and justification.
It was a situation where the second-ranked family had ousted the leading family by reaping the benefits of the conflict without lifting a finger.
Sure, he could have just stayed silent and attacked us alongside his soldiers, or he could have hidden away and claimed the vacancy later.
‘But the first option risked getting swept away with everyone else, and the second would've drawn the residents' ire for hiding like a coward.’
That's why he'd gambled on this play.
And the biggest reason he could make that gamble is the goods we'd brought with us.
Unlike the Rahman Family, who'd only wanted to line their own pockets, Muhammad Majid wanted to establish trade with Central Plains merchants and position himself as the capableand benevolent leader who would restore Samarkand's prosperity.
Flip that around, and it meant one thing: if we left without making any deals, he'd just be branded a backstabbing traitor who'd sold out the Rahman Family.
Now that his carefully hidden weakness got exposed, Muhammad Majid put on an awkward expression for just a heartbeat before—
"Hahaha."
"Hahaha."
—We both burst into laughter at the same time.
Then Muhammad Majid stopped laughing abruptly and got down to business.
"How about sixty-forty?"
"If you cover all our expenses until we finish our business at the market and return, then seventy-thirty. Otherwise, eighty-twenty. We're already being quite generous."
Muhammad Majid seemed to mull it over for a moment before finally nodding.
"Fine. Let's proceed with seventy-thirty, then."
I nodded readily as well.
"Pleasure doing business with you."
Giving him a 30% cut in exchange for a guide, diplomatic immunity, a translator, and security wasn't a bad deal.
Either way, we still need to sell our goods.
"Oh my, the food's going to get cold. Please, dig in."
Only then did Muhammad Majid gesture toward the food again, and I cheerfully popped some into my mouth.
"Young Master?"
Jin Hayeon and Jeong Hyeon looked shocked, and the Black Tiger Corps members reacted with visible alarm.
"Don't worry. You all heard the conversation, didn't you? They want to do business with us, so the chances of them pulling tricks like the Rahman Family are pretty low."
At my words, the group showed slightly reluctant reactions but gradually began reaching for the food.
They were hesitant at first, but when nothing went wrong, everyone started eating faster.
Since we'd barely gotten to enjoy the food at the Rahman estate before the fighting broke out, everyone must have been starving.
Gone was any trace of their earlier reluctance; the Black Tiger Corps members demolished the food as if it were about to disappear.
"Hahaha. Watching you all enjoy the meal so thoroughly is truly delightful."
Looking quite satisfied, Muhammad Majid clapped his hands. The banquet hall doors opened, and veiled women entered carrying teacups and boiling water.
The memory of the Rahman estate must have resurfaced, because the Black Tiger members immediately eyed the women with intense wariness.
"Now that you've enjoyed your meal, I've prepared some tea that's recently become popular among us Muslims as a palate cleanser."
Understanding their attitude, Muhammad Majid smiled gently as he offered the tea. The women began pouring tea into each cup and distributing them.
Naturally, as the group representative, I was served first.
The familiar aroma wafting from the cup made me speak calmly to my companions.
"Don't drink the tea. It's made of Black Bean."
Coffee.
The same coffee that had once been used to drive Third Brother into Qi Deviation and frame him for plotting my assassination.
After that day, the beverage had become known in the Demonic Cult as Black Bean Demon Tea and became a forbidden beverage in the cult.
The moment I finished speaking, Dokgo Pae and several Black Tiger members started to have reactions, so I quickly added, "Don't act rashly! They don’t know about our side effects!"
Because of what happened at the Rahman estate, they must have thought this was another attempt to trigger our Qi Deviation.
After calming everyone down, I clasped my hands in apology and bowed my head toward Muhammad.
"It seems we have startled you. In truth, we have some bad memories associated with this tea, so my companions reacted in shock. I ask for your understanding."
Muhammad Majid tilted his head in confusion but soon nodded in understanding.
"Unpleasant experiences with coffee... Strange, but I won't pry. And don't worry, coffee is difficult for us to obtain as well, so we only prepared it specially for you, the representative. We'll replace yours with a different tea as well."
Muhammad gave additional instructions to the women who'd brought the tea, and soon my coffee was switched out for something else.
‘Hmm. Bit of a shame, actually.’
I missed that rich smell. I used to drink it all the time back in my modern life when I was drowning in work.
I was pretty much immune to the side effects now, so it's not like I'd actually get sick.
‘Maybe I'll sneakily buy some for myself after we finish the trade.’
As I entertained thoughts about coffee, a question occurred to me. "Has coffee become that popular among Muslims recently?"
Coffee shouldn't have reached the East yet, but somehow it was used in a plot back at the Demonic Cult. Maybe this trip would help me figure out how the hell coffee ended up there.