"Simple, I will use a portion of the Hyderabad ores as the price to join the Zhang Clan. The Zhang Clan will be able to obtain the Hyderabad ores from me, and I will become the new owner of the Zhang Clan! "
Wang Chong raised a finger and said confidently.
"That's impossible!"
The duo exclaimed in shock. They were stunned by Wang Chong's words.
"Don't be in a hurry to reject me. I'm not intending to take over your Zhang Clan. Your clan head will still wield most of the authority, and the Zhang Clan will still bear the surname Zhang. However, he will have to relinquish a portion of his authority to me. In other words, your Zhang Family has changed from one Patriarch to two Patriarchs, one big and one small. "
Wang Chong said calmly.
"But even so, it's impossible. This is already beyond our bottom line! "
Zhang Jian and Zhang Cong's chests rose and fell rapidly. No one could have expected that Wang Chong would be interested in the Zhang Clan's assets.
"Is that so?"
Wang Chong chuckled and glanced at the duo.
"I believe you should be aware of the current situation of the WuZi Steel. The profits involved are unimaginable. The price of a single piece of WuZi Steel is equivalent to seventy or even a hundred of your treasured swords. As long as you can get ten pieces from me, it will be equivalent to a thousand treasured swords. "
"Three hundred and sixty-five days in a day. Can your Zhang Clan produce a treasured sword every three days?"
Zhang Cong and Zhang Jian were stunned.
Indeed, Wang Chong was walking on the path of the high-end. The profits generated by his WuZi Steel was something that the Zhang, Huang, Cheng, and Lu Clans couldn't hope to match.
The annual profits of the Zhang Clan probably couldn't even match up to a few of his weapons!
If they were to accept Wang Chong's proposal, in terms of profits, the Zhang Clan might not suffer as much as they had imagined.
In fact, to a certain extent, the Zhang Clan might even benefit from it.
However, exchanging wealth for authority as the clan head was still unacceptable.
"… No, Chong gongzi, your proposal is too much for us to accept."
Zhang Jian said solemnly.
"Even if the iron mine is about to run out, is it still hard to accept?"
Wang Chong took a sip of the fragrant tea on the table and said casually.
Rumble!
Wang Chong's voice was neither loud nor soft, but when it entered their ears, it was like a clap of thunder that struck them, causing their faces to turn pale, their bodies to tremble, and their bodies to be incomparably cold.
The two of them stared at Wang Chong in horror, as though they had seen a ghost.
It was as if the deepest secret in one's heart had been exposed.
"Chong gongzi, you …"
Zhang Cong's lips quivered, and his eyes widened in disbelief.
It hadn't been long since the news of the Zhang family's iron mine came out. Everyone had been ordered to keep it a secret. However, Wang Chong actually knew everything clearly.
"Hehe, Zhang Cong and Zhang Jian, if I'm not wrong, they are both Zhang Cong and Zhang Jian. Your Zhang family hasn't discovered any new veins yet, right? If you can't secure a stable supply of iron, your Zhang Clan's market share will soon be squeezed out. Of course, you can buy iron ores from the smaller clans to stall for time. However, as long as you do so, the other clans will follow suit. "
"By then, you will be squeezed out even faster, and your decline will be even faster. Am I right on this point? "
Wang Chong put down his teacup and said impassively.
"How do you know?"
The faces of the two were ashen, and they couldn't maintain their composure anymore. This was the Zhang Clan's Achilles heel, and no one knew better than them that what Wang Chong said was likely to happen.
If they were to purchase a large amount of iron ores from the market, it would be equivalent to telling the other clans that there was a problem with their iron mine. This was the most crucial point.
Thus, even though there was a problem with the iron mine, the Zhang Clan didn't dare to make any moves in fear of arousing suspicion.
Wang Chong smiled without replying.
He was well aware of the Zhang Clan's predicament. That was because what he said was what the Zhang Clan would do in the future. If there were no accidents, the Zhang Clan's decline was a foregone conclusion.
If a swordsmithing clan didn't have any iron to forge, it would be equivalent to a river losing its source and a tree losing its roots. Wang Chong didn't think that he was taking advantage of the Zhang Clan. On the contrary, he was saving the Zhang Clan.
"… I hope that you can consider it carefully. I believe that you are aware of the current situation of the WuZi Steel. The Zhang, Cheng, Lu, and Huang Clans have been pestering us endlessly. If the Zhang Clan can receive my help and obtain the WuZi Steel, their reputation will definitely surpass the Cheng, Lu, and Huang Clans, and they will become the number one swordsmithing clan! "
"There are no free benefits in this world. Of course, I hope to benefit from the WuZi Steel. Ask yourselves honestly, what does the Zhang Clan have that I'm interested in? Money? I don't think the Zhang Clan earns as much as I do, right? "
"You know that we don't have the authority to do so. Go back and discuss with your clan head. Come and look for me after you have made up your mind! "
Wang Chong said impassively.
Even though the Wang Clan hoped to enter the Zhang Clan to strengthen their strength and achieve their plans, it was useless for them to do so. The only thing that Wang Chong was confident in was that the Zhang Clan was indeed facing a crisis.
The only reason why Wang Chong was confident in his plan was that the Zhang Clan was indeed facing a crisis. Furthermore, it was an opportunity for them to resolve the crisis.
Giving up a portion of the authority for him to enter the Zhang Clan might seem a little embarrassing on the surface, but in reality, it wasn't something that the Zhang Clan couldn't accept. On the contrary, they couldn't allow their interests to be harmed.
Zhang Jian and Zhang Cong left in the morning.
In the afternoon, the head of the Zhang Clan appeared before Wang Chong.
"Chong gongzi, may I know what kind of authority you are intending to obtain by entering the Zhang Clan? How much of the WuZi Steel are you willing to give to us? "
With a grim expression, the head of the Zhang Clan went straight to the point.
This was the first time Wang Chong was meeting the head of the Zhang Clan. In his previous life, he had been a profligate scion, so he didn't have the qualifications to meet the head of a prestigious clan.
Wang Chong carefully examined this future partner of his. The head of the Zhang Clan was dressed in white, and he exuded a rather elegant air, yet he did not lose the bearing of a formidable figure. More importantly, his words and actions were clean and decisive.
Wang Chong had just sent Zhang Cong and Zhang Jian off in the morning, and in the afternoon, he appeared before him.
It was unacceptable for a prestigious clan with a hundred years of heritage to give up control of it to a clan. If it were any other clan, even if they were to reluctantly consider the matter, they would have to hesitate for a very long time.
Yet, the head of the Zhang Clan was able to make a decision so quickly.
This kind of judgment, decisiveness, and decisiveness wasn't something an ordinary person could achieve. Just this point alone made Wang Chong feel that his decision wasn't wrong.
"Simple!"
The edges of Wang Chong's lips curled up, and a glint flashed across his eyes. For the first time, he revealed his youthful ambitions before the head of a prestigious clan:
"I want half of the weapons forged by the Zhang Clan in the future. As for the other half, I will be the one to purchase it from the Zhang Clan, and you can only sell it to me. If we are able to come to an agreement, I want the Zhang Clan to be at my service for the next thirty years. Thirty years later, the Zhang Clan is free to decide on their own. In fact, I can even withdraw from the Zhang Clan and return all authority to you. "
"Thirty years?"
The head of the Zhang Clan was taken aback. He couldn't understand what Wang Chong wanted to do with so many metal products. Even though the Zhang Clan couldn't forge weapons like WuZi Steel, other than that, the Zhang Clan's output was definitely one of the top.
Given the capability of the Zhang Clan, thirty years of continuous production would surely bring them to an astonishing level.
The head of the Zhang Clan couldn't understand why Wang Chong wanted so many metal products.
"No problem!"
Even though he was perplexed, the head of the Zhang Clan replied without any hesitation. Wang Chong's request was much more relaxed than he had imagined. Furthermore, for some reason, the head of the Zhang Clan felt that the control of the Zhang Clan wasn't what this young man was concerned about. His true goal seemed to be the metal products produced by the Zhang Clan.
The so-called 'shares' was just a service.
This gave the head of the Zhang Clan a strange feeling that he couldn't describe.
"However, is that all? Are there no other conditions? "
The head of the Zhang Clan asked doubtfully. He didn't believe that Wang Chong's goal would be so simple. If he gave too much and received too little, it would be hard to believe.
"It's indeed easy to talk to the head of the clan!"
Wang Chong laughed and didn't beat around the bush.
"Shen Hai, bring it here."
Under the doubtful gaze of the head of the Zhang Clan, Shen Hai walked over with a wooden box. Opening the box, there were many drawings at the bottom.
The doubt in the head of the Zhang Clan grew.
"Pick it up and take a look!"
Wang Chong extended his palm and made an inviting gesture.
The head of the Zhang Clan nodded as he carefully picked up the drawing at the very top. He could recognize this drawing. It was a drawing of a caltrop, but it was different from a traditional one.
The caltrop in Wang Chong's drawing was long and sharp, as though it was an enhanced version of a caltrop. Just by looking at it, one would feel a chill down one's spine.
He couldn't recognize the second drawing. It looked like a huge metal wall, but there were some strange edges at the four corners.
The third drawing was different. There seemed to be some rivet-like objects on it.
The fourth drawing was different from the third. There were many holes of various sizes on the metal wall.
The fifth drawing was different from the fourth.
…
Looking at the drawings one by one, the doubt in the head of the Zhang Clan grew. As the head of a swordsmithing clan, he had seen all sorts of bizarre weapons and designs.
However, other than the first drawing, he didn't recognize any of the drawings that Wang Chong had made.
As for those strange objects that resembled a wall … the head of the Zhang Clan had a feeling that they were part of some kind of huge machine.
It seemed like Wang Chong had only broken them into parts.
However, the head of the Zhang Clan had no idea what kind of machine it was. However, there was one thing that he could be sure of. The objects in Wang Chong's drawings were definitely not pots, pans, and ladles. Needless to say, they weren't used for a duel.
"War machines!"
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