17 Ridiculous and Enormous Price
Shin was currently negotiating with the new section manager of Ikeburo Center.
Section Manager Watanabe said, "We'd like to buy one video game machine for 50,000 Yen."
Shin smiled and shook his head, replying, "No, 50,000 Yen is not within our consideration."
Manager Watanabe's mouth twitched as he asked, "What price are you considering then?" Assuming he could easily negotiate with the young man.
Shin raised one finger and smiled.
Manager Watanabe, feeling hopeful, asked, "100,000 Yen? We could-"
"1.5 Million Yen," Shin interrupted with a smile.
Manager Watanabe froze, shocked, and exclaimed, "1.5 Million Yen per video game machine!?"
Shin nodded with a grin.
"It's too expensive! We can't afford it," Manager Watanabe stammered, but before he could finish, Shin interrupted again.
"Then I suppose there's nothing left to negotiate," Shin said with a smile as he stood up. Mira, who was beside him, began to follow.
However, Manager Watanabe hastily exclaimed, "Wait, Mr. Suzuki! Let me consult with my boss first to see their opinion on this!"
Shin chuckled and replied, "Next time, I won't be the one negotiating with you."
Manager Watanabe sighed in relief and nodded.
---
Similar negotiations were taking place at other malls and stores that KiShin had rented.
As KiShin continued to grow, Shin had enough funds to hire recent graduates who had been struggling to find jobs.
One of these individuals was Masato Kato, who had been struggling to find employment until he came across a job posting by KiShin. Although he had never heard of the company before, the attractive salary it offered caught his attention.
He assumed the company was of moderate size, but upon joining, he realized it was smaller than expected, despite the generous salary.
Nonetheless, Masato had no other options, and he found himself working under a young boss who was younger than him.
The young man and a young woman instructed them to build a device known as a video game console.
Initially confused, it wasn't until they tested it with Super Mario that Masato realized this wasn't an ordinary company.
He learned that these video game consoles were being sent to malls and Ikeburo Center as video game machines.
Due to his management skills and knowledge, Shin appointed him to negotiate with a mall manager.
"Are you the owner of KiShin company?" the mall manager asked.
Masato shook his head and replied, "I'm Masato Kato, a representative of KiShin company. I'll be handling the negotiations with you."
The mall manager nodded thoughtfully, saying, "A representative, I see."
Thinking this was an opportunity to gain the upper hand in negotiations, he continued, "Our mall doesn't have a high demand for the KiShin video game machines. It's not a significant profit for us, so we're hesitant to invest too much money in acquiring them."
Masato smiled politely and nodded.
Seeing this, the mall manager decided to push his luck, suggesting, "In that case, I'll make an offer of 40,000 Yen for each video game machine." He wore a sly smile.
Masato's smile disappeared, and the mall manager felt a sense of victory. But then Masato shook his head coldly and stated, "It appears that Manager Sano is not genuinely interested in this offer. Regrettably, we have to decline. If there's nothing else to discuss, then goodbye." Masato bowed respectfully, preparing to leave.
Manager Sano panicked as he saw Masato leaving and hurriedly called out, "Mr. Kato, wait! I apologize for the low offer. I'm willing to raise it to 100,000 Yen. How about that?"
Masato paused and shook his head, straightforwardly saying to Manager Sano, "We're selling them for 1.5 Million Yen."
Manager Sano stumbled back in shock and exclaimed, "Nani!?"
---
During the KiShin company meeting, Shin and Mira were addressing their employees.
A young employee expressed concern, saying, "Boss, aren't our video game machines too expensive? Who would be willing to buy them at such a price?"
Both Lee Han and Mira shared similar concerns, but they understood Shin's strategy.
Shin responded with a smile, "You're right; they are expensive. However, consider this: five video game machine generates at least 50,000 to 80,000 Yen in earnings. So, within roughly a month, the buyers will recoup their investment of one machine and continue to profit."
"Is it genuinely okay?" Lee Han said hesitantly. He expressed his concern because he was aware of KiShin company's future plans. It wasn't just him; the dedicated early employees of KiShin were also aware of these plans, which filled them with hope for the future.
Shin reassured Lee Han, saying, "Don't worry. As we negotiate, we'll gradually lower the price. In negotiations, it's common to start with a high or inflated price compared to your expected price. As both sides negotiate, the price naturally decreases until it aligns with our expected price." Shin smiled and clicked the button on his pen, adding with confidence, "I'm sure these people are smart enough to understand this."
Mira nodded in agreement while discreetly admiring Shin, her face slightly flushed.
Lee Han and the other employees nodded in acknowledgment of Shin's explanation.
---
The general manager attentively listened to Section Manager Watanabe's account, as well as those of the other store managers. Unlike Section Manager Watanabe and the others, the general manager remained calm and composed.
"What's your opinion, General Manager? Isn't the price outrageous?" other managers expressed their disbelief.
The meeting hall buzzed with discussions among the lower managers until the general manager burst into laughter, silencing their conversation.
"Hahaha!" the general manager laughed heartily.
Assistant General Manager Ito Kimura, his son, inquired, "What's so amusing, General Manager?"
The other managers regarded the general manager with puzzled expressions.
"Hehe," General Manager Fuyuko Kimura chuckled with a sly grin, "I'm simply amused by a group of individuals who seem to be discussing matters like fools and behaving like monkeys!" He glanced around, his gaze settling on the people in the meeting.
The managers collectively thought, "Us? Fools? Monkeys? Is he referring to us?"
"Why is that, General Manager?" the middle-aged financial manager calmly inquired, already aware of the reason behind the general manager's reference to the group as monkeys and fools. Compared to the other managers, the financial manager remained composed.
"Manager Naoki, it's truly frustrating that most of the people here have failed to recognize the common strategy employed by KiShin," the General Manager sighed in disappointment as he explained to the financial manager.
The others, particularly the general manager's son, appeared puzzled.
"The 1.5 million is merely an inflated price. If we consistently lower it in line with their expected price, we'll ultimately acquire the video game machines at a lower cost than that initial figure!" The General Manager exclaimed, slamming his hand on the table.
The individuals in the meeting room finally grasped the situation and felt embarrassed at the same time.
"Seriously! It's such a basic negotiation tactic, and you failed to see it! You're a bunch of incompetent fools!" the General Manager growled in frustration.
His son, in particular, had let him down, leaving the Assistant General Manager and the other managers blushing in embarrassment and shame.
