Diluk's face darkened. This was truly embarrassing for a foreign country!
Oh, by the way, it seemed that this Smith was from another world. This time, Mondstadt was humiliated on an interdimensional scale.
As expected, those guys from the Knights of Favonius were hopeless.
"I came here today to discuss a business opportunity with you," Smith said, pulling out two bottles of Coke.
With the help of Ningguang and Keqing, Coke had already reached the stage of mass production. The efficiency of this process was far greater than he had initially anticipated.
"What is this?" Diluk eyed the dark beverage skeptically. He wasn't sure what to make of it.
"This is Coke. You can think of it as a unique kind of sparkling water!" Smith took out a chopstick, knocked off the bottle cap, took a sip, and gestured for Diluk to do the same.
Sure enough, there was a certain charm in prying off the bottle cap with a chopstick.
Diluk remained silent, watching Smith before mimicking his actions. He opened the second bottle, took a small sip, and then fell into deep thought.
Smith didn't rush him. He had come to Diluk primarily to discuss business, and patience was key.
After a long pause, Diluk finally spoke. "The taste is quite good, but it doesn't resemble sparkling water. This can't be used to make cocktails."
If it had been Sprite, it could have been mixed with alcohol. However, even Smith wasn't sure if Coke had a similar use beyond direct consumption.
"This is meant to be enjoyed straight from the bottle. If stored properly—away from direct sunlight and excessive heat—it can be preserved for up to 18 months!" Smith stated meaningfully.
"Eighteen months?" Diluk's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Mondstadt already had sparkling water, and Dawn Winery produced its own. However, their current technology only allowed for a shelf life of about one month.
Realization dawned on Diluk. "Is this a drink from another world? And does it also incorporate foreign preservation technology?"
Smith smirked. "As expected of Diluk, you catch on quickly."
"Is this technology for sale?" Diluk took a deep breath. If this preservation method worked, it could revolutionize storage for sparkling water, juices, and even wine. The potential benefits were immense.
"Filling and packaging technology?" Smith stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If you want to buy it, I can grant you authorization. However, you should understand how valuable this technology is."
"Name your price." Diluk sat down directly across from Smith. "As long as it's reasonable, I can accept it."
Smith hesitated. If he priced it too high, Diluk might refuse. But if he undervalued it, he'd be taking a loss.
"Three percent. For every product that uses this technology, I want three percent of the selling price." Smith finally decided.
Diluk frowned. "You do realize how enormous that figure is?"
Diluk was one of the wealthiest men in Mondstadt, dominating the wine industry. Approximately 20% of all wine produced in Mondstadt belonged to his family.
Their accumulated wealth was even greater than that of Ningguang. It was the result of generations of effort.
"With this technology, you can raise your prices, right?" Smith chuckled. "And you could also expand your sales to other nations."
"But if I invest that much Mora, I could have Mondstadt's alchemists study the technology. With Mondstadt's alchemical foundation, I'm sure that if Albedo conducted the research, he could develop something similar for under 10 million Mora."
"But could that technology be easily commercialized?" Smith countered. "Alchemists create remarkable things, but their inventions are often difficult to mass-produce. Even if they succeeded, the manufacturing cost of the bottles alone might exceed the value of the drinks themselves."
Diluk fell silent, contemplating the implications.
After a long pause, he spoke again. "If I refuse to buy your technology, will you block my products from entering Liyue?"
Smith shook his head. "I wouldn't resort to such tactics. However, I do have ways to increase your wine sales in Liyue."
He leaned forward slightly. "Before coming here, I researched the volume of wine you sell to Liyue. It's so little that Ningguang alone could drink it all. If we work together, I can help you double your sales there."
Smith smirked. "And I'm only asking for three percent. Originally, I planned to take ten percent, but I decided to lower it significantly."
Diluk scoffed. "Do you have any idea how small our profit margins are? After considering raw material costs, production time, land leasing, transportation fees, marketing expenses, and various taxes, we only take home about ten percent per bottle. You wanted to claim that entire amount for yourself?"
Smith remained unfazed. "You could always raise your prices. Given the current costs of production, a ten percent price increase wouldn't affect your sales at all. In fact, due to the recent Tevarin crisis, you've already suffered significant losses."
He tapped the table for emphasis. "If you don't increase your prices by at least fifty percent this year, you'll be operating at a loss."
Smith leaned back with a confident smile. "I'm only asking for three percent. That's extremely fair. Besides, Mora isn't that important to me. If I wanted wealth, there are plenty of ways I could earn it."
He wasn't exaggerating. His clothing store was already generating steady profits. Coke was on the verge of hitting the market, and once Ningguang endorsed it, demand would skyrocket.
Oh, and there was the milk tea business.
When he returned to Liyue, he planned to open a milk tea shop as well. That was bound to be another profitable venture.
Diluk studied him carefully, then finally chuckled. "You're certainly ambitious. Fine. Let's discuss the details."