New Gods of North America.

Chapter 358: Small Twists and Turns

After sending off the people who were negotiating the steam train line security contract,

Wayne returned to John Milton, the "big lawyer" sent by Cohen Pharmaceuticals.

One to say one,

The contract offered by Cohen Pharmaceuticals has a strange quality, a bit like "a stingy person pretending to be generous".

The contract amount for one year is US$8000, which sounds generous enough, but a closer look reveals that the contract actually divides the total amount into 16 parts, with zero upfront payment. One part of the payment, which is US$1, is paid within one month after the end of each month, and the remaining US$500 is paid six months after the end of the last month.

In modern society, there is nothing wrong with this payment model. Many large companies do this, and some even do it in a more exaggerated way.

But in today's America, it seems a bit different.

——Most of the "companies" these days are relatively small in scale, and employees' salaries are paid "on a weekly basis". The mainstream business atmosphere they need to face when dealing with daily expenses is "cash on delivery". "Long-term advance payment" is something that only companies of a certain scale can handle.

Otherwise, just the issue of "capital turnover rate" alone would kill countless small companies.

It seems like he wants to "make friends", but he is still "calculating carefully".
If it were when the detective agency was first established, it would have been a bit difficult to get a piece of the pie.

For Tom Hagen's sake and the total contract value,

Wayne did not dwell on the existing terms, but proposed two additional terms:
"Mr. Milton, our detective agency is limited in size after all, so if your client has security needs, our detective agency can only provide one team of security personnel at the same time, or at most two teams. We cannot protect multiple people or multiple locations at the same time.

"In addition, security commissions also require the cooperation of the target. Our detective agency needs to retain the autonomy to decide on security plans, and when necessary, security personnel have the right to take emergency measures they deem 'most appropriate'. If the protected target refuses to cooperate, our detective agency has the right to revoke the protection and exempt from liability."

This was the routine minimum requirement for Wayne to undertake the "Security of Important Targets" commission. Seeing that there was no such content in the contract brought by the barrister, he asked to add it.
Other terms are easy to negotiate, but security is a life-threatening business with uncontrollable risks, so we would rather “earn less” than “lose money”.

Wayne felt that such a clause was not excessive, as it could ensure both quality and quantity. Obeying the on-site arrangements of security personnel was also something that the protected persons with a strong desire to survive would choose to do. It was a harmless supplementary clause, and it should not be difficult for the barrister to understand.

However, there were twists and turns here.

John Milton seemed to have never thought that Wayne would make demands in this regard. He pondered for a while after hearing this:
"My client plans to expand its business in Virginia, so the flow of people may be relatively frequent. If it's because of a manpower problem, how about we increase the contract amount to $10,000 per year? This way, your detective agency can also recruit more people. Of course, the payment method will still be based on the terms of the contract."

"I'm curious, how many teams of security personnel might your clients need at most at the same time?" Wayne asked.

"Team five or six, maybe." The barrister smiled broadly. "I believe that with the size and strength of your detective agency, there shouldn't be too many problems."

are you crazy.

I have an office with an annual revenue of 6000 US dollars and only has about ten people. This is only possible under the premise of "all bounty hunters and all extraordinary people".

To provide security, at least two people are needed in a group, two groups take turns, at least four people are needed, five or six teams have at least more than 20 people, and such manpower allocation is not "safe" - under normal circumstances, security should require more people than "hunting",
Even without considering the "explosion" caused by security incidents, just the idea of "setting aside at least two or three offices to serve Cohen Pharmaceuticals" is not cost-effective in terms of economics.

Moreover, if the contract is signed today, the other party will need several security teams next month. Where would Wayne get so many trustworthy people in a short period of time?

Wayne himself doesn't care about face:

"If this is your request, then our detective agency does have limited capabilities and cannot complete such a long-term commission. Perhaps you can find a more suitable commission object." "Of course, if the other party is also too busy, then our detective agency still welcomes one-time security commissions. The price can be negotiated in detail, but we will definitely try our best to satisfy the customer."

The barrister continued to throw out chips:

“In fact, my client has an idle property in Georgeburg. If you, Mr. Wayne, accept the commission, you can use it for free during the term of the contract.

"Although the office conditions of your detective agency are quite good, as a residence, it does not seem to match your status, Mr. Wayne. We can consider going over to visit before we talk."

I also have an idle property in Blackstone Town. Would you like to take a look?
Wayne smiled and changed the subject again:

"With Tom Hagen's recommendation, in principle our detective agency is very willing to accept your client's commission. Unfortunately, we are limited in size and I am afraid we cannot bear such high expectations. Unless your client can accept the additional terms of our detective agency, even if it means slightly reducing the contract amount."

In Wayne's vision, it seemed as if a pile of US dollars had grown wings and was flying into the sky...

……

John Milton was personally escorted to the door by Wayne before he got in the carriage and said goodbye.
After the carriage drove away, the servant took out a special box from the secret compartment at the signal of John Milton, pulled open the baffle on the side of the box, and inside was the head of a middle-aged man.

The head quickly opened its eyes and asked, "How was your conversation with the other party?"

Most people in Cohen Pharmaceuticals did not recognize the face on the head, but the senior managers of Cohen Pharmaceuticals knew that there was a "conveyor" inside the company who was responsible for secretly conveying the true will of the company's board of directors.

Most people would think that it is a special messenger whose identity is kept secret, but in fact, he is usually a section of an arm or a section of a foot below the knee, which is kept by core executives of each regional headquarters and can deliver information through writing and tapping.

John Milton answered casually,

"There was a small setback. This young man is more interesting than I thought. Baker, who is responsible for developing the Virginia market, will have a headache.

"Previously, the member of Baker's team responsible for 'market security' was eliminated by this detective agency. This time, Baker's trick to drag down the opponent seems to have been discovered. It seems that Corleone is not completely blind. At least this one doesn't look as easy to deal with as the other fools."

"Do you need me to notify the headquarters and ask them to arrange some market support personnel to come over?" asked the head.

"No need. The young man didn't completely refuse in the end. I told him that I would take the contract back to the company for further discussion. I will let Baker make his own decisions on the rest. Developing the Virginia market is a promotion opportunity that Malcolm Baker has fought for himself. We don't need to intervene. We can just wait for the result."

John Milton knocked on the small table in the carriage. "I didn't come here for such a small matter. If Baker succeeds, he will take away the money and leave a new market for us. If not, it will just be the death of another market development manager, which means that the church in Virginia still does not allow us to officially enter.

"Inform the heads of the regional headquarters and all shareholders that I am now convinced that the Holy Spirit Church will soon launch another 'great purge'. The company's northern states will suspend contact with the Old World from now on, while the southern regions will remain the same. Members with bad records should pay attention to travel safety. Both sides can take the initiative to cut ties with the company headquarters when necessary to preserve the 'spark'."

"Yes," the head replied, and then confirmed, "Does it include the temporary regional headquarters for developing the Virginia market?"

John Milton's tone was light:

"Don't hinder the promotion and success of ambitious people. Others will have their own way of doing things.

"We've seen enough of this trip. After telling Baker the results of the contract negotiation, we'll go back to New York City to continue practicing as lawyers. Broadway should have a new batch of musicals opening soon, and I can't waste all the money I've saved on the box office."

(End of this chapter)