In General Reed's study, Allen sat calmly opposite the desk, which symbolized immense power.
Colonel Hudson's resentful gaze as he was led away didn't stir any ripples in his heart.
The marketplace is like a battlefield; the defeated have no right to sympathy.
The other party was too greedy, and it was clear that General Reed was taking the opportunity to kick him out of the team.
"Mr. Williams, please have a seat."
General Reed's voice carried a hint of fatigue and scrutiny.
"Yes, General."
"I need your canned goods, a large quantity of canned goods."
The General's tone wasn't a discussion, but a decision.
"The Federation is undergoing the largest mobilization in history. Hundreds of thousands of young people are putting down their hoes and textbooks and picking up rifles. I cannot let them eat poorly on the battlefield."
Allen agreed without the slightest hesitation: "General, my factory is ready to serve the Federation at any time."
"Very good, I will give you a contract for fifty thousand dollars first."
"Now, Mr. Williams, can you tell me how many qualified rations this amount can get for my soldiers?"
Fifty thousand dollars, that was a huge sum of money.
This money was enough to buy half of the Bowery District.
"That depends on your choice, General."
Allen quickly adjusted his posture, getting into the role of a business negotiator.
"Do you need the premium gold label, or the standard red label?"
"The gold label is good stuff, good enough to make a division of soldiers capture hell for it."
General Reed's face showed the grim humor unique to a soldier.
"But its price, I'm afraid, is also high enough to make those stingy fellows on Capitol Hill strip me of my rank."
He looked at Allen, his expression becoming extremely serious.
"What I need is the red label, the kind that allows my soldiers to eat better than hogwash, but won't make my logistics budget report look like a ransom note. Give me your final offer, sir."
"Sixty cents per can, General," Allen quoted a well-thought-out price, "This price includes all costs, as well as direct transportation to your designated dock."
"Sixty cents?" The General's brow furrowed slightly, "That's twenty percent more expensive than the price you sell to civilians."
"Yes, General."
Allen's answer was neither servile nor overbearing; he had already prepared his thoughts on these matters.
"Because civilian orders can be delivered in batches, while military orders have specified deadlines.
To fulfill this order, my factory needs to operate twenty-four hours a day, so workers need double wages.
And these raw materials also need to be purchased urgently, all of which are costs.
But I assure you, General, every cent the Federation pays is worth it; these will all be converted into tangible guarantees on the soldiers' plates."
General Reed was somewhat silent.
He stared at Allen for a while; it seemed this young man not only knew how to do business but was also very good at selling...
"Alright, then sixty cents it is."
The General thought for a moment, recalling the telegram from Washington, and finally gave his approval.
"But there can be no compromise on the quality of the canned goods or the delivery time. I need to see the first batch of twenty thousand cans delivered to the dock within ten days. The rest must be delivered within one month. Can you do that?"
"Of course, General, but I have one request..."
"Is that a condition? You can tell me first."
General Reed was a bit surprised; this was the first supplier who dared to negotiate conditions with him...
"Just a request that will allow us to complete the order faster, General."
"This contract is a big one for my company, and I need to immediately purchase mountains of beef and tinplate.
However, General, with all due respect, this requires startup capital. Currently, my company does not have this money, so I hope for a thirty percent advance on the total contract amount, which is fifteen thousand dollars."
"With this money, I guarantee that my factory will operate twenty-four hours a day until this contract is completed. But without this money, I can only slowly raise funds, and the delivery time will be delayed by at least half a month."
General Reed looked at Allen for a long time, and then he smiled.
"You are a born businessman, Williams. Very good, I agree." He turned to Lieutenant Carter behind him, "Lieutenant Carter."
"Present, General!"
"From now on, you are the sole person in charge of this contract."
"Your mission is to satisfy Mr. Williams's every reasonable request. At the same time, ensure he delivers everything he promised. Understand?"
"Yes, General!"
When the General left, only Allen and Lieutenant Carter remained in the study.
"Congratulations, Mr. Williams."
Lieutenant Carter looked at Allen, his eyes filled with admiration and a hint of lingering fear.
"I never imagined things would be settled in this way, all within a single day."
"This isn't just my victory, Lieutenant," Allen smiled, "Without your help, even the most perfect plan would just be talk. We are partners."
He placed the envelope containing five hundred dollars on the table.
"Lieutenant, this is your rightful compensation."
Lieutenant Carter looked at the envelope, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately pushed it back.
"No, Mr. Williams."
A relieved smile appeared on his face.
"My medal of honor is seeing Hudson get the judgment he deserved. That's enough."
He looked at Allen, his tone becoming extremely solemn.
"I only have one request. Please, ensure that every can you send to the front lines is as good as what we saw today. Please help me fulfill my promise to the General and to all the soldiers. That would be the best reward for me."
"Okay, I promise you, Lieutenant," Allen extended his hand, "On my honor."
When Allen returned to the factory, the entire company was abuzz because of the contract he brought back.
In the office, Allen didn't engage in any unnecessary celebrations but immediately began assigning tasks.
"Catherine."
"Yes, sir."
"Immediately send a letter to Mr. Harrison at New York Bank. Tell him that our company is about to receive a fifteen-thousand-dollar remittance from the Federal Treasury.
At the same time, you immediately contact Bill and other suppliers to draft raw material procurement contracts for the maximum amount. We need our suppliers to keep up with the pace. Jones."
"I'm here, sir!"
Allen stood with one hand on his hip, the other pointing outside the factory building, a surge of ambition rising within him.
"The factory will continue to operate on a two-shift, twenty-four-hour rotation. Tomorrow, recruit another batch of workers. I want the factory's output to quadruple within a week!"
"Understood!"
As for the double wages he mentioned to General Reed?
What a joke. Having a good job now was already great; no one had ever heard of double wages in this era.
The factory also provided meals, and if efficiency was good, it would even issue some bonuses. Allen could be said to be the most conscientious businessman of this era.
"Also, Miller, your security department must also be on twenty-four-hour shifts. I need no unexpected factors to disrupt the factory while it's producing canned goods."
"Understood, sir."