Daming 1805

Chapter 606: Is it cheaper for rich people to buy things?

The craftsman who installed Zhudie Lan's machine clearly had a short-circuit in his brain for a few seconds when he saw Zhudie Lanthanum's delivery address.

"Chunhe Palace in the Forbidden City of Yingtian New City? So this is actually a prince?

“Didn’t we always call and send it directly in the past?
"Why come here to buy it specifically?"

At this time, Zhudi Lan had already left the computer mall of the New Industry Group with his entourage.

We diverted to a shopping mall where private businesses and factories gathered.

However, when he reached the door of a market, Zhudi Lan suddenly stopped and ordered the two guards:
"Go find twenty ordinary people on the street, the more ordinary-looking and dressed the better, give them one silver note each.

"Sister Xu and I went to the market to inquire about the price of two assembled computers. When I came back, we asked them to inquire about the price of the same computers in the market.

“Everyone asks at least three stores and writes down the names of the stores to make sure they can buy it at that price.

"When you come back, give each of them a silver coin as reward."

Xu Wenyan and the four guards were a little confused as to what His Highness wanted to do.

Judy Lan seemed to realize their doubts and asked them with a smile:
"Let's take a guess. If these ordinary people ask about the price, will it be much cheaper than what I asked?"

Several people immediately understood what Judy Lan was thinking.

It's just that I'm still surprised that he can think about the problem from this strange perspective.

Then they themselves naturally thought along this line of thinking.

"His Royal Highness has a luxurious image. Even if outsiders don't know his identity, they can tell that he comes from a wealthy family. So the boss may want more money?"

"Yes, those who do business are the best at looking at what others want to eat."

"Let civilians ask for the same thing, and the price they want will be much lower..."

"His Royal Highness is really smart and has great plans..."

Judy Lan smiled dryly and said:
"I think so too, so I asked you to ask ordinary people to ask, and then come back to compare and verify this guess...

"The process of finding someone to inquire about the price should probably cost more than what I would spend if I just buy it directly."

“But just like when I went out to buy something in the New Industry Mall today, what I care about is not the shopping itself.

The guards felt that this matter was clear, so they divided into two people and dispersed to look for someone.

Just go into a few shops and ask a few questions, and you can earn two silver coins directly. This job is really easy.

Many people don't mind asking about this while going about their own business. It's obviously not a hassle.

Zhudi Lan also entered the market with Xu Wenyan and two guards.

Xu Wenyan remained silent during this process.

Xu Wenyan originally thought that the guards were right, but after Zhudi Lan specifically asked about this matter, Xu Wenyan became a little confused.

Xu Wenyan couldn't help but recall what she had experienced and what happened when she purchased things by herself.

Xu Wenyan vaguely guessed another possibility.

Maybe Judy Lan went to inquire directly and got a lower price...

But Xu Wenyan didn't understand the logic, it was just a feeling, and she didn't know if it was right or not.

So Xu Wenyan didn't say anything in the end.

Zhudi Lan walked around the mall for half a circle, looked at the signs of several stores, and walked into a business called Hongyun Computer.

There is a small open space in the middle of the business store, and there is a small table used for entertaining guests and talking.

The surrounding walls are lined with metal shelves.

Half of the shelves are filled with various computer accessories, and the other half are finished computers.

There were already several customers in the store talking to the waiters.

As soon as Zhudi Lan entered the door with five people, several of the waiters were obviously stunned, and then the owner and shopkeeper came out directly.

Because the image and demeanor of Zhudi Lan and others are not ordinary guests.

Maybe there will be big business.

The shopkeeper was a middle-aged man in his 40s. He smiled and raised his hand towards Judy Lan:
"Hello, sir, I'm so polite. What would you like to order? Is there any style you like?"

Judy Lan wanted to get the lowest possible price, but she didn’t know how to negotiate, so she said very simply and crudely:
"How much does your cheapest computer cost?"

The shopkeeper was stunned after hearing this, and subconsciously took another look at the appearance and outfits of Zhudi Lan and his party.

Then I suddenly felt confused. The shopkeeper felt that he was right. These people were all made of high-end materials.

The clothes and jewelry on the woman who was obviously just a servant were also valuable.

The four people who were obviously bodyguards were all tall and strong. They probably all had firearms because of their bulging waists, and their outfits were obviously all good stuff.

How come you ask the question how much does the cheapest computer cost?
The shopkeeper felt that Zhudi Lan had no sincerity in buying things. He might have come here to experience life or even spy on the market.

However, for the sake of safety, the shopkeeper would also drive people away, but said rather politely:

"If you really want to buy the cheapest computer, I can certainly introduce it to you and prepare it.

"If the young master is just looking for someone to chat with, I don't have much time now. There are more guests at the moment...

"If you really want to know, Master, we can talk after the store closes."

After the other party started talking to each other, Judy Lan knew how to speak, and of course it could also be to argue:

“Why can’t I have both options?
“I want to find people to talk to, but I’m also happy to just buy things that interest me.

"So the shopkeeper is willing to take up this little time?
The shopkeeper hesitated for half a second, feeling that Zhu Di Lan's demeanor and image were not that of an ordinary rich man.

And he is relatively talkative, so he should be willing to use the purchase as consulting fee.

Anyway, I am not at a loss, and maybe I can even form a good relationship.

So the shopkeeper smiled and said:
"Since the young master is so generous, I will show my shame.

"Young Master wants the cheapest computer, and there is no way to answer this question just by looking at it.

"Young master, you should at least have a goal, that is, what do you want to do with this kind of computer.

"If it's just that it can be turned on and can record some text, then the price can be as low as copper coins."

Judy Lan couldn’t help but laugh:
"The copper banknote level is the price of scrap recycling, right?
“My requirements are that it can open Internet pages normally and handle various spreadsheets.

"It can play videos smoothly and play the simplest computer games."

The shopkeeper also smiled and said:
"If that's all, if you don't mind using the spare parts from the previous two years, you can put together a set with twenty silver notes."

Judy Lan continued to ask:

“What about new hardware that’s less than 20 years old?

“We want mass-market hardware that has a relatively large sales volume on the market and is actually usable.

"Rather than just being as cheap as possible without any lower limit."

The shopkeeper thought about it:

"I have to check the accounts and calculate the cost. Does the young master really want it?"

Judy Lan says:

"I want it, but I won't decide directly here. I will visit a few more stores.

“I will buy computers from whichever company uses Dagong’s 20-year-old reliable new hardware and offers the lowest price.”

The shopkeeper's expression was a little helpless:
"Sir, this is making it difficult for me to do this. Do you really just want the cheapest computer, or do you have other plans?"

Judy Lan smiled and said:
"Shopkeeper, just think that I only buy this one and don't think about anything else."

The shopkeeper hesitated for a few seconds, and finally decided to give Judy Lan a hard time, otherwise the previous time would be wasted.

If he says he wants this kind of person, he will most likely actually buy it, even if he buys it and leaves it idle.

So the shopkeeper returned to the counter and checked the hardware quotation list from various suppliers on his own office computer.

After playing with the keyboard and mouse for about a minute, I made a hardware list for Judy Lan.Since it is the cheapest, of course it can only be assembled. Except for the core processor, all other hardware is from small manufacturers.

But considering Zhudie Lan’s request, it cannot be a completely unknown copycat manufacturer.

They are all relatively reliable second- and third-tier brands among private manufacturers.

The configuration list of a low-end home computer ended up costing 46 silver notes.

The shopkeeper handed the written list to Judy Lan to read:

"This is the lowest price. We don't make any money at this price. We just treat it as a good relationship with the young master.

"Young master, if you have any other needs, you can come to us and we will give you the lowest price..."

Zhudi Lan took a look at the configuration list and wrote down the approximate price. At the same time, he directly raised specific requirements:
“I also need a computer that can run the latest prehistoric world.

"The highest picture setting is required, at least a resolution of one thousand eight thousand by one thousand two, and more than sixty frames per second..."

When the shopkeeper heard this request, his eyes suddenly lit up, and he felt that there might really be a business to do:
"So this is what the young master really needs..."

After hearing this, Judy Lan continued to add and remind:
“I could have just bought the latest top-of-the-line computer from one of the four major manufacturers.

“But today I suddenly had an idea and wanted to see how big the gap is between private assembly machines and government factories.

“For example, how much does it cost in a private factory to install a computer that has no essential difference in performance from the finished machine produced by a government factory?

“A relatively cheap but usable machine, a simulation world capable of running the highest performance demands.

"I will buy these two machines back, and I will also buy the official machine to compare and see the difference in actual daily experience."

The shopkeeper became excited when he heard this:

"I'll give you a good calculation and make sure you get the best value for your money..."

Judy Lan continued:

"Then you have to make careful calculations. I also want to shop around, and it can't be something of unknown origin."

The shopkeeper felt a little regretful when he heard this, but he didn't show it at all:

"No problem, I'll figure it out for you right now..."

A few minutes later, Judy Lan got another quote, a high-end analog world computer.

The final asking price was 130 one silver note.

Zhudi Lan got two quotations and left the store, asking Xu Wenyan to write down the hardware model on the boss's receipt.

Then he went to two more stores and asked about the price of the same hardware.

Even though the latter two companies had specified prices, the three sets of quotations that Zhudi Lan finally got were not only different, but even had a big gap.

The price of the office computer in the second store was 140 silver notes, but the analog world computer was [-] silver notes.

The low-end ones are obviously cheaper, and the high-end ones are obviously more expensive.

The two prices in the third store are fifty silver notes and 130 six silver notes respectively, which are both more expensive than the first store.

Zhudi Lan left the mall and met two guards at the appointed computer hall.

He gave the configuration list he wanted to twenty ordinary people, and they went to four private shopping malls to inquire about prices.

Judy Lan and her entourage entered the computer hall to rest and wait.

Half an hour later, the twenty people who went out to inquire began to return one after another, and Xu Wenyan began to count the prices they inquired about.

Judy Lan was watching from the side, and soon she was a little surprised.

The prices these people asked about were highly concentrated in the price ranges of 130 and [-].

The gap between them is extremely small.

The key is generally higher than the price of the first store Judy Lan inquired about.

Within half an hour, all the ordinary people who inquired came back, and after all the prices were calculated, the results were similar.

Although these people did not bargain specifically for price, Zhudi Lan also did not specifically bargain for price. The boss did not raise any opinions on the price after writing it.

The four guards looked at this result and found it incomprehensible.

So why is the price asked by a group of ordinary people more expensive than the price asked by Zhudi Lan, an obviously rich man?
After Xu Wenyan finished writing, she looked at the form and had a sudden feeling:
"Your Highness, actually during this time, I have thought about what I have encountered before.

“It seems like a lot of times when I go shopping, I get cheaper prices than some of my regular relatives.

"So a wealthy family with a higher status can buy the same thing at a lower price?"

Judy Lan has already finished thinking:
"I don't think it's that simple...

“It’s probably not that rich people buy things cheaper, but that the people selling things think they can do bigger business with you.

"For example, Sister Xu... if the shopkeepers know your identity, they will know that you have the ability to bring him more business.

“So he can give you a little discount on the small items and then add a little more on the big orders…

“In terms of the prices we just inquired about, the price of office computers fell below the market price, but the price of analog world computers exceeded the market price.

“The expensive one costs forty silver coins, but the cheap one only costs six silver coins.

“The same was true of the first store we went to. The shopkeeper must have thought that I was capable of buying the most expensive thing in his store.

“He may even think that he can lure me as a customer from the official factory, and I may buy a set of top-quality products from him every year.

"The shopkeeper looked at my image and listened to my words, and he wanted to win over me..."

After hearing these explanations, Xu Wenyan's thinking and cognition seemed to be reversed again, and then she quickly entered the next level of thinking:

"So...it's not that rich people buy things cheaper, but that rich people are potential customers on a larger scale.

"However, this seems to in turn make it cheaper for wealthy people to buy ordinary things...

"It's just that there are not many people with your status like Your Highness who go out to buy things for your own use and care about the price.

"Just like you, when you used to buy things, you would directly call the supply company to deliver them. The actual price of the goods was actually higher, but the service you could get was also better.

“So in fact, most wealthy people buy more expensive things every day, and they don’t really care about the specific price.

"Not only are the items themselves expensive, but they also need dedicated personnel like me to help the family manage funds and purchase goods..."

Zhudi Lan was silent for a few seconds. Instead of following Xu Wenyan's thoughts, he went in another direction:
"What you are talking about is the reality of life. The logic that I usually don't care about the price is that I want to spend more money to buy better services and save unnecessary time.

“But once I am willing to take the time to consider the purchase price like I am today, I have the opportunity to get a lower price than ordinary people.

“Because the business logic is like this, large customers do have stronger bargaining power than small customers, because large customers will continue to buy.

“Merchants make less money on one product and can achieve higher profits through more products.

"Is it possible to turn small customers into big customers?"

Now Xu Wenyan couldn’t keep up:
"There's...nothing you can do about it, small customers...Ordinary people not only can't get the lowest price when buying things, they may even incur borrowings, and end up paying more..."

Judy Lan closed her eyes and said:
"I want to go back and think about this matter. That's all for today's shopping..."

Xu Wenyan immediately asked:
"Then Your Highness, do you still want those two computers?"

Judy Lan said directly:

“If you want, just go to the first store and buy it directly with cash.

"Sister Xu, you and a brother are waiting in his shop. I'm going back to the palace first."

After Judy Lan returned to the palace, she stopped touching the simulation world and just wrote and drew in her notebook.

Before the evening of that day, all the three generations of computers ordered by Zhudi Lan were delivered to the palace in sequence.

Judy Lan temporarily stopped thinking and began to experience the latest simulation world.

Then starting from the next day, Zhudi Lan went out with his entourage every day and went to the market to deal with businessmen and ordinary people.

Sometimes it’s just chatting, and sometimes it’s about inquiry and purchase according to certain rules.

I personally purchased all the things I need to go out for training next year.

(End of this chapter)