Adam looked at the arcade owner. He spoke in a clear and confident voice. "If you want these machines I can give them to you at a very cheap price."
The woman listened to his offer. She paused for a moment thinking it over. She was cautious. Deals that sounded too good were often just that. But his expensive clothes and confident manner made her curious.
She took a slow breath and finally decided. "Alright" she said her eyes narrowed slightly. "First you show me the machine. After that I will tell you its price."
Adam smiled. "One moment." He turned away from the counter and acted like he was searching for something in a bag. He did not have a bag. He just needed to create a convincing motion.
He had copied a product magazine from the computer store earlier. It showcased all the new GameStation and arcade machines available.
He summoned that exact magazine from his inventory. He turned back to the owner and placed the glossy magazine on the counter in front of her.
The lady's eyes widened when she saw the cover. She picked it up and started flipping through the pages. "These are very advanced machines" she muttered to herself.
Her surprise was genuine. At first she thought Adam was just a young salesperson from a new company trying his luck. But seeing this official-looking magazine she became certain he must be from a big distributor. He was no small-time operator.
She was still very surprised. She had never dealt with a major company before. She always bought her machines from third-party sellers. An idea began to form in her mind. She had heard rumors. If you could buy directly from a manufacturing supplier the prices were much cheaper. This could be her chance.
A professional smile formed on her face. "Look Mr..." she started.
"My name is Adam" he said interrupting her smoothly. "You can call me Adam."
The lady corrected her tone instantly. "Mr. Adam I am very interested in your machines. But I have to tell you beforehand I do not have a large budget. I cannot afford to buy all these machines."
Adam felt a jolt of excitement hearing this. He knew that line. It was a classic negotiation tactic. By saying she did not have a large budget she was actually telling him one thing. She was ready to buy. She was ready to make a deal.
Adam smiled back with complete confidence. "What price will you give me Madam?"
Hearing this the lady looked down at the pictures of the shiny new machines in the magazine.
She pretended to think hard. This was the opening she wanted. "You should give me a price" she said trying to put him on the defensive. "That way I can negotiate with you properly."
Adam did not fall for it. "I am sure you have a price in mind" he countered gently.
The lady smiled again. She decided to throw out a ridiculously low number. "I can only give you twenty-five thousand dollars for each machine" she said her tone final. She knew the real market price for one of these machines was eighty-five thousand dollars.
She expected him to refuse immediately to scoff and walk away. She was prepared for him to get angry. She was ready to start negotiating upwards from her low offer.
Adam just stood there and looked at her.
"What?" he said his voice quiet. "Are you serious?"
The lady thought her lowball offer had shocked him into silence. She was ready to increase her bid.
But then Adam continued. His quiet words were not what she expected. "Madam how many machines will you take?"
His question completely broke the woman's composure. She was ready for an argument not an acceptance. Her mind reeled. It took her a moment to recover.
"Mr. Adam" she said her voice a little unsteady. "I would like to take ten of these machines." She pointed to the highest-end model in the magazine.
The lady was waiting for Adam to refuse. She was waiting for him to laugh at her offer. But as soon as he spoke again she realized he was not refusing. He was ready to sell. She felt a strange mix of excitement and suspicion.
This was too easy. 'Even if I buy directly from the factory how can it be this cheap? Fifty thousand would be a miracle. But he is selling me an eighty-five-thousand-dollar machine for twenty-five thousand dollars.' She decided to push her luck.
The lady smiled sweetly at Adam. "Actually I would like to buy fifteen of those machines" she said pointing to a slightly less advanced model. "And I will give you only thirty-five thousand for those."
Adam listened to her offers. He knew the real prices. He had checked the price tags at the store. He was not a fool. His first instinct was to refuse to demand a fair price. But then he considered her order.
Ten machines. Fifteen machines. That was a lot. He could sell many machines at once even at a low price. It would make him a lot of money quickly. It would also help him build a name for himself in the market.
Adam smiled. "That is a good strategy for business" he said.
"But I am not a businessman. I just want to make money." He leaned forward slightly. "I am ready to give you fifteen of the second-level machines and ten of the first-level machines. But I cannot accept twenty-five thousand for the top-tier ones. I need at least fifty-five thousand for those."
The lady was shocked. She thought she had him. She expected to get the machines for her initial low price. But when he named a price more than double her offer her eyes widened. "No" she shouted a little too loudly. "I can only give you fifty thousand. Not a penny more."
Adam knew she was testing him. He held his ground.
The lady tried a new tactic. "Okay but then I want the other machines at a cheaper price. My whole budget will be gone if I increase the price even more."
Adam considered this. "Alright" he said. "I will give you the second-level machines for forty-five thousand dollars each."
The lady shook her head immediately. "No I cannot go above thirty-eight thousand dollars."
"Forty thousand" Adam countered.
The lady slammed her hand on the counter lightly. "Thirty-nine thousand. That is my final offer. Not one dollar more."
Adam looked at her for a long moment. Then he smiled. "Okay. Then our deal is confirmed."