Chapter 376 - 365: Universal Mall
Chapter 376: Chapter 365: Universal Mall
The next day, Allen headed straight for the Association headquarters, his destination clear: Eleanor’s office.
Eleanor sat behind her wide desk, a dark gold Rune pen in hand, marking a document that shimmered with a faint light.
Hearing the footsteps, she didn’t look up, the tip of her pen only pausing for a moment.
"It’s rare for you to come see me of your own accord." Eleanor signed her name at the bottom of the document.
"So, what brings a busy man like you to my door?"
Allen pulled out a chair and sat down opposite her.
"I’m not here about a mission." Allen placed his folded hands on the desk, getting straight to the point. "I want to talk about channels."
Eleanor leaned back, crossing her legs. She sized him up with an interested smile.
"Oh? Weisren Heavy Industry?"
Allen wasn’t surprised. ’It would be stranger if the Association’s intelligence couldn’t even keep tabs on something this minor.’
"I thought you’d wait another two years." Eleanor’s fingers tapped rhythmically on the tabletop.
"By all accounts, a new company needs to operate stably for two or three years. After proving itself in the local market, only then would it consider connecting to the Association’s channels. You... it’s been less than half a year, right?"
Her tone was a bit playful, as if she were looking at a Magic Plant with astonishing growth.
"The quality of my products is solid, and right now, time is Magic Stones."
Allen’s tone was calm. "Building my own channels is too slow, so I want to connect Weisren Heavy Industry’s product line to the Association’s commercial network."
Eleanor sat up straight.
"A wise choice. On behalf of the Association, I welcome you."
"If you’ve studied the fourth article of the protocol in depth, you should know that the Association has an external ’face’."
A wisp of blue light shone from Eleanor’s fingertip, outlining a huge, three-dimensional Star Map in the air between them.
On the Star Map, densely packed points of light flickered, connected by countless golden threads, like a giant net spanning the cosmos.
"World Commerce." Eleanor uttered the two words.
"To internal members, it’s our supply depot."
"But to the outside world, it’s a superstore with a stellar reputation and a logistics network spanning hundreds of material Planes."
Eleanor swiped her finger, and the Star Map zoomed in, focusing on several bright points of light.
"The top powers know we’re behind World Commerce. But for ordinary Wizard Clans, Mortal Kingdoms, and even other races, ’World Commerce’ is a gold-plated brand."
Allen stared at the Star Map, his gaze profound. "Sounds like another behemoth. Can you tell me, what are its core advantages?"
"Three things." Eleanor held up three fingers.
"First, product display. World Commerce has physical stores at every major planar hub. Customers in remote Planes can also use their personal terminal apps to remotely browse the product catalog, view holographic images of the items, and place orders directly. Once your Golems are listed, your potential customers will be in the hundreds of millions."
"Second, a guaranteed reputation." Eleanor’s tone grew emphatic.
"All products listed on the World Commerce platform must come from suppliers certified by the Association. This means the Association is using its nearly ten-thousand-year reputation to vouch for your products."
Allen nodded to himself. This was the exact critical pain point Lina had pointed out in their business analysis meeting—the barrier of trust.
"Third, cross-Plane logistics and service."
Eleanor continued, "The Association has built a Star Gate logistics network and transit warehouses between the main planar hubs. Bulk cargo is shipped directly through the Star Gates, while small items are sent via spatial-fold mail. We currently cover two hundred sixty-one Planes with open commercial channels. The platform covers all logistics costs."
Allen’s fingertip unconsciously traced a pattern on the desk.
The customer base of the World Commerce platform wasn’t just individual Wizards, but also included planar garrisons, small and medium-sized Mercenary Corps, Alchemy Workshops, and even some academies and clans.
The number of active annual customers was in the hundreds of millions, a scale his personal business network could never hope to reach.
’No need to build my own logistics, handle my own after-sales service, or travel from Plane to Plane to make sales. These are the benefits of joining a super-platform.’
"How do I join?" Allen asked.
She leaned back in her chair, looking at him with a leisurely air.
"The threshold is simple for you. First, the supplier must be certified by the Association. As a member, you don’t need to worry about that. Second, the product must pass an evaluation to ensure basic safety and that there are no backdoors. If a product has serious issues, you and your Weisren Heavy Industry will be permanently blacklisted."
"What’s the profit-sharing model?" Allen asked the most critical question.
"The platform takes thirty percent of the profits." Eleanor stated a figure.
[DSeek Analysis: Commission rate is higher than the market average (5%-22%), but its services include brand endorsement, quality inspection certification, cross-Plane logistics, and after-sales systems. The comprehensive cost is far lower than building one’s own channels. Conclusion: Acceptable.]
’Thirty points to buy a top-tier commercial channel covering hundreds of Planes and a reputation built over nearly ten thousand years. This deal is a bargain.’
"I have one more question." Allen looked up. "How many suppliers are currently selling war Golems on the platform?"
’Everything has its pros and cons. This is the real test.’
Eleanor seemed to be waiting for him to ask this question. The smile at the corners of her mouth deepened as she tapped the light screen, and a set of data appeared.
"World Commerce currently has a total of one hundred seventy-five thousand, three hundred and thirty-seven registered suppliers."
"Among them, four hundred and ninety-seven have a business scope that includes ’war Mechanical Bodies’ and related products."
"Of these four hundred and ninety-seven, one hundred and eighty-six have Golem armaments as their core business and are in direct competition with you."
Her gaze was fixed on Allen, observing his reaction.
"And those who can reliably provide products with the combat power of a Second-level Wizard or higher... number twenty-seven in total."
The office was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Outside the window, a massive deep-sea beast slowly swam by, its shadow momentarily darkening the entire office.
One hundred eighty-six direct competitors, twenty-seven of them high-end players.
Every one of them that could establish a foothold in World Commerce was likely backed by a regional Wizard Clan, or even a large Wizard Organization.
Before them, Weisren Heavy Industry was like a sardine that had just swum into a school of sharks.
Eleanor watched Allen with great interest. She wanted to see shock, hesitation, or retreat.
This was the most normal reaction for a newcomer facing a real high-stakes game.
But she was disappointed.
Allen’s expression didn’t change at all. Those black pupils were as calm as an abyss, without a single ripple.
’The competition in World Commerce is fierce. This fits the early characteristics of a blue ocean market transitioning to a red ocean.’
’In the beginning, I won’t chase sales volume. The goal is to establish the brand image. The strategy is viable, the risk is controllable.’
’The tutorial Golems don’t need to be on the platform. The current direct-to-market model and reputation of New Western are sufficient. There’s no need to let World Commerce skim 30% of the profits.’
’The products that really need the platform are the war Golems.’
’And Weisren Heavy Industry’s current production capacity and technical reserves are geared toward cost-effective, low-end Golems.’
’Over one hundred and sixty competitors are slugging it out in the low-end market.’
’The competitive pressure is greater than I imagined, and the profit margins will be thinner.’
"Your main products are low-end Golems, right?" Eleanor keenly saw through Allen’s situation. "You want to carve out a bloody path on the World Commerce platform with low-end Golems... it’ll be very difficult."
She picked up her teacup and gave a pertinent evaluation:
"The technical barrier for low-end Golems is too low. Everyone is competing on the cost of raw materials and labor. Many of those one hundred and sixty-plus suppliers are old-line families backed by large mining Planes, and they drive the prices extremely low. As a newly established company, you have no advantage in cost control."
"I understand."
Allen looked up and calmly uttered four words.
"I want to be listed."
Eleanor was slightly taken aback.
"Product list, performance reports, and a preliminary pricing proposal," Allen said, looking at her, his voice steady and firm. "I will submit them to your office within three days."
There was not a trace of hesitation, as if those one hundred and eighty-six competitors were just a meaningless number.
Eleanor looked at the calm, confident man before her and suddenly smiled.
"Good. I’ll be waiting."
She dismissed the light screen. "However..."
Eleanor’s tone shifted, and her gaze became meaningful.
"Allen, World Commerce is a fair platform, but the suppliers on it... sometimes they’re not very welcoming to newcomers."
"Especially a newcomer who plans on stealing their lunch."
She stood up, walked over to Allen, leaned down, and whispered in his ear in a voice only the two of them could hear:
"Good luck, Mr. Investigator."