“Who did you say you were?”
“I am Rohit Karmakar from Nayara Corporation. I lost all my luggage at the airport, so I don’t even have a business card to give you.”
The name “Nayara” popped out of my mouth without me realizing it.
It didn’t exist yet, but I just needed to make it when I returned home.ASAP
“Mr. Rohit, about Nayara… I’ve never heard of that.”
Although this is our first entry into Egypt, we are a company growing rapidly in India.
We will easily achieve an annual revenue of $250,000 this year.
It is absolutely not a lie.
Because of the contract through this gentleman, Nayara is set to record $250,000 in sales in its first year of operation.
“Hmm, an annual revenue of $250,000 isn’t exactly a small company. Right, what kind of equipment does Nayara use?”
To think you would ask me about equipment.
It was a question to test whether or not he was a fraud.
“We use 100% F.N.F equipment. I would say that is also the reason I came to find you, Mr.Omer.”
Well at this time FNF is the only company which has scale and technology, and name value especially in British commonwealth and its Protectorate.
Ah, I heard from my father that Karl Meyer just commercially launched its first textile machinery in September this year.
So there is enough time to choose and change the company if necessary.
Of course, I really want to believe in FNF, that its machines are available back in India in this situation so I can start the production right away after I go back.
“The reason you came to find me?”
“Since the Arab-Israel war has taken place there is already growing sentiment against Jews and as America and UK is supporting them the people here started to avoid the western fabric, and Egyptian chamber of commerce guys has already taken over the cotton yarn market, aren’t you in a position where you have to go all-in on synthetic fibers, Mr. Omer? The machines our company uses are the best for weaving fabric with synthetic fibers.”
“…”
Omer wore a slightly intimidated expression.
It was only natural.
After all, he had not only given the correct answer to the test question but also shared the strategy that they needed to dominate the synthetic fiber market to compete with the Rivals.
I never imagined that reciting the story I heard from my father about grandfather’s college money earning stories Will become handy, at this moment
I can’t believe I still remembered the name of the weaving machine manufacturer, FNF, LIBA Karl Mayer.
Would you like a drink?
I was thirsty anyway, so this is great.
Come here.
I was talking in the hallway in front of the elevator and was invited to the suite.
It was a room with impressive, colorful decorations unique to the Saharan Aesthetic i mean well..
.
No, it was closer to an office than a room.
Drip drip.
Omer offered me some chilled Beer.
It must mean they intend to discuss business in earnest.
Here are some samples.
If you choose a sample you like, we will supply you as much as you want.
“Shall we take a look?”
Omer touched and rubbed over 100 different samples one by one with his hands.
As a giant in the fabric industry, it seems he gets a feel for it just by touching it once.
I like numbers 34 and 77.
He was a gentleman with good intuition.
Both appeared to be Rayon-based, with number 34 containing around 5% cotton and number 77 containing about 35% to 45% cotton.
The blend ratio was just right, and since it was all warp-knitted fabric, it seemed like the threads wouldn’t unravel easily.
It was the representative fabric known as tricot.
What?
How do I know this much?
Even if it’s a thing my father told me and my mother ran a boutique, do you really remember even the type of fabric like this when I never touch a thing?
What was even more surprising was that it wasn’t a blurry memory, but rather the sample mother personally taught me came to mind as vividly as if I were seeing them right in front of my eyes.
Clearly, my major is in construction or heavy industry plants.
Have I become a genius?
Well, I don’t know.
“Why is that? Is that fabric difficult to supply?”
Gasp!
I can’t believe I’m thinking about something else right now!
I wanted to slap my own cheek.
To think I’m having useless thoughts right before the opportunity of a lifetime.
“No, it is fully possible. I just thought that since it is a tricot product, the unit price might be a bit high.”
“It does look a bit expensive. Right, how much can you supply it to me for?”
At what price should I supply it to benefit you, Lord Omer?
If I set the price, it is bound to be lowered.
If you are going to lose the initiative anyway, it is better to willingly comply with the superior’s request.
Later, as my company’s market dominance grows, the power to set prices will naturally fall into my hands.
“… 48 cents per yard… no, I wish I could get it for 44 cents.”
The fabric is sold by length.
A yard is a unit for fabric length, and one yard is approximately 91 cm.
It is the length commonly referred to as ‘1 gaj’ by clothing retailers.
44 cents per yard…
Fine.
We’ll supply it at that price.
“!!!!”
When I agreed immediately, Omer was the one who was surprised.
It must have been a price they set with the intention of raising it by up to 50 cents, since I didn’t raise it by a single penny.
In the original history as well, it would have been contracted for 44 cents.
How could Grandfather, who was only 24 years old at the time, have made a proper deal with Omer?
It was obvious that the contract would have been signed for the amount he offered.
In other words, it means it’s a profitable deal even if we sign the contract as is.
“Look here, Mr. Rohit. Why aren’t you raising the unit price? For a businessman, price negotiation should be a basic skill.”
I have a slightly different opinion.
Since you have offered the lowest price, wouldn’t you order the maximum possible volume?
“!!! Lowest price, maximum quantity!”
“The strategy of selling in bulk at low margins is precisely the reason why Nayara is growing so rapidly. Surely you wouldn’t slash the unit price to 44 cents and order only 10,000 or 20,000 yards, would you? I am talking about you, Omer, the hope of Sudan’s merchants.”
“Hahahahaha!!”
Omer burst into laughter, seemingly pleased by my words.
Then, he took a refreshing gulp of Beer.
“200,000 yards! How about that? That is the maximum quantity I can provide right now.”
“Okay. Let’s sign the contract.”
At a unit price of 44 cents, 200,000 yards is worth a total of 88,000.
88,000 dollars is a huge amount in the 50s India…
Huh?
What was the exchange rate back then?
It must have been around 3 INR is it not?…
88,000 dollars at an exchange rate of 3…
264,000?
What?
It’s not even 3 lakh?
Huh?
Wait…
wait, is not Egyptian currency also pegged with Sterling then I have to use that money quickly in hard assets otherwise …and is it really $88,000?
He extended his hand for a handshake to sign the contract, but after calculating it in my head, he felt dizzy.
It was because I had heard that in the original history, a contract worth 250,000 dollars was signed…
I wondered if I had agreed to a ridiculous unit price.
Did they suggest signing a contract for $88,000 for something worth $250,000?
Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.
Damn it…
You’re not a kid, yet you’re getting all worked up like a rookie.
“Hahaha, signing a contract right away? That’s not right.”
“Ah, is that so?”
Fortunately, Omer stepped in to ease the tension.
“I only make big contracts with people I’ve shared a meal with. So, what do you say? Do you have time for dinner tonight?”
“It would be an honor if you invited me.”
Did they negotiate prices over meals in the original history too?
I knew absolutely nothing about 1950s yarn prices, processing costs, logistics, or taxes, so it was hard to tell whether the unit price was wrong compared to the original history, or whether the quantity was different.
If making one pair of pants from tricot fabric used about two yards, then just the fabric material cost alone came to around —
Add overhead expenses, and it probably came to around 100 INR total.
But would a pair of pants in MENA during the 1950s really cost around 1,00 INR?
I don’t know
During my travels in MENA in the 21st century, I remembered trousers costing only 12 or 15 thousand INR.
Well it varies depending on if it’s Oil producing or not.
Taking inflation into account, a unit price of 44 cents per yard in the 1950s didn’t seem completely absurd.
‘Then is my exchange rate calculation wrong?
Or is the quantity too small?
Damn it… does this mean I just have to jump in and find out?’
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t determine whether this was a profit or a loss.
Oddly enough, once I decided to simply dive in and see what happened, I felt much more at ease.
“The restaurant is this way.”
“Thank you.”
Omer led me upstairs.
He was using an entire section of the hotel’s VIP lounge all by himself.
The moment Omer appeared, neatly dressed staff rushed over to serve him, making him look no less than royalty.
“Hahaha, you paid that for that suit?”
“Well, I’m not much of a businessman when it comes to haggling over prices.”
“What was the shop called? Nile Tailors? I ought to teach that fellow a lesson. How dare he overcharge my guest?”
“No, it’s fine. I got a dress shirt thrown in for free, so it was worth it. He made a good sale.”
Judging by the way he spoke, he didn’t seem like the type to rip people off.
Then maybe 44 cents per yard really was a fair price.
Did they simply receive larger quantities in the original history?
It didn’t seem likely they’d give more than 200,000 yards.
I guess heroic tales always contain some exaggeration.
For a rookie businessman, wasn’t a $88,000 contract already a huge deal?
Starting with this much should be more than enough.
“Where are you staying? I’ll have my staff send over the formal contract. All you’ll need to do is sign.”
“I’m planning to stay at the Grand Hotel across the street. I’ll let them know you can come right up if you mention my name.”
“Very good. Now then, shall we make a toast?”
“Let’s.”
“To the young tiger of India.”
“Young tiger?”
“Heh heh. Is not In India!, they compare outstanding young men to tigers. Especially Bengal tigers — If possible, become a Royal Bengal tiger.”
Omer offered me those words of encouragement.
Young Tiger… that sounded pretty good as a fabric product name.
Clink!
“To the Young Tiger!”
“To the Young Tiger!”
And so we finished our meal with a toast.
I had the Shepherd’s Hotel front desk arrange a room for me at the Grand Hotel.
The moment they heard I was Omer’s guest, a room magically became available, and they even offered free access to the executive club along with all sorts of perks.
The room was luxurious.
After soaking in a warm bath, I couldn’t resist the wave of sleep that overtook me.
Shepard’s Hotel, VIP Lounge.
After finishing dinner with Rohit, Omer sat back, savoring the lingering afterglow.
“Sir, why are you trying to make such a large contract with that brat?”
“He looked like a brat to you too?”
The man who had been pretending to be a waiter poured Red-Wine beside Omer.
He was essentially Omer’s right-hand man.
Not only did he manage the chamber’s affairs meticulously, but he also had an exceptional eye for people.
Whenever Omer considered a new contract, he often brought the person up to the sky lounge under the pretense of a meal.
“He couldn’t have been even thirty. Judging by the level of his conversation, it didn’t seem like he had any supply experience at all. Honestly, he didn’t even seem capable of calculating unit prices properly.”
“Hahaha, true. He looked inexperienced. But did you see his eyes? The eyes of someone who didn’t care what happened to a mere $88,000 contract.”
“I couldn’t tell whether he was bold or simply clueless. But that part was definitely unexpected.”
Even Omer’s right-hand man had to admit it.
Among fabric merchants, how many people could look at an order of 200,000 yards without even blinking, or treat $88,000 like pocket change?
“He probably thinks losing $88,000 is acceptable if it means opening a business relationship with me. If you were his age, would you have that kind of nerve?”
“…”
Omer’s right-hand man hesitated.
Though he worked under Omer, he had always stood above others in comparison.
There was only one person more capable than him — Omer himself.
It had to be that way.
“I asked you a question. Answer me.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t have had that kind of courage.”
“If even you say that, then Mr. Rohit is someone special. Isn’t he?”
“…I can’t deny it.”
“Keep a close eye on him. If things go well, he might really become a great partner for us someday.”
“Yes, sir.”
Omer decided to treat Rohit as someone special.
The next morning.
8 June 1948
As he was reading an English newspaper, a headline caught his eyes, “India’s Malabar Princess taking off from Santacruz Airport…”
!!!!
Wait, one minute!
India’s Prime Minister Anirban Sen himself sees off the Olympic athletes of the country who will be participating in the London Olympics.
India’s Prime Minister is Anirban Sen!
“How the hell, isn’t it Neheru, how?”
Then his memory replay like a reel of film.
“So, is it an Alt timeline or a parallel universe? That’s not important this PM should I say I really like it, right after India grains it’s independence he held parliamentary session back to back to establish financial, justice, and various other things and he even reunified Burma, East Bengal and destruction of Pakistan”
“So, is he like me or not?
That’s not an important question, the most important thing is will he apply the same policy that Congress applied again?” as he checked his memory carefully “So, Neheru, Gandhi are dead, and after their death did he seriously engage in war?
If he like me then I can understand how he really played , but now I have a question: will ICICI and IDBI give me loans to run my business, haaa?”
“Now I understand what happened and how I am in this situation, in previous timeline grandfather was working in a textile company that was run by Britishers, but as India got independence supply line issue rose, they sell all the assets even the brick of that factory and ran away, lucky enough grandfather had some savings this way he can afford the place tickets otherwise he will left as penniless beggar, but in this timeline, as it’s going to happen SBI seize the assets of that factory, and even ED and others bank are seizing the British Managing Agency and their assets one by one, and it’s a rumour that based on those assets GOI is paying UK to transfer the ownership of those assets to India, so the factory is still there it’s that it’s under Banks”
As he is thinking
Ring ring.
Ring ring.
“What now? This early in the morning?”
I hadn’t even requested a wake-up call, yet the phone kept ringing.
The clock showed 7 a.m.
“Hello?”
< Sir, your guests are waiting in the conference hall.
Shall we prepare breakfast separately?
>
Breakfast?
What?
“What do you mean?”
< Ah, my apologies.
So you intend to finish quickly.
In that case, we’ll simply prepare some coffee.
>
“…???”
It was absurd, but since it was the front desk calling, they simply said they’d prepare coffee and hung up.
It almost felt like they were politely scolding me for not already being in the conference hall.
Had Omer already sent his staff over?
Did these people also have the same “Tea” culture as India?
After washing up and getting dressed, I headed toward the conference hall.
In any hotel, the conference hall was usually just above the lobby, so it wasn’t hard to find.
“Welcome, sir. Everyone is waiting for you.”
A hotel employee was already waiting for me in front of the elevator.
Clap clap clap clap.
“Welcome, Mr. Rohit.”
“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Khalid from Fourth Street.”
“I am Johar from Sixth Street. It’s an honor to meet a guest of Mr. Omer.”
As the hotel employee swung open the grand doors of the conference hall, I found countless people waiting for me inside.
Every single one of them mentioned Omer while greeting me.
“Yes, I’m Rohit Karmakar of Nayara. Pleasure to meet you.”
I returned their applause with handshakes.
I kept my composure, but inwardly, I was completely bewildered.
I glanced around and saw that five or six round tables were packed with merchants.
“You’re saying you’re supplying 200,000 yards to Mr. Omer?”
Well, roughly speaking, that’s the case.
I didn’t need to give a definitive answer.
“Haha, then would we also be able to receive the same fabric Mr.Omer ordered from you?”
“How much do you need?”
“I am 20,000 yards. Adding 20,000 yards to 200,000 doesn’t seem like such a difficult task… isn’t it?”
His true intentions were obvious.
It must be the thought that if they make clothes with the same fabric as Omer, there is no way they won’t do well in business.
The plan is to push in clothes made of the same fabric once Omer breaks into the market.
For small-scale clothing merchants, receiving fabric like Omer was no different from taking out insurance.
I have 15,000 yards.
I gathered the shopping street merchants’ as well.
That is a total of 67,000 yards.
“I collected 18,000! 3rd Street, so the total is 52,000 yards.”
Order forms were thrust in from all directions.
There were countless merchants from the surrounding area who had even combined their orders with the goods.
Roughly adding it all up, it seemed to amount to 300,000 yards.
“I see they are small packages in different colors. You aren’t asking for the same unit price as Omer for this quantity, are you?”
Oh dear, of course.
Still, please be a little understanding.
I will gratefully accept it even if it is about 5% more expensive than Omer’s.
Let’s make it 48 cents per yard for 10,000 yards or less, and 46cents for more.
“Gasp! The unit price is that high…”
“This is a price Mr.Omer agreed to, so there will be no negotiation. If you do not intend to sign the contract, you may leave.”
“No. Who says I won’t sign the contract? I will sign first.”
Even with the unit price raised to 48 cents, contracts lined up, and hands moved quickly to sign the contracts.
Looking at the total of the contract…
$250,000!
Aha, so that’s why it was originally a $250,000 contract in history.