Post by cowboyjotaro on Sept 9, 2023 18:54:21 GMT -5
Lawrence had imparted much of his business savvy to the Ring Renegade - some understood, less remembered - but R.R did remember something else. Uppercut? No, that was a punch coming from below. Right jab? No, that’s just straying further from business tactics and right back into the arena. Undercut - that was it. Setting your prices below the competition in order to have customers flock to your company. R.R had a different incentive for choosing such a course of action. If there was another, larger group ruling with an iron fist, he wanted the people on his side, at least to some degree.
“I’m part of a smaller group, so there’s less people to pay. How about four-fifths whatever you were paying the other guys?” The mayor’s strangely avian eyes grew even larger in disbelief. If there was direction the prices always went, it was upwards. Score! Whether this abnormal foreign lunkhead was simply lacking in intellect, or was truly making an attempt to be generous while blackmailing his entire town, for the sake of his people - and his coffers - he couldn’t let this opportunity pass him by.
“Four-fifths. You know, that’s very reasonable. It could be even more reasonable if, say, the price were–”
R.R lunged towards the Mayor and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up so their eyes met at the same level. “No. Four-fifths. Unless you prefer higher.”
“No, no, no! That’s a very tolerable price to pay for your protection!” The Ring Renegade didn’t let go of his collar. “It’s…all good?” The Mayor hazarded a guess as to why R.R hadn’t put his quivering body down, and indeed, it was because the half-fishman simply hadn’t understood his chosen vernacular.
“Oh, okay. Good,” he replied, plopping the Mayor back on the ground where he belonged. “So, with that out of the way, I’m gonna need a couple things from you and your people.” The owl-like man shuddered, wondering what was coming next. He nodded, indicating for R.R to go on.
“I’m going to need you to tell me when the next collection’s coming, ok? And then some able bodies to help make the collectors understand who’s the new boss in town.” R.R held up one finger after the other, looking upwards, wondering if there’s anything he missed, then shrugged.
“You want us to fight?” The Mayor inquired, flabbergasted, and pale at the thought of the town dirty with his or anyone else’s blood. If the state of the bar said anything, it wasn’t going to be cheap to repair, either.
“Well, I don’t quite understand it myself, but would you say people are typically willing to fight for their money?”
“Not usually quite so literally, sir, but yes.”
“Okay, so everyone who wants to fight for that one-fifth reduction in price can join me. Otherwise, I’ll just do it myself. It might be a total pain in the ass, though. Tsk.”
“I’m part of a smaller group, so there’s less people to pay. How about four-fifths whatever you were paying the other guys?” The mayor’s strangely avian eyes grew even larger in disbelief. If there was direction the prices always went, it was upwards. Score! Whether this abnormal foreign lunkhead was simply lacking in intellect, or was truly making an attempt to be generous while blackmailing his entire town, for the sake of his people - and his coffers - he couldn’t let this opportunity pass him by.
“Four-fifths. You know, that’s very reasonable. It could be even more reasonable if, say, the price were–”
R.R lunged towards the Mayor and grabbed him by the collar, lifting him up so their eyes met at the same level. “No. Four-fifths. Unless you prefer higher.”
“No, no, no! That’s a very tolerable price to pay for your protection!” The Ring Renegade didn’t let go of his collar. “It’s…all good?” The Mayor hazarded a guess as to why R.R hadn’t put his quivering body down, and indeed, it was because the half-fishman simply hadn’t understood his chosen vernacular.
“Oh, okay. Good,” he replied, plopping the Mayor back on the ground where he belonged. “So, with that out of the way, I’m gonna need a couple things from you and your people.” The owl-like man shuddered, wondering what was coming next. He nodded, indicating for R.R to go on.
“I’m going to need you to tell me when the next collection’s coming, ok? And then some able bodies to help make the collectors understand who’s the new boss in town.” R.R held up one finger after the other, looking upwards, wondering if there’s anything he missed, then shrugged.
“You want us to fight?” The Mayor inquired, flabbergasted, and pale at the thought of the town dirty with his or anyone else’s blood. If the state of the bar said anything, it wasn’t going to be cheap to repair, either.
“Well, I don’t quite understand it myself, but would you say people are typically willing to fight for their money?”
“Not usually quite so literally, sir, but yes.”
“Okay, so everyone who wants to fight for that one-fifth reduction in price can join me. Otherwise, I’ll just do it myself. It might be a total pain in the ass, though. Tsk.”