1986: My Happy Life in Provence

Chapter 263 I Am the Authority

Ronan loved the smell of truffles, and he loved it even more after becoming a truffle hunter.

Because the smell began to be associated with the money in his pocket.

I don’t know when it started, but whenever Ronan smells the scent of truffles, he becomes uncontrollably happy, the kind that he can’t stop himself from feeling.

The Carpentras Truffle Market is the place where Ronan has smelled the strongest truffle flavor he has ever seen.

The strong and lasting smell of truffles filled the air, which should have put him in a good mood, especially since people in the market offered him a beautiful price of 4 to 5 francs for the extra-large truffles.

This truffle is even bigger than the one Ronan dug up at the beginning of the year, and its weight is just shy of 1.2 kilograms.

No less than five people have already threatened Ronan:

No matter how much others offer, I will offer 1000 or 2000 francs more than him and it must be mine!

The people in front of him now can be said to be anyone Ronan can choose, and no matter who he chooses, Ronan will not lose.

But after arriving at the Carpentras Market, he was in a state of tension all the time and could not feel any joy at all.

He was not worried that a 'truffle thief' would steal his treasure, because he saw people in police uniforms at the entrance of the market. The status of truffles in the local area was no less than that of luxury goods. The transaction volume generated by the market was huge, and the organizers had already made preparations for safety.

And with so many people around the stall, this truffle might be safer than Ronan's head right now.

The reason why I was nervous was that the buyers here were all "weird". They had to lean close to my ear to talk, as if it would be against the law if a third person heard the conversation.

Ronan's emotions were also affected by this strange way of conversation. Every time the other party covered his mouth, turned his back, and whispered cautiously in his ear, he felt that what he was selling was not truffles but something dangerous that would cost him his head if he told others about it.

Isn't this the atmosphere of this market? Why is it like this?

Later, this big truffle attracted more and more people, and finally a guy wearing a beret appeared.

His style is different from other buyers. He speaks very loudly and likes to talk incessantly.

With his presence, Ronan can feel more at ease.

You see, I sell things that can be put on the countertop!
After a while, there was one more loudmouthed person surrounding his stall. No, there were two.

"My God, Ronan, where did you dig this thing up?" Llorente asked, resting his hand on Alphonse's head.

Jacques' voice is even louder than Llorente's:
"Ronan, why don't you bring it to me? You know I'll buy it for any price."

Through these two "loud voices", the people who were waiting for a "secret transaction" with Ronan learned that the young man was called Ronan, and it seemed that he was an old acquaintance of Llorente and Jacques.

"Provence has a new great truffle hunter named Ronan." This was the thought that came to everyone's mind at the same time.

Finally meeting some acquaintances, including Mr. Llorente, a participant in the event, Ronan immediately asked them for help:

"what should I do?"

Someone has just corrected his mistake.

Ronan now knew that this truffle shouldn't have been here.

But what to do next?

I thought I had caught the savior and that I could rescue him with Llorente's status.

Unexpectedly, Llorente also leaned close to Ronan's ear and whispered:

"I advise you to quickly choose an agent to work with."

Afterwards, he briefly introduced to Ronan this crucial role in the truffle industry chain.

Truffle brokers connect truffle hunters, dealers and end buyers to ensure efficiency and fairness in truffle trading.

Every year, the price of truffles in the Provence market is determined by professional truffle brokers with professional licenses from the Truffle Industry Association under the French Ministry of Agriculture.

To obtain this license, you must have more than 5 years of experience in truffle trading and be familiar with the ecological characteristics of the production area.

In Provence, this profession is seen as the 'gatekeeper of the truffle ecosystem', maintaining the chain of trust from the soil to the table.

And now all those surrounding Ronan are professional truffle brokers.

Their signature 'move' is to talk to customers covertly, as if they were selling contraband.

There is a rule in the so-called professional manual - to protect the privacy of both buyers and sellers, not only their identities but also the prices.

These truffle brokers will help Ronan find a good buyer for the truffle, but they will charge a 3% commission.

Ronan covered his mouth and asked Lun Liet:
“Do I have to cooperate with them?”

In a small place like ours, where can we find people with this kind of profession?

Aren’t you all just trying to sell whoever you want?

And they also charge a commission?

Llorente lowered his voice and said:

"At the Carpentras market, truffle brokers have the right of arbitration. Even if you send them to the market center, they will still identify them for you. Are you sure you want to sell them to individual sellers? And believe me, these people are more eloquent than lawyers. They can help you sell them at a different price."

Ronan nodded in sudden realization.

At the beginning of the year, Lucas said that high-end restaurants in Marseille and Nice would purchase truffles at prices higher than the market price, and it is likely that truffle brokers were involved.

These people actually have the ability to influence pricing?

The truffle business is full of traps
If Ronan sold this truffle to an individual seller and offended the broker, it might be downgraded for various reasons during the appraisal.

At this time, the loud-voiced Alphonse complained unhappily:
"Llorente, what are you doing here? Can you please stop wasting time?"

Llorente smiled and waved his hand:

"Don't worry Alphonse, this 'little friend' of mine is visiting Carpentras for the first time. I'll recommend him some nice restaurants and return him to you right away."

Ronan finally asked a question:
"Is this person also a truffle broker?"

Ronan was referring to Alphonse.

He was also talking about business with Ronan, but he did not lower his voice, as if he was afraid that others could not hear him.

Llorente nodded and said cautiously, "Yes, and he is a very, very famous truffle broker, but he has a bit of a weird temper. I advise you -"

Ronan looked at Alphonse:
"Sir, can we have a chat?"

Ronan respected that kind of furtive way of doing business, but he was not used to it.

He prefers to work with open and honest people, and this guy in the beret is most suitable for Ronan's temperament.

Alphonse said to his colleagues around him in a triumphant manner:

"It seems that this friend has made a decision."

Seeing that they were about to miss out on the premium truffles, the other agents no longer cared about keeping it secret and openly argued:

"Your truffle weighs at least 1 kilogram. There are not many customers who can trade with you immediately, but I can help you reach a cooperation agreement within 1 hour."

Alphonse took off his beret and fanned himself:
"I think that being able to quickly facilitate cooperation is a must for us Truffle Agents, right? Can this be said to be an advantage? That's too funny, man."

He looked at Ronan's truffle and said:

"The diameter is at least 12.5 centimeters, and the weight should be between 1.15 and 1.2 kilograms. The shape is intact, and there are no cracks on the surface. The last time Provence produced such good black truffles was two years ago."

Then he looked up and said to Ronan in a very normal tone:
"I can send this truffle to Paris. You know what that means."

Provence is the origin of truffles. Ordinary truffles sold here for 1500 francs per kilogram may become 4500 francs per kilogram when sent to Paris.

What a good truffle broker should have is the ability to sell truffles at a premium.

Ronan, ignoring the people around him trying to stop him and keep him, took the initiative to reach out to Alphonse:
"Sir, I can't wait to have it in Paris."

Alphonse laughed and shook Ronan's hand:

"Tonight, it will be served in the fanciest restaurant in Paris."

The best truffle hunters should work with the best truffle brokers!

Ronan had other truffles to sell, so he couldn't leave the stall to go to the market for grading for the time being. However, Alphonse didn't mention testing. After confirming that Ronan would definitely cooperate with him, he left to contact the buyer.

Before leaving, he told Ronan to wait for his good news.

Seeing that Ronan and Alphonse had reached a cooperation, most of the onlookers dispersed at once, as if they would be angry to death if they looked at the premium truffle any longer.

Seeing that there were fewer people around, Llorente lowered his voice and said to Ronan:

“You should hear me out.”

Llorente is a very smooth man. The fact that he said this means that he thinks Ronan made a very bad decision.

Jacques was in a very bad mood. Alphonse refused to discuss cooperation with him, so he completely withdrew from the battle for the truffle.

At this time, he was even more annoyed with Llorente's character of speaking half of his words, so he said directly to Ronan:

"Alphonse has facilitated many deals for premium truffles. He and Pierre Gendret of Perigord are known as the two legendary truffle brokers in France, but he only deals with the high-end market. In fact, you should find a broker with a broad range of fields to work with."

How many premium truffles can Ronan dig in a year?

Most of them are of average quality.

It might be wiser to use this premium truffle to establish a good relationship with a broker who also deals in ordinary truffles.

Ronan said disapprovingly:

“Without premium truffles, other agents will not cooperate with me?”

Jacques and Llorente fell silent.

The truffle Ronan dug this time was not an ordinary truffle, but one that was defined by the legendary truffle agent Alphonse as the best in the past two years.

From now on, his name will spread from the Carpentras truffle market throughout Provence.

How could such an excellent truffle hunter be in need of a truffle broker?
Alphonse, who had just left less than 10 minutes ago, slowly returned with an onion bread.

Jacques and Llorente immediately fell silent.

Ronan asked Alphonse:

"Any questions?"

Why are you back so soon?
Alphonse took a bite of the onion bread and said in a casual tone as if he was discussing whether the bread was delicious or not:

"65000 francs, but I want a 5% commission."

"6?" Ronan's eyes widened.

The highest estimate given by the agents of those people just now was only around 5.

It’s so much higher?

Jacques' heart was completely broken. He shook his head and whispered in Ronan's ear:

"This is definitely the 'Paris price'. Even if you pay an extra 2% commission, you will still make money. Sell it quickly."

Ronan knew Mr. Jacques's character; he was an upright man.

Alphonse definitely found a great home for this truffle.

Ronan continued to ask Alphonse:

"What should I do now? Take this truffle to have it tested with you?"

Alphonse stuffed the onion bread into his mouth and rubbed it on his body like a sloppy old man:

"Testing? My name, Alphonse, is authoritative."