Connie says, " Maybe he's still willing to bargain" - " he's still willing" meaning even though he said that is his lowest price, maybe he'll go a little lower.
While others may have thrown in the towel, Son simply just went to look for more opportunities, even saying that maybe this was a good thing because now he was able to find rock-bottom prices.
To win in this game, you need to know the maximum that a shoe is worth as a buyer, and then the minimum you could flip it for on today's market based on current conditions.
The Treasury fears embarrassment and pointed fingers; selling at a loss would echo the decision a decade ago by Gordon Brown, then the chancellor, to sell much of Britain's gold at the bottom of the market. Too bad.