Rules of Acquisition

DS9 Season 2 Episode 7
Air Date: November 7th, 1993

The Grand Nagus arrives on DS9 in preparation to start trade negotiations with the gamma quadrant. He is convinced that the big profits to be made are in trading tulaberry wine. He enlists Quark to do the negotiation with one of Quark's new bartenders Pel. While it seems that Zek has setup Quark to fail by asking for more vats of tulaberry wine then are available, Pel convinces Quark to not give up and gets him to go into the gamma quadrant to continue negotiations.

What Quark doesn't realize is Pel is actually a female Ferengi who is using prosthetics to pretend to be male. In Ferengi culture, women are not allowed to work, make profit or even wear clothes. But Pel falls in love with Quark which exposes her to him. While Quark falls for Pel too, his lust for profit outweighs his emotions and he exposes her to Zek, knowing that she fooled Zek too so he would be obligated to cover it up.

The episode is the first that really talks about the Dominion. It doesn't give much detail, only that they are a significant power in the gamma quadrant.

Rules of Acquisition

Rule 21: Never place friendship above profit.
Rule 22: A wise man can hear profit in the wind.
Rule 33: It never hurts to suck up to the boss.
Rule 48: The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.
Rule 59: Free advice is seldom cheap.
Rule 62: The riskier the road, the greater the profit.
Rule 103: Sleep can interfere with profit.

Quotes

"The Ferengi reputation speaks for itself." - Major Kira
"A reputation for honesty and decency and reliability. You always know what to expect when you do business with the Ferengi." - Zek
"Which is why, if you're smart, you don't do business with the Ferengi." - Major Kira

"Tell us, Zyree, what is this place? - Quark
"This, this is where opportunities are made." - Zyree
"Really? I thought it was some kind of party." - Quark
"Then you thought wrong. This is all about profit, and like the Ferengi, the Dosi are very serious when it comes to profit. Very serious" - Zyree

"Most of my information consists of little more than hints and whispers, but it's enough to convince me that whoever learns the secret of the Dominion, whatever that may be, will learn the secret of the Gamma Quadrant." - Zek

"Let me remind you that taking business advice from a female is a violation of Ferengi law." - Zek
"I didn't know she was a female." - Quark
"Stupidity is no excuse. Now one more word out of you, and you are going to share her cell." - Zek
"Then you better make sure that it's big enough for three." - Quark
"Are you threatening me?" - Zek
"I wonder what your associates will say when I tell them you allowed a female to represent you in a business negotiation." - Quark
"I didn't know she was a female." - Zek
"Stupidity is no excuse." - Quark