Chapter Nineteen: Cross Others with Oneself

  "You must handle this matter well for me! I can tell you that those experts have a very high status in the international rubber industry. If they give our agricultural machinery a bad mouth at some international rubber or agricultural product conference, then the loss will be borne by you!"

  After being scolded from head to toe, Hall finally put down the phone with a cold sweat. He never thought that this matter would have such a great impact.

  His superior's tone had already made him feel afraid, this was a matter of life and death! If he didn't handle it well, he could totally imagine his own downfall.

  Huo Le dazedly handed over the long-distance phone bill and left the post office, ignoring the clerk's curious gaze.

  These days, long-distance calls are rare. Every time you make a call, not only do you have to pay for it, but you also need an introduction letter. Of course, this is no problem at all in Holl's place.

  Even at this time, Quemoy had just opened international long-distance telephone service.

  "Hall, how are you?!" Nelson asked with a seemingly concerned tone. In fact, Nelson had been laughing inwardly, thinking "Serves you right, you damn unlucky guy!"

  After this old man was stuffed into his inspection team, Nelson had not been at peace. This Hol is a solid insider.

  A certain director's child in the company, who is said to have just graduated from school. This time it's just a matter of getting a golden coat, and after going back, they might be transferred to the headquarters.

  "The company wants us to eliminate the influence, it seems we need to talk to those Chinese people..."

  As soon as Hall said this, Nelson cursed Fark in his heart! You got into trouble yourself, why say "we"? I don't want to take the blame with you, okay?!

  Unfortunately, he had no choice in the matter. This official was not someone to be trifled with, whether it was Holl or his board of directors, and giving a small department executive manager a hard time was just a matter of minutes.

  "Well, I suppose it's up to me to talk to the Chinese side then!" Nelson sighed inwardly at his bad luck and said: "Of course, I think we may have to pay some price for this, otherwise..."

  "They're looking for a hot fog machine, are they?! Well, we'll just have to provide them with some 'samples' then." Hall also knew that if he didn't make a move this time...

  So others may not let him off so easily, just a few humidifiers. Hall's own monthly expenses at home are much more than this price.

  If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have come to China and complained afterwards. Indeed, here, he can't have as much fun as in the US. There are countless nightclubs and numerous fiery blonde beauties.

  At this time, Liang Sanping and others did not know about this matter. They were still preparing to go to the Imperial Capital. The department has indicated that they will personally ask about this matter and need to report in person.

  The Natural Institute will help them book their tickets and prepare for their trip.

  This time they need to do is a special face-to-face report, so the materials and research reports that need to be brought are extremely numerous. Liu Lao and Liang Sanping and others have been preparing day and night, and they don't even have the mind to consider what Hol and others want to do.

  "What?! Hall wants to see Old Liu?!" Xia Zhendong furrowed his brow, he was somewhat unclear what Hall was planning to do this time. Last time's matter, although neither side made a big deal out of it, they had already torn their faces apart.

  The other party has not made any moves for a while, and there hasn't even been a situation where they reported to the higher-ups. This actually surprised Xia Zhendong for a moment.

  "Yes, the two distinguished guests from the US side have requested to meet with you." However, the foreign affairs personnel on the other end of the phone said to Xia Zhendong on this side: "This is a political task, please cooperate, Comrade Zhendong..."

  "We will definitely cooperate, and please rest assured, leaders." Having said that, what else could Xia Zhendong say? He could only nod in agreement.

  Although this year has started reforming, the memory of that crazy decade for the people who have just escaped from that disaster is unforgettable.

  As long as something is labeled a "political task", you have to complete it even if it kills you.

  "Xiao Liang, you seem to be quite clear about this. Tell me, what are these two Americans trying to do?!" The news quickly spread to Liu Lao and the others.

  For Americans to suddenly contact them and ask for a meeting. Liu Lao and others were at a loss, considering that the two sides had previously fallen out with each other.

  It's already good that Americans didn't follow him and make trouble after returning to their country. What does it mean to still want to see them now?

  "Hey... Teacher Liu, you should know that this business delegation visiting China is not just them!" Liang Sanping said with a smile to Liu Lao and the others.

  "This thing, I think that Director Gou will definitely secretly spread the word after he goes back. But other companies are not stupid, if because of one agricultural machinery company they can't enter the Chinese market, then without a doubt they will absolutely dismantle this agricultural machinery company!"

  Especially Coca-Cola, Liang Sanping thought to himself. Coca-Cola had been wanting to enter the Chinese market for many years, and here they could not only buy one of the key ingredients in Coca-Cola.

  And with a population of hundreds of millions, this will be an incredibly huge market. There are also other companies in the inspection team, if you really call Hol and let them react to the situation, what about other companies?!

  Cutting off a person's financial resources is like killing their parents; the driving force of wealth can make them join forces to wipe out an agricultural machinery company that doesn't know whether it's dead or alive.

  "So, they won't just sit back and do nothing after knowing this news." Liang Sanping chuckled and said: "It's all because that idiot Hol is so stupid to bring out Ba Tong, which has already threatened the financial interests of those other survey companies. It would be strange if they didn't care!"

  In a capitalist society, a 10% profit margin drives people crazy, and if they can get 50%, they will stop at nothing. And then there's China, with its vast, untapped market of 960 million square kilometers and hundreds of millions of people.

  It can be imagined how much influence this market has on them.

  "This time they called us over, I thought they were going to settle the matter." But then Liang Sanping smiled and said: "It's about time! Now is when we lions open our mouths!"

  Liu Lao and others nodded upon hearing this, it seems that's probably the case. After Xia Zhendong finished listening to Liang Sanping's words, he sank into thought for a moment before speaking.

  "I reckon that apart from the pressure given by those large enterprises in the inspection teams, their headquarters will also consider the influence of people like Liu Lao."

  "After all, Liu Lao and his team have a high reputation in the international rubber industry and often participate in international tropical crop seminars. If Liu Lao and others add some subtle words about Hol's company in their reports..."

  Liu Lao and others were shocked. They, as old scientific researchers of this generation, are all honest people. Never have they thought of writing unrelated trivial things in their own reports.

  Especially these targeted micro-words, they have never been written before.

  "Hmph! Petty minds, we never thought of leaving any space for them in the report." Liu Lao and several others said disdainfully, thinking it was a despicable act. They would never do such things.

  "But they thought so, because they themselves had not done such things a few times." However, Liang Sanping smiled and said: "Mark Twain ran for mayor, but was defeated. It can be imagined that if their interests are violated, what kind of backlash will occur."

  "They believe you guys will do the same and cross over to their side!"

  Xia Zhendong nodded, that's the principle. Capital, even if it is labeled with "corporate core values", "corporate social morality", "corporate philosophy" and so on, ultimately still has to talk about profits.

  A company without profit has no value for existence. At least, this is the common rule in a capitalist society. Once a company can no longer generate profits, what awaits it is either bankruptcy restructuring or direct dissolution and sale.

  "Now that they've given us this opportunity, we should make the most of it!" But then Liang Sanping sneered and said: "We can completely use the name of 'trial' to get more than a dozen hot fog machines."

  "Take out a portion and give it to relevant manufacturers for disassembly and research, best if we can produce it ourselves as soon as possible. The rest we can use for experimentation."

  Xia Zhendong smiled and began to calculate with his fingers how many humidifiers he should take, fearing that if he took too many, others would not be willing to give them to him, but if he took too few, they would not be enough.

  "Xiao Liang, do you think they will agree if we ask for ten?" Xia Zhendong rubbed his teeth and asked after a while. He was also very nervous about asking for ten.

  After all, this is a machine that costs several hundred dollars each. Opening your mouth to ask for ten machines at once would be several thousand dollars! How could they agree?!

  "Ten?!?" Liang Sanping couldn't help but smile wryly, and even Xia Zhendong, who was considered to be worldly-wise in this era, didn't have much confidence in his own demands.

  No choice, this is really poor. Using oneself as an example for others, feeling that one's own price may be too high...

  "We just need twenty units, it's just a small order for them... If we only take ten units, it would be a waste of this opportunity!"

  After a pause, Liang Sanping said: "Moreover, if we are willing to mention their machine in Liu Lao's report and others. I believe they will be willing to take out 50 units for us to try."

  "Five... fifty units?! That's tens of millions of dollars! My goodness, our annual experimental funding is probably just that much..."

  Huang Lao sighed and said, "If we can really get 50 units, what's the big deal if we add their names to the report?! This is tens of millions of US dollars! How much foreign exchange can we save for the country..."