Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1286 The Open Scheme Concludes, Kobayashi Gives in (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)

When it was Fang Yan's turn to shake hands, Xiao Lin's eyes held a hint of inquiry.

The young man in front of him was wearing the same blue Zhongshan suit as everyone else, with a gentle smile. He looked no different from an ordinary college student, but when he thought of the banner at the school gate, he felt that there was a sharp edge hidden behind this calm.

"Mr. Fang, we meet again."

"President Kobayashi must be tired from your journey." Fang Yan's grip was just right, and as he released his hand, he added, "Just now at the school gate, many new students and their parents were saying that they were looking forward to our cooperation so that traditional Chinese medicine could go further. I hope today's meeting is a good start."

That one sentence made Xiao Lin's heart skip a beat. He instantly understood that Fang Yan was reminding him that with so many people watching, the cooperation could only go "smoothly," and he shouldn't have any ulterior motives.

He suppressed his displeasure and nodded with a smile:

"Of course, we will do our best."

The polite greetings continued, and Zhao Xiwu warmly invited Xiaolin inside, saying, "The meeting room is ready; let's chat over tea." But Xiaolin's mind was elsewhere. While responding to the pleasantries around him, he was rapidly calculating in his mind.

As long as reporters are still around, they must maintain a "sincere" attitude, no matter how dissatisfied they are inside, they must pretend to be completely sincere.

That dialect guy is no ordinary person; the banner at the school gate was most likely his idea. To be so young yet so cunning, we must be extra careful during negotiations and not let him lead us astray.

Later, I'll have my assistant secretly say a few polite words to the reporters that "the cooperation is progressing smoothly" to stabilize public opinion. If Tsumura's people seize on this and say that "the talks broke down," it will be difficult to explain to the reformists.

There's also the amount of collateral for the factory; we originally wanted to reduce it further, but now it seems we have to put it on hold for the time being. In such a public setting, mentioning "reducing collateral" would only be interpreted as "lacking sincerity," which would be counterproductive.

Kobayashi glanced back and saw reporters still taking pictures of his back, and parents and new students still discussing the matter. He took a deep breath, handed the bouquet to his assistant, straightened his tie, and put on his flawless smile again.

From the moment he saw the banner, this negotiation was no longer a simple commercial game—the Chinese side used a grand "public welcome" to put him on the cusp of "successful cooperation," leaving him seemingly with no choice but to cooperate.

Thinking of this, Xiaolin couldn't help but curse "baka" in his heart again, but his feet still followed Zhao Xiwu into the research institute.

Soon everyone arrived at the meeting room. There were clearly more people negotiating today than last time, as if the Chinese side was deliberately putting on a show for them.

Didn't you think we'd be empty on September 1st?

it is good!
Now I'll show you whether there's anyone there or not.

When the wooden door to the meeting room was pushed open, Kobayashi Kazuya paused in his steps.

The scene inside was even larger than he had expected—one side of the long conference table was almost full of people. In addition to Zhao Xiwu, Yue Meizhong, and Fang Yan, there were several cadres wearing Zhongshan suits with pens pinned to their chests. The signs for "Ministry of Health" and "Ministry of Foreign Trade" on the corner of the table were particularly eye-catching. The middle-aged man sitting at the very end even handed him a business card with the title "Counselor of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stationed in Japan" printed on it.

"President Kobayashi, please have a seat." Zhao Xiwu gestured for him to sit in the main seat opposite him. Enamel cups and freshly brewed jasmine tea were already set on the table, and the steam rose gently over the spread-out draft of the cooperation agreement. "We have everyone here today. First, we want to discuss the details of the cooperation thoroughly, and second, we want all departments to hear that this is not only a cooperation between the school and the enterprise, but also a major event for the internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine."

This scene is on a much higher level than the last negotiation.

Kobayashi Ichiya felt a chill run down his spine. He remembered the instructions from the party leader: this matter had to be accomplished! The conditions previously agreed to with the Chinese side could be agreed to directly.

He could only smile and nod, saying:

"Understood, we value it just as much!"

"Please take a seat!" Dean Zhao Xiwu said to Kobayashi Ichiya.

Kobayashi Kazuya nodded, and the people with him also began to sit down.

As Kobayashi Kazuya finally took her seat opposite the host and guest, Dean Zhao Xiwu spoke first:
"President Kobayashi, welcome. All of you here today are very concerned about this step in the international development of our traditional Chinese medicine industry. There is strength in numbers, and I hope we can be open and honest and discuss all aspects of cooperation thoroughly and practically."

“We have waited for so long, and now the products in China are ready. Now that President Kobayashi is here, all we need to do is start to carry out the things we agreed on before according to the plan.”

Kobayashi Ichiya's heart tightened. Zhao Xiwu didn't waste any time or preamble; he directly steered the conversation to "implementing the plan," leaving her no room to change her mind.

Holy crap, are these Chinese people really that aggressive?!
He composed himself, his face still bearing a businesslike smile: "Dean Zhao is right, we have always seen your sincerity. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical fully approves of the framework agreement reached earlier, and today we are here to finalize the details and expedite its implementation."

Hearing Kobayashi Ichiya say the same thing, the Chinese side exchanged glances. This kid seemed pretty honest so far. Hearing him say that, Zhao Xiwu gestured to Fang Yan, indicating that he should speak on behalf of the research institute and the company.

"President Kobayashi, let's skip the formalities. The fact that all the leaders and experts are gathered here today shows how much we value this cooperation. We also hope to eliminate any doubts between us and achieve true mutual benefit."

He picked up the thick draft in front of him, gently patted the cover, then put it down, his gaze still fixed on Kobayashi:

"Both sides have reached a preliminary consensus on the cooperation framework. The key today lies in the details of implementing the consensus, and in how to transform sincerity into rigid terms that both sides can trust and effectively implement."

"To improve efficiency and reduce repetitions, I propose that today's discussion focus on several core aspects: First, policy support and risk-sharing mechanisms, especially the latest developments and practical support guarantees from Tokyo regarding the vote on the Statute, which is the fundamental premise for cooperation; Second, the protection and usage limits of core technologies, as well as specific anti-leakage mechanisms; Third, the research and development and production of cooperative products, the implementation details of factory mortgages, and the specific pace and division of responsibilities for market entry, including the localization promotion plan mentioned by President Kobayashi; Fourth, the setting of trial sales periods and evaluation criteria."

His words instantly laid out almost all the key points that Xiaolin had been calculating before entering the meeting room—the amount of collateral, policy trends, verbal traps, and public opinion pressure—on the table, even more systematically and threateningly than he had planned.

In particular, the first point directly requires policy trends and "actual support and guarantees," which means that the ambiguity of Kobayashi's previous attempt to use the results of the parliamentary vote as a promise must be clarified.

"In addition, we have ranked our flagship products according to their sales in the Southeast Asian market. President Kobayashi can select products to be launched in Japan based on his needs."

"We have already prepared the inventory, and as long as the agreement is reached today, we can deliver the first batch of goods this afternoon."

Xiao Lin felt a slight chill run down his spine. Every point the dialect made hit the nail on the head, as if it had seen right through his inner thoughts, and what it said next clearly blocked any possible paths he might have thought of.

China's attitude has been quite positive. Kobayashi could have used the excuse that "the Japanese side needs to prepare goods and the procedures are complicated" to proceed, but Fang Yan blocked the risk window by shortening the execution time.

Moreover, the requirement is that the original plan must be executed meticulously, and no compromise will be made in any aspect.

"Your efficiency is truly admirable." Kobayashi put down his teacup, his smile somewhat stiff. "However, the customs clearance procedures for the first batch of goods, the registration with Japanese pharmacies... these processes usually take about a week. If we ship it out this afternoon, it might get stuck at customs."

Before Fang Yan could even speak, Section Chief Wang from the Foreign Trade Department picked up the conversation:
"President Kobayashi, rest assured, we have already communicated with the General Administration of Customs. Once the cooperation agreement is signed, with the 'Green Channel for Export of Traditional Chinese Medicine' certificate we provide, the customs clearance time can be reduced to 24 hours. As for the registration with the Japanese pharmacy, Mr. Li from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already spoken with the Tokyo Medical Association. They will give priority to reviewing our products. After all, this is a 'Demonstration Project for Sino-Japanese Medical Exchange,' and both sides are looking forward to its implementation as soon as possible."

Mr. Li nodded in agreement: "I spoke with Chairman Yamada of the association yesterday. He said that Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's distribution network in Tokyo is top-notch. As soon as the goods arrive at the port, they can be distributed to 30 core pharmacies within three days. This little thing shouldn't be a problem for President Kobayashi, right?"

Xiaolin sighed inwardly, but forced a smile back onto her face.

There's no point in continuing to cause trouble now; these people have blocked his path, so it seems he'll have to mortgage his factory.

You can't catch a wolf without risking your cub. Instead of playing mind games with the Chinese side, the better solution now is to implement the terms and conditions.

Otherwise, if the Chinese side really tries to stall for time with him, he will be the one who suffers in the end.

He's already clashed with Tsumura Pharmaceuticals domestically, and party bigwigs are waiting for him to get things done.

If you can't protect your own interests, then do things even better.

He wants to ensure that no one can find fault with him. Today, with the media present, it's the perfect opportunity to express his stance.

He quickly devised a response strategy and discarded all the plans he had prepared beforehand.

He smiled and said, "Since you are so sincere, we certainly won't have any problems."

"As per the previous conditions, we have now brought the items. Let's look at the specifics first!"

After speaking, he took out a briefcase from his assistant and pulled out a thick stack of documents.

P.S.: I still owe you 30000 words after finishing this chapter.

There will be more in the afternoon
(End of this chapter)