Rebirth 1977 Great Era

Chapter 1287 I'll Trick You Again After Signing the Contract! Interview and Digging a Hole (Bonus Chapter for Monthly Tickets)
The documents included Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's factory ownership certificate, a map of its distribution channels in Tokyo, and a "Cooperation Commitment Letter" stamped with the company seal. He pulled out the top document and pushed it to the center of the table, his tone finally free of his previous hesitation: "These are the basic materials we prepared for the factory mortgage assessment, including the land use certificate, equipment list, and asset audit reports for the past three years, which your assessment team can verify at any time."

"In addition, here is the signature you requested..."

He took out one item after another, all of which Fang Yan had mentioned last time. Everyone immediately took them and examined them carefully. Some of the documents inside still needed to be carefully verified.

To their surprise, they found no problems with these materials.

They all followed the local dialect and their requirements.

Several people checked the documents separately. They clearly stated the valuation standards for the mortgaged factory, the details of the penalty for breach of the technology confidentiality clause, the compensation clause for leakage, the automatic termination of the cooperation if the mortgaged factory's assets were transferred, and the initial trial sale... After confirming that there were no problems with any of the terms, they began to sign the agreement.

After seeing Fang Yan and the others finish signing, Kobayashi Ichiya handed the contract to him. He paused slightly, feeling somewhat unwilling, but quickly picked up the pen, signed his name at the "Party B" section, and stamped it with Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's red official seal.

“It’s a pleasure to work with you.” Zhao Xiwu took the lead and shook hands firmly with Kobayashi. “Once the assessment team returns from Japan next week, we will sign the mortgage registration certificate. The notary offices of both China and Japan will witness the signing.”

"It's a pleasure working with you." Kobayashi's smile was a little stiff.

He turned to look at Fang Yan:

"Mr. Fang is a young and promising individual, and this collaboration owes much to your efficient efforts. I hope we can maintain this level of understanding in future collaborations."

The dialect is the core of the technology here, and the person in charge of the main factory nodded and said:

"Definitely. We will send relevant personnel to Japan with the first batch of goods, and we will communicate with you at any time if there are any problems."

The moment the signing ceremony was completed, the reporters waiting outside the meeting room were immediately invited in.

The camera shutter clicked, and Kobayashi Ichiya composed herself. She and Zhao Xiwu stood side by side at the table, raising the signed cooperation agreement together. The camera captured this moment.

A reporter then asked loudly, "President Kobayashi, what is the significance of this collaboration for Kobayashi Pharmaceutical in its fight against Tsumura's monopoly?"

Kobayashi took the microphone, his gaze sweeping over the Chinese personnel present, his tone firm:
"This collaboration is not only a win-win situation for Kobayashi Pharmaceutical and the Chinese side, but also an important step in promoting fair competition in the Japanese Kampo medicine market. We will bring high-quality Chinese medicine products to the Japanese people as soon as possible and break the monopoly with our strength." This statement not only responded to the media, but also subtly conveyed the signal of "mission accomplished" to the reformists in China.

"What did Kobayashi Pharmaceutical contribute to this collaboration? There are reports that you mortgaged your GMP factory near Tokyo Port. Does this mean the company has taken on a huge risk?" Another male reporter asked a more pointed question, directly pointing out the sensitive issue of "factory mortgage."

Xiao Lin's lips twitched. They hadn't even been there, yet they knew all the details; it was obvious the other side had leaked the information to them. But since the agreement was already signed, he tried to appear as sincere as possible.
"Mortgaging the factory is not a risk, but a demonstration of sincerity. We firmly believe in the value of this cooperation... It will not only enable the Japanese people to use higher-quality Kampo medicine, but also promote the exchange of Chinese and Japanese medicine culture."

"As for the risks, I believe that sticking to the old ways and allowing monopolies to flourish are the biggest risks. Kobayashi Pharmaceutical is willing to be the first to try something new and pave the way for fair competition in the industry."

A reporter holding a sign that read "Health News" asked:
Will Kobayashi Pharmaceutical expand its cooperation with China in the future? For example, could it jointly develop new Kampo medicines?

Kobayashi immediately chimed in:

"Of course! This cooperation is just the beginning. Traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure of all mankind, and we hope that through cooperation, it can radiate greater vitality in the new era."

The reporter then proceeded to interview people speaking in dialect.

"Mr. Fang, as the core of the Chinese side's technology, in your opinion, besides product exports, in which other aspects can this cooperation promote the development of traditional Chinese medicine?" A reporter holding a microphone turned the question to Fang Yan, his eyes full of expectation.

Fang Yan took the microphone, first giving the camera a gentle smile, then changed the subject:
"Exporting products is only the first step. What we value more is the inheritance and innovation of traditional Chinese medicine culture. As far as we know, the Imperial Household Agency of Japan has collected many ancient Chinese medicine books that have been lost from my country, including rare secret prescriptions from the Tang and Song dynasties. These are cultural treasures of all mankind."

He paused, then turned his gaze to Kobayashi Ichiya beside him, his smile remaining gentle:

"Therefore, we hope that through this collaboration, we can facilitate the collation and research of these ancient books through Kobayashi Pharmaceutical. If we can discover prescriptions suitable for modern clinical use, we can jointly develop them into new products and truly achieve the goal of 'benefiting all mankind'."

Upon hearing this, the reporters present immediately erupted in excitement, and the sound of camera shutters clicking filled the air once again: "Mr. Fang, what specific types of ancient books are you referring to?"

"If Japan agrees to cooperate, what kind of technical support will China provide?"

A series of questions were thrown at me, clearly indicating that this topic was more newsworthy than simply "product collaboration".

Standing next to Fang Yan, Xiao Lin Yiya's smile froze instantly, and her heart skipped a beat.

Damn it! Again?
He never expected that Fang Yan would bring up the topic of ancient books at this time!

This is hardly a "cooperation suggestion," it's clearly a trap they've set for him!

The ancient books in the Imperial Household Agency's Archives and Mausoleums Department are part of the Japanese Imperial Family's collection and have always been kept secret. Not only can they not be borrowed for research, but even accessing them requires multiple layers of approval.

By revealing this matter to reporters, Fang Yan was putting himself in a precarious position. If he agreed, he would have no ability to leverage royal resources; if he refused, reporters would label him as "not valuing the inheritance of traditional Chinese medicine culture" and "lacking sincerity in cooperation," instantly shattering the "positive cooperation" image he had cultivated in front of the cameras.

What troubled him even more was that Fang Yan specifically emphasized "through Kobayashi Pharmaceutical's mediation," directly passing the problem onto him. The media present were all listening, and if he refused on the spot, tomorrow's newspapers might carry the headline "Kobayashi Pharmaceutical Hinders Research on Ancient Chinese Medicine Texts," which would not only offend the Chinese side but also potentially cause dissatisfaction among political leaders in Japan.

"President Kobayashi, what do you think of Mr. Fang's proposal?" Sure enough, a reporter immediately handed a microphone to Kobayashi, waiting for his response.

Fine beads of sweat appeared on Kobayashi's forehead. He forced a smile for the camera, trying to appear calm: "This is a very meaningful proposal... We will do our best to assist the Chinese side in communicating with the relevant departments. However, the Imperial Household Agency has strict regulations for the management of ancient books, and specific progress will take time."

He could only offer vague excuses like "I will do my best to help" and "it will take time," neither daring to refuse directly nor able to give a clear promise.

Fang Yan seemed oblivious to Xiao Lin's embarrassment, and instead added, following his lead:

“We understand the complexity of the process and are willing to wait patiently. President Kobayashi just said that ‘Traditional Chinese Medicine is a treasure of all mankind,’ and I believe you can understand the importance of protecting and researching ancient books.”

He deliberately repeated what Kobayashi had said before, bringing out the other party's "righteousness" again, leaving him with no way to refute it.

Xiao Lin cursed Fang Yan a thousand times in his heart, but he had to maintain an "agreeing" expression on his face and nodded repeatedly: "Of course, of course, we will follow up on this matter as soon as possible."

After asking many more questions, the interview finally came to an end.

Kobayashi and his team were taken to lunch. On the way, Kobayashi Ichiya finally couldn't hold back anymore. After being tricked so many times today, the smile on his face completely disappeared. He asked Fang Yan:

"Mr. Fang, about the ancient books... why did you suddenly bring it up in front of reporters?"

Fang Yan shrugged, his tone innocent: "This wasn't something that came up suddenly. We've wanted to promote research on ancient books for a long time, but we felt this collaboration was a good opportunity. As President Kobayashi just said, traditional Chinese medicine is a treasure for all mankind, shouldn't we let ancient books play a greater role?"

Xiaolin was speechless for a moment.

He opened his mouth, but finally said:
"Yes, you're right! But I think we should focus on doing our current tasks well first, so that we can have more cooperation later."

Fang Yan smiled and nodded, but what he said during the interview wasn't for Kobayashi Ichiya; it was for the person behind him.

If he wants to cooperate and achieve even greater political success, he might be able to get the book published.

P.S.: I still owe you 28000 words after finishing this chapter. That's all for today, I'll continue tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)