I am a master in India

Chapter 459 Family
Rana sat there slowly drinking bottled water, the land beneath his feet in a very special location.

Looking up, you can see the towering Qutub Minar, a victory monument erected by an ancient conqueror after he conquered Delhi.

The massive tower, with its jagged shape, has stood for eight centuries on nights like this.

Even now, it remains the only man-made object in this languid and tranquil sky.

In this landscaped courtyard, all the beautification is intended to cover the ground.

But in the nearby jungles and wastelands, along both sides of the road, magnificent tombs, palaces and temples can still be faintly seen.

For hundreds of years, on this very land, they have grazed livestock, grown grain, worshipped gods, built houses, and made petitions.
Today, it is just a quiet path, flat and perfect, with the land sealed under a verdant lawn.

Just as Rana was lost in thought, a tall figure appeared.

They had never met before, but Rana immediately felt his charm.

This charm comes from the way he talks to you; he is completely open, looks you straight in the eye, and frequently calls you by your name.

"Lana, would you like some red wine?"

“Uh, Mr. Su, either way is fine with me.”

"What kind of red wine do you like, Lafite, Romanée-Conti, or the Church of Our Lady of Dawn?"

“Oh, I’ve heard of that name before. I’ve been to Downing Street.”

“Then let’s go to the Church of Dawn.” Ron gestured to the servant.

Rana looked pleased; Mr. Sur was a man of great manners. There weren't many entrepreneurs in Delhi's business world with this quality, but each one was a master persuader.

For example, Rana himself benefited greatly from it, even though he was just an international broker.

“To be honest, I was originally planning to go abroad to do the research myself.” Ron smiled and raised his glass. “But a friend told me it wasn’t necessary, that I would handle things perfectly.”

“What we do is usually unknown to outsiders, and it’s not for the world to know. But we have the most comprehensive network of connections, which can help you find the most suitable person in the shortest amount of time.”

“This is exactly what I wanted.” Ron nodded in satisfaction.

Then two sumptuous appetizers were served, one for each of them.

“Multi said you’re a good person, so I’ve decided to give this business to you.”

“I helped him deal with a potential foreign competitor. After I acted as a go-between, he acquired the competitor’s company.”

Murthy is one of the founders of Infosys. Ron had just met him not long ago, and Rana was the middleman who introduced him.

In Delhi, relationships are like this: there's only a fine line between formal and informal.

Business people usually keep their doors firmly shut, but once they open them, everything is open to them.

If you gain the approval of a friend, you automatically become a "buddy".

This clan-based approach can sometimes seem endearing, and at other times quite unpleasant, but many places in Delhi operate according to this pattern.

“This business has nothing to do with software, you know, it’s completely different stuff, iron ore and coal.”

“The Witbank coalfield in South Africa is worth considering, and the Iron Quadrangle region in Brazil and the Carajás iron ore mine in the north are also good options,” Rana responded immediately.

“Very good,” Ron nodded with satisfaction, “At least we have a direction now.”

"Approximately how much will it cost? If it exceeds a certain amount, I might need to team up with a few friends to do it together."

"It doesn't matter, I just want the final result. Coal and iron ore should be enough to produce at least 300 million tons of steel per year, that's the minimum requirement."

Lannana quickly jotted it down in his notebook, then couldn't resist taking a sip of the red wine.

The sheer scale of the business left him parched, so he focused all his attention.

"India's real estate market is very hot right now, and East Asian countries have also increased their steel imports by 25% this year. I need to prepare in advance."

Ron spoke softly as if he were saying something insignificant. In the distance, Isa led little Ravi on a walk around the yard along the marble path.

Rana seemed to see in him the qualities of an old Delhi native, for business is far more than just making a living: business is a temperament, a way of life, and a social identity.

Of course, he wasn't as rigid as the old money types; Rana had dealt with jewelry families in North India.

Those people's business network not only spanned the Indian subcontinent, but also extended westward along trade routes to the Arabian Peninsula and eastward to China.

These jewelry trading networks consist of a single line, designed to overcome barriers to trust.

Because the entire network involves many different communities, religions, and languages, the barriers also stem from the nature of the jewelry trade itself.

Because the goods are of very high value, credit issues exist at every link in the jewelry supply chain.

Merchants cannot pay before receiving goods. The entire cross-border trading system involves each trader delivering priceless goods and receiving only a promise of future payment.

The problem is obvious: how can anyone be sure that someone who is trusted so much won't just walk away?
There is no doubt that violators will be punished. The entire trading community will unite to ensure that violators pay their losses.

At worst, people will stop trading with violators.

Businessmen will work hard to build their reputation, and this reputation will directly translate into business opportunities.

They live lavishly and spend lavishly so that others will know they are in good financial shape.

They donated money to temples and charities, and hired poets to praise their wealth and integrity.

When negotiating in business, they would exaggerate how their pride had been hurt: "Me? You think of me like that? You've misjudged me."

Most importantly, they used various methods to develop purely commercial relationships into various forms of interdependence in order to minimize deception.

To retain their partners, they would give gifts, offer assistance, provide lavish hospitality, and even arrange marriages.

They become very close to each other, speaking like friends or even brothers, unless their business runs into trouble. Nothing in their lives exists outside of "business"; daily life and family are dedicated to supporting and enhancing the business, while also providing reliable partners and successors.

Their pursuit of friendship and social life is never separate from building business connections.

This is the old money of North India, or more specifically, the old money of Delhi.

Mr. Sue's manner of treating people is very similar to theirs, making you feel like you are in a spring breeze, as if you are an old friend of many years.

But Mr. Sue kept his business and family, and even his personal life, very separate.

Old money people do everything for business, but he's not like that; in fact, he's subtly the opposite.

However, they all have one thing in common: they are all connected by various nepotistic relationships.

The two chatted and drank red wine in the courtyard, and quickly finalized the commission for the transaction: 2%.

According to industry practice, the commission for small and medium-sized projects is between 3% and 5%, while that for large projects it drops to 1% and 2%.

Without a doubt, Ron's overseas acquisition of mineral resources will involve a transaction value exceeding $1 million, making it a major deal.

Rana was satisfied with the 2% commission rate, even though the trip to South Africa involved more risks and coordination costs.

As night falls, the house's bright lights can be seen through its panoramic windows.

There were figures moving around inside, and after a while a man walked over leisurely.

"Brother, when are you going to finish your business? Dinner is about to start."

“Right away, this is our friend, Rana,” Ron introduced them.

"Hello, I'm Ratan. I heard you're from South Africa? Wow, I didn't realize you were so tough."

“Uh, hello.” Rana shook hands with him.

The man who arrived was Ron's cousin, Ratan. He was wearing pointed shoes, a brand-new T-shirt, and lots of gold jewelry, looking very impressive.

The scent of his perfume was even stronger than the fragrance of the surrounding flowers.

Through the window, Lana could see uniformed waiters setting the dinner table, with twelve sets of cutlery laid out on a long white table.

Some people were already drinking in the room, it felt like a nighttime ritual, a custom many wealthy people in Delhi use to end their day this way.

The people who came today were not guests, but Ron's relatives.

Family members from Uttar Pradesh come to Delhi every now and then for a family dinner.

They would stay at the "farmhouse" for a few days, which Ron welcomed.

A huge place feels empty without family.

In India, families are expected to live together, but they are often separated due to business commitments.

Ratan said a few words to them and then went into the glass-enclosed restaurant to have a drink.

"India's economy is growing very strongly right now; the only thing holding it back is infrastructure and education."

“Yes.” Rana nodded in agreement; he hated the traffic in Delhi.

"Almost all projects are susceptible to corruption, especially public works. If it weren't for those corrupt officials, children's education wouldn't be in such a problem, and the roads wouldn't still be under construction."

“Corruption is inevitable.” Rana nodded with a sigh.

"Do you know about pollution inspectors? It's practically India's new licensing system. They'll blackmail you!"

"What? You are Mr. Sue?" Rana exclaimed in surprise.

“No, it wasn’t me, it was a supplier for Suer Electric.” Ron shook his head. “Every department of theirs is 100% compliant with environmental regulations, but those pollution inspectors can still kill you. This is no joke, they can shut down your company, and then you’re finished.”

"I understand that for manufacturing companies, the losses from a shutdown are immeasurable."

“Suer Electric produces hundreds of thousands of various products every day. If our suppliers fail, we will also suffer heavy losses. To minimize our losses, we will include three or four companies in our supplier system at the same time.”

Ron has been having a headache lately due to all sorts of bizarre problems. Just because Suer Electric is having no trouble doesn't mean that its downstream suppliers are having a smooth ride.

While he was making contact with his counterparts in New Delhi, he began introducing a competitive supplier system. These measures were all born out of necessity.

Rana noticed that more and more people were getting into the room, and through the glass it looked like a real-life theater, with a stage illuminated by lights.

Various characters are dressed in all sorts of costumes. Some are leaning back in deep sofas, their feet in Italian leather shoes sticking out and shaking.

At the other end, waiters in white uniforms were putting flowers into a marble fountain, letting them float in it, with a huge crystal chandelier made of bright blue Murano glass overhead.

Rana, being quite perceptive, got up to say goodbye, knowing that the banquet was about to begin.

"I look forward to your good news, Rana. Can you give me a reply within two months?"

“Of course, Mr. Su, I’m flying to Brazil next week.”

"Okay, I'll invite you to the party next time."

Ron saw him off, then turned around to find Isa waiting for him at the door with Ravi in ​​tow.

"Honey, let's go inside."

"Ron, I'm pregnant again."

“Really? That’s perfect. Ravi needs a younger brother or sister.”

As a father, he began to believe that the saying "many children, many blessings" made sense.

(End of this chapter)