I'm in the county town, and you say I'm a big shot?

Chapter 497 ADM's interference?
Since Yan Shi had gone to gather information, Fang Qingye had nothing to do, so the three of them went out to explore Londrina the next morning. Although Brazil is known for its chaotic security, it's relatively safe during the day as long as you avoid slums and keep an eye on your wallet.

Besides, with Yue Kai protecting him, Fang Qing wasn't too worried.

The three of them took a taxi to visit the famous Tourette Ecological Park, St. Sebastián Cathedral, and the Central Market, which is similar to a large farmers' market in China. Fang Qingye and Yue Kai were dressed as tourists, wearing floral shirts, shorts, and traditional straw hats.

Fang Qingye noticed that the majority of people here were white or mixed-race, and typical Asian faces like theirs were rare.

"Londrina is not a tourist city. In big cities like São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, you can see Asian faces, especially Japanese people. However, in recent years, more and more Chinese people have come to travel and invest."

Mulan explained as he walked, dutifully fulfilling his responsibility as a guide.

What truly amazed Fang Qingye was the vibrant and lively atmosphere that permeated the place.

Under the overpass, dancers in bikinis swayed and danced, while an uncle next to them held up a megaphone to sell diet pills, his voice hoarse from shouting.

A barefoot child on a street corner, holding a bouquet of flowers, moves nimbly like a kitten through the crowd; the background music is a mix of explosive Portuguese rap and vendors' shouts, the air thick with the hormones of "Don't pretend, let's get wild!"

I'm having trouble getting used to it.

They didn't return to the hotel until the afternoon, where they met Qiao Yongfeng and Yan Shi, but they didn't manage to get any valuable information.

Yan Shi, also dressed in a floral shirt and shorts, sat on the sofa and gulped down a large mouthful of mineral water before saying, "I had dinner with that old man. I heard he liked playing golf, so I went with him to play. I didn't expect him to be so bad. He took more than ten shots on one hole and still couldn't get in. It made me anxious."

Everyone laughed when they heard this.

“I subtly inquired about this issue when I was with him, and he said he didn’t know the specifics either. He said that Philgrey is an independently operated company, and the government cannot interfere as long as it complies with the law,” Yan Shi concluded.

Fang Qingye laughed after hearing this: "That's a very official answer. But I don't believe that the government would be completely unaware of an acquisition project involving billions of reais beforehand."

"Yes, I raised the same question at the time, but the other party was vague, and I didn't press them further since it was our first time meeting," Yan Shi replied.

“Okay, Yan Shi, you go back and rest first. Keep an eye on this Fernando and try to meet him up with him often,” Qiao Yongfeng said.

"Just thinking about his golf skills makes me shudder." Yan Shi sighed, but still accepted Qiao Yongfeng's arrangement.

Now only Fang Qingye and Qiao Yongfeng remain in the room.

"What do you think about this?" Qiao Yongfeng asked Fang Qingye.

“I think Fernando definitely knows the inside story,” Fang Qingye said. “Like I said, with such a large acquisition project, it’s impossible for the government not to know which foreign company is going to make the acquisition.”

"Yes. It's a pity this isn't in China; we know so few people here." Qiao Yongfeng sighed and lit another cigar.

Fang Qingye glanced at him. Qiao Yongfeng had connections and resources in China, which was his advantage, but in this unfamiliar country, losing all of that would leave him completely helpless.

“But Brother Qiao, you did the right thing. If you want to establish yourself in Londrina, you have to build good relationships with the locals, which is one of your strengths,” Fang Qingye said with a smile.

"What strengths or weaknesses? But you're right, we need to strengthen our work in this area. I'll try to meet their mayor. Aoba, will you come with me?" Qiao Yongfeng said.

"Brother Qiao, you should go. I'm really afraid of drinking," Fang Qingye quickly declined.

Fang Qingye felt dizzy and lightheaded after drinking 20% ​​ABV Capricorn; such a high alcohol tolerance is impossible to develop through training.

"Alright, I'll go and make some contact first. You just stay put. I'll send someone to take you to get local SIM cards tomorrow. I don't think this matter will be settled anytime soon."

"Yes," Fang Qingye sighed. "Since we're here, we might as well make the best of it."

Two days later, things took a turn for the better. Yan Shi brought back news that Fernando told him: ADM Company wanted to acquire the Fergeri Company cooperative.

Upon receiving this news, everyone discussed it again in the room. "ADM is one of the four major grain traders, and the processing of soybeans, peanuts, and other rapeseed is their main source of income, so ADM's acquisition of Fairgre is not unexpected," Yan Shi said.

Qiao Yongfeng nodded and sighed, saying:

"Yes, but that complicates things."

Fang Qingye remained silent.

He tried hard to recall the past, but it seemed that he had never heard of the four major grain traders getting involved in soybean planting and production in Brazil or acquiring any companies.

One very important reason for this is that Brazil's infrastructure is relatively underdeveloped. Soybeans are mostly transported from the main producing areas to the ports by road, which is too costly.

Therefore, these grain traders usually purchase soybeans at ports, while the upstream supply chain is completed by Brazilian domestic companies in order to reduce costs and maximize profits. This allowed Chinese companies to take advantage of the situation and control the upstream of soybean production.

Is there something else going on here?
Fang Qingye pondered silently.

His appearance caught Qiao Yongfeng's attention: "Qingye, what are you thinking about?"

"No, it's nothing." Not wanting to voice her doubts for the time being, Fang Qingye regained her composure and said, "Brother Qiao, I'd like to meet with the head of Philgrey Company, what do you think?"

“Alright, instead of going around in circles like this, let’s get straight to the point. Contact President Ricardo of Philgrey Company and tell him that the boss of another company we are acquiring wants to see him.”

“OK, I’ll call his secretary right away.” Yan Shi said, then turned and left the room.

The meeting with Ricardo, president of Philgrey Company, was scheduled for 2 p.m. the next day. Qiao Yongfeng, accompanied by Yan Shi, two bodyguards, and a translator, rode in a rented Toyota van. Fang Qingye, Yue Kai, and Mu Lan rode in a car, with Yue Kai driving behind the van.

The two cars left the hotel and headed towards the city center, one after the other.

The headquarters of Philgeri Company is located on Carrias Street, in a very high-end office building. There was someone at the front desk to register them. After making contact, the group took the elevator to the sixth floor. Just now, Fang Qingye saw a woman with a waterfall of golden hair and wearing a colorful dress walking towards them. She looked to be under thirty years old, with bright red lips, and looked very charming.

"Hello, Mr. Qiao and Mr. Yan." The woman smiled and shook hands with the two men, and even affectionately touched their cheeks together.

They weren't speaking Portuguese, they were speaking English!

"Hello, Miss Katya," Qiao Yongfeng said with a smile. "Let me introduce you. This is my friend, business partner, Mr. Fang Qingye, the actual controller of Tuofang Technology."

"This is Ms. Katia, assistant to President Ricardo."

Katia looked Fang Qingye up and down, then suddenly muttered a few words, which Fang Qingye couldn't quite make out; they didn't seem to be in English.

He then flashed a charming smile: "Welcome, guest from the East. I hope you have a wonderful time in Londrina and that you have many fond memories."

"Thank you, Miss Katya," Fang Qingye replied politely in English, and the two continued to touch cheeks after shaking hands.

It's ice-cold.

Fang Qing was also quite unaccustomed to it.

Then, the translator, Mulan, was introduced. Katia walked in front, leading everyone along the corridor into the interior.

Mulan followed closely, then suddenly whispered something in Fang Qingye's ear, naturally in Chinese: "Boss, do you know what Katia just muttered?"

"Huh? Portuguese?"

"I say you're handsome and sexy."

(End of this chapter)