The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 262 Encountering a Scam, Gathering Evidence Overnight
After three rounds of wine, five flavors of food.

The group's faces were flushed from the baijiu—they allowed Qian Jin to drink beer, but they switched to baijiu themselves.

Because beer isn't energizing.

Wang Dong has been happy these past two days.

The production line ran smoothly for two days without any problems, and he finally felt relieved.

Today, we are the owners and the main focus. Other factory managers and leaders have visited the production line and all have praised it highly.

Naturally, everyone fawned over him, and an undisguised smugness appeared on his face. His voice boomed, drowning out the noise in the room:

"Everyone, let's do one more!"

"For the new achievements of our 'Four Modernizations'! For this 'golden nugget' that the Sixth State-owned Cotton Mill just acquired!"

He picked up the white, coarse porcelain cup in front of him, which was filled with a clear, colorless liquid that sloshed around.

This is Moutai liquor specially supplied for foreign affairs. The crystal-clear liquor reflected his excited face, and everyone cheered in agreement.

The glasses clinked together, and a clear, strong aroma of wine filled the room.

"Old Wang, you've really made a name for yourself!" Kong Xiangqian, the ruddy-faced director of the Fourth State-Owned Cotton Mill, leaned forward, picked up a piece of glistening braised sea cucumber with scallions, and spoke in a loud voice.

"Watching the fabric flow out, I really wanted to get my hands on one too. I'll have to ask the city leaders for permission to get a set of that equipment."

Wang Dong laughed heartily and downed the wine in his glass in one gulp.

He slammed the empty cup onto the wooden table covered with a tablecloth and said smugly, "I'm afraid it's not that easy. Can foreign exchange be approved just like that?"

“Our Haibin City isn’t the capital. How much foreign exchange can the central government approve for us? They’ve already approved a sum for our factory, and Director Yang’s factory also needs to replace equipment, so they’ve probably approved another sum. Where would they get any more quota for your factory?”

Kang Weiping, the director of Rubber Factory No. 7, laughed and said, "Yes, even landlords don't have surplus grain these days."

Kong Xiangqian was unwilling to give up and said to Yang Dagang, "Brother Yang, why don't you let the younger brother have a turn?"

Yang Dagang shook his head seriously: "That's definitely not going to work. Our fertilizer plant has to upgrade its machinery this time, otherwise thousands of workers in the plant will go hungry."

Seeing that Yang Dagang was serious, Kang Weiping skillfully changed the subject: "Old Wang, what are your plans for the next step? Give us a heads-up?"

All eyes immediately turned to Wang Dong.

Wang Dong, striking a pose of boundless pride, exclaimed, "Letting in the wind? No problem!"

"Old Kong, I'm not exaggerating, but with this set of equipment as a foundation, our next goal for Factory No. 6 is foreign trade. We want to earn foreign exchange for the country and make money from foreigners."

"The foreign exchange your factory needs for upgrading equipment in the future might very well come from our old brothers from Factory No. 6."

These words immediately drew cheers and clinking glasses of flattery.

But someone casually remarked, "Director Wang is so straightforward, he says what he thinks, unlike our Brother Yang who's so secretive about buying a machine."

Qian Jin shook his head secretly upon hearing this.

He discovered that Yang Dagang was not good at joking.

really.

Yang Dagang's eyes widened when he heard this, but luckily Wang Dong next to him put his arm around him and started talking about the topic of soldiers transferring to civilian jobs.

The others took the opportunity to chat about other topics.

The noise surged like waves in the private room.

The atmosphere gradually reached its peak.

Unfortunately, almost all the factory managers present were roughnecks, and they were all drunk and intoxicated, so they couldn't keep their mouths shut.

The conversation veered off-topic, eventually leading to the topic of the equipment the fertilizer plant was planning to acquire.

After a few sarcastic remarks, Yang Dagang couldn't take it anymore.

He put down his glass, his face flushed red from the alcohol and his emotions.

Since taking over the fertilizer plant, he had been suppressing a lot of emotions.

That urgent desire to change the status quo and lead the fertilizer plant to turn things around.

After being squeezed several times, this emotion, like a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time, finally found an outlet and could no longer be contained.

He wiped his mouth and said, "Director Wang, colleagues, to be honest, seeing the treasures of Factory Six today has broadened my horizons. I am truly happy for our brother unit!"

"Factory No. 6 is going to turn things around, and so is our fertilizer plant. To be honest, I also want to tell you all the news, but we had an agreement during the negotiations that we couldn't reveal too much information to the outside world because they were afraid of triggering malicious attacks from our competitors."

"So I can't say much about this. I can only tell you that our factory imported a set of equipment from Chuanqi Heavy Industry!"

"I cannot say more!"

"Kawasaki Heavy Industries?" someone repeated subconsciously.

“That’s right!” Yang Dagang’s voice rose even higher, filled with the pride of announcing major news, “It’s this factory!”

Some passages from "Thirty Years of Blood and Fire in Foreign Trade" flashed through Qian Jin's mind.

Kijikawa!

He suddenly exclaimed, "Kawasaki MK-IV type urea synthesis tower!"

“Yes, the Kawasaki MK-IV type urea synthesis tower.” Yang Dagang nodded subconsciously.

Then he frowned, racking his brains for fancy adjectives, and finally realized he could only use the simplest words: "This new guy is amazing!"

"By then, our old, outdated equipment at the seaside plant, which is constantly under repair and leaks gas, will be put into the steelmaking furnace. The efficiency and quality of that new equipment are unparalleled, and increasing production several times over will be a piece of cake!"

"Maybe next year, we can invite city leaders and colleagues to visit us and have a celebratory drink!"

Everyone was a little tipsy from drinking.

For a moment, no one noticed the biggest problem.

Kong Xiangqian casually remarked, "Old Yang, weren't you going to keep it a secret? Why did you reveal their project?"

Upon hearing this, Yang Dagang's smile froze: "What...what did I say?"

"Kawasaki MK-IV type urea synthesis tower," several people said.

Yang Dagang exclaimed in surprise, "I... I said that? No... I said that?"

"It was Xiao Qian who said it," Wang Dong realized.

Qian Jin said with a wry smile, "I was the one who said it!"

Yang Dagang asked, "How did you know? Did a city leader tell you?"

Qian Jin's expression was complicated: "Brother Yang, let's go outside first. I want to talk to you privately."

Others disagreed: "Why are they whispering here?"

"Yeah, you two are dating?"

"Hurry up and tell us, hurry up and tell us! If you keep us in suspense at the dinner table, you'll get a drink..."

Qian Jin looked at the spirited Yang Dagang and didn't know what to say for a moment.

The other person's eyes were red from excitement and alcohol, and they were in the middle of a great time. If he were to tell them that they had been tricked, they would probably find it hard to accept.

Therefore, he hoped to clarify this matter with Yang Dagang in private.

In this way, if the fertilizer plant interrupts the transaction, it can even seize the opportunity to sue the other party. When the matter is brought up again, Yang Dagang will at least have something to say to save face.

As a result, Yang Dagang, like the others, was curious: "Yes, Director Qian, there are no outsiders here, so why don't we just say what we have to say directly, instead of having to say it in private?"

Others took the opportunity to stir up trouble and create a disturbance.

Qian Jin was at a loss. His gaze fell on Yang Dagang's face, his smile unchanged, but his eyes sharpened.
"Kawasaki Heavy Industries has a great reputation, but, Brother Yang..."

"I've heard someone mention the 'MK-IV' model urea reaction tower you just mentioned. Apparently, there's been some feedback and controversy regarding the use of this model of equipment in Southeast Asia?"

He paused here, giving Yang Dagang time to process what he had just said.

The excitement on Yang Dagang's face was like a popped soap bubble, quickly solidifying and diminishing, leaving only a flushed face and a clear look of astonishment.

Qian Jin's tone became more deliberate, yet also more solemn: "Brother Yang, this matter of introducing foreign exchange involves tens of millions of dollars. It's of great importance. To be on the safe side, what do you think..."

"Could we slow down the signing process?"

Suddenly, the noise in the private room seemed to be mostly suppressed by an invisible hand.

The air suddenly became heavy.

Qian Jin continued, "Brother Yang, give me some time so I can go back and thoroughly investigate this vague piece of information?"

"I'll get back to you in a day or two at most. We'd rather investigate this more slowly than risk such a vital matter concerning the nation's well-being by walking a tightrope. Don't you agree?"

The smile on Yang Dagang's face vanished completely, the red glow from the alcohol receded like a tide, and a vein on his forehead throbbed faintly.

He stared at Qian Jin, his voice rising unconsciously: "Director Qian, what do you mean by this? Investigate? And postpone the signing? The contract is almost ready to go through the process!"

"Fusang Chuanqi Heavy Industries is a well-known international company. The contract for new equipment and mature technology is in black and white. How could there be a problem?"

He stood up involuntarily, and after glancing at the other factory managers still present, his attitude became even more aggressive:
"Besides, you said it yourself, that you 'heard someone mention it.' How can you take such unfounded rumors as truth? We can't let a single sentence ruin the lives of thousands of workers in our factory, can we?"

He became more and more agitated as he spoke, with an urgency to defend his "achievements".

The faces of Kong Xiangqian and the others standing nearby also showed doubt. Although they did not speak up, their eyes were clearly waiting for Qian Jin to give a clearer explanation.

Wang Dong wanted to say something, but ultimately spoke up for Qian Jin: "I know Director Qian. He's young, but very reliable. He never does anything without a reason. Director Yang..."

Yang Dagang stubbornly waved his hand: "Well, you know me too. Do you think I would mess up something that concerns the entire factory's workers' livelihoods?"

Wang Dong didn't know what was going on, so he was speechless for a moment.

Qian Jin put away his smile, looked directly at Yang Dagang, and said sincerely, "Director Yang, this is not just hearsay. This matter is of great importance, and I, Qian Jin, would not speak without reason."

"The project hasn't been finalized yet, so there's still room for maneuver. If problems arise after everything is already done, the losses will be unbearable for both of us!"

Good words can't persuade a damn ghost.

Actually, given his temperament, if it were Kong Xiangqian or any other factory manager nagging him like this, he would have stopped caring about the matter long ago.

But Yang Dagang's situation was unique.

This elder brother is a hero of the people. He went to the fertilizer plant and presided over the introduction of this production line not for his own future or anything, but for the people's livelihood, for the workers and for agricultural production.

Qian Jin must stop him from making a mistake.

And he saw it too.

Yang Dagang is a man of strong emotions. If he helps Yang Dagang avoid losses in this matter, it is tantamount to saving the other party's life.

In this way, he will have an important older brother who is very influential in both the military and the police.

So he continued earnestly, "Brother Yang, I will definitely get back to you tomorrow, or at the latest by tomorrow afternoon."

"Until I receive your definite information, in my capacity as the director of the Foreign Investment Office and in accordance with the requirements of Party principles, I urge Director Yang to temporarily suspend all important matters related to 'MK-IV'!"

Wang Dong's brows furrowed even more, and his gaze shifted from doubt to seriousness and worry.

No one else spoke, and many eyes darted back and forth between Qian Jin's resolute face and Yang Dagang's flushed and pale expression.

Wang Dong is the host.

He knew he couldn't stay out of it, so he forced himself to stand up and say:

"Brother Yang, to be honest, for transactions involving foreign trade, we should listen to Director Qian's opinion."

Others cautiously advised, "Yes, Director Yang, your factory probably doesn't even have enough technicians who can read Japanese technical manuals. With such limited resources, if you encounter a business like Kawasaki Heavy Industries that's riddled with traps, the consequences are unimaginable."

"Director Yang, the failure of the import is a minor issue, but who will take responsibility for the factory's paralysis? What will happen to the thousands of workers in your factory? How will the country compensate for the foreign exchange losses?"

Someone else said, "If anything goes wrong with this, your position as factory director and your political future will be completely ruined!"

For Yang Dagang, who was proud and stubborn, these words of advice only added fuel to the fire.

"You guys!" Yang Dagang slammed his leg against the chair. The heavy wooden chair leg scraped against the ground with a screeching sound.

His chest heaved violently, his face flushed red: "What kind of people do you take our fertilizer plant comrades for? What do you take our work group for?"

"Comrades, I know you may find it hard to accept that we are doing business with the Japanese devils. I admit that I couldn't accept it at first either. How could we cooperate with the Japanese devils who are burning, killing, and looting on our own land?"

"It was my former boss who convinced me..."

"No, Brother Yang, we didn't mean that," Wang Dong said, getting up to reassure him.

Yang Dagang said angrily, "Then what do you mean? Our working group has inquired and found that from the 1950s to the present, Chuanqi Heavy Industry has always been very trustworthy in doing business internationally."

"Furthermore, our technical department has repeatedly checked the contract text. Are all the people in our factory blind? Director Qian, you can't just overturn all the work we've done so far with just one sentence, can you? Can you just block all our paths?"

He looked around, the other factory managers exchanged glances, and were finally persuaded by him:

"Director Qian, what Factory Director Yang said is not wrong. Is your information reliable?"

"Brother Yang, please calm down and sit down..."

"I suspect there's something fishy going on here. Let's discuss this further..."

With support in hand, Yang Dagang gained confidence.

He abruptly flung his hand away, not even glancing at the astonished faces at the table, and strode out of the private room without looking back.

He slammed the heavy wooden door of the private room shut with a loud bang, the sound echoing for a long time in the deathly silence.

The chill outside rushed in with the swirling air, carrying with it the lingering greasy smell of food from the corridor.

The once bustling and noisy Donghai Hall is now filled with an awkward and desolate silence.

The aroma of food and wine mingled with the pungent smell of smoke and the stench of spilled liquor, filling the stagnant air.

The factory directors, including Kong Xiangqian, looked at each other with complicated expressions, and no one spoke.

Wang Dong slowly leaned back in his chair and let out a long breath.

He turned his head to the side, his thick eyebrows furrowed, and looked at Qian Jin with a complicated expression.

Qian Jin's resolve remained unshaken despite Yang Dagang's furious outburst.

He met Wang Dong's probing gaze and said firmly, "Brother Wang, something's not right. Something's very wrong, believe me."

"Those sons of bitches, Chuanqi, they cheated Brother Yang's fertilizer plant!"

"I can responsibly assure you that the synthesis tower technology they provided is outdated, and their accompanying equipment is old stock!"

Kong Xiangqian asked weakly at the last moment, "Director Qian, are you sure you haven't had too much to drink?"

Wang Dong also asked, "Is this reliable? Is your information accurate?"

Qian Jin nodded.

He had long planned to sabotage Kawasaki's fraught deal.

He not only had to sabotage the Chuanqi Group, but also other large-scale foreign trade partnerships that were fraught with problems.

So he had prepared an explanation in advance.

He solemnly told the factory managers, "Just last month, after I finalized the contract to import the Wodes production line, some friends abroad called to congratulate me."

"I naturally had to be modest and say that the contract was not yet completed and there might be some pitfalls, and I inquired about some major scams and frauds in international trade."

"Following this topic, my friend told me that the long-established manufacturer Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan seems to have gone astray."

"There are problems with their 'MK-IV' synthesis tower series, especially the complete equipment packages. They sound very trendy, but someone investigated with industrial espionage and found that they were using refurbished old model core components to pass off as new ones!"

A group of people stared at him blankly, and slowly felt a chill creep up their backs.

One of the factory managers stared intently at Qian Jin and asked, "Can you take responsibility for what you said? Is everything you said true?"

Qian Jin nodded heavily: "It's true! Comrades, there's definitely something fishy about Brother Yang's matter!"

According to the booklet.

The plant that Chuanqi Heavy Industry sank was not the Haibin Fertilizer Plant, but a fertilizer plant in Yanzhao.

But the deal was completed in 1980.

Qian Jin calculated the timeline himself and concluded that the Haibin City Fertilizer Plant should not have finished negotiating the contract with Chuanqi Heavy Industry.

By the time negotiations conclude and the equipment is transported to the coastal city for trial production, it will probably be next year.

Without any hesitation, Wang Dong nodded, his chin taut: "Xiao Qian, I know you, I trust you. We have to work together to pull this stubborn mule, Brother Yang, back!"

Kong Xiangqian said with a wry smile, "You all saw what happened just now. Director Yang is definitely not listening to anything right now."

Wang Dong waved his hand: "He won't listen. There are leaders here too. I just introduced a foreign production line and I understand this process very well."

“Their project process is still stuck at the municipal bureau and higher-level units. At least the final review and filing has not been passed, otherwise all of us factory directors would have seen the announcement.”

Several factory managers nodded.

After the state approved the import of the Wodes production line by the No. 6 State-owned Cotton Mill, it issued a notice to the heads of various units, asking them to study it.

Wang Dong was able to become the factory director for good reason. He lit a cigarette to sober up and his thoughts quickly became clear: "As long as the review is blocked, this introduction will not succeed."

"Okay, tomorrow I'll go to Director Sun of the Light Industry Bureau and ask him to find some excuse, like a temporary spot check of the preliminary verification requirements for newly introduced projects, to freeze the filing and approval process for the fertilizer plant project."

Kang Weiping, the factory director of Rubber Factory No. 7, is old and experienced.

He waved his hand and said, "Don't do that. Don't put pressure on us from above. Let's assume that what Director Qian said is true."

“Yang Dagang doesn’t believe it now, he’s just ignoring it, so the Japanese won’t get any news from him.”

“But if you put pressure on the project from the top down and freeze it, Director Yang will definitely know what’s going on. If he gets angry and goes down to question the Japanese, the Japanese will get scared and switch to proper equipment.”

"If the inspection comes back negative, will Director Yang hate you? Hmm? You'll be his enemies from now on!"

Qian Jin and the others were horrified by what he said.

This makes sense!

Wang Dong lit a cigarette for him: "Brother Kang, could you give us younger brothers some pointers?"

Kang Weiping squinted and said, "This shouldn't have been said in this setting..."

"If we weren't here, Director Qian wouldn't know about this!" Wang Dong said helplessly.

Qian Jin thought to himself, "I originally wanted to say this in private, but you forced me to ask, and now you've said this!"
Kang Weiping chuckled and said, "Alright, now we still need Director Qian to solve this problem."

"Director Qian, you need evidence, right? If you have evidence, everything will be easy to handle. Without evidence—things have come to this point, and it's really not going to be easy!"

Qian Jin thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll go back and ask a friend to investigate and see if I can get any evidence."

He then turned to Wang Dong: "Brother Wang, you have the right background and a wide network of connections."

“Brother Yang is in a bad mood right now, and he won’t listen to my harsh words. But you are his old friend, so try to persuade him with gentle words. This matter needs to be discussed in detail!”

Wang Dong nodded without hesitation: "That's for sure. I'll go to his house later and have some hangover tea with him."

Not wanting to waste any more time, Qian Jin nodded to the others, picked up his cotton coat, and strode away from the hotel.

Evidence is hard to find, but he really has a way.

He is now the powerful director of the Foreign Investment Office of the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative, and he also has Yang Shengzhang, whom he relies on, at the Central Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

He's no longer the clueless young man he was when he first transmigrated; he now has a wealth of connections to draw upon.

He had a deep impression of the Kawasaki Heavy Industries incident, and what he said at the dinner table just now was not all fabricated.

According to the booklet "Thirty Years", this incident could have been avoided because Kawasaki Heavy Industries did not initially set a trap to swindle the chemical plant in Yanzhao; they simply failed to do so.

Just as China was undergoing reform and opening up, many factories began to import equipment and production lines from foreign companies.

Unfortunately, at that time, domestic factories lacked experience in international trade, so those sons of bitches from Chuanqi Heavy Industry switched to scamming people.

The foreign exchange wasted on this incident became a lesson learned for foreign trade work, and similar lessons have been paid many times domestically...

The cold night wind cut my face like a knife.

Qian Jin wrapped his coat tighter around himself and walked briskly along the slippery sidewalk.

When he got home, everyone else was already asleep, and the house was dark and quiet, except for Huang Chui wagging his tail to greet him.

Qian Jin tiptoed back to his study, took out the hidden booklet, and reread the trade details of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Coincidentally, according to records, Chuanqi Heavy Industry initially intended to swindle a fertilizer plant in Malacca.

At the beginning of the year, Qian Jin had many contacts with the Chinese Business Alliance in Kuala Lumpur in order to investigate the toxic bird's nest case.

He was glad that the matter was linked to Malacca, otherwise the evidence would have really given him a headache.

The Chinese community in Malacca has a deep affection for mainland China; they are among the Chinese communities worldwide with the strongest sense of Han Chinese identity.

Therefore, Qian Jin has established a good relationship with the Chinese Business Alliance in Kuala Lumpur, and the two sides have exchanged gifts on several occasions.

Qian Jin's study phone couldn't make international calls, so he took the documents to his office.

Seeing that he went out late at night, Zhang Aijun was afraid that something might happen to him, so he acted as his bodyguard and followed him.

It was getting late. Kuala Lumpur and China have no time difference, so he figured his friends in the business alliance were probably already asleep.

But he still dialed the number, hoping for the best.

The route is switched to international long-distance.

The endless dial tone while waiting for the line to connect felt like each second was stretched out indefinitely, turning into a chilling torment.

Those few seconds felt like an eternity before a male voice, heavy with sleep and utterly annoyed, finally came through the microphone: "Hello? Who is it? In the middle of the night!"

“Brother Qiao, it’s me! I’m sorry to bother you. I’m Qian Jin from Haibin City. Brother Qiao, do you remember me?” Qian Jin said.

Brother Qiao's real name is Qiao Zhi, and his English name is George. His ancestral home is Haibin City, so the two sides are very close.

Hearing Qian Jin's anxious voice, he softened his tone: "What's wrong? Of course I remember you, we're from the same hometown."

Qian Jin, disregarding any pretense of friendship, quickly said, "It's urgent, Brother Qiao! I have something extremely urgent to discuss with you, it concerns the life or death of a factory!"

He quickly and briefly gave a brief overview of the situation.

Qiao Zhi, still half asleep, mumbled, "Huh? Another counterfeit goods case? Fuck! What's going on with Malaysia? Are they targeting us Chinese people?"

Qian Jin explained: "This time it wasn't Malaysia that cheated us, it was both us and Malaysia that were cheated. It was the Japanese company, Kawasaki Heavy Industries, that cheated us!"

He explained it again.

Qiao Zhi understood and started cursing the Japanese again: "These bastards, why did the American imperialists only drop two atomic bombs back then? They seem so rich and powerful, how come they didn't have the money to build atomic bombs?"

"Just say so if he's short of money. If he wants to raise money to build an atomic bomb to blow up the Japanese, we Malaysian Chinese businessmen will donate our entire fortunes to him..."

Qian Jin cursed along with him for a few minutes, and finally brought up the key issue: "Brother Qiao, you have extensive connections and a high status in Malaysia, could you investigate this matter?"

"The fertilizer plant involved in this matter is in Johor and is called Da Nan Yang Chemical Plant. They definitely have solid evidence of Chuanqi Heavy Industry's fraud, but it probably hasn't been published in the newspapers, so we need your help to investigate in detail."

"I urgently request that you help our family members in our hometown obtain technical complaint documents or factory inspection reports, or anything else that can shut them down completely."

"You are from our hometown, and you know the bad things the Japanese devils did to our hometown. Now they are persecuting our fellow villagers again—Brother Qiao, our hometown folks need your help!"

The following passage is extremely damaging to a man with strong feelings for his hometown.

Qiao Zhi said decisively, "It seems that our war of resistance against Japan has begun again!"

Qian Jin said, "Yes, this time you are in the intelligence gathering department."

Qiao Zhi said, "Don't sleep, wait for my call and fax!"

Qian Jin immediately called Sun Jian: "Wake up, come to the office and get ready to receive the fax."

(End of this chapter)