The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 265 Heading South to Guangzhou, Seeing the Southern Wind Through the Window

When it turned out that the fertilizer plant's working group was incompetent, both the city leaders and Yang Dagang chose Qian Jin's suggestion.

We need outside help!
Therefore, they need overseas dedicated lines.

The office currently used by the working group is a former restricted office that has not been converted and does not have an overseas dedicated telephone line.

So the working group changed its office location to the third floor of the Foreign Business Office of the Municipal Supply and Marketing Cooperative.

Qian Jin was still very familiar with this place.

Because when the special task force was handling the fake bird's nest case during the first month of the lunar calendar, they worked in the office on the third floor, and Qian Jin was an important member of that team at the time.

The ancients have already ridden the yellow crane away, leaving only the Yellow Crane Tower behind.

The desks and chairs in the office are still there, as is the calendar hanging on the wall; everything else has been taken away.

Qian Jin instructed Li Xiang to take some people to tidy up the office, and then he used an overseas dedicated line to dial a phone number he had inquired about beforehand:

"Good evening, Mr. Song. I apologize for disturbing you so late at night. I am Qian Jin from the Supply and Marketing Cooperative of Haibin City, China. Yes, yes, I am the younger brother of Brother Yang Shengzhang. Yes, Brother Yang gave me your contact information."

"Brother Yang, have you already been informed of the situation? Yes, we've been the victim of international commercial fraud. Yes, it was Kawasaki Heavy Industries of the Japanese who defrauded us. We now need to find an international trade law team in the United States..."

"Yes, we need this team to intervene in this fraud case immediately. Thank you so much, Mr. Song. It's an honor to meet you, and I'm glad to know that there are overseas Chinese like you who are so passionate, righteous, and full of patriotism..."

"Yes, our country and the United States have normalized diplomatic relations, and our ties will be even closer in the future. On behalf of the people of Haibin City, I sincerely hope that you can return to your hometown to pay respects to your ancestors..."

"Okay, I'll definitely need your help if I go to San Francisco!"

While politely greeting the overseas Chinese across the ocean, he quickly scribbled on a piece of paper:
Palmer & Stone LLP.

Senior Partner, Robert Hayes.

Specialty: International commercial fraud litigation, countermeasures against high-value contract damages.

This was followed by an even longer phone number.

After hanging up the phone, Qian Jin waited for five minutes before dialing a number to New York.

The Mr. Song he just contacted is named Song Jixiang. He is the Huaqing Gang boss who is now a powerful figure in the West Coast of the United States, and is feared by gangsters all over the country.

Song Jixiang had a wide network of connections, and he introduced Qian Jin to a lawyer who was very good at handling international cases. This person also had a triad background, and the two were very close.

When Song Jixiang learned that Qian Jin was going to fight against the Japanese, he generously offered to contact the lawyer for him and told him to wait three to five minutes before making the call.

The call was answered quickly, and it was Robert Hayes on the other end.

Communication went smoothly.

Qian Jin's spoken English is already quite good.

He succinctly and clearly explained to Hayes in ten minutes the Kawasaki contract trap facing the Haibin plant, the core suspicions of fraud involving refurbished equipment, and the Chinese side's urgent need to embed countermeasures at the contractual level.

“Yes, Mr. Hayes, it’s an extremely urgent and complex equipment procurement contract, and there’s definitely fraud involved. Yes, risk assessment and countermeasures are needed…”

"The project target is around four million US dollars, hmm, the amount is precise, and the competitor is Kawasaki Heavy Industries in Japan..."

"Yes, it involves systemic technology fraud and contract traps..."

"No, we don't offer consulting services; we provide comprehensive agency services, including in-depth contract review, risk analysis, design of countermeasures clauses, and contingency plans for potential international arbitration..."

"Time? The sooner the better, we need to start now..."

"The fee? We'll charge you the highest rate per hour. Oh, okay, thank you and Mr. Song for your kindness. If you could give us a friendly price, that would be the best..."

"Of course, of course. In the future, your firm and even you will be given priority in handling international lawsuits within this city and even this business system..."

"I understand, no objection!"

He hung up the phone, leaving Yang Dagang and the others standing nearby dumbfounded.

Qian Jin breathed a sigh of relief: "Next we have to wait, uh, what's with that look?"

Yang Dagang smacked him on the shoulder with a thud: "You little rascal, Brother Qian, you speak such fluent foreign language."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "I've only been practicing for the last two years, Brother Yang. If you'd like, I can teach you, and you can do it too..."

"Give me a break," Brother Yang waved his hand. "You want me to take a bayonet and fight hand-to-hand without batting an eye? You want me to carry a bomb to blow up the enemy's bunker without a word? But you want me to learn to speak foreigners?"

"I'm not cut out for this!"

He then exclaimed with emotion, "Goodness, if only we had someone like you to provide language training support to the troops during the Korean War!"

Bu Xunlong, a cadre from the Special Branch, laughed from the side:
"It's really interesting. Director Qian's fluent English can be used to deal with American imperialism, but now he's using it to seek support from American imperialism."

Qian Jin said, "This is what we call making the past serve the present and foreign things serve China; we must look at problems from a developmental perspective."

Everyone laughed together.

Yang Dagang asked with interest, "What did you say to this foreigner just now?"

Qian Jin said, "Oh, Brother Yang, please wait a moment."

He called to Sun Jian: "Send the contract to them in the shortest time and at the fastest speed using this overseas fax number."

After handing over the documents, he turned around and explained, "I contacted a very good international litigation lawyer named Hayes."

“He will review our contract and clear out all the hidden clauses—provided there are indeed any hidden clauses.”

"If there is indeed a trap, and the other party sees it as profitable, they will design a sufficiently lethal countermeasure 'bear trap' and embed it within the framework of our supplementary agreement. At that time, they will send a professional team to help us formulate a new supplementary contract agreement."

Yang Dagang asked expectantly, "Do you think they can do it?"

Qian Jin said, "They're professionals, they'll definitely be able to do it!"

Decisive and resolute!

The United States has completed the integration of capitalist society in this era, successfully taking the throne of the leader of the capital camp, and is invincible in international asset trade.

Their methods of controlling their capitalist allies are finance and military, while their dominance in international trade relies on legal hegemony.

They've created international law, so they're naturally very adept at manipulating it.

American capitalists are beyond reproach.

They were truly risking their lives to make money.

The next morning, around dusk on the East Coast of the United States, the international fax arrived.

The fax was short, only four pages long, and all of it was in English.

The document header features the prominent PALMER & STONE LLP logo.

It was still before work hours, and only Qian Jin rushed over after receiving a call from Yang Dagang.

The reason he received Yang Dagang's call was because Yang Dagang was sleeping in the corner of the office, waiting for any relevant calls.

This shows that it was only right for Qian Jin to do everything he could to help Yang Dagang.

This comrade served the people wholeheartedly.

He knew he lacked education and knowledge of international trade, and couldn't be of any help in important matters.

So when Qian Jin suggested waiting for the call in his office yesterday, he immediately refused:

"Good steel should be used where it's needed most. You, Director Qian, are good steel. Go back and rest. Leave the rough work like guarding the door and keeping watch on the phone to me, Old Yang. That's what I do by profession. I'll live in the office!"

Sure enough, when he heard the caller speaking in a foreign language, he guessed it was Hayes calling and quickly called Qian Jin over.

After Qian Jin arrived, he returned the call and answered the fax, then focused intently on scanning the densely packed English text on the document.

Yang Dagang lay down beside the table like a puppy, watching his expression expectantly.

Looking at the document is useless.

He couldn't recognize a single letter.

Qian Jin reads very quickly, only pausing to read carefully at key paragraphs.

After careful consideration, he sighed and said, "Professional matters require professional talent."

Yang Dagang asked excitedly, "They—the Americans—found a loophole?"

Qian Jin nodded solemnly.

He marked several paragraphs: "These are the problems. We searched the entire contract but couldn't find them, but they found them in less than 15 hours."

Yang Dagang asked, "What do we do next?"

Qian Jin patted him on the shoulder: "Don't worry, Brother Yang, I'll talk to them on the phone first."

The overseas dedicated line was redialed again.

The funds started burning.

“Mr. Qian, this is Hayes.” Robert Hayes’ voice came from the other end of the phone.

Yang Dagang listened intently.

He couldn't understand what the person was saying, but he could tell that the voice was clear and steady.

Robert possessed the composure and efficiency characteristic of Wall Street elites; without unnecessary pleasantries, he went straight to the point:
"Initial mine clearance complete, conclusions confirm your judgment was entirely correct. This contract is a meticulously crafted Fraudulent Trap."

Fraudulent Trap!
Hayes continued, "The core of the trap lies in the ambiguity of 'device definition' and the misleading concept of 'technical specifications'."

“They cleverly disguised their actions of replacing core pressure-bearing components with refurbished old parts by taking advantage of the open description of the MK-IV ‘optimized integration platform’ in the contract annex, and replacing the core pressure-bearing components with refurbished old parts.”

"The ASTM material standards cited in the main text of the contract seem strict, but they do not allow independent third parties to conduct destructive sampling and metallographic analysis of critical components before the equipment is shipped, in order to verify whether the material homogeneity and service stress peak meet the specifications."

"This is a fatal flaw, and also our breakthrough point."

Qian Jin looked at the contract and couldn't help but sigh again.

This is called professionalism!
Hearing the sigh, the other party thought there was a problem, so Qian Jin quickly said, "Mr. Hayes, please continue. Can we set up a bear trap for countermeasures?"

Hayes said confidently, "Without a doubt, I'm very good at dealing with Japanese merchants, just like my father was good at sniping Japanese soldiers on Iwo Jima."

"But as you know, the following content will require payment."

Qian Jin said, "Money is no problem at all, Mr. Hayes. We Chinese are trustworthy. So, when is the earliest you can come here for a face-to-face meeting?"

Hayes said, "It depends on when your government allows us to enter the country. If it's allowed now, I can arrange for my assistant to book my flight to China right now."

Qian Jin said, "The procedures are very easy to handle; we have already communicated with our superiors."

"However, according to my search, there are currently no direct flights between China and the US, so we need your..."

"I will fly to Hong Kong Island first, and then from Hong Kong Island to Guangzhou. My assistant has already investigated the flight information." Hayes' voice remained as confident as ever.

Qian Jin told him to wait a moment, and immediately said to Yang Dagang, "It's almost time for work, go to the municipal government and wait for the leaders."

"Everything is ready, we just need the right opportunity. The help we've hired is ready."

Yang Dagang immediately ran out excitedly.

Qian Jin sighed.

The country has just begun its reform and opening up, and its conditions in various aspects are indeed still lacking.

To his knowledge, there are currently only 144 transport aircraft in the country, all operating under the name of the Civil Aviation Administration of China.

There are currently five main aircraft types: the Soviet-made An-24 and Il-18, the Chinese-made Y-5, the British Trident, and the American Boeing 707.

Next, he will be traveling on one of these aircraft:

To save time, his team will go to Guangzhou to wait for Hayes' team, and the two sides will collaborate in Guangzhou.

Then the Chinese side pays the bill, and Hayes' team will return home.

If Haibin Fertilizer Plant and Chuanqi Heavy Industry sign a contract, Hayes' team will provide the Chinese side with the second phase of services at the moment the contract is signed.

If Kawasaki Heavy Industries discovers the problem and ultimately the two parties part ways, then their service will end there.

Therefore, Qian Jin also took a great risk in this matter.

If Kawasaki Heavy Industries cautiously refuses to cooperate, then at most they've avoided being scammed by the Japanese. Qian Jin's goal is to turn the tables and scam the Japanese.

Therefore, the Japanese need to cooperate foolishly, failing to see the countermeasures traps in the contract and falling into them.

It's hard.

Kawasaki Heavy Industries is a formidable competitor!
Yang Dagang and the others were slow to notice, and didn't even realize this, so they weren't worried about anything.

They did whatever Qian Jin arranged.

City leaders contacted officials in the diplomatic sphere and gave Hayes' team the green light.

We really have to thank the national leaders for this policy change.

Just this August, China and the United States reopened consulates in each other's countries.

The Chinese Consulate in the United States is located in San Francisco.

So Hayes' team had to fly to San Francisco first, get their visas approved in San Francisco, fly to Hong Kong Island, and then take a flight from Hong Kong Island to Guangzhou.

This would take them at least two days. Qian Jin wasn't in a hurry and made some further arrangements.

After Hayes' team boarded the flight to Hong Kong Island, Qian Jin, Yang Dagang, and two others also prepared to board the plane.

The reason there are three people is...

It's because Qian Jin brought his wife along!

These days, taking a plane is a big deal. Not only do you need a letter of introduction from your work unit to buy a ticket, but the passenger must also be a cadre at the county or regimental level or above.

Wei Qinghuan had never been on an airplane before, and she had never even actually seen one.

So Qian Jin had to show his wife some new experiences.

This involves a disciplinary issue of abusing public resources for private gain, but Qian Jin justifies himself by saying: "I work overtime and put in a lot of effort for the country and the fertilizer plant. Taking my wife on a plane is not an excessive thing, is it?"
In addition, Wei Qinghuan is not going there for fun; she will be serving as Qian Jin's secretary.

Qian Jin told the city leaders that these Americans were very snobbish. If we only sent two grown men, they would think our team was not professional—we didn't even have a secretary to do odd jobs? How shabby!

So who would be suitable to be a secretary?

Wei Qinghuan!
Because Wei Qinghuan is suitable for this job, both in terms of appearance and ability.

And so, Ms. Wei happily boarded the plane.

Moreover, she was dressed fashionably, wearing a beige long trench coat for warmth, paired with stockings and high heels, and a women's handbag.

Dignified and elegant, intellectual and charming.

Qian Jin thought his wife's outfit was definitely better than the flight attendant's.

He only found out after boarding the plane:
These days, flight attendants aren't pretty at all, and their clothes aren't fashionable at all; they wear military uniforms without epaulettes...

However, these military uniforms are made of wool, which makes them quite handsome.

From the moment Wei Qinghuan got off the car until she boarded the plane, she was the center of attention the entire time.

After she settled down, the flight attendants would look at her whenever they passed by. Later, when the plane took off, a flight attendant even came over and quietly asked her where she bought her clothes and shoes...

Once she arrived in Guangzhou, her attire became less eye-catching.

As the forefront of reform and opening up today, and the place closest to capitalist society.

Guangzhou is the most advanced and fashionable city in the world.

After the three of them booked a hotel, Yang Dagang wasn't in the mood to go out, so Qian Jin took Wei Qinghuan out for a stroll.

As our leader has said, it should be both tense and serious, yet also united and lively.

The more tense you are, the more cheerful you should be.

It was already early winter in Haibin City, while Guangzhou was still in autumn, or even early autumn, with a kind of dry heat that was completely different from that in the north.

Qian Jin led Wei Qinghuan away from the hotel, and as soon as they stepped outside, someone was hawking tropical fruits in Cantonese.

Qian Jin immediately went and bought bananas for Wei Qinghuan.

This fruit, which is readily available in Guangzhou, is an absolute rarity in the coastal city during the autumn and winter seasons.

He also wanted to buy some coconuts for Wei Qinghuan to try.

Unfortunately, the services offered by fruit shops these days are not very sophisticated; coconuts are all sold whole, and you have to ask for them yourself.

So Qian Jin gave up the idea and only bought her a cup of coconut water.

Wei Qinghuan took a sip of coconut water and laughed: "What a strange taste! It's sweet and refreshing, with a hint of herbal fragrance."

Qian Jin said, "Yes, this is natural coconut juice."

Wei Qinghuan nodded, her gaze sweeping over the dark-skinned, lean porter.

Her clothes didn't seem particularly fashionable here, as many girls were wearing trench coats and young men were wearing floral shirts and carrying briefcases with foreign letters printed on them.

This prompted her to ask, "This place seems a little different?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Yes, it's different. This is the southern window of our motherland. Let's go to the Yangcheng Hotel to book rooms for our foreign guests."

They stayed at the Oriental Hotel on the shore of Liuhua Lake.

The conditions are very good, and the price is reasonable.

But now the most prestigious hotel in Guangzhou is undoubtedly the Guangzhou Hotel.

Wei Qinghuan asked, "How do we get there? Should we ask around?"

Qian Jin pointed south: "No need, just head that way."

Wei Qinghuan turned her head and saw a huge, gray-white structure piercing the city skyline, looking particularly majestic in the afternoon sun.

“That’s the Yangcheng Hotel,” Qian Jin introduced. “It was built in 1972, has 27 floors, and is still the tallest in the country. It has a revolving restaurant on top with a view of the entire city of Guangzhou. We have our foreign guests eat there.”

Wei Qinghuan looked up, and her neck started to ache.

Twenty-seven floors!

This is unimaginable in a seaside city.

As for the revolving restaurant?

This was beyond her imagination.

To get to the Yangcheng Hotel, they first passed through Haizhu Square.

The square is spacious, with a solemn statue of the People's Liberation Army standing in the center.

Qian Jin took a picture of Wei Qinghuan, but Wei Qinghuan's gaze remained fixed on the Yangcheng Hotel on the east side of the square.

This is their destination.

Qian Jin wasn't in a hurry to go to the hotel; he decided to play in the square first.

On the west side of the square is the Overseas Chinese Building, where several young people wearing tight bell-bottoms and sporting exaggerated "airplane head" hairstyles are wiggling their butts around a tape recorder.

The tape recorder was playing Teresa Teng's "Tian Mi Mi," a song Wei Qinghuan was tired of and had no interest in.

The tender and poignant singing clashed with the solemn statues and hurried pedestrians in the square, prompting many elderly people to point and whisper among themselves.

Haizhu Square is next to Renmin South Road.

At that time, there were far more cars in Guangzhou than in Haibin City, but it was still a kingdom of bicycles.

Countless Phoenix and Forever brand bicycles converged into a surging torrent of steel, their crisp bells ringing out one after another, like the pulse of the city.

A traffic policeman in a navy blue uniform stood at the busy intersection near the Aiqun Building, holding a metal megaphone and shouting at the top of his lungs to direct traffic, but his voice was drowned out by the clamor of people and car bells.

Trolleybuses rattled past the towering arcade columns on both sides.

Several teenagers were hanging outside the tram car, laughing and joking, as the tram swayed along, leaving Wei Qinghuan dumbfounded.

Qian Jin first took her to the Yangcheng Hotel to book rooms for the foreign guests, and then took her to the Nanfang Mansion.

At this point, you'll have to rely on maps and asking for directions.

This was also Qian Jin's first time visiting Guangzhou, especially since it was Guangzhou in 79.

However, thanks to the Cantonese movies he watched over the weekend, he can now speak Cantonese to a passable degree.

Nanfang Department Store is well-known among staff in the supply and marketing system because it was the first large department store in the country to resume its commodity exhibition and sales.

This building is an arcade building with continuous arches and exquisite carvings, exuding a strong old-world charm.

Its huge shop window was polished to a shine, and many people gathered around to look at it.

Qian Jin and Wei Qinghuan squeezed in with the crowd. Inside, the lights were on and the place was bustling with noise.

The air was filled with the smell of new fabric, the sweet scent of candy, and the smell of people's sweat. Wei Qinghuan was a little nervous and held Qian Jin's hand tightly.

She was nervous because some of the young men were looking at her in a frightening way.

She didn't want to stay inside anymore, so she shook her head at Qian Jin.

Stepping out of the Southern Building leads to Xihou Second Road.

The sight here made Qian Jin stop in his tracks, and Wei Qinghuan was even more incredulous:
Many makeshift stalls have been set up on the sidewalks on both sides of the street.

A plastic sheet is laid on the ground, or an old handcart is parked there, piled high with all sorts of things:
A shiny digital watch, brightly colored nylon stockings, a lighter printed with foreign words, a uniquely shaped plastic hair clip...

The vendor at the very back, wearing a vest with the words "Panda Brand" printed on it, greeted the two in heavily accented Mandarin:

"Hey beautiful, take a look! This is the latest digital watch from Hong Kong Island, and it keeps better time than a mechanical watch!"

Then he noticed the stockings on Wei Qinghuan's legs, and grinned at Qian Jin with a knowing smile:
"Comrade, nylon stockings! You can't find such pretty patterns in Shanghai. Buy two pairs of black ones. If the pretty girl wears them tonight, you won't be able to sleep!"

Qian Jin went over and bought two pairs of black stockings, and then picked out a pair of high heels that looked like they were made with very rough workmanship.

The main appeal is its attractive design.

The total is twenty-one yuan.

Wei Qinghuan was surprised by the price. Pointing to the high heels, she said, "How much does this cost? The craftsmanship is terrible!"

The stall owner hurriedly explained, "This was brought in by smuggling, it's very risky, beautiful lady, I didn't make much money off you!"

Wei Qinghuan was taken aback: "You didn't make any money? This is your own business?"

The stall owner winked at her but didn't reply.

But everyone who understands understands.

Wei Qinghuan was frozen in place as if she had been struck by a spell.

A private stall selling things?
This is……

Qian Jin pulled her along, understanding the turmoil in the female teacher's heart.

He calmly pointed to a mottled old wall next to him: "This is Guangzhou, and this will be the coastal city next year."

A bright red slogan was painted on the wall: "Strive to achieve the Four Modernizations!"

Below the powerful slogan, almost flush against the wall, were several handwritten notes:

I'll buy foreign exchange certificates at a high price; US dollars and Hong Kong dollars are also acceptable.

The stark contrast, like ice and fire, clashed with Wei Qinghuan's perception.

Qian Jin said, "This is called 'individual business owner,' and it's allowed by policy."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the busy and vibrant stall owners. "The things they sell are either unavailable in state-run stores, require ration coupons, or require queuing."

"So the people needed it, and they could provide it. It was that simple, and that's how their business started."

Wei Qinghuan was speechless.

(End of this chapter)