The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 266 The bear trap is set; the final battle takes place in Shanghai.

Then a man wearing a floral shirt and sunglasses stopped in front of a stall.

He skillfully picked up a few digital watches, glanced at them, quickly exchanged a few words with the stall owner in Cantonese, and then took out a few "foreign exchange certificates" with special patterns to pay.

The whole process was natural and smooth, as if it were a matter of course.

After strolling around for a while, dusk gradually fell, and the wind blowing from the Pearl River carried a slight chill from the moisture.

Qian Jin took Wei Qinghuan and Yang Dagang out to dinner. He had already gathered some information in the afternoon, and they chose to have dinner at a time-honored teahouse called "Tao Tao Ju".

The teahouse was bustling with noise and filled with steam.

Waiters in white short jackets carried huge steamers and moved between the square tables. Yang Dagang was dumbfounded. Wei Qinghuan was in a much better situation than him.

I really learned a lot this afternoon.

"One pot and two dishes, shrimp dumplings, siu mai, and a serving of char siu bao." Qian Jin ordered fluently in Cantonese with a northern accent.

Yang Dagang stared at him in disbelief again.

He increasingly felt that this Brother Qian was remarkable and a capable person.

The exquisite bamboo steamer was served quickly.

The translucent shrimp dumpling skin is as thin as paper, revealing the plump pink shrimp inside.

The shumai are topped with golden crab roe, and the meat filling is fresh, fragrant, and chewy.

The char siu buns are soft and white, and when you break them open, you'll find a rich, dark sauce filled with sweet and savory char siu meat.

Wei Qinghuan carefully picked up a shrimp dumpling and put it in her mouth. The exquisite freshness made her temporarily forget the shock of the day.

Yang Dagang began to wolf down his food: "Mmm, not bad, quite delicious..."

Qian Jin said, "Shall we invite Hayes and his group to dinner here tomorrow night?"

Yang Dagang said casually, "Sure."

Qian Jin laughed heartily.

They naturally couldn't have tea here; instead, they went to the revolving restaurant at the Yangcheng Hotel for a grand meal.

The following evening, Qian Jin went to pick him up from the airport himself.

He held up a sign, so he easily picked up Hayes and his group.

Hayes' side didn't have many people either, just three people, two men and one woman.

Hayes was a burly, middle-aged man with blond hair. The other man and woman were named Dutch Brooks, his deputy and assistant, and Amanda Samp, his translator.

This translation is a bit unconventional.

Amanda is a classic blonde beauty, with a curvaceous figure, a slim waist, and long legs, wearing heavy makeup and 10-centimeter high heels.

Even in the 21st century, it's rare to find a woman with this kind of image who could be a Chinese translator, let alone now.
Is this a Chinese-English translation?

It's probably a translation of bedroom language!

Qian Jin could tell at a glance that there was something going on between her and Hayes.

This is also the norm in the US right now.

The relationships between men and women there are even more chaotic now than in the 21st century...

But Hayes is very professional.

Qian Jin originally wanted them to wash up first, then have a meal and rest, and then discuss work the next day.

Hayes immediately said he'd just grab something to eat and then go to work that evening.
“Our schedule is very tight. If we can finish our work tonight, we will return to Hong Kong Island tomorrow. We also have a collaborative project there, and that project is much more complicated.”

Qian Jin shook hands with him: "Okay, whatever you say."

This actually saved him money.

He had booked a small meeting room at the Yangcheng Hotel for tomorrow, and the rental price for this meeting room was very expensive, costing eighty yuan per day!

That saved eighty yuan.

The office was set up in Hayes' suite living room.

After both parties signed the contract, Hayes laid out the supplementary terms of the foreign trade contract between Haibin Fertilizer Plant and Chuanqi Heavy Industry.

He analyzed and explained each point in detail. Qian Jin's English was fine for everyday communication, but he really couldn't speak well when it came to highly technical vocabulary.

At this point, Amanda, as the translator, really wanted to step in.

Just as Qian Jin guessed, this woman did know a little bit of Chinese, but he didn't know how she learned it, and her understanding was all jumbled up!
The two parties made initial contact.

It would be better for Qian Jin to communicate in English himself!
Hayes was embarrassed by this and explained, "Amanda is the adopted daughter of one of your Chinese families, and she can indeed speak your Chinese."

Qian Jin tried to communicate with Amanda.

Oh, so Amanda is the adopted daughter of an immigrant from Fuqing, and she speaks Fuqing dialect, which is also known as Min dialect...

Unfortunately, Qian Jin had never learned the Min dialect!
So he urgently contacted the hotel manager and found a waiter who understood Fuqing dialect to help translate.

And so, the triangular translation technique came into being...

But at least he understood what Hayes was saying:
"We have set three countermeasures. If you can include these three conditions in the contract and get the Japanese to sign their names, then we can achieve a great victory!"

"The first rule is mandatory independent re-inspection."

"Look, ladies and gentlemen, we have made a clear requirement that before the core pressure-bearing components of the equipment are finally manufactured and shipped off the shore, a third-party independent testing agency designated by the buyer and with internationally recognized qualifications must conduct non-destructive testing and destructive sampling on the key pressure-bearing components at the seller's production site."

"The samples taken must be sealed immediately and confirmed by the joint signatures of the buyer, seller, and testing agency. The testing agency shall issue a legally binding test report based on the ASTM standards stipulated in the contract..."

Yang Dagang was somewhat puzzled.

Qian Jin explained to him, "The purpose of this is to collect evidence. The Japanese will definitely have a third-party testing agency randomly inspect a brand-new, qualified production line."

Hayes continued, "..."
"The second point is the definition of fraudulent deviation and the zero-tolerance penalty."

"We clearly define that if a re-inspection of the delivered machinery shows that the core material performance parameters of any critical pressure-bearing component are deemed sufficient to cause significant operational risks and safety hazards to the equipment under normal operating conditions, then no matter how the seller argues its 'optimization and integration' reasons, it constitutes an irrevocable serious breach of contract due to technical fraud."

Qian Jin nodded.

This one should naturally be used in conjunction with the first one.

"The third point is the automatic triggering mechanism for high-value compensation."

"Once a fraudulent breach as defined in Article 2 above is confirmed, the seller will automatically assume the following legal liabilities:"

"Immediately and unconditionally refund all contract payments and interest already made by the buyer. Pay a punitive penalty equivalent to 80% of the total contract amount."

"The buyer shall bear all direct and indirect losses incurred as a result of this transaction, including but not limited to: independent testing fees, equipment clearance and warehousing costs, and all reasonable legal fees incurred by the buyer in pursuing compensation..."

"The seller must be responsible for removing the non-conforming equipment from the Chinese port at its own expense within the specified time. If the equipment is not removed by the deadline, ownership of the equipment will automatically transfer to the buyer without compensation, and the buyer has the right to dispose of it at its own discretion..."

This is the warranty clause.

Qian Jin asked, "Could we raise the upper limit of the penalty for breach of contract?"

Hayes smiled. "You're a greedy guy. Money. I admire your ambition."

“But that won’t work. Our opponents are seasoned veterans in global trade, and they will be very wary.”

“This compensation amount is the most standard and the most common. We must do everything we can to lull them into a false sense of security, otherwise we will be finished once they discover the trap.”

In this regard, Qian Jin can only listen to Hayes.

At this point, Hayes couldn't help but ask the core question: "Mr. Qian, I'd like to know how you get your competitors to sign contracts?"

"If we don't attend, their capabilities in contract review will far surpass yours—I'm sorry, perhaps this makes you uncomfortable..."

"No, no, no, this is the truth. If we don't even dare to face the truth, then we can forget about defeating the enemy." Qian Jin laughed.

He said, “Mr. Hayes, you are indeed more professional, but I can’t let you show up. In Chinese slang, we say, we can’t alert the enemy.”

"Then how do you get them to sign?" Hayes asked, puzzled. "If they find a problem and refuse to sign, then you'll be paying us commissions for nothing."

“Your opponent is powerful, and the trap we set is well hidden, but I can’t guarantee that it will really fool them.”

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Don't worry, Mr. Hayes, here's how I'll handle this. Actually, I'll need your help..."

He leaned close to Hayes' ear and whispered the answer.

Hayes squinted his eyes after hearing this, then burst into laughter.

He couldn't help but applaud and say, "Mr. Song is right, you Chinese are very wise."

"That's a good move, but it will test your acting skills. Let's wait and see if you have the talent to succeed in Hollywood..."

After he finished speaking, he beckoned to his deputy: "Draft a supplementary clause immediately. It's very simple. Just put all the safeguard clauses from international trade contracts that we can find into it."

Brooks immediately began to carry out the work.

Yang Dagang stared longingly at Qian Jin.

He was completely baffled by the whole thing.

I was completely confused.

Qian Jin explained the supplementary clauses to him again, this time making them much clearer.

Finally, he explained, "Brother Yang, there's a core logic behind the 'beast trap' we set for Chuanqi Heavy Industry."

"It doesn't directly question what Kawasaki 'used,' but instead uses mandatory pre-contract independent testing, employing the ASTM standards they themselves have written into the contract as a yardstick, to measure the fatal flaws of the 'old stuff' they secretly shoved in."

“Once the test data proves that the material properties of their key components are ‘systematically and specifically’ far below the standards they promised, then the characterization of ‘fraud’ will be irrefutable, and a large amount of compensation will be automatically triggered without any room for maneuver.”

Yang Dagang stammered, "I understand, but isn't this a simple matter? Why do we have to spend so much money to hire these Americans to handle the contract?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "Since it was someone else who discovered the contract trap of Chuanqi Heavy Industry, they should naturally be responsible for the follow-up work."

"Another one, of course, we could set such animal traps ourselves, but we can't do a good job of concealing them. In other words, we can't hide the traps perfectly, and we can't make those beasts from Kawasaki Heavy Industries fall into the traps without them noticing."

“But they are professional international trade hunters. They are very good at making animal traps and hiding them.”

Among countermeasures, setting traps is not the most difficult.

The challenge is how to lure those experts at Kawasaki Heavy Industries into the trap without them even realizing it.

Hayes' team had meticulously concealed the trap, and Qian Jin himself still needed to further disguise its existence.

The collaboration proceeded swiftly and ended cleanly and decisively.

The two had dim sum together again the next day, got to know each other briefly, and then went their separate ways.

11 month 20 number.

Two days remain until the meeting between Haibin Fertilizer Plant and Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

As night fell, the twilight pressed down on the old cityscape of Haibin City. Qian Jin stood in his third-floor office, gazing into the distance, where he could vaguely see the massive black shadow of the synthesis tower of the Haibin Chemical Plant.

After the new production line and new technology are introduced, this old composite drawing will be demolished by blasting.

A new synthesis tower will need to be built to adapt to the production line.

This is one of the reasons why the group so vehemently hates Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Introducing a new production line requires a large amount of foreign exchange, and then dismantling the old tower and building a new one requires a large amount of manpower, material resources, and financial resources.

The new tower is designed to be compatible with the new production line. If there is a problem with the production line, not only will we lose foreign exchange, but we will also lose the old synthesis tower, the old production line and the new tower!
Kawasaki Heavy Industries is truly ruthless and despicable!

The working group is still working overtime.

A factory office clerk saw the upcoming negotiation details and was surprised: "Director Qian, we're going to Shanghai for negotiations? And we have to go to another city? This is quite a big deal!"

"That was quite a commotion?" Qian Jin didn't turn around, he just smiled. "If it wasn't a commotion, how could it cover the sound of the coffin lid falling?"

"I'll follow Director Qian's arrangements," Yang Dagang said curtly.

Before him was a plan of a fertilizer plant, the drawing of which had been completely obscured by red and blue pencil marks.

Finally, his gaze settled on the location of the core synthesis tower.

Actually, going to Shanghai for negotiations wasn't Qian Jin's intention.

Currently, the China-Japan air route only operates between Tokyo and Shanghai. Kawasaki Heavy Industries hopes to negotiate in Shanghai.

The working group had agreed to this condition long ago.

They didn't understand business negotiations and were only focused on successfully introducing the production line, so they made all sorts of concessions to Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

This is also why Kawasaki Heavy Industries wanted to scam them.

The Japanese devils are beasts; they fear power but have no sense of morality.

Before you can do business with them properly, you have to teach them a lesson. They are a very despicable ethnic minority.

Qian Jin mentally rehearsed the negotiation process, then said to Yang Dagang, "Director Yang, let's pack our things and get ready to leave."

"Tomorrow, you will liaise with the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office and the Light Industry Bureau to initiate the negotiation process in Shanghai, complete all necessary formalities, and apply for the right to use the highest-level secure communication line."

"Mr. Zhao, you are in charge of technical support. Please compile all the speculative evidence regarding the potential material degradation of the old UF-II equipment, as well as all the case studies we can find regarding the tolerance for material inhomogeneity and safety accidents under the ASTM standard, into concise Chinese-Japanese bilingual summaries for our use."

His instructions were clear as a knife, decisive and unwavering.

"Okay," Yang Dagang replied, but a hint of unease flashed across his face.

This is an economic war.

He wasn't good at this kind of work, and he felt a bit uneasy.

In addition, at that time, Shanghai was still an unattainable place for cadres in coastal cities.

Shanghai, the bustling metropolis, was another world altogether.

Yang Dagang wasn't the only one who felt this way; the rest of the work group were even more uneasy.

Seeing everyone's flustered state, Qian Jin laughed: "Director Yang is a veteran who has been through many battles, and you are all elites trained by him. And now you're all scared?"

"But I tell you, that is the real battlefield. In this battle, we must win, we cannot afford to lose!"

"Also, it's very cold in Shanghai, so you should bring plenty of warm clothes. But right now we need a cold place. I want the smug smile of Kawasaki Heavy Industries frozen solid on the Huangpu River beach!"

Two days later, the train departed.

As Qian Jin said, the Huangpu River in late November, carrying silt from upstream and the chill of early winter, made the members of the working group shiver.

This was Qian Jin's first time visiting Shanghai in this era.

Shanghai, just emerging from its confinement after the reform and opening up, was filled with a peculiar, mixed atmosphere:

The Bund's historic buildings, the ever-flowing traffic on Jinling Road, the smell of coal stoves and the aroma of pan-fried buns wafting from the depths of the alleyways—all these elements combine to create a subtle, restless energy, a fresh vitality yearning to embrace the outside world.

This negotiation was very important, and the municipal government contacted Shanghai Metropolitan Government and specially prepared two cars for them.

Two slightly worn-out black Volga sedans.

After picking up the work group, the car struggled to cross the Waibaidu Bridge and merged into the traffic on Zhongshan East Road.

Qian Jin leaned back in the back seat, his gaze calmly sweeping across the still somewhat empty mudflats of Pudong across the Huangpu River through the dusty car window.

He knew he would be buying up large amounts of land here in the future.

Sitting in the passenger seat, Yang Dagang appeared particularly excited. His rough, calloused hands frequently wiped the fog from the car window, trying to make out the rapidly passing scenery outside.

A crowd of people, dressed in gray-blue Zhongshan suits or faded work clothes, hurrying along.

Long queues outside state-run grocery stores along the roadside

The loudspeakers blared impassioned editorials, and occasionally Teresa Teng's sweet voice drifted in.

And those granite skyscrapers standing along the riverbank, which once symbolized the power of Western capital, are now adorned with signs for various government agencies.

"Damn, this building is really tall!" Engineer Zhao couldn't help but mutter under his breath.

Yang Dagang grinned: "We went to Guangzhou and saw the Guangzhou Hotel. That building is really tall."

The driver asked Qian Jin, "Sir, are we going to the Jing'an Hotel?"

"Yes," Qian Jin replied casually.

His gaze remained fixed on the contract and supplementary clauses in his hand.

These are their weapons in this war.

Robert Hayes and his deputy personally drafted the supplementary regulations, which were very thick and complex.

The weight of the document far exceeds that of the paper itself.

The car eventually stopped in front of a building that blended classical and modern styles.

The Jing'an Hotel, formerly the Haige Apartments, is now an important venue for receiving foreign guests in Shanghai.

As Qian Jin and his entourage entered the lobby carrying simple luggage and heavy document boxes, a scent mixed with disinfectant and a faint perfume wafted towards them.

The waiter, dressed in a crisp, dark uniform, cautiously scanned their line, his gaze lingering for a moment on the faded khaki Zhongshan suit.

After Yang Dagang handed over his letter of introduction and identification, he immediately put on a professional smile.

The working group's rooms were arranged in the relatively secluded west wing.

After putting down their luggage, Qian Jin told everyone to rest: "Drink more hot water and get more sleep. Tomorrow we will be engaged in a tough battle."

As he spoke, he distributed a briefing to everyone: "Take a look at this during your break. Knowing yourself and your enemy will ensure victory in every battle."

The identity of the opponent is recorded here.

The negotiation team from Japan was led by Toshiro Nakamura, Deputy General Manager of the International Business Division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. The team members included Masao Ono, Chief Technical Officer; Kenichi Sato, Legal Advisor; Jun Watanabe, Business Specialist; and a translator.

They also arrived in Shanghai today, but instead of staying at the Jing'an Hotel, they checked into the Jinjiang Hotel, which is not far away.

Upon receiving the materials, the members of the working group couldn't help but show worried expressions.

Qian Jin laughed: "We must take the enemy seriously tactically, but we must despise the enemy strategically."

"According to reliable sources, our enemy's attitude toward this 'final confirmation' trip is very relaxed and dismissive. They believe that our coastal technology is poor and have no doubts about the contracts and technical data they provided."

"So their core purpose for this trip was not to conduct any negotiations, but simply to urge us to sign and seal the final execution documents of the contract and to expedite our payment of the second advance payment."

Engineer Zhao asked hesitantly, "Is there anything else we need to do in terms of the program? We can't afford to cause any problems with the program."

Qian Jin reassured everyone, "You're all fine. You're just there to make up the numbers. Leave the actual negotiation work to me and Factory Director Yang."

“We have done a very thorough job of preparation. The supplementary agreement and our legal endorsement are all in place.”

"The procedure is very simple. Tomorrow, before the formal negotiations, we will submit this supplementary agreement to Japan through official channels as an integral and final annex to the contract."

"Do I need to say anything?" Director Yang asked.

Qian Jin handed him a piece of paper: "It's very simple. When I submit the supplementary agreement, you just tell the Japanese that we are providing the supplementary agreement not because we don't trust their contract."

"Instead, it was an internationally accepted practice proposed by me, the 'expert,' with the aim of further clarifying the acceptance standards and procedures for core equipment and materials based on prior technical communication between the two parties, and enhancing the transparency and mutual trust in the cooperation."

"Understood!" Yang Dagang took the document, his palms slightly sweaty.

"Next," Qian Jin turned his gaze to Yang Dagang and the two leaders he brought with him, "Director Yang, the two leaders, tonight we are going to entertain the partners of Chuanqi Heavy Industry."

"You all absolutely must drink your fill and have a good time with them then, it's very important!"

Yang Dagang grinned, revealing a set of teeth stained yellow by cheap tobacco: "This is a piece of cake for me, hehe, I was the king of alcohol back in the army!"

The other two leaders exchanged a glance and smiled as well: "Go all out? That's great, I'm going to drink my fill tonight."

"I hope those Japanese devils have a good alcohol tolerance; I hope they can drink with me to the very end!"

Yang Dagang said to one of the pot-bellied leaders, "Section Chief Wei, you'd better be careful. You still need to find out what they're saying in Japanese."

Section Chief Wei readily replied, "Don't worry, it won't interfere with important matters!"

(End of this chapter)