The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 270 The total compensation shall not be less than 1000 million US dollars.

Seeing that he couldn't count on Masao Ono, Toshiro Nakamura had no choice but to bite the bullet and ask, "Mr. Qian, what do you mean by this?"

"Didn't you say that you designed these supplementary clauses?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "I was just joking with you guys, haha."

Nakamura Toshiro almost vomited blood when he heard this.

Qian Jin patted his shoulder affectionately and laughed, "Don't worry, that was just a joke."

“Seriously, Mr. Nakamura, have you forgotten? I told you before that I led the design of this supplementary clause.”

"I forgot to introduce you at the time, but I was leading Robert Hayes' team."

Nakamura Toshiro had given up all hope. He pointed at Qian Jin and shouted, "This is all a trap!"

Qian Jin asked in surprise, "Ah? A trap? What kind of trap? Mr. Nakamura, please explain!"

Nakamura Toshiro was speechless.

He felt a sweet, metallic taste churning in his throat, which made him afraid to speak, lest he vomit blood.

Yang Dagang, along with Howard and others, began testing the equipment.

Masao Ono struggled to maintain his composure, but the trembling in his voice betrayed the turmoil within him:

"The equipment inventory and verification, according to the contract, is to be handled by our company in cooperation with your engineers. These third-party organizations... right? It's in our contract..."

Yang Dagang flew into a rage after hearing the translator's words.

He stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a sword, piercing directly into Masao Ono's evasive eyes, fully displaying the majesty of a revolutionary soldier:
"A contract? Mr. Ono, it seems that your side has not carefully read and understood the supplementary agreement that we have finally signed, which has full legal effect."

"To be precise, it was the supplementary agreement that I 'personally led the revision of,' which your side deemed 'too verbose,' and ultimately agreed to add a 'one-month observation period,'" Qian Jin said with a smile and a wave.

Sayonara!

Masao Ono looked at Toshiro Nakamura.

But they found that Toshiro Nakamura was already swaying precariously in the cold wind...

Masao Ono had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it himself.

He coughed and said, "Yes, yes, it's this supplementary agreement—no, no, I mean our contract doesn't say anything about allowing third-party testing..."

After Qian Jin understood what he said, he translated it for Hayes.

When it comes to contract terms and legal issues, there's absolutely no need for him to speak up personally.

If a lawyer hired from the United States at great expense is here, and he has to answer legal questions in person, wouldn't that be a waste of money?
So he turned slightly to the side, and Hayes immediately stepped forward, like the most loyal hound guarding its master.

I opened the black folder I carried with me; inside were neatly bound English copies of contracts and supplementary agreements.

He pointed to the copy, his voice loud and penetrating, carrying the force of a courtroom interrogation:

"According to the supplementary agreement, Annex III, Clause 7: In order to maximize the protection of the buyer's rights and ensure that the technical condition of the core equipment meets the highest standards of the contract - especially the ASTM A387 Gr.11 CL.2 specification and our specially added requirements for seamless forged bodies."

"The buyer—namely, China Haibin Fertilizer Plant—has the right to hire any independent third-party testing organization with international authoritative qualifications that it recognizes to conduct non-destructive or minimal-destructive testing on any designated part of the equipment after the equipment arrives at the port and before the main unit is fixed in place."

"The scope, method, and standards of testing shall be fully specified by the buyer, and the seller—namely, Chuanqi Heavy Industry—must cooperate unconditionally."

Hayes paused, then smiled and explained to Masao Ono, "Sir, this right is independent of the rest of the contract and is not subject to any other terms or time limits."

"This clause was jointly signed and confirmed by your representatives Mr. Toshiro Nakamura, Mr. Masao Ono, and your legal counsel Mr. Kenichi Sato, and has full legal effect."

Hayes closed the folder with a soft click, but to Masao Ono and Toshiro Nakamura, it sounded like a thunderclap.

"In other words, Mr. Nakamura, Mr. Ono, our hiring of GSCA for testing at this moment is entirely in accordance with the contract and is the buyer's legitimate right."

"Any obstruction, objection, or non-cooperation by your side will constitute a new serious breach of contract and may trigger the punitive damages clause with a higher amount as stipulated in the supplementary agreement."

When the topic of 'punitive damages clauses' came up, a fervent smile spread across his face.

But his tone was icy cold, devoid of any warmth.

This contrast is frightening.

Nakamura Toshiro and Ono Masao felt as if all the bones in their bodies had been removed, and they could barely stand.

broken.

It's completely broken.

That supplementary agreement, which they considered "amateurish" and cleverly emasculated with a "one-month observation period"!

That seemingly clever Qian Jin!
This is all a trap!

original……

So that's where the real killer move was hidden!

The clause about "hiring an independent third party" was cleverly embedded in a sea of ​​"irrelevant" clauses, and they, because of their contempt and wishful thinking at the time, signed this contract that would completely nail them down!

"No, it can't be..." Ono muttered to himself, distraught, his eyes unfocused. "You...you can't do this..."

“Mr. Qian, Mr. Yang, Mr. Hayes! Mr. Howard!” Nakamura Toshiro tried to smile and move forward.

He grabbed Qian Jin and Yang Dagang's hands as if they were his last straw, his smile a mixture of fear and pleading, a sight that was unsettling.
"There must be a misunderstanding! There must be some misunderstanding! It might be... it might be that we overlooked something in compiling our technical data!"

"Or... it might be due to minor bumps during transport... Please give us some time to conduct an internal investigation!"

"We at Kawasaki Heavy Industries will absolutely take full responsibility! We can immediately send our best engineers to re-inspect! We guarantee your satisfaction! Please have faith in our sincerity! We..."

He was incoherent, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and finally he bowed repeatedly to Qian Jin and the others on the spot.

“No need, Mr. Nakamura.” Qian Jin’s cold voice interrupted his plea. “We haven’t even found anything wrong with these devices yet, why are you already conducting an internal audit?”

"Furthermore, sincerity needs to be proven with facts, not empty promises."

"Mr. Howard Jensen, please begin. As planned, focus on inspecting the pressure-bearing cylinder of the core synthesis tower, one foot below the marked location."

Howard Jensen didn't waste any words; he simply and forcefully waved his hand.

His two assistants, who were already prepared, were like tightly wound precision machines, bringing all the inspection engineers into the field.

One of them, holding a special access key provided by the Chinese side, precisely inserted it into an inconspicuous access port on the huge equipment casing under the horrified and desperate gaze of the Japanese engineer Takeshita, cleanly and efficiently opening a channel large enough to insert instruments and light sources.

Another person quickly set up a high-brightness professional searchlight; its stark, cold beam, like the light of judgment, shone precisely on the location Howard had designated.

The key area where the old UF-II inner liner serial number was cut off, re-welded over, and then marked with the new MK-IV mark was added.

These people are extremely experienced in equipment testing.

Howard's imposing figure stepped forward, completely blocking the view that Nakamura Toshiro and Ono Masao were trying to peek into.

A cold wind howled and swirled around the massive equipment, whipping up dust and ice crystals that lashed at everyone's faces.

Apart from the sound of the wind, the only sounds at the scene were the low hum of the instruments starting up and the heavy breathing of the people.

Soon, the inspectors began to whisper among themselves.

Someone waved, and Howard went over to check, then raised his camera to take a picture.

Yang Dagang clenched his fists so tightly that his knuckles turned white, his eyes fixed on the area of ​​light, his chest heaving violently.

At Qian Jin's signal, the fertilizer plant's technicians followed the engineers.

Whether or not one can learn anything depends on their aptitude.

Howard did not want outsiders to be involved in his examination work, and he did not want anyone to learn anything from him.

Unfortunately, this was in China.

He was somewhat afraid of this country, after all, the domestic media used very few positive terms to describe it.

It's just that the fertilizer plant offered more money this time, and he was also invited by his old friend Hayes; otherwise, he wouldn't have come to China to do work.

So when he was about to angrily refuse the local skilled workers from approaching, he noticed a large number of Chinese people surrounding him.

He ultimately suppressed the urge to speak, focusing solely on finishing the job and getting the money to run away as quickly as possible.

Time slipped away in the whispers of the inspecting engineers and the murmurs of the onlookers:
"Brunson, take the picture here."

"Raymond, magnetic particle inspection, set to the highest sensitivity mode."

An engineer immediately pressed the probe of the magnetic particle flaw detector tightly against the edge of that area.

Almost simultaneously, the spectrum representing the magnetic field distribution on the instrument began to fluctuate violently, and the indicator lights at several key nodes emitted glaring red alarms, indicating serious defects.

Soon, the built-in buzzer of the instrument emitted a sharp and rapid beep.

"The detection point shows a strong anomaly!" Raymond's voice was calm, as if he were reading a lab report. "The magnetic field distribution in the area below the probe is severely disordered, with multiple high stress concentration points."

"The continuity of the weld seam was abnormally interrupted over a large area, and preliminary ultrasonic thickness measurement indicated that the thickness of the base material in this area fluctuated significantly."

"Based on comprehensive assessment, this area poses a serious risk of lamellar tearing and a high probability of early fatigue failure, exhibiting a catastrophic deviation from the requirements of ASTM A387 Gr.11 CL.2, with a safety factor of zero!"

Howard didn't say anything; he quickly made a note on a form.

Finally, he took out a Ricoh camera loaded with professional film from the equipment box handed to him by his assistant, adjusted the focus, and steadily pressed the shutter on the steel wall that was clearly visible under the searchlight.

"Crack!"

"Crack!"

The distinct click of the shutter sounded like a death knell, striking the hearts of everyone in the Japanese delegation.

After taking the photos, Howard moved on to testing the next piece of equipment.

Hayes went up to speak with him, then returned and said, "Mr. Qian, let's go to the office and wait."

"The testing process is very complex, and we probably won't be able to complete all the tests today."

Qian Jin translated for Yang Dagang and the municipal government leaders.

The leaders gave him the orders, and then left to go to work.

Yang Dagang was still a little nervous and asked, "Can you find the problem?"

His biggest fear was that the Japanese would discover the trap in advance, or have a change of heart and send them the normal equipment.

Then all their efforts would have been in vain.

Qian Jin was relaxed: "Brother Yang, the equipment was flashing red lights and making loud noises just now, you didn't notice, did you?"

"Don't worry, Kawasaki Heavy Industries is finished."

He turned to Toshiro Nakamura and his group.

These people were ashen-faced and trembling uncontrollably. Among them, Toshiro Nakamura was in the worst condition, hunched over as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

Nakamura Toshiro noticed his gaze, rushed forward, and bowed deeply: "Mr. Qian, I think there has been a slight error in our work..."

"It's alright, we can handle a little error." Qian Jin patted his shoulder with a smile.

“Come on, Nakamura-kun, Ono-kun, let’s go inside to warm up by the fire and have some tea. I’ve prepared some very good black tea, and Jun Watanabe is here too. Come on, you probably didn’t get to taste such good tea when you were invading China.”

He then said to Inukai Hana, "A traitor like you shouldn't go in. Go outside and breathe in the cold air to cleanse your heart of its filth."

Inukai Hana said fearfully, "Brother Qian, I...I haven't done anything wrong..."

"Don't you know how the Japanese devils tricked us?" Qian Jin interrupted him, his tone stiff.

"And listen to your own name, you bastard Japanese devil! Your parents would do anything to curry favor with the Japanese, even giving you the surname Inukai? And what about your name!"

He wished he could give those two traitors two nests.

The relationship has now completely broken down.

All that's left is to go to court. So feel free to curse if you want, and fight if you want.

What international friend?
The Japanese devils were never his international friends!
Inukai Hana was speechless.

He translated Qian Jin's words to Nakamura Toshiro and others.

Masao Ono suddenly realized.

Oh wow, so they discovered our trap all along.

At the same time, he discovered from Inukai Hana's translation that Qian Jin hated traitors and Watanabe Jun, a descendant of the invading Japanese army.

In his desperation for his future, he's now acting recklessly.

Adhering to the principle of trying anything as a last resort, he scolded Inukai Hana and Watanabe Jun: "Kneel down, you two kneel down!"

"Huh?" Inukai Hana was dumbfounded.

Masao Ono said to Toshiro Nakamura, "Minister Nakamura, we must gain the understanding of the Chinese people now, otherwise we are finished, and the reputation of Kawasaki Heavy Industries will be ruined!"

"So, let them kneel down and beg for forgiveness, because I've discovered that the Chinese hate those two the most!"

Having received the prompting, Nakamura Toshiro quickly ordered, "Then you shall all kneel down."

Whether it works or not, give it a try.

What if it works?
He was even more terrified than Masao Ono at that moment.

After the contract was signed, he was promoted from deputy director of the international business division to director.

In the past month or so, he has truly enjoyed many of the benefits brought about by his promotion.

This includes better benefits, higher status, and even a younger, sexier, and prettier secretary.

He didn't want to, and couldn't, give up these things. He couldn't give up his ministerial position, otherwise he would feel like he was living a life worse than death!
So he sided with Masao Ono and forced Hana Inukai and Jun Watanabe to kneel down.

The two were so distraught that they had no choice but to kneel at the office door.

Qian Jin turned a blind eye to this.

Let them kneel if they want, it's none of our business anyway.

With all the pressure gone, he and Yang Dagang were in a good mood.

The two men served Hayes tea and water, making him very happy.

Hayes will need to put in a lot of effort from now on.

The inspection work lasted for more than one day.

A synthesis tower system is very complex.

But the general results came out on the first day.

As evening fell, Howard, with a red nose from the cold and feeling chilly all over, came to find Qian Jin and Yang Dagang.

Qian Jin also brought over Nakamura Toshiro, Ono Masao, and others.

The two hadn't eaten lunch and hadn't had a drop of water all day; they looked extremely haggard and dejected.

Faced with the menacing Howard, they instinctively huddled together, shrinking their necks.

They looked like two startled quails.

Howard held the test report up to his eyes, as if a judge were reading out a verdict:

"Representatives of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Mr. Toshiro Nakamura and Mr. Masao Ono."

He paused for a second, and the silence of that second was more despairing than any roar:

"On the outer shell of the pressure cylinder of the new MK-IV core synthesis tower body provided by you and claimed to be fully compliant with the contract specifications, below the designated inspection location, a physical imprint of the old equipment—model UF-II serial number—was clearly found and recorded, though deliberately covered up, but could not be completely removed."

"At the same time, structural defects that seriously violate ASTM specifications were detected in this area and at the associated welds, posing a catastrophic safety risk."

"The chain of evidence is complete, conclusive, and irrefutable."

"also……"

Howard began to recite at length.

Toshiro Nakamura and Masao Ono were ashen-faced and unable to utter a single word.

The document was read aloud for a full four or five minutes.

After he finished reading, he looked at Qian Jin, who shook hands with him and thanked him.

Hayes stepped forward and opened the folder in his hand again.

His voice was much softer than Howard's, but the precise cruelty inherent in legal statutes was more despairing than any amount of testing parameters:

“根据海滨化肥厂（买方）与扶桑川畸重工业株式会社（卖方）于1979年11月24日签署的《大型化工设备购销合同》正文，以及具有同等法律效力的《补充技术确认与验收协议》（编号：QD-BT-79-SUP-001）之核心条款——”

He read the articles aloud clearly and slowly, and as they entered the group's ears through Inukai Hana's translation, they felt like a noose around their necks:

"—Article 7.4 of the main text: If the seller delivers equipment with systemic fraud such as substituting inferior or used components for new ones, or if the main body of the equipment has serious design/manufacturing defects and cannot meet the buyer's production safety requirements, the buyer has the right to immediately terminate the contract, force the return of the goods, and claim a punitive penalty of 200% of the total contract amount."

"--Supplementary Agreement Annex 1, Article 3.2 (Special Supplement): For core pressure-bearing equipment, if an independent third-party testing agency confirms that its materials, workmanship or body have material defects that are seriously inconsistent with the description of 'brand new, original factory, seamless forging' or violate the ASTM specifications—including but not limited to serial number forgery and critical structural defects—it shall be deemed a fundamental breach of contract by the seller."

"In addition to triggering Clause 7.4 of the main text, the buyer shall also have the right to claim all indirect losses caused by the equipment non-compliance—including but not limited to loss of expected profits, project delay losses, reputational damages, etc., calculated in accordance with the formula listed in Annex 4 of the Supplementary Agreement."

"--Supplementary Agreement Annex III, Item B: The seller shall unconditionally accept the test results of the independent third party designated by the buyer and waive any right to re-inspect or raise any objection, unless it can provide counter-evidence issued by an equally authoritative institution and bear the exorbitant cost of counter-evidence."

Hayes looked up, his gaze behind his gold-rimmed glasses sharp as a knife:

"Based on the on-site preliminary test report and image/graphic evidence issued by Mr. Howard Jensen on behalf of GSCA, which has absolute legal validity."

"We formally confirm that your actions constitute a fundamental breach of the Supplementary Agreement, namely, 'systematic and targeted serious technical fraud' and 'catastrophic security defects in core equipment'!"

Nakamura Toshiro looked at Qian Jin in despair.

He knew he was doomed.

Everything I had at Chuanqi Heavy Industry is gone!

Qian Jin shrugged and flashed a bright smile.

Are you trying to scam me?

Then you have to be prepared to get scammed!

Fraudsters often have a naive belief that they are the only ones who can cheat others, and that others cannot and should not cheat them.

Hayes gave them a cold look, feeling like they were being cuckolded.

It looks like US dollars.

He read aloud:

"On behalf of the buyer, Haibin Fertilizer Plant, and in accordance with the rights granted by the contract, I hereby formally announce:"

"I. The Purchase and Sale Contract for Large-Scale Chemical Equipment, numbered QD-BT-79, and all its annexes are hereby terminated immediately;"

"Secondly, all equipment delivered by you (including those already arrived in Hong Kong and those en route) shall be immediately deemed grossly substandard and shall be returned unconditionally."

"Third, initiate proceedings to recover the maximum punitive damages stipulated in the contract and supplementary agreement, namely 200% of the total contract amount of US$3.8 million, which is US$7.6 million;"

"IV. Simultaneously initiate indirect loss recovery proceedings, with a preliminary estimate based on the formula in Annex IV, amounting to no less than ten million US dollars;"

"5. All costs related to returns, warehousing, testing, and subsequent legal proceedings shall be borne in full by your party;"

"Sixth, we reserve the right to disclose this fraudulent activity to your headquarters, relevant international industry associations, and media, and to pursue the legal responsibility of the relevant persons in charge."

Hayes paused for a moment, then added, as if driving the last nail into a coffin:
"A formal lawyer's letter and a list of claims will be delivered to your Tokyo headquarters within 48 hours. We will immediately apply to freeze all your funds in this project and related accounts to ensure the enforcement of the claims."

"No—!!!" Masao Ono let out a scream so shrill it was inhuman.

Nakamura Toshiro was even more overwhelmed. His legs buckled on the spot, and he collapsed onto the cold, dirty ground with a thud.

The minister's eyes were vacant, tears streamed down his face, and he made meaningless hoarse noises.

In the void.

He vaguely saw the career, reputation, and wealth he had fought for half his life, as well as the dazzling lights and revelry of the Shinjuku club in his imagination, all of which collapsed and shattered into dust at this moment!

The others weren't much better off.

After learning the final result from Inukai Hana, both the managers and the technicians were devastated.

Inukai Hana's situation wasn't much better than theirs.

His gaze passed over the office walls and windows, landing blankly on the distant gray sky and the deep blue-gray cargo ship that had brought about his demise.

He recalled the earlier "daydreams" that Toshiro Nakamura and Masao Ono had shared in the captain's cabin about the Shinjuku Ginza Club.

At the time, he even hoped that he could have a sip of soup too.

The scene from that time has now become the most biting and vicious irony, burning his soul.

Masao Ono also looked into the void.

What he saw was similar to what Toshiro Nakamura saw.

He could almost see the president's fury, his colleagues' disdain, the industry's contempt, and the astronomical debt...

It's over, it's over.

All the scheming, all the luck, all the smugness were completely crushed at this moment, leaving not a trace.

Immense despair and chilling fear, like boundless darkness, instantly engulfed him.

After Hayes finished reading, Qian Jin immediately kicked the group out.

"Let's go? What are you still doing here? You're trying to rip us off with your old stuff, and you expect us to feed you?"

"Get out of here! Don't you have a boat? Get back on that boat and prepare to pay compensation!"

Nakamura Toshiro stood dejectedly in the empty square in front of the fertilizer plant's office building.

The cold wind whipped up dust and scraps of paper, howling as it swept across the vast factory area.

The massive synthetic tower cast a heavy shadow under the dim light, like a pillar of shame weighing on the hearts of the representatives of Kawasaki Heavy Industries.

Just one day.

The future turned into a world of extremes.

The group stood frozen in place, looking utterly lost, like statues whose souls had been ripped out.

Masao Ono murmured, "Watanabe-kun, do you have a sword at home? I think we'll both need it when we get back to Tokyo."

Jun Watanabe shuddered upon hearing this: "No, I would never commit seppuku! I... I'm just a business specialist. I don't even have the authority to sign contracts. This is not my responsibility..."

"Baka!" Upon hearing this, Masao Ono turned around and punched him, knocking him to the ground.

Others quickly went up to dissuade them.

Nakamura Toshiro coldly glanced at the chaotic scene and walked out step by step.

Heading towards a dead end.

He turned around by chance and saw the American, Hayes.

The other person was enjoying a cup of coffee.

Noticing his gaze, Hayes raised his glass in a toast: "Prepare to take this to the International Court of Justice..."

After understanding what the other person meant, Nakamura Toshiro, who had not eaten or drunk anything all day, finally collapsed to the ground with his vision completely blacked out!
(End of this chapter)