The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 308 The Merchant's Transformation

A negotiation team was immediately formed within the guidance group.

Qian Jin is the team leader this time.

With time of the essence, he directly selected personnel within the unit, leaving Cheng Xia to organize the work, and bringing along a group of outstanding young talents such as Sun Jian and Li Xiang to prepare for the negotiations.

He was destined to leave the supply and marketing cooperative, so now he was trying to find ways to cultivate talent for the cooperative's foreign business office.

Wang Zhenbang is also very busy.

Like a locomotive at full throttle, he used all his old connections to break through the layers of barriers to obtaining permits for overseas travel, securing the licenses for Qian Jin's negotiation team in the shortest possible time.

Qian Jin's visa was still valid, while Sun Jian and others needed to apply for various documents.

Even if the relevant authorities have given the green light, it still takes a day to process all aspects of the work.

Qian Jin couldn't even wait a day. He said, "Sun Jian, write this down. I'll make the following work arrangements."

"I'm going to take the train to the provincial capital now, then take a flight to Guangzhou that night, and then cross the border to Hong Kong to meet with the leaders of ICI. Can you make this call for me and ask Manager Liu to arrange a meeting with the leaders of ICI as quickly as possible?"

"You lead the team to handle the visa work. Once the visas are obtained, book the plane tickets immediately. You need to check the flight status of Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou, find the nearest flight to Hong Kong, and come to contact me as soon as possible."

Sun Jian quickly took notes and then nodded: "No problem."

This time, they were essentially helping the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives purchase pesticides, which was their job, so Wei Bin was putting in a lot of effort.

But all of them didn't put in as much effort as Yang Dagang.

Yang Dagang was thrilled to learn that Qian Jin was going abroad to negotiate the purchase of pesticides for the people affected by the insect plague.

When he learned that Qian Jin had to take a car to the provincial capital and then a plane to Guangzhou, he called him directly: "Why are you going through all this trouble?"

"I've already looked into it for you. The city's military airport was supposed to send a plane to Guangzhou tomorrow to take some soldiers for special training. I pulled some strings and got the Air Force leadership to sign off on changing the time. The plane can take off right away. You can just take the military plane to Guangzhou; it'll be faster!"

Qian Jin was extremely excited.

Old Yang is a good older brother; he'll really step up when something happens!

Time is of the essence now; it's no exaggeration to say that we're racing against the clock.

He said happily, "Brother Yang, I'm so grateful to you, you..."

"You don't need to say anything. We're comrades-in-arms who fought together. There's no point in saying too much. I'll wait for your triumphant return and drink your victory wine." Yang Dagang hung up the phone directly.

The coastal city currently has a military airport.

This is a small airport left behind by foreign invaders, but it contains quite a few military aircraft.

Qian Jin was traveling in a small transport plane. He didn't know much about aerospace, but he knew that the transport plane had a retro design and not much space.

As a transport plane, it only had six seats in the cabin. When Qian Jin boarded, there were already four soldiers inside.

After checking Qian Jin's documents, the co-pilot let him board the plane, helped him fasten his seatbelt, and gave him a mask: "Comrade, you haven't received any training. Military aircraft are not like civilian aircraft. If you feel uncomfortable later, wear this."

Qian Jin sat down, his heart pounding with excitement.

This is the first time in my two lifetimes that I've ridden in a military aircraft.

He wanted to ask what kind of aircraft it was, but the soldiers kept their mouths shut and didn't even make eye contact with him, so he could only obediently look at the information.

take off.

Flight speed...

How can it be slower than a commercial airliner!

Because the seaside is less than 2,000 kilometers from Guangzhou, the plane took off in the afternoon and didn't arrive until midnight!

Qian Jin estimated the time; it would take at least seven or eight hours to fly!

However, since it saves time on the way to the provincial capital, waiting at the airport, boarding, and exiting the airport, it is still fast.

That can save more than ten hours.

This is extremely important right now.

Furthermore, he didn't need to find his own accommodation; everything was arranged the moment he boarded the military aircraft.

After getting off the plane that night, he was taken to the Air Force Guesthouse and slept there. The next morning, he rushed to work at the customs office and was taken to Hong Kong by his superiors through the emergency channel.

The All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives has an office in Hong Kong, and Wei Bin had already made arrangements for him so that the office director would pick him up directly.

Qian Jin called Liu Wenjie, and Liu Wenjie drove over to pick him up.

He drives a Mercedes-Benz W140, a car famous throughout Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.

Upon meeting again, Qian Jin shook hands with him and presented him with the gifts he had brought.

He has many friends, all thanks to his generosity; he never lets his friends help him for nothing.

Tse Sui Luen is a luxury goods company, a large and wealthy enterprise.

Don't be fooled by Liu Wenjie's low-key demeanor when he went to Haibin City. He addressed Qian Jin as "big boss" and "big brother" all the time. But once he arrived in Hong Kong, his territory, he wouldn't be interested in ordinary gifts.

Take Liu Wenjie's car for example, it's a Mercedes-Benz W140. Song Jixiang can only drive luxury cars like this in Hong Kong.

Therefore, the gift Qian Jin gave was unique and extraordinary.

It is a box of silver jewelry.

The silver itself wasn't very valuable, but the jewelry set was highly artistic, and Qian Jin had collected it from several luxury brands in the mall.

These designs were absolutely avant-garde in Hong Kong at the time. If Liu Wenjie had a keen eye, he could have summarized a style of gold jewelry that would have led the 1980s.

Liu Wenjie was somewhat surprised when he received the silver jewelry box.

The box is exquisitely designed.

In this respect, the 1980s cannot be compared with the 21st century. In the 21st century, many businesses wish they could sell only the packaging and not the product itself.

A mooncake costs over a thousand yuan, with the mooncake itself costing twenty yuan and the packaging costing two hundred yuan.

Liu Wenjie touched the box and couldn't help but say, "Wow, what an exquisite gift box! Qian Sheng, you're too kind."

Qian Jin shook hands with him sincerely: "You have helped me a lot this time. It's just a pity that I am not rich and cannot give you an expensive gift to express my gratitude. I can only ask the old craftsmen in my hometown to make some silver ornaments to express my feelings."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, they got into the car, and Liu Wenjie took him to a coffee shop.

After Qian Jin got into the car, he saw a promotional leaflet on the back seat, which featured Tse Sui Luen's diamond products.

He was overjoyed; the opportunity to give the second gift had arrived!
He had put some thought into his visit to Liu Wenjie, both to thank him for his help and to leave a good impression. The two gifts he prepared might not be of much value to others, but they were of great value to Liu Wenjie.

Picking up the brochure, he casually asked, "Manager Liu, doesn't Xie Ruilin make gold and silver jewelry? Now you're venturing into the diamond industry?"

Liu Wenjie drove onto the main road and laughed, "Yes, you don't know, but Hong Kong people are rich now, especially celebrities. They look down on silver and think gold is too vulgar, so they've started to be enthusiastic about diamonds."

“We are a newly established company, and we can’t compare with Chow Tai Fook and Chow Sang Sang. If we want to survive, we have to keep up with the market and work hard. So now the market appreciates diamonds, and we want to do diamond business.”

Qian Jin looked at the promotional leaflet and said, "For luxury goods like yours, promotion is very important. Why don't I see any of your promotional slogans?"

He added, "As far as I know, Hong Kong businessmen place great importance on product slogans, such as the famous 'Rémy Martin opens...'"

“Good things will come naturally!” Liu Wenjie replied casually, then shook his head helplessly, “We only entered the diamond industry last year, and our business capabilities are still far behind those of top companies. There are still many details that we haven’t done well.”

Qian Jin thought for a moment and said, "I just thought of a sentence that I think would be quite suitable as a slogan. Would you like to hear it?"

Liu Wenjie's focus was on driving. Now that the Mercedes-Benz was merging into the main road traffic, there were many cars on the road, so he had to drive carefully.

So he casually said, "Okay, go ahead."

Qian Jin said, "A diamond is forever!"

This was the second gift he prepared for Liu Wenjie.

It was even more valuable than the first gift.

This is just a sentence, but it became a popular saying throughout the Chinese-speaking world after it appeared, and its spread was no less than that of "When you open Rémy Martin, good things will naturally follow".

It's worth noting that the saying "When you open a bottle of Rémy Martin, good things will naturally follow" was the masterpiece of Wong Jim, the foremost of Hong Kong's Four Great Talents.

This copywriting was brilliant; it directly boosted Rémy Martin's sales, making it the top choice for high-end imported spirits as a gift.

The power of "A diamond is forever" is similar; after its emergence, it became the promotional copy of all diamond merchants and deeply resonated with people.

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenjie's expression changed instantly. He slammed on the brakes and turned to look at Qian Jin in shock.

A Toyota Crown was following closely behind. They suddenly braked, and the Crown almost crashed into them.

The cost of manufacturing the Mercedes-Benz W14 is high, and the cost of rear-ending it is even higher.

The Crown driver was startled, rolled down his window, and yelled, "So what if you're in Kaiping? Is this your backyard? You can't just go and stop whenever you want. Don't you have any driving etiquette?!"

In the past, if someone called out to him like that, Liu Wenjie would definitely get out of the car and let the other person see the power of driving a Mercedes-Benz W14.

But he couldn't care less now. He looked at Qian Jin in surprise and asked, "What are you saying—oh, excuse me, what are you saying?"

The Cantonese mixed with Hong Kong-style Mandarin suddenly transformed into fairly standard Mandarin.

"A diamond is forever—how about that? I came up with that idea after seeing that phrase 'A·Diamond·is·Forever' on your promotional page." Qian Jin chuckled modestly.

"I just thought of it casually and said it offhand. If it wasn't said well..."

"No, no, no, no, good, good, good, no, I mean, this is great!" Liu Wenjie grabbed his hand in surprise.

This time, his Mandarin was even more standard.

Clearly, his attitude towards Qian Jin had changed drastically.

He continued to murmur, "A diamond is forever!"

"My God, this is even better than De Beers' slogan, 'A Diamond is Forever'!"

In fact, this sentence is a more accurate and elegant translation of the English slogan, but it should have originated in the 1990s. Now, Qian Jin has revived it, so he can be considered a plagiarist.

Liu Wenjie gripped Qian Jin's hand and shook it vigorously, repeating the same phrase over and over again, finally saying:
"Mr. Qian, you are so talented! You are amazing! This copywriting is simply, simply a genius idea!"

"God, I'm so happy! Your talent is comparable to Wong Jim's. I have a feeling that once this sentence appears on our promotional materials, it will make many people remember Tse Sui Luen's diamond jewelry!"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "If you like it, that's fine. I'll give it to you. Now hurry up and drive, the drivers behind are getting impatient."

Liu Wenjie said, "This is neither my yard nor his land. Parking here is neither illegal nor against regulations."

“But since Mr. Qian needs me to drive, I should of course drive as soon as possible.”

"In addition, we really need to get to the Babylon Café as soon as possible, where I will discuss the copyright of this slogan with you in detail."

Qian Jin smiled and said, "I've given you the copyright. As far as I know, Manager Liu hasn't been with your company for very long. I think you definitely need to achieve some results."

"If you think this is a good quote, then you should give it to your company. It will probably help you with your work."

He was just a nobody from the mainland, practically a rat or a stray cat in the eyes of Hong Kong people.

Liu Wenjie couldn't possibly give him much money, since he wasn't Huang Zhan, and giving him 10,000 Hong Kong dollars was already a great show of respect.

How could Qian Jin possibly be interested in ten thousand Hong Kong dollars?
What he wanted was Liu Wenjie's favor!

Liu Wenjie, in return for the favor, drove steadily and quickly on the road afterwards, and was even more enthusiastic towards him. When getting out of the car, he even exaggeratedly said, "No, Mr. Qian, don't open the car door."

Then he personally went to the passenger side on the left, opened the door, and bowed to indicate, "Please get out of the car."

Qian Jin laughed and said, "I thought you were worried I'd break your car door, but I didn't expect you to be joking with me."

Liu Wenjie laughed too, in a great mood: "Otherwise, I can't express my respect for you."

"Let's go, boss. I've already booked a private room. If you're going to negotiate with Mr. Clark later, I can be your temporary assistant."

"I can't speak for other aspects, but I'm very good at translation and negotiation."

Mr. Clark.

Blair Clark.

The Asia-Pacific Director of ICI happened to be inspecting the Hong Kong branch when Liu Wenjie used his connections to stop him.

From this perspective, Qian Jin felt that the gift he gave was worthwhile.

When people learned that he was suffering from an insect infestation, they really went to great lengths to help him.

Generally speaking, it would be enough if Liu Wenjie could introduce him to a branch office leader, but this person directly arranged for the Asia-Pacific regional director, who was on a business trip, to come out. This is a huge favor.

Especially for Qian Jin, he was quite confident of securing the contract from ICI, as this would be more useful in negotiations with higher-ranking officials.

Because this trump card he possesses is meant to be shown to high-ranking officials.

Babylon Café is located in Central, Hong Kong, on the top floor of a luxury hotel, and has a very high-class atmosphere.

Liu Wenjie changed the private room at the last minute and booked the largest one.

The huge floor-to-ceiling windows offered a view of Victoria Harbour, lined with towering skyscrapers, a stark contrast to the dark blue polyester Zhongshan suit Qian Jin was wearing.

Clark arrived on time, without putting on any airs.

He was a typical English gentleman:
His blond hair was meticulously styled, his gray pinstripe suit was impeccably tailored, and he wore gold-rimmed glasses and a gold Rolex watch. All he needed was a cane to replicate the old-fashioned gentleman look.

Upon entering the private room, Clark was quite satisfied with its specifications, and the smile on his face, which had been superficial, became more genuine.

But when he saw Qian Jin attending the banquet alone, his smile turned cold.

After all, he brought several secretaries and assistants with him. There was also a middleman.

Liu Wenjie contacted Clark through this middleman, and he's here today to mediate the situation.

The middleman was of ordinary status, but he was an intelligence broker, so he had a wide network of connections.

At the same time, he also has high emotional intelligence. He came with Clark, and as soon as Clark glanced at him, he immediately knew that something was wrong.

So he first glared at Liu Wenjie and complained that the people he brought were unreliable, then smiled and said to Qian Jin:
"Mr. Qian, first of all, we must express our deep regret for the insect plague that has struck your hometown. It is really unfortunate for the people to encounter such a natural disaster."

"Then we can see that you are a diligent and people-loving official. We all know that your country is very strict about leaving the country. You must have used special connections to be able to come to Hong Kong so quickly. That's why we can't let you bring too many colleagues, right?"

He was explaining to Clark why Qian Jin had come alone to meet them.

This is not out of disrespect for the ICI Asia Pacific Director, but because it was a last resort.

The conversation took place in English.

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin's expression turned cold: "Sir, Hong Kong is China's Hong Kong, and the people of Hong Kong are descendants of Yan and Huang. This is an undeniable fact."

"It's just that the Qing Dynasty was weak and its rulers were cowardly, so it leased Hong Kong to foreign countries. But leasing is leasing, not giving it away or taking it away. So my coming to Hong Kong is not going abroad!"

That's a bit disrespectful to Liu Wenjie.

but.

When it comes to matters of principle, Qian Jin doesn't give face to anyone.

He also left himself room for maneuver; he didn't say these words in English, but in Chinese.

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenjie was shocked and instinctively scratched his head.

The middleman looked at Qian Jin like he was an idiot. How could you talk like that?

Do you know who I am?
Do you know who I've brought here?

Can't you tell the difference between the two Jokers?
But since he works in interpersonal relationships and information gathering, and possesses high emotional intelligence and strong patience, he immediately smiled and said, "Sorry, sorry, I misspoke. But who can predict the future?"

"As far as I know, Britain will not give up Hong Kong."

“Sir, can we not talk about politics today?” Qian Jin said without any mercy. “I also want you to know that our troops have just successfully dealt with the country of Jiaozhi, which claims to have the third strongest military in the world.”

"If the lease expires and Britain tries to violate the treaty and seize our territory, our army will come over. We hope that Britain will send their soldiers from afar to fight against us."

That sounds impressive, but it sounds incredibly stupid to the middleman.

He couldn't confront Qian Jin directly, so he used his eyes to kill Liu Wenjie.

Liu Wenjie could only keep ordering coffee and desserts for them: "Their tiramisu cake is delicious, you must try it."

Qian Jin was extremely aggressive, saying to the middleman, "You must be wondering why I'm treating you like this."

"Officially, I will not shirk responsibility for the sovereignty of our motherland for any reason; personally, you actually revealed to Mr. Clark that our hometown was suffering from an insect infestation!"

"You should know how much extra cost we'll have to pay in future collaborations once ICI finds out about this!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Wenjie immediately realized what was happening and glared back at his friend with murderous intent.

The middleman was embarrassed.

Clark coughed at that moment.

The middleman hurriedly explained that they were all from the same hometown and couldn't help but exchange a few pleasantries upon meeting.

After exchanging pleasantries, Clark got straight to the point.

He hadn't forgiven Qian Jin's rudeness in traveling a thousand miles alone, so he spoke very directly, and his tone of concern carried a condescending edge:
“Mr. Qian, the insect infestation in your northern country is regrettable. As a responsible international chemical company, ICI feels deeply sorry for you and wishes that the Lord be with those who are suffering.”

Qian Jin said, "Thank you for your concern, Mr. Clark and your company. We do need the help of one of your products right now, which is the high-efficiency cypermethrin emulsifier."

Coffee and snacks are served at this time.

Clark stirred his coffee with an elegant spoon, the silverware clinking against the cup.

He lowered his head and said, "Of course we can offer help."

"However, I hope you understand that the cost of raw materials in the international market has fluctuated greatly recently."

"Unfortunately, a serious fire broke out at one of our partner factories in Southeast Asia last week, which greatly affected production capacity and caused global supply shortages."

Qian Jin laughed when he heard this.

These capitalists certainly live up to their usual style.

However, the other party really thought they had him figured out, and without even bothering to come up with a reason, they simply used the "fire" excuse to fool him.

Of course he wasn't angry, not at all.

In trade between major powers, dignity and respect are earned through strength, not by expecting others to show kindness.

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin said, "This is truly regrettable. I hope your company hasn't suffered a significant loss?"

Clark took a sip of coffee and smiled, "The losses aren't too great, but production capacity is severely affected."

"So although I am heartbroken by the disaster that has befallen the people of your country and I want to help them, due to objective reasons, the prices of the goods we supply in the Asia-Pacific region, especially high-efficiency cypermethrin, may be slightly higher than usual."

"After all, our production capacity is limited, and it is springtime in the Northern Hemisphere, with frequent insect infestations, which has led to a supply shortage in the market."

He said he was "heartbroken," but he laughed without any pain and even seemed quite comfortable.

However, Qian Jin was still smiling.

He knew he had a way to hurt the other person.

At this point, Liu Wenjie became somewhat angry.

This foreigner is going too far.

The ostensible concern and inquiries, which were actually a blatant attempt to raise prices, instantly ignited his anger.

The main reason is that in his usual interactions with these foreigners, they frequently invoke the banner of human rights.

Now that some places are facing food crises, they not only ignore the urgent need but also try to take advantage of the situation.

Is this your gentlemanly conduct?

He was dissatisfied, but smiled and said, "Mr. Clark, we understand the difficulties you mentioned."

"But at the same time, I would like to introduce that China is a huge market with 800 million farmers, and the demand for high-quality agricultural inputs will be enormous, especially in the process of promoting agricultural modernization in the future."

"Therefore, I believe that this collaboration on high-efficiency cypermethrin is an excellent start for ICI to enter and cultivate this market with unlimited potential."

"What we look forward to is a long-term partnership based on mutual trust and benefit. We hope that you can show sincerity and address our immediate disaster relief needs with a fair and reasonable price that reflects the huge potential for future cooperation."

"Long-term? Potential? Of course, we're looking forward to it too." Clark smiled dismissively and leaned back in his comfortable sofa.

"But there's a saying in our country's business community: business is business. Gentlemen, we follow the principle of real-time supply and demand in the market."

"Solving your country's problems requires our highly effective cypermethrin, but we are now experiencing unexpected production losses..."

"I'm sorry, but cost is cost. If you're really in a hurry to solve the pest crisis, you must show the sincerity to match it—well, 'emergency procurement'."

Liu Wenjie sighed inwardly.

Then he glared at the middleman.

Qian Jin is right. He was furious. This guy actually told this foreigner about the Chinese side's predicament, which was tantamount to revealing the bottom line in advance during negotiations.

This embarrassed him!

Because he was the one who found the middleman, he not only failed to do a favor, but also ended up making things worse.

Feeling wronged, he whispered to Qian Jin, "Mr. Qian, please believe me, I didn't tell anyone about the insect infestation in Haibin City..."

Qian Jin reassured him, "I understand, it's okay."

Clark frowned when he saw the two men speaking in Chinese again: "Gentlemen, this is very impolite in business dealings. Your private communication makes me feel very disrespected."

He gently put down his coffee cup, making a move to get up, and the last trace of feigned politeness in his words vanished completely:
"I have another meeting. You guys think about the new offer. Once you've decided, Colin can contact my assistant."

Now, his inherent sense of superiority and disdain for China's predicament were almost undisguised.

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin not only remained calm and hopeless, but continued to laugh.

He leaned back in his chair and said, "Before coming here, I wanted to have a proper discussion about cooperation with you, but we thought too highly of you. We assumed you would have basic empathy, so we wanted to talk to you politely."

"Now it seems unnecessary."

Qian Jin pulled out a thin document from his briefcase, which was covered with handwritten formulas and structural diagrams, as well as a few lines of clear process descriptions.

He slammed the document down on the coffee table.

The rustling of paper sounded particularly jarring in the quiet coffee shop.

“Mr. Clark, before you leave, I suggest you take a good look at this document!” Qian Jin’s voice was not loud, but it carried a clear warning.

"When you first walked in, didn't you see that I came to the meeting alone and think that I didn't know business etiquette? Were you dissatisfied?"

"After reading this information, you'll understand why I came here myself – it's precisely because I'm so polite!"

As he spoke, he pushed the documents away.

The table was very smooth, and I slid over it in a flash.

Clark frowned and said coldly, "Mr. Qian, may I take this as you being angry out of embarrassment?"

Qian Jin said, "Don't rush to express your opinion. Observe carefully first! Think it through carefully! And then make a decision!"

Clark was stunned for a few seconds by his sudden outburst of force.

He frowned, glancing down at the document with suspicion and anger.

At first, it was just a casual glance, but the next second, his green eyes, which had been filled with disdain since he entered the room, widened.

He quickly picked it up and flipped through the pages rapidly.

soon.

The color drained from his face like a receding tide, and his previous confidence began to waver.

The title of the document deeply impressed him.

Paraquat's core synthetic route, key intermediate structures, and a complete list of crucial pressure reaction parameters!
These materials are confidential information that their company is guarding closely.

Even as a high-ranking official like the Asia-Pacific Regional Director, he didn't actually have access to specific information about production materials.

So he didn't know if the information in the document was true or not, but he did know some information about his company's flagship product.

This document contains all the information he knows.

"This...this is impossible!" Clark exclaimed in shock. "You must have found a fake document to deceive me!"

Qian Jin said, "I really regret talking to you."

“I know from your denial of the contents of this document that you are not even in the inner circle of your company. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be shouting like an idiot, but would be coming to me for a good talk.”

"So, how about this, here's a phone, you can call your CEO or R&D director."

"Or if you don't mind the trouble, you can go back to your company and send a fax to your head office, let them help you make a decision, and see if we have defrauded you."

Clark, panting, looked at him: "NO, NO, NO! I absolutely don't believe it, I don't believe it..."

"Are you sure you want to say what's on this right now? Be careful the news doesn't leak out." Qian Jin interrupted him, leaning back in his chair with his arms crossed and a big smile on his face.

"As the director for the Asia-Pacific region, I imagine you hold a significant amount of stock in your company, right?"

"Think carefully. If this news gets out, your stock price will likely drop significantly!"

Upon hearing these words, Clark broke out in a cold sweat that instantly soaked through the collar of his neatly pressed shirt.

He knew that Qian Jin was not exaggerating at all.

If the Chinese have mastered complete information on the production of Balari, and if Chinese factories are able to industrialize the production of Balari.

That would be catastrophic for ICI, which dominates the global herbicide market!

This is no longer a small business involving tens or hundreds of tons of high-efficiency cypermethrin; it's a sign that their chemical empire is crumbling!
Now he can only hope that it's all a lie.

But Qian Jin's attitude, tone, and current demeanor all told him this.

Wishful thinking won't work.

All this is true!
He hurriedly folded the documents and forced a smile: "Please wait a moment, I need to make an urgent call."

The middleman offered solicitously: "Mr. Clark, shall I help you find the phone?"

“No, you need to stay far, far away from me!” Clark rebuked him without any politeness.

The middleman felt wronged.

But he didn't realize that Clark didn't want anyone near him right now, because he couldn't risk exposing Barali's production information!

Not even the slightest risk!

(End of this chapter)