The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 311 Domestic drought preparedness, ICI preparations
The windows were wide open, and a gentle breeze was blowing.

Wang Zhenbang went off to lament his troubles, but Wei Bin, not wanting the grassroots cadres to be idle, started chatting with them.

To avoid alarming the cadres, he asked about last year's water situation, previous droughts, and what the brigade and commune would do in case of drought.

Upon arriving at this point, the astute cadre realized something was amiss: "Sir, is this another year of drought?"

Wei Bin was in a dilemma.

There's no definitive conclusion yet, only rumors, so what can he say?

Qian Jin wasn't afraid and directly told these cadres the information he had gathered.

Plan ahead and prepare in advance.

The officials were stunned.

It's crazy.

Having just survived an insect plague, are we now facing a drought?

Wang Shoucai touched his bald head and immediately squatted down to rub his eyes: "This, this damned God is not giving the blind sparrow a way to live! More than half of our brigade's wheat has been eaten by the black insect demon. We have just started replanting and will not be able to wait for the summer harvest to prepare for the autumn harvest."

"The replanted crops are the most water-intensive, and now there's going to be another drought? Damn you, you damn heavens..."

Wei Bin glared at Qian Jin with a stern look.

This matter is still unresolved. Can you tell these grassroots officials? Isn't this just scare tactics?
If the news spreads and causes social panic, but in the end no drought occurs, how will they take responsibility?
Qian Jin had already considered this point.

He knew a drought was inevitable.

Besides, he's not afraid of taking responsibility; at worst, he can resign and go home. He still has several businesses waiting to be developed.

Wei Bin glared at him and then went to appease the cadres: "Director Qian's source is rather unusual; it wasn't a warning issued by our country, so please don't get agitated, and definitely don't get anxious or upset..."

He beckoned to his secretary, who quickly served tea to everyone.

Director Wang then offered them cigarettes.

Upon seeing the cigarette with a filter and then the brand, the cadres immediately tucked it behind their ears.

Many cadres in society today come from peasant backgrounds or even rural areas, and have worked their way up from the grassroots level. Most of the veteran revolutionaries are still in office.

These people do not discriminate against farmers; on the contrary, they empathize with many of the farmers' ways of doing things.

Wang Zhenbang was a good leader.

He didn't mock the rural cadres for being reluctant to smoke the cigarettes he had given them. Instead, he took out more cigarettes and continued to distribute them: "Have a smoke and let's chat."

"This Peony cigarette is too high-end," Zhang Weimin said with a forced smile as he accepted the cigarette with both hands.

As the saying goes, senior cadres smoke Peony cigarettes, mid-level cadres smoke Fragrant Hills cigarettes, workers, peasants, and soldiers smoke two or three cents, and rural cadres happily smoke Cannon cigarettes.

The scene described in the jingle played out in the office.

Wang Zhenbang offered Peony cigarettes, while Zhang Weimin and other commune cadres smoked cheap cigarettes like Workers, Peasants and Soldiers cigarettes or Harvest cigarettes, which cost two or three mao a pack. Wang Shoucai and another production team cadre took out their dry tobacco pipes.

A hazy mist hung in the air.

Wang Zhenbang squinted, blew a smoke ring, and said:

"Although we don't have any concrete information about the weather yet, after hearing your reactions and considering the valuable experience of ordinary people, I think you should start taking precautions against drought."

"This is my view: any early warning information that is beneficial to the country and the people, no matter where it comes from, must be taken very seriously, and we should treat it with the attitude that it is better to believe it than not to believe it!"

The city government leaders have exceptional vision.

When the topic of drought prevention and relief came up, his voice became even more steady and powerful: "Secretary Zhang, Captain Wang, comrades, I suggest that you go back and organize yourselves immediately to plan ahead."

"We must mobilize the masses to clean up irrigation ditches, repair drought relief equipment, store water for domestic and agricultural use, and find new water sources. We must do our utmost to win this possible 'drought relief and seedling protection battle'."

"There are definitely difficulties in terms of funding and technology. I will bring this up in detail at the Standing Committee meeting next Monday, and I will definitely do my best to ensure that you have the necessary support..."

He looked at Wei Bin as he said this.

Wei Bin resolutely said, "It is our duty. We will contact the meteorological station immediately. But regardless of whether there is any definite news, drought prevention is a key task before summer. Our unit will treat it as a top priority today!"

Wang Zhenbang nodded in satisfaction and tapped the table with his finger holding a cigarette: "Comrades have heard Wei She's assurance."

"You should make preparations in advance. If you encounter any problems that you cannot solve, you should report them to the next level as soon as possible. The city will do its best to coordinate and support you!"

"Okay, Director Wang, don't worry, I'll take care of it as soon as I get back." Zhang Weimin and Wang Shoucai, sensing the urgency of the task, straightened their backs and answered loudly.

“As for us,” Wang Zhenbang turned to Wei Bin and Qian Jin, “we will immediately compile a detailed written report on this matter, including our investigation findings and assessment recommendations.”

"I will act before the Standing Committee, using the fastest and highest-level confidential channels to directly report to the relevant central ministries and commissions, including the National Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of Water Resources, and the Ministry of Agriculture, and I will have them carefully study the future weather conditions."

Wei Bin nodded: "Okay, we will fully cooperate with Director Wang's work."

Wang Zhenbang said, "Written reports should not be afraid to be alarmist; they should emphasize the potential seriousness of the situation and the urgency of the time."

"If there really is a drought, then even if it only brings more attention from the relevant national departments and allows them to make some preparations in advance, it will still be worthwhile."

A huge weight was lifted from Qian Jin's heart.

He immediately responded, "Director, I'll go and organize the materials right away..."

"You don't need to organize the data anymore. Let Wei She arrange for his secretary to do this. Have the secretary liaise with you, and you go and contact people to investigate the forecasts of those international organizations," Wang Zhenbang instructed.

Wei Bin agreed: "Okay, Secretary Liu, you will liaise with Director Qian and write a report in the name of the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives."

"We have an unshirkable responsibility in this matter!"

Sunlight streamed through the bright windows, illuminating everyone in the office who looked serious and burdened with heavy responsibilities.

Outside the window, the city in the early 1980s was bathed in spring sunshine and brimming with vitality.

But this bright sunshine made everyone very worried.

The rain is coming and the wind is all over the building.

The mountain rain hasn't come, and my heart is filled with sorrow.

In short, they have won a battle against the disaster.

As the conversation drew to a close to noon, Wei Bin asked his secretary to take the grassroots cadres to the canteen, while he gave Qian Jin a wink to keep them there.

Wei Bin sat back in his chair, rubbing his temples, but still smiled: "At least we solved the insect infestation problem and even signed a low-price contract for the import of high-efficiency cypermethrin. Good, very good."

Qian Jin deserves credit for this, but as his direct supervisor, he also deserves great credit.

Discovering talent like Qian Jin is the greatest achievement!

The price of high-efficiency cypermethrin is too cheap, which is a victory for the supply and marketing cooperative in its foreign trade work.

But there's another important point to consider.

The pesticide, Balari, has been named paraquat in China.

Wei Bin looked at Qian Jin with admiration, "Your negotiation skills and ability to introduce foreign products are too strong. Is ICI really willing to give us paraquat at cost price?"

Qian Jin said, "Actually, it's the ex-factory price. I once had an expert estimate their cost price, which was only a little over 200 yuan per ton. But they sold it to us for 500 yuan, so the profit is not small."

Wei Bin laughed heartily: "Everyone says that foreign capitalists can skin you alive, but I think you are the nemesis of capitalists, you can skin them alive!"

"You really expect them to produce it and then ship it to our country without making a profit? That's impossible."

He waved his hand and emphasized, "Don't even think about it."

“This price of $320 per ton is already cheap enough. I’ve compared prices, and the lowest ICI price is for exporting to the US, but it’s still over $1,000.”

"Our import price is less than one-third of their lowest export price. If that's not cheap, what is?"

Qian Jin felt that the price could be negotiated down further.

They presented a complete synthesis technology demonstration of paraquat. If China truly has the capability to produce it, they can easily drive the price down to 100 RMB per ton!
Of course, this only considers the cost of pesticide production, not the price of the initial investment in production facilities and machinery.

Wei Bin was very satisfied with the price, even a little worried: "Can this contract really be signed? Could there be any traps? We can't be too careful with these capitalists."

Qian Jin took out several pages of materials that he had prepared in advance from his briefcase and handed them to Wei Bin to look at.

This is precisely the core of the cooperation agreement framework he and the ICI drafted behind the emergency import of high-efficiency cypermethrin, which is the framework for the much larger paraquat market cooperation agreement.

There weren't many sheets of paper, but they were covered with densely packed lines and boxes, very detailed and comprehensive:

"Don't worry, Wei She. ICI's representative, Clark, has made his stance very clear: they are willing to sign the contract. There are still some discrepancies regarding the price and some details, but that's not a problem. Sun Jian's team is negotiating with them."

"I used the argument that we have the ability to produce paraquat domestically to convince them that we are capable of doing so. They have already believed that. Now they are worried about our ability to control the spread of domestic technology and our determination to open up the full market."

Wei Bin swayed as he read the terms and conditions.

He deals with all kinds of contracts year-round, and he's an expert in this area, so after reading it through once, his legs started shaking.

So happy.

The contract is fine.

Once the ICI signs the agreement, the country can accomplish great things with minimal expenditure over the next six years.

This is yet another great achievement.

This matter cannot be taken lightly.

Therefore, Wei Bin immediately gave the order: "Director Qian, now is the best time to consolidate our gains and expand our achievements. Don't let anyone else lead the team; you must lead the team yourself and complete the signing of the contract as soon as possible."

"I will immediately report to the relevant departments such as the National Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the Provincial Department of Foreign Trade, and the Department of Agriculture to launch a formal six-year large-scale order signing meeting. You need to hurry up and turn these terms of intent into long-term contracts with international legal force."

As he spoke, he looked out the window and happily lit a cigarette.
"This time, our company obtained high-quality herbicides at the lowest cost, which can greatly support the increase in agricultural production across the country. Now farmers won't have to work so hard."

He had experience working in the countryside and knew how painful it was to weed in the fields under the scorching summer sun.

After the crops are planted, weeding is almost the hardest part of the job.

Other tasks such as thinning, replanting, fertilizing, and watering are relatively easier.

Qian Jin nodded: "Okay, I'll sign the contract as soon as possible."

Wei Bin looked at him, his admiration evident in his eyes: "Please put in a lot of effort on this. This contract is very important. It will be a major step for our All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives to establish itself in the international market and conduct long-term trade with foreign suppliers."

"I'll say it again, you have an unshirkable responsibility for the follow-up negotiations. As for the foreign trade or foreign exchange sectors that need resource support, I'll try to get it for you. Just go ahead and negotiate!"

With solid achievements in disaster relief and the support of higher-level leaders, the subsequent communication work for the large paraquat procurement contract went exceptionally smoothly. The communication efficiency was astonishing, whether it was the Foreign Business Office of the Haibin City Supply and Marketing Cooperative or ICI.

The main reason is that both parties are eager to sign the contract.

ICI is genuinely afraid of its technology being leaked.

Paraquat now accounts for half of their business. According to their experts' estimates, it would take at least five to eight years for countries like Japan, the United States, the Soviet Union, and Germany to develop a complete production process for paraquat.

In fact, their estimate was correct. According to Qian Jin, the second country to develop a complete set of paraquat production technology was China, which completed trial production in 1991.

In fact, ICI's estimate is quite cautious.

Therefore, much of their group's operational focus remains on paraquat, also known as Balali, which is an established operational strategy.

But then China suddenly emerged, embarking on reform and opening up to align itself with international standards.

Unfortunately, they don't understand China.

It's better now.

In their eyes, China, which was poor, backward, and mysterious, became a variable!
The export project for high-efficiency cypermethrin is simple; Clark just needs to take charge and draft the contract with Qian Jin.

The export project of paraquat is not an option, as it is of great significance because it involves a six-year contract.

Furthermore, there is no consensus within ICI on how to draft the contract or even whether to sign it at all.

Finally, in late April, ICI President Barclay arranged for his elite team to conduct an investigation into China's industry and agriculture, and then decided to hold a final vote.

The meeting was held in the most private conference room on the top floor of the Imperial Chemical Industries headquarters building.

As one of the world's leading super chemical groups, ICI's headquarters building is towering and magnificent.

The rooftop conference room has a row of floor-to-ceiling windows facing south, and the interior floor is covered with a handmade carpet with good sound absorption. Apart from the solid wood door, there are no windows on the east, west, and north walls.

To find out the outcome of the meeting, the only option would be to send someone to the large south-facing windows to offer suggestions, which is impossible.

The meeting room was simply furnished with three concentric circles of walnut wood tables and chairs, a slide projector, and a huge screen on the wall.

Sir Henry Buckley, the group's president, sat at the head of the conference table. This old-fashioned British gentleman was aloof and dignified, silently tapping his fingertips on the smooth walnut wood tabletop.

Next to him is Dr. Cecil Brightwood, the group's Director of Research and Development.

He is a tenured professor and honorary dean of the School of Chemical Engineering at Imperial College London. He is extremely famous in the international chemical industry. Paraquat is a herbicide developed by his team.

Seated around the long table were also top executives in management and professional roles, such as regional directors and vice presidents, biochemists, pesticide experts, process engineers from ICI's various laboratories and research institutes, and the most astute market strategist in the Asia-Pacific region.

The theme of the meeting was very clear:

The meeting began to assess whether China currently possesses the capability for industrial-scale production of paraquat, a highly effective herbicide.

Henry Buckley cut to the chase, telling everyone that today's assessment would directly impact ICI's global strategic deployment.

In particular, with their upcoming cooperation negotiations with China, today's assessment will directly determine whether their strategic tone is one of containment and blockade or one of proactive overtures and joint competition.

Then he looked at the R&D director: "Doctor, would you like to share your insights first?"

Dr. Cecil stood up and calmly said:

"Dear President, based on all the public and private technical information I currently possess, my personal opinion is that China does not currently have the technical, equipment, and management capabilities to independently complete the entire industrial production chain of paraquat."

"In other words, at most they have mastered the ability to produce paraquat in the laboratory, but they do not actually have the ability to produce it on an industrial scale."

Clark, the Asia Pacific Director, raised his hand in a gesture of greeting.

Barkley nodded.

Clark asked politely, "Cecil, I think it would be better if you explained your reasons first."

Cecil snapped his fingers and pointed to the projector. The secretary in charge of taking meeting minutes immediately turned on the machine, and several rough industrial process diagrams were projected onto the white screen.

His voice was flat and indifferent, speaking like a robot, devoid of emotion.
"Ladies and gentlemen, the reality we must face is that paraquat, especially products that meet ICI technical standards and production scale, is not a 'trinket' that can be easily replicated."

His laser pointer beam jumped across the key core reactor and purification equipment:
"This is a partial flowchart of the non-core production process, and it is already quite difficult to complete the production of these parts."

“Pyridine alkalization and high-temperature methylation are performed in series, with metallic sodium as the core reducing agent… The process temperature window is extremely narrow, and the requirements for pressure, precise material ratio, and catalyst activity and stability are almost cruel.”

"We all know that in the reaction process, even the slightest fluctuation at any stage can lead to a sharp decrease in yield and loss of cost control, or even an unpredictable safety accident."

The projected image quickly switched over.

"Let's look at the key equipment next."

"A continuously stable high-temperature, medium-pressure reaction system, highly corrosion-resistant materials, and a sealed, highly efficient purification and crystallization unit..."

“The price of each core device is enough to make policymakers in a small to medium-sized country think twice, and this is just the hardware threshold.”

Cecil's sharp gaze swept over the experts present: "The secret formula control of continuous and stable production processes, the safety interlocking logic of reaction process nodes lasting thousands of hours..."

"These technological achievements, the culmination of ICI's thirty years of hard work, are the real leverage we have to control the market."

"Accepting these 'software' requires a complete knowledge system, a mature engineering team, and a meticulous modern management system."

He put down the laser pointer, his voice tinged with a hint of pride: "I believe that China's chemical industry system is very weak, especially in the field of high-end specialty chemicals, where there is a huge generational gap with the West."

"Their so-called 'paraquat' is either prepared in trace quantities at the laboratory level, with extremely limited significance; or it is..."

He didn't say the "either" part.

Then someone asked, looking bewildered, "What? Why did you stop talking?"

Many people were speechless and turned to look at the speaker.

Just what?
Didn't you think of that?

Someone has betrayed the ICI! There's been a corporate spy! Top-secret ICI information has been leaked!
Then everyone took a look.

It turns out the question was asked by Charles Barkley's eldest son, Charles Barkley Jr., which explains everything.

No problem.

Seeing that Barkley was about to ask another question, the old president glared at him and then said calmly, "Go on, does anyone else want to speak?"

Someone raised their hand.

The president's assistant introduced him to Barkley in a low voice: "This is Thomas Edgar, the director of the Malaysian Rubber Research Institute and a chemical expert with a deep understanding of Asia's industrial base."

Barkley nodded. "Mr. Edgar, please speak frankly."

Edgar stood up and said, "The high barriers to technological advancement described by Dr. Cecil are beyond doubt."

"But I have a small question: When they ignited that world-shaking atomic bomb fireball in Lop Nur, a place with scarce resources and weak technology, when almost no one in the world believed in them."

"When their scientists used abacuses and human brains to fight against electronic computers, they sent 'Dongfanghong' into space orbit."

"When their engineers, lacking both a 'mature engineering team' and a 'modern management system,' built nuclear-powered ships capable of navigating the deep sea."

"And what about their Dongfeng strategic missiles, their domestically developed 10,000-ton ships, the Yangtze River Bridge, the Beijing Subway, and other projects? Where should these be categorized as part of the 'generational gap'?"

"Do these things have anything to do with chemical engineering?" someone else questioned.

Edgar changed the subject, saying, "Gentlemen, I was able to attend this meeting after repeatedly applying to the head office following learning about this topic."

The president's assistant nodded.

It was he who made the decision to arrange for Edgar to attend the meeting.

No one else had anything to say about it.

Although the title includes 'assistant,' anyone who actually treats them as a secretary or assistant is a complete fool.

The position of president's assistant is very high. If someone of Clark's rank wants to offer someone a toast, he should make sure to place the rim of his glass against the bottom of the other person's glass.

At this point, the president's assistant could speak freely. He whispered to Barkley, "I approved it. Director Edgar strongly requested to attend the meeting."

"Although he was in Malaysia, he paid close attention to the situation in that great Eastern country. According to Director Clark, he was probably the person in the group's senior management who knew the most about the great Eastern country."

Barkley's face lit up with interest: "Go on."

Edgar's expression turned serious, and he said, "Sir Barkley, ladies and gentlemen, please do not underestimate this country that is not particularly noteworthy in England."

"This country has a population of one billion..."

“Bharat has a large population too,” someone couldn’t help but retort. “We may not understand China, but we know Bharat very well.”

"That's a fucking, damn cesspool!"

Barkley frowned and looked at the speaker.

It is very impolite to interrupt someone.

His president's assistant whispered, "He used to be the general manager of our Dongbalat branch."

“I know, but how could he be so rude?” Barkley said, displeased.

The president's assistant explained in an even lower voice: "Once, he took his lover on a picnic, but the car broke down. They got out and walked to the nearest village for help, but they were gang-raped by the barbarians in the village."

Barkley understood the man's loathing for the country of Bharat.

He said with some sympathy, "Fortunately, he brought his mistress instead of his wife or daughter."

The president's assistant's voice was barely audible: "No, Sir, it wasn't just his mistress who was gang-raped."

Barkley suddenly turned to look at him.

The president's assistant nodded silently: "Yes, it's just as you guessed."

Barkley clenched his buttocks and said to Edgar, "Please continue your speech."

Edgar earnestly said, "Most people here think that China is still a country where people wear pigtails on the back of their heads. No, not at all."

"They have developed a supercomputer. Five years ago, they were able to compress several gigabytes of Chinese character glyph information and store it in a computer with only a few megabytes of memory."

"Four years ago, they had already laid out quartz optical fibers, ushering in the era of fiber optic digital communication!"

"If you think this has nothing to do with chemical and pharmaceutical manufacturing, then what about their invention of artificial insulin almost twenty years ago, and their independent development of a new two-step fermentation process for vitamin C a few years ago?"

He looked around and saw that many experts had thoughtful expressions on their faces, and some even nodded slightly.

He breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Everyone must understand that we are now assessing a country that can independently complete its nuclear weapons and space programs under extreme blockade. Such a country has terrifying industrial potential and explosive power."

"You may not know this, but they are completely different from the cesspool that we are familiar with. They have the best reserves of basic science talents, as well as a unique national system that is difficult to measure by Western standards."

"This kind of institutional power is terrifying. As far as I know, as early as 1971, ten years ago, their country issued a draft of the 'National Chemical Science and Technology Fourth Five-Year Plan for Catching Up and Surpassing'."

"I still remember the proposal of this plan. They should concentrate their superior forces to fight a decisive battle, break through key points, overcome difficulties, and quickly achieve major scientific and technological results to produce products that meet the needs of industry and agriculture."

"In this situation, we cannot rule out the possibility that they will target our ICI's flagship product for a breakthrough!"

Clark raised his hand as well.

With permission, he stood up and said, “I agree with Mr. Edgar. Indeed, paraquat is not an atomic bomb; it requires sophisticated chemical equipment.”

"But this does not mean that they cannot explore, create, or even bypass some of our technological barriers from scratch."

"Isn't the detonation mechanism of the atomic bomb far more complex and unpredictable than the methylation of pyridine? Underestimating the technological integration and breakthrough capabilities of such an adversary would be an extremely dangerous strategic blind spot!"

He has to prove that China is awesome.

Otherwise, he would look like a complete idiot.

Cecil held a decisive position in the field of ICI technology, but two people contradicted him, which was like throwing a boulder into a calm pond, creating strong ripples.

The atmosphere in the meeting room instantly shifted from dull to heated exchange.

Several engineers from Germany and the United States immediately joined the debate, focusing on the gap between such point-based breakthroughs in cutting-edge military technology and the area-based replication of large-scale commercial chemical production capacity.

More important issues then emerged.

Does the demand for stable quality control and cost control in paraquat production really exceed the limits of China's existing industrial system?

The experts in the room were deeply divided on this issue; many trusted Cecil's assertions, but Edgar's views were not uncommon.

The debate intensified, and uncertainty filled the air.

Clearly, even the most authoritative technical experts cannot provide a single answer that will convince everyone.

President Barkley's gaze slowly swept over the faces that were arguing heatedly, and the silent tapping of his fingertips finally stopped.

The president's assistant coughed, and the argument gradually subsided until it fell silent.

The meeting had been going on for over an hour by then.

Barkley said slowly, "Gentlemen, your argument is quite loud..."

"Excuse me, Sir." Someone immediately apologized.

Barkley waved his hand and said, "No need to apologize. I'm not trying to blame you, but rather to tell you that this debate was valuable, and I've reached a conclusion through your argument."

"That is, we cannot confirm whether China has the capability to independently produce paraquat on a large scale."

He paused, then smiled. "It may seem obvious, but I think it's important."

"Paraquat is too important to us at ICI. In this chaotic area, to rashly assert 'it won' or to assert 'it will' and then find that it won't actually be 'it won' is a completely different level of crisis for us."

"China is a market with enormous potential that is rapidly opening its arms, and it is also a potential competitor that should not be underestimated. ICI's century-old foundation carries not only the interests of its shareholders, but also the livelihoods of tens of thousands of employees and their families across the British Isles!"

"On paraquat—the product on which we rely to control the global herbicide market—any misjudgment that could shake our market position or cause us to lose our channel advantages must not be allowed to happen!"

Everyone nodded.

As the R&D director, Cecil had no choice but to agree.

After reaching a consensus, Barkley finally stood up and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window:
"Therefore, the Group headquarters has made the following decision."

"First, the R&D center immediately initiated the project, concentrating its best resources to expedite the research and development of glufosinate-ammonium. This is our next-generation herbicide with higher performance and more differentiated technological barriers!"

“Damn DuPont and Hearst are working on it too,” Cecil’s assistant blurted out instinctively.

Barkley turned to him sternly: "Then we must succeed in developing it before they do, and even more importantly, before China or other competitors can make a substantial breakthrough in paraquat!"

"We will launch newer and more powerful technology anchors as soon as possible, which is our key to remaining competitive in the world!"

Cecil solemnly replied, "As you have said, Sir."

Barkley nodded in satisfaction and said, "Second."

He looked at Clark, the expert in charge of the Asia-Pacific market: "Tell that Chinese guy named Mane that we're going to his country to negotiate right away."

“I will personally lead the negotiation team, and you will be fully responsible for the specific negotiation process. Then we have a core task.”

Clark quickly opened his notebook to take notes.

"We must spare no effort to find out the technological capabilities that China holds! Before we can accurately assess its ability to industrialize paraquat, we must be cautious in our contact with them, and any major concessions must be approved by me personally!" Barkley still did not want to give up the huge interests of paraquat in China.

If paraquat could have entered the huge Chinese market at a normal price, they could have made money hand over fist throughout the 20th century.

He then pointed to Edgar: "Bring this colleague along; he's a China expert, and I think he can play a lot of a role in the upcoming negotiations."

Edgar stood up excitedly: "Dear President, let me express my feelings for you and the company with a famous Chinese proverb."

"Give·one's·best·till·one's·heart·ceases!"

Do your best and die!
(End of this chapter)