The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 312 Teacher Qian's Class Begins
As April drew to a close, the warm, humid air currents from the Pacific Ocean gently embraced the coastal city.

Ports remain busy and orderly, factories are in full production, and rural areas are beginning drought relief efforts under the guidance of local supply and marketing cooperatives.

At the unnoticed seaside airport, a special plane painted with a conspicuous ICI logo landed smoothly on the runway.

It was not only the dry spring sunshine of the north that greeted it, but also the top three leaders of the city and the main cadres of the supply and marketing cooperative.

Qian Jin has the lowest rank here, but he has the heaviest tasks and is also the most prominent.

The plane door opened, and Qian Jin strode forward, followed by two respectful-looking staff members from the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office.

The gangway descended, and a group of people appeared carrying briefcases, with President Barkley appearing last.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark gray double-breasted suit and gold-rimmed glasses.

The chilly wind blew relentlessly through the airport, and someone immediately draped a long cashmere overcoat over his shoulders and handed him a hat.

Barkley wasn't wearing a hat, and he said casually, "It's impolite when meeting VIPs."

As he spoke, his sharp gaze swept across the tarmac, landing precisely on Qian Jin like a scanner.

Clark said in a low voice, "He is Qian Jin."

Barkley was somewhat surprised.

So young?

Then he looked down at Qian Jin from his high vantage point.

Qian Jin shook hands and greeted each of the people who were disembarking, speaking fluent English and displaying a respectful yet humble attitude.

He glanced up and saw Barkley, then nodded and smiled at him.

Barkley smiled back, then muttered to himself, "Damn youthfulness, that's really nice."

He shook hands with Qian Jin after disembarking, and Clark introduced him to his identity, followed by a group of capable and efficient employees.

These individuals are ICI's technical, legal, and sales negotiation team members; Barkley brought a lineup that embodies the highest standards of ICI's foreign affairs negotiations.

"Sir Barkley, you must be tired from your journey." Qian Jin smiled politely, his enthusiasm tinged with distance. "Welcome to China."

He then introduced the main leaders one by one.

Barkley shook hands with the head of the beach company, a professional smile appearing on his face: "Respected leaders, thank you for your warm welcome. I am really looking forward to this meeting."

This is when the relationship between the two parties is at its best.

There is no conflict of interest yet.

Therefore, we all got along well and chatted happily.

The city of Haibin and even the province attached great importance to the visit of the ICI negotiation delegation. Barkley was almost the highest-ranking business leader from a Western developed country to visit China since the reform and opening up.

The city held a meeting to discuss arranging for them to stay at the Silver Beach Guesthouse. The top official personally escorted the delegation there and arranged for them to stay in the best seaside suites.

The porters carefully carried each suitcase.

It was very heavy. When the technicians opened it to check for any problems, Qian Jin discovered that it was full of precision instruments.

Are they bringing sophisticated instruments to negotiations on prices and cooperation terms?

He found it very interesting.

After seeing the guests off, Qian Jin turned and walked towards a simple guest room that had been prepared for him at the end of the same floor.

Every detail before negotiations is crucial in determining which side the scales of interest will ultimately tip in favor of.

He needed to observe these British visitors closely and was responsible for their daily lives, including their food, lodging, and every move.

As dusk settled, a meticulously arranged welcome banquet was held in the guesthouse's most luxurious private room, "Haiyun Hall."

The lighting was soft, and the exquisite blue-and-white porcelain tableware was neatly arranged. All the leaders who were responsible for picking up the passengers in the morning came to accompany them, indicating a very high level of hospitality.

During the meal, glasses were clinked and greetings were exchanged, creating a seemingly harmonious and warm atmosphere.

Barkley and Clark's toasts fully expressed their optimism about the huge potential of the Chinese market and their sincerity in cooperation. The top two leaders expressed their gratitude to international giants like ICI for their timely assistance and support for China's agricultural modernization.

Qian Jin spoke the least, and there was no need for him to speak here.

His current task is to act as a decorative figurehead, simply smiling politely, offering toasts, and responding to greetings.

Occasionally, when the translators are too busy, he also helps with supplementary translations.

The banquet lasted for more than two hours, and the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely.

After the banquet, Qian Jin thought his job was done for the day, but Barkley extended a more personal invitation to him:
Invite him to the living room of the CEO's suite to sample some single malt whisky brought from London.

These days, it's a big no-no to have private contact with foreign business delegations.

However, Qian Jin's role was to maintain contact with them, so he didn't need to report the facts.

He also needed to have a private confrontation with Barkley, who was in charge, so he readily agreed.

The heavy velvet curtains blocked out the sound of the sea breeze outside the window, and the lights in the suite's living room were deliberately dimmed to create a relaxing atmosphere.

Three glasses of amber-colored whiskey were poured into delicate glasses, and Clark saw Qian Jin pick up a glass and hand it to him.

The ice cubes in the glass were making a crackling sound.

He was somewhat surprised to see that Qian Jin had brought a bag containing a bottle.

"Mr. Qian, did you bring some fine wine from your country? Let me guess, is it Moutai or Wuliangye?"

Qian Jin laughed and said, "It's a mystery."

"What's going on?" The two looked at each other in bewilderment.

Qian Jin said again, "I'll keep you in suspense for now."

The two were even more confused.

What's the meaning.

Is this kid trying to sell us something behind our backs? Like a kind of wine called "Guanzi"?
The two exchanged quick glances while remaining puzzled.

Could this kid be trying to make money on the side?

That would be wonderful.

In business negotiations, everyone prefers to have an opponent who is greedy and likes to take advantage of others.

Barkley relaxed a bit and comfortably lay down on the large, single leather sofa.

He took a sip of his drink, as if it were just casual conversation between friends: "Mr. Qian, the atmosphere today is excellent. It seems that the general direction of our cooperation has been clarified, which is truly gratifying."

"However, before the formal business negotiations begin, this old guy who has spent most of his life in the chemical industry still can't help but want to talk to you about something purely technical. Of course, this is purely out of personal interest."

Qian Jin was naturally happy to oblige.

The other party was quite blunt: "As a fellow professional, I'm really curious, your country must have encountered countless thorny technical problems during the process of scaling up the production of paraquat, such a challenging compound?"

"For example, the stability of that damn pyridine methylation process, the control of the activity decay of the reducing agent at high temperatures, and so on."

"These are the devilish details that have troubled us at ICI for many years before we finally solved them. How did your researchers cleverly crack them? Now that both sides have the ability to synthesize and produce paraquat, there's nothing to hide about the technology, right?"

“President Barkley’s question is spot on,” Clark chimed in. “I’ve always been curious, Mr. Qian, could you satisfy this old friend’s curiosity?”

Qian Jin stared in disbelief, holding a glass of wine.

Is the probing really going to be this direct?

What's up with these British gentlemen?
Is chatting this hardcore?

He wasn't stupid; he naturally understood what the other person meant.

This is a test of oneself.

This shows a continued disbelief that China has the capacity to produce paraquat.

Ok.

These two are absolutely right.

China does not have the capacity to produce paraquat.

Barkley, on the other hand, remained calm and composed.

Yes.

He knew his question was direct, but he had his own reasons:

After the conversation at the dinner, they all realized that none of the people who attended, including Qian Jin, understood the production technology of paraquat.

So they tried to talk to Qian Jin about technology, but Qian Jin didn't understand it, so he couldn't say anything. They had to find someone who understood the technology to talk to.

Those who are technically skilled are often not as tactful as those who are good at negotiating, and that's when they can uncover more useful information.

simply put.

In fact, the two of them didn't want to get any information from Qian Jin at all; they wanted to force Qian Jin to hand over someone who could reveal the information they needed.

This conspiracy is very low-level.

Director Qian sees through it all.

As for coping strategies?

simple.

Section Chief Ma of Wu'an Steel is starting his class!

Qian Jin was more relaxed sitting on the sofa.

He picked up his glass, but instead of immediately drinking the expensive whiskey, he looked through the crystal-clear glass at the swirling liquid inside, as if admiring the movement of light and shadow.

His posture was elegant and relaxed.

Clark was furious and was about to speak again.

Just then, Qian Jin suddenly spoke up: "Let me think about it carefully."

Barkley immediately smiled and said, "Okay, Mr. Qian, please think about it carefully."

Qian Jin thought for a full two minutes before slowly speaking: "To be honest, technical difficulties are indeed everywhere."

“Every technological breakthrough is the result of countless researchers’ painstaking efforts. The key points you just mentioned are indeed extremely difficult challenges.”

"Our scientists and engineers also made unimaginable efforts to find some feasible paths..."

This answer was not unexpected.

Barkley had anticipated that Qian Jin would offer vague and general descriptions of the difficulties or use diplomatic language that downplayed the issues, and he had ways to deal with that.

However, Qian Jin's words suddenly took a turn:
"Actually, for us, after solving the basic large-scale production of paraquat, the more painstaking and repeatedly demonstrated issue is another direction - how to ensure the safety of users."

Ensuring user safety?
This term seemed to deviate somewhat from the core discussion of production technology, which surprised both Barkley and Clark.

Clark glanced at the CEO, who in turn frowned.

So he had no choice but to continue the conversation himself: "Oh? Safe?"

"This is a very responsible perspective. I'd like to hear more about it."

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin smiled, put down his wine glass, opened the cloth bag he had brought, and took out the bottle inside.

Barkley and Clark initially thought he had taken the alcohol.

Actually, he took a bottle of paraquat with the label removed.

The herbicide was packaged in a brown glass bottle. Qian Jin drank the wine in his glass, opened the cap, and poured out the herbicide.

Barkley's brow furrowed even more deeply.

What is this?
The liquid in the glass was a deep, dark green, with a murky feel to it. Under the dim, soft lighting of the living room, the liquid gave off a color that made people reluctant to approach it.

“Mr. President, Mr. Clark,” Qian Jin pointed to the glass.

"As you all know, if paraquat is accidentally ingested or used in some extreme suicide attempts, the consequences are extremely serious and almost irreversible, and there is absolutely no effective antidote."

"That's why, after successfully mastering its industrial manufacturing process, we've devoted a lot of energy to safety protection design. We believe that protecting people's right to life is the most fundamental bottom line for technology to serve humanity."

"Therefore, we have mandatorily added three layers of protection to our production standards."

As he spoke, he solemnly extended his index, middle, and ring fingers and began to count:

"First line of defense: visual warning."

"As you can see, we dyed it this extremely ugly, even unsettling, dark green; it should never resemble anything drinkable."

“When we showed it to ordinary people, their first instinct was to be alarmed—this is not water, not a beverage, this is dangerous pesticide!”

"Wait, you're saying this is pesticide? No, this is paraquat?" Clark asked in shock, pointing to the beautiful cup.

He was all too familiar with paraquat; it was supposed to be a colorless or light brown liquid.

Barkley understood Qian Jin's meaning and said, "You added dye to it?"

Qian Jin said, "Yes."

He then lowered his second finger: "Next, we set up a second line of defense, which is the olfactory barrier."

As he spoke, he handed the cup of paraquat to the two of them:
“We added a specific odorant to it, giving it a very strong, extremely unpleasant rotten smell.”

"This is done so that anyone who tries to take it will be deterred by the unbearable stench as soon as they open the bottle—as chemical experts, you certainly know that the physiological aversion to drugs provides a powerful deterrent."

There was no need to get close to smell it; the stench of pesticides had already dissipated. Clark quickly stepped back.

Barkley then leaned in and took a sniff.

Then his tightly furrowed brows relaxed.

He stared at the cup of pesticide with a strange look in his eyes.

Clark changed the subject and asked, "What about the third line of defense?"

Qian Jin said, "The third line of defense is physiological interception."

"Finally, we added a special emetic component that works by rapidly stimulating the vomiting center in the human brain."

"So even if the first two lines of defense are forcibly breached for some extreme reason, as long as the drug enters the stomach, this substance will trigger a strong vomiting reflex in a very short time."

"Our experts believe that this can buy precious time for those who accidentally ingest the substance, greatly increasing their chances of survival. At the same time, it also creates a strong physiological barrier for those who are determined to commit suicide."

Clark fell into deep thought.

Barkley remained completely silent.

Ignoring the stench of pesticide, he stared intently at the cup of pesticide.

After a long while, Barkley put down the pesticide, changed his attitude, and straightened his expression and posture.

He asked honestly, "Was this all your design? A safety design to address potential pesticide hazards?"

Qian Jin said, "No, it wasn't something I came up with, it was something I summarized."

"This pesticide has completed its initial production and has been sent to some rural areas for practical use. Undoubtedly, it has excellent weeding ability, is not afraid of sun exposure or rain, and loses its efficacy due to a passivation reaction after being planted in the soil."

"Farmers love this pesticide, but they've discovered the horrific consequences it causes when it enters the human body—slow-progressing pulmonary fibrosis, which can suffocate people!"

Clark looked at Barkley, wanting to say something.

Hesitant to speak.

Because he knew that it was inconvenient to say what he wanted to say at the moment.

He wanted to tell Barkley.

This idea is absolutely brilliant.

Paraquat does have many advantages, and its weed-killing effect is indeed very powerful; otherwise, it wouldn't have become their group's flagship product, helping them sell well in hundreds of countries around the world.

However, the most criticized aspect of this pesticide is its method of causing death.

Unlike highly toxic pesticides such as 666 powder, it does not cause rapid death if ingested.

It initially causes no symptoms after being ingested, but the body will react and develop irreversible pulmonary fibrosis.

Eventually, the entire lung will lose its respiratory function.

To put it simply, those who are poisoned eventually suffocate...

Barkley understood the power of these three ideas even better.

In fact, ICI is currently under tremendous legal pressure in many European and American countries, with many victims who claim to have accidentally ingested pesticides and their families suing the group.

After thinking for a moment, Barkley sighed softly and said, "What a brilliant idea! You're right to be with the farmers."

"The paraquat you produce may increase production costs, but this is negligible compared to the increased safety level, because every life saved is worthwhile."

"The ultimate goal of producing pesticides is to protect human survival and development, not to become a threat to life."

Upon hearing this, Qian Jin felt a sense of admiration for him.

The president of ICI is quite capable; he's much better than Clark.

The president had already characterized the improvement, and Clark's side also perked up: "Mr. Qian, you have truly made a very unexpected yet highly socially responsible improvement. I need to tip my hat to your research staff..."

Qian Jin was aware of some differences between dealing with foreigners and dealing with Chinese people.

When you're truly impressive, you should flaunt it and not always try to be humble, polite, and reserved.

Barbarians don't buy into that.

Finally, Barkley said, "Mr. Qian, we are about to sign a cooperation agreement, which will ensure that your country will not have the capacity to produce paraquat for the next six years."

"Then I would like to ask if your country could sell us your improved technology for paraquat through patent transfer?"

“We are willing to pay a high price, and we are willing to agree with you in the form of a contract that after six years we will open up the patent to your country’s manufacturers—of course, only to you the right to use the patent.”

Qian Jin thought for a moment and said, "My rank is too low to make the decision on this matter. I need to ask my superiors."

Barkley seemed rather anxious, so Qian Jin left first to go and get an application from his supervisor.

After he left, Clark quickly regained his responsiveness as a business elite.

He immediately said to Barkley in a deep voice, "Mr. President, this sample must be verified immediately. If it is true..."

“If true, it means that the Chinese have indeed acquired the production capacity for paraquat.” Barkley naturally realized the significance of this bottle of paraquat.

Clark nodded: "Yes, so I want to give them to Smith immediately for testing to see if he can find the three substances X, Y, and Z that are built into our product."

The paraquat produced in their various factories has the same main ingredient, but the production plants in different regions also have other substances added to distinguish their origins.

They cannot rule out the possibility that the paraquat brought by Qian Jin was not actually produced in China, but was secretly imported from a country that sells paraquat, which is a very common practice.

Therefore, Clark was eager to test the condition of this bottle of paraquat.

Barkley made the same judgment. He solemnly handed the small bottle to Clark, his tone full of urgency: "Give the pesticide in the cup to Smith. About 50 milliliters is enough."

“If this bottle of pesticide is sent out through your channels, I need to see the odorant, emetic, and other drug ingredients added to it. Of course, it also needs to be tested to see if it is our product. We need cross-validation.”

Clark said, "Hong Kong. The fastest way to get results is to send them to Hong Kong."

"The head of R&D at the Hong Kong branch is Dr. James Hopkins, who is a..."

“Okay, then get it over there right away,” Barkley said decisively. “Can you do that?”

Clark said, "Of course, that's no problem at all."

"There are many shady routes available between mainland China and Hong Kong. Let alone sending a bottle of pesticide, even sending a car..."

"Damn it, don't rush to boast. We must deliver it safely. Right now, this is the only bottle of Chinese pesticide we have!" Barkley impatiently interrupted his self-praise.

"We had Dr. Hopkins personally lead the analysis, using all available testing methods in our Hong Kong R&D laboratory to focus on confirming the type and dosage of the emetic ingredients, as well as our molecular-level anti-counterfeiting materials."

Clark nodded hastily.

He immediately went to the technicians in charge of precision instruments and handed them the pesticide in the cup.

He also arranged for a translator to deliver the pesticides.

After handing the medicine bottle to the translator, he arranged for the translator to pretend to have forgotten to bring important documents and travel overnight by car to Shanghai, then transfer to a plane to Guangzhou, and from Guangzhou to Shenzhen, where all the informants he could use were located.

The technician's test report is the fastest to be issued.

He couldn't analyze all the components of paraquat, but he could accurately determine that this half-cup of herbicide definitely did not contain ICI's X, Y, and Z molecular-level anti-counterfeiting ingredients.

In other words, if this paraquat is genuine, it is definitely not a product of any ICI factory.

Clark and Barkley are both confident in this regard.

China may have the capability to independently develop and produce paraquat herbicide, but it is unlikely to have the capability to remove the three chemicals X, Y, and Z from their products.

Because that would be against the laws of nature.

After receiving the results, Barkley became honest, and he was basically certain that China did indeed have the capacity to produce paraquat.

We still have to wait for the results from Hong Kong, where the testing is done in a formal laboratory, and only then will the results have a definitive effect.

The results won't be out so quickly.

The next day, Qian Jin asked them when negotiations would begin, and Clark said with a troubled expression, "Our translator has gone to Guangzhou. Shall we wait a bit?"

"In addition, we have long heard that China is a vast country with abundant resources and a flourishing civilization for thousands of years. Our CEO is extremely passionate about archaeology, so could you arrange for him to visit your museum?"

"Of course, Mr. Qian, I hope you can understand that we have been traveling a long way by plane and are very tired. Overall, we have not been able to rest and will need some more time."

Qian Jin reported their request to his superiors, who naturally had no reason not to approve it.

Considering that the Seaside City Museum had been damaged during the turbulent years and had not yet fully recovered, they wanted to send a car to take the group to the capital so they could visit it there.

Barkley was very grateful upon hearing the result, but he asked Qian Jin to tell the leaders that there was no need for such trouble:

"I'm so sorry, I have a flaw that you might laugh at, and that is that I get carsick."

"I usually prefer to take the train for long-distance travel, so I hope you can tell your supervisor to arrange a few train tickets for us. There's no need to go through the trouble of arranging a car."

Actually, they wanted to delay as much as possible while waiting for the test results from Hong Kong.

The translators hadn't even boarded the plane yet.

Unfortunately, there are simply too few domestic flights available now...

The leaders in Haibin City were quite pleased after hearing their request.

It just so happens that they don't have many cars, and none of them are good ones, so arranging a car for them to travel to the capital is actually quite a difficult task.

It's great that they're willing to take the train; we chartered an entire sleeper carriage and sent them to the capital.

Qian Jin naturally accompanied him.

Qian Jin naturally brought his wife along.

It's not that he wanted to take advantage of the company's paid travel; it's just that he's too busy with work right now, and the couple rarely sees each other.

So he wouldn't let go of any opportunity that allowed the two of them to travel together.

It just so happens that Labor Day is approaching, and Wei Qinghuan has a holiday. If she takes an extra day off, they can go to the capital to celebrate Labor Day.

On the evening of Labor Day, the core analysis laboratory at ICI's Hong Kong branch was working overtime.

The lights of Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong stay on all night.

ICI, with its deep pockets, leased an office building in the Mid-Levels area as a branch office, where its core analytical laboratory, equipped with sophisticated equipment, is located.

The laboratory was brightly lit, with the deep hum of advanced centrifuges filling the air. Complex data streams danced on the screens of various analytical instruments, and the air was filled with the bitter smell of organic solvents.

Dr. James Hopkins, wearing a mask, personally delivered test tubes filled with dark green pesticides into different experimental groups.

They need to use various extractants and reaction reagents to identify the different substances in pesticides.

time flies.

It wasn't until May 3rd that the chromatogram from the high-performance liquid chromatograph finally appeared on the screen, and the gas chromatography-mass spectrometry system accurately captured several key peak characteristics, identifying the main components in the pesticide.

In addition, Dr. Hopkins also needs to fulfill the president's request to review the pesticide's emetic effect and specific data on its cellular biotoxicity.

This will take time to get started.

On the evening of May 3rd, a professional test report was released.

Hopkins immediately called Clark after receiving the report.

They had already returned to Seaside City, and the telegram had thus landed safely in Barkley's hands.

Sample analyzed: a dark green liquid sample (442 ml) labeled as 'Paraquat herbicide'.

Summary of analysis results:

1. Physicochemical property confirmation: Through multi-dimensional comparative analysis, the main component of the sample was confirmed to be 'Paraquat', and the content of the effective component was determined to be approximately 4.25% w/v. Its basic chemical structure is consistent with the known Paraquat standard.

2. Detection of safe modified ingredients:
Dye: Its significant deep dark green color was identified as originating from an additive non-edible colorant—tar green, based on spectral characteristics.

Odorant: A mixture of trace amounts of highly volatile organic compounds with a typical putrid and pungent odor was detected. Its characteristics strongly match the standard characteristics of 'warning odorant', and it is presumed to be a thiol derivative.

Emetic: Key! No known ingredients detected! Strong suspicion of undisclosed chemical components in the sample!
However, quantitative analysis confirmed that its effective dose is 0.75 g/kg. Experiments using a standard canine gastric model showed that at this dose, the central vomiting center is strongly activated within an average of 2-7 minutes after ingestion, inducing violent projectile vomiting.

3. Extremely important negative finding: Comparative testing using the highest standard protocol of our institute (GC-MS/MS targeted screening) showed no trace amounts of the specific marker compound added by our company (ICI) during the production process as a dedicated quality tracking and anti-counterfeiting mark in the paraquat sample.

Concluding opinion:
Based on the above analysis, I confirm with the highest confidence level:

1. The submitted sample is paraquat herbicide, and has undergone physicochemical modification including dyeing, odor enhancement, and the addition of emetics. Its core safety protection design principles (visual warning, olfactory repulsion, and physiological repellency) are clear and effective.

2. More importantly, the sample lacks our company's unique anti-counterfeiting mark, and it clearly contains emetic components that are not produced by our company. Therefore, it can be ruled out that the sample is a product produced by our company or was diluted and repackaged by external parties through general channels.

3. Therefore, from a purely technical perspective, the morphology of this sample and the extent to which safety measures were implemented can only point to one thing:
This product is the result of independent industrial production using raw materials and a technology route not previously employed by our company. Its producers have mastered the capability for large-scale, independent synthesis of paraquat, as well as unique product safety application design capabilities.

Barkley quickly read through the report, then handed it to Clark with a complicated expression.

Clark kept shaking his head as he watched.

Dr. Hopkins truly lived up to his reputation as a professional; his report was concise and effective, like a heavy hammer blow that shattered all of ICI's previous hopes.

Their strategic blockade attempt failed.

After reading the report, Clark looked at Barkley.

Barkley shrugged at him: "We always gain something, don't we? And there's even an unexpected one."

"We have gained access to China's huge market, and there is a high chance that we will obtain additive patents. This trip has definitely been worthwhile."

Clark smiled wryly and said, "Mr. President, we also gained knowledge about ancient Chinese history and artifacts."

Barkley spread his hands, quickly adjusted his mindset, and smiled brightly: "Then we've gained quite a lot. Alright, let's contact Mr. Qian. It's time for us to do something good with them."

(End of this chapter)