The golden age began in 1977

Chapter 313 Lowering Prices and Adding Conditions Leads to a Great Victory

The midday sun in spring shines through the gaps in the blinds of the conference room at the Silver Beach Guesthouse, cutting slanted strips of light across the floor.

As May arrives, the weather is getting increasingly hot.

Formal negotiations have finally begun.

This time, the ICI team was much more honest; they succinctly stated their objective:
"We are willing to immediately initiate the supply of paraquat formulations and several other conventional pesticide products from our group that are suitable for the climate characteristics of East China. However, we have reservations about the specific cooperation on raw materials for paraquat."

Barkley meant that they could sell paraquat concentrate to China on a large scale, but they would not set up factories in China, nor would they use raw materials provided by China for production cooperation.

This way, at least I can earn more money.

If China has its own production line and supplies its own raw materials, it means that ICI will only earn a licensing fee. How much money can it make?
The negotiations have now officially begun.

The meeting room was devoid of the usual small talk and polite smiles of a first meeting. An invisible pressure filled the air as both sides frantically flipped through the contract, studying its contents.

The translator first explained the ICI's requirements.

Wei Bin whispered to the expert sent by the Provincial Department of Agriculture:

"This request is not excessive. We don't need a raw material synthesis production line; we just need to be able to import paraquat at a low price."

"The specific issue is price. Needless to say, if we could bring in the production line, we could drive down the price. But how could they possibly give us the production line?"

"Perhaps the establishment of the first Sino-foreign joint venture by the government at the beginning of last month has excited them? They also want to set up a joint venture in China?"

"Is it like Capital Airlines Catering Co., Ltd.? That definitely won't work, that's related to COFCO..."

It's unreasonable that Qian Jin didn't expect to bring the production line to China.

According to the information he presented, there are already production lines in China. ICI is simply here to sell goods at low prices in exchange for maintaining its monopoly on the paraquat market internationally.

But since we're selling goods at low prices, we naturally have to cut the price as much as possible!

He cut the draft price down by another 30%, which displeased Clark, who coughed and prepared for a verbal battle.

Qian Jin presented his prepared negotiation terms: "Regarding the triple protection technology for paraquat poisoning, after consulting with our leaders, we can resell the patent to you at a lower price..."

Clark swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He looked at Barkley.

The president whispered a few words to him, and he bargained again, but the price was very lenient.

The final price was set at $4000 per ton, a decrease of $1000 from the previously proposed $5000 per ton, representing a staggering 20% ​​reduction.

With the pricing and patent transaction issues resolved, the subsequent cooperation will proceed quickly.

The translators on both sides were rapidly and quietly translating the complex terms.

Both sides were pushing forward the negotiation process at a breakneck pace.

They all felt they had gotten a good deal.

For every contract detail raised by the Chinese side, whether it was the batch of goods, the port of arrival, the inspection standards, or the payment terms, as long as there were no fundamental obstacles, ICI responded with "agree," "feasible," or "acceptable" in a very short time.

In this way, the contract framework for paraquat formulations and several conventional pesticides was filled at a visible rate.

This is a big order.

The All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives has signed several contracts with ICI. The current project is still in its first phase, and the cooperation involves six pesticides alone.

Of course, only paraquat is supplied to the domestic market at cost price; other pesticides are offered preferential treatment to customers.

As the head of the negotiation team, Qian Jin sat in the middle of the negotiating table, maintaining a calm and composed demeanor throughout.

He listened attentively to the translation and flipped through the text in front of him, showing no surprise or delight at the extreme efficiency of the cooperation and the unprecedented concessions made by the ICI.

Everything is under control.

Representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, leaders from the All-China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, and Wei Bin, among others, could only follow his expressions.

Qian Jin remained unmoved, and they were equally unmoved.

In reality, their hearts were already erupting like a volcano!

With all the final contract details finalized, just as Clark was about to announce that the core parts of the contract were basically finalized and that the formal signing process could begin, Qian Jin gently put down his pen and stared at ICI.

This subtle movement instantly drew everyone's attention, and Barkley and Clark's hearts tightened immediately.

Do the Chinese still have a trump card up their sleeve?

Wei Bin and the others immediately stared at the ICI personnel opposite them. They didn't know what Qian Jin was going to do, so their eyes were empty.

This gave the ICI professional negotiation team on the other side a real headache.

Socialist countries are indeed something to talk about.

Their work has been related to trade negotiations for many years, and they have never encountered an opponent like this before.

It's one thing for one person's eyes and expressions to be hard to decipher, but how come a whole group of people all look the same?

The discipline and teamwork of socialist countries are just too strong!
Qian Jin's expression and words were earnest:

"Mr. President, Mr. Director, we greatly appreciate the sincerity and efficiency you have demonstrated in this cooperation."

"The mutually beneficial cooperation between China and the UK in the field of agricultural technology is in the fundamental interests of the people of both countries, and we agree in principle to the setting of the core terms of the contract."

Upon hearing this, some people at ICI breathed a sigh of relief.

It's done.

However, Qian Jin's words did not end there.

His words contained a "but," which any seasoned negotiator knows is irrelevant; the key points are all in what follows:
"However, based on the shared vision of establishing a long-term, mutually beneficial, and trustworthy new cooperative relationship, this is a necessary supplement to the formal signing of this package of supply agreements."

"We need your additional support."

Clark asked cautiously, "What kind of support?"

Qian Jin said, “It’s very simple for your group. We hope that your group can come forward to communicate and coordinate so that the UK Met Office can issue an authoritative assessment report on the possibility of extreme weather disasters in China during the summer and autumn of 1980 in its official capacity.”

He lowered his head, opened his notebook, and said, "According to our country's investigation, the UK Met Office created a global numerical weather prediction model last year by combining supercomputers and weather satellites."

"We hope you can persuade the UK Met Office to use the model to make a forecast of the risk of heavy rainfall and large-scale flooding in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and areas south of it this summer."

"At the same time, we must also predict the possibility of persistent high temperatures and drought in North China and parts of Northeast China due to the long-term control of the high-pressure ridge."

As Qian Jin finished speaking, the conference room became so quiet that one could hear the scratching of pens on paper and the faint echo of waves crashing against the rocks in the distance.

Wei Bin and the leaders of the Haibin City government exchanged glances and nodded subconsciously.

Yes, this is a great opportunity to get a result from a developed foreign meteorological agency.

At the same time, they also had concerns.

Would ICI agree to such conditions?
Clark blurted out almost immediately, "Mr. Qian, this is an impossible task, and it has nothing to do with our cooperation!"

"You need an authoritative forecast report from our National Meteorological Service regarding extreme weather in your country, this..."

He felt the request was utterly absurd and abrupt.

President Barkley raised his hand, interrupting Clark's speech.

He smiled and looked into Qian Jin's eyes, his wise gaze seemingly piercing through Qian Jin's calm exterior to see the unfathomable core of his scheme.

This young Chinese official made every move with perfect timing:

First, present technical evidence sufficient to shake the foundations of the ICI, thereby dismantling its negotiation barriers.

Taking advantage of their eagerness to sign commercial contracts and secure the market, they imported the expensive pesticides they needed at extremely low prices.

Originally, the ICI was supposed to take advantage of the pest infestation in the wheat fields of Central China to extort a huge sum of foreign exchange from China and rip off a large chunk of the country.

The result is that they have extorted a contract from us and squeezed money out of our group.

That's not all. Prior to this negotiation, the other party presented an even more competitive paraquat product, demonstrating their ability to mass-produce this product.

This is very important.

They had initially doubted whether China's chemical industry had the capacity to produce paraquat, but it turned out that not only was it capable of producing it, but it had also been tested on farmers and the product had been significantly improved based on their feedback.

This deprived their negotiating team of the confidence to engage in a protracted negotiation, leaving them with no choice but to passively accept the Chinese side's conditions.

At the last minute, he made a seemingly "non-commercial" request, demanding that his side use "public power" to make climate predictions for their country.

What does it mean?
What is the purpose of this?
He felt that Qian Jin might be making a move.

This move must be related to the climate and environment!

But he couldn't figure out what the move was, so he whispered a few words to Clark.

Qian Jin's request wasn't a big deal, and he was willing to accept it. He wanted to see what the other party's next move would be.

Clark then changed his stance and said with a smile, "Mr. Qian, your additional request goes beyond the scope of simple business negotiations, and I'm sure you've already given it a deep consideration."

He gave Qian Jin a deep look, the meaning of which was self-evident, indicating that he had seen through everything:
"Given our strong anticipation for this cooperation, we can make the following commitment to you."

"ICI will use all our influence channels to get the UK Met Office to develop a model forecast of your country's climate, and we will provide you with a weather warning analysis report that meets professional standards."

Qian Jin stood up and extended his hand: "Thank you for your understanding, President Barkley. We look forward to our future cooperation and also look forward to the demonstration of your country's top-notch observation and forecasting capabilities."

You can get ready to sign!
This left Clark completely confused.

Logically speaking, although they promised to provide China with the results of the large-scale meteorological model, this was just a promise. Even if it were written into the contract, it would not be reliable. Generally speaking, if supplementary conditions are proposed, a formal contract should only be signed after the conditions are met.

In other words, China will likely sign the report only after receiving the climate and environmental forecasts for the north and south from the UK Met Office for the next two quarters.

As a result, Qian Jin agreed to sign right away!

What does this mean?
He looked at Barkley.

Barkley is still watching Qian Jin.

His expression was solemn.

Edgar was absolutely right; the Chinese are full of hidden talents, completely different from that cesspool of Barat.

He couldn't fathom Qian Jin's thoughts at all!
Qian Jin's thoughts are very simple.

He only needs a commitment from the ICI, and once the ICI provides the UK Met Office report, he will alter the contents regardless of the results.

Anyway, there's still very little communication between China and the UK these days, so he's not worried that anyone or any organization on the Chinese side would go to the UK Met Office to verify the authenticity of the report.

He wasn't afraid even if he went to verify it.

If it turns out that the report Qian Jin submitted is different from the report given by the UK Met Office, then he will say that the ICI made a mistake.

Of course, such an extreme situation is unlikely to occur. He only needs a commitment from the ICI to endorse the report he submitted.

Both lawyers checked the last page and finally confirmed the contract text.

Next, the documents were sent to the negotiation team members for final review.

Sitting diagonally behind Qian Jin was Fang Qitong, a senior plant protection expert and professor from the Ministry of Agriculture, who was a member of the agricultural advisory group. He was responsible for overseeing technical issues such as pesticide composition, transportation, and storage.

However, due to his professional sensitivity to prices, he still glanced at the price list.

He was shocked when he quickly scanned the clearly marked price per ton of paraquat concentrate.

He gasped sharply, instinctively about to speak, but quickly restrained himself.

Beside him was a representative from the Ministry of Foreign Trade, who asked in a low voice, "Professor Fang, is there a problem?"

Fang Qitong rubbed his eyes and whispered, "Did Team Leader Qian Jin just discuss the price again?"

The representative from the Ministry of Foreign Trade nodded. He recalled that the old professor had learned English on his own later in life, focusing on rote memorization and written learning. In other words, he could understand the English in the books but could not speak or understand it very well.

Many experts in agriculture and industry are in this situation: they don't have the opportunity to learn English through listening and reading, so they can only study hard with an English dictionary, resulting in strong reading and writing skills but poor listening and reading skills.

So the representative whispered and talked about the price negotiation between Qian Jin and the other party.

Fang Qitong was completely bewildered: "This team leader Qian Jin, is he... does he have some kind of leverage over the British? Or did our country fight another tough battle against the British and win a great victory somewhere?"

The representative from the Ministry of Foreign Trade laughed.

He naturally understood the old man's shock.

He was actually shocked too!
What exactly happened? Why is it that in other negotiation situations, these foreign capitalists are all so shrewd, and it takes him a lot of effort to haggle down the price?

As a result, Qian Jin negotiated the price as if it were child's play, and even managed to add a supplementary clause that was unrelated to their main trading entity.
As Fang Qitong signed the document, he shook his head and exclaimed, "This is incredible! My God, if I weren't here, I wouldn't believe it. This is an impossible price! It's not even the lowest price in the world! This must be the lowest price in the world!"

According to his calculations, ICI's production costs are probably about the same as the price they pay.

Considering that ICI is also responsible for overseas transportation, he suspects that ICI is selling pesticides to domestic regions at a loss.

His gaze toward Qian Jin was filled with confusion and shock.

I don't understand, but I'm deeply moved.

The entire Chinese delegation, from top officials to staff, reacted to the price in much the same way as Fang Qitong.

So they suspected the contract was fraudulent, and they gathered together to carefully examine the contract terms, but in the end, there were no problems.

Thus, excited whispers merged into a vast ocean.

Clark awkwardly touched his nose and gave Qian Jin a wry smile.

It was a bit awkward, and a bit painful. Barkley instructed all members of the negotiation team: "Regarding this negotiation, no pesticide price is to be disclosed to the public."

"If the media keeps asking you questions after you return to China, just pin all the things you can't explain on them!"

He was still very dissatisfied with the deal.

The other party used technology to blackmail ICI!

Unfortunately, international affairs, whether trade or war, are purely about strength. Their weaknesses were exploited, leaving them with no choice but to back down.

Otherwise, if China produces its own paraquat, the quality will be no worse than theirs, and China's labor costs will be more competitive than those in the British colonial factories they control. In that case, the ICI will be in serious trouble!

Fortunately, Barkley comforted himself.

This trip to the seaside has at least added another moat patent to their flagship product.

After the signing was completed, the two parties shook hands.

No one understands Qian Jin's prowess better than Clark; in this respect, white people have their merits.

He frankly expressed his admiration for Qian Jin, praising him as a skilled foreign trade professional.

Qian Jin responded with a smile, summarizing his motivation in one sentence: "Serving the people will always be our ultimate pursuit."

This groundbreaking contract has now been finalized.

Immediately after the contract was signed, it was transported by special vehicle to the capital for review by top national leaders. At the same time, promotional materials—information on the efficacy of pesticides—were prepared and sent to supply and marketing cooperatives in major cities across the country.

Starting this year, they will import these effective pesticides on a large scale for sale to farmers.

Wei Bin and the city's main leaders all praised Qian Jinzhan's work ability.

The following day, after seeing off the ICI personnel, the city held a celebratory banquet.

The banquet was held directly in the spacious banquet hall of the Yintan Guesthouse. This was the first time Qian Jin had ever entered the banquet hall of his hometown.

That's really good!

Compared to the large private rooms in state-run restaurants, the banquet hall in my hometown is not very big, but the doors and windows are uniquely styled, the oak floors are well-maintained with wood wax, and the tables and chairs of the same style are neatly arranged.

A snow-white tablecloth was spread out on the table, with a large transparent glass plate printed with wheat ear patterns on it.

Tonight's dishes weren't particularly refined, but they were very generous in portion size:
The whole grouper, gleaming with oil, sat in a enamel basin, while the braised pork belly, glistening with oil, simmered in a rich sauce. Neatly arranged, bright green stir-fried vegetables added a touch of elegance. In the center of the main table stood a row of drinks adorned with large red "double happiness" characters.

Several ceiling fans hung from the ceiling and turned slowly. The weather wasn't too hot at the moment, since it was only the beginning of May and it was evening, so the temperature was quite comfortable.

The fans in the banquet hall are turned on to disperse the thick smoke.

Under the warm yellow lights, the city's main leaders and the heroes who participated in this pesticide introduction campaign gathered together.

A brand-new portrait of the leader hung on the wall of the banquet hall, and a gramophone in the corner played the soft and gentle song "Hometown Love".

This is currently a restricted area, and the result...

That's normal, though. The music played at dinner parties is naturally soft and gentle. You can't exactly play "The East Is Red" or "We Are Walking on the Road," can you?

An upbeat melody is suitable for celebratory occasions, but not for a banquet atmosphere.

This was an internal celebration banquet. The main leaders gave brief speeches, then raised their glasses in a toast, and everyone began to clink glasses.

Qian Jin is the star of the show today.

After the leaders finished bringing the drinks, they started to drink freely. The second-in-command, Han Zhaoxin, was the first to raise his glass to him, saying, "Xiao Qian, come on, let's have another drink!"

Han Zhaoxin was not a good drinker, and after drinking half a jin of baijiu, he was already seven or eight parts drunk. His cheeks were red, and his usually meticulously combed cadre hair was now slightly disheveled. The top button of his collar had been undone at some point.

He was happy at that moment.

The top leader manages people, and the second-in-command manages affairs.

If the insect infestation had escalated significantly, he, as the second-in-command, would certainly have faced dire consequences.

Therefore, he was quite enthusiastic about Qian Jin at this time:
"Xiao Qian, we should have eaten today a long time ago. Back when the first batch of high-efficiency cypermethrin arrived and the pest infestation had just subsided, a few of us were thinking of celebrating the success of everyone, our supply and marketing cooperative, and especially you, our number one hero!"

He shook his free hand vigorously, as if trying to dispel some invisible resistance: "But then, some leaders in the province found out and sent us a message saying that this would have a bad influence."

"The leaders said, 'What's this? Isn't this 'feasting and drinking right after a major disaster' or 'turning a funeral into a celebration'? So at the time, they didn't encourage us to have such a grand spectacle...'"

Han Zhaoxin raised his voice, his gaze sweeping across the table, his face beaming with even more joy: "But this time is different. How much precious foreign exchange have we saved for the country this time? Huh? How many advanced and practical pesticides have we introduced?"

"This not only solved the problem of 200,000 mu of wheat, but it was also a brilliant foreign trade victory, a triumphant and triumphant one!"

"If we don't celebrate, it would be a waste of everyone's hard work, and especially a disservice to Comrade Qian Jin for withstanding the pressure and winning face for the country! So this time, we've all reached a consensus: this victory celebration banquet is a must!"

A burst of laughter and applause rang out from the surrounding area.

Qian Jin quickly stood up, held his glass with both hands, and touched the rim of his glass to the middle of the second-in-command's glass, continuing to be humble: "You flatter me, sir."

"The achievements we have made this time are entirely due to the leadership at higher levels, especially the leaders arranged by the central government, you, President Wei Bin, Director Wang Zhenbang, and the correct decisions and decisive command of the municipal party committee and government."

"The credit belongs to everyone. From analyzing data in the data room to the results of field trials, and then to every round of negotiations at the negotiating table, all the comrades involved in the whole process have made contributions."

"Think about it, issuing notices, seeking out policies, coordinating foreign trade, and so on—no one could be missing from all these steps, right? I believe it was because everyone was united and worked together as one that we won this battle!"

"I'm basically just a gofer, someone who can talk a good game. Essentially, I just did what I was supposed to do, following the leader's instructions."

The leaders were very satisfied with his speech.

The young man is very good at handling things.

At the same time, they dare not take credit for themselves now. Qian Jin has made many contributions to foreign trade, and leaders at the national level know of his existence.

This collaboration with ICI is a national-level commercial and trade activity of the supply and marketing cooperatives. The higher-ups must have been watching closely. They already know who has made contributions and who has dragged things down.

Leaders at that level are well aware of this, so they won't act recklessly.

In addition, they were unwilling to offend Qian Jin.

Qian Jin is not even thirty years old yet!

Now, in this new era of reform and opening up, they have already seen what Qian Jin's future will look like.

Just as Wei Bin became increasingly polite to him, now at least the city leaders wouldn't embarrass him.

Everyone knows the old saying: How do you befriend a general? By showing him respect when he was still a soldier!

In this situation, Qian Jin was low-key and knew how to get things done, so they were naturally very satisfied.

Wang Zhenbang currently has the highest regard for Qian Jin and cherishes him the most, so he specially arranged for him to stay by his side.

After Qian Jin and Han Zhaoxin finished drinking, he reached out and gently patted Qian Jin's knee, looking at him with the undisguised appreciation of an elder looking at a younger person.

"Alright, Comrade Qian Jin, there's no need to be so modest. Everyone here is a reasonable person, and they're all on our side."

"This trade cooperation with ICI, from beginning to end, from the despair when the insect infestation was overwhelming, to the experiment with permethrin, and finally to the selection of highly effective cypermethrin, is all thanks to you."

"We are well aware of how we forced ICI to back down by using a semi-finished product synthesis data provided by patriotic overseas Chinese, and how we used market size to exchange for price concessions."

"You did a great job!"

His words set the tone for Qian Jin's contributions.

Everyone applauded, and Qian Jin went around toasting each of the leaders.

When it was Zhang Ruhai's turn to speak, the representative from the Ministry of Foreign Trade adjusted his glasses and said, "Director Qian, let's not rush to drink. I have a question I'd like to ask first."

With a puzzled look on his face, he asked earnestly, "It's like this, I'm very curious. I witnessed your negotiations with an international chemical giant like ICI. You were exceptionally tough and relentlessly pressured them."

The others nodded, unable to suppress their smiles.

It's truly gratifying to be able to force those foreign devils to back down.

Those present at the bloody battles against the foreign allied forces in the early 1950s did not participate, a fact they have always regretted.

In this negotiation, they faced a large conglomerate like ICI and managed to force it to retreat repeatedly. Although this was far from comparable to that earth-shattering battle, it was still something they could be proud of.

After all, they, like the most beloved people, have also brought glory to the country and protected national interests.

Zhang Ruhai continued, "What surprises me is that with such a tough attitude, the negotiation process went so smoothly and an agreement was reached so efficiently. It's unbelievable."

"He also obtained very favorable terms!" exclaimed veteran expert Fang Qitong.

Zhang Ruhai nodded: "Yes, this experience has really broadened my horizons, because your approach is completely different from our recent foreign trade negotiations... to be honest."

Wang Zhenbang asked with interest, "Have there been any projects introduced in foreign trade recently?"

Zhang Ruhai was a conscientious comrade, so he was sent by the Ministry of Foreign Trade to assist and supervise the negotiation work.

When questioned, he immediately adopted a reporting posture, put down his chopsticks, and adopted a serious expression:
"That's right, I also participated in and presided over several important foreign negotiations for the ministry this year."

"Take last winter's negotiations for the import of the CNC machine tool production line from West Germany to the capital, for example. We've been talking for half a year, back and forth, with the terms changing several times, and we're still at odds!"

"And last month, Shanghai wanted to import a batch of large, precision instruments from Japan. They were so difficult and demanding that they almost made us flip the table! It was incredibly challenging!"

"But there's nothing we can do. Our equipment shortage and technological needs are there. Many times, even though we know that the other side has the advantage, we can only swallow our bitterness in order to develop."

As he said this, he looked forward again, his face still filled with disbelief:

"But this time, Director Qian has completely seized the initiative, hasn't he? I'm not exaggerating when I say that, am I? The key to this is..."

He glanced tentatively at Qian Jin.

Others are watching too.

Zhang Ruhai's words resonated with many people present.

The top leader said with a smile, "Xiao Qian, a comrade from the capital has come to ask you for advice on work techniques. You should give him some pointers."

Qian Jin hurriedly said, "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

He first recounted how he successfully fooled Clark using half a portion of paraquat production technology, and then summarized the process:

"A key reason why I dared to try and scam the Asia-Pacific director of ICI was that I had done my research and understanding of my negotiating opponent!"

"ICI is indeed a giant with strong technological capabilities. But precisely because it is a long-established listed company in Europe and an international conglomerate, it has a core weakness—it places extreme importance on its performance in the capital market!"

"The quarterly and annual financial reports and profitability indicators directly affect stock price fluctuations, investor confidence, and even the management's positions and year-end bonuses!"

"Stockholders?" Director Wang asked instinctively.

Qian Jin sighed inwardly and began to talk to them about the stock market again.

There is currently no stock market in China, and many former leaders are unfamiliar with this surging capital market.

After briefly introducing the rules of the stock market, he continued, "Large companies in countries like the UK and the US face enormous pressure from shareholders; 'the stock market is the company's guiding force.'"

"According to my intelligence analysis, ICI is facing bottlenecks in its expansion in the Asia-Pacific region, especially in emerging markets, and its performance growth is sluggish, which has led to a continuous decline in its stock price."

"In this situation, they urgently need a breakthrough to boost their annual report data and stabilize their stock price. China, the world's most populous country and a major agricultural nation, has a vast market that they absolutely cannot afford to miss!"

"And then there's what I just mentioned. What are they most afraid of? That we can also produce their trump card, paraquat!"

"This is not just about losing a market; it directly undermines their monopoly in the global herbicide industry and damages investor confidence!"

The group nodded in agreement.

This is not something to be done half-heartedly.

They truly understood the logic behind Qian Jin's actions.

"The premise of everything is to have a grasp of the enemy's situation. This is the essence of knowing yourself and your enemy and you will never be defeated," Han Zhaoxin exclaimed.

Qian Jin nodded and said, "Yes, I didn't choose ICI randomly. It was after a thorough analysis of the financial situation, technological shortcomings, and market demand of the world's major pesticide giants that I decided to focus on this area."

"They desperately need a 'ticket' to enter the Chinese market to appease their shareholders, while we need to break through the technological blockade and solve our immediate problems."

“Once we discovered the other party’s deep-seated needs and fears, the compatibility between the two parties became apparent – ​​we had leverage to break their bottom line, namely the potential competition for paraquat, while they had what we urgently needed and the need to alleviate market pressure.”

"This kind of strategic complementarity is mostly based on mutual consent, so it is easier to reach an agreement quickly and thus progresses relatively smoothly."

Zhang Ruhai, being an expert, nodded thoughtfully: "Essentially, this is an exchange that accurately grasps the pain points of both parties and finds common ground in core interests. Foreigners call this WintoWin, a win-win situation."

Qian Jin praised him highly: "Insightful! No wonder you're a comrade from the capital. You have a broad vision and a high level of expertise. This summary is truly to the point!"

Zhang Ruhai was both amused and exasperated.

Are you really praising me?

I cannot accept such praise.

At this moment, the veteran negotiation expert from the Ministry of Foreign Trade appeared as green as a green recruit in front of Qian Jin.

The group discussed some of the difficulties in national trade over a meal and drinks.

Finally, the banquet drew to a close in a joyful and enthusiastic atmosphere.

After seeing the leaders off, Qian Jin prepared to leave.

Just as he reached the exit of the banquet hall, Zhang Ruhai suddenly appeared out of nowhere and quickly caught up with him, saying, "Comrade Qian Jin, please wait!"

Qian Jin was somewhat surprised: "Representative Zhang? Is there something else?"

Comrade Zhang smiled and said, "There's something else, but it's not my business, it's yours."

"Comrade Qian Jin, you have some old friends in Haibin City now. Why don't we go and visit them?"

(End of this chapter)