pjbooks Chapter 1684 A Life Not Destined to Die
Chapter 1684 A Life Not Destined to Die
Chapter 1684 A Life Not Destined to Die
"Are you genuinely cooperating, or are you planning to use us as an experiment with your capitalist theories?"
Bai Changmin has learned his lesson after being fooled so many times. He glanced at him and emphasized, "I brought you here today to spend money and effort, so you don't need to use your brain."
"Then just have General Manager Gao come," Li Xuewu said impatiently when he saw that he wasn't falling for the bait. "She's in charge of the joint savings now."
"I don't believe you for a second—" Bai Changmin resolutely refused to be fooled. "Do you think I don't know that United Savings has always operated independently?"
"She's not as eloquent as you are."
"If General Manager Gao heard you say that, he would be very upset," Li Xuewu joked. "Do you two still want to be friends?"
"Don't worry, as long as you don't tell, she'll never know," Bai Changmin said frankly. "If she finds out, it means you're not a friend."
"Isn't it said that the one who borrows money is the boss?" Li Xuewu couldn't stand his arrogance and questioned, "Why do I think you, the one who owes money, are the boss more?"
"Heh!" Bai Changmin raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "Don't you know the world has changed? Those who owe money are the ones in charge!"
"When the hell did this change?"
Li Xuewu rolled his eyes and said, "Why didn't anyone notify me when I owed money to others?"
"Why should I notify you? To act like a big shot?" Bai Changmin said with a wicked smile. "Don't worry, you have a lot of debts outside, so it's time for you to act like a big shot."
Li Xuewu knew what he was talking about, glanced at him sideways, and said, "You don't look like a master, you look more like a damn young master."
"Hey! You're taking advantage of me!"
Bai Changmin was caught off guard and was ambushed by Li Xuewu again.
In their circle, when it comes to being sarcastic, Li Xuewu is the best. You'd never guess where he'd come from and deliver a scathing retort.
The car stopped at a French restaurant. Don't ask Li Xuewu how he figured it out, because the restaurant's name is literally "French Restaurant."
You know what, when you think about it, this boss is definitely a genius; he's got so many brilliant ideas.
If we're talking about ingenious ideas, then it has to be the devil smashing the devil.
"Did you see that? Those blond-haired, blue-eyed people are probably refugees from somewhere."
Li Xuewu gestured to the two blond lucky cats standing at the door and said, "If you try to tease them, they can only say two or three sentences in French at most."
"Really?" Bai Changmin was somewhat skeptical. He looked the doorman over a few more times and asked suspiciously, "Is this a case of false advertising?"
"Otherwise what?" Li Xuewu said with amusement, "Does any legitimate French restaurant come with such a ridiculous name? It's just trying to fool us."
"Which piece of music is this for?"
Bai Changmin followed Li Xuewu through the revolving door and asked curiously, "Was it done on purpose?"
"It brings wealth and good fortune, this place has great feng shui." Li Xuewu was just spouting nonsense. "We'll get one when we get back."
"Ha—" Bai Changmin chuckled, "Where are you going to put such a foreign gadget?"
“Set up a toilet,” Li Xuewu laughed, “and put a generator on top of it. You’re guaranteed to collect a few kilobytes a day.”
"You're really good at talking nonsense—"
Bai Changmin finally realized that the guy was just joking around, making fun of himself.
"And those two doormen you just mentioned—" He was still thinking about it, and pressed on, "Were they joking or serious?"
"The truth cannot be hidden, and the false cannot be made true."
Li Xuewu pointed to the flower wall in the corner and asked, "You've never been to France, but you should know that chrysanthemums are only seen at European funerals, right?"
"Think about it again, which country would want to display chrysanthemums in their home?"
"Damn it!" Bai Changmin reacted instantly, cursing under his breath, "This is really a case of false advertising!"
"Believe it or not, this restaurant is definitely run by Japanese people, just to fool their own countrymen," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "This is the result of economic development leaving cultural progress far behind."
"Why?" Bai Changmin asked, puzzled, as he went up to the third floor. "Does having money equal being uncultured?"
"No, it's that their eyes can only see money, not beauty," Li Xuewu said calmly. "What is the ultimate result of lacking aesthetic sense?"
Before Bai Changmin could react, he gave his answer: "What we lack now will have to be made up for sooner or later, and at a high price."
This principle also applies to later generations of Chinese people. After so many years of saving money and enduring hardship, the tourism economy has become more and more prosperous year by year.
People who used to hate the scourge of capitalism and its culture are now willing to buy luxury plane tickets and endure unequal treatment just to go out and see the world.
What to look at?
They may not be able to see everything, nor understand everything, but they do see things, which provides them with a foundation for aesthetic appreciation.
Aesthetic appreciation is not only about the things depicted; it also includes culture, humanities, values, and so on, in addition to artworks.
Some people ask, given the tense bilateral relations in later generations, why do Chinese people still go to Japan for tourism in such a shameless way?
In fact, Japan also experienced this phenomenon during that era. Due to the industrial economic boom, the Japanese people generally enjoyed the benefits of the exchange rate.
They became street urchins all over the world until the Plaza Accord was signed, turning them from large American landowners into adopted sons, and ordinary people lost this benefit.
Bai Changmin thought for a long time, and even after seeing the person he was socializing with that evening, he still couldn't understand the meaning behind his words.
But that has nothing to do with him. Doesn't he understand aesthetics? The foreign girl bowing at the entrance of the upscale restaurant on the third floor is actually quite beautiful.
"Haha—Bai Sang—"
They were still quite far away when a bald man with a fat head, big ears, and a slight limp opened his arms and smiled as he approached them.
Looking at the other person's appearance and hearing how he addressed Bai Changmin, Li Xuewu couldn't help but twitch his lips.
He almost looked around to see if Captain Jia was there.
"Mr. Otake, you're too kind."
Bai Changmin had figured out the secret of this restaurant, and the inferiority complex in his eyes when he looked at the other person was gone.
What's with the attitude? If you can get fake Western food, what kind of idiot is that?
Luckily, Li Xuewu was with them, otherwise, the two idiots would have ended up together.
"Let me introduce you. This is Mr. Li Xuewu, the deputy general manager of Honggang Group," Bai Changmin said, turning to Li Xuewu. "This is Mr. Koji Otake, the capable assistant of Masao Igawa, the vice president of Toray Industries, Inc."
That's quite a long title, almost as long as his second aunt's, third maternal grandfather's, and fourth aunt's husband's nephew.
The more titles a person has, the more unrealistic and the longer they are, the more fake they seem. Could Bai Sang have encountered a con artist?
"Hello, Mr. Otake. It's a pleasure to meet you. Please take good care of me."
As soon as Li Xuewu finished speaking, Bai Changmin almost burst out laughing. Who knows what mischief he's up to now? Instead of teasing him, he's teasing the ghost.
Koji Otake was taken aback by Li Xuewu's polite, distinctly Japanese remark, and then burst into laughter.
Damn, it's been so many years since we were defeated, and we still run into those two devils.
If it weren't for the height difference, and the fact that he couldn't reach Li Xuewu's shoulder, he would have taken care of Li Xuewu.
"Please! We'll have snails tonight."
Koji Otake generously raised his hand, indicating, "I've already reserved the seats; ordinary people can't get seats at the last minute."
“That is—” Li Xuewu chuckled and flattered him, “I have long heard of Mr. Dazhu’s name, but unfortunately I have never met him!”
"Hahaha—" Koji Otake found Li Xuewu more and more pleasing to the eye, and nodded, saying, "Li-san, we are very destined to meet, we hit it off immediately!"
Damn it, you've gone mad!
Bai Changmin gave Li Xuewu a look, reminding him that he was the star of the night and shouldn't mess things up.
He knew, of course, that Li Xuewu was full of bad intentions and would never fawn over foreigners or curry favor with ghosts.
Tonight is so unusual; he'd never believe there wasn't something interesting going on.
Is snail the only edible food in French cuisine?
No, but only the French eat snails. I feel disgusted just looking at Li Xuewu, let alone eating them.
France has plenty of beef, but instead of eating steak, they prefer snails. Aren't they afraid of getting microbial poisoning?
"I'm allergic to snails, sorry."
When ordering, he deliberately lingered a bit, waiting until they had finished ordering before ordering a well-done steak and explaining his reasoning.
Bai Changmin's eyes widened, and his gaze was so fierce it looked like he wanted to devour him.
I was tricked by this bastard at the banquet the other day, and now it's happening again. Is this snail poisonous? Or is it just annoying?
"It's okay, loving food also requires courage and luck."
Koji Otake didn't seem to care about Li Xuewu's timidity and chuckled as he made a sarcastic remark to him.
Li Xuewu's lips twitched. Just thinking about the name of this restaurant made him a little skeptical of the kitchen staff's conscience.
France produces so few snails a year, they don't even have enough for their own consumption, and most restaurants still need to import snails.
Even if Japan, located far away in East Asia, obtains the real ingredients for this dish, are their processing techniques absolutely up to standard?
Whoever wants to eat it can eat it; he's not going to eat it anyway.
"You're right, I'm not fortunate enough to have that privilege," Li Xuewu said with a light laugh. "What a pity."
Bai Changmin had already made up his mind: he'd rather go hungry than touch that garlic butter baked snail dish.
He wouldn't dare eat the things that even Li Xuewu wouldn't eat.
"What business is Mr. Li responsible for at Honggang Group?"
Koji Otake has already raised his glass, taking his first drink of the night.
However, unlike the drinking culture in China, Japanese people drink entirely on their own initiative; they don't guzzle or compete to see who can drink the most.
"Actually, Mr. Bai didn't explain it clearly to you. I'm also the vice president's assistant, just like you," Li Xuewu said with a smile. "I'm mainly responsible for work related to external cooperation and technology introduction."
He's starting to spout nonsense about him again!
Bai Changmin paused, holding his wine glass, and couldn't help but glance at Li Xuewu. That shameless bastard actually demoted him.
He introduced Li Xuewu as the vice president, which was a complete flattery. How could someone demote themselves, especially when it comes to external cooperation?
Ignoring his gesturing glances, Li Xuewu humbly began chatting with Otake Koji, especially about his experience as an assistant.
The two hit it off quite well, even leaving Bai Changmin aside, and chatted about everything from Toray Industries to carbon fiber.
"We started our research early; we began working on carbon fiber in 59."
After being persuaded to drink a few glasses of wine by Li Xuewu, Koji Otake, with a flushed face, introduced, "We changed our name from Toyo Rayon Co., Ltd. to Toray Industries, Ltd. last January."
“I know, Mr. Bai has already introduced it.”
Li Xuewu was good at deceiving people. He flattered the other party and said, "He said your company mainly deals in chemical products such as nylon and resin."
"Oh—it's far more than that!"
Koji Otake waved his hand and said with a smile, "We also work on engineering plastics. The carbon fiber you just mentioned is another core product."
“Oh, I see. We’re working on this too.” Li Xuewu said casually, nodding as he continued, “But we started later than you, Toray. That was nine years ago.”
"Really!" Koji Otake looked at him with some disbelief and asked, "You've started carbon fiber production too?"
"Oh! I don't know."
Li Xuewu was very shrewd. He stopped talking after he had said a few words and went back to explain, saying, "The specifics are confidential."
“I’ve heard news reports about it, saying it evolved from the nylon industry.”
"That certainly isn't as advanced as ours."
Koji Otake stated matter-of-factly, "Our technology even surpasses that of the United States, and we are on par with DuPont and ICI in terms of synthetic fibers."
“I know DuPont, the international chemical giant.” Li Xuewu nodded and said, “I just don’t know how Toray’s carbon fiber is doing.”
"Of course!" Koji Otake, clearly a bum, tilted his chin and emphasized, "The new products launched last month, such as golf clubs, fishing rods, and tennis rackets, all use our Toray carbon fiber."
"Is the manufacturing process for this thing very complicated?" Li Xuewu looked at Otake Koji with a puzzled expression, as if he knew nothing about it.
Koji Otake smiled and said, "Of course it's complicated, but it's also very simple for us."
Bai Changmin seemed to understand something upon hearing this, and instantly transformed into a wingman, adopting the same foolish expression as Li Xuewu.
"Haha! Polymers, you all should know that."
Koji Otake was very satisfied with this proud state and proudly introduced: "It is a process of carbonizing polymer spinning at high temperature and then performing surface treatment."
"If you ask us, it's extremely complex, very difficult to produce, with many steps, extremely strict parameters, and a very low tolerance for error; a slight mistake and it's scrap."
He raised an eyebrow and said, "But when we talk about this internally, hehe, it's really just that, there are always targets."
"This thing is great!"
Li Xuewu nudged Bai Changmin with his elbow, reminding him, "Doesn't your factory director Zhang like fishing? Why don't you think about applying to Mr. Dazhu to introduce carbon fiber production technology?"
"How can that be!" Before Otake Koji could even speak, Bai Changmin exclaimed in feigned surprise, "How could Mr. Otake possibly make such a big decision!"
He then looked at the somewhat dazed Koji Otake and asked, "Mr. Otake, is it possible to purchase the technology for this fishing rod material?"
"If Mr. Li hadn't reminded me, I would have forgotten. If only we could take it back to our leaders..."
"Haha, I understand how you feel." Koji Otake laughed awkwardly and said, "But there's no need to buy carbon fiber technology just for fishing rods. I can give you a few good ones that will definitely satisfy your president."
“It’s not about the fishing rods,” Bai Changmin hesitated for a moment before explaining softly, “Our leader likes fishing, but he also likes making fishing rods.”
"Don't let our chemical company fool you, we also have a fishing tackle factory. We did it because our leaders like it."
"So it can be done like this?"
Koji Otake paused, frowned slightly, and said with some difficulty, "But Vice President Igawa didn't say that carbon fiber technology could be sold."
"Isn't that just a matter of a word from you?"
Li Xuewu smiled and flattered him, saying, "Your words will definitely carry weight at Toray Industries, Inc.
He then gestured to Bai Changmin beside him and said, "Besides, Beijing Chemical has bought a lot of technology from you. One more carbon fiber won't make a difference, and one less carbon fiber won't make a difference either."
“Well, I need to think about this.” Koji Otake thought for a moment and said, “I can only agree to help you with the arrangements, but the specifics…”
Hey! What are you doing?!
Just as Da Zhu was speaking, Li Xuewu reached out and slapped Bai Changmin's hand, causing a gold bar to roll to the ground.
Bai Changmin was also stunned. He had just been hit and suddenly he was exploding with gold bars?
Li Xuewu, of course, couldn't be bothered with the shameless Bai Changmin. He picked up the gold bar and tried to stuff it into Bai Changmin's hand, but then pretended to be annoyed and reminded him, "They don't care about these things. If you want to show your appreciation to Mr. Dazhu, you can't give him something so vulgar!"
"What's wrong with me giving them?" Bai Changmin was about to say when he had ever thought of giving gold bars, but seeing Li Xuewu's signal, he quickly changed the subject.
"Mr. Otake promised me something so important, how could I not show any appreciation? That's not like me!"
He reached out and took the gold bar, placed it in front of Koji Otake, and waved his hand, saying, "Please don't be shy, this is just a small token of my appreciation."
"Hey! You're confused!"
Just as Koji Otake was about to reach for the gold bars on the table, Li Xuewu snatched them away and handed them back to Bai Changmin, reminding him, "Here, bribing company executives is not allowed! Do you understand?"
Koji Otake's eyes were already fixed on that palm-sized gold bar, and he couldn't take them off.
When Bai Changmin placed the gold bars in front of him, he stared at them; when Li Xuewu took them away, his eyes followed.
"What do you mean it's not allowed? We're friends!" Bai Changmin was getting into character. He took the gold bar and placed it in front of Otake Koji, emphasizing earnestly, "Mr. Otake helped me with this, I can't let my friend down!"
"Then you can't—"
"Hey! Stop arguing!"
Koji Otake grabbed Li Xuewu's hand as he tried to take the gold bar again, and said stubbornly, "We're all friends, it's not worth it for such a small thing."
“But!” Li Xuewu frowned and said, “I don’t want him to insult your professional ethics. If you can’t do that, wouldn’t you be letting him down?”
"How can this be an insult to me!"
Koji Otake earnestly defended Baek Chang-min, saying, "Compared to this kind of thing, I value friendship more!"
"How can I just stand by and watch you all hurt your relationship and feelings because of me and this stuff!"
He put the gold bars into his bag, nodded, and said, "Then let me sacrifice myself for the sake of all of us."
“This—” Li Xuewu frowned and said, “I still can’t figure it out.”
"It's okay, you're still young."
Koji Otake chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "Besides, I only said it was difficult, not that I wouldn't help."
“He’s just too young!” Bai Changmin went along with his words and lectured Li Xuewu, “This junior of mine has achieved early success and doesn’t know his own limitations.”
"Hey—don't say that, we've all been this age." Koji Otake waved his hand with a smile and said, "I understand."
"You don't need to worry about this, leave it to me."
Koji Otake tapped Shirakawa Changmin's arm with his finger and said softly, "What technology and equipment we sell is ultimately up to Vice President Igawa, isn't it?"
"Of course!" Bai Changmin glanced at Li Xuewu with a smile and said, "With your support and help, I will still be able to achieve my goal."
"Hahaha—" Having taught a lesson to a greenhorn like Li Xuewu, enjoyed a delicious French meal, and acquired gold bars, Otake Koji was naturally very happy and couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Japan, in its economic wilderness, was quite reckless; if the intention was right, there was nothing they wouldn't sell.
Think about it, there must be some background and environmental influences behind Toshiba's willingness to sell five-axis CNC machine tools.
That year, the semiconductor competition between Japan and the United States had already begun, and the trade war was raging. Japan's export controls were extremely loose.
Just as Li Xuewu reminded Bai Changmin, some things are better left unsaid and handled privately.
Of course, carbon fiber has not yet been fully explored for its potential, and using it for fishing rods seems ridiculous.
Li Xuewu used the money to "buy" carbon fiber technology and equipment to use in high-profit products such as weapons, ships, automobiles, and airplanes.
Fishing rods, although profitable, are not currently available to the general public in China.
Carbon fiber is only just beginning to gain traction, and if Li Xuewu doesn't take advantage of it, he won't be able to sleep tonight.
The banquet lasted until late at night, and with Li Xuewu there, he was sure to get Otake Koji drunk.
"You're really willing to do that?"
Bai Changmin also has a lot to say, but he's much more clear-headed than Otake Koji; at least he can still think.
Li Xuewu looked around at the street scene and, seeing that there was no one there, turned around, loosened his belt, and began to relieve himself.
"What's there to be reluctant about? I was prepared when I came."
He explained his sudden act of producing gold bars, emphasizing, "If we don't make a gesture during our private meeting, wouldn't it be a waste of time?"
"So he did it on purpose?" Bai Changmin asked, frowning. "Did he call me here just to get money?"
"Otherwise what?" Li Xuewu shook his baton, turned around and asked him, "You don't actually think they consider you a friend, do you?"
"This is unbelievable!"
Bai Changmin muttered to himself, "If I had known earlier, I should have brought a camera."
"Hmm, it's not too late to know now."
Li Xuewu raised his chin, gesturing to Qi Yan who was coming around from the back of the restaurant, and said with a smile, "Want to try Sony's technology?"
Qi Yan listened to his words, raised the camera in his hand to indicate it, and remained expressionless.
He simply couldn't understand why the leader would do that.
They openly gave him gold bars and even let him take photos, but only allowed Bai Changmin and the other person to be in the photos, not him.
Bai Changmin had no idea; if he did, he'd be furious.
Qi Yan wanted to show him the camera, but there were no digital cameras at that time, so how could he see what was in the photos?
Unless the film is retrieved from the darkroom, Bai Changmin will believe whatever Li Xuewu says, since he already believes him anyway.
He not only believed it, but was also amazed by its extraordinary nature.
"You fucking planned this all along?"
Bai Changmin found it hard to believe that Li Xuewu could possibly know the other party's intentions in advance.
Li Xuewu looked at him as if he were a fool. Some things are not complicated, but once explained, they are like a seed of evil.
He can't exactly teach Bai Changmin how to collect gold bars, can he?
"You'll have to figure out how to reimburse yourself for that half-pound gold bar."
"Reimburse me?" Bai Changmin was stunned for a moment, then frowned and said, "The money's already been sent out, how the hell am I supposed to reimburse it?"
"It's not like it costs three or five yuan!"
"I'm sorry then—"
Li Xuewu twitched the corner of his mouth and said, "I can reimburse it. Let Honggang Group pay this money."
He opened the car door and got in. Before closing the door, he emphasized to Bai Changmin, "Remember, the carbon fiber project belongs to Honggang Group."
"Damn it—" Bai Changmin knew this kid was no good. He had brought the other party to collect the money and had no intention of being taken advantage of.
-
What is carbon fiber?
When they returned, Li Huaide hadn't rested yet, and Gao Yaqin hadn't returned from Osaka, so the meeting was just the two of them.
Li Xuewu first explained what carbon fiber is, and then emphasized: "It is the key to unlocking future industrial technology, and it is of paramount importance."
"So we got a good deal?"
Li Huaide was taken aback at first, then smiled and asked, "How much did you pay for it?"
"We don't know yet," Li Xuewu sighed. "I reckon Bai Changmin is also considering whether or not to take this technology."
“He’s such a shrewd person,” Li Huaide shook his head and said, “Even though you’re taking it so seriously, he still wouldn’t let go.”
"Fine, let's do it together then."
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "I estimate that this amount of money will be substantial, and it will need to be transported back through special channels."
What is meant by "special approach"?
They're like maritime coachmen; they can't sell their services openly, but smuggling them should be an option, right?
That's why Li Xuewu said the amount of money was considerable; the gold bar he just sent out was for Otake Koji, not for Toray Industries.
To acquire the technology and equipment now, we have to pay extra.
“It is a bit of a pity.” Li Huaide thought for a moment and said, “But we don’t have a chemical industry foundation, so we can’t do this.”
"Yes, and their technology can only produce the T300 at present. Although it is already a world-class product, it will gradually be phased out."
Li Xuewu frowned and said, "If domestic carbon fiber technology doesn't catch up during this period, we will still be in a backward state."
"Are you planning to eat one fish in multiple ways?"
Li Huaide seemed to have thought of something. Honggang Group has spent very little money on importing technology from abroad in recent years, and even if they have, it won't be much.
Because Li Xuewu is good at networking, he can resell the technology he bought back in China at any price, effectively getting the technology for free.
This process may take a while, and the research institute of Honggang Group needs to fully understand the technology before it can be implemented.
Generally, they sell imported equipment and technical components, which makes them appear more ethical.
Of course, it just makes them seem more moral; whether they are truly moral is for them to judge.
Anyway, as soon as these technologies are sold, Honggang Group uses them themselves, and sometimes they are even sold to four different companies in the east, west, south, and north.
It's impossible to lose money; the difference lies in how much you can earn.
"It's almost done with Beijing Automotive."
Li Huaide took a sip of warm tea and explained, "We've been talking about this all afternoon, mainly about this issue."
"I didn't say much. Even when Director Han asked me, I didn't say anything else," Old Li said with a smile. "Old Luo has really messed up this time."
"Is this still related to him?" Li Xuewu asked in surprise. "Are the higher-ups going to hold him accountable?"
“At least there is joint liability.” Li Huaide nodded and said, “He supported having Wang Youhan lead the team to Japan.”
"Now that a problem has arisen, he will naturally have to take responsibility."
"That's true—" Li Xuewu thought for a moment and asked, "Does Beijing Automotive Group plan to use our arrangements to help them cross the bridge?"
"Old Luo said it's not needed for the time being, but who knows?" Li Huaide said indifferently, "Anyway, I've already said it. Whether he appreciates it or not, he's already owed me a favor."
"The problems with Beijing Automotive Group need to be addressed gradually."
He thought for a moment, then looked at Li Xuewu and said, "Is there any hope with Honda? If not, then we should give up decisively."
"Director Han has already said that since Beijing Automotive can't bring them in, it's up to us. We have to take over Toyota."
"What? Is the provincial capital of commerce and industry helping us?"
Li Xuewu seemed to have grasped the point and raised an eyebrow, asking, "Or is there some plan in the works?"
Such visits and exchanges inevitably require advance preparation. The best things are naturally reserved for the "favored sons," and Beijing Automotive Group is the true "favored son" of the automotive industry.
For a small, lowly company like Steel & Gas, just surviving is already a blessing.
However, now that his own son is no longer useful, whether it's a godson or a little trash, he can't let the plan fall through.
Giving it to Honggang Group is better than giving it to some other small, worthless company; at least Honggang Group has a certain reputation in the international automotive industry market.
"Then let's see what our plan is."
Old Li thought for a moment and explained, "You need to think it through. Choosing Toyota will naturally attract a lot of attention. Let's go all out."
"But this big one isn't so easy to digest. Even if Beijing Automotive doesn't say anything, Toyota might not respect us."
He paused here, then said, "Unlike Honda, you already have a foundation for communication, so the subsequent cooperation will be more sincere."
Honda has not yet responded.
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "Then I'll go to Toyota tomorrow morning and expose this matter as well, and see how Honda reacts."
Using someone else's strength against them shouldn't be too natural; he already had a general idea when he discussed it with Li Huaide.
“You need to be careful, extremely careful,” Li Huaide earnestly reminded him. “Cooperating with Honda isn’t exactly a goal for us.”
"But if you go to Toyota, who knows how many eyes will be on you, and you might end up like Wang Youhan..."
"Yes, this matter needs to be carefully considered."
Li Xuewu thought for a moment and said, "If it's easy to talk to Toyota tomorrow, then let's talk to Toyota. It's Honda's fault for not being proactive."
"But if Toyota is vague, then scare Honda and force them to comply."
"Yes, you need to find the right balance."
Li Huaide patted the armrest of the sofa, stood up and said, "I don't know if I've been tired or what, but I'm lacking energy these days."
He raised his wrist to check the time and said, "I need to go back and rest. If I stay up any longer, I'll lose sleep."
"Please don't make a mistake."
Li Xuewu saw him out and joked, "I heard Director Han is in charge of this matter. Don't get caught in the crossfire."
"Hey—" Old Li chuckled and raised his chin, saying, "When you get to my age, you'll know what it means to be powerless."
"Men also have their prime; when you're young, you have to be open-minded, lest you become too old to fly."
Holy crap, can you really make something sound so philosophical? It's like a whole set of theories.
He watched Lao Li return to his room, then turned around and realized something was off. He had come back with Liu Bin, and he had gone out to dinner with Bai Changmin that night. So where did Liu Bin go?
Old Li came to talk to him. The leaders hadn't even rested yet, and Liu Bin, the secretary, dared to rest?
-
In the middle of the night, Li Xuewu was sound asleep when he suddenly heard the phone ringing by his bedside. How ridiculous!
People in Japan are still calling him?
"Hey?"
He answered the phone in a daze, but to his surprise, Liu Bin's panicked voice came through the receiver, "Secretary-General, something has happened to them."
"Who's in trouble?" Li Xuewu was taken aback by his question and frowned, asking, "What are you trying to say in the middle of the night?"
"From Beijing No. 2 Automobile Company and Jinan Automobile Company."
Liu Bin explained nervously, "It was Deputy Factory Director Gu's secretary and his group. They said they went out to play, got into a fight, and it escalated."
"Huh?" Li Xuewu's mind was starting to work again. He paused for a moment before asking, "No, how did you know?"
He hasn't even asked such a stupid question that's worth disturbing his rest in the middle of the night.
There was something wrong with it from the start; it was referring to Liu Bin.
Liu Bin is really something else. He stammered, "I was just passing by when I saw it..."
"Don't give me that nonsense!" Li Xuewu asked sternly, "Tell the truth, have you been caught?"
"No!" When asked by the secretary-general, Liu Bin, who was already nervous, could no longer hide his true feelings and confessed.
"Um... I run fast, they couldn't catch me."
"Bullshit! No matter how fast you run, they won't even look at your face!" Li Xuewu retorted. "You can run away, but you can't hide! Don't you understand?"
"No, Secretary-General, I covered my face with my clothes and ran away!" Liu Bin explained, "I was in the toilet when they were arrested, and I slipped out through the back door."
"You're a real oddball!" Li Xuewu was speechless. He asked, "Won't they betray you?"
"How could that be?" Liu Bin replied without confidence, but still emphasized, "When you go out to play, whoever is unlucky is responsible."
"Just hope there aren't any scoundrels among your people." Li Xuewu was too lazy to pay attention to him. Before hanging up the phone, he told him to go back to his room and not to go anywhere.
Liu Bin was terrified. If the girl hadn't made him unable to hold his urine and rushed to the toilet, he would have been caught by them long ago.
Running back to the hotel now is a fluke; if it had been any later or earlier, we would have been dead.
Actually, he called Li Xuewu because he was afraid that if Old Li found out, the secretary-general wouldn't punish him immediately, but if President Li found out, his future would be over.
Li Xuewu certainly had no intention of killing Liu Bin. After lying down for a while, he called Gu Litong's room, but no one answered.
When I tried calling other people's rooms, the same thing happened.
He realized that Gu Litong and the others must have been called up by Director Han to pick up their secretary.
This is interesting. The leaders are so busy they barely have time to breathe, while the secretaries are out here having a team-building event.
The next morning, before Li Xuewu had even finished getting ready to leave, Gao Yaqin called again.
"Bundled sales?" he asked, frowning slightly. "What do you mean? What does Panasonic want to bundle?"
“Electronic components, and they’re from inventory.” Gao Yaqin frowned and reminded them, “I asked them, and they said they weren’t sure if there would be any problems.”
"They said they couldn't guarantee it, but most of the time it's good."
“That’s bullshit,” Li Xuewu said helplessly. “They must have heard some news and raised the price again at the last minute.”
"Is it because of your schedule tomorrow?"
Gao Yaqin asked, "When do you plan to meet with the people from Kyocera and Rohm?"
"If you really want to talk, you'd better do it as soon as possible."
"Of course, tomorrow will be the fifth day."
Li Xuewu sighed and said, "Currently, we are the only ones who haven't completed the formal contract signing yet, so it's probably going to be a bit late."
He thought for a moment and said, "Here's what we'll do: you let Huang Zongfang stay there, and you come back first to test their resolve."
"I suspect that Panasonic didn't bring up this suggestion on its own initiative; it's more likely that they received some kind of reminder."
"Then what should we do?" Gao Yaqin asked, frowning. "Are we just going to suffer like this? It's such a hassle for me to go back and forth."
"We'll come back even if it's troublesome," Li Xuewu said calmly. "If they don't cooperate, then we'll have no choice but to go back empty-handed."
"Who would have thought that things would take so many twists and turns even after they've come this far?" Gao Yaqin paused for a moment, then asked, "Did something else happen to you?"
See, she even used the word "again," which shows just how surprised she was by this.
“I was thinking the same thing,” Li Xuewu said with a smile. “They must not have checked the almanac before they left home.”
"You're really good at talking nonsense." Gao Yaqin scolded him irritably, then hung up the phone after saying a few more words.
Li Xuewu finished getting ready and went out, just in time to see Liu Bin accompanying Old Li as they walked out.
Judging from Lao Li's expression, he seemed unaware of what had happened last night.
Seeing Liu Bin looking at him with great anxiety, Li Xuewu turned his head away and started chatting with Lao Li.
He'd wasted his time teaching Liu Bin these past few days. Even if it was to test his inner demons, there was no need to go through all this trouble.
Liu Bin walked behind Lao Li, barely daring to breathe, afraid of attracting Li Xuewu's attention and having him say something to Lao Li again.
Old Li wouldn't even care if others spoke ill of Secretary-General Li Huaide, but if it was Li Xuewu who said it, then he would be in trouble.
"Hey! Deputy Factory Director Gu, where are you going?"
They bumped into Gu Litong, who was walking out of the elevator looking like he was in a serious situation. Li Xuewu greeted him with a smile.
Gu Litong glanced at Liu Bin, but couldn't help but sigh.
"Consider yourself lucky; your life wasn't meant to end there."
Liu Bin understood; Deputy Factory Director Gu's words were meant for him. Overwhelmed with shame, he felt ashamed and his head was practically hanging down to his crotch.