Chapter 542
Is there a traitor?
Chapter 542 Is there a traitor? (4000-word long chapter)
Lin Xiaohe protested, "Leader, it's not that we didn't try to negotiate properly. The Japanese devils think they've hit the nail on the head with our Changhong factory and want to crush us in one fell swoop."
The director frowned, his dissatisfaction with the Japan Color Television Association growing stronger, but his face remained impassive: "Backwardness invites aggression. It's not just your Changhong factory; which industry in our East hasn't suffered at the hands of foreign capital? Let's not even talk about others, just our navy and air force..."
The director swallowed the words he wanted to say, pinched his brow, and sighed, "Stay in the capital for a few more days, and I'll find an opportunity to talk to you again. You two must have a good talk. Young man, you must understand the principle of enduring hardship and biding your time."
Three days later, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) held another meeting with all parties involved.
However, the representative of the Japan Color TV Association this time was not Chairman Taro Inoue, but an ordinary representative stationed in East Asia.
No matter what suggestions Changhong made, the other party would only say that they would go back and consider them carefully, without giving a definite answer.
Clearly, this negotiation has failed again.
The director was so angered by the reaction from the Japan Color TV Association that he almost had a heart attack.
Lin Xiaohe said with a wronged expression, "Leader, you can't blame us for this. We were very sincere. It was the Japanese who were ignorant."
The director, panting heavily, waved to Lin Xiaohe.
The news that the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's attempt to meet with him again had failed spread throughout the industry that very evening.
Lin Xiaohe and the old factory director had just returned to Changhong Factory when they saw Lao Ma push open the door and come in, his face even more gloomy than the sky outside.
"Factory manager, the phone is ringing off the hook. Everyone's asking about the situation."
The old factory manager glanced at Lin Xiaohe, who was eating skewers, and put down the enamel mug in his hand: "What do you all say?"
"The factory managers from several sister factories in the provincial capital called and told us to hold on and not to bow down to the Japanese. But judging from their tone, they were all very worried."
Old Ma pulled out his notebook. "It's even more lively in the south. Several business partners from Guangdong have sent word through intermediaries, asking what our plans are. If we really can't hold on, they'll suffer too. There are also a few people we don't usually associate with who have suddenly appeared, saying that as fellow Easterners, we should stand together through thick and thin. But to me, it sounds more like they're here to probe our situation."
Lin Xiaohe remained silent, waiting for him to continue.
Old Ma lowered his voice: "The most troublesome thing is our county. County Chief Tian called this morning and said that several county leaders had a meeting last night and were all worried about us. County Chief Tian asked me to tell you, Factory Director, our county is counting on Changhong Factory, so you must stay calm."
Lin Xiaohe nodded: "Anything else?"
Old Ma hesitated for a moment: "And... the bank called this morning too. They said they were just checking in and didn't mean anything else. But from what I heard, they meant they were worried we wouldn't be able to repay the loan."
Lin Xiaohe smiled.
In this world, there are always more people who add flowers to brocade than those who offer charcoal in the snow.
When Changhong Factory was doing very well, bank employees were practically begging to treat them to meals every day.
They've only just fallen out with the Japanese, and they're already rushing to test the waters.
"Alright, I understand." Lin Xiaohe stood up. "Let's release the information as we agreed."
Old Ma's eyes lit up: "Now?"
"Now."
That afternoon, a brief news item appeared on the provincial newspaper's website with a very ordinary title: "Changhong Factory Actively Expands Overseas Procurement Channels"
The main text consists of only three sentences: According to industry insiders, Changhong's factory has recently contacted Samsung Electronics of South Korea to discuss the procurement of color picture tubes. It is also understood that Changhong's factory is in contact with several other overseas suppliers, and substantial progress is expected soon.
The message was short, but it carried significant weight.
The industry newspapers followed up the story the next day.
The headline is more direct: "Changhong may import CRTs from Samsung, challenging the monopoly of Japanese companies."
The article is quite detailed: According to sources, the two sides have reached a preliminary agreement on the purchase of the first batch of 20,000 color picture tubes, at a price approximately 20% lower than that of Japanese products. If all goes smoothly, the first shipment is expected to arrive in Japan in the first quarter of next year.
A week later, the news began to spread.
First, domestic counterparts called to inquire, then people from Japanese trading companies started loitering around the factory gate. Then, Lao Ma returned from outside with some news.
"Director Chen, Sato from Toshiba invited me to dinner today."
Lin Xiaohe looked up: "Oh? What did he say?"
"What else can I say? I'll try to find out about Samsung indirectly." Old Ma chuckled. "I'll just play along, saying I don't know, I'm not sure, I haven't heard of it. The more I do that, the more he'll believe me."
I laughed too: "Let him believe it. The more he believes, the better."
In the following days, the news became increasingly believable.
Some say they saw Koreans in Shenyang, others say that the technicians from Changhong factory have been frequently traveling to Beijing to discuss joint ventures, and still others say that the province has already approved the foreign exchange quota and they are just waiting to sign the contract.
Old Ma would gather information from all sides and report it to Lin Xiaohe every day, his smile lines growing deeper and deeper.
"Factory Director, your move is brilliant. Now not only the Japanese believe it, but even our own people believe it. Yesterday, County Magistrate Tian even called to ask if it was true. If it is, the county will fully support it."
Lin Xiaohe waved her hand: "It's not time yet, keep releasing them."
Public opinion was proceeding as planned, and Lin Xiaohe, along with the sales department staff, boarded the international train K19.
This train departs from the capital, passes through the capitals of the three old provinces, and finally exits the country at Manzhouli, with its final destination being Moscow. The entire journey is about 9000 kilometers and takes 6 days and 6 nights.
There was a Russian guy in the sales department whose face was as red as if he were drunk, but he spoke fluent Northeastern Mandarin.
"Factory manager, why don't we charter a plane? We can transit through the capital, which will save a lot of time."
Since the end of last year, chartered flights have been flying to the CIS, and this year there are even more chartered flights.
Lin Xiaohe lay on her clean, personal bed sheet; the entire carriage had been booked by people from the Changhong factory.
There were 45 people in total, 16 of whom were sales staff and the rest were security guards, all of whom were armed.
The security guards stood guard at both ends of the train carriage, taking turns on duty.
Lin Xiaohe: "It's our first time going, so we'll check it out first."
Chartering planes is efficient, but from a cost perspective, it is more suitable to transport large quantities of goods by train.
The green train chugged and swayed along.
The old Russian liked to eat Lai Lai instant noodles, which were sold by Pang Dong himself. When he passed through Harbin, he even bought a red sausage from a vendor on the platform and put it into the instant noodles, along with two braised eggs.
He offered the instant noodles he had prepared: "Factory manager, would you like a bite?"
The strong aroma of instant noodles filled the entire carriage, making many people's stomachs rumble.
Lin Xiaohe didn't really want to eat it, but the aroma of instant noodles and red sausage was so irresistible that it instantly whetted her appetite.
"Okay, give me this one, and you can make another one yourself."
Lin Xiaohe didn't mention giving money, but the Russian was overjoyed. This only showed how close they were!
The Russian guy brought a whole box of instant noodles, and in no time, everyone had a box, and they were almost all gone.
The train conductor in charge of this carriage was attracted by the aroma and peeked around at the connection between the carriages.
The Russian man, well-versed in Eastern customs and etiquette, handed the train conductor a box of instant noodles, a red sausage, and three braised eggs.
"Please try this. This is Lai Lai instant noodles produced by Anning County Food Factory on behalf of Pang Donglai Selected Supermarket. It uses only the best ingredients, and it really contains braised beef!"
“I know. Two years ago, Tianjin also produced braised beef instant noodles, I think it was called Master Kong.” The train conductor took the instant noodles and couldn’t help but swallow.
The old Russian's laughter was louder than the sound of train wheels: "Then you try it and see which one tastes better. I'm a staunch instant noodle fanatic; I crave it if I don't eat it for two days."
The train conductor couldn't help but drool, speeding up the unpacking: "It smells really good. It's a pity there's no Pang Donglai supermarket in the capital. I've heard many passengers say that the things at Pang Donglai supermarket are particularly good, and sometimes you can't even get them all."
The old man said proudly, "Of course! Originally, Pang Donglai Supermarket didn't plan to develop so many products. Later, our factory manager said that there are so many untapped markets in our country. If we don't take them, foreigners will." The money in our pockets can be used to pay taxes to the country, provide welfare for the workers, and contribute to the country's development. If the money goes into the pockets of foreigners, they can just take it away.
"Pang Donglai may not be able to expand beyond the three provinces, but its instant noodles, juices, jellies, and alcoholic beverages can be sold all over the country!"
The instant noodles are finally ready.
Ignoring the rising steam, the train conductor took a slurp, the delicious flavor filling his mouth, making his pores open with pleasure.
"Your factory manager is right, he has good foresight. If I remember correctly, you're from Changhong Factory, right? Are you heading to Russia?"
He slurped up his instant noodles while silently complaining to himself.
Is it appropriate for an old Russian to keep referring to us as "Eastern Country"?
The old Russian, unaware of the train conductor's complaints, stood with him at the carriage connection, eating and chatting as they ate: "Yes, our Panshi color TVs are so excellent, of course we should sell them all over the world and earn foreign exchange for the country."
The train conductor really wanted to ask, is your country the Russian Bear Country or the Eastern Country?
"Didn't the Japan Color TV Association strangle you and stop selling you color picture tubes? Why are you still expanding into other markets? What if you secure an order but can't deliver the goods?"
The Russian man replied matter-of-factly, "Our factory manager said that's not a problem. Our mission is to sell as much as we can, ideally covering the entire globe."
The train conductor rolled his eyes: "The leader's words are all lies. You believe everything your factory manager says?!"
The old Russian said discontentedly, "What do you know? Our factory director is different from others. She's a woman of her word. If she says there's no problem, then there's definitely no problem."
The train conductor recalled the recent deluge of newspaper reports and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. Could the reports in the newspapers be true?
Everyone finished their instant noodles, but K19 was still stuck in Harbin.
The old Russian looked out of the car, frowning deeply: "What's going on?"
The train conductor went back to the office to inquire, and after 5 minutes, he came out and said: "The train has a minor malfunction and will need to be repaired in half an hour."
After Lao Maozi reported this situation to Lin Xiaohe, Lin Xiaohe decided to go to the platform for some fresh air.
Six security guards protected her closely, while the passengers who got off the train to get some fresh air kept their distance from them.
The signal on the platform was still good. Lin Xiaohe's cell phone rang; it was the old factory director calling.
"Factory manager, something's gone wrong."
Lin Xiaohe: "What's wrong?"
"It seems like Inoue Taro has seen through it all." The old factory manager had a ring of blisters around the corner of his mouth.
This is really frustrating! The plan has already fallen apart as soon as Director Lin left!
The old factory manager continued, "The day before yesterday, Taro Inoue called the eight major factories. He clearly stated that the news that Changhong Factory had contacted Samsung was false. Samsung did not sign any agreement with Changhong at all, and the so-called first batch of 20,000 units was completely fictitious."
This news was relayed from Rainbow Factory to Changhong Factory.
As the only state-owned factory among the eight major factories, Rainbow Factory's management, after careful consideration, still revealed the news to Changhong Factory.
How did Inoue Taro know that?
"I heard it was tricked out of him at a dinner party." Old Ma gritted his teeth. "That section chief from Samsung was an old acquaintance of Taro Inoue. He drank too much and started talking without thinking. He said that they had indeed received some inquiries from East Asian companies, but they were all small-scale and there were no big orders at all. Taro Inoue understood immediately."
Lin Xiaohe stopped in her tracks: "And then?"
"Then the eight major manufacturers were in an uproar," Lao Ma said. "Several companies were hesitant before, thinking that if Samsung really entered the market, they would lower their prices to grab orders. Now that they heard it was just a rumor, they all stood firm. Huafeng has already announced that everything will proceed as planned."
The old factory director was anxious: "Director Chen, what do we do now? The Japanese have all hardened up. How can we continue this charade?"
Lin Xiaohe suddenly laughed and said, "Don't rush, do you know what Inoue Taro is most proud of?"
Old Ma was taken aback: "What?"
“What he’s most proud of is that he thinks he’s seen through us,” I said. “He thinks he’s clever, that he’s gotten Samsung’s information out of him and that he has the whole truth.”
Lin Xiaohe looked at the passengers with large and small bags in the train carriage: "But he doesn't understand one thing."
"what's up?"
“Our play has never had just one act. Since this time,”
Old Ma was stunned.
Lin Xiaohe: "Truth and falsehood are intertwined. The best lie is nine parts truth and one part falsehood. The technicians from Harbin Institute of Technology are already in place, and the production line customized from abroad is ready. The PanShi TV 2.0 LCD version can be put into operation."
"In addition, we have announced that we have made a breakthrough in plasma TVs, and the PanShi plasma TV will be officially launched on the market next year."
Old Ma opened his mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time.
Old Ma was stunned for a while, then suddenly burst into laughter.
"Factory manager! Factory manager! You really are... you're making a fool of Inoue Taro!"
Lin Xiaohe: "The installation of the production line must be kept secret. Apart from a few members of the management team who already know about the LCD TVs, we are publicly stating that we are producing plasma TVs."
With matters concerning corporate battles and the entire East Asian market at stake, Taro Inoue couldn't possibly make a decision based solely on the words of a minor section chief at Samsung.
His belief that the agreement between Changhong and Samsung was just a smokescreen suggests he has other reliable sources.
The Samsung section chief's words only further corroborated his information.
Lin Xiaohe hung up the phone, feeling a little regretful.
In any era, there are always traitors.
I put the rice in the freezer and froze it.
In a few days, I'll make some congee base and try making congee hot pot.