dognovel Chapter 1624 The Chip Tragedy
Chapter 1624 The Chip Tragedy
Chapter 1624 The Chip Tragedy
Ji Weidong explained that Art's event was a large-scale affair, and they even started settling orders in US dollars.
Li Xuewu was well aware of the meaning behind those words, since not everyone has the ability to settle transactions in US dollars.
However, he has no grudge against the US dollar, and judging from Ji Weidong's words, he doesn't seem to care that Art has "dollars".
The result is that weapons that used to be secretly smuggled by boat have evolved to being transported by entire ships, and now to being delivered by air.
The airlift here cannot be simply called airdrop, because that's a difference between a broad and a narrow concept. Art wanted these weapons to land directly where he needed to be.
Don't think that air freight is more expensive. In fact, air freight is much cheaper than shipping. Just think about the transportation costs from the port to the destination.
Currently, the most suitable aircraft for medium- and long-distance air transport is the An-12, which can carry more than 5,000 rifles to Attack with a payload of 20 tons.
Whether converted into bullets or shells, it would be enough to arm an entire division; it's absolutely great value.
Is weaponry the most cost-effective item for air transport?
No, they are domestically produced emergency medical supplies and auxiliary combat tools, as well as individual soldier equipment and hardware equipment produced by Honggang Group.
These things are worthless in the warehouse of Honggang Group, but once they land in North Africa, even shovels become powerful weapons.
So Li Xuewu found an opportunity for the yet-to-be-established air transport company to earn US dollars, and it seemed to be a long-term business.
"Why?" Gao Yaqin asked, puzzled, crossing her arms and frowning. "Do you think we can fight a war for the rest of our lives?"
"Hehe—" Li Xuewu chuckled as he walked to the sofa area, picked up his teacup, and said, "You really should do some research and learn more about the local situation. You can't even comprehend the complexity of it all."
In more "fashionable" terms: North Africa may be small, but it has created myths.
At this point, Lieutenant Ka was neither willing to oppose the Soviet Union nor NATO, making him a fence-sitter who swayed between the two sides.
But playing dead results in pleasing neither side. Even if they tolerate his presence on the surface, there will still be some restraint.
The fact that Art can use US dollars speaks volumes; these weapons were sent there to hinder Kaka.
"Can they really keep fighting like this? It's so chaotic."
Gao Yaqin didn't believe it and raised an eyebrow, saying, "Doesn't that mean we can keep selling our weapons forever? Is there really such a good thing in the world?"
“That kid Arte says what he’s doing now is selling peace, and I’ve already written to him warning him to change his tune.”
Li Xuewu walked back behind his desk, put down his teacup, nodded, and said, "It should be called 'Striving for World Unity'."
"You're really talking nonsense—"
Gao Yaqin twitched the corner of her mouth, sat down in the chair, crossed her right leg, and asked, "Are we going to start the project of establishing an airline now?"
She pointedly reminded her, "These are extraordinary times, and this year's budget is already very small. How can you still launch such a large project?"
“It’s just starting a project, not spending money immediately,” Li Xuewu said dismissively. “It’s a transportation company using the port city’s name as a shell.”
After he sat down, he placed his hands on the desk and looked at Gao Yaqin, explaining, "We must develop the domestic shipping business and also establish in-depth cooperation with important cities and partner companies abroad."
"Of course, this is just the preparation stage. It will be at least another six months before these aircraft are put into storage."
"Where's the money?" Gao Yaqin asked bluntly. "Will you have money next year?"
"Seventeen planes—"
She said with a hint of helplessness, "Even an antique would cost over ten million, where are we going to find that much money? We need to raise funds?"
"Even if shareholders share the cost burden, we should at least take on half of the fundraising work, right?"
"Yes, we need to prepare at least ten million."
Listening to her calculations, Li Xuewu nodded and said, "It's uncertain how much budget we can make next year; the rest may require a loan."
He shrugged and said, "There's no other way. We'll use some of Honggang Group's business as collateral and raise the money from Dongfang Times."
Are you sure this project can be done?
Gao Yaqin reminded him, "There's no need for a major expenditure of tens of millions in the three-year plan; the management committee might not approve it."
"Let me give you a breakdown, the simplest one."
Li Xuewu pulled his pencil from the pen holder and wrote on the draft paper: "Let's calculate the price of sugar. How much is Cuban brown sugar now?"
"Hmm?" Gao Yaqin frowned slightly and said, "Eight cents?"
Currently, there is very little white sugar in China; most of it is yellow sugar purchased from Cuba. The sugar content is sufficient, but the purification process is substandard.
Although Gao Yaqin rarely cooks at home, any woman who has been to the market should know the price of such scarce goods.
Moreover, in those days, candy was considered a gift, an excellent present for visiting relatives and friends during festivals, and something that was very presentable.
"Okay, let's calculate it at 8 cents."
As Li Xuewu wrote on the draft paper, he asked, "Do you know which countries in the world are major sugar producers?"
Seeing him look up at her with a serious expression, Gao Yaqin frowned and had no choice but to follow his train of thought.
"Brazil, Cuba?"
"Yes, but there are others that are even closer to us."
Li Xuewu pointed at her with the finger holding the pencil and said, "India and Thailand are also major sugar-producing countries, which are right within the range of the An-12."
He wrote a string of numbers on the paper with a pencil and then explained, "The international price of raw sugar this year is around $50 per ton."
"Let's do the math: how much would raw sugar costing 150 yuan per ton be sold for in Beijing?"
“This…” Gao Yaqin’s mind worked quickly. She used to work in a trading company, so she quickly gave an answer: “1450 yuan?”
"That's right, you can earn 1450 yuan per ton."
Li Xuewu smiled and said, "20 tons would cost 29000 yuan. Of course, that's not including the cost."
"So what is the cost?"
He wrote on the manuscript paper: "This year's crude oil price is $3 a barrel, aviation fuel is about 150 yuan per ton, and a single use is 6 tons..."
"The cost of one flight is only 900 yuan?"
This time, Gao Yaqin was genuinely surprised. She raised an eyebrow and asked, "So, according to your calculation, you can earn 28100 yuan just by shipping raw sugar from Thailand or India once?"
“Of course not—” Li Xuewu chuckled, tapping the manuscript paper with his pencil and raising an eyebrow. “I’ll give you 1600 yuan, can you buy me a ton of sugar?”
Gao Yaqin frowned. She understood what Li Xuewu meant: sugar was a scarce commodity and could not be priced according to the supply and marketing cooperative's price.
"The brown sugar in the bargaining shop is 2.2 yuan per jin. We can't sell it for 2.2 yuan, but it won't be too cheap either."
Li Xuewu shrugged and said, "Thailand and India encourage the export of white sugar, and there are tax policies for it. There are also tax policies for imported sugar in China."
"So I'm not even counting the minor costs like flight maintenance. I should make at least 3 yuan per trip."
He put the pencil back into the pencil holder and looked at Gao Yaqin, saying, "How much money can Honggang Group make by shipping its products to India or Thailand?"
"Air transport has a certain advantage in international trade, which is based on price differences and the principle of scarcity driving up prices."
"Then this too—" Gao Yaqin frowned and thought, "You mean, including other costs, if two An-2s are used to transport raw sugar, they can earn 150 million if they fly for a full month?"
"That's right, 150 million yuan a month."
Li Xuewu pursed his lips and said, "Even considering the flight frequency, it's impossible to achieve full attendance, but I can still earn at least 100 million yuan."
"Recover the investment in just one year?" Gao Yaqin was a little hesitant to think straight; she couldn't believe this project was impossible.
But looking at the draft paper that Li Xuewu pushed over, the numbers were right in front of her, and there was no faking it.
This is just the money earned from two An-12s, not counting the other aircraft.
3800 kilometers, 6 tons of fuel, 900 yuan...
Currently, the price of a passenger plane ticket is around 40 yuan per person. The Il-18 can carry 110 people, and a full load of tickets can generate around 4400 yuan in revenue...
Seeing that she was squinting slightly and had an empty look in her eyes, Li Xuewu knew at a glance that she was calculating something in her mind, and he shook his head with amusement.
If air transport weren't profitable, there wouldn't be a civil aviation market in the world, and there wouldn't be so many aircraft manufacturing companies.
Then why doesn't it make money in China?
There are many reasons for this, such as the severe skew of resources towards military use, the lack of large aircraft manufacturing plants in China, and the absence of a mechanism for airlines to independently procure and bear their own profits and losses, which makes it impossible for projects to recoup their costs through commercial operations and unsustainable to rely solely on government funding.
In summary, there are no purely commercial airlines in China, and they cannot make money simply because their airfares are not open to the general public.
You can't say that just because an average person can't afford a plane ticket with a month's salary, there will never be any average people buying plane tickets, right?
In this era, some companies need their managers or sales staff to reach their destination as quickly as possible.
They were willing to pay for the transportation, but unfortunately, there were still no flights available for them.
Furthermore, high-income groups like Li Xuewu often choose to travel by train when they need to travel long distances.
why?
Because the airport doesn't have flights every day.
"Two An-12s will be used as cargo planes, and the other fifteen will all be used as passenger planes!" Gao Yaqin took out the pencil that Li Xuewu had just used from the pen holder and carefully calculated the most valuable allocation ratio on the manuscript paper.
Li Xuewu didn't stop her, but simply said, "The president of Santayar Group, Shantal, is trying to help us purchase American-made C-130 cargo transport aircraft, those monsters with a payload of 33 tons."
"Really!" Gao Yaqin almost jumped up from her chair in surprise, staring at him with wide eyes, and said, "How is this possible!"
"Because her main relationship is in France."
Li Xuewu raised an eyebrow and said, "She can't get the C-160 TRANSALL over, because it's one of their most important weapons."
"But she still has a way to find sources for antiques from decades ago, and she can use her connections to help with repairs and upgrades."
He was merely mentioning this possibility to Gao Yaqin in order to boost her confidence in the project. As for whether Shantalus's promise could be fulfilled, we'd have to wait and see next year.
Li Xuewu didn't even expect her to bring this large aircraft over next year; a year later wouldn't matter, there were many things to consider.
"Actually, I had looked up some information before I came, but I didn't expect you to take a different approach and provide such a big surprise."
Gao Yaqin smiled, looked at her with great admiration, shook her head, and said, "This project is now in the preparation stage and will be operational by July of next year..."
Knowing Li Xuewu's usual tactics, she instantly realized something from the timing of the arrangement, and her gaze towards the other side became somewhat strange.
A gentleman doesn't leave a grudge unavenged; she didn't believe Li Xuewu would swallow his anger, much less that the former tiger of the security department had become a vegetarian.
"The timing is perfect, isn't it?"
Li Xuewu pretended not to know, and with a smile he spread his hands said, "You've read the newspaper too, you should have noticed that we imported four second-hand Trident 1E aircraft from Pakistan in the first half of the year, right?"
"Yes, I've seen that kind of plane before."
Gao Yaqin raised her eyebrows and said, "If you've ever been to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, you'll find that there are quite a few of these types of aircraft there."
"What does this mean?" Li Xuewu opened his eyes, raised his chin and looked at her, saying, "In June, Da Ying learned that we had imported second-hand Tridents from Pakistan, and took the initiative to contact our foreign affairs embassy and the China National Machinery Import & Export Corporation to discuss the sale of Tridents."
"And I've already gotten the exact information."
He nodded slowly and said, "China Machinery Corporation purchased six Trident aircraft in one go, each costing £286 million, with delivery scheduled for 1972."
Li Xuewu shrugged again at this point, looked at Gao Yaqin, and asked, "Have you thought about it? What's the significance of these two purchases?"
Gao Yaqin frowned slightly as she pondered, overturning her own guesses again and again, yet she couldn't help but let her imagination run wild.
“From the early days of the People’s Republic of China, our main civil aviation aircraft have only been a few types: the Soviet-made An-24 and Il-18, the domestically produced Y-5, and the German Trident.”
Li Xuewu said with a mix of amusement and helplessness, "Even the Convair 240 that flew back from the port city uprising is still fighting on the front line of shipping."
"But do you know how many passengers the civil aviation industry transported last year?" He pulled out a reply from the documents and handed it over, pointing to the materials and emphasizing, "It was 300 million passengers, and that's just the domestic volume."
“Comrade, times have changed—” Under Gao Yaqin’s surprised gaze, he said with a smile, “You may not have noticed, but the Viscount 843 aircraft was assigned to Beijing Civil Aviation in 63. We have been importing passenger planes from Western countries for a long time.”
"The annual passenger volume of 300 million is only the carrying capacity under the current civil aviation operation mechanism, and it is definitely not the domestic demand for air passenger transport."
Li Xuewu crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair as he spoke: "Connect Fengcheng Tadong Airport with Beijing Airport, then connect it to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport, and finally to Hong Kong Kai Tak Airport."
"This line must be applied for and opened as soon as possible."
He raised an eyebrow and said, "Applying for passenger routes is quite difficult, so you can prepare in advance."
"Cargo airlines need to apply for dedicated lines. They need to open up air routes to India, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, and North Sudan, wherever there are trade channels."
"It's still a bit difficult," Gao Yaqin frowned and reminded her, "There are some paths that we can't just open up whenever we want."
“It’s alright, we’ll let the shareholders coordinate if we can’t get through.” Li Xuewu shrugged and said, “It takes at least a year for a shipping company to go from project initiation to operation, and two years is worth it to truly establish a complete shipping system.”
"Hmm, I'll think about it when I get back."
Gao Yaqin was persuaded by his words and nodded. She then looked at him and asked, "So, should you report this project to General Manager Li, or should I do it?"
She reminded him meaningfully, "Actually, President Li is waiting for you to go back and have a good talk with him. You should know that. I'm being nosy by saying this."
"Let's wait a bit longer," Li Xuewu said, taking a sip of warm tea. "It's not the right time yet."
"How long do you plan to wait?" Gao Yaqin tilted her head and looked at him, asking, "Until Deputy Director Su corners you, or slaps President Li, before you go back to clean up the mess?"
"Heh—it's not that bad—"
Li Xuewu smiled and looked at her leisurely, asking, "Did Director Li talk to you before you came out?"
"No, you two don't need me to relay your messages, do you?"
Gao Yaqin found it amusing, turned to look out the window, and said, "If you misinterpret my meaning any further, I'll become a sinner."
"I said it was the wrong time. I meant to wait until Beijing Chemical Company had the results. You may have misunderstood."
Li Xuewu smiled and shook his head, saying, "I was unable to report to Director Li personally last time because of family matters, which was a great pity."
"This is the first time I've heard such a polite explanation from you," Gao Yaqin said with a smile, turning back to look at him. "If that's how you put it, then I really have reason to suspect something."
“It doesn’t matter—” Li Xuewu spread his hands and said confidently, “You can even stay in Steel City for a few more days and wait for me to go back together.”
“Then let’s forget about it,” Gao Yaqin said with a smile as she tidied up the documents she had brought to the table. “Sanhe in the capital must be getting impatient, thinking I’m just like you and stood them up.”
"You've worked so hard, it's been so difficult for you."
Li Xuewu acknowledged her hard work and remarked, "She probably hasn't spent more than a few days at home this year."
“We’re all the same. How could I dare to complain about how hard it is in front of you?”
Gao Yaqin looked at him and said, "Now that Sanhe has been mentioned, I have to ask you, what are your plans? Are you going to ask for an exorbitant amount?"
"They will agree; you can talk to them slowly."
Li Xuewu got up to see her off, saying as he walked, "None of the conditions I proposed can be reduced, even if it means dragging the negotiations into next year."
"Steel City Electronics is currently relying on East German technology, and technological updates and integration will take some time. Why don't we let Sanhe see our preparations?"
"I'm afraid of ending up with nothing."
Gao Yaqin walked to the door, glanced at him, hesitated for a few seconds, and then said, "If you don't fight back, that guy will really become a force to be reckoned with."
-
Regardless of who was about to gain power, Li Xuewu only gave Wen San'er orders to increase the dumping of electronic products from Japan and South Korea.
Since formulating a larger-scale dumping strategy last September, Steel City Electronics has cumulatively delivered no less than one million electrical appliances to these two regions.
There are no tariffs, no dealers taking a cut, and the goods are shipped from the Yingcheng Port Honggang Group's electronic warehouse all the way to the private port across the street.
The influx of cheap electrical appliances into the local markets of both regions nearly jeopardized the Miracle on the Han River, which had just begun to flourish in South Korea's electronics industry.
Japan, whose electronics industry was thriving, was also severely impacted. The basic electrical appliance industry lost its production momentum due to the direct impact of Sanwa Corporation. Coupled with the impact of smuggled electrical appliances, domestically produced black and white televisions can no longer be seen in rural areas.
This market encroachment has also prompted Sanwa Corporation to urgently resolve cooperation negotiations for subsequent series of electrical appliances.
Nine-inch black and white televisions can no longer meet market demand, and Sanhe hopes that Gangcheng Electronics can produce larger sizes, or even color televisions.
This is not a short-sighted solution, but rather an urgent effort to rebuild Sanwa Corporation's market position. It also determines whether Sanwa's home appliance stores can crush its competitors at the last straw.
Therefore, Li Xuewu was always aware of the details of the negotiations between Honggang Group and Sanhe in Beijing, which was reported to him by Gao Yaqin through her staff.
Even though Li Xuewu never gave her any guidance, she was certain that Li Xuewu was supporting her and trusting her.
Currently, all the economic management work of Honggang Group has been handed over to her. Once Li Xuewu demonstrates ability and interest in the economic field, he might be forcibly taken over by some people.
Gao Yaqin naturally didn't want to hand over the foundation she had painstakingly built to Li Xuewu, even though the two didn't have any direct conflict.
So realistically, the two are brothers standing in the same trench, and she also hopes that Li Xuewu can fight back against those people.
At the end of October, just as the autumn winds swept away fallen leaves and the mornings and evenings grew colder, the Institute of Optoelectronics welcomed its first batch of foreign researchers.
Honggang Group prepared a welcome dinner for them and also allocated newly built talent apartments to these researchers and their families.
This is all thanks to Peter Gwett, the deputy director of the Institute of Optoelectronics, who has consistently written letters to his teachers and classmates.
Of course, the first batch of researchers weren't selected based on their high qualifications, but rather on the relatively stable research environment, ample research funding, and respect for talent.
Li Xuewu saw the list, which contained 13 people and more than 20 family members. Most of them were relatively young researchers, and even the older ones were the kind who were not well-regarded in foreign research institutions.
However, something is better than nothing. Even if you spend a fortune to buy a horse's bones, not all the horses you attract will be thoroughbreds; even a mediocre horse can be useful.
The research and development of Honggang Group has reached a bottleneck. While funding is not currently lacking, there is a critical shortage of equipment and personnel.
Even if it's difficult, we have to buy back computers worth hundreds of millions or tens of millions of dollars; even if someone seems like a less important person, we have to hire them back.
In a situation where you have nothing, it's good to make progress. What's worse is not making progress and just watching others make progress.
The addition of this group of optoelectronic talents also accelerated the negotiations between Sanhe Co., Ltd. and Honggang Group.
If negotiations fail again, Honggang Group will suspend talks and wait for the research institute to provide a more advanced solution before readjusting the negotiation terms.
Therefore, it seems that the best option for Sanhe and Honggang Group to reach an agreement as soon as possible is to do so, as evidenced by Honggang Group's insistence on signing agreements every two years.
The old five-year compensation trade agreements are no longer possible, and they won't even be negotiated if offered more favorable terms.
Unfortunately, the two sides have been cooperating since 68, and this year is only the third year. The compensation trade cooperation agreement for basic electrical appliances has long been completed. While the profit margin has increased, Sanhe has suffered a profit loss.
Moreover, with the Honggang Group's tacit approval of large-scale dumping, Sanhe's profit margin on basic electrical appliances is becoming increasingly thin.
Either cut off the technology from Honggang Group and destroy this cooperation, or give in to Honggang Group's "rude" demands and reach this cooperation agreement.
In fact, they had no other choice. The technology import from East Germany was a loophole, and soon Western technology would slowly infiltrate into the mainland through East Germany, which was like a fence-sitter.
By then, it will probably be even more difficult for Sanhe to negotiate than it is now.
It was at this time that Li Xuewu received a call from Beijing, informing him that negotiations were suspended and that the president of Sanhe Co., Ltd. was visiting him in Gangcheng.
Gao Yaqin gloated on the phone, reminding him not to give in.
These were the words Li Xuewu had reminded her of, but now she was the one making fun of herself.
"Boss, this is a notification from the group."
Zhang Enyuan walked in and placed the document in front of him, rather than on a pile of documents, indicating that the notice was important.
Li Xuewu stopped his work, picked up the document and started reading, but was startled by the title of the document.
It wasn't that the content was particularly abrupt, but even he hadn't expected the organizational work to resume so quickly.
At this time last year, the idea of gradually restoring organizational life was proposed, and in May of this year, a core leadership group mechanism was established within the group.
Only five months later, a notice was issued from above requiring all units to convene organizational representative congresses one after another to elect new organizational committees.
However, the notice also shows that there was no requirement to set up a separate office, which means that it is a separate entity with the same staff as the current management committee.
The first secretary of the organization committee of each unit should basically be concurrently held by the director of the management committee at the same level.
Some people may think that this notice is not very important, or that since Li Huaide is in charge anyway, he has the final say.
Actually, the meanings are different, very different. The newly established core leadership group of the group can decide most of the group's work. Although they are both on the management committee, Li Xuewu and others are excluded from a small circle.
The fact that the higher authorities are now requiring all units to organize representative congresses indicates that management authority is being redistributed within the Honggang Group.
The management committee is no longer a hybrid entity combining organization and management, and to some extent, it is beginning to transition to the management structure that existed before the start of the university study activities.
Upon closer examination, the implications are even more significant. At least from Li Huaide's perspective, it becomes necessary to consider the future direction of Honggang Group.
Any policy adjustment or change is a shift in the wind for a company, and it should adjust its course accordingly.
Li Xuewu himself should also adjust his strategy during this adjustment and prepare to embrace a new phase.
***
"I'm sorry to bother you again."
Nakamura Hideji remained very polite; even though he was in a real hurry, he still bowed respectfully to Li Xuewu.
Li Xuewu was already waiting for him. When he came in, he reached out and patted his arm, then shook hands with him.
"As long as I am in Steel City, you are welcome to visit me anytime."
Both were exchanging polite greetings, but the difference in their status was already apparent. Li Xuewu was clearly more confident and spoke more casually.
Nakamura Hideji thanked him again before sitting down on the sofa and looking at Li Xuewu, preparing to begin explaining the purpose of his trip.
But Li Xuewu didn't give him a chance to speak. Instead, he instructed Zhang Enyuan to make tea and bring in fruit.
"I know you're not here for tea or fruit."
After explaining, Li Xuewu looked at the other person and said very seriously and sincerely, "You must have encountered some difficulties, which is why we were able to meet in Steel City, right?"
"Mr. Li, that's indeed the case."
Nakamura Hideji pursed his lips, gathered his thoughts, and explained, "During my last visit to Steel City, I fully expressed our desire to continue cooperating with you."
“I know, and I believe you should know as well.” Li Xuewu nodded, handing Zhang Enyuan the tea he had brought him, and said, “I have already reported your purpose and attitude to the group company.”
"Yes, we are very grateful for your help and support."
Nakamura certainly knew who was behind these negotiations, otherwise he wouldn't have abandoned his team and come to Steel City alone.
He didn't want to waste any more time with Gao Yaqin. He just wanted to figure out what Li Xuewu really wanted and reach a cooperation agreement as soon as possible.
"However, I was unable to reach an agreement with Deputy General Manager Gao during the negotiations, and I couldn't even understand her wishes."
Nakamura nodded slowly, looking at Li Xuewu and said, "If you can participate in this negotiation, or give me some advice and suggestions, that would be the purpose of my visit to you again."
"Hmm—have some tea—" Li Xuewu pointed to the teacup, indicating that he should have some tea first, before explaining, "To be honest, I received a call from General Manager Gao just as you decided to suspend negotiations and come to Gangcheng."
"She briefed me on the details of your negotiations, as well as the wishes and outcomes of both sides, over the phone."
He paused for a moment before continuing, "First of all, I would like to ask for your understanding. Mr. Gao also very much hopes to push this negotiation to a successful conclusion."
"No one understands the win-win situation for both Honggang Group and Sanhe Co., Ltd. better than us."
"I completely agree with your point of view."
Hideji Nakamura bowed slightly and said, "But in my opinion, prolonged communication and negotiation is a form of torture and a waste."
"If we can resolve our shared problems quickly and efficiently, I think it would be a good thing for both of us."
He practically broke down the barriers, asking Li Xuewu very bluntly what Honggang really wanted.
Li Xuewu considered his words for a moment before speaking, "My understanding of the negotiations is limited to what General Manager Gao reported, because I also have very important work to do."
He gestured towards the door and explained, "I believe you saw it when you came. Beijing Chemical and Liaodong Industry are going to establish a large chemical industry consortium in Yingcheng and Gangcheng. Our group is also involved in this project, and I have been busy with this work recently."
First, he distanced himself from the negotiations in the capital, claiming to know nothing about them. Whether Nakamura believed him or not, that's what Li Xuewu said.
Nakamura certainly wouldn't question his explanation, because there was no need. He believed that whether Li Xuewu truly didn't know or was pretending not to know, Gao Yaqin's insistence must have been influenced by Li Xuewu's opinion.
There is only one person in Honggang Group who can stand up and influence economic negotiations. It is not General Manager Li Huaide, nor other leaders in organizational management, nor other business supervisors.
He insisted on getting the answer from Li Xuewu, believing he would surely get the answer he wanted.
Seeing that he only nodded without responding, Li Xuewu could only continue, "In this project, Beijing Chemical is not operating as a partner, but rather combining its technology with the chemical industry in Liaodong."
He used the analogy of wrapping his fist in his palm to explain, "This is a kind of technology empowering industry, and it is also a representative of industrial integration."
Nakamura seemed to understand what he meant, frowning slightly as he looked at him, waiting for him to continue.
"If we compare this with Mr. Gao's opinion, I think that's the same idea."
Li Xuewu explained without reservation: "The technology provided by Sanhe may be relatively advanced for Honggang, even if it is not considered the most advanced in your local area, or for high-end electrical products."
"If we had sat down at the negotiating table to discuss this technology three years ago, you probably would have rejected our idea without hesitation."
He pointed with his finger and continued, "But now you should also know that our investment in scientific research over the past few years has been enormous."
"To put it more bluntly, the technology that Sanhe is sharing with us now is advanced, but not by much. Two years? Three years? It doesn't matter."
At this moment, Nakamura Hideji wanted to speak, but Li Xuewu raised his hand, signaling him to wait until he finished speaking.
"Even if you come with sincerity and bring us technology that we need to work on for five years, what's the point?"
Li Xuewu frowned and said, "In every technical adjustment process, we need to go through such a negotiation, which erodes the tacit understanding and friendship between us in the cooperation."
"The attitude that General Manager Gao expressed is to express dissatisfaction with your piecemeal approach to technical cooperation, and you should be able to sense that as well."
"Please allow me to explain," Nakamura Hideji forced out, "We also invested a lot of money and time in acquiring these technologies, which can be considered part of our costs."
"Of course, I completely agree with your point of view."
Li Xuewu nodded and said, "But you can't deny the consequences of sunk costs, can you?"
He raised his chin slightly, looked at the other person, and asked, "We just purchased tens of millions of dollars worth of computer equipment from IBM, I won't hide that from you."
“But I know that you also have similar alternative products.”
Li Xuewu spread his hands and asked, "Then do you know why I went to such lengths to purchase Japanese computers instead of going through your channels?"
Hideji Nakamura frowned, looking at him and asking, "Are you worried...?"
“That’s right. You are well aware that the rapid development of the domestic electronics industry has already aroused the vigilance of American technology capital.”
Li Xuewu pointed with his finger and emphasized, "Ten years ago, your computer import dependence rate was 69%, but now it's only 21%."
"I must acknowledge your country's vision in investing in the electronics industry, and I must express my admiration."
He raised an eyebrow and said, "But I still have to ask, has your domestic electronics industry already noticed the suppression?"
"Are they forcing you to open up the integrated circuit market?"
"How did you know that?" Nakamura Hideji asked with a bitter expression. "Do you also follow the development of the international electronics industry?"
“We are all in business management. To put it bluntly, please don’t look down on us unprofessional managers.”
Li Xuewu smiled and looked at him, saying, "Although I don't have a background in business management or family experience, we are good at collecting industrial information and business intelligence, and we have a stronger learning ability."
"As far as I know, IBM has launched the 370 series computers, which are based on large-scale integrated circuits."
His smile was distinctive. Looking at Nakamura, he said, "I'm not a professional, but you should be able to understand that its technology and performance completely surpass your local counterparts, and have dealt a crushing blow to the entire Japanese computer industry."
Nakamura knew, of course, that what Li Xuewu said was true, because previously, in order to catch up with the United States in computer technology, Japan had invested 570 billion yen to fund a consortium of companies.
But just when it seemed like they were about to catch up this year, their competitor dropped another bombshell, widening the gap even further.
"Have you considered the deeper concerns behind this?"
Ignoring the other party's furrowed brows, Li Xuewu bluntly stated, "Even if you manage to achieve a lucky victory in the upcoming chip war, will they allow you to have the last laugh?"
"A victory in one industry does not mean a complete victory."
He pointed to the ground and emphasized, “Every step forward we take belongs to ourselves, but any victory you achieve will be destroyed by the invisible collar around your necks. Do you acknowledge that?”
Nakamura Hideji stood up in utter shock, cold sweat streaming down his forehead, staring at Li Xuewu in horror.
"I completely understand your shock."
Li Xuewu waved his hand and said, "But I'd still like you to sit down, since I'm not in charge of this project. Just say what you have to say."
"Are you stubbornly using technology as a barrier to achieve short-term economic gains, deciding to take a gamble, betting on the goodwill of Americans?"
He said with a hint of amusement, "Have you considered what the consequences would be if your electronics industry threatened them?"
"Given that your national system is being controlled by the other side, do you really think you can break through by using the electronics industry?"
Li Xuewu's smile grew even more sinister as he shook his head slightly and said, "If you think I'm talking nonsense, you can leave now and pretend you were never here."
Nakamura glanced outside the door, then sat down, as if his soul had been ripped away.
"But if you think there's even a shred of truth in what I'm saying, you should think about how far you can go."
He looked at Nakamura and said very seriously, "We shouldn't be so wary of each other, right?"