With the inspiration he received from Zimden, Scholt asked Baboca to contact Factory 82 and claim to renegotiate the sale of precision milling machines. Factory 82 replied quickly, saying that Minister Han of the purchasing department said that he would wait for the visit of German friends in the office at any time.

This reply from Factory 82 made Scholt feel a little uncomfortable. He had never been to China, let alone visited Factory 82, but the sales representative who came with him this time had been to Factory 82. According to Moth, every time he came from Germany and asked to meet with the people of Factory 82, the people of Factory 82 would make a special trip to the capital to meet with him, or at least accompany him to Zhoushui City, Hongbei Province, where Factory 82 is located.

But this time, Factory 82 claimed that Minister Han would wait for their visit in the office, that is, if they wanted to see Minister Han, they had to go to Zhoushui by themselves, and Minister Han would not deign to come to the capital to meet them.

"Maybe this is just a negotiation tactic of theirs, right?" said Merce, looking at the swarthy face of his boss, cautiously.

"Baboca, how many times have you been to Factory 82, have they treated you like the same?" Scholt asked Baboca.

Baboca said: "If you don't say it, I really didn't pay attention. In the past, when I went to Factory 82, if I had said hello in advance, they would usually send someone to the capital to pick me up, or send a car to Bailiu, the provincial capital of Hongbei, to pick me up. And these few times, they deduced that the production tasks in the factory were heavy and they couldn't send anyone, so they just asked me to take the car to Zhoushui by myself, and they went to Zhoushui Railway Station to pick me up.

"This has happened occasionally in the past. Sometimes I go to other places to do after-sales service, and when I pass by Zhoushui, I stop by to have a look, and they won't greet me too deliberately. ”

"It's different. Scholt shook his head, "After all, you're just a staff member in the Asia Pacific region, and I'm from Germany, and I'm also the sales director of PATEO." They should have considered it when they neglected me like this. ”

"So, Mr. Scholt, what shall we do?" asked Merce.

"Let's not care about the details," Scholt said. Baboka, you go buy a train ticket, and we take the train to Zhoushui. By the way, you can contact Factory 82 again and ask if they can arrange a car to pick us up at the train station. I think they'll agree to that. ”

"What if they don't say yes?" asked Merce.

"If they don't even take care of this bit of courtesy, it's really possible that they don't want to continue working with us," Scholt said. On the other hand, if they agree to send a car to the train station, it means that their indifference to us is just a tactic, and they are not willing to tear up with us yet. ”

"I hope that's the case. Merce shrugged his shoulders, not knowing whether he was dismissive of Scholte's speculation or to show disdain for Factory 82.

Baboka called again, but the other party did not disappoint Scholt, and promised to send the best car in the factory to pick them up at the train station, and at the same time prepare a luxurious room for them in the guest house in advance, so as not to make the German friends feel aggrieved.

The distance from the capital to Zhoushui is not far, but in the era when there was no high-speed rail, Scholte and his entourage still worked on the train for four hours before arriving in Zhoushui. The train from Beijing to Zhoushui is the kind of slow train that must stop at every station, the car is very crowded, most of the people who take the car are farmers along the way, and the personal hygiene is not very particular, all kinds of cigarette smells, sweat, foot odor, and the smell of leek boxes make Scholte's head hurt.

After rushing off the train as if on the run, Scholt gasped desperately like a drowning fish for a while before he felt a little refreshed in his lungs. At this time, Baboka led two people wearing factory 82 overalls to the front of him.

"It's Mr. Scholte, it's been a hard work. The man greeted Scholt politely, speaking a slightly stiff German. Baboka introduced Scholt next to him, saying that this person was the director of production at Factory 82, named Yao Xiyuan. As for the young man who followed Yao Xiyuan, it was a technician with a high level of German in Factory 82, named Zhang Ning, who would serve as their interpreter during the period when Scholt and his party were in Zhoushui.

"Mr. Yao, it's a pleasure to meet you. Scholt shook Yao Xiyuan's hand and replied politely. In his opinion, the greeting of him directly in German was a sign of goodwill, which made him feel a lot better.

I have to say that Scholt is a little nervous these days, and a little thing can make him think of the hot and cold world.

Factory 82 sent two cars, Yao Xiyuan accompanied Scholt and Merce in one car, and Zhang Ning accompanied Baboka in another car.

The car is a very ordinary Santana 2000, Yao Xiyuan also apologized to Scholt for this, saying that the 82 factory is very poor, except for an Audi, the best car left in the factory is the Santana 2000. And that Audi is actually very unbearable, it is ten years old, and the feeling of sitting in it is not even as good as that of the Mulberry 2000.

"Don't care about the details. Scholt said what he had said to Moes and Yao Xiyuan again. In fact, it is precisely because he cares too much about the details that he feels that everything others say is emphasizing the details, and these details are meaningful.

"Mr. Yao, Mr. Scholt came to China this time to discuss the matter of precision milling machines with Factory 82. I'd love to know what you're thinking about this at the moment?" Merce brought the conversation back to business.

Previously, Merce had been in charge of contacting Factory 82 and was also familiar with Yao Xiyuan, so it was of course the most suitable for him. When he said these words, he didn't think about how to say them more implicitly, because when he communicated with Factory 82 in the past, he was used to going straight, but the people of Factory 82 would repeatedly consider when talking to him, for fear that if he said something badly, he would mind.

Hearing Merce's words, Yao Xiyuan, who was still diligently introducing Zhoushui's customs to Scholt just now, suddenly became dumb, and the expression on his face changed a little, as if he was not very happy. After being silent for a while, he said: "Mr. Scholt, Mr. Merce, I'm sorry, about the precision milling machine, I don't care about it anymore, you should go and talk to Minister Han of the Procurement Department." ”

"Of course, we will definitely have to meet with Minister Han. "But before that, can Mr. Yao tell us what your plans are at the moment?"

Yao Xiyuan shook his head coldly and said, "I can't answer this matter." ”

"Why, is there any inconvenience?" asked Merce.

Yao Xiyuan thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Moth, you should know that your previous series of actions made us very passive. Our former purchasing minister, Mr. Liu, whom you know, was transferred away because of this incident, and I am inconvenient to disclose the specific details. The Minister Han you want to meet is transferred from outside our system with some special missions. He is now in charge of the purchase of machine tools, and we have no right to speak at all. ”

"But as the head of production, you at least have the right to make suggestions, right?" asked Merce, still unrelenting.

Yao Xiyuan said hatefully: "Where do I have any right to suggest, it's good that I can protect myself now." They sent me to pick you up at the station just because I knew German, and I was of no value other than that. ”

When he said this, there was already a bit of desolation in his tone, and even from the language system, Scholt and Merce could hear it.

Scholte asked: "Mr. Yao, according to your statement, at present, only this Minister Han has the right to decide on the purchase of PATEO's machine tools, and you, or even your factory director, do not have this power, is that so?"

Yao Xiyuan nodded, his mouth moved, as if he wanted to explain something, but he didn't say it. Naturally, his small action could not escape Scholt's perceptive eyes.

Factory 82 is located in the suburbs of Zhoushui City, and there is a long drive from the railway station to Factory 82. But because Moes talked about the milling machine, Yao Xiyuan's conversation seemed to be stifled all of a sudden, and he didn't say anything more in the later part of the journey, so everyone came to Factory 82 in silence.

According to the prior arrangement, the two cars drove directly to the downstairs of the guest house of Factory 82. Yao Xiyuan took Scholte and others into the guest house to go through the accommodation procedures, said a few more polite words, and then left, leaving Zhang Ning, who served as a translator, to stay in the lobby downstairs and wait.

After a brief wash in their respective rooms, the three of PATEO gathered in Scholte's room and began to discuss the meeting with Han Weichang. Scholt frowned and said to Baboca: "Baboca, you said that you have met with that Minister Han, you tell me in detail what kind of person this Minister Han is." ”

"I can't see through him. "He's a very cunning businessman, and I can't see him for what he really is." ”

"Is he arrogant?"

"No, on the contrary, he was very polite. ”

"So, did you talk to him about the sale of milling machines?"

I asked tentatively, but he didn't say anything. ”

"What did he say?"

"How......" Baboca mused, "he said a lot at the time, but I can't remember a single one now. It seems like...... , as if he didn't mean anything. ”

"Hell, is he from the intelligence services, I can't think of anyone else who can do this. Scholt said.

"So, Mr. Scholt, do you need me to speak with him first?" asked Baboca.

Scholt shook his head and said, "No need, Baboca, I think that the Chinese officials transferred this person to Factory 82 to negotiate with me, and he will not say anything until he meets me." God forbid, I hope he will be more cheerful when he sees me, I don't want to guess the riddles of the East. ”

(End of chapter)