Feng Xiaochen was not mistaken, Cao Zhiyuan is indeed a deputy director-level cadre at the Global Center for International Economic Exchanges, responsible for some economic exchanges between China and South America. The organization he works for, nominally called the Center for Economic Exchange, has a strong foreign policy overtone, or more simply, an organization that aims to promote diplomatic relations through economic exchanges. All countries in the world have institutions like this, which is also characteristic of modern international exchanges.

Not long ago, Cao Zhiyuan took a delegation to Argentina to discuss some matters related to agricultural cooperation. During a meeting with an official of the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture, the other party happened to mention that he was bidding for the construction of four large fertilizer plants, and he also politely extended an invitation to Cao Zhiyuan, saying that Chinese companies were welcome to bid.

Cao Zhiyuan did not know much about the development of the domestic equipment industry, and based on his past impressions, he felt that China's industrial equipment could be used by itself, and this kind of participation in international bidding seemed to be hopeless. He asked a few of his subordinates again, and the subordinates unanimously said that there is at least a 20-year gap between China's industrial level and Japan, and that Argentina is interested in Japanese technology, and if our Chinese companies really come to bid, it will be a shame to throw people abroad.

Cao Zhiyuan knew that his subordinates had some flattering complexes, and what they said was not necessarily credible. However, listening to what they said so surely, Cao Zhiyuan was indeed even more bottomless in his heart, so he could only hum and express his gratitude to the Argentine side, promising to contact domestic equipment enterprises to bid in Argentina as soon as he returned to China, and contribute to Argentina's agricultural construction.

This incident was only a small episode in Cao Zhiyuan's visit. The officials of the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture really sent Cao Zhiyuan a bidding document afterwards, but they did not mention the matter of inviting Chinese companies to bid, perhaps they also felt that Chinese companies did not have the strength.

Cao Zhiyuan's visit was accompanied by several agricultural cooperation projects, and helping Argentina build a fertilizer plant was not on his work schedule. Several of the projects he brought with him were well implemented in the end, and his trip was a great success. However, on the way back, he always felt a little pimple in his heart, and a thought kept floating in his mind: what if Chinese companies can really take over these four fertilizer plants?

According to the Argentine side, Japanese and Dutch companies have expressed interest in the projects of the four fertilizer plants, with the Japanese initially quoting about $300 million per set of equipment, while the Dutch quoted more than 400 million yuan. Argentine officials said that even 300 million yuan a set is a big burden for Argentina, which is why they are trying to contact companies in other countries, which is equivalent to a bit of a serious illness and rushing to the doctor.

One set of equipment is 300 million, and four sets are 1.2 billion. Even if the price of Chinese enterprises is a little lower, at least there will be 1 billion yuan, right? The cooperation of 1 billion US dollars is 10 times higher than the amount of several agricultural projects he talked about this trip, and if this project can be negotiated, then the performance of his department this year will be a satellite.

The pie is very tempting, but can you eat it? Cao Zhiyuan really has no confidence in this. When he was in Argentina, he didn't dare to say much to Argentine officials. As soon as he returned, he pondered that he should go to the "relevant departments" to find out the situation. The "relevant departments" he could think of were the State Planning Commission. In the past two days, he was thinking about who to find to introduce him to the official in charge of this matter at the Planning Commission, who knew that when he came to the kindergarten, he actually met a person from the National Equipment Industry Company, but he didn't know whether this teacher Feng's words were reliable or not.

"Mr. Feng, what kind of work are you in charge of in your company?"

After reporting his true identity, Cao Zhiyuan asked Feng Xiaochen tentatively.

Hearing that the other party was a deputy director-level cadre, Feng Xiaochen couldn't hide anything anymore. He smiled and said: "I am a role in the company to pick up the missing pieces, and what others don't do, I do." ”

"That's the general manager. Cao Zhiyuan said with a ridiculous mentality.

Feng Xiaochen smiled: "I really let Director Cao guess correctly, I do serve as the general manager in the company." ”

"Huh?" Cao Zhiyuan's eyes widened. Cao Zhiyuan had never heard of the equipment company, but just now he also learned about its past and present life from Feng Xiaochen's mouth. He was the head of the department at the deputy bureau level in the center, and others respectfully called him director, but in fact, his official title was director rather than director. But the person in front of him is different, he is the general manager of the company, the leader of the company, and he actually shovels sand here with him.

"Mr. Feng, disrespectful and disrespectful. Cao Zhiyuan wiped the sweat on his head and said, and then said angrily: "You said that the kindergarten teacher is also true, how can you let Mr. Feng shovel sand." ”

Feng Xiaochen said with a smile: "It's nothing, right? I heard Shanshan's mother say that the parents of the children in Yuequan Kindergarten are hidden dragons and crouching tigers, and our two small bureau-level cadres are not wronged by shoveling sand here." ”

"Yes, yes, we're just two small bureau-level cadres. Cao Zhiyuan also quickly adjusted his mentality, from the contact just now, he already knew that Feng Xiaochen was a very easy-going person, and it seemed that his resentment against shoveling sand was not as strong as his. People are at the bureau level, and they can act like this with their tails between their legs, and they are only the director of the deputy bureau level, so what is there to complain about? Then again, if they didn't shovel sand together, would they be so familiar with each other? Compared to befriending a young and promising general manager like Feng Xiaochen, what is it to shovel sand for a while?

"Lao Cao, what you said is very meaningful to us. Feng Xiaochen diverted the conversation and continued the topic just now, "I can say very responsibly that our country's equipment enterprises are fully capable of winning these four sets of large fertilizer plants, and their technical level will not be worse than that of the Japanese." In terms of price, it is perfectly fine to be 20% lower than the Japanese, and if the Japanese dare to reduce the price, we can reduce it by another 20%. ”

"20 percent and then 20 percent, isn't that equivalent to a 40 percent reduction? 36.18 billion, you mean, we only need 180 million US dollars to win a set of large fertilizer equipment? At this price, we won't lose money, right?" Cao Zhiyuan asked in surprise.

Feng Xiaochen smiled slightly and said: "Lao Cao, you must know that the Japanese reported 300 million US dollars, which is a false head, and the actual cost will not exceed 200 million, and they sell all the money for technology." We are not as black-hearted as them, plus our labor cost is low, and the cost is lower than theirs, so even if it is 180 million, we can still make money, and ...... Hehe, to tell you the truth, we've made a lot of money. ”

"Is this true?" said Cao Zhiyuan, with a smile on his face. With his understanding of the Argentine Ministry of Agriculture, a set of equipment does not need to report the low price of 180 million, as long as it reports 250 million, the other party will definitely be moved. If the quality is not much worse than that of the Japanese, it is very likely that he will take down these four sets of equipment if he goes around from it.

According to Feng Xiaochen's statement, 180 million yuan is a steady profit, and when it comes to 250 million, how much is the interest rate difference in the middle? As a matchmaker, it is not too much for their center to collect a little commission from it, right? Don't get me wrong, Lao Cao does not want to fill his own pocket, but wants to collect a commission in the name of the Global Center, which means to generate income for the unit. At a time when the state finances are very tight, and the funds of various units are seriously insufficient, revenue generation is an open, reasonable, and advocated matter. The Center for Global International Economic Exchanges (CAICE) is a public institution with a financial shortfall allocation, and it has a certain amount of income-generating tasks every year. To be able to facilitate such a transaction and allow domestic enterprises to earn a profit of no less than 300 million US dollars, is it not too much for the center to mention 3 million? 3824, this is more than 20 million yuan, and I am afraid that the "parentheses" in my "brackets enjoy the treatment of deputy bureau chiefs" can be removed, right?

The more he thought about it, the more excited he became, and before he knew it, he put the wooden shovel down, wanting to pull Feng Xiaochen to talk about it. At this time, a teacher next to him came over and reminded with an expressionless face: "These two parents, you hurry up and build the sand pit, the long jump competition is about to start." ”

"This ......" Cao Zhiyuan looked up at the teacher, and he had the urge to reason. Is there any mistake, here are two bureau-level cadres discussing a $1 billion export business, and you actually asked us to hurry up and get the sand pit right, $1 billion, how many handymen are enough?

Feng Xiaochen saw Cao Zhiyuan's mentality, and hurriedly pulled him, and said with a smile: "Lao Cao, the matter of the project, I will come to our company tomorrow to talk, and I will arrange for the comrades of our project management department and strategic planning department to dock with you." Today, let's do our job first, don't twist the children's feet. ”

"Uh, yes, Mr. Feng is right, let's ...... Well, do your job first. Cao Zhiyuan could only follow Feng Xiaochen's words.

At this moment, I only heard someone next to me shouting in surprise: "Hey, isn't this Mr. Feng, how can you ...... This, this, really, how can you shovel sand?"

Hearing the voice, Feng Xiaochen, Cao Zhiyuan and the teacher who urged them to work just now turned their heads together, and the first to react was the teacher, she opened her mouth wide in surprise and shouted: "Principal, you ...... Do you know this parent?"

She glared at the teacher fiercely, and then strode in front of Feng Xiaochen, and said apologetically: "Mr. Feng, it's really you, how can you ...... It turns out that your daughter is in our kindergarten, why have you never heard my family talk about it?"

Feng Xiaochen smiled at the director and said, "Sister-in-law, I just learned that you are the head of my family. I said to take Shanshan to see you, but she didn't dare. ”