In the United States, Tangning obtained authorization under the pretext of selling Coca-Cola to non-Chinese, and in China he used the same excuse, writing in the application report: "I set up a factory in China, not first for Chinese consumers, mainly for foreign consumers." Foreigners, especially Europeans and Americans, who come to China for tourism. Because Coca-Cola has a history of almost 80 years, the fathers and grandfathers of the current generation of Americans grew up drinking Coca-Cola, because Europeans and Americans are used to it. Young Americans want to drink Coca-Cola wherever they go, and it should be available wherever there are tourists.

Most countries in Europe have Coca-Cola factories, and after the 60s, there are also many of our factories in Africa and Asia, and many young people there are also used to drinking Coca-Cola, so wherever there is a need, we will go there, because I am a businessman. ”

When Tang Ning was writing the report, Han Xuewei beside her said puzzledly: "Obviously, China wants to cooperate with us, but how did it become you to write the application?" ”

"It's okay, that's the way things are done in China."

"Tony, to be honest, sometimes I think you, an American, know more about China than I do as a Chinese." On December 17, 1978, China and the United States issued the Joint Communique on the Establishment of Diplomatic Relations between China and the United States, announcing that "China and the United States have agreed to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level as of January 1, 1979."

Four days after that, Tangning reached an agreement with the China National Cereals and Oils Import and Export Corporation to provide Coca-Cola canning and canning and bottling equipment to major cities and tourist areas in China by means of compensation trade or other payment methods, and set up special factories in China to fill and sell them. Before the establishment of the Coca-Cola bottling plant, from 1979 onwards, COFCO arranged sales on consignment.

At that time, Coca-Cola's sales were strictly limited to foreigners who came to China for work and tourism, and the sales locations were mainly friendship stores. Today, the Friendship Store, located near Jianguomen in Beijing, has no mystery to ordinary Chinese. Today, you can buy Coca-Cola in a corner of the store, but in 1979 Coca-Cola was about 4 cents a bottle.

As soon as the news of Coca-Cola's return to China came out, public opinion was generally surprised. At that time, there were many companies trying to enter the Chinese market. According to US media reports in the past, McDonald's once saw the "light of day" -- because the Chinese leaders at that time hoped that the laborers would carry forward the spirit of arduous pioneering work, reduce lunch time, and increase working hours. To contribute to the country's economic recovery, this requires a lot of fast food. When McDonald's got the news, it decided that it was the best time to enter China as a fast food. However, in the end, it was Coca-Cola that was the first to eat the "crab".

In fact, Downing's original idea was to build the factory in Shanghai, after all, the Coca-Cola factory was built in Shanghai, and as a former ten-mile foreign market, Shanghainese people should accept new things faster than people in other places. Unexpectedly, as soon as the news came out, it was met with strong opposition from Shanghai -- "traitorism, foreign slave philosophy, the introduction of the American way of life, and the crackdown on national industry." All kinds of voices came together to press the Shanghai Municipal Government.

So Tangning had to abandon Shanghai and build a factory in Beijing instead. It was also after several twists and turns in Beijing that the site of the bottling plant was finally selected in a roast duck factory of the Beijing branch of COFCO Oil in Wulidian, Beijing. There is only one factory, which is vacated by the roast duck factory.

The cooperation between the two sides at that time was as follows: the Chinese side spent $300,000 a year to buy concentrated juice, and the other production lines were all given away by Downing for free. Downing initially expected to invest $600,000, but it cost nearly $1 million to build the plant. What Tang Ning couldn't understand the most was that this factory was completely built and operated in the form of a domestic enterprise, in those days. Real foreign-funded enterprises do not dare to think or do it.

In Beijing, the person in charge of communicating with Tangning is Chen Guang, director of COFCO's Sugar and Wine Miscellaneous Products Division, who has studied abroad and has good contact. Soon the two became very familiar, and when the factory was just built, Chen Guang asked Tang Ning: "Tony, I can call you that, I have a question that I have always been curious about." ”

Tang Ning smiled and said, "Of course, according to the Chinese way, you are older than me." Don't call me by my name, I should call you brother, by the way, if you have any questions, just say it. ”

Chen Guangye smiled and said, "I'm really curious if you are an American, and how you seem to be more familiar with Chinese culture than I am." It seems that your personal doctor, Ms. Han, is more suitable to be a teacher. Okay, to get down to business, my question is how to maintain the water quality. Because of its remote location, only well water is available locally. And Coca-Cola is headquartered in Atlanta, USA, and its manufacturers all over the country buy concentrated juice and add water to produce the final Coca-Cola, but the water quality varies greatly from place to place, how to ensure that the Coca-Cola produced is a taste? ”

Downing laughed, "Because I have my mysterious weapon." Then he took Chen Guang to the equipment area, pointed to a small piece of equipment and said: "This is the mysterious weapon of the Coca-Cola Company - water purification equipment, don't look at this thing is not big, but the technical content is quite high, his role is to filter the water, so that its composition fully meets the requirements of Coca-Cola water." ”

Chen Guang is still a little worried: "Can this well water meet the standards after filtration?" ”

"Then I'll give you a field test." After some filtration and manufacturing, Tang Ning asked Chen Guang: "How is it, it tastes different from the Coca-Cola you drank when you were studying in the United States?" ”

Chen Guang nodded in admiration: "Don't say it, it's really exactly the same, this water purification equipment is really amazing." ”

Originally, everything went well, but then different opinions soon appeared.

After Coca-Cola set up a factory in Beijing, an old comrade said: "Can't China's soda meet the needs of the people?" Can't meet the needs of foreigners? Do you have to drink Coca-Cola? It's just traitorism. COFCO was asked to provide an explanation for this.

Listening to this theory, Tang Ning completely collapsed, what is this, when will drinking a Coke become a traitor, these people's thinking is too strange, how can anything be linked together, it seems that the influence of the cultural movement has not completely dissipated, but fortunately, Chen Guang comforted him: "Tony, don't worry, this matter is explained by our COFCO." (To be continued.) )