Chapter 370: Only My Unique Method Chapter 370: Quotation

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Protagonist:

Chen Yi

Anyone walking along Jiangbei Wharf would distinctly feel a natural tension in the air, like an injured person gasping for breath, or an athlete with a sprained ankle trying to run.

The unique spirited vigor of Japanese enterprises, their slave-like work methods, and their obsolete thinking patterns, mixed with the employees' anxiety over an unpredictable future, shrouded the wharf district in a layer of hateful dark clouds, like damp clouds that seemed they would leak rain if poked lightly with a finger... but in reality, the Japanese damp clouds, no matter how fast you poked them, would only shout "Yamete" and never actually fall down — so-called only damp, no flow. A famous book once titled *The Japanese Can Shout Yamete* sold very well during their most economically prosperous period.

By the 21st century, facing a decade-long emergency decline, Japan gradually entered a state of only shouting "Yamete"; the eternal Yamete spirit could be used to describe Mitsubishi Group.

Yan Qi Masayoshi was a typical figure who resisted all the way, refusing to let the gloom and rain fall. He was like a brave prison fighter, using his own body to staunchly withstand the heavy pressure coming from Jiangning, from the market, from the domestic front.

The prosperity of Jiangbei Wharf was illusory. Because from beginning to end, Jiangbei Wharf had never managed to operate normally; various fees plagued the operators and significantly increased costs. The big thug Niu Xiang, in whom the Japanese side placed high hopes, could only function when facing pure thugs; the near brazen corrupt collusion at Jiangbei Wharf was not something any non-violent organization could resist. If Niu Xiang attempted violent resistance, he would be arrested along with the thugs, just as in his several previous attempts.

Sustained three months without profit was merely a pinky finger; Yan Qi Masayoshi wrapped it up by competing for several state-owned enterprise shipping projects in Southeast Province. The Institute's silence was at most a thumb; Yan Qi Masayoshi strove to explain to Headquarters that it was the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's matter, which counted as pinching it halfway. What truly worried him was the Chinese official attitude — fewer and fewer officials were willing to help, like a Sword of Damocles drawing closer and deeper, making his whole body itch and his sphincter tighten.

In order to have one more piece of good news before returning home to report on his duties, Yan Qi Masayoshi racked his brains to persuade the Vice Minister of Commerce to step in and speak to the Jiangning Municipal Government, hoping to monopolize all bulk and container cargo shipped to Japan. Naturally, the Jiangning political circles completely ignored a leisurely yamen's vice minister; the other party could only find a few national-level shipping projects to hand to Mitsubishi, resolving his own embarrassment. As for Yan Qi Masayoshi, he could only bitterly endure with something being better than nothing.

At this moment, Chen Yi felt the time was ripe.

He brought along the Group's lawyer Zhu Feng, and also invited a Hong Kong analyst, to go to the wharf for an on-site survey.

Lu Xiong and several Martial Arts Hall students tailed behind, doing bodyguard work that wasn't exactly regulation. There were always some students unwilling to go work "overseas," so work had to be found for them domestically. Doing bodyguard work for Chen Yi, who needed bodyguards the least, counted as part of their tempering.

As of now, students who had served as Chen Yi's bodyguards, whether in the Martial Arts Hall's staff ranks or the West Continent's official ranks, all advanced relatively quickly; it was a clear path for "career transition."

Liu Xinyu also accompanied Chen Yi. Ever since classmate Chen became a Holy Knight, he had delegated more authority to those below; Liu Xinyu simultaneously held the post of Jiangning head of the Research Society and half the Martial Arts Hall's work, without being hindered. This could be understood as a display of trust, or as a display of confidence.

The analyst himself also brought a few assistants, and with the help of preliminary data, quickly gave Chen Yi the answer: "Just the conditions of this wharf alone are worth 3.5 billion."

Chen Yi looked at the surroundings with a focused expression and asked: "Put that way, I just need to buy it for 2 billion?"

The analyst's tone stalled, and he said: "That would certainly work."

"Good, don't let it be a loss." Chen Yi muttered to himself.

The analyst pretended not to hear and turned his head away, thinking to himself: Could it be that I didn't make money because I was too honest?

"1 billion isn't cheap either." Chen Yi muttered as he walked forward, gazing at the gantry cranes ahead with the salivating affection of someone who had earned 1 billion.

Mitsubishi Group's acquisition of Jiangbei Wharf was also a stroke of luck; Mingde Group contributed significantly, and through dividing the spoils, Mingde Group reorganized a real estate company in Jiangning; two residential communities were built in the heart of Jiangbei Wharf, and the 40-plus-story office building under construction at the Riverside Bridge also belonged to their assets.

Jiangning had these two wharves in total; Jiangnan Wharf was inevitably a shared wharf. Chen Yi wanted a private, exclusive wharf, so he could only ride on Jiangbei's coattails. Of course, the most tempting part was the successful implementation of the "Waiting by a Tree Stump for a Rabbit" plan, which caused Jiangbei Wharf to be renovated almost exactly to Chen Yi's requirements, completely suitable for bulk cargo transport and large-tonnage transport into the city; if he didn't get his hands on it, Zhu Guangliang and the others would have toiled in vain.

"Go to the Port Affairs Department." Chen Yi's group ran into patrolling security guards on the road and simply got on their electric carts.

The Martial Arts Hall had also built a Port Affairs Department, specifically responsible for transshipment of materials; it was extraordinarily busy every day, claiming to be the Martial Arts Hall's number one department. There had once been a student who voluntarily transferred to staff early just because a vacancy opened in the Port Affairs Department.

Yan Qi Masayoshi soon appeared before Chen Yi, his mouth smiling like his bowlegs, like an old Xijing shop assistant, calling out in Chinese: "Boss Chen, what would you like? And the beautiful Miss Liu, your... beautiful posture is truly shocking!"

Liu Xinyu glanced at him, stepped over the threshold with legs even longer than his, and sat quietly on the office sofa.

Chen Yi returned an enthusiastic smile and asked in Chinese: "How is the wharf sold?"

Yan Qi Masayoshi's old Xijing dialect wasn't enough now; he twisted his head to look at the translator, who stammered: "He might be asking how the wharf is for sale?"

Mainly because Chen Yi's words lacked too much logic, forcing him to consider whether there might be ambiguity.

Yan Qi Masayoshi narrowed his triangular eyes at Chen Yi and said: "You want to acquire Jiangbei Wharf?"

Jiangbei Wharf was his number one political achievement in Jiangning.

Chen Yi pointed at the analyst and his master behind him, smiling sincerely, and said in Japanese: "I've heard that between China and Japan there is comradely friendship, so I thought, the poorly managed Jiangbei Wharf is, for Mitsubishi Group, merely a finger — using it is insufficient, discarding it is a pity; therefore I want to help you solve this trouble."

This speech, the Hong Kongers behind him couldn't understand; Yan Qi Masayoshi stared wide-eyed.

He couldn't very well lose his temper.

So Yan Qi Masayoshi, like a proper person in people's imagination, said solemnly: "Jiangbei Wharf will not be sold."

Chen Yi said with a roguish grin: "Everything has a price."

Achieving "words and deeds inconsistent" is not hard, but it relates to his mood and state at different periods; simply put, speaking and acting without concealment can at least win surface praise for "words and deeds consistent." For example, Chen Yi right now is indeed willing to smile. Judging from the reaction of the Four-pointed Star on his chest, this counts as a "Gain."

Chen Yi's heart stirred; going out, the gains really were more numerous. His "Words and Deeds Consistent" evaluation choice was "Exemption." In the legends of the Saint Qiao Kingdom, there was once a Holy Knight who, through lifelong words and deeds consistency, gained near-total immunity, and thus slaughtered a Black Dragon in magma. Times change; the Dragon God has already become a major deity of the Magic Continent, and such high-level Holy Knights have not been heard of since.

Yan Qi Masayoshi, wearing a friend's mask, said: "In American words, it bears a 'not for sale' label."

"Even Americans have a price. In fact, I brought my own analyst." Chen Yi pointed at the Hong Konger behind him. He dearly wished Yan Qi Masayoshi wouldn't name a price. That way he could propose his own.

The old devil indeed fell into the trap, saying disdainfully: "So what? We will not sell Jiangbei Wharf."

Chen Yi seized the opportunity to propose his own quotation: "120 million USD, I only want 50% equity in Jiangbei Wharf."

"This isn't a joint-stock company... moreover, 120 million USD is far below the value of Jiangbei Port."

Chen Yi could of course cite various reasons to lower Jiangbei Wharf's value, but he wasn't prepared to negotiate with Yan Qi Masayoshi; instead he said solemnly: "Mr. Yan Qi. This is a formal quotation; documents will be submitted to you shortly. I believe you have an obligation to notify the Mitsubishi Group Board of Directors."

Mitsubishi's true decision-making body is the Jin Yao Association — a decision-making body composed of a group of presidents; the person in charge is Yan Qi Masayoshi's father, Fumihisa Yan Qi. They have established a series of regulations for matters requiring discussion and reporting. A quotation of 100 million USD, regardless of whether it is outrageous, must be discussed at this meeting.

For Yan Qi Masayoshi, Jiangbei Wharf is a forbidden delicacy he will not sell. Even 3.5 billion or 5 billion are not within consideration. He needs to use this wharf to nibble away and obtain Jiangnan Wharf and Jiangnan Shipyard — only then will he have a chance to stand out among Mitsubishi Group's many heirs, so unless the price is high enough to demonstrate its value, Yan Qi Masayoshi absolutely will not agree.

In other words, in Yan Qi Masayoshi's eyes, Jiangbei Wharf must have the value of his political ambition added on top of its actual value.

But in Chen Yi's scheme, he isn't even willing to give half the normal price. Therefore, submitting the quotation to the Jin Yao Association is the lowest-cost method.

Yan Qi Masayoshi's eyes instantly bulged like his O-shaped legs, and he said hatefully: "Rest assured, I will submit it to the Jin Yao Association, at the necessary time."

"Forgot to mention, I've already prepared the quotation document; it's probably already been sent over." Chen Yi said coldly.

For this one sentence, he lost a bit more of his honest faith.

Yan Qi Masayoshi angrily asked: "What did you say?"

"I quoted to you, at..." Chen Yi glanced at his watch and said: "At 16:45. And my people will, a little later, send the formal report simultaneously to you and the Mitsubishi Commerce Department."

"Please leave." Yan Qi Masayoshi could bear it no longer.

For Japanese enterprises, deliberately concealed matters can be big or small, but if every quotation invited this kind of trouble, Yan Qi Masayoshi would have nothing left to do.

Chen Yi walked out laughing, but shook off the others and said to Liu Xinyu: "You find a way to investigate whether Yan Qi has secretly contacted people from Jiangnan Shipyard behind the scenes."

This was the content he had just heard through the Listening Scroll. (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian. com) to vote for Recommendation Tickets and Monthly Tickets; your support is my greatest motivation.)