Chapter 241: Just give them a little sweetener, and Mercedes-Benz will agree!

What, three million USD? Three million USD, and you want to buy our technology and our equipment? This is pure fantasy! Damn it, cooperating with the East is the worst mistake we at Mercedes-Benz have ever made!

At the Capital Hotel, inside the guest room, Loit, who had returned after the banquet, heard Karl's words and nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood!

"Yeah, even if Easterners have some advanced technology, they can't be this excessive; their demands we definitely can't meet, and other European heavy-truck manufacturers wouldn't agree either!" Adolf Wiesflog also said.

Easterners have no sincerity! This is what all Germans think right now; they never imagined Easterners would be so stingy!

"Okay, then tomorrow we'll bid farewell to the Easterners and terminate all cooperation." Karl Kensper replied; at this moment he felt a faint sense of loss.

Those advanced technologies, we can't get them now! As for other things, true or false, at least boosting engine power is indeed true!

As for Mercedes-Benz technology…… Easterners will still use copycat methods to imitate the NG80 chassis technology, and then there'll be all kinds of wrangling and lawsuits; just thinking about it gives me a headache.

At the same time, Qin Miao, who had gotten into the car, was also communicating with his father-in-law.

"Looks like Mercedes-Benz's asking price isn't low, San Shui; we're only offering three million USD—will the Germans abandon this cooperation?"

"So tomorrow we need to keep throwing out some stuff to let the Germans see our advanced technology; even if we keep spending money, we must get them to cooperate with us."

"What advanced technology?"

"Well, there are many, such as VVEB, WCBS……"

Zhang Wanhe was completely baffled; okay, you'd better not say it—I wouldn't understand even if you did; I just need to do my own job well……

The next day, at the entrance of the Capital Hotel.

When Qin Miao and Zhang Wanhe got out of the car, they saw a group of Germans already checking out in the lobby on the first floor!

"Everyone, are you dissatisfied with the hotel's comfort?"

"No, the hotel is fine, but…… we think our negotiations with you are meaningless, so we're leaving."

"Meaningless? Alright, since that's the case, go ahead and finish the paperwork; once you're done, I'll see you to the airport."

Zhang Wanhe was a bit anxious; these Germans were obviously provoked, wanting to leave, and we're not even trying to stop them—we're actually sending them off?

"Qin, I originally thought we could reach a cooperation, but…… I'm sorry." Karl Kensper came over and said goodbye to Qin Miao; he just felt regret, not an apology, because even he felt this cooperation couldn't succeed—can't blame Mercedes-Benz, it's all the Easterners' fault……

"Eh, it's fine; international cooperation is never that easy to succeed."

"Qin, I want to solemnly remind you: if you copy Mercedes-Benz heavy trucks, this serious infringement of our patents, even if it can't be resolved legally, will cause a bad international impact; you at Ha Gong Da, who deal in technology, wouldn't want your own technology used for free by others, would you?"

"Yeah, that's true; speaking of technology, Ha Gong Da has recently come up with some inventions and creations, and I planned to integrate them all into the engine we were jointly developing; since you're not going to cooperate, we'll put this technology out internationally—surely some company will want to buy it."

"What technology?"

"Right now, Mercedes-Benz heavy trucks' auxiliary braking device is just a hydrodynamic retarder, right?"

The main braking device of a truck is the brake; however, this cannot be used for a long time, otherwise once it overheats, the brakes will fail.

The Easterners' solution is to install a water spray: hang a large water tank on the vehicle, lay the pipes, spray it onto the brake drums, and when going downhill, just keep driving while spraying.

Meanwhile, the West already has a more advanced solution!

In 1961, Germany's Voith Group developed the hydrodynamic retarder to solve the speed-control problem for long downhill grades of internal-combustion-engine trains; by the seventies it had become common in the heavy-truck field, with Mercedes-Benz, MAN, Volvo, etc., almost standard equipment.

After all, Europe is full of mountain roads—uphill relies on horsepower, downhill? If you press the brake, you make it this time; if you don't, you're done for life!

This thing is actually just a turbine blade mounted on the drive shaft that constantly stirs the fluid to slow down, and the heat generated by the fluid is dissipated through the radiator.

Although the technology isn't difficult, the patents are all in Voith Group's hands; each manufacturer matching it to their heavy trucks needs to add at least several thousand dollars in cost.

"That's right, Mercedes-Benz's auxiliary braking device is supplied by Voith."

"Actually, we don't need to go through all that trouble; we can simply use the engine—provide power uphill, and downhill it can act as an air compressor; with a simple modification to the valve gear, it can generate braking torque."

"What?"

The other Germans were all stunned and gathered around.

"How to modify?"

"Well…… it's a secret; we were actually planning to bring it up when we cooperated today, but since you're not going to cooperate, forget it."

The hydrodynamic retarder needs extra installation, isn't light in weight, whereas using engine braking adds hardly any weight, costs very little, and moreover can be kept under the automaker's control!

Loit stood up, his expression complex.

Mercedes-Benz sells eighty thousand vehicles a year; even if half of them were fitted with hydrodynamic retarders at three thousand dollars each, that would still be a huge expense of 120 million USD! If integrated into Mercedes-Benz heavy-truck engines, that money would be saved and the vehicle's curb weight would also drop!

By comparison, the licensing fee for letting the East produce…… seems not so important anymore!

"Mr. Loit, truly sorry you came all this way for nothing; come, I'll see you to the airport."

Qin Miao said this, enthusiastically reaching out, preparing to pull the suitcase dragged by his assistant beside him.

"Cough cough, this, well, we're heading back now, and that's indeed a bit rash; how about we find a meeting room and continue talking?"

Beside him, Zhang Wanhe let out a sigh of relief.

Inside the meeting room.

"Engine braking can be divided into three methods." Qin Miao went on at length; actually, these are technologies used by later-generation heavy trucks, the technology isn't difficult, the key is that engineers hadn't thought of it—often it just takes a flash of inspiration.

"The first is exhaust-pipe braking; simply put, add a valve to the exhaust pipe, costing a few dollars, it can have some effect, but it's very limited."

"The second is exhaust-valve braking; we tinker with the cylinder head so the exhaust valve opens a tiny angle, reducing the energy returned to the piston, costing one or two hundred dollars, the effect is significantly better than the first……"

"The third is in-cylinder engine braking; the valve gear needs major improvement, cost under one thousand dollars, the effect is best, even greater than the hydrodynamic retarder's braking power…… specific plan, after we cooperate, we'll elaborate the design……"

"The structure isn't complicated; how to improve it absolutely cannot be said now, but we can give the other side a reassurance in advance."

"When signing the contract, these clauses can be written in; if the effect isn't achieved, we're willing to compensate Mercedes-Benz three times the cooperation amount!"

Loit looked at Qin Miao's explanation with a complex expression; finally he let out a long sigh: 'I think, if we give up cooperating with the East, it's our loss.'

Done!