Chapter 241: Don

Hao Jian received no response from the management office, so he returned to his exhibition booth.

The exhibition hall now strictly limited visitor numbers; Ning Pingping and the others couldn't get in, leaving the booth nearly empty—making visiting merchants immediately sense the lack of strength.

But when Hao Jian returned to the booth, he found Ning Pingping and the others had entered, along with Ergou.

Ergou pulled Hao Jian aside and whispered, "Guo Donglun told me he can only help us this far. Here are the quotes and signed contracts from those several units for the foreign buyers—take a look and quickly come up with a plan."

"Think of a plan? If I could think of one, would I have endured this six or seven days of humiliation?"

Hao Jian took the quote sheet from Ergou's hand, glanced at it, and nearly cursed aloud.

Because Pengcheng Seventh Factory had a "left hand to right hand" relationship with Hong Kong's Seris, Hao Jian's original quote was already low.

A high-end suit selling for several dozen yuan on the mainland, he'd quoted foreign buyers at just $8. 0—but now they were quoting $7. 0, a full dollar lower than Pengcheng Seventh Factory.

That's a dollar of pure profit!

And to secure orders in the coming days, they'd have to drop even further below this $7. 0.

In 1983's foreign trade exports, factories didn't directly collect money from buyers; to complete a deal, contracts had to go through foreign trade departments.

The dollars that ultimately reached Pengcheng Seventh Factory were already minimal; now losing another one or two dollars was like having flesh cut from their bodies.

"Hao Ge, why not go beg your team leader again?"

Mu Weimin, who had come from Qingshui County to fight this battle alongside Hao Jian, whispered advice.

But Hao Jian shook his head: "Don't trouble them anymore. We snuck in—we have no moral high ground."

"Sigh~~"

Everyone grew despondent. Just days ago, the momentum suggested they'd easily sign several million dollars' worth of contracts during this half-month Canton Fair.

In 1983, a whole province's foreign trade delegation might not even reach ten million dollars!

Now, they'd barely hit half a million—and were already done.

【Li Ye really is a jinx—he said not to exceed five hundred thousand and wouldn't tell me, and now look!】

As Hao Jian was silently blaming Li Ye, he saw several people walking straight toward their booth.

Though they all had yellow skin and black hair, Hao Jian recognized them at once as overseas buyers by their demeanor.

But Hao Jian was puzzled—none of them had foreign trade interpreters accompanying them.

"Hello, may I ask, what is the price of this professional suit?"

The man spoke halting, broken Chinese.

Hao Jian replied in his Dongshan-accented Mandarin: "May I ask where you're from?"

The man bowed slightly: "I am Makoto Inoshita from Inoshita Corporation, Japan. Please guide me."

Hao Jian nodded: "This is our Fenghua Apparel's Liren series. Each suit is $7. 0—top-grade fabric, twenty-seven production steps."

"No, no, no—I don't care about any of that,"

Makoto Inoshita shook his head repeatedly: "Though I'm very interested in your Fenghua brand, you can't just name any price. $6 per suit—I'll consider buying thirty thousand sets."

Hao Jian licked his lips and said: "I'm sorry, we cannot accept $6."

At $6, even at today's exchange rate, it was under twenty yuan—by the time Pengcheng Seventh Factory received its share, it might be seventy percent in domestic currency and thirty percent in foreign exchange, meaning they'd likely lose money.

But Makoto Inoshita remained confident: "Then let's do fifty thousand sets—total value thirty million dollars—enough for you to meet your export earnings target."

My goddamn target—I don't have any export earnings quota!

Had it not been for international image, Hao Jian would've screamed a perfectly enunciated Japanese curse.

This little Jap had directly uttered "export earnings"—clearly reminding Hao Jian: "I know your situation. Better comply."

At the time, export enterprises felt a strong "mission" toward export earnings; if they could earn foreign currency for the nation, they'd gladly sell at a loss.

After all, such achievements were flaunted by company bosses at year-end summary meetings.

But Hao Jian had no such need!

His career would never rise higher—he wouldn't waste money just for empty praise!

So Hao Jian bowed slightly, imitating Makoto Inoshita's manner, and politely said: "I'm sorry. Please turn west and have a good journey."

Makoto Inoshita was stunned, staring at Hao Jian for a long while before realizing he was being dismissed.

He found it absurd.

After days at the Canton Fair, he'd met only companies desperate to close deals—Hao Jian was the first with this attitude.

"Here's my hotel address. If you change your mind, feel free to visit me anytime."

Makoto Inoshita handed Hao Jian a slip of paper, as if certain Hao Jian would return.

After all, he'd calculated precisely: $6 per piece was just slightly above Hao Jian's cost.

That tiny margin was his mercy, his gift.

After Makoto Inoshita left, Ergou whispered to Hao Jian: "Boss, I think that guy really wants our goods. Should I go see him tonight?"

"No," Hao Jian shook his head. "Sometimes, don't let internal fights benefit outsiders—it's pointless."

Chen Ergou froze, indignant: "We're being noble, but what about those others—"

"Forget it. Let's wait and see. After all, we still have half a million dollars as a floor."

Hao Jian didn't explain further to Ergou and the others—he'd reported the situation to Beijing days ago, and Li Ye had told him to wait quietly, especially warning him not to undercut prices and let foreigners profit.

Hao Jian didn't know what Li Ye was waiting for, but letting outsiders profit from him? Not a chance.

All morning, Hao Jian received two more groups of foreign buyers—one from South Korea, one from Western countries.

They all seemed to have pinpointed his weakness, each quoting lower than the last.

【Let the cabbage rot in the field rather than sell it to a landlord dog.】

Hao Jian stopped pretending entirely—anyone who came got the same reply: $7. 0, no negotiation. If too expensive, leave. His harsh attitude even drew complaints from foreign trade interpreters.

By 3 p. ., Hao Jian simply told Ergou and the others to pack up early, gave each fifty yuan, and prepared to tour Guangzhou's Eight Scenic Spots.

But just as he was about to leave, he spotted a middle-aged man with thinning hair hurrying into the hall, looking around anxiously.

Hao Jian's heart stirred—he remembered Li Ye's instruction to "wait quietly."

【Could the person he's waiting for finally be here?】

The man was Luo Runbo of Hong Kong's Jinbo Financial Consulting Company—during the Spring Festival, Hao Jian had followed Li Ye to Hong Kong and bought some Hang Seng futures from him.

Hao Jian hurried over: "Mr. Luo, are you looking for me?"

Luo Runbo, balding and sweating, immediately relaxed upon seeing Hao Jian.

"Yes yes! I've been searching for you everywhere!"

"Did you come alone? Didn't Pei Wencong come?"

"Big Boss Ai Cong is too busy to care about me. Jian Chaosheng can't be reached—I had to ask my way here."

"Didn't Jian Chaosheng return after signing the contract?"

Jian Chaosheng was the Seris delegate sent to the Canton Fair, but after signing a $300, 00 contract, he vanished—Hao Jian assumed he'd returned to Hong Kong, unable to endure Guangzhou's conditions.

"No, never mind him. Let's find the person in charge and resolve the patent issue."

"Patent? That won't help."

Hao Jian sighed: "I raised the patent issue with those counterfeiters days ago—they didn't care."

"No problem, no problem—I know mainland China has no patent protection, but overseas does. Quick, take me there."

Hao Jian doubted it—after all, the counterfeiters were mainland factories; how could overseas law reach into mainland affairs?

Still, Hao Jian cooperated fully, escorting Luo Runbo to the management office and bringing out the quote sheet given to him by Guo Donglun.

Guo Donglun had been helpful—the quote sheet listed both parties' names and transaction volumes.

Luo Runbo, a licensed lawyer, glanced at the sheet and exclaimed: "How did you get this? Is the content reliable?"

Hao Jian replied cryptically: "Of course it's reliable. We just didn't want to tear things apart—you know, brothers fighting isn't pretty."

"I understand, I understand," Luo Runbo nodded repeatedly. "With this, what's there to fear? Leave it all to me."

After Hao Jian brought Luo Runbo to the management office, Luo didn't pursue the mainland counterfeiters' responsibility—he directly instructed the office to notify all foreign buyers who'd purchased counterfeits: Fenghua Apparel of Hong Kong would sue them for infringement.

"Pengcheng Seventh Factory is our sole authorized manufacturer. Any counterfeit on the market constitutes serious infringement. Here are the relevant documents and patent authorization."

The management office staff were first stunned, then scrambled into chaos.

They'd never encountered this—should an infringement lawsuit arise, it would become an international incident.

"Please wait—we need to verify. We'll respond by tomorrow at the latest."

The staff stared oddly at Hao Jian—how had he prepared so thoroughly, obtaining their contract details? Why hadn't he spoken up earlier? Was he deliberately seeking revenge?

Hao Jian, uncertain, took the weary Luo Runbo out to eat and rest. He'd seen too many "delay tactics" these days—he didn't know if this foreign monk could truly chant the right sutra.

But before 7 p. ., representatives from several counterfeit factories arrived.

"Oh, Boss Hao, we're all brothers and compatriots—let's talk reasonably! You've done this—now foreigners will laugh at us!"

"."

Hao Jian truly couldn't believe it—how fast had their faces changed in just a few days?

After a few minutes of probing, he learned Luo Runbo hadn't even filed infringement suits yet—the foreign buyers who'd signed contracts were already demanding breach compensation from these counterfeit factories.

What now?

Hao Jian felt terrible.

If brothers have disputes, we lock the door, grab shovels and benches, and settle it ourselves.

But if outsiders profit from both sides, Hao Jian felt he was betraying his own people.

(End of Chapter)