[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981":3,"chapter-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-242":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","That Year, the Flowers Bloomed in 1981",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2294660,4489,"Chapter 242","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-242",242,"\u003Cp>Hao Jian was deeply grateful to Li Ye for giving him two years to serve as a factory director, where he met many people, learned interpersonal skills, and adapted to certain environments.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Otherwise, he would have been completely fooled by the red-face and white-face tactics of several counterfeit manufacturers, and would have been utterly humiliated under their relentless barrage of grand principles.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director A: “Comrade Hao, I’m not saying this to blame you, but you brought so many pretty girls to our exhibition booth to snatch business—who could possibly tolerate that?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“So at the time, we acted on a momentary impulse and placed a few garments on the booth that weren’t much different from yours. Who knew foreign buyers took an interest? After all, it’s all about earning foreign exchange for the country—whether you sell it or we sell it, it’s the same thing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director B: “Exactly, Director Hao! These clothes all have two sleeves and two legs—our garments aren’t 100% identical to your Fenghua brand anyway!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“But you went and called in a lawyer from Hong Kong—aren’t you undermining our internal unity?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian’s mouth nearly twisted sideways, barely managing to maintain a polite smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【They’re all just two sleeves and two legs, and no two garments are 100% identical. Damn it, you just swapped buttons and labels—change your wife’s hairstyle and she becomes my daughter?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But on the surface, Hao Jian showed no sign of anger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Neither submissive nor arrogant, expressionless, never losing his temper—these were all crucial skills Hao Jian had honed over the past two years under Li Ye’s guidance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These three men, each managing enterprises with tens of thousands of workers, switched effortlessly between red-face and white-face tactics, wielded polished rhetoric, and carried an undeniable aura.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And they held the moral high ground—any ordinary person would have been overwhelmed, trembling in their seat, even beginning to doubt their own righteousness.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Comrades, we only hold a production authorization from Fenghua Company in Hong Kong—I don’t understand anything about claims or infringement!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian spoke with genuine grievance: “Besides, I didn’t even know they found out about your situation—if I had, wouldn’t I have warned you days ago?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lying with a straight face was an essential social skill for any seasoned player; when Hao Jian sold candied sesame candy, Li Ye had already spotted his talent, and over these two years of deliberate training, Hao Jian had mastered it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Director Hao, stop saying useless things,” Factory Director B said. “You have the production authorization, right? Then let’s coordinate—we’ll just say we’re acting as your distributors, and the actual manufacturer is still your Pengcheng Factory Seven. From now on, we stand together, united, ensuring no state assets suffer any loss.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You just say we’re only acting as your distributor—the actual manufacturer is still your Pengcheng Seventh Factory. From now on, we stand together, united, and guarantee no state assets will suffer any loss.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian smiled politely, but inside he was filled with contempt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【Distribute for us? Stand together from now on? Hah—soon you’ll be openly counterfeiting Fenghua garments, and Pengcheng Factory Seven will be bowing to your every whim? Are you taking me for a child?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian, influenced by Li Ye, despised those “clever” people who had nothing in hand yet tried to snatch benefits with nothing but smooth talk.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And Hao Jian had over thirty cooperative processing partners—he knew exactly how things worked inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A sika deer and a muntjac can advance and retreat together; but a sika deer cooperating with a tiger… are you bringing them nutrition—or a fur coat?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So no matter how slickly the counterfeit factory directors flattered and bluffed, he refused to commit or agree.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Say whatever you want—I’ll just let it pass through one ear and out the other. If you turn hostile, the four retired soldiers in the next room are ready to protect my safety with a single signal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian waited patiently until they finished speaking, then feigned innocence: “You’ve come to the wrong person—I’m just an employee.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If I privately authorized your production, I’d be liable for breach-of-contract penalties to the authorization holder. And if you want to fix this, you must go to the source—who’s causing you trouble now? Go find them!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three factory directors exchanged glances, pondering Hao Jian’s words: “I’m just an employee.” They sensed deeper meaning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, Factory Director B said: “We originally wanted to speak with the Hong Kong lawyer, but he said the exclusive production rights in mainland China have already been granted to you—he can’t violate the contract.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Holy shit—I thought you guys held me in high regard, but you’ve already hit a wall with Luo Runbo?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian gritted his teeth and smiled: “I can help you communicate on this, but I have no idea what the outcome will be.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then we’re grateful, Comrade Hao. Here’s a little local specialty from our hometown.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then we’re indebted to Comrade Hao, this is a little local specialty from our hometown.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s only right.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Absolutely not.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The factory directors pushed and pulled with Hao Jian several times, but he displayed “excellent character,” firmly refusing all gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing Hao Jian impervious to bribes, the factory directors grew angry—take a gift and you’re soft; eat their food and you’re silenced. If you won’t take anything, you clearly don’t want to help.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These were high-ranking cadres—they had real tempers.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director C spoke ambiguously: “Comrade Hao, did your introduction of Hong Kong patent authorizations receive approval from our foreign trade department?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director A glanced at Hao Jian and exclaimed: “Director Hao, you didn’t secretly negotiate with Hong Kong merchants, did you? At this critical moment, that’s a major taboo.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director B: “I knew it! How can our state enterprises be controlled by foreign merchants? So you’re the one who—what can I even say?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director B: “I knew it! How could our enterprise be bound by foreign merchants? So Xiao Hao, you’re—what am I supposed to say to you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian slowly lifted his eyelids, coldly, and let out a “hah.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When he sold candied sesame candy, he’d already prepared himself for jail over a few or a dozen yuan. But now, with broader horizons, he knew exactly who jail was meant for.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I pay millions in taxes annually and earn fifty thousand dollars in foreign exchange for the country—do you really think I’m not a cadre?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Comrade, the question you asked has nothing to do with your current concerns.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you arrest me and throw me in prison, Hong Kong will still file its claim—it’ll just be against the foreign merchant, and I can’t stop it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if you arrest me and throw me in jail, Hong Kong will still demand compensation—it’s just that they’ll be demanding it from the foreign merchants, and I can do nothing about it.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian’s sudden shift in demeanor startled the three seasoned factory directors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Is he about to flip the table? Or is he just too young and too impatient?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director A hurriedly said: “Director Hao, what are you talking about? Who said anything about arresting you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Director B slapped his thigh: “Comrade Hao! We’re all working for Guo Jia’s interests—how can you stand by and let foreign merchants take away the blood and sweat of our female workers? They’re claiming foreign exchange!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>They’re claiming against me, not you—why are you crying to me?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Comrade Hao, we’ll wait for your news. Please help us make the connection—we’ll be strangers once, friends twice. We’ll be allies from now on.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, alright, I’ll move quickly.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After seeing the men off, Hao Jian immediately called Beijing from the hotel phone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He reached the Pengcheng Factory Seven office in Beijing—Jin Peng answered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian said: “Brother Jin, isn’t Li Ye there?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng replied lazily: “At this hour? He’s definitely not there. He’s got school and a girlfriend—he’s super busy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng said lazily: “He’s definitely not home at this hour! He’s got school and a girlfriend—he’s super busy!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian groaned: “It’s burning down around us, and Master Li is still not waiting by the phone? Yesterday he was racing against time—today he slept and forgot everything?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Why rush? When soldiers come, send generals; when water comes, build dikes. When have we ever taken a loss?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng spoke carefree, forgetting that just days ago, he’d been even more panicked than Li Ye upon hearing the news.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if Pengcheng Factory Seven’s domestic business was booming, its profits were still in yuan. Export trade—even with only 30% foreign exchange allocation—still meant dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On their last trip to Hong Kong, the two had seen the city’s splendor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Li Ye, spending a few hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars to buy a house there and send your wife to live for two years could get you a second child.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian had only one daughter; Jin Peng hadn’t yet proven he could produce a son—the appeal was immense.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“When Li Ye arrives, call me right away! Those counterfeit factory directors came to me today—they put serious pressure on me.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They’re useless to you,” Jin Peng said without hesitation. “Since Hong Kong’s people have arrived, just sit tight. Wait for foreign trade officials to come to you. If you hold firm and refuse to budge, you might even gain some advantages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“They won’t get anything from you,” Jin Peng said without hesitation. “Now that Hong Kong’s people have arrived, you don’t need to do a thing. Just wait for the foreign trade folks to come to you. If you stick to your story and refuse to budge, you might even win yourself some real benefits.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian stared blankly for several seconds, then finally understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You guys planned this all along! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I’ve been so stressed I couldn’t eat, and my mouth is full of blisters!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hehehe~ Don’t be ungrateful, Hao Jian!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Jin Peng laughed: “Li Ye said these are valuable learning opportunities. Think about it—out of the entire Qingshui County, which factory director has ever negotiated face-to-face with so many people at the Canton Fair like you?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Believe me, if Li Ye just shouted, plenty of people would gladly take your place—eager to be stressed, eager to have blisters. My private secretary spent his whole life without ever having this much glory!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Do you think Li Ye can’t shout and find plenty of people eager to worry in your place, to blister their lips for you? My private secretary spent his whole life and never had this much glory!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hao Jian had no anger left.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past days, outside the Liuhua Exhibition Hall, he’d seen countless people trying to sneak in—each one more experienced than he was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Ning Pingping brought in the first $50,000 order, the people at neighboring booths had stared with envy and resentment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And tonight, despite hating Hao Jian with every fiber of their being, these factory directors of tens of thousands of workers hadn’t dared touch him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And you complain about not eating? About blisters?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What’s wrong with blisters? Aren’t they worth it?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If they weren’t worth it, that’d be absurd.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At eight p.m., the factory directors went to see Luo Runbo, bringing several gifts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when they arrived at the Oriental Hotel where Luo Runbo was staying, they found him on the front desk, speaking rapidly in a foreign language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But when they arrived at Luo Runbo’s hotel, the Oriental Inn, they happened to see Luo Runbo on the front desk, talking on the phone, chattering away in a foreign language.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“How would I know? I don’t understand foreign languages.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Old Zhong, you’re a college grad—what’s he saying?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Hmm… he’s talking to a British or American person… he mentioned the number two hundred eighty thousand U.S. dollars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yeah, he’s talking to a British or American person—he mentioned the number two hundred eighty thousand U.S. dollars.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“More specific… I can’t understand the rest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Be more specific. Be more specific—I still don’t understand.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At this point, the three regretted not bringing an English translator.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Luo Runbo quickly ended the call, and the three factory directors rushed forward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lawyer Luo, Comrade Hao Jian already visited you, right? Could we find a place to talk?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Actually, Factory Seven in Pengcheng is willing to grant us production authorization as well—we just need Lawyer Luo to communicate with Hong Kong, and we’re prepared to pay the appropriate licensing fees.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lawyer Luo, our capabilities are actually stronger than Pengcheng Factory Seven’s—could we…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Runbo quickly declined: “I’m only a litigation lawyer; I can handle whether to sue infringing companies and negotiate pre-trial settlement amounts, but I have no authority over production licensing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Runbo quickly declined: “I’m only a proxy lawyer; I can handle whether to sue the infringing company and discuss how much pre-trial settlement money we can get, but I have no authority over production licensing.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Chief A asked with some confusion, “What does ‘out-of-court settlement fee’ mean?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Runbo explained professionally: “It means the infringer, aware of their wrongdoing, is willing to pay us compensation to drop the infringement lawsuit.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In other words, as long as unauthorized products appear on the international market, we can sue them—and at least secure a substantial compensation.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Factory Chief B quickly asked, “Then how much would this sum usually be?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Runbo smiled and said, “That depends on my professional level. But as a rule, they’ll pass this compensation cost onto you.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>【So only we have to pay up, right?】\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three factory chiefs hated these money-obsessed exploiters more than ever.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Especially since Old Zhong had just mentioned two hundred eighty thousand U.S. dollars, and the total compensation from all three parties was roughly three hundred thousand U.S. dollars.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So all these foreign merchants did was sign a contract—and they hadn’t even seen a single cent in deposit! Yet they’d already made two or three hundred thousand U.S. dollars?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was faster than robbery!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Lawyer Luo, if we purchase products from Pengcheng Factory Seven and fulfill our orders with the foreign merchants, wouldn’t that avoid infringing your patents and production licenses?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Luo Runbo stared blankly for several seconds before grumbling, “That’s a highly technical question—I can’t give you a definitive answer.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, we’ll discuss it later.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The three factory chiefs turned and left, taking even the gifts they’d brought with them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once they were far away, Luo Runbo muttered to himself, “Didn’t you all notice how unprofessional I just sounded?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2423,"2026-06-20T05:05:01.382Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","1baa41496923890ef81940806445caa26cfe0c9b2265ba8ee8f78177121783c1","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-243","that-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-chapter-241",884,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthat-year-the-flowers-bloomed-in-1981-cover.jpg"]