Chapter 1030: Do Not Beat Customers Without Cause

"That's really... that's really..."

Kuwaiti businessman Mohammed At was truly at a loss for words when Li Xuewu emphasized this point seriously.

Li Xuewu spread his hands and signaled him to look forward; the shooting training over there was already prepared.

Bang! Bang! Bang!...

The shooting sound of the 66-6 sniper rifle was a bit louder than the Type 56 semi-automatic.

Of course, this might have something to do with the effect produced by the muzzle kinetic energy.

Anyway, Li Xuewu felt that holding the 66-6 felt heavier in the hand, and the sound was crisper.

Why compare the 66-6 with the Type 56 semi-automatic, and not the Type 56?

Because the latter doesn't have comparability. When Li Xuewu fired the Type 56, he didn't care about the volume of the sound at all, only about how many enemies he could knock down.

"This! How much for this?"

The shooting results hadn't been announced at the target range yet, but At couldn't wait to ask for the price.

Li Xuewu waved his hand calmly, reminding him to keep watching.

At, however, said: "I don't care what it's called or where it comes from; I can judge how much it's worth on my sales list."

"Don't look at the advertisements!"

Li Xuewu turned his head slightly to remind him: "Look at the actual combat effectiveness."

"Report!"

The target range roared the shooting results through a loudspeaker, and someone handed over the target paper.

Li Xuewu didn't take it, but confidently signaled for it to be handed to At to look at.

At didn't look at it either, but pointed at the team that had just tested and said: "I want to see the shooting level under extreme conditions."

Li Xuewu didn't respond, but nodded toward the Light Weapons Institute team, and they had already received his meaning.

Subsequently, At saw a scene that shocked him at the courtyard's simulated urban rescue and emergency handling site.

Fast, decisive, well-commanded, and well-trained—he was shocked by the combat effectiveness of the troops here, and even more shocked by the equipment on the special service brigade members.

Including the mounting system and weapon service system, this undoubtedly added many winning chips for individual combat.

"That! That! I want that!"

At's eyes lit up as he pointed at the special service team members and said to Li Xuewu in a near-urgent voice.

Then he realized he had ignored the language barrier and turned to urge the accompanying translator to translate quickly.

Hearing the translator's relay, Li Xuewu nodded with a smile and beckoned to the special warfare team members who had finished their training mission.

Pazile led a small special service team and ran over, standing neatly in front of them.

"Report! First Battalion Special Service Brigade Third Squad is executing hostage rescue training, please instruct! First Battalion Deputy Battalion Commander Pazile!"

"At ease!"

After returning the salute, Li Xuewu gave the order: "First row, first person, step out!"

"Yes!"

The young soldier first took a step forward, then ran to Li Xuewu's front with his hands clenched.

After Li Xuewu nodded, he turned and signaled to the burning-eyed At: "You can look at it up close, but you can't touch it."

The little soldier was also a bit confused—what kind of thing can be looked at but not touched?

At first sized up the little soldier's physical fitness, then carefully observed the hanging gear on his body, and pointed at the weapons attached to him to inquire.

The translator first relayed it to Li Xuewu, and only after getting his consent would he translate the explanation given by the little soldier.

The more he asked, the faster At's heart jumped; these little things looked unremarkable, but they really had miraculous effects.

The Ugly Country's troops were actually engaging in this stuff, but they didn't have such a system, and even less did they have the complexity seen before him.

Of course, he didn't look at the material of these pieces of equipment, only at the design.

Li Xuewu had already told him that he could only look and not touch, which proved there were tricks inside.

If you really want them, buy them back and look at them slowly; there's plenty of time.

"This stuff, you guys developed it yourselves?"

At looked at Li Xuewu with some surprise, his tone carrying a trace of suspicion, but he couldn't find the origin of this hanging gear.

Li Xuewu looked at him and said lightly: "Of course, just like the 66-6 sniper rifle, pure independent research and development, possessing independent R&D ideas."

"..."

At didn't say anything on the surface, but he was muttering in his heart: Don't talk about that 66-6 sniper rifle; if I take it out, I'll hang a Russian brand on it to sell, otherwise it will definitely be stuck in my hands.

Of course, you can say that the 66-6 has slight differences from the Russian rifle, but I absolutely won't say which one it's copied from; I can only tell you it's an experimental product from a certain batch.

As long as it's easy to use, in Africa or East Asia, this stuff is definitely a hot commodity.

At is a hardware businessman, and hardware also includes weapons, right?

He had also been holding back for a long time before he found things he was interested in at the Steel Mill.

Of course, he also needs the Steel Mill's hardware products, and he will go to talk about them later.

"Mr. Li, the 66-6 sniper rifle you mentioned is too expensive; give me a realistic price."

At smiled and said: "If the price is appropriate, I will make a large-scale purchase, large-scale."

"This is already a friend price."

Li Xuewu spread his hands and said: "If someone else came, I absolutely wouldn't give this price; you belong to the first foreign businessman to choose it."

"No~ no~ no~"

At waved his hand and said: "I'm not a sucker; I sincerely want to reach this cooperation, including those."

He pointed at the strange hanging gear on the soldiers who had left, as well as the small tools on their bodies.

"If the price is appropriate, I will purchase them as a set."

"No, you misunderstood!"

Li Xuewu looked at At seriously and emphasized: "Firearms are firearms, hanging gear is hanging gear, equipment is equipment."

He pointed at the clothing introduction on those soldiers and asked: "You wouldn't think this is ordinary combat clothing, would you?"

After speaking, he grabbed a little soldier on duty and opened his combat uniform, signaling At to look inside.

"Fine canvas fabric, windproof and breathable, with warm fur inside, and special reinforcement and portable design in key positions."

Li Xuewu let go of the soldier's combat uniform, shrugged his shoulders, and said: "It seems you still have a certain misunderstanding of our combat effectiveness."

"Sorry, my eyes were attracted by it."

At pointed at the Type 56 in the little soldier's hand with a smile and explained: "Its sales volume in the international market is very fierce; no matter how much you purchase, you don't have to worry about selling it."

Li Xuewu nodded and said: "You can trust our quality; as long as we are using it ourselves, we absolutely won't pit ourselves."

After speaking, he patted his arm and signaled to walk out together, saying while walking: "You want the 66-6, and I won't lie to you—its production cost is truly not low."

"You are a weapon supplier; you know very well how many hurdles and tribulations a weapon needs to experience from project establishment and R&D to production and equipping."

Li Xuewu turned his head to look at At and said: "I need you to give me a definite sincerity before I can answer your request."

"Sincerity? I understand."

At nodded knowingly and said: "You should know that 7 years ago, many countries in Africa became independent, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Madagascar, etc."

"At the same time, you should also know that peace is still a luxury item urgently needed for some nations and countries."

He looked at Li Xuewu with a smile and said: "I am just sending the solution to peace over there and handing it to them."

"Hmm—"

Li Xuewu let out a slightly teasing sound through his nose, then looked at At and said: "This is the first time I've heard someone talk about selling war so fresh and refined."

"You of course don't understand me; actually, I also do hard work, and all the money I earn is blood money."

At spread his hands and said: "If it wasn't for money, do you think I would have to run so far to your country?"

"I of course understand."

Li Xuewu affirmed: "The world political landscape is changing, and we are on the road to rise; the only ones who can wrestle with the Russians and the Ugly Country are us."

He looked at At and asked: "Can you still find a weapon supply channel that is not restricted by these two parties?"

"Mr. Li is truly a smart person."

At laughed, without any embarrassment at being seen through, but said frankly: "I don't avoid my profession, but I want to emphasize that I have never thought about hurting anyone."

"Of course, I especially agree with your point of view."

Li Xuewu looked at At and smiled slightly, saying: "Doing trade cannot have any stance; maintaining neutrality is the greatest respect for trade."

"So, you've said so much, how many do you actually want?"

"Oh, Mr. Li, I thought you understood what I meant."

At said with some disappointment: "The space for our cooperation is infinite; you also need to share these good things with the brothers in Africa, right?"

"Mr. At."

Li Xuewu looked at At seriously and emphasized: "I just said that maintaining neutrality is the greatest respect for trade; now we don't want to interfere with anyone's decisions through trade."

"Also, if you want these things, we are not your direct trading object."

He nodded slightly and said: "You need to give me a clear attitude right now, otherwise I can't determine your sincerity, which will directly affect the subsequent cooperation."

Li Xuewu raised his eyebrows and said: "Mr. At, you wouldn't want to affect the subsequent operations because of this situation, right?"

"Five hundred."

At looked at Li Xuewu and asked: "What price?"

"Fifteen thousand, dollars."

Li Xuewu shrugged his shoulders and said: "The number you mentioned makes me doubt your influence and ability."

He looked sideways and said: "The places you mentioned don't seem to have this kind of precision shooting rifle, right?"

"They are all too poor and might not be able to afford it."

At smiled bitterly: "Even these five hundred are prepared to test the waters for Kuwait; not everywhere is as rich as we are."

"Hmm, I believe this."

Li Xuewu smiled slightly: "If someone uses this rifle to make a decisive attack in a certain battle, I believe you will get rich."

"Oh! No!"

At looked at Li Xuewu with a bitter smile and spread his hands: "You can't say that; do you think I'm a devil?"

Li Xuewu looked at him with a smile and got into the car.

Whether he is a devil or not, he doesn't know, but he knows that businessmen have no conscience, and the more international the businessman, the more so.

"How did the talk go?"

There was a briefing meeting at 7:00 in the evening; the negotiation end times presided over by several factory leaders were different, so the times for eating dinner in the small canteen were also different.

When Li Xuewu came back, it was already off-duty time, and after Qin Huairu's reminder, he came to the small canteen for dinner.

He met Xue Zhifu on the way upstairs, and the two sat at a table.

"Took him to see the weapons and equipment, then went to the Light Weapons Institute to see the R&D site, and later took him to visit several units that purchase weapons."

Li Xuewu sighed slightly and said: "Why do I feel that the richer people are, the stingier they are?!"

He shook his head slightly at Xue Zhifu and said: "A 66-6 sniper rifle for 15,000, and he still wants to bargain with me; it's really losing face."

"Cough~ cough! How much?!"

As soon as Li Xuewu finished speaking, Xue Zhifu was choked by the soup in his bowl.

He looked at Li Xuewu in disbelief and asked: "How much did you just say the gun was?"

"Fifteen thousand."

Li Xuewu curled his lips and said: "Is it very surprising? Excellent sniper rifles in the international market are just expensive."

"No... that... that..."

Xue Zhifu looked at Li Xuewu stutteringly and asked: "What is your recommended price for other units?"

"Seven hundred and fifty yuan."

Li Xuewu said very frankly: "This is the selling price for the interior, just the cost plus a portion of the operating price, so it's naturally cheap."

"It's very high, too high."

Xue Zhifu put down his chopsticks and reminded: "Compared to the domestic selling price, your quotation has doubled twenty times; how could the other party be willing?"

"Hmm—no, no, it's not twenty times."

Li Xuewu pursed his lips, looked at the stunned Xue Zhifu, and reminded: "I said fifteen thousand, and the unit isn't our currency, but dollars."

Watching Xue Zhifu's eyes widen and his mouth open, he shook his head and emphasized: "He is an international businessman; I naturally have to talk to him about international transaction currency."

"Dol—dollars?"

Xue Zhifu hesitated: "Doesn't that mean that compared to the domestic selling price, your quotation has doubled nearly seventy times?"

"Ask for a high price, pay back the money."

Li Xuewu ate a mouthful of rice and said: "And I didn't say I wouldn't let him bargain."

"You... really ruthless."

Xue Zhifu shook his head slightly and sighed: "I wouldn't dare to quote like you; I'd be afraid of scaring people away."

"Special circumstances; who knew he was still a demoted weapon businessman."

Li Xuewu explained: "He supplies hardware commodities to many countries and also does some weapon sales business; he does quite a mixed bag of things."

"However, this kind of person is not very trustworthy; I am also in a 'hit three poles with or without dates' mindset; after all, he is the first buyer to take a fancy to this rifle."

"Your words remind me."

Xue Zhifu looked at Li Xuewu and reminded: "You must pay attention to foreign influence; this stuff is not easy to sell."

"Of course, how could I sell this kind of thing!"

Li Xuewu said amusedly: "I am only responsible for introduction and quotation; as for the later transactions, it has nothing to do with us."

Xue Zhifu was slightly stunned, looked at him and asked: "What do you mean?"

"Not selling, or not selling directly?"

He thought for a moment and asked: "Are you planning to cooperate with him and act as an agent?"

"No, impossible; I don't trust him."

Li Xuewu denied: "Any industrial project can carry out technical and equipment replacement cooperation with foreign businessmen, but military engineering absolutely cannot."

He looked at Xue Zhifu and said: "One is that it's taboo, and the other is that it's unnecessary; we are all doing business without capital, and this kind of money is too cool to earn."

After speaking, he clipped a mouthful of vegetables and stuffed them into his mouth, saying vaguely: "I contacted the Investigation Department and asked them to help get a few more excellent guns from the market outside."

"What for?"

Xue Zhifu asked in surprise: "You want to copy again? Take the imitation route?"

"Low cost, high return."

Li Xuewu looked at him and smiled, saying: "We have the convenience of special steel, and the Light Weapons Institute to support R&D; it's good to engage in some imitation processing of characteristic hardware."

Xue Zhifu looked at him and shook his head slightly, asking: "You definitely aren't thinking like this; is there another purpose?"

After speaking, he shoveled a few mouthfuls of rice and said amusedly: "You person, whatever you do, you have to plan very meticulously, even how to answer questions."

"Is this a compliment or a criticism?"

Li Xuewu smiled, ate a few mouthfuls of rice, then put down his chopsticks, drank a mouthful of soup, and then explained: "It's not that complicated; I just simply want to try whether the theory of bad money driving out good money is suitable for the weapon market."

After speaking, he tore off a piece of paper from the paper roll on the table and wiped his hands.

Xue Zhifu looked at his movements, thought for a moment, and asked: "Disturbing the international weapon market? Or attracting more foreign businessmen to purchase?"

"Hey! You are truly amazing!"

Li Xuewu looked at him and smiled: "You saw through what I wanted to do at a glance."

"Alright, you've praised me too much."

Xue Zhifu said amusedly: "Compared to you, the thinking of us old comrades is indeed slower and not flexible enough."

He said this, but in his heart, he was thinking that if the young were as smart as Li Xuewu, they would really have no room for progress.

The back waves are so brave that sooner or later they will push them onto the beach.

Engaging in these things that can't be brought to the table will indeed attract some people to contact the interior and the Steel Mill through special channels.

To do what?

Of course, it's to purchase imitation weapons in bulk and dump them into the international weapon trading market.

Even if you can't do high-end business, selling excellent weapons at a discount can also open up the situation in the low-end market.

An excellent AK47 definitely can't compare to a Type 56, right? The prices of the two are different.

But if you talk about the quality comparison, that's another story.

The rich naturally care about performance and stability, thinking that the original AK47 is better to use.

But the poor say: I hold a Type 56, and I'm not afraid of your AK47 at all; the bullets I fire can take you down just the same.

That is to say, when mass-produced weapons and equipment correspond to individuals, there is no need to consider high standards of performance.

If the price can be lowered, I believe that in the international weapon market, any famous gun has to bow to imitation products.

Of course, not all weapons and equipment can be imitated at will; it's not a matter of materials and technology, but that your imitation products aren't even as cheap as the original weapons, so how can you compete?

Li Xuewu had thought about it: even if the quality is a bit worse and the price is a bit lower, it's just effective conversion of special steel.

Actually, he was quite sincere in his weapon negotiations with At; he really didn't pit him to death.

Just think, what kind of person is Li Xuewu? If he really wanted to pit you, he would have to sell it in stages.

Either packaging, quality, or service—anyway, he lets you choose openly, but actually, no matter which one you choose, he pits you.

This is also to facilitate other business negotiations later; it's impossible to do a one-off deal and nail the other party to death.

At the briefing meeting held at 7:00 after dinner, several factory leaders reported the negotiation results of the afternoon to each other.

It can be said that the progress is uneven, with good and bad.

The negotiation blueprint had already been formulated, and even the low price was clearly marked, so presiding over the negotiations wasn't very difficult.

But when leaders preside over negotiations, situations where they are disturbed by other opinions and cooperation methods often occur.

Even changes in the negotiation rhythm will affect the subsequent progress.

Jing Yunong, who presided over the food industry and non-staple food industry negotiations, was complaining that even though the Japanese businessmen had completed the negotiations, other purchasers were still dissatisfied with the price.

Without further provision of equipment and technology, they did too little and wanted too much.

The opinion Li Xuewu gave was: talk slowly; some negotiations are like dating—at first you look dissatisfied, but after dating for a while, you get married.

Jing Yunong said he was indecent; negotiations can't be dating, they should be coaxing children.

Sometimes you want to persuade, sometimes you want to beat them.

Li Huai De laughed at her for being a bit excessive; how can you beat customers? The restaurants outside are all advertising "Do not beat customers without cause," and the Steel Mill should be even more so.

The first day of negotiations went very slowly, with everyone testing each other, but the speed picked up later.

Because the speed of foreign trade negotiations accelerated and the workload increased, Li Xuewu couldn't even take care of properly hosting his brother-in-law and younger brother-in-law who came to visit.

When he went home on Monday, his brother-in-law was already sitting at home; the two met very rarely and never had a chance to drink together.

And on Wednesday, his father-in-law came to the capital from Jin Ling for a meeting, but his brother-in-law had left on Tuesday morning.

Although his younger brother-in-law arrived, because his father-in-law was there, he didn't dare to drink and mess around with that kid.

Moreover, he ate dinner at the factory every day during these days, and after eating, he held briefing meetings to discuss tomorrow's negotiations and progress, etc.

It made his father-in-law really think he was this busy every day, and he was warmed by his frequent concern for him and his wife.

Although he was this busy, seeing his son-in-law working hard and making progress, he still felt appreciation and praise.

On the night before his meeting explanation, the father and son-in-law had their first opportunity for an intimate conversation.

Right in front of the fireplace in the downstairs living room, only the two of them—father-in-law and son-in-law—spoke frankly for a long time.

The next day, Li Xuewu specifically wanted to ask for leave to see his father-in-law and mother-in-law off, but was refused by the two elders.

His father-in-law only urged him to work hard, study steadily, and walk a life path that suited him and one he could be proud of.

Having such an enlightened father-in-law was rare, and Li Xuewu respected him deeply, taking his advice to heart.

Regarding the conflicts from the previous period, his father-in-law didn't lecture him on anything, only saying that he shouldn't have been so reckless; if he needed help with something, he should have called Jin Ling.

Li Xuewu explained that it wasn't a lack of familial affection, but rather that he didn't want to drag his father-in-law back into the great whirlpool that was the capital.

Gu Haitao naturally understood his son-in-law's thinking and was even more proud of and identified with his mature way of handling things.

At the same time, he also expressed his willingness and determination to shield his children from the wind and rain.

Li Xuewu was moved in his heart, but still insisted on his own ideas; sometimes, it was inconvenient for his father-in-law to step forward, so it was better not to affect him.

At this time, it seemed that from his position, doing some things was actually convenient, but his father-in-law's position would not allow it.

His mother-in-law's advice to him was mainly about daily life and also about the children; it was clear she was a bit reluctant to part with her little grandson.

But the capital's climate still carried a murderous chill, not suitable for a long stay.

So Li Xuewu persuaded her, and Gu Ning gave her assurances, letting her return to Jin Ling with his father-in-law.

His brother-in-law Li Xuewu did try to persuade him to stay for a few days, but he had also come back on leave, and after his father-in-law left, he also embarked on the journey back to camp the next day.

It was precisely on the day Gu Yan left that Li Xuewu received the news: Huo Ding had fallen.

It was very sudden, but also within Li Xuewu's expectations.

He didn't know the specific situation; ever since his mother-in-law mentioned this matter to him, he hadn't paid any more attention to it.

But the trees want to be still, yet the wind will not cease; the matter was started by the other party, and wanting to end it seemed to no longer be up to them.

Even if Li Xuewu didn't take any further action, there were plenty of people ready to kick them while they were down.

If you want to blame someone, you can only blame them for being arrogant and domineering, unable to see the situation clearly, and unable to see their own position.

Of course, if you ask Li Xuewu if he felt very happy, he couldn't say what he was feeling; after all, from beginning to end, both sides were merely attacking from afar, and had never faced each other with real blades and guns.

If it had been a real duel with blades and guns, Li Xuewu would have felt comfortable; after all, the feeling of personally cutting down an enemy and stepping on them was another kind of mood.

Perhaps such opportunities were rare, and in the future, he would see or experience fewer and fewer people who dared to play for their lives with him.

No, the enemies hadn't decreased, nor had they become weak; they would appear before Li Xuewu in another form, appearing on the road he was moving forward on.

Perhaps it would be conspiracies and tricks, perhaps it would be a knife hidden in a smile, perhaps it would be watching the fire from the other shore, and perhaps even more kicking someone while they were down.

It couldn't be said that once one's position was higher and status was higher, everything played was schemes and everything fought was small tricks.

Li Xuewu highly approved of that saying: fighting with heaven is endless joy, fighting with earth is endless joy, and fighting with people is endless joy.

Presiding over work, leading enterprises to flourish, and creating wealth—isn't that also a kind of struggle?

Communicating internally and externally, exchanging what one has for what one lacks, joint innovation, common development, and guiding and connecting more enterprises to walk together—isn't that also a kind of struggle?

Striving for excellence, studying hard, ideological progress, transcending oneself, and being brave in striving for the lead in work—isn't that also a kind of struggle?

On the night he communicated with his father-in-law, his father-in-law talked to him about his own tortuous life.

There had been passionate progress, there had been confusion on the road, there had been life-and-death partings, and there had been wavering beliefs.

But walking all the way here, having experienced so many things and met so many people, at his position and at his age, many things had already been let go.

Moving from the position of Deputy Chief of Staff to become a Vice President at a school—to outsiders, this was a step backward, a manifestation of retreating to the second line.

Especially at Gu Haitao's young age, it was a pity, and also a helplessness.

The situation does not depend on the person; many comrades were retreating, and if they didn't retreat, they would face another kind of choice—this was a sad status quo.

Gu Haitao chose to retreat while the current was strong for the sake of his personal career, for the sake of the team's progress, and for the sake of his family.

Even if he was busy at school, he had time to care for his family and enjoy the time spent with his wife.

Compared to the past when he would be gone for half a year at a time, he felt that life, at different times and stages, was destined to have different responsibilities and missions.

For this nation, for this country, he had already paid a lifetime of effort, even if he had walked out of a hail of bullets, his body covered in scars.

But now the era had given him a new choice, a new mission; taking a step back was not a difficulty, and certainly not an abandonment.

When high in the temple, one worries for the people; when far in the rivers and lakes, one worries for the ruler.

What Gu Haitao brought to Li Xuewu was a reflection on life attitude, and even more, a reflection on how to walk the road ahead.

Gu Haitao coming to the capital to attend the meeting counted as a signal, and also a sign.

Li Xuewu learned from the newspapers that the situation's changes up to now had basically entered the finishing stage.

That is to say, the most intense disputes would decrease, turning into a long-term, multi-party tug-of-war balance state.

What did the finishing stage mean?

It was a summary, it was a liquidation, it was...

Huo Ding was definitely not the only person to be abandoned, and definitely not the last person to be summarized.

Li Xuewu had no good impression of him, and even less hatred, because the other party had never been targeted by him as a goal.

He now just wanted to quietly watch what kind of face these people would have when they were abandoned and processed by their masters.

Of course, when these people were quietly forced out, it wouldn't be with great fanfare, and certainly not with indignation.

This ecosystem had its unique rules of the game; if you failed, then leave quietly—perhaps there would be a day of resurgence in the future, all depending on your luck and effort.

But as long as you bared your fangs and brandished your claws, holding a desperate determination, then you would definitely die very miserably, worse than Zhao Si's father.

It was a very simple truth: the people you were passively facing now were three parties.

One party was your former teammates; they needed your sacrifice, and now if you dared to refuse, you were their enemy.

One party was your former enemies; they were happy to see your side as a stray dog, and if you dared to bark randomly, they would beat you even more happily.

The last party was the people watching the fun; you left, the position was vacated, and when the teammates didn't dare to touch it or it wasn't convenient to touch it, that was their immediate gain in their eyes.

If you dared to guard that pit and not leave, you were their enemy.

Therefore, the more arrogant you were once, the more miserable you would be when you left; people in this circle all had this fate, and no one could escape the mockery of the era and destiny.

Unless you had a smart and sharp mind, knew how to advance in the face of difficulties, and also knew how to retreat while the current was strong, otherwise, what you held in your hand wasn't yours either; sooner or later, people would pry your hands open and take away what you once thought was yours and cherished the most.

It was cruel, but also very realistic; during the week of tense and fierce negotiations, Li Huai De hesitated to speak many times, and Cheng Kaiyuan was lost in thought.

The gazes of other factory leaders when looking at him were also full of thought and scrutiny.

What kind of result did such a young man want to use to reward his own wisdom and planning?

Having walked to this step today, and having easily cleared away obstacles, was this another kind of dissatisfaction with the status quo?

"Ten million? US dollars?!"

"How much? Ten million?!"

At the Saturday afternoon meeting, every time a factory leader walked in from outside the conference room, they would be shocked and suspicious of this information.

The factory was already buzzing; Deputy Director Li of the Commission had signed a large order with a foreign businessman, with a total value exceeding ten million US dollars.

Converted, that was nearly 36 million; what kind of concept was this?

Last year at the Yangcheng Export Commodity Fair, the steel mill signed a total of three years of export commodity orders, with a total value of only over 60 million.

Deputy Director Li alone had completed half of last year's trade creation target, and this was just the order for the military industry and automotive projects.

"Actually, it's a bit complicated."

Many people poured into the conference room, and the workers in the third-floor corridor who heard the news all ran over.

They didn't care about meeting discipline or work requirements; seeing the conference room door open, everyone wanted to hear this good news.

Li Xuewu sat on Li Huai De's right hand, looking at the people present and the leaders with surprised gazes somewhat awkwardly.

"The order is divided into three parts to be completed, and each part has different trade terms."

"Let me confirm again!"

Li Huai De pressed his hand, reminding the workers present to be quiet, then looked at Li Xuewu and asked formally, "The total order value is ten million, US dollars, right?"

Li Xuewu pursed his lips, nodded helplessly, and said seriously, "Yes!"

"Oh! ——"

There was no need to say anything else; the workers present instantly cheered and applauded.

Last year, after signing orders worth over 60 million, the factory dared to invest in so many basic welfare facilities; if they signed another 60 million today, wouldn't the group goal be running forward?

Li Huai De and other factory leaders also showed happy expressions, applauding with the workers on site, and at the same time cast appreciative gazes at Li Xuewu.

Li Xuewu knew that whatever he said now was useless; he could only passively bear this joy and glory.

After the workers finished their enthusiastic celebration, the secretaries of the Commission began to clear the room under the leaders' gestures.

After all, they still had to continue the meeting; today's negotiations ended early, so they could go home early for dinner.

For the leaders who had eaten in the cafeteria for a week, the food at home was more fragrant—perhaps the mood was different.

After the workers left, the secretary closed the door, and only then did Li Huai De raise his hand to signal that Li Xuewu could continue.

"Tell us, how complicated is a ten-million-dollar order?"

"Three parts."

Li Xuewu adjusted his expression and looked formally at the leaders, explaining, "They are 2.5 million US dollars, 2.5 million US dollars, and 5 million US dollars respectively."

He held up a finger and explained, "The first part: Art will purchase 500 Type 66-6 sniper rifles at a unit price of 5,000 US dollars, for a total value of 2.5 million."

"The second part: Art will purchase 1,000 Red Star Antelope engineering-version jeeps at a unit price of 2,500 US dollars, for a total value of 2.5 million."

"The third part."

Li Xuewu put down three fingers and explained to everyone, "Bullets, hardware, kitchenware, canned goods, farm tools, labor protection supplies, defensive equipment, chemical equipment, and a full set of individual equipment."

He nodded slowly and said, "The total value is 5 million US dollars, and the delivery deadline is by the end of the year at the latest."

"That is also..."

Jing Yunong was surprised and wanted to say something, but thought about it, shook his head, and said, "It really is complicated."

"It's not just that bulk procurement is difficult; it also includes requirements for procurement deadlines and quality."

Li Xuewu looked at Li Huai De and reported, "For the 500 sniper rifles, the shooting accuracy is required to meet the standards."

"The standard here is benchmarked against the original Russian rifle."

This was a closed-door meeting, so he wasn't afraid of showing weakness; naturally, he spoke as clearly as possible.

"I have already contacted the Light Weapons Institute, and they will immediately arrange for an engineering team to set off for the Steel City to conduct random inspections and calibration of the inventory there."

"Also, regarding bullet production and procurement."

Li Xuewu shook his head slightly and said, "This part needs to be contacted and cooperated with the Light Weapons Institute and other units."

"Whether it's procurement and resale or joint production cooperation, what the other party requires is the deadline and guarantee."

"I understand his meaning."

Cheng Kaiyuan tapped the table with a pencil and interjected, "He wants to sell at a high price before the first order of Russian rifles is sold after they are equipped, right?"

"Yes, he said the civilian market is easier to sell in."

Li Xuewu turned to look at him and confirmed, "Art is preparing to promote these rifles to North America, South America, and Western European countries."

"Interesting."

Xue Zhifu nodded amusedly and said, "He actually knows the principle that things are expensive because they are rare, using the two-level confrontation to enhance the commodity's special attributes."

"I didn't object, nor did I require or restrict him."

Li Xuewu explained, "But since he set the deadline and quality so strictly, I could only restrict him on the funds."

"Before the goods are delivered, a deposit of 2 million needs to be stored in the Oriental Era Bank as the payment for the final installment."

He looked at the leaders present and said, "I believe this is not the last deal; he will come back, he is interested in all of these."

"Mm-hmm, I understand."

Li Huai De nodded thoughtfully, looked at everyone, and asked, "What do you think?"

"I think this doesn't matter, and it won't involve any risks."

Jing Yunong leaned back in his chair, spread his hands to Li Huai De, and said, "We have no friendship to speak of with the Russians anymore; do we still need to care about their feelings?"

"Absolutely, we still need to be cautious."

Cheng Kaiyuan frowned slightly, looked at Li Xuewu, and reminded him, "Be careful that he is selling dog meat under a sheep's head; these firearms will be sold under his brand."

"Of course, this is possible."

Li Xuewu was certain in his heart that Art would definitely do this, but he couldn't say it at the meeting.

He nodded at Li Huai De and said, "I actually don't care much about how he handles this batch of firearms; after all, the quantity is limited."

"I care more about the impact of this matter."

Li Huai De looked at the few people, thought for a moment, and said, "We can't give up eating for fear of choking; since we have produced them, we must sell them. Being faint doesn't prevent death."

"Contact them and see which channel to go through; at least it can't go out from our factory."

"Leader, I have a proposal."

Li Xuewu took over the conversation, looked at Li Huai De, and reported, "Should we communicate with the Light Weapons Institute and the Investigation Department? I think if it goes out in the name of an experiment..."

"Experiment? Firearms experiment?"

Li Huai De was very confused by this reason; he looked at Li Xuewu, waiting for his further explanation.

Li Xuewu nodded lightly and explained, "The Light Weapons Institute entrusts Art to conduct various environmental tests on the firearms, with the Investigation Department following up and guiding."

"As for how he experiments, that's a third party's business, and it has nothing to do with us."

"Third party, this..."

Jing Yunong looked at Li Xuewu, nodded, and said, "That really is a useful excuse."