I was a tycoon in World War I: Starting to save France

Chapter 18 I Almost Got Duped

"One hundred thousand francs!"

Bonnet is a shrewd businessman. He broke through Djokovic's psychological defenses and offered an attractive price.

Seeing that Djokovic was still hesitating, Bonnet added:
"No one else will offer such a good price, Mr. Deyoka. Like I said, they can choose to copy it, but they certainly won't be willing to spend money to buy your copyright!"

Dejoka turned his gaze to Charles, he was obviously tempted. At a time when workers only earned 28 francs a month, 10 francs was not a small sum, not to mention that there were countless invisible hands around trying to seize it!
Charles remained silent. He recalled what Bonnet had said in his mind and concluded:

He used the threat of the two hundred families to put pressure on Deyoka, and then used 10 francs to lure him, using both the stick and temptation... Bonnet knew how to do business.

Bonnet looked at the two silent people and felt secretly proud. He thought that the battle was already won and they had no other choice!

However, Bonnet still underestimated Charles.

He didn't expect that Charles, as an inventor, also had a business mind. During the entire negotiation, Bonnet was targeting Djoka and didn't guard against Charles. Perhaps it was because Charles was sitting harmlessly aside, acting like an ignorant boy.

"Mr. Bonnet!" Charles spoke, his tone neither hurried nor slow, with the immaturity of a teenager but sonorous and powerful: "If things are really as you said, you don't have to rush here at the moment when we apply for industrial property rights, am I right?"

The smile on Bonnet's face froze, but his years of business experience had enabled him to remain calm in times of crisis. He smiled softly, "Mr. Charles, this is my style. I also require my subordinates to do the same. Otherwise, there would be no Little Journal!"

This makes sense. The most important thing in running a newspaper and occupying the market is to seize opportunities in time.

But Charles didn't believe his lies.

"I guess you must have been prepared!" Charles glanced at the lobby outside the VIP room and said, "You paid your staff in advance to keep an eye out for people who apply for industrial property rights for tanks, and report to you immediately if there is one!"

Bonnet responded with a smile, meaning "That's still my style."

Charles made a judgment: "If things are really as you said, no one except you will offer a higher price, then now should not be the best time to negotiate, don't you think?"

Bonnet's smile gradually froze on his face. He didn't notice the loophole and didn't know how to fill it.

Djoka didn't understand at first, but when he saw Bonnet's strange expression, he carefully considered what Charles had just said, and then he suddenly realized:

"You're right, this is not the best time to buy property rights!"

"Mr. Bonnet should have let us run into obstacles outside, and only take action when the two hundred families have strangled us and beaten us to the point where we are covered in wounds and have only one breath left!"

"This way we can buy the industrial property rights of the tank at the lowest price, and we will be grateful for it!"

"But Mr. Bonnet chose this moment, before we even stepped out of the door of the town hall, to buy it at a high price of 10 francs... Why?"

Djokovic became more and more excited as he spoke, and his last sentence was a bit provocative.

He could almost conclude that Bonnet was in such a hurry because there were other people who were planning to buy the industrial property rights of the tank, and the price was likely to be much higher. Bonnet was speechless. This was not something that could be explained away by "style". It was against common sense. No businessman would refuse to buy at a low price. If he refused, there must be a reason, otherwise he would have gone bankrupt long ago.

"But..." Bonnet struggled: "The price I offered is very reasonable, don't you think?"

He glanced at the two of them in a panic, his eyes as sincere as possible: "If you produce tanks on your own, you may not be able to earn 10 francs under their suppression!"

Djokovic didn't know how to refute. The suppression of the two hundred families was an objective reality. It was impossible for them to allow the Bernard family to monopolize tank production. This was a fact that had to be acknowledged.

So, the price of 10 francs is indeed reasonable.

But Charles still ruthlessly exposed Bonnet's lies:

"No, Mr. Bonnet, you seem to have forgotten the Paris Convention!"

Bonnet looked at Charles in disbelief, then said "hmm" calmly:
"Oh, yes. I seem to have forgotten it. Well, if you are not satisfied with the price, we can talk about it again!"

Djokovic understood the truth instantly.

The full name of the Paris Convention is the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. It is a convention established in Paris in 1883 by Britain, France, Russia and other countries. Its purpose is to protect the international rights of inventors.

Before the Paris Convention, industrial property rights between countries were difficult to maintain, and even a group of professional "plagiarists" emerged: they always paid attention to the property registrations of other countries. Once a new property registration was made public, they would immediately copy it to their own country and register it first. When the real inventor wanted to register in that country, they found that they had become "plagiarists."

The Paris Convention stipulates that invention applications in all contracting countries can be deemed to have been filed on the date of the first application filed in their own country, which prevents the invention from being registered in other countries.

In other words, Charles' tank industrial property rights can also be registered in the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States and other countries.

These countries also need tanks. Britain and Russia are at war at the moment and are allies. They are outside the sphere of influence of the two hundred families, so the value of the tank industrial property rights is more than 10 francs!
Djoka seemed to be unable to stand Bonnet's face and didn't want to talk to him anymore. He pulled Charles up and said:

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Bonnet, this is not something we can decide. We still need to consult my father's opinion!"

"You know, he's always the boss of the Bernard family!"

Djokovic was quite restrained. He did not want to offend Bonnet. After all, he was the owner of Le Petit Journal and the media he controlled had the final say.

"Of course!" Bonnet nodded helplessly, stood up and handed a business card to Djokovic and Charles respectively: "If you two change your minds, please feel free to contact me! And the price is negotiable!"

Bonnet emphasized the last sentence, the underlying meaning being that no matter how much others offer, I can offer a higher price!
Finally, he did not forget to praise Charles: "That is a great invention, Mr. Charles. It saved France. Salute to you!"

Djoka led Charles out of the city hall, looked back with lingering fear, and said with emotion:
"I almost fell for this guy's trick. Fortunately, you, Charles! You defeated this arrogant guy!"

Djokovic looked at Charles, his eyes full of pride. Adolescents change so quickly, it is hard to believe that he is still a minor!

(End of this chapter)