My Lord, you need to stand up!

Chapter 603 A calculated move yields invaluable benefits.

However, if Wei Dong has already defined himself as an opponent, he will not take the route of honesty.

So he chose to steal chickens.

"Well, I won this agency rights at the poker table. I happened to have some connections at banks in mainland China and wanted to buy a computer, so I took on this agency rights on the side. I wonder if you have any advice for me."

Good heavens, if Qin Yuye didn't have some natural acting skills, he wouldn't know how to change his character's image at this moment.

She always tries to avoid drawing attention to her appearance during business negotiations, so she always strives to present herself as dignified and elegant, projecting the image of a sophisticated businesswoman.

Wei Dong, under the guise of holding the baby, actually spouted nonsense. She almost wanted to put a cigarette in her mouth, but she still managed to convey the message with a charming smile. She couldn't delete the translation in front of Zhou Zhiwei, but the tone and wording were a bit slangy.

The key point is that Yu Xiaoqiu actually became a bit more coquettish, fully demonstrating a bit of a worldly air.

As for Mao'er, he only glanced around at the door from the beginning, then gave Zhuoma a lookout and retreated outside.

It made it seem like this family was there to rob a gold vault.

They're all actors.

Anyway, Zhou Zhiwei probably felt that the people in front of him were changing all at once, like chameleons, but he couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly was changing.

"Yes, I joined IBM in 1968 and came to Hong Kong last year to take charge of all marketing and administrative work. Currently, our business volume in Hong Kong is much larger than that in the entire mainland region. Therefore, regarding the banking relationship you mentioned, we can take full responsibility and actively deal with it with the professional attitude of a multinational corporation to ensure the smooth operation of the business."

Wei Dong was like an underground party member: "Could you give me the list and contact information of all the offices or related business personnel in the mainland? I have a business sales network of more than two thousand people in the mainland. Let's see if there is an opportunity for overlapping cooperation."

Even with his glasses on, Zhou Zhiwei's eyes lit up: "That would be great, Michael. Have Angela help prepare the documents. This way, please. May I ask what types of business sales Mr. Rang mainly engages in in mainland China?"

Wei Dong gave a vague answer: "Electronics, daily chemical products, clothing and apparel, shipping terminals, construction and real estate."

Qin Yuye was very proud of her translation.

Sure enough, IBM had very few mainland personnel available at this time. There were two in Beijing, three in Shanghai, and six in Guangdong who had set up offices. The other five were only contacted through difficult means in hotels abroad.

Moreover, they were all Western names, and even a high school graduate could tell that the names didn't seem to have any Chinese connotations: "Are they all white?"

Zhou Zhiwei said gently, "They always ask me to go north to help, but I think it's not the right time yet, so I haven't been to the mainland yet."

Unlike the later internet age where information can be searched anytime, Wei Dong has basically never appeared in any media. From his appearance to his name, even with such a special and obscure surname, he has received very little exposure.

Even the advertisement for X Computer, which featured Yu Xiaoqiu and Wang Zhiwen, only aired for a few episodes to show that we also sell personal computers and that salespeople in various places can show them off, before it was replaced with other products.

Indeed, the computer sales market in mainland China is not yet mature enough. Even with a selling price of 599, it is difficult to achieve a market penetration of hundreds of thousands of units.

So he casually handed the list to Secretary Yu: "Greater China...which also includes Southeast Asia, right? I have some business connections there. How is IBM's market expansion in Southeast Asia going? What kind of support do they need?"

A person with a "banana" mentality who is unwilling to even investigate the mainland market would naturally have no idea about the development of X Computer in the mainland, nor would they know if they have paid attention to the evenly matched situation of Apple Computer now competing with Apple in the North American market. At least this inconspicuous administrative director of the Asia-Pacific branch did not even recognize Qin Yuye, the Asian partner who had appeared in public with Steve in North America many times.

It was completely unintentional that they were being manipulated: "We are currently focusing on Singapore's 'Civil Service Computerization Program,' which is expected to have a procurement scale of 30,000 units. This is the most important order to secure at present. Last year, we assisted the government in implementing the first 'School Computer Program,' with 5,000 computers entering Singapore's primary and secondary schools."

Oh, I think Chen Wenliang also mentioned yesterday that Singapore's purchasing power is the strongest in Southeast Asia.

Wei Dong already had a general idea in mind: "Who is in charge of liaison in Singapore? I'll get the information and communicate with him."

Alright, we've got the information on the business personnel in this area, and even detailed information on the government officials they're dealing with.

They still seem to be filled with the arrogance of multinational corporations, as if they think they can crush us in Southeast Asia and that we are invincible, and that we are treated as honored guests everywhere.

So I don't think there will be any backstabbing: "Then you should pay more attention to Malaysia. They have a 'Look East Policy' plan to introduce Japanese technology. NEC and Mitsubishi computers occupy 60% of the market. In particular, the state-owned enterprise PERNEC is assembling IBM compatible machines with an annual production capacity of 10,000 units. In this regard... due to some technical reasons, they can get related parts from some aftermarket manufacturers."

Now that Wei Dong is a qualified sales expert, upon hearing this, the information in his mind must have instantly lit up. That advanced microprocessor company has a factory in Malaysia that produces memory chips and CPUs, so can it supply computer factories?

No wonder even a "highly developed" region like Singapore can't produce its own computers, while Malaysia, which isn't particularly developed in Southeast Asia, can manage to assemble them.

If I could take over this factory, it would be killing two birds with one stone.

It also completely destroyed Malaysia's ability to produce its own computers!

There is absolutely no room for mercy between nations, and this was demonstrated in an instant.

It's not over yet.

In fact, Thailand is currently IBM's best-performing country in Southeast Asia, with Bangkok accounting for 80% of its sales, driven by huge demand from foreign banks and hotel management companies. IBM holds 40% of the sales, while Apple computers account for 15%.

This was the first time Wei Dong had ever heard the name Apple Computer, and Qin Yuye couldn't help but shift his body slightly.

Zhou Zhiwei probably felt that the three adults on the scene had involuntarily moved slightly.

Only Xiaodie, whose skills were lacking, kicked her leg and shouted, "Damn it!"

Later, Yu Xiaoqiu said that her heart was pounding in her throat.

Even she could tell how important the information Wei Dong had gleaned from her was.

Taiwanese people have also established their own computer company called Witt Computer, which assembles XT compatible machines. Last year, they produced about two thousand units, accounting for a little over five percent of the market.

Okay, based on this last data, we can conclude that the total sales volume in Taiwan last year was around 30,000 units.

So IBM sold for 12,000, and Apple sold for 4,500.

Chen Wenliang and his gang still have a lot of money to make.

Instead, Zhou Zhiwei dropped Wei Dong's original destination, Feilubin, for reasons similar to those in mainland China.

“The import of computers in the Philippines requires approval from the central bank, and the unstable power supply further restricts their use. Therefore, the Philippines mainly receives second-hand computers from Japan, which accounts for half of its business. The other half consists of second-hand computers smuggled from Hong Kong, Citibank, and Australia. Unless the central bank’s restrictions are lifted, there is no need to explore this market for the time being.”

This reminded Wei Dong of the days when he carried cured meat to Jiangzhou to sell.

This time, however, there are opponents, allies, and even double agents.

As for Indonesia, the country with the largest population in Southeast Asia, where Wei-tung was able to purchase sanitary napkin machines, there is currently no demand for them.

"Tariffs are extremely high, with a 50% tariff on the entire machine plus a luxury tax, resulting in an import tax of approximately 92%. Furthermore, the military controls computer import licenses. In the end, a few foreign oil companies account for 70% of the user base. Therefore, securing procurement from companies like ExxonMobil and Shell is a matter for headquarters, not branches. Finally, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia are disregarded because they are too poor. It is said that they receive computers as aid from Mao Zedong, Bulgaria, and other Eastern European countries, making it even less likely for them to enter the market."

Hearing your words is better than hearing any other words.

Thanks to Qin Yuye for coming over under Wei Dong's name last time, which completed the agent identity verification. They've even left Colorful Jeans upstairs for over half a year now, and the other party feels that everything is confirmed, so they're now being open and honest with each other.

They also handed over a thick stack of distributor information from various Southeast Asian countries.

Wei Dong even considered asking if we could get reimbursed for our plane tickets to Malaysia.

It really feels like they're bullying me.

Of course, he felt no guilt whatsoever; business dealings are all about deceit and treachery.

So what kind of conscience do businessmen have? Back then, seeing how hungry the Hongguang Factory was, would they be where they are today if Weidong had given them more?

It seemed that Wei Dong, the distributor, didn't ask for a single penny or any samples; he only inquired about the current sales situation in Greater China.

Zhou Zhiwei also felt that he wasn't as spoiled as he seemed, and finally revealed some information.

IBM, in partnership with Intel, is preparing to invest in building a factory on the right bank to expand chip production and reduce costs in response to the explosive growth of the global computer market.

This may be the key reason why the Greater China region, which was originally not very important in IBM's overall business, will become increasingly important.

"Your presence is also a good opportunity to discuss with you. After this Greater China agency contract expires, IBM headquarters may adjust this agency model and transfer it to direct management by the company headquarters. Whether you can create value during the remaining years of the contract will determine your future prospects at IBM..."

Wei Dong almost burst out laughing. Oh dear, the mouse was trying to make empty promises to the cat.

Of course, he kept a straight face, but Xiaodie managed to squeeze out a "Holy crap..."

The three adults finally emerged with serious expressions, while Yu Xiaoqiu clutched a large stack of documents tightly in her arms.

The mobile phone charging upstairs didn't even bother to go get it; they quickly got into the car and left, then burst into uncontrollable laughter inside the car.

As soon as the group of Apple sales assistants arrived in Hong Kong in economy class, the whole family immediately flew to Singapore.

At that moment, I realized how damn useful a diplomatic passport really is.

(End of this chapter)