Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 341 Another City Victory

"I dare not accept the title of second-in-command. We are a joint-stock company, and I am just a vice president in name only." Although President Li was pleased to hear Yan Hui's words, he really dared not accept the position.

"In any case, we are very grateful that you came in person. I brought some samples with me." Yan Hui said, taking out five more samples and placing them on the table.

"No rush, I just wanted to ask if Mr. Yan has a company in Chang'an? Has our product been tested by the local environmental protection department? We're always a bit cautious about new products within our company," Mr. Li said.

"Do we need a certificate from the local environmental protection department?" Yan Hui was taken aback.

"Well, that's a long story. Or, Mr. Yan, do you have any examples of cooperation with local car companies? If so, could you tell me about them? Our current purchasing department has rather strict requirements."

After communicating with Mr. Li for more than ten minutes, Yan Hui roughly understood Mr. Li's thoughts.

Overall, the company is somewhat conservative, and the local regulations are quite strict.

“Mr. Li, I’m here with great sincerity. I can guarantee the quality of my goods, and the price will be much lower than that of our competitors. If we use 1 of these 700ml polyurethane bottles every month, we can save our factory at least 50 yuan per month, and 600 million yuan per year.” Yan Hui didn’t want to hear any more nonsense and just presented the price directly. “You should understand what that means. Moreover, our current production capacity is limited. If the entry requirements are so high, I think it will be difficult to carry out further cooperation.”

"Well..." General Manager Li was still somewhat hesitant. "General Manager Yan might not understand, but our procurement isn't calculated that way now. We're a joint-stock company."

"So, this matter needs the board's approval?" Yan Hui roughly understood what was going on.

There's a significant difference between a joint-stock company and a company like his. At Heng Hui Chemical, Yan Hui personally owns 80% of the shares and has almost 100% say. He can make decisions after analyzing everything, and he'll agree to anything that benefits the company.

However, joint-stock companies are different. Joint-stock companies have shareholders' meetings, boards of directors, and supervisory boards. If a vice president like Mr. Li has very few shares, then his say is not very high. Moreover, Mr. Li may not care so much about whether the company saves money. He may be worried about whether this procurement change will affect the personal interests of other shareholders.

"That's how it is," said Mr. Li.

“Actually, Mr. Li, you misunderstood. I think that the more it is a joint-stock company, the more responsible it should be to its shareholders. I know what the traditional procurement process is, but our products can completely bypass this process. Of course, I know the rules.” Yan Hui said, handing over a thick package of materials. “This contains relevant materials and information. I hope Mr. Li can take a look at it carefully.”

“I’m not a professional either, but since Mr. Yan is so confident, I’ll still take a closer look at the relevant materials. You’re right, we have to think about the interests of our shareholders.” Mr. Li’s attitude changed immediately upon seeing the package of materials.

Anyone with eyes could see what was in that kit, but no one would say it. In this era where there were almost no voice recorders or cameras, some things could be very straightforward.

“Of course, Mr. Li, I think we will have a long-term cooperation.” Yan Hui nodded. “I wonder if Mr. Li is free tonight?”

"I can't give you an answer right now. I need to hurry back to the company and talk to the people in the lab to see if there's any possibility of basic cooperation. So, Mr. Yan, I'll arrange lunch for you, and then wait for my message in the afternoon, okay?" Mr. Li said confidently. "Since you've come here, you probably haven't tried the local cuisine, right? Please do me the honor of having lunch, and I'll have the driver take you there."

"Alright, thank you in advance!" Yan Hui said gratefully. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, President Li left the reception room with the materials.

As soon as Mr. Li left, Song Zhiyuan stood up, looked outside to make sure everyone was out of sight, and then asked, "Brother Hui, I don't know how to do this. Our products are so good, why would we need to give gifts?"

“Company interests and personal interests are not the same thing,” Yan Hui shook his head. “Don’t be fooled by the fact that Mr. Li is the so-called vice president of the company. He has a say, but he is still getting paid. No matter how good our products are, if we want to get past him, we still have to satisfy his personal interests. Of course, our company doesn’t have a relevant public relations system for this right now. I’ll handle it all in the early stages. Once the business becomes more routine, I’ll start allocating this kind of authority.”

"Understood." Song Zhiyuan was used to this kind of thing.

When Yan Hui was working as a timber "broker" in Fengtian, he would often offer cigarettes to some clients in order to maintain relationships with them.

This is especially true in the business world, where drinking culture is unavoidable. Only by drinking together can people let down their guard and become more familiar with each other.

If all goes well, once Mr. Li finishes his work for the day, we can arrange a proper banquet tonight, and the deal will be finalized. After all, Yan Hui's products are truly excellent; they're not the kind of products that require pulling strings to get in.

"Mr. Yan, may I ask about this?" Yao Xin measured the thickness.

"You'll find out later," Yan Hui said, without answering the question.

At noon, Mr. Li was too busy to come over, so he arranged for the driver to take everyone to eat authentic Chang'an cuisine. After lunch, the three of them returned to the hotel to rest. Yan Hui even took a shower and took a short nap.

Yan Hui had only been asleep for about 20 minutes when he was woken up by a phone call from Zhou Ping. After communicating with him, Yan Hui was no longer sleepy and began preparing for his next trip.

Yan Hui plans to visit four companies on this trip.

Before leaving, Song Zhiyuan contacted many car companies. These four companies had all received samples and expressed their intention to cooperate. In theory, all deals could be reached, it was just a matter of time.

After these four deals are finalized, Yan Hui will return to the company to handle various production and transportation matters, leaving the business development to Song Zhiyuan, Yao Xin, and others. He will only go if there are large orders that require his assistance.

In the afternoon, as Yan Hui had expected, General Manager Li called him enthusiastically, insisting on arranging a dinner party for that evening. He gave Yan Hui an address and set a time.

Yan Hui readily agreed, knowing that he had secured the deal. However, being sensible, he was the one who would pay the bill, even though it was arranged by President Li.

In short, there's no simpler business in the world; if you have a good product, negotiations are incredibly easy. Before contacting leading companies, the difficulties won't be significant.

(End of this chapter)