I feel right at home in the world of the courtyard house.

"What's going on? The local Swiss manufacturer isn't even offering to pick us up. Is this how they do things?"

As soon as Li Jing'an got off the plane and arrived at the Swiss airport, he was surprised to see that it was still the embassy staff who came to pick him up. He turned to the liaison officer next to him and asked, his tone already showing annoyance.

"Yes, boss, I've contacted them, and they gave us their address so we can just go there to discuss things."

"What? Is this how you do business? Is this how you treat your customers?" Li Jing'an was even more furious after hearing this. "They don't understand any social etiquette at all. I don't know how they manage to survive. They're so stubborn! It's simply incomprehensible!" In Li Jing'an's mind, this kind of behavior was unforgivable. Customers fly all the way here, and instead of providing them with good food and drinks, they don't even have a basic courtesy?

Then Li Jing'an's anger flared up again—they didn't stop in Zurich, but went directly to the factory's location, a remote little town. Standing in the hotel, Li Jing'an looked out the window; it really did look like a small town, similar to one in China—sparsely populated, with few buildings and hardly any people. His heart sank.

How could he possibly learn about the local customs and traditions, or have in-depth conversations with the locals? This completely disrupted his plans.

What's even more infuriating is yet to come.

The next day, we went to visit the factory. Upon arrival, only a deputy factory manager came out to greet us and give us a briefing. Not only were there no high-ranking company leaders, but not even the factory's top manager. We were completely disregarded; they were incredibly arrogant.

Around noon, the company's representatives finally arrived and met with Li Jing'an and his team at the factory. Li Jing'an thought they were finally getting to the main course, but instead, they were served a simple lunch in the factory canteen. Li Jing'an's resentment towards the company grew even stronger, but for the sake of the country's cause, he endured it.

In the afternoon, all his team members went to the production line and testing site to inspect the equipment and measure data. Li Jing'an didn't go; he sat down in a small conference room with the people from the machinery company headquarters to discuss some key issues.

There were only three people in the meeting room: one was sent by the other party's head office, one was the translator brought by the other party, and the other was Li Jing'an. The translator brought by Li Jing'an had gone to the factory with the group members.

Li Jing'an was very satisfied with this situation. After all, he was the other party's translator, so some things could be said openly.

"Hello, Mr. Commander, I'm the Marketing Director of Sandvik. You can call me Hans." The other man stood up politely and shook hands with Li Jing'an. Li Jing'an shook hands with him perfunctorily, waiting for the other man to speak further.

"This morning, your team arrived at our company and saw our equipment. We are a world-leading mining equipment company with a well-established reputation. We also have a history of cooperation with China. We are very honored that you chose us as your first stop for your inspection, and we hope to finalize this order."

After the translation was completed, Li Jing'an nodded in agreement.

"As for whether we will ultimately choose your company's product or another company's, we need to conduct careful comparisons and measurements, but ultimately it comes down to price and compatibility. Of course, this is only the initial contact; the final decision will depend on the results of our investigation and whether your equipment meets our needs."

"Rest assured, as a leading global company, we cover all the equipment categories you need. We are also confident that our products will pass your tests."

"Haha, that's too early to say. You know our financial situation is very difficult. The main issue is price; we hope your company can offer a favorable price."

"Our company has always been very transparent with its prices, which is well-known globally. However, we can make slight concessions for larger orders," Hans explained.

Li Jing'an frowned: "If it's just a small concession, it'll be difficult. You know, for our country, with orders worth ten or twenty million US dollars, and the country's foreign exchange reserves so tight right now, that price is really hard to negotiate."

"Of course, it's not entirely hopeless, but you need to find the key people, the decision-makers," Li Jing'an added.

After listening to the translator's words, Hans smiled and said, "Commander, we know you are the head of this delegation, and also the highest-ranking person in the metallurgical system. I think, no one else is more important than you, right?"

"You're exaggerating. You probably don't know that such a large foreign exchange expenditure requires discussion and decision-making at the highest level. Of course, I also have some right to offer suggestions, but it still depends on your company's sincerity," Li Jing'an said meaningfully.

Hans leaned forward slightly, a smile on his face: "If you can help us with the networking, our company can reimburse your expenses for a meal at a fine restaurant, provide some exquisite gifts, and cover part of your travel costs."

The more Li Jing'an listened, the more indifferent his expression became. He cursed inwardly: "Damn it, are they trying to fob me off like a beggar?"

"That won't do. If I accept these things from you, wouldn't that be embezzlement and bribery? That completely goes against my beliefs and ideals."

"Commander, please rest assured, we will not tarnish your faith. This is merely a necessary public relations expense, a small token of our appreciation. Of course, we will also express our gratitude for your hard work and dedication."

As he spoke, he pulled a small bag from under the table, placed it on the table, and pushed it towards Li Jing'an: "This is a small gift we prepared for you as a token of our friendship. It's provided by an ordinary watch manufacturer in Switzerland. Please don't refuse it yet. This gift is something we're giving you to build a personal friendship with; it has nothing to do with this order, so please don't worry."

Li Jing'an, who had just been about to refuse, finally relaxed upon hearing this. He then picked up the small bag, took out the box inside, and said, "Actually, it doesn't matter whether it's a watch or not; I just need to check the time. But you guys are in the mining machinery business, and I work in the same industry back home, so we're practically colleagues. If I refuse, it would seem like I'm being unreasonable."

Upon opening the package, his eyes lit up as he looked at the watch before him. Hans quickly introduced it: "Commander, this is the Royal Oak series, a recent release from Audemars Piguet, a Swiss watch manufacturer. It's been very popular. I think, given your status—"

Li Jing'an looked at the watch in front of him and was indeed quite satisfied; it was avant-garde and stylish. But his purpose on this trip wasn't in the watch itself. He put it down, placed it in the box, and said, "Thank you for your company's kindness; I accept it. But the matter you mentioned is quite difficult. After all, such a large expenditure can't be handled with just a small watch. I might need a substantial consulting fee to persuade the key personnel in the relevant departments."

Li Jing'an glanced at the watch in the box and scoffed inwardly: This is truly a capitalist's sugar-coated bullet. Damn it, I'll eat the sugar and fire the bullet back. They think they can subdue me with such a small trinket? Do they really think I've never seen or tasted anything like this before? They're treating me like a beggar.

In the end, the other party didn't budge, only giving vague answers and refusing to discuss the issue of kickbacks—it's just a case of a big company bullying its customers!

For the next two days, Li Jing'an maintained a vague, superficial communication with the other party, though he was already quite impatient. If it weren't for the fact that the team members were still at the factory testing and he needed to complete some necessary data recording and work, he would have already prepared to head home and check out other companies—after all, Switzerland had more than just his company.

Finally, after the team members had collected all the data and prepared all the materials, they set off back to Zurich to prepare for the visit of another Swiss company.