The Secret of the Yoga Club: The Women's Identity is Not Simple

Several vice presidents were standing by the floor-to-ceiling window, talking in hushed tones. When they saw Lin Feng enter, they all turned around. Vice President Zhang was the first to speak, his expression complex—a mixture of surprise, shock, and a hint of helplessness at having kept it from them for so long.

"Mayor Ye's arrival is just in time." Vice President Zhang's voice was low, but everyone could understand the meaning in his tone. "With Secretary Fu's words, the negotiations should go much more smoothly. President Lin, you've made a very clever move; even we didn't know it."

A key technical staff member chimed in, his tone a belated realization: "No wonder Mr. Lin was so composed when discussing maintenance fees yesterday; he had already anticipated this."

Lin Feng didn't explain anything, just smiled faintly, walked to the conference table, and picked up his folder. "It's not that I deliberately hid it from you, it's just that this kind of relationship isn't suitable to bring up before negotiations. In business, connections can get you in the door, but what really gets the terms negotiated is solid data and logic. Mayor Ye's visit to BYD today was a normal work arrangement, our meeting with her was a coincidence, and Secretary Fu's inquiries about the project were also a matter of course, but without the solid foundation we laid in negotiations from yesterday to today, even with leaders' involvement, the other side wouldn't have conceded much."

After hearing this, Vice President Zhang remained silent for a few seconds, then nodded. Having run a business for many years, he understood the meaning behind Lin Feng's words.

Relationships are leverage, but leverage needs a fulcrum. Without solid prior negotiations and data support, the leverage of relationships won't move anything.

"But speaking of which," Vice President Zhang chuckled, "didn't you notice Lu Jianguo's expression just now? When Mayor Ye called you over, he froze for a moment, then immediately stood up straight. Later, when Secretary Fu asked about the project, he rushed to introduce it to you, and his tone was completely different from when he was negotiating with you before."

The technical expert added with a smile, "He'll definitely be thinking later, 'How did he manage to hold back for so long yesterday when you didn't mention Mayor Ye at all?'"

Lin Feng didn't respond to that, but instead opened the folder and looked at the negotiation minutes he had just compiled. "Alright, before their inspection ends, let's go over the terms we just agreed on again to make sure nothing is missed. After Lu Jianguo returns, there will likely be new progress on the maintenance fee issue."

……

Negotiations resumed at 2 p.m.

Lu Jianguo pushed open the door to the meeting room, and before sitting down, he unbuttoned his suit jacket, leaned back in his chair, and slowly began to flip through the folders on the table. This gesture made everyone present notice something different.

"President Lin, Secretary Fu's words this morning have already been relayed within the company." His tone was still that old-fashioned composure, but the pace was noticeably more relaxed. "President Wang just came over in person and asked me to convey his message—BYD will actively cooperate and expedite the implementation of the cooperation between the two parties."

Lin Feng leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers lightly on the table twice, not rushing to reply. This was exactly what he was waiting for.

Wang Chuanfu's personal visit, even if it was just to mention a few words, signifies that BYD's internal decision-making chain has been established. The next stage of negotiations isn't about whether a deal can be reached, but about how to negotiate the terms.

Lu Jianguo turned his gaze back to the terms and conditions list, his pen pausing on the first item. "Regarding maintenance fees, we insisted this morning on calculating by the hour, mainly considering the varying levels of difficulty in maintaining different equipment models. However, Mr. Wang's point is that since we're going to cooperate long-term, there's no need to haggle over minor details." He picked up his pen, wrote a number in the blank space beside it, and turned the notebook around to show Lin Feng. "Change it to a fixed rate, calculated based on the original value of the equipment. This rate will be about ten percentage points higher than the market average. Mr. Lin, is that acceptable?"

Lin Feng glanced at the finance manager next to him, who was engrossed in typing on the calculator. The manager quickly typed a few words on the keyboard, then looked up and nodded at him.

"This price is within our budget." Lin Feng looked away, his tone calm. "The maintenance fee will be based on this standard."

Lu Jianguo made a checkmark on his notebook, then moved his pen down. "Second item: technical adaptation fee for product upgrades. This morning our plan was to quote a separate price for each upgrade. Now we're adjusting it to the first two upgrades being free, with subsequent upgrades charged at cost price, and all technical service fees waived. But there's a condition: the upgrade content must be within the technical framework agreed upon in the contract. Needs exceeding the framework will be calculated separately."

"How do we define the scope of the framework?" Vice President Zhang interjected from the side.

"We'll take the underlying architecture of the core control system of the production line as the boundary." A key technical staff member behind Lu Jianguo adjusted his glasses and continued, "For example, if you want to replace it with a completely new control system, that's not covered by the free service. But if it's a functional upgrade or performance optimization within the existing system, we'll do it for free the first two times, and we won't even charge for the engineers' travel expenses."

Vice President Zhang glanced at Lin Feng, who nodded slightly.

"Sure," Lin Feng said, "but the specific parameters of the technical framework must be clearly written in the contract appendix to avoid disputes later."

"No problem. I'll have someone compile a list of technical attachments before we sign the contract tomorrow." Lu Jianguo turned to the next page. "The equipment purchase price will be reduced by two percentage points on top of what we agreed on this morning."

There was a moment of silence in the conference room.

"Two more percent?" Shuke's purchasing manager couldn't help but repeat, his voice filled with obvious surprise. The price this morning was already nearly 10% lower than the industry average; another two percent discount would be a benchmark offer in the entire new energy equipment market.

Lu Jianguo explained with a smile, "Mr. Wang's idea is to combine the equipment debugging and personnel training costs into the total package price. This will lower your upfront costs and simplify the settlement process for us. The two percentage points of profit margin are squeezed out in this way, which is mutually beneficial."

Lin Feng remained silent for a few seconds, quickly calculating in his mind.

The equipment procurement cost is reduced by two percentage points, and with the commissioning and training fees bundled together, the initial investment can be reduced by nearly six million. This money can be used to buy raw materials or invest in production line infrastructure, making cash flow more manageable.

"We accept this proposal." Lin Feng straightened up and placed his hands on the table. "I also have a condition. Shuke and Tianlong can prepay 40% of the equipment cost, and the remaining 60% can be settled in two installments before production begins. 30% will be paid after the production line is debugged, and the final 30% will be paid after the official production and acceptance tests are completed."

Lu Jianguo's pen stopped.

She raised her head and her gaze lingered on Lin Feng's face for two or three seconds.

A 40% prepayment, based on the total equipment price of 120 million, amounts to 48 million. In the current market environment, many partners even have to pay the 20% prepayment in installments; very few companies can come up with this amount upfront.

Ample cash flow means that the project's progress will not be slowed down by funding issues, and it also means that the contractor's financial risk is significantly reduced.