Reborn since 1993

Chapter 630: Walking Medal of Honor
"Mr. Gu Dayang, I think it's time to end this meaningless war!

BAK Group is willing to make due contributions to the reconciliation between the Old European Lighter Association and the mainland lighter industry."

Antoine said to Gu Dayang on the phone that since they had decided to reconcile, the BAK Group must strive for the greatest benefit.

As for whether the lighter peers in old Europe live or die, that has nothing to do with the BYD Group. When disaster strikes, everyone flees. Companies in the lighter industry in old Europe often have internal conflicts on a daily basis.

After taking a big gulp of water, Gu Dayang finally swallowed the noodles in his mouth.

But the shock in Gu Dayang's heart was beyond words. When he heard Piccolo take the initiative to talk about reconciliation, Gu Dayang's eyes turned red.

Ever since he accepted the commission from the Domestic Lighter Import and Export Association and took on this lawsuit, he has been traveling between old Europe and the mainland.

In this foreign country, how many walls have you hit, how much opposition and contempt you have endured, and even how much you have been teased, all just to seek a glimmer of possibility for a comeback. Only those who have experienced it will understand that feeling!

Reconciliation was what Gu Dayang wanted. He was about to agree, but suddenly he remembered what Li Dongling had told him before he came to Europe.

"Mr. Antoine, I'm glad to receive your call.

However, I need to report this matter to my client before I can make a decision!"

……

"Damn it!"

Hearing the busy tone on the phone, Antoine couldn't help but curse. The Bic Group was about to reconcile, but the Torch Group was not interested.

But what makes Antoine helpless is that the Bic Group has completely lost the initiative and has no way to deal with the Torch Group.

After all, Bic lighters have been forced to stop production completely. With every day of delay, Bic lighters become more unpopular, until one day, it is completely forgotten.

……

"boom!"

In a billiard room in the Oriental Times Shopping Mall, Li Dongling scored a hole-in-one, and the person playing against Li Dongling was Zhang Ao.

Li Dongshan, Gao Peng and others were also present. The Oriental Times Shopping Mall has been renovated and is about to start its first trial operation.

Gao Peng also brought some people from Dongling Hi-Tech's logistics department to help and supervise. A large part of the product selection, supply chain, transportation, etc. of the Oriental Times Mall were all undertaken by Dongling Hi-Tech's logistics department.

"The Torch Group has made quite a stir in old Europe. I heard that Bic lighters have been discontinued, and brands such as Lifo, Dunhill, and Grasshopper are rumored to be giving up disposable lighters!"

Zhang Ao rubbed chocolate powder on the pool cue and said to Li Dongling with a smile that the marketing department he was in charge of had quite a few people in old Europe.

The first head of the newly formed Dongling Hi-Tech Europe Company was Lu Chao, a general under Zhang Ao. Previously, Lu Chao was in charge of Dongling Hi-Tech's sales in Europe. This time, it was a natural progression for him to become the president of Dongling Hi-Tech Europe Company.

Lu Chao has a very special identity. He once jumped to Dongling Hi-Tech with Ren Yuefeng, the general manager of Dongling Hi-Tech.

But he was later sent to Europe to help Dongling Hi-Tech develop its business. He has been working under Zhang Ao for all these years and is highly valued by Zhang Ao.

But if you want to say that Lu Chao is Ren Yuefeng's man or Zhang Ao's man, then you have to ask Lu Chao himself. Lu Chao has never responded to the public about which faction of Dongling Hi-Tech he belongs to.

However, with Ren Yuefeng and Zhang Ao around, Lu Chao has now become one of the most powerful figures in Dongling Hi-Tech. When he acts in Old Europe, he is basically not restricted by the headquarters, and no one dares to bother him at the headquarters.

"Lighters are not like other industries. This industry is not that valued by old Europe. We can toss it around a bit, but it would be impossible to do this with other industries!"

Li Dongling hit another shot. He knew that this time the black label lighter's rampant behavior in old Europe could not be replicated and had no reference value.

As for industries like mobile phones, computers, and automobiles, if they dared to play the same game as Torch Group, they would have been dealt with by Europe long ago.

It is precisely because lighters are just an "inconspicuous" industry, and lighter brands such as Bic, Clipper, Dunhill, and Grasshopper have long moved their production lines out of old Europe, and have very few employees in old Europe.

Even if the market was taken away, only companies like BIC would make a few noises, but not many old Europeans were affected. This is also the reason why the French city government did not react much.

The phone rang. After hearing what was said on the phone, Li Dongling stopped what he was doing and said, "Tell Gu Dayang that the negotiation location can only be in Pingyang!

The place of surrender can only be decided by the victor, and the loser can only accept the decision! "

Listening to Li Dongling's words, Zhang Ao couldn't help but be a little surprised. He just mentioned that Piccolo was so troubled that it was even discontinued, but he didn't expect that the other party would fall so quickly.

"Bick wants to reconcile?" Zhang Ao asked. Li Dongling continued to pick up the pool cue and scored another goal. "It depends on how big a piece of meat I can bite off this time!"

……

"Director Wang, the Lighter Import and Export Association called and hopes you can rush to Pingyang to attend a meeting!"

At the Yanjing Administration for Industry and Commerce, when Wang Yongyu was processing documents, his assistant knocked on the door and handed him a document.

Looking at the document in his hand, Wang Yongyu showed a look of surprise. The document only had a few short lines of words, but Wang Yongyu spent several minutes reading it.

“The world’s lighter industry is about to change!”

Wang Yongyu muttered to himself, with a look of excitement on his face, "Who knows, there may really be an industry dominated by domestic companies in the world!"

The global lighter industry is not a very large one, but if it is an industry dominated by domestic companies, then the significance will be extraordinary.

If disposable lighters are really dominated by the domestic market, even for an organization like the Yanjing Administration for Industry and Commerce, it would be enough to be included in the annual summary report submitted to superiors.

For a person of Wang Yongyu's status and position, this is also a moment that will be remembered in his resume and career. When he retires one day and his career comes to an end, his name will be mentioned whenever the history of the development of domestic lighters is mentioned.

"Tell the Lighter Import and Export Association that I will definitely participate!" Wang Yongyu said solemnly.

Like Wang Yongyu, also invited to attend this meeting were a number of departments and companies including the Economic and Trade Commission, the Foreign Exchange Department, and Hanxi State Investment, which had participated in the establishment of the Torch Group project.

……

After a bumpy journey and transfers, Antoine and Rousseau, along with a few others, finally flew from the port city to the airport in the provincial capital of Hanxi.

When they got off the plane, they both looked very ugly, not sure if it was because they sat on the plane for too long or they were just feeling uncomfortable.

The negotiation location was held in Pingyang. How could Antoine and Rousseau not see that this was a demonstration by the Torch Group?

But what can they do? Bruno Bick, the president of Bick Group, is unwilling to suffer this, so they have to suffer the consequences. Between making money and suffering, they have to choose one, and sometimes they have to choose both, and what they earn is the humiliation fee.

"You two have been traveling so long, would you like to take a rest first?"

No matter if it was a life-and-death fight or not, the polite words had to be said. Zhang Xiaocheng brought Gu Dayang, Zhou Wenyan and other executives of Torch Group to personally receive Antoine and Rousseau.

Rousseau was ready to agree with a tired look on his face, as there was a tough battle waiting for him. Although he knew that what he couldn't get on the battlefield would be even harder to get at the negotiating table.

However difficult it is, Rousseau has to fight for a way to survive for Pic, otherwise they will be kicked out when they land in Paris.

But before Rousseau could speak, Antoine stared at Zhang Xiaocheng and said, "Your company is really good at this!"

"Are Global Trading Company and Black Label part of Torch Group?"

Zhang Xiaocheng laughed and ignored Antoine. "I don't know what Mr. Antoine is talking about. Torch Group is just a lighter manufacturer. It produces and accepts orders normally. If Bic Group needs it, Torch Group can also provide customized lighters!"

"I want to see the Torch Group's production line!"

Antoine said unwillingly, he wanted to see with his own eyes how he was defeated, otherwise, he would never be at peace in his life.

Zhang Xiaocheng looked at Antoine, who had a stubborn face, and pointed to Zhou Wenyan, "Old Zhou, you take him there!"

When Antoine sat in a golf cart and entered the Torch Group Industrial Park, which was big enough to be a town in old Europe, his eyes showed shock.

He had seen the information collected by his men and knew that the Torch Group was very large, but when the numbers on paper actually appeared before his eyes, the shock was still hard for Antoine to imagine.

Torch Group did not hide anything from Antoine. Only when he saw where Piccolo lost, the subsequent negotiations could proceed smoothly!
From shock to numbness, he visited several companies that produced parts for Torch Group, and then came to the assembly workshop of Torch Group. When he saw the assembly lines running continuously and the employees on both sides of the production lines constantly assembling lighters, Antoine walked out silently.

It will be impossible for the BIC Group to make a comeback in the lighter industry. This was Antoine's thought after visiting the Torch Group Industrial Park. It will never be possible in this lifetime as long as the Torch Group still exists!
"Senior Brother Gu!"

"He Si!"

"Director Wang!"

In the meeting room of the Lighter Import and Export Association headquarters, Li Dongling met Gu Xiguang, He Heng, Wang Yongyu and others who had rushed over from Yanjing. Others including Li Weimin from the Hanxi Industrial Hall, Wu Yaoguo, general manager of Hanxi State Investment, also came to the scene.

When Antoine and Rousseau came in, Gu Xiguang, He Heng and others immediately turned their eyes to them. Antoine and Rousseau felt uncomfortable being stared at. They didn't know why, but they always had the feeling that these people were looking at medals of honor!
(End of this chapter)