Behind the scenes

Chapter 37

Zheng Gang led the way, and Li Zimin and the newly appointed deputy factory director in charge of technology accompanied Mr. Green and his female secretary to inspect the factory.The general chemical plant occupies a large area. They walked from the workshops first, workshop one, workshop two, workshop three, and looked at each workshop. Green asked questions while watching. It seemed that he was very familiar with the equipment.From the east of the factory to the west, and then to the north, he stopped in front of a wide flat land in the north.Zheng Gang pointed to this piece of land and said, "This is the land we have prepared for the new project."

After seeing it, Green nodded with satisfaction: "The factory has this land, which saves a lot of trouble for new projects. In your China, land acquisition and relocation are very troublesome things."

Li Zimin also laughed when he heard this.It seems that Green can really be regarded as a "China hand". He still has a comprehensive understanding of China's affairs.

"Let's look at the entrance of natural gas again." Green suggested.They continued to go north, and behind the factory wall was a ventilation station.The natural gas transported from the oil field enters the factory from here and is used as raw materials for the production of various products.Due to the explosion, the automatic valve of the gas station has already been shut down.Green asked in detail about the diameter of the natural gas pipeline, gas quality and transmission mileage, and the technical deputy director answered them one by one.After walking for four to ten minutes in the factory, everyone was hungry when they returned to the cafeteria.

In a single room on the side of the workers' cafeteria, a table of meals has been arranged, because there is no preparation in advance, and the meals are all home-cooked.After everyone sat down, Zheng Gang said embarrassingly: "Mr. Green came to the factory for the first time, and it was also the first time he took our jobs. He only ate at this level. As the factory manager, I am really embarrassed."

Green looked at the dishes on the table and nodded again and again, "Very good, very good, I would like to eat your home-cooked food, it tastes good."

Li Zimin picked up the wine glass and said: "Welcome Mr. Green to our Xianghan City. This is the high-quality liquor produced by our Xianghan City. Please have a drink. It can also be regarded as an expression of the hearts of our Xianghan City people."

Mr. Green was very happy, picked up the glass and drank the wine, and said repeatedly: "Good wine, good wine."

This meal was very pleasant, maybe they were hungry. Mr. Green and Ms. Mitterrand did not eat less, did not drink less, and did not pretend at all. They were really as casual as they were at home, which made Li Zimin Both Zheng Gang and Zheng Gang were very happy.

After dinner, Green said: "I can only stay in Xianghan City for two days, and I will officially sign the cooperation agreement in these two days." He took out a copy from the briefcase held by Mitterrand. After finishing the agreement, he said to Li Zimin: "This is an agreement drafted unilaterally by our ATC company. In principle, it is what we talked about when we were in Shenzhen, and some specific content was added. Take it back and have a look. What do you think? , we will talk tonight. Mayor please arrange us to stay in a hotel, we want the best accommodation conditions."

Li Zimin took the draft agreement and didn't bother to read it. He quickly called the government reception and asked them to arrange Mr. Green and the female secretary in the most exclusive suite in the hotel, and then drove them to the hotel in their own car. rest.

After seeing off Green and the female secretary, they returned to Zheng Gang's office and read the agreement text drafted by ATC in detail. Generally speaking, it is beneficial to the Chinese side. The chemical plant leaves the site, workers and raw materials, and ATC supplies Technology and equipment, a new methionine project with an annual output of 8000 tons and a total investment of 2000 million US dollars.Carry out technological transformation on the existing carbon disulfide, increase the output from [-] tons to [-] tons, and invest [-] million US dollars.The two parties share profits according to their respective assets and investment.According to their calculations, the Chinese side accounted for [-]%, and ATC Company accounted for [-]%. Therefore, they proposed that ATC Company send someone to serve as the chairman and general manager after the cooperation.The Chinese side will serve as vice chairman and deputy general manager.In addition, there are some more detailed conditions.

After reading it, Li Zimin felt that the problem was very serious, so he said to Zheng Gang: "Let's take the agreement and go to the mayor and the secretary for instructions."

After finding Liu Rong, Liu Rong read the agreement and said, "Overall, it's okay. Let's talk about the details!"

Li Zimin said: "Mayor, this is a big deal. How do we talk about it? The main leaders must have an attitude. ATC has come up with such a specific plan, and we must be specific too!"

Liu Rong thought for a while and said: "Since it is such a big matter, you should ask Secretary Gu of the Municipal Party Committee for instructions! Didn't you also attend the standing committee last time? He is very dissatisfied with the work of the government. In the future, we should ask Secretary Gu for instructions on important matters. Let him decide!" When Liu Rong said these words, he clearly showed his dissatisfaction with the last Standing Committee meeting.

"Then let's go together." Li Zimin suggested.

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when I found Gu Yishun, secretary of the municipal party committee.Gu Yishun looked at the agreement in detail, and after thinking for a while, he said: "Generally speaking, joint ventures and cooperation are mutually beneficial. I have no major opinions. But for the share of capital contribution of both parties, four to six is ​​not appropriate, at least To achieve five to five, the general cooperation with foreign capital is 51 to 49, the Chinese party should account for 51%, and the foreign party should account for 49%. If it is special, each accounted for 50.00%. , we must insist on this point. ATC can invest less money, and we can also increase investment and adjust the proportion of investment shares. Then, when it comes to the selection of the chairman and general manager, we must insist on the Chinese side as the chairman As well as general manager, ATC Company will serve as executive vice chairman and deputy general manager. After all, this is to carry out business activities on Chinese soil. Discuss this principle with Mr. Green. At [-] o’clock in the evening, a banquet will be held in the name of the government to welcome Mr. Green. Mayor Liu and I will both attend. of great importance.”

Li Zimin and Liu Rong nodded after listening to the words of the secretary of the municipal party committee.Liu Rong cautiously said: "Secretary Gu, it's better to ask the people's consultant to discuss the negotiation with Mr. Green. He is familiar with the situation and it is easier to talk about it. As the mayor, I should not go out to discuss it first. Well, do you think it will work?"

"That's fine, but as the mayor of this matter, you should ask more questions!" Gu Yishun nodded in agreement, but there was still a bit of criticism in his words.

When Li Zimin and Zheng Gang arrived at the hotel, Green and his female secretary had just woken up, maybe they had just had sex, and they looked very tired.

Li Zimin said: "Mr. Green, I'm sorry to bother you. We have carefully studied the draft agreement of your company, and I have some opinions that I would like to discuss with you again."

"Any more comments? What's your opinion?" Green put on an impeccable look, "Our ATC company is sincere, and our conditions are already a special preference for you. There is nothing more to discuss .”

"No. In terms of the total investment ratio, four to six is ​​not acceptable. We cannot accept this condition, at least five to five, which is a common practice in China." Li Zimin said.

"Five to five is also possible. Your country will increase investment by 2000%, which is 2000 million U.S. dollars. Can you provide it? If you can provide this fund, I can agree to a five to five ratio." Mr. Green A very arrogant look.He knew that neither the General Chemical Plant nor Xianghan City could afford 6000 million U.S. dollars, which is more than [-] million yuan. If they had this money, they would have been able to resume production long ago, and there was no need to be in such a hurry to engage in joint ventures. up.

Li Zimin thought for a while and said: "We can't afford so much money for a while, can you reduce some investment and reduce the investment ratio of both parties?"

"Reducing investment? I really haven't heard of it. I have traveled a lot in your China, and all officials hope that foreign parties will increase investment. The more the increase, the better, and you, how can you say such a thing? ?” Green shook his head in confusion.

These days, Li Zimin has been thinking, how could Mr. Green be so generous, and from the point of view of the agreement, it is really beneficial to the Chinese side. Could it be that he would really be so generous in throwing a lot of dollars to Xianghan Chemical Head office?He has been drawing question marks in his mind.Today, after reading the detailed agreement they proposed, he found that although ATC's investment amount is huge, it is all in equipment and technology, and the investment in equipment accounts for the vast majority. Is the equipment worth so much money? Woolen cloth?When he was the mayor, he saw examples of foreign businessmen cheating in investment from some materials, and he was vigilant.So he thought for a while and said: "Mr. Green, it's okay if you don't agree, but I will organize experts and technicians to conduct a detailed audit on the prices of the equipment and technologies you provided to see if they are worth what you quoted. These prices. As for our land, factory buildings, raw materials and workers, etc., you can also conduct an investigation, and after both of us have finished the investigation, can you determine the ratio between us?"

Hearing this, Green's face softened a bit, but his attitude didn't change immediately. "You have to believe in the prestige of our ATC company in the world. The price we quoted is very accurate, and it will take a lot of time to review it in this way, which will also affect the progress of our cooperation. I want to use it for two years, no , the slowest time was to win this cooperation project in one and a half years.”

"Of course we are anxious about time, but time must obey the quality of cooperation! It's not that we don't believe in ATC, but that we don't know you well. We understand that we are also learning, which is completely in line with the implementation of international cooperation." Li Zi Min said in a very firm tone.

There was a long silence in the room.Neither side said a word.Li Zimin looked at his watch, it was already past six o'clock, he was the first to break the silence. "Mr. Green, at seven o'clock tonight, our Municipal Party Committee Secretary and Mayor will hold a special banquet here. You are welcome to come to our Xianghan City. Are you and Miss Mitterrand going to prepare?"

Green didn't speak, and thought for a while, as if he had made a lot of determination, "Mayor Li, your request is very strange, I can't help it, I especially value your character, you don't care about money and women. , Cooperating with someone like you will definitely succeed. So, I made up my mind and made another concession, agreeing that the two parties invest on a five-to-five ratio. How about you, add a little more investment, 500 million or 2000 million yuan, Symbolically, I will reduce the investment by about 2000 million U.S. dollars, so that the two sides will reach a five-to-five ratio. You are finally satisfied with this!"

"Satisfaction is satisfaction, but your reduced investment should not reduce the scale and quality, and the candidates for the chairman and general manager should also be changed." Li Zimin immediately followed up.

"Mayor, please don't worry about this. In the words of the Chinese, I will use the money wisely. As for the candidates for the chairman and general manager, each of the two parties is one. Which one the Chinese side wants to do is up to you to choose first." .” When Green said this, he seemed very generous.

The dinner was very pleasant. Green expressed his gratitude to the secretary of the municipal party committee and the mayor for the meeting and banquet. Miss Mitterrand had already revised the agreement with a laptop. At the dinner table, the secretary of the municipal party committee Gu Yishun and the mayor Liu Rong reviewed it together. Agreement, all nodded in agreement.For the 500 million yuan invested by the Chinese party, Li Zimin immediately contacted Xiao Dong of the provincial investment company, and Xiao Dong immediately said that he could invest.Green nodded after hearing this, and the two parties agreed that a formal signing ceremony would be held at nine o'clock tomorrow morning.

Although the signing ceremony at nine o'clock in the morning of the next day was small in scale, it was quite grand.The secretary of the municipal party committee, the mayor and dignitaries from Xianghan City attended the ceremony. Mr. Green and Mayor Liu Rong signed the cooperation agreement on behalf of both parties.Radio and TV stations broadcast the signing ceremony live, and Liu Rong also delivered an impromptu speech, saying that this is the largest joint venture and cooperation project negotiated in Xianghan City in the past few years, and it is a major achievement of Xianghan City's opening up to the outside world.

Seeing Liu Rong holding a red wine glass with a smile on his face and toasting with Mr. Green for the signing of the agreement, Li Zimin stood aside, but there was no smile on his face.He has been thinking, Mr. Green can be so generous, and the investment of 2000 million US dollars can be reduced if it is said to be reduced?Will there be any other problems with this joint venture project? ...

(End of this chapter)