Bu Tongxun quickly received news that the F Group's negotiating representatives would arrive at Haishan Airport at 12:00 noon on Friday, and they hoped to see their prospective partners' representatives at the airport to greet them.

Of course, they never imagined that the person who came to pick them up would be such a big star.

Duanmu Ci had class on Friday, but fortunately it was in the morning. He canceled the break in the middle of class and finished teaching the normal amount of material in almost a third less class time than usual. Then, amidst everyone's astonishment, he announced that class was ending early. After class, he immediately got into the convoy of cars arranged by Bu Tongxun and headed to Haishan Airport.

From this afternoon until Tuesday afternoon, Duanmu Ci has four full days to spend with these guests. If things get too difficult, he can reschedule his classes or take leave. In short, he has plenty of time and patience...

However, it seems that Australia's Qata Airlines is much more reputable than domestic airlines. The plane did not experience any delays or late arrivals, and instead appeared at the gate on time at 12:00.

As several well-dressed white men appeared at the passenger exit, Duanmu Ci, having seen the photos beforehand, knew that the people he was waiting for had probably arrived. He led his group forward to greet them, "Excuse me, gentlemen, are you the negotiating representatives from Group F?" The exchange, of course, was conducted in English.

The leading man laughed and said, "That's right, it's us. It seems you are the ones negotiating with us this time. Hello, you can call me Joseph." As he spoke, he extended his hand.

"It's an honor to meet you. Hello, my name is Duanmu." Duanmu Ci only mentioned his surname according to their custom, and then raised his right hand.

A simple handshake and a couple of shakes are all it takes to complete the basic greeting and perfunctory small talk.

...

...

Duanmu Ci and Joseph sat in the comfortable leather back seat of the Maybach, exchanging a few words here and there. Duanmu Ci asked most of the questions, while Joseph answered most of them.

This is also a form of probing, figuring out the opponent's character and personality before formal negotiations begin, and then testing their intentions and reliability. Holding some social gatherings to achieve this goal is perfectly acceptable; it's a business version of "the real intention is not what it seems."

Duanmu Ci smiled warmly at Joseph and said, "Isn't it a pleasure to have friends coming from afar? We should always make our guests feel at home. If you need anything during your stay in China, please feel free to tell me, and we will do our best to meet your needs." For Duanmu Ci, translating some ancient Chinese sayings and idioms into English was already a piece of cake.

Joseph smiled and said, "I just hope that this negotiation can have a result that satisfies both parties, so that I can have an explanation to give to the company when I return home."

Finally, this topic has come up...

Duanmu Ci remained calm and said, "You've only just arrived, why are you already thinking about leaving? But has your return date been confirmed? Have you booked your plane tickets yet? China has a large population, and Haishan is a big city, so you should book your plane tickets as early as possible, otherwise it will be easy to delay your trip."

Joseph didn't seem to mind. "Of course, we booked our return tickets before we came. Our company has also visited China before and knows the situation here. Thank you for your trouble."

Duanmu Ci continued the topic, "I was overthinking it. You truly are a professional team!" He gave a small compliment and then said, "Could you please let us know when you will be departing for home? We can arrange a car to take you to the airport in advance, as a way of showing hospitality."

This was a perfectly normal thing, a basic business etiquette. Joseph was completely unprepared and had no idea that there was a small trap hidden in the question. He took out his return ticket from his briefcase and told Duanmu Ci his return date so that the other party could arrange a car.

Duanmu Ci calmly noted down the time, then continued chatting and laughing with Joseph.

...

...

Joseph and his group disembarked at 12:00 noon, and presumably they hadn't had a proper meal on the plane. A boxed airplane meal was hardly anything special, so Duanmu Ci arranged a dinner party first, at the Hilton Hotel, of course. Joseph gladly accepted the offer.

He felt that his negotiating partner this time was really considerate.

Duanmu Ci was certainly very considerate. People tend to talk a lot when they drink too much, and their words often go out of control. As the saying goes, "Too much talk leads to mistakes." Finding out about the other person's affairs during the meal can be very helpful for the upcoming negotiations.

After Joseph got out of the car, Duanmu Ci made an excuse that he had some other things to do and said he would go back up later. He then asked others to take Joseph and his party into the hotel, while he remained in the car.

Bu Tongxun got into the car.

Duanmu Ci said, "The F delegation has only one week to negotiate with China. We need to find a way to make use of this last deadline."

This information came from the time Duanmu Ci had just inquired about Joseph's return journey. He pretended to ask to arrange transportation, but his real purpose was to find out the final deadline of the other party's negotiating delegation. This was very important, as it could help his side gain a better negotiating opportunity.

Duanmu Ci continued, "Guests from afar are honored guests, and we cannot afford to be stingy with our hospitality! We must do our utmost. Here's what we'll do: go and arrange the itinerary, making sure they feel our warmth."

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