Upon arrival in the island nation, it was my old friend, Hikawa-kun, who picked me up at the airport.
The two shook hands and got straight to the point.
As he drove, Mr. Hikawa frankly said, "Boss Wu, the task you entrusted to me might be a bit difficult to handle."
Wu Changfeng responded with an "Oh," and then said, "Tell me about it."
Hikawa-kun said, "After receiving your message, I visited Hitachi and Komatsu."
Hitachi stated that selling the excavator technology as a whole is impossible.
Wu Changfeng was pleasantly surprised: "Does this mean that a portion of it is also possible?"
Unexpectedly, Hikawa shook his head in denial: "Not even a part of it..."
Wu Changfeng nearly coughed up blood: "Then stop panting so loudly."
"Komatsu seems to be quite interested in you."
"To me?"
Hikawa-kun nodded: "That's right, it's you alone."
"Why?"
"Komatsu thinks you must have some connections in mainland China and wants you to be their agent to sell Komatsu excavators."
Wu Changfeng scoffed, "That's impossible. I only make my own excavators."
Hikawa shrugged: "That would be quite difficult. This thing isn't like a home appliance; the barrier to entry is quite high."
"On the other hand, what's wrong with becoming an agent for Komatsu? We're making money anyway."
Wu Changfeng replied, "Whether you make money or someone else makes money, whether one side earns more or less, is there any need to say it?"
Hikawa sighed, "Isn't all money the same?"
Wu Changfeng exclaimed, "What's gotten into you, kid? You've become a lobbyist all of a sudden?"
"To be honest," Hikawa said, "Komatsu asked me to act as his intermediary. If you can represent Komatsu, I'll get some benefits."
Damn, this Hikawa-kun is actually quite frank.
Wu Changfeng waved his hand: "Forget it, I'm not doing the agency business. Arrange for me to meet with Hitachi Komatsu tomorrow, I'll go and talk to them."
"What a waste of time." Hikawa parked the car in front of the hotel, and the two walked into the lobby. While checking in, he said, "Even the Japanese can't buy excavator technology. Creating a competitor for no reason is a big no-no."
Wu Changfeng put away the paperwork and entered the elevator: "I'm on the mainland, you're in an island nation, there's a huge difference."
Hikawa shook his head: "It's different. The mainland is now open, and Hitachi and Komatsu have entered the mainland market, but I heard from them that the mainland market is a little strange."
Wu Changfeng naturally knew what Richuan-kun was talking about.
In mainland China at that time, winning a bid was not simply a matter of having equipment.
They value personal connections more.
To put it bluntly, when several products have similar performance...
Buying from anyone is the same as buying from someone else, so why not buy from someone who has connections?
I'll help you today, and you'll help me tomorrow.
This phenomenon cannot be eliminated in a short period of time.
This is why, despite the superior quality of foreign equipment, it still couldn't compete with domestically produced equipment in the initial stages.
Protecting local businesses is one aspect, but another is the complex web of relationships involved.
This is why foreign companies like to invite relevant personnel to conduct overseas inspections.
There are many intricacies involved.
Not just in mainland China, it's the same all over the world.
The next day.
Accompanied by Hikawa-kun, Takeshi arrived at Hitachi.
Ono, a technical department head at Hitachi, received the two.
Judging from the level of authority, there wasn't even someone who could make the final decision on whether to transfer the technology, and Wu Changfeng had already given up hope.
Of course, the necessary procedures still need to be followed.
Although Wu Changfeng was prepared to be rejected.
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, the two sides turned their conversation to excavator technology.
Ono smiled and said to Wu Changfeng, "Mr. Wu, I'll be blunt, is that alright?"
Wu Changfeng said he didn't care.
Ono said, "Hikawa-kun contacted us beforehand, and I also reported to the higher-ups. The leaders made it clear that Hitachi's technology will not be sold under any circumstances."
"The reasons are self-evident. Our equipment is also sold in mainland China, and we don't want to create a competitor."
"Moreover, it's the mainland market, a local company."
Wu Changfeng instead asked, "It seems your side has confidence in the mainland market?"
Ono said excitedly, "To be honest, the mainland is a vast and resource-rich land. After opening up, its economic situation has risen sharply, and it is bound to invest in infrastructure."
"Because your country has a slogan, 'Let some get rich first and others will benefit,' so building roads and bridges is an inevitable action."
"Moreover, your main body consists of ordinary people, a characteristic that distinguishes you from Western capitalism."
"Western capitalists, when they want to build a road, have to consider whether they can recoup their costs, but the mainland doesn't think that way. Building roads is to make it easier for people to travel."
"I, Ono, truly admire you all."
"Our company also saw this point. The mainland is about to undergo a tremendous change, and infrastructure will be at the forefront of this change."
"Given such a large market size, how could my company... right?"
Ono didn't finish his last sentence, but both Wu Changfeng and Richuan knew what he meant.
It's nothing more than the same old thing.
However, Wu Changfeng still appreciated Ono's judgment.
Some Western countries are also afraid of instability on the mainland, after all, they are in different camps and have different economic structures.
They have been in a wait-and-see state, hesitating about whether to enter the mainland market to conduct business.
But little did they know that the earlier they entered, the more sought-after they became.
Once mainland Chinese companies rise to prominence, it will be difficult for them to establish a foothold in the market.
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