At the dinner table, Mayor Zhang didn't mention the introduction of Hurricane Capital at all. Even when Lu Feng suggested that it could be discussed further, Mayor Zhang just smiled and remained silent, changing the subject elsewhere.
The gap between the two sides' conditions is so large that it's no longer a matter of negotiation, and there's no need for negotiation at all.
The most discussed topic at the dinner table was local history. Lu Feng wasn't very interested in these things. During the meal, Du Guoying went out to answer a phone call. When he came back, he said in a low voice, "Mr. Lu, let's talk outside."
"Excuse me, I'll be right back!"
Lu Feng stood up and left the private room, walking to the stairwell and asking, "What's wrong?"
"The director of the investment promotion office in Shenzhen just called. He seemed quite anxious when he heard we were in Ningbo," Du Guoying said.
"What did you reply?"
“I told them we were going to move on to the next stage of negotiations, and that we were basically halfway there. They pressed me to say if we had accepted everything. I said we had conceded some things, and they said we could discuss it further,” Du Guoying said shrewdly.
"If that's the case, then this trip wasn't a complete waste!" Lu Feng said with a smile. "Let's go back for lunch, and then I'll call them again this afternoon to discuss staying here for a few more days."
The two returned to the dining table expressionlessly, and Lu Feng didn't mention the matter of setting up shop in Ningbo anymore.
After dinner, they returned to the hotel. Before making the call, Lu Feng held a short meeting. The conditions proposed were indeed unacceptable, so they should add some conditions, such as guaranteeing a certain number of jobs created, cooperation with local suppliers, technology transfer, and a certain amount of tax revenue after five years.
These conditions were essentially a gamble, but Lu Feng was very confident of winning. After all, five years later would be 2003, when the domestic mobile phone market would already be enormous.
The small meeting lasted two or three hours, and a preliminary plan was finalized. Around 4 p.m., Lu Feng called the investment promotion office in Shenzhen back.
"Hello? Director Li? This is Lu Feng from Hurricane Capital!" Lu Feng called from the hotel phone, put it on speakerphone, and said, "I'm in Ningbo right now. I just heard from General Manager Du that you called me? Oh dear, I've been busy here. I just got back from dinner and had a bit too much to drink. Sorry!"
"You've been drinking all this time?" the person on the other end of the phone asked, sounding slightly wary.
"I can't help it, they're just too enthusiastic. You know Bird Mobile is here, and they pay special attention to the communications industry. It'll probably take a few more days for them to do their research. What can I do for you?" Lu Feng asked.
"Mr. Lu, Hurricane is a high-quality company, and we value it very much. This is something that can be negotiated. I'm also from the North, so what's there to negotiate? We can't just run off to somewhere else because they don't agree here. In any case, Shenzhen has done you a favor, hasn't it?" The person on the other end of the phone first played the emotional card, then probed, "Did they all agree to your conditions?"
“No, we also need to make some guarantees. Actually, you’re right, Shenzhen has been kind to me. It’s precisely because of this kindness that I feel I shouldn’t say too much when talking to Shenzhen. You should understand me, you know that feeling, right?” Lu Feng asked into the phone.
"I understand! I understand! It's just that we're talking two different languages now!" The person on the other end of the phone sighed and said, "President Lu, this is a new team, you should understand. We really want you to settle down here, so we can communicate about anything. The people above me have changed, but my guys are still here, aren't they?"
"If anything happens in the future, it's just a matter of a word. We can definitely do it under the same conditions, but if you insist on not spending a single penny and expect the local government to build an industrial park for you, that's unrealistic. Nowhere can you do that."
“I know, sigh! I’ve had a few drinks and got a little sentimental, brother!” Lu Feng sniffed, paused, and said, “I’ll do some more research here. You should also do some more work. We’ll talk again when we get back, because the market isn’t giving us time. If we build a factory now, the earliest we can start production is July or August. Then, with the listing and sales, it’ll be next year.”
"Yes, yes, the market waits for no one! It's best to decide as soon as possible. Give me a call in advance when you're coming back," Director Li said.
"No problem, I estimate I'll be here for another three or four days."
After exchanging pleasantries, Lu Feng hung up the phone. The call lasted nearly an hour, during which Lu Feng symbolically mentioned some concessions he had made. The other party implied that if they could make even more concessions, the chances of success would be much greater.
“Let’s rest here for a few days. Based on this standard, there’s a good chance they’ll agree!” Lu Feng picked up the conditions from the meeting on the table, patted the papers, and said, “Take a break and go out for some fun.”
All major cities are vying for high-end technology companies, but Shenzhen cares more than other cities. They have specific development goals and aim to emulate Silicon Valley in the United States. High-tech companies like Hurricane are a must-have for them.
Moreover, there are very few cities in the country that can compete with Shenzhen.
Jiang Xiaoyan put down her work and went shopping with Zhang Fengxia in the morning. Zhang Fengxia was quite fashionable when it came to dressing up, and the two of them smiled after spending a lot of money.
In the afternoon, the two of them each bought a set of jewelry. The jade accessories alone cost nearly 500,000 yuan, not to mention the others. According to Zhang Fengxia, don't think too much. The happiness that money can buy is the cheapest happiness in the world.
Jiang Xiaoyan didn't quite agree with this statement at first, but then she thought that her factory had cost so much money and she was angry so much every day, which was far less enjoyable than spending money.
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