Chapter 61 Master Teaches Me How to Identify a "Broker"
Driving back to Youranju, I told my master that I had received an acquaintance. My master was very democratic and generally did not interfere in my daily life.
After a while, a man in his forties came in. He said his surname was Deng and he was in the building materials business. He said that a friend had recently introduced him to a big order.
A power plant building is being built in a certain place. The cost of tiled flooring for the exterior and interior decoration is NT$3 million. A friend has relatives who can ask for permission. The prerequisite is that they must give their relatives NT$50,000 first before they can finalize the deal.
He wanted to do a fortune telling to find out whether this business was reliable.
The master looked at him with a smile.
I pointed to the paper and pen: "Write it on paper."
Old Deng wrote the word "磨".
This is the first time I have seen the character "磨" (grind) being measured.
The master took a quick look and shook his head: "This cannot be done."
Old Deng's face darkened a little, and he asked his master to give him a detailed analysis.
The master frowned. "Why did you write the character '磨'? Did you write it randomly, or did you think it over carefully?"
Old Deng answered seriously:
"I trust my friends more. But after all, such a large order can't be closed in one go. There's definitely competition involved, and it requires a lot of connections. A single payment might not be enough, so multiple payments might be necessary."
Even if the deal is done and the payment is collected, all parties involved will have to make arrangements. But I really want to make this deal, so I wrote the word 'mo', which means 'good things take time'."
The master explained, "This character breaks down into 'granite'. It's just like you said, good things take time. Sharpening a knife on granite requires constant back-and-forth friction. But in the tile business, I'm afraid it's like trying to get something for nothing."
Old Deng was a little unconvinced: "Don't do it?"
The master said patiently: "First, let's talk about the character '麻' in the upper part of the character '磨'. It represents your matchmaker.
"Ma" means "wide forest." This means your matchmaker is very sociable, like a bird in the woods, perching on one tree today and another tree tomorrow. He flies around and is very active.
Old Deng slapped his thigh and said, "That's exactly the kind of person he is. He's always busy, either at this poker table or at that dinner party."
The master asked, "This person has no legitimate job, right?"
Old Deng nodded: "Yes, I make a living carrying baskets."
The master asked further, "I borrowed money from you. It wasn't much, just enough for one or two meals. I returned it to you after a while."
Old Deng was surprised: "You can calculate this?"
The master smiled and said, "He likes to post on WeChat Moments. He often eats and drinks with the rich and powerful."
Old Deng slapped his thigh again: "Both are correct. I feel like there's no one he doesn't know."
The master said firmly, "It's true that the power plant building in a certain place needs renovation, and the business deal is also real, but your friend is unreliable."
Lao Deng said: "He usually introduced some small businesses to me."
The master got a little angry and told Lao Deng:
"I call this kind of person a 'paralysis person'. Why is it called that? It means they paralyze others.
Ma people have no permanent property, no job, how can they interact with others? Two words, borrowing power.
Introducing the boss to officials makes him appear to be very powerful. You think he is a big shot, but in fact his role is very limited.
Old Deng still didn't understand and asked, "Why?"
It seems that the master said patiently: "Because the referral is of little weight."
I wonder if Old Deng understands.
The master folded his arms across his chest and said, "I've said everything I wanted to say."
Old Deng was stubborn and kept saying while counting the money:
"First of all, I want to thank you for your guidance, Master. But I still want to give this a try."
After Old Deng left, I remembered Master's use of the word "ma ren" to represent a broker, and I couldn't help but laugh. Then I said, "Use the opponent's force to counterattack. There's indeed such a formidable expert back home."
The master looked at me and said, "Tell me about it."
I introduced him, "He's a journalist. His surname is Sima. He works for a major Beijing newspaper, but it's just an ordinary media outlet. But Sima is even more skilled than those reporters from the Party newspapers."
"This person only makes friends with officials." The master gave a definition as soon as he heard it.
"You're absolutely right. He has a photo album that he always carries with him, but he never shows it to anyone. Occasionally, at a dinner party, if someone important or famous comes up, he'll just say casually, 'I know them.'
Some people's jaws immediately dropped. Reporter Sima would then casually say, "A month ago, I went to his house and I think we took a photo together. I'll look for it."
When he pulled a photo from the album, everyone was stunned. Then, the person sitting next to him caught sight of a photo of him with a much bigger figure. They exclaimed, "You also took a photo with someone?"
Reporter Sima quickly took back the photos, inserted them into the album, put them into his briefcase, and smiled faintly: What's so great about taking a photo together?
Someone suggested looking at the photo album. He waved his hand and said, "You guys continue chatting. I'm just using my work as an excuse. You can also take a photo while you're doing your job."
The more modest he is, the more powerful he seems. Some high-ranking officials, not reporters of his caliber, can easily take a photo with him. So, in my hometown, he's a bit of a figurehead. Even the local officials have to treat him to a meal when he comes back.
The master sneered, "This person will suffer a bloody disaster in the future."
I exclaimed, "That's impossible."
"He is very strict with himself, isn't he?" The master touched his chin, as if concentrating on recalling something.
"Yes. Back home, he's very humble in his dealings with others, but if you ask him to sing, dance, or wash your feet, he won't go. He's very measured in what he says and does."
The master continued, "If you come out of his room, will he open the door for you first?"
I slapped my thigh. "You look like you're there. I never had the chance to meet someone like him. It's just that my father and his father used to work together. My father took me to visit his home once."
The master said, "He doesn't look like a reporter, but rather a leader. He's meticulously dressed, and he looks very energetic, with a rosy complexion."
I patted my thigh again: "Do you know him?"
The master shook his head. "This person is very smart and capable. He has a platform. Although this platform is not a top media in Beijing, it is in Beijing after all."
He's a master at leveraging someone else's strength, so even small things can be accomplished with just a single word. As for celebrities and the like, he knows even more people."
I really want to offer a pair of knees and say:
"Master, you are truly divine. This is exactly what I wanted to say. I heard that everyone was watching a program where a famous actress was being interviewed by the host. Reporter Sima said: She is very good at speaking."
Everyone asked, "Do you know her?"
Reporter Sima said, "He should be in Hangzhou now. Let me ask." He then dialed the number. Sure enough, he and the other party flirted for four or five minutes.
There was a family member of a leader among them who was not well educated. He asked: She is being interviewed, how can she answer your call?
Everyone laughed, and the leader's driver whispered in the leader's family's ear: "The program was recorded in advance."
The master said slowly, "This person is not fake at all. He talks about leadership in front of celebrities, and talks about even greater leaders in front of leaders. His kung fu is solid, and there will be no loopholes.
But after a while, even he himself feels that he can do anything. Then he will make mistakes, and they are not ordinary mistakes.
I gasped.
The master warned, "I have said this, so stay here. You must not tell anyone else what I have said."
You must remember what I said: do what is appropriate for your position."
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