OBS Chapter 626: Sacrificing Pawns to Save the Chariot
Chapter 626: Sacrificing Pawns to Save the Chariot
After saying goodbye to Captain Zhao, Li Xiangyang walked out of the law enforcement bureau. The night breeze carried the chill of early autumn.
The streets were nearly deserted, and the streetlights cast long shadows behind him. Li Xiangyang lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and his mind raced back to everything that had just happened.
Liu Sandao has been captured, which should be good news. But for some reason, Li Xiangyang felt an inexplicable unease.
"It's going too smoothly," he muttered to himself.
From the moment Liu Sandao sent men to burn down the factory to his hasty escape and subsequent capture, the entire process took no more than a week. How could a local tyrant who had terrorized the area for years be brought down so easily?
Li Xiangyang recalled what Wang Ergou had said—Liu Sandao had powerful backers. If he had such backers, why wouldn't they step in to help at this crucial moment?
Unless, of course, this powerful backer abandons him.
Thinking of this, Li Xiangyang felt a chill. Sacrificing a pawn to save the king is a common tactic in business. Liu Sandao might have already become a pawn in someone's eyes, but he himself was unaware of it.
"Well, at least this matter is finally over." Li Xiangyang stubbed out his cigarette and walked towards the parking lot.
It was almost ten o'clock when I got back to the factory. The lights were still on in the guardhouse, and Old Liu was sitting inside reading a newspaper.
"Mr. Li, you're back so late?" Old Liu stood up and greeted him.
"Yes, I went to the law enforcement bureau." Li Xiangyang nodded. "Has there been anything unusual at the factory lately?"
"No, everything is normal. It's just that someone came this afternoon, saying he was a client from the provincial capital and wanted to discuss cooperation."
Li Xiangyang frowned slightly: "Who is it?"
"A middle-aged man in his forties, dressed quite well, driving a car. I asked him for his contact information as required." Old Liu took a slip of paper from the drawer and handed it to Li Xiangyang.
Li Xiangyang took the note and looked at it: Huayuan Trading Company, General Manager Chen Jianshe, and a phone number was left at the end.
Did he say anything?
"They said they wanted to discuss a big deal with us and asked if you had time to call them back," Old Liu recalled. "They seemed quite sincere."
Li Xiangyang carefully put the note away: "I understand. Thanks for your hard work, Lao Liu."
Back in his office, Li Xiangyang brewed a pot of tea and sat by the window, reflecting on everything that had happened that day.
Although Liu Sandao's matter was resolved, he knew this was just the beginning. As the factory grew larger, similar troubles would only increase. As the saying goes, "The tallest tree in the forest catches the most wind."
Thinking of this, Li Xiangyang picked up the note on the table and stared at the words "Huayuan Trading Company" for a long time.
Having been in business for so many years, he had seen far too many so-called "big clients." Some were genuinely cooperative, while others had ulterior motives. He wouldn't easily trust anyone before thoroughly understanding their background.
The next morning, Wang Ergou rushed to the factory.
"Xiangyang, I heard Liu Sandao was arrested?" Wang Ergou asked as soon as he entered the door.
"It happened last night," Li Xiangyang briefly recounted the events.
"So, we're completely safe now?" Wang Ergou breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's how it seems on the surface," Li Xiangyang said with a hint of caution, "but I always feel things aren't that simple."
Just then, the phone rang.
"Hello, is this Mr. Li Xiangyang? I am Chen Jianshe from Huayuan Trading Company." A middle-aged man's voice came from the phone, his tone very polite.
"It's me." Li Xiangyang gestured for Wang Ergou to sit down. "I heard you wanted to discuss a collaboration?"
“Yes, our company mainly exports agricultural products. We’ve heard that your products are of very high quality, and we’d like to discuss a long-term partnership with you.” Chen Jianshe’s voice sounded very sincere. “Do you have time today? I’d like to discuss this in person.”
Li Xiangyang considered it for a moment and said, "Okay, I'll wait for you at the factory at 2 PM."
"Okay, it's settled then."
After hanging up the phone, Wang Ergou asked, "How did it go?"
"Sounds like a legitimate business," Li Xiangyang said, "but we still need to be careful."
At 2 p.m., Chen Jianshe arrived at the factory on time.
This was a middle-aged man in his forties, of medium build, wearing a well-tailored suit, his hair neatly combed, looking very much like a businessman.
"Mr. Li, I've heard so much about you!" Chen Jianshe greeted him warmly, extending his hand as soon as they met.
"Mr. Chen, you're too kind. Please have a seat." Li Xiangyang invited him to sit in the conference room. "Would you like tea or coffee first?"
“Tea is fine, we northerners are used to drinking tea,” Chen Jianshe said with a smile.
After a few pleasantries, Chen Jianshe got straight to the point: "Mr. Li, I'm here to discuss a big business deal with you. Our company has established sales channels in Southeast Asia and urgently needs a large quantity of high-quality processed agricultural products."
"What scale?" Li Xiangyang asked.
"The first batch of 500,000 units will be followed by even larger orders if the cooperation goes smoothly," Chen Jianshe said. "As for the price, we can offer it at 20% higher than the market price."
Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat. Five hundred thousand sets—that was no small number, especially considering the price was 20% higher than the market price.
“The terms sound very tempting,” Li Xiangyang said, “but I’d like to know more about your company.”
“Of course.” Chen Jianshe took some documents out of his briefcase. “This is our company’s business license and related certificates. You can take a look.”
Li Xiangyang carefully examined the documents. On the surface, Huayuan Trading Company did indeed appear to be a legitimate company with substantial registered capital and a valid business scope.
"Mr. Chen, if I may be frank, why would you come to us, a small factory like ours?" Li Xiangyang asked directly.
Chen Jianshe seemed to have anticipated this question, and said with a smile, "Mr. Li, you are too modest. Your factory has an excellent reputation in the industry, and the product quality is guaranteed, which is what we value most."
“Furthermore,” Chen Jianshe continued, “this isn’t the first time we’ve worked with small and medium-sized factories. Large factories, while having high production capacity, are often less flexible and their prices aren’t cheap.”
Li Xiangyang nodded; that explanation made sense.
“However,” Li Xiangyang changed the subject, “an order of 500,000 sets is indeed quite large for us. I need to carefully consider the production cycle and quality control issues.”
“I understand, I understand,” Chen Jianshe nodded repeatedly. “Such a large order certainly requires careful consideration. However, I hope Mr. Li can give me a reply as soon as possible; our clients are waiting anxiously.”
“Three days. I will give you an answer in three days,” Li Xiangyang said.
"Okay, then I'll wait for your good news." Chen Jianshe stood up and took his leave.
After seeing Chen Jianshe off, Wang Ergou asked, "What did you think?"