OBS Chapter 604 Information Networks
Chapter 604 Information Networks
"You seem to have quite the inside information," Li Xiangyang said casually.
"Director Li, to be honest, I've come here to apologize," Zhao Zhiqiang said with a look of shame. "I really didn't act properly in what happened before. Now that I've heard the truth, I feel even more uneasy."
Li Xiangyang looked at Zhao Zhiqiang, his heart already tinged with distrust. But outwardly, he remained polite: "Mr. Zhao, you're too kind. The matter is over."
"Director Li, I know this incident has given you a bad impression of me," Zhao Zhiqiang said sincerely. "But I hope I can make amends. How about this: in the future, we'll prioritize your company for our freight orders, and we can offer you more favorable pricing."
Wang Ergou sneered from the side, "Isn't it a bit too late to say all this now?"
"Mr. Wang, I know you have grievances against me," Zhao Zhiqiang said with a wry smile, "but the business world is like a battlefield, and sometimes, to protect oneself, one must make some unavoidable choices. Now, I sincerely want to cooperate with you and hope you can give me a chance."
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment, then finally nodded: "Mr. Zhao, cooperation is possible, but I have one condition."
“You say.”
"Future collaborations must be based on formal contracts, clearly outlining responsibilities and obligations. In case of problems, the contract must be strictly followed, with no room for ambiguity."
“No problem,” Zhao Zhiqiang quickly agreed.
After seeing Zhao Zhiqiang off, Wang Ergou asked, "Xiangyang, are you really still going to cooperate with him?"
“Ergou, that’s how it is in business sometimes. There are no permanent enemies, nor permanent friends,” Li Xiangyang said. “Zhao Zhiqiang may have some minor flaws, but he’s still a significant figure in this industry. As long as the rules are set properly, cooperation can be beneficial.”
"That's true," Wang Ergou nodded, "but we'll have to be more careful in the future."
Although the incident involving Manager Sun did not result in significant losses, it made Li Xiangyang realize that in this era, having technology and products alone is far from enough to do business.
Human relationships and interpersonal conflicts, these are realities he must face.
"Xiangyang, what are you thinking about?" Wang Ergou's voice came from behind.
Li Xiangyang didn't turn around, continuing to gaze out the window: "I'm thinking, shouldn't we establish our own information network?"
"Information network?" Wang Ergou walked up to him. "What do you mean?"
“Think about it, if Chen Zhiming hadn’t come knocking on our door, we might never have known Manager Sun was up to something,” Li Xiangyang said, turning around. “In the business world, being well-informed is more important than anything else.”
Wang Ergou nodded thoughtfully: "You're right. So what do you think we should do?"
"Let's start in the provincial capital, find a few reliable people to specifically collect information from various industries," Li Xiangyang already had a preliminary idea. "It doesn't necessarily have to cost a lot of money; the key is to build connections."
Just then, accountant Xiao Liu rushed upstairs: "Director Li, a few people have come downstairs. They say they're from Beijing and want to discuss a big business deal with you."
Li Xiangyang and Wang Ergou exchanged a glance, both feeling a premonition rising in their hearts.
"Beijing?" Li Xiangyang frowned. "What's the background?"
"They look like they work for a big company, all dressed in suits and driving a car," Xiao Liu said.
"Let's go down and take a look."
The visitors were indeed businessmen from Beijing, three middle-aged men, the one in the lead wearing gold-rimmed glasses and looking quite refined.
"You must be Director Li? I've heard so much about you." The bespectacled man extended his hand. "I'm Zhang Dehua, the deputy general manager of Beijing Wufu Trading Co., Ltd."
As Li Xiangyang shook hands, he quickly sized up the other person. Zhang Dehua was about forty years old, and his eyes darted around when he spoke, giving off an impression of dishonesty.
"Mr. Zhang, you're too kind. You've come all this way, please have a seat." Li Xiangyang led them to the conference room.
"Director Li, we've come here to discuss a big business deal with you," Zhang Dehua said bluntly. "Our company has a large sales network in Beijing. If you're willing to cooperate with us, our sales volume can at least triple."
It sounded tempting, but Li Xiangyang was on high alert. Having just experienced the incident with Manager Sun, he was extremely cautious about this kind of "big business" that suddenly came knocking on his door.
"Mr. Zhang, could you elaborate?" Li Xiangyang asked calmly.
“It’s very simple. We hope to be able to purchase all of your products.” Zhang Dehua produced a contract. “At this price, you can earn at least an extra 500,000 yuan a year.”
Wang Ergou listened from the side, his brows furrowing deeper and deeper. The price was indeed very attractive, but there's no such thing as a free lunch.
"Mr. Zhang, may I ask how you found out about our factory?" Li Xiangyang asked tentatively.
"Oh, it was through a friend's introduction," Zhang Dehua replied somewhat vaguely. "Director Li, Wufu is a very reputable company in Beijing. You definitely won't lose out by cooperating with us."
Li Xiangyang had already made up his mind. This Zhang Dehua was likely prepared, and might even be connected to what had happened before.
“Mr. Zhang, I appreciate your sincerity. However, for such a large collaboration, I need some time to consider it,” Li Xiangyang said politely.
“Of course, of course,” Zhang Dehua said patiently. “However, we can only stay here for three days. We hope you can give us a reply as soon as possible.”
After seeing Zhang Dehua and his party off, Li Xiangyang immediately closed the office door.
"Xiangyang, there's something wrong with these people," Wang Ergou said in a low voice.
“I think so too.” Li Xiangyang nodded. “Did you notice? He said he was introduced by a friend, but when I asked him which friend specifically, he dodged the question.”
"And that price is significantly higher than the market price," Wang Ergou analyzed. "If it were really that profitable, why don't they produce it themselves?"
Li Xiangyang paced back and forth in his office: "I suspect this might be a trap."
"What kind of set?"
“Think about it, if we sell all our products to them, what will happen to our other customers?” Li Xiangyang said. “Then we’ll be completely dependent on them, and they can do whatever they want with us.”
Wang Ergou suddenly realized: "You mean, they want to control us?"
“Very likely.” Li Xiangyang stopped in his tracks. “The question now is, just who exactly is this Zhang Dehua?”
"How about I ask my friends in the provincial capital to help me check?" Wang Ergou suggested.
“Good idea.” Li Xiangyang nodded. “Also, what do you think we should do?”
"I think we should stall for time and see what other tricks they have up their sleeves," Wang Ergou said. "If there's really a problem, they'll definitely slip up."