Song Yunhui spoke at his side while Liu Jun silently memorized in his heart. He thought, when Luo Qing resigned to take the civil service exam, he couldn’t persuade Luo Qing in his ideological work. If he had brought out Song Yunhui’s words then, what would the effect have been? This kind of talk, if he had heard it before, might not have had much impact, but now that he was doing management himself and encountering various problems in daily management work while struggling to find the best solutions, Song Yunhui’s words and actions undoubtedly gave him the best inspiration.

After the Q&A ended, Liu Jun quietly asked Song Yunhui if there were still areas needing improvement in his products and R&D management. Song Yunhui instead invited him and two chief equipment engineers into his office to discuss R&D management experience. Everyone was an insider, understanding each other’s points immediately, and they exchanged many practical experiences. Because the conversation was congenial and Donghai also decided to trial his special valves, Liu Jun couldn’t help but boldly make a request to Song Yunhui: “Mr. Song, I have an unreasonable request. The manufacturing cost of special valves is very high, could you perhaps…”

Song Yunhui laughed upon hearing this, “Do you think I’m taking advantage of your small company? You should ask the two experts present – my letting your components trial at Donghai is how much support for you.”

One chief engineer explained: “Our equipment runs continuously year-round. If it shuts down once due to a malfunction, losses are calculated in tens or hundreds of millions. Components like the valves you provide need to be installed during scheduled major or minor maintenance, and once installed, must be guaranteed to work until the next scheduled inspection. Therefore, our requirements for components are extremely strict – we don’t easily try products without credibility. This is why we must solemnly hold Q&A sessions before deciding to trial your products. We’re taking great risks.”

“So that’s how it is – there’s a world of difference between industries.”

Song Yunhui said, “We’ll see how the trial goes. If actual performance reaches the level of imported valves we currently use, not just theoretically, we’ll pay purchase fees. You can rest assured about this, Little Liu – we’re a proper large state enterprise.”

Liu Jun didn’t dare say it aloud, but inwardly he scoffed. From his two years of experience dealing with customers, the bigger the enterprise, the more shenanigans in their procurement departments – this was almost universally true across Chinese and foreign, public and private sectors. Large enterprise plus state-owned meant the pinnacle of such shenanigans. However, since he had directly connected with Donghai’s boss Song Yunhui, that was another matter entirely.

Getting in his car, Liu Jun first couldn’t help wiping the cold sweat he’d been scared into producing all afternoon by such a rigorous ordeal. But he immediately received another call from Song Yunhui.

“Little Liu, haven’t you and Little Shen had time to organize activities recently?”

“We have. Tonight there’s a gathering at Dongdong’s house to discuss how the New York Twin Towers being hit by planes will affect us. I was just thinking of consulting Mr. Song – it wasn’t convenient to ask with so many people earlier.”

“Last night, the New York stock market’s reaction already came out. We’re worried about the subsequent impact on the American economy. This year, the American economy was already on a downward slope after the high-tech boom. This crash’s impact on the dollar exchange rate, on our exports to America, probably can’t be underestimated. We also need to continue observing the forces behind this crash incident and what nationwide action America will take in response. Often, major events are followed closely by major actions, so it’s still hard to reach conclusions.”

“Eye-opening. Mr. Song, you’re my idol. Tonight I’ll use Mr. Song’s words to scare Dongdong.”

“Uh… haven’t you organized any outdoor activities recently? Organize something – I can help you contact places for eating crabs.”

Liu Jun was stunned for a long while before understanding that Song Yunhui was helping find things for his wife to do. He quickly said: “I’ll discuss with Dongdong tonight and contact Mr. Song later.”

Hanging up, Liu Jun thought of the young, fun-loving Liang Sishen, then of the serious Song Yunhui, gaining some insight. While driving, he returned calls to answer during the meeting. One phone number was very unfamiliar. When he called back, a familiar female voice asked: “Mr. Liu from Tengfei Company? Hello, hello. Let me introduce myself – I’m Cui Bingbing, a star credit officer from Industrial and Commercial Bank’s city branch, hehe. I saw your high-tech enterprise certification application report from a friend and am very interested. I’d like to arrange a time to visit and discuss.”

“Oh, hello.” After speaking, Liu Jun realized the person was politely addressing him as “nin” (formal you) while he used the casual “ni” (informal you), but this childhood habit was hard to change, so he had to continue. “Right now is fine. I’ll be at the company in twenty-five minutes.”

Cui Bingbing, on the other end, agreed very readily. But Liu Jun saw that the clock was approaching closing time – twenty-five minutes later would be quitting time. From his understanding of those bank masters, especially the Big Four bank masters, he suspected Cui Bingbing would break the appointment. So Liu Jun waited for Cui Bingbing to call and come back, but waited in vain. As soon as he entered the company gate, he saw a white Passat at the entrance. A woman had just emerged from the Passat – bright red silk round-neck shirt, shoulder-length short hair, slightly plump, red lips and white teeth, a red bead bracelet on her arm, smiling before speaking. Liu Jun immediately recognized her – wasn’t this A’San who had drunkenly caused a scene on her birthday at Haoyuan’s entrance? Could Cui Bingbing be A’San? What star credit officer – wouldn’t it be a yellow card instead of gold?

“A’San, hello.”

A’San was slightly stunned, then said with a smile: “Mr. Liu? Great efficiency – so quickly you even found out my nickname, hehe. Discussing business after hours, but Mr. Liu shouldn’t mind. Mr. Liu, is this your only factory area?”

Cui Bingbing spoke matter-of-factly and handed over her business card. Instead, Liu Jun was confused. Could this nonsensical A’San be quite famous? “Yes, only this area.”

“I borrowed your company’s balance sheet from a friend. Your company’s fixed assets are…, working capital is…, liabilities are…, but this land’s valuation probably wouldn’t be that high, approximately… Could it be that your company’s fixed assets are all in equipment? This is the first mystery I came to solve today.”

Liu Jun liked Cui Bingbing’s direct approach and was even more impressed by her ability to rattle off a string of numbers from memory. Only now did he look at this nonsensical A’San with new respect. “Indeed, fixed asset allocation can’t be seen on the balance sheet. Please come to my office – I have copies of all our company’s equipment prices. You can also put on work clothes and a safety helmet to see the workshop floor.”

“Good, first look at materials then the site. Hey Mr. Liu, who told you about me?”

Liu Jun turned to look at Cui Bingbing walking alongside him and couldn’t help laughing. “I’ve seen you before, at Haoyuan on your birthday. You and a bunch of girlfriends were having a great time, chasing people and wildly throwing cake. I was one of those you chased and pelted.”

Liu Jun waited to see Cui Bingbing look embarrassed, but unexpectedly she laughed: “Ha, I remember, I remember! That day, I wished on the candles for handsome guys to fall from the sky, then I remembered two handsome guys quickly appeared. My wish was incredibly effective. I drank too much that day and didn’t remember faces, but since Mr. Liu is a handsome guy, that can’t be wrong. Was the cake delicious? I especially brought it back from Shanghai. Who was the other handsome guy? Introduce me – this wish was amazingly effective.”

Liu Jun found himself being taken advantage of instead and had to give up on watching the show. It seemed this A’San was untouchable when drunk and remained untouchable when sober. “The other one… is Shen Huadong from XX Group. I’m going to his house for dinner later – you might as well come along.” While entering to find the copies, Liu Jun carefully examined Cui Bingbing’s business card. Looking at her position, he found it hard to believe – someone so young and nonsensical was already in middle management at the city branch? But seeing her driving a Passat, the appearance shouldn’t be fake.

Cui Bingbing took the document folder, opened it and immediately handed it back: “Sorry, I returned all my English to the teacher. Mr. Liu, please explain it to me.”

“It’s German. How about we go downstairs to look and compare with the diagrams? Sorry, our company doesn’t have a single female employee. Please change into my clean work clothes, Ms. Cui. Jeans and sneakers are fine for the workshop.”

Cui Bingbing was indeed familiar and unreserved, putting on Liu Jun’s oversized work clothes and playfully swinging a sleeve while making a face. With her red outfit hidden by the work clothes, Liu Jun no longer treated her as a woman. They first went to the newly built R&D center to see the expensive instruments inside, comparing with the marked prices on the material diagrams – clear at a glance, letting the pictures speak. After seeing the R&D center, Cui Bingbing assessed that every corner of the entire building was more luxurious and comfortable than the general manager’s office. Then they went to see the workshop equipment, again letting pictures speak.

After one round, the summer sky had already darkened. Cui Bingbing delivered a shocking statement: “I finally know why your loans are so low, hehe – you can’t get them, can you? My second mystery is solved.”

“Huh, why? On one hand, Big Four banks like yours won’t bother with me; on the other hand, small joint-stock banks give me limited credit. What are the two reasons?”

“First, the profit figures on your income statement are too beautiful – so beautiful they seem fake, not like a traditional mechanical manufacturing enterprise. If I hadn’t seen your high-tech enterprise certification application, I would have first treated you as a fraud, and an immature one at that – your fake statements are too poor quality, obviously the level of a fake foreign enterprise street vendor turned individual proprietor. Looking purely at statements, no one would imagine your workshop is hiding such treasures. Admit it?”

Liu Jun hadn’t thought of this reason: “Domestic machinery… hehe… the reputation has all been ruined by low-level processing. This kind of gross margin would be very normal at the German company I used to work for.”

“Are you real foreign investment?”

Liu Jun didn’t answer directly: “I hold a German passport.”

“Take my car back to the city? We can continue talking on the road.”

Liu Jun readily agreed, taking off his work clothes and throwing them in the security room before getting in Cui Bingbing’s car. Unexpectedly, Cui Bingbing had a masculine personality, but her driving made Liu Jun frown within ten meters. Thinking of his life, he strongly demanded a driver change. Fortunately, Cui Bingbing didn’t insist, and they switched positions.

“Let’s continue. The second reason is that land takes up too small a proportion of your fixed assets. We banks look at what you can put up as collateral. Equipment is what we least want – too hard to resell. So, land – how much can your tiny plot be valued at? Therefore, you can only get a tiny loan; the rest we can only open acceptances for you without using your credit limit. Have your current loan banks explained these reasons to you?”

“No. But I ask banks for loans because I don’t have enough money. And with my current production capacity, this land is more than sufficient. The profits I earn are only enough to buy equipment – after buying equipment, there’s no money for anything else. Look how expensive my equipment is.”

“Your thinking has its logic, but it’s not good thinking for dealing with banks to get loans. Speaking immodestly, the reason I became a star credit officer is that I make one loan and gain one friend, not just drinking buddies. Through thoroughly understanding an enterprise, I help discover the enterprise’s growth potential. That’s how I do it. At least, you’ve never seen a Big Four bank master like me who actively attacks and comes to your door, right? Hehe.”

Liu Jun didn’t know if this star or yellow card’s mouth was full of bragging or truth: “So how should I get more loans?”

“Many enterprises do this: reinvest profits, part for buying land, part for buying equipment, or even leasing equipment. Buying land has two benefits: first, it’s convenient for loan collateral; second, it allows for land appreciation. Currently, quite a few enterprises have succeeded in land speculation. Looking at their balance sheets, asset appreciation is mainly reflected in land price evaluation increases. The profits from hard work can’t compare to this kind of appreciation – easier, faster, and larger in quantity.”

“The problem is my funds are limited, and equipment updates are urgent.”

“Nobody’s funds are idle, but some people are bold – buying land for appreciation while extracting loans… figure it out yourself. Currently, it’s generally not easy for people to get land, but for foreign manufacturing enterprises with projects like yours, that’s another matter. All government agencies would probably welcome foreign investment with open arms, also providing you with the most favorable land prices. This is a very simple and clear line of thinking.”