Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Jufeng and Bill sat across from each other, sipping their drinks as pedestrians flowed like a river outside the glass window. The afternoon sun was harsh, casting a glaring light on the palm-sized yellow leaves of the sycamore trees, which appeared lifeless and dull.
Jufeng's gaze lingered on the building across the street, deep in thought about the news Bill had just revealed. According to Huankezhao, there were five distributors on Earth, but recently, during interstellar transport, one of their cargo ships had been raided by pirates. This incident had caused dissatisfaction among Huankezhao's Senior Management due to the loss and damage to their reputation. Rumors circulated that Huankezhao planned to cancel contracts and re-open bidding for those shares. Initially, Jufeng had no interest in such trivial matters; he merely wanted to see if he could find any beneficial information regarding Chuyang. However, after Bill's earnest persuasion, he found himself intrigued.
Not knowing the value of money until one manages it themselves, Jufeng, despite his disdain for business matters, felt a spark of interest since the establishment of Zongheng Express Company in Washing City. He realized that he couldn't let his inheritance sit idly in a bank account; instead, he considered investing those funds in Huankezhao's bidding process. With Bill offering him a free spacecraft, it seemed like a fortunate opportunity.
"But I don't have cash on hand. The old man's money is substantial, but it's currently tied up. I can't unfreeze it without going back myself. We can't just give Huankezhao a blank check," Jufeng expressed his concerns.
Bill couldn't help but smirk at Jufeng's words. While he might not match Jufeng in skill, he was certainly an experienced hand in business.
"Brother Jufeng, don’t worry. The financial issue is merely a matter of liquidity. We can mortgage the spacecraft to Huankezhao to secure the bid and once we transport a batch of goods back, we can wire them the payment from Earth. They have deep pockets and can handle it. The question is how determined you are to make this deal," Bill reassured him.
With Bill’s words providing some comfort, Jufeng took a sip of his coffee, weighing the pros and cons. Huaguo was affluent with many wealthy families; previously reliant on foreign purchases had proven inconvenient. If he could act as an agent this time, the profits would be significant.
Jufeng slammed his coffee cup down on the table decisively.
"At all costs, I vow to secure this bid!"
Later that evening, after some inquiries, Bill confirmed that Huankezhao would begin bidding tonight. It was unclear how Bill managed it, but he somehow obtained an invitation letter. As night fell, Jufeng donned a suit and dressed Chuyang in a princess outfit before they left the hotel for Universal Manufacturing Center.
By eight o'clock that evening, luxury cars filled the parking lot of Huankezhao's building. Visitors marveled at the grandeur of the structure without realizing that inside was unfolding a fierce competition akin to a battle between dragons and tigers.
Bidding is not an auction; although it follows the principle of "highest bidder wins," there is still a personal element involved. Bill assessed the capabilities of several bidders and, based on the maximum collateral limit of his aircraft, drafted a bid of five billion. However, he was not entirely confident that he could secure it, as some improvisation would be necessary.
After getting out of the taxi, Jufeng led Chuyang through the entrance, where the welcoming staff looked on in mild astonishment. Bill followed closely behind, striding confidently into the building.
The etiquette officer guided Jufeng and his party to the conference hall for a brief rest. Most representatives had already arrived, all from Earth, including two companies from Huaguo. However, there was no scene of excited reunions among fellow countrymen; they were competitors, merely exchanging quick glances while maintaining their positions.
After some time, the head of Huankezhao emerged—a middle-aged man dressed in a suit, courteous yet not obsequious. His demeanor exuded the charm of someone from an extraordinary company, which was truly enviable.
“Welcome everyone to Huankezhao. I am pleased that you are interested in collaborating with us. On behalf of the Huankezhao board, I extend a sincere welcome to all present.”
Applause erupted, but Jufeng silently scoffed at this middle-aged man’s words—wasn’t it obvious that if there were no profits to be made, who would be interested in collaborating?
The man smiled and gestured for silence as the applause died down. He continued, “My name is Tony, and I am the Sales Director at Huankezhao. Before we sit down to discuss our collaboration, please allow me to invite you to visit our manufacturing center. This will help lay a solid foundation for our future cooperation. Please follow me.”
With that, Tony moved toward the door and made a gesture inviting everyone to proceed. One by one, attendees began to rise in an orderly fashion and exit the conference room. Bringing a girl along for negotiations was indeed unconventional; Jufeng preferred not to draw attention and was fortunate enough to be among the last to leave. Thankfully, Tony's gaze was quite normal, which elevated Jufeng's perception of Huankezhao another notch.
Huankezhao's offices were located on the Sixth Floor; above that were manufacturing workshops. Of course, this only applied to standard technology; military vessels were constructed at a different facility. As they took the elevator up past the Sixth Floor, the scenery changed dramatically—gone were the typical office rooms; instead, each floor resembled a factory space filled with machinery. The higher they went, the more mysterious it became, with assembly lines and machines that seemed to span multiple levels—truly an eye-opening experience.
While taking in the sights during a brief pause, Jufeng did not forget to chat with Chuyang. After all, assisting Chuyang was his primary concern during this trip; matters of wealth were not particularly pressing for him at this moment.
“ Chuyang, have you been here before?”
Upon entering Huankezhao, Chuyang fell silent and became unusually quiet. Her gaze wandered around as if searching for something familiar yet elusive. She looked at Jufeng and shook her head slightly, appearing somewhat disappointed.
Jufeng felt a twinge of disappointment as well but quickly reassured Chuyang: “It’s okay; you still have your dad!”
Indeed, upon hearing Jufeng's affection, Chuyang's gloomy expression vanished completely. She stood on her tiptoes and lightly pecked Jufeng's cheek, a sweet gesture.
After a while, the elevator arrived at the twentieth floor. The architecture here appeared somewhat orderly yet chaotic; orderly because the vast space was filled with intricate computer chips and various precise devices, and chaotic due to the sheer number of them, densely packed and thriving. Tony's voice rang out at just the right moment.
"What you are seeing now is our Robot Research Center. Many intelligent robots have already entered the research phase. Unfortunately, we haven't made much progress regarding ethical constraints in this area. However, I hope that in the near future, our human lives can become more enriched."
Upon hearing this, everyone nodded in agreement and smiled along. Jufeng, however, was unconvinced. Wasn't human life already comfortable enough? If intelligent robots were developed and replaced humans in every aspect, society would surely undergo a drastic change.
Jufeng's gaze wandered among the instruments, unaware that as Tony introduced this floor, Chuyang's eyes suddenly sharpened with a flash of brilliance. Yet, it was only for a moment before she returned to her calm demeanor.
"Well, that's all for the tour. Now, let's get back to our main topic. Please return to our conference room; I hope we can all gain something from the upcoming discussions."
(To be continued)
Comment 0 Comment Count