Reborn Industrial Tycoon

The Foreign Trade Bureau of Jinmen City obviously often receives foreign guests. The suits and leather shoes are all ready-made. Although they are not brand new, they are clean and ironed.

"Teacher Xiao Li, let me tie your tie for you." Xiao Zhang from the office took a tie and tied it around Li Weidong's neck.

Li Weidong looked in the mirror and said helplessly: "Comrade Zhang, are you wearing a red scarf?"

"Ah? Isn't wearing a tie the same as wearing a red scarf? Our directors all wear it this way." Xiao Zhang opened his mouth and said.

At that time, the formal attire in China was still the Chinese tunic suit, and a suit was only worn when going to a photo studio to take wedding photos. Of course, ordinary people didn't know how to tie a tie.

In desperation, Li Weidong had to take off his tie and start tying it himself.

Xiao Zhang then said: "Teacher Xiao Li, our bureau has only prepared two sets of suits for your height, so when you wear these clothes, be careful not to wear them out. Otherwise, when you return,

, we still have to ask a tailor to repair it."

When he heard that the suit had to be returned after wearing it, Li Weidong felt that the 100 million had been rounded off again.

While trying on clothes, Li Weidong asked: "Comrade Zhang, who is the foreign guest I want to receive? Can you introduce him to me?"

"This foreign guest is an engineer from Tianfeng Motors, named Masayuki Kato. He is mainly here to inspect Tianfeng Motors this time. I don't know exactly what he is inspecting. I have to ask our leaders." Comrade Xiao Zhang is very honest.

replied.

"Tian Feng? The inspection target is still Jinmen Automobile!" Li Weidong nodded thoughtfully. He had already guessed the real purpose of Engineer Tian Feng's trip.

The establishment of a joint venture between Volkswagen and SAIC means that the Chinese automobile industry has taken the first step in changing the market for technology. Naturally, Tianfeng Motors will not miss this opportunity and hopes to allow Tianfeng Motors to enter the Chinese market through the joint venture model.

.

The founder of Tianfeng Motors was born in Northeast China, where FAW is located, so Tianfeng hopes to cooperate with FAW to establish a joint venture.

However, FAW in the 1980s looked down upon Tian Feng.

At that time, the reputation of Japanese cars was not as good as that of European and American cars. Although Tianfeng was already one of the top five car manufacturers in the world, in terms of brand value, the American and German giants, French Renault, Italian Fiat, and British Land Rover,

Swedish Volvo has a better name than Tianfeng.

It was a common perception at the time that European and American cars were better than Japanese cars.

Since SAIC can cooperate with Volkswagen, then FAW, as the eldest son of the Republic, has to cooperate with General Motors, Ford or Mercedes. If it forms a joint venture with Tianfeng, wouldn't it mean that FAW is inferior to SAIC, and it can't save face?

.

However, Tianfeng developed rapidly in the next ten years and soon became the world's number one automobile manufacturer. FAW finally signed a joint venture agreement with Tianfeng and established FAW Tianfeng Company.

This is also in line with the saying, today you are indifferent to me, tomorrow I will make it impossible for you to reach high.

Tianfeng failed to seek cooperation with FAW, so it had no choice but to look at other companies. In the end, Tianfeng locked in Tianfeng Motors.

In 1984, Jinmen Motors cooperated with RB Daihatsu to produce Daihatsu vans, and Jinmen Motors was also willing to continue to introduce other models. Tianfeng took a fancy to this and sent a special person to

Jinmen automobile inspection.

However, Li Weidong was thinking about something else in his mind.

"It's now 1985, and the fifth-generation Carraro has been on the market for more than two years! Maybe we can take this opportunity to make a deal with Tian Feng!"

…

Masayuki Kato looks about forty years old, wears a suit and tie, is meticulous in appearance, and looks like a typical RB office worker.

Teacher Xu brought Li Weidong to Masayuki Kato and introduced him: "Mr. Kato, we have just found a new translator for you."

Li Weidong also stepped forward and said in Japanese: "Hello, Mr. Kato, my name is Li Weidong. This is our first meeting. Please take care of me."

As Li Weidong spoke, he bowed and bowed his head in greeting according to the etiquette of RB people.

Kato Masako instinctively bowed in return, but at the next moment, he suddenly realized that the young man in front of him was Chinese.

"When Chinese people meet, don't they shake hands?" Masayuki Kato was slightly startled. He didn't expect to meet a Chinese who knew RB etiquette.

China and Japan only normalized diplomatic relations in 1972, and after that there were only official exchanges, and non-governmental exchanges were almost zero. Even a teacher like Mr. Xu who specializes in teaching Japanese does not know much about Japanese etiquette.

Therefore, before this, the Chinese people Kato Masayuki met had always greeted them by shaking hands, and no one had ever bowed according to Japanese etiquette.

Li Weidong then said: "Mr. Kato, from now on, I will be your translator. If you need anything, you can tell me and I will report to my superiors and try my best to meet your requirements."

If they are just introducing themselves, Li Weidong and Teacher Xu are almost the same, but when they talk a lot, Li Weidong's speaking advantage is instantly apparent.

Hearing Li Weidong's spoken language, Masayuki Kato suddenly became excited. Finally, someone could speak normally!

By Chinese standards, Teacher Xu’s spoken Japanese is not bad and he can communicate normally with foreign guests. However, in the eyes of Kato Masayuki, Teacher Xu’s spoken English is simply intimidating.

Teacher Xu is from Jinmen. When the same Japanese word comes out of Teacher Xu’s mouth, it has the flavor of Jinmen dialect. The intonation and rhythm are like a stand-up comedy.

He said that he spent 200 yuan to buy a little pig, drank water, ate beans, threw it over the wall, and with a squeak, guess what? He died! This is generally how Teacher Xu’s Japanese feels.

Masayuki Kato felt that this was not normal conversation! He was here for inspection, not to listen to cross talk!

What's more, this teacher Xu knows nothing about the technical terminology of automobiles. Once the technical terms of automobiles are mentioned, Teacher Xu puts on a silly expression, tilts his head, and asks three questions like a philosopher.

Where? Who am I? What do I want to do?

Kato Masayuki forced himself to endure his dissatisfaction with Teacher Xu. Although he wanted to find another translator, as an RB person, the concept of not causing trouble to others has long been ingrained.

Fortunately, Li Weidong showed up, with a pure RB Kanto accent, which made Kato Masayuki feel at home. For Kato Masayuki, it is no longer important whether Li Weidong knows car terminology, as long as he is not allowed to hear that "Gaba" again.

Just say "Gaba eat beans" in Japanese.

…

In the mid-1980s, any investment promotion was very popular. If it could attract a world-class enterprise like Tianfeng Motors, it would not only promote local economic development, but also play a significant role in the political achievements of local officials.

The previous cooperation between SAIC and Volkswagen was supported by the state, and Shanghai received a lot of policy favoritism. Jinmen City, which is both a municipality and a coastal port city, certainly does not want to lag behind others.

Therefore, Tianfeng's foreign trade department attaches great importance to Kato Masayuki, and they really want to keep Tianfeng Motors in Tianfeng.

The foreign trade department arranged for Kato Masayuki to stay at the Lishunde Hotel. As a hotel that has hosted the President of the United States, the conditions there are obviously much better than other guest houses, making it very suitable for entertaining foreign guests.

As a translator, Li Weidong had to provide translation services for Kato Masayuki at any time, so he naturally stayed at the Lishunde Hotel, which was regarded as a favor to Kato Masayuki.

Lishunde Hotel offers both Chinese and Western food, including milk and bread for breakfast and medium-rare steak for dinner. Li Weidong also enjoyed the treatment of foreign guests.

When it comes to cars, Li Weidong is considered an expert, and with an expert as a translator, Kato Masayuki's inspection progress was obviously much faster.

…

As an RB person, Masayuki Kato is very keen to have a dinner party after work. Whenever the Foreign Trade Bureau invites guests, Masayuki Kato always welcomes those who come.

Compared with RB sake, China's Moutai is really fragrant. Masayuki Kato couldn't resist the temptation at all, and he never got drunk every day.

The next morning, Masayuki Kato showed up at the restaurant with a hangover, and Li Weidong was already waiting there.

This year Li Weidong is different from before. Although he came to have breakfast, he was holding a briefcase in his hand.

"Mr. Kato, I think you need a cup of coffee to refresh yourself now." Li Weidong said, sending a cup of coffee that had been prepared in front of Kato Masayuki.

"Thank you, Li Sang, I really need to wake up now." Kato Masayuki took a sip of coffee. The bitter taste of the coffee stimulated his taste buds, making him sober in an instant.

"Li Sang, thank you very much for your translation. After having you, I feel that my daily work no longer scares me." Kato Masayuki said.

"Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Kato." Li Weidong said neither humble nor overbearing.

Kato Masayuki continued: "Li Sang, if Tianfeng Motors sets up a branch in Tianjin in the future, I will definitely invite you to join. People like you who are proficient in Japanese and are proficient in the automotive industry are exactly what we want."

Talents needed.”

"Tianfeng Motors is the world's top car manufacturer. I have longed for Tianfeng Motors. The cars produced by Tianfeng have been studied for a long time, especially the most successful model of Tianfeng, the Carraro." Li Weidong said with a smile.

"Really? I didn't expect that Li Sang knew something about Carraro!" Kato Masayuki said in surprise, but there was a hint of disdain in his eyes.

In Masayuki Kato's view, China is a closed country, and many people don't even know about Tianfeng cars, let alone a certain model of Tianfeng. It is considered good for a Chinese to be able to name Carraro.

, and dare to say that he has studied Carraro, he must be bragging!

Li Weidong said slowly: "In 1966, Tianfeng Motors launched the first-generation Carraro model, which used an 1100CC inline 4-cylinder engine and a MacPherson suspension system.

In 1970, Tianfeng Motors released the second-generation Carraro. The second-generation Carraro introduced two new engines, namely the 1400CC T-type engine and the 1600CC 2T-type engine. In addition, the second-generation Carraro was also equipped with

The 5-speed gearbox, which was very rare at the time, and the addition of a sound insulation layer greatly reduced the engine noise of this car.

In 1974, the third-generation Carraro enlarged its body and added many luxurious features. This car also helped Tian Feng win the global sales championship of a single car series. Tian Feng also relied on this car to successfully enter Europe and the United States.

market.

In 1979, the fourth generation of Carraro adopted a new 3A-U engine with better performance, better fuel consumption, and significantly reduced weight and volume. With this car, Carraro also achieved a total output of 10 million vehicles.

Prior to this, only Ford's Model T and Volkswagen's Beetle could achieve this feat.

In 1983, the fifth-generation Carraro was officially unveiled. Tianfeng specially developed a dual-camshaft engine for this purpose, and introduced turbocharging into the performance version..."

Li Weidong said this, paused deliberately, then picked up the coffee in front of him and took a sip.

"Li Sang, I didn't expect that you really know Carraro from Tianfeng Motors. I'm very sorry, I thought you were bragging just now." Kato Masayuki said straightforwardly.

"Thank you Mr. Kato for the compliment, but I haven't finished yet." Li Weidong put down his coffee cup and continued, "The fifth-generation Carraro is a good car, but its accelerator pedal doesn't seem to be that perfect."

Hearing "accelerator pedal", Kato Masayuki's eyes flashed with a fleeting strange color.

"Li Sang, what do you mean by imperfection?" Kato Masayuki asked.

Li Weidong smiled slightly and said: "I heard that for the Carraro sold in the US market, as long as you step on the accelerator pedal lightly, the engine speed will increase rapidly, and the car will rush out if you are not careful."

"He knows everything about the situation in the United States!" Masayuki Kato was shocked, but his face remained calm, and then he said, "That's just the improper operation of some users!"

"It turns out that it was just improper operation by the user. I thought there was a gap in the pin part of the accelerator pedal, causing adhesion!" Li Weidong said with a smile.

Kato Masayuki's breathing became rapid. He picked up the coffee cup and took a big sip to hide the panic in his heart, and then he said: "Our accelerator pedal is produced by Denso Co., Ltd., and Denso Co., Ltd.

RB is the top auto parts supplier, and the accelerator pedals they produce will never have quality issues."

"But Denso Co., Ltd. is not responsible for the design of the accelerator pedal!" Li Weidong continued: "When it comes to the design capabilities of auto parts, Tianfeng Automobile is definitely the world's top. Just like an accelerator pedal, with a little improvement, it can

Save a lot of costs.”

Li Weidong's implication is that Tianfeng modified the design of the accelerator pedal in order to save costs, and this kind of designer was defective, so it caused the vehicle failure.

Kato Masayuki naturally understood what Li Weidong meant. He was very guilty, and this guilty conscience made him act very strong. Kato Masayuki's expression became stern, and he said: "Li Sang, I don't want to

If you hear any remarks that slander Tianfeng Motors, you must be responsible for your words!"

"Mr. Kato, I am praising Tianfeng Automobile for its good design. How can it be considered as slander? I just want to discuss automobile technology with Mr. Kato. Mr. Kato, please don't think too much." Li Weidong said in a low-profile manner.

Seeing Li Weidong lower his posture, Kato Masayuki breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the next second, Li Weidong took out a document from his briefcase, handed it to Masayuki Kato, and then said: "I did some in-depth analysis and research on the accelerator pedal of the fifth-generation Carraro, and also wrote

I wrote an article, and I would like to ask Mr. Kato for your advice."

"Have you written it all down?" Kato Masayuki hurriedly took the document and looked through it quickly.

This document is in Japanese and has pictures and texts. Li Weidong drew the location of the sticky pin component on it.

Masayuki Kato's face was already very ugly. He knew that what Li Weidong wrote in the article was true. The fault of Carraro's accelerator pedal was indeed caused by the adhesion of the pin components.

At this time, Li Weidong opposite said calmly: "I plan to translate this article into English and then publish it to earn some royalties. Do you think it should be published in the British "Car" magazine or the American "CarandDrier"

Magazine, or the German "Auto, Motorundspor" magazine which is better? Of course, RB's "Coton" magazine is also fine, I didn't even bother to translate it into English."

Hearing that Li Weidong was about to publish this article, Kato Masauki shouted loudly: "Ya Zhidie!"