Chapter 3

In the small restaurant of Mi County, each person had a bowl of beef tripe rice, and the two began to chat.

"Wu Ge, even if it's ten points, the company might not approve it."

"It's not certain. How do you know if you don't try? The key is to make Old Yuan believe that we can deliver after the fact."

"Let's throw a few tens of thousands first. I don't believe we can't get it!"

"Throw a few tens of thousands? If it really costs over 300,000, throwing a few tens of thousands won't even make a dent."

"I heard that the branches in other regions have thrown more. It seems the branch managers have taken the lead..."

"You little guy, where did you get this gossip? This is a negative attitude that goes against the company culture. I advise you to give up on this idea early."

"Like you said, how can we know if we don't try? Should we just wait to die? Come on, let's go back to the company and find Manager Wang."

Two hours later, the two emerged from Manager Wang's office, looking disheveled. Li Qinglong made a face at Wu Di.

"Wu Ge, I've dragged you into this."

"Big brother doesn't blame little brother. This all started because of me, and I've dragged you into it. If I hadn't overestimated the cost, you wouldn't have come up with this idea. Besides, even if my judgment was correct, such a large expense goes against the company culture, and it's not something we low-level employees can handle. Let's stick to the normal procedures. We can do our best, but the outcome is up to fate."

"Alright, if it doesn't work, I'll go all out and find the factory manager! Maybe I'll even solve my personal issues along the way!"

"Go dream on!"

Wu Di didn't fully explain to Li Qinglong. Old Yuan was a very cautious person. How could he reveal so much to a young man he had just met, let alone allow Wu Di to judge that it would cost over 15 points? Wu Di remembered the hint from the Heavenly Book and combined it with the budget, testing various angles to reach this conclusion. However, in the eyes of an experienced businessperson like Manager Wang, this was just nonsense. How could you figure out the client's bottom line in one go? If the client had already been won over, wouldn't they have been taken care of long ago? Without solid work, trying to solve problems with money is not how business works. If it were that simple, why would the company need salespeople?

Wu Di sat on the bus, his mind constantly replaying the scenes from the previous night. This wasn't a prank; it was a hint from the Heavenly Book! A strong desire welled up from within him. He closed his eyes, calmed himself for a moment, and then picked up his phone and dialed.

"Manager Zhao, hello, this is Wu Di. What are you up to?"

"Wu, your company won the bid for Hanhai, right? Wasn't it that fat lady, what's her name, Fang, who handled it?"

"Seems so. You know, we have three branches in Beijing. Sister Fang is not in my branch, so I don't pay much attention."

"Damn, another high-value project. Your company is full of strong people, each one more expensive than the last. Brother, if you have any good projects, give me a chance. I'm almost broke."

"Get lost, you make over 20 million a year, and you're crying poor to me. But this time, I do have a project. I want to buy from you. Let's meet and talk about it."

"Finally, not asking me to collude in a bid! Sure, I have some business at Garden Bridge. I can finish in about half an hour. Where are you? I'll come to you."

"No need. Let's meet at the Shangdao next to the Water Conservancy Design Institute in an hour."

Zhao Haoran was the vice president in charge of the Beijing branch of Shuanghe Company. He was in his thirties, outgoing, and well-connected in the industry. Shuanghe Company had only about a dozen people in Beijing but had an annual sales volume of over 20 million, mainly due to Zhao's flexible approach. Many projects were handled through agency, and other company salespeople often sought his cooperation to poach their own company's projects. Wu Di had competed with him on several projects over the past two years and had colluded in bids with him, so they were quite familiar. However, he had never thought about poaching his own company's projects. But this time, he couldn't understand the Heavenly Book's hint, so he decided to try. Moreover, he found a reason to justify his actions: the company would never approve such a high-cost project. If the Heavenly Book was right, it would be better to benefit himself than others.

Some of Wu Di's colleagues had worked with Zhao Haoran and knew that Old Zhao was trustworthy, fair, and not greedy, so they decided to cooperate with him.

Wu Di waited for ten minutes at Shangdao, and Zhao Haoran, dressed in a suit, arrived. As his name suggested, he had a square face and looked very energetic. Wu Di ordered him a latte and got straight to the point.

"Is anyone from your company running the public construction project at the Second Machine Factory?"

"You asked the right person. It's the one on the southeast side of the Fourth Ring Road. I went there last week. It's Manager Le's project, the girl you met at the opera school. This project is tough. Do you have any connections?"

"I have some connections. I want to buy from you, Manager Zhao. Is it convenient?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it be? My business relies on the support of my colleagues. I'll give Manager Le a call and have her fully cooperate with you."

"Thanks, Manager Zhao. What's your price?"

"Who's signing? Do you need a health permit? Installation included?"

"The client will sign directly with you. I'll be responsible for the payment. We need a health permit, and we might need to collude with a few other manufacturers for the bid. I won't be involved in the bidding or supply."

Zhao Haoran looked at the equipment list in his hand, pondered for a moment, and said:

"Brother, I'll give you 720,000 for four sets of equipment. Add 10,000 for the health permit. I'll cover the two-year warranty. I'll deduct 10% tax from the extra money. Don't give me a sky-high price; it will be hard to handle the tax."

"Sure, under 2 million. The main issue is that the other side has a big appetite. You know our company's policy. If we don't take the project, it will benefit others."

"Ha ha, our company's base price is low. At this price, the salesperson and sales manager still get a commission. For your company, the sales manager would calculate a loss. If you have such projects in the future, come to me."

"Manager Zhao, thanks. I've prepared 20,000 per set for you. What do you think?"

"Ha ha, brother, you're too generous. I appreciate it. This price is just a starting point. I'll talk to the boss for you. This project is almost ready, right? I've seen the secondary structure work for months."

"Wait for my call."

"Oh, one more thing. We need to complete the base price first, and then the remaining part will be returned."

"Understood."

Zhao Haoran had other business and left first. Wu Di sat in his seat, feeling a bit uneasy. If his judgment was correct, the company would abandon the project. But until the final result was out, no one knew what would happen, which made him feel like he was betraying the company. No matter what, he had to take a chance! This is how the real world works. The most important thing is that if he followed the routine, his final outcome would be working for a few years, then going back home to buy a house and get married. But since he had come out with a determination, who would want to go back in disgrace?

He looked at his watch; it was a bit late, around 5 PM. It would be better to call Director Yuan the next day.

The next afternoon, around 3 PM, Wu Di took out his phone and started calling.

"Director Yuan, hello! This is Wu Di from Shuanghe Company. Yes, the one who called you Uncle Yuan yesterday morning. Hehe, I call you Director in front of others. Do you have time tonight? I'd like to treat you to dinner."

Yuan Jianguo answered the phone, thinking:

"He's here? A day later than I expected. I thought you wouldn't dare to call."

He enjoyed the intellectual challenge of dealing with salespeople, which made him feel young. So he treated them politely, knowing they had a tough job.

He thought to himself but spoke politely:

"Wu, my daughter is coming back from university tonight, so I can't have dinner with you. Besides, the rules don't allow it, right? I appreciate your offer, but I'll treat you to dinner another time. I also want to thank you for the technical presentation you gave me this morning."

"Uncle Yuan, I'm in a tight spot and need this project to save me. Can you give me some advice?"

"Ha ha, I think the bidding will happen within two months. Keep an eye on the online announcements. Prepare a good tender document, offer your best products, the biggest discounts, and the best service commitments. You'll have a chance. I have to go to the site now."

"Alright, Uncle Yuan, you go ahead. I'll contact you another day. Uncle Yuan, do you have time this weekend?"

"Kid, I finally have a couple of days off. Do you want me to work overtime again? I suggest you don't try any underhanded methods. If you have something, come to my office."

"Alright, I'll come early on Monday. Thanks, Uncle Yuan."

After hanging up, Wu Di smiled. Indeed, Old Yuan was very cautious! But as long as he didn't push me away, there's still hope. Even if there's just a tiny gap, I can squeeze in. Besides, with the hint from the Heavenly Book, even a solid iron ball, I can punch a hole in it!

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