The fact that several Russians wanted to sign a contract on the train was something the conductor took very seriously. He immediately brought his men to the chief attendant's office to supervise.
When Xie Changning arrived, hauling the Russians in tow, the conductor was already waiting in the chief attendant's office.
The conductor frowned instinctively upon seeing Xie Changning's actions. He felt she shouldn't be treating China's distinguished guests in such a manner and was about to reprimand her.
Just as he was about to speak, a railway police officer who had been observing his expression immediately stepped forward and whispered in his ear.
After hearing the officer's explanation, the conductor turned to look at Xie Changning in astonishment.
He truly hadn't expected the situation to unfold like this—
"Xie Changning, hello. I'm the conductor of the K1208 train." Now that he knew the truth, the conductor had no intention of giving Xie Changning any trouble. Instead, he extended his hand for a handshake.
Xie Changning nodded and shook his hand.
"Hello. I'm Xie Changning."
Both knew why they were in the chief attendant's office, so after the brief introductions, they immediately began preparing to sign the contract.
Upon seeing the conductor, the bruised and swollen Russians grew agitated, their voices rising as if pleading for his help.
Xie Changning understood every word they were saying. She gave a faint smile and slapped the back of the head of the loudest one. "Shut up!"
Her action left them feeling utterly humiliated.
But no matter how humiliated they felt, they understood that no one else here could understand their language. Their fate was entirely in Xie Changning's hands.
If they displeased her, she would eat them alive…
Their minds screamed: 'Stupid Chinese! They don't even speak Russian! Damn them all!'
No matter how they cursed the Chinese in their hearts, they had to control their expressions and speak to Xie Changning in a fawning tone.
"Go on, what do you need?"
Xie Changning took the pen and paper offered by an attendant and questioned the Russians.
The Russians glanced at each other, reluctant to speak.
The throbbing pain in their faces, combined with the sight of Xie Changning's smile wearing thin, made them tremble. They subconsciously started talking, rattling off a series of machine names.
Xie Changning glanced at the list, had someone keep an eye on them, and then stepped out into the train car.
"Ten thousand S195 diesel engines! Five thousand Dongfeng-12 walking tractors! Five thousand eight hundred 3-inch centrifugal pumps! One thousand C620 conventional lathes! One thousand Model 6N8 rice mills! Two thousand 6-inch bench grinders! Fifty thousand sets of 6200 series bearings!"
With every type of machinery Xie Changning announced, a wave of excited shouts erupted.
She knew the quantities they wanted weren't massive, but they weren't small, either.
Many of the factories wanted to snap up this order, but—
"Everyone, please calm down!" Xie Changning said, holding up the paper to pacify the rising excitement.
She asked who among them hadn't sold any machinery at the recent Guangzhou Trade Fair, giving priority to those who hadn't closed any deals. Then, she had them introduce their factories one by one.
"We can complete this transaction, but the price won't be high, and we'll still have to negotiate with their head office..."
The point of the contract was to bind them.
However, if their head office refused to cooperate and decided to back out, there wasn't much China could do besides banning them from future Guangzhou Trade Fairs.
Xie Changning had to ensure the order was completed within a fine margin: the Russians had to make a profit, and the Chinese factories couldn't lose money.
Hearing this, the factory managers all nodded, telling Xie Changning not to feel any pressure.
Losing money at the Guangzhou Trade Fair had become commonplace over the years. They would be happy to make even a dollar in profit.
Xie Changning jotted down the key features of several promising factories, then went back to the Russians to discuss their requirements.
"What's your target price?" Xie Changning asked, inquiring about the S195 diesel engine.
The Russians exchanged a glance before one of them spoke. "165 US Dollars."
Everyone present frowned at that price.
The cost of an S195 diesel engine was already 175 US Dollars, yet they were trying to push it down to 165!? 'Weren't they blatantly taking advantage of China's desperation to make a deal!'
Xie Changning's expression remained unchanged.
"What is the absolute highest price your head office authorized?" Xie Changning asked patiently.
"170."
Seeing Xie Changning's stern expression, the men answered meekly.
'It wasn't their fault. These were the demands from the head office. They were just here to negotiate; they had no authority over pricing.'
"Our selling price is 195 US Dollars. We can't go any lower," Xie Changning stated to the Russians.
At her words, their brows furrowed. They began to jabber in their own tongue, haggling with Xie Changning and insisting that their company would never agree to such a price.
"If you don't agree, we can always choose to work with other companies."
Everyone on Earth knew that Chinese labor was the cheapest. Anyone who bought goods from China to resell was guaranteed to make a profit.
The only question was how much.
The Russians fell silent, seemingly weighing their options. Xie Changning continued, "We could also purchase your company's machinery. As I understand it, a new factory is being established in Chuncheng soon, and it will require a batch of new equipment."
Her words made the men's eyes flash with a new light.
She had their interest.
When it came to buying machinery, Russia was known for being big spenders. If they could close a deal for a batch of machinery with China, their own pockets would be well-lined!
"We need to contact our head office." Even though they were tempted, they had to consult their superiors before making a decision.
Since they were yielding, Xie Changning saw no reason to make things more difficult for them.
She nodded. "Fine. But I have one condition. You must sign a preliminary agreement with me, a contract guaranteeing that a deal will be made. Only then will I let you go to Chuncheng and contact your head office."
The Russians exchanged a look and agreed.
"Alright. You can rest here for the night, you uncivilized Russian cooks."
Scolded by Xie Changning, the Russians didn't dare to talk back and could only nod.
As she left the chief attendant's office, all eyes fell upon her, expectantly awaiting her report.
"The final contract isn't signed yet, but they've agreed to sign a preliminary agreement guaranteeing our cooperation. They won't get away this time." Hearing this, everyone else breathed a sigh of relief.
They really didn't want to miss this opportunity to earn foreign currency.
Seeing their expressions, Xie Changning knew what was on their minds.
In truth, their mindset was wrong.
The factories were state-owned, true, but if they couldn't turn a profit, then the foreign currency earned wouldn't be able to drive national development. In that case… the whole point of foreign exchange was diminished.
But Xie Changning didn't elaborate. She simply told them to go back and rest, saying they would sort everything out once they returned to Chuncheng.
Time trickled by, and soon, the train's announcement system crackled to life, announcing their arrival in Chuncheng.
Xie Changning picked up her suitcase and disembarked with the man from the Northeast.
The factory managers got off with her. They were all hopeful about this partnership and wanted to successfully negotiate the deal before returning home.
The large group disembarked from the train.
In the distance, they saw a man in a military uniform who stood out from the crowd.
The moment he saw Xie Changning, his stern expression instantly softened. They all watched as the uniformed man headed straight for her, and then...
In his excitement, his left foot caught his right, and he greeted her with a grand bow—by tripping spectacularly.