“How about we all eat first? No matter how big the world is, nothing is bigger than our own stomachs. Things can’t be solved all at once anyway, and we can’t come up with solutions on an empty stomach, can we?”

Chapter Two KBS-3720

No matter how heated the arguments got in the meeting hall, once everyone sat down at the dining table, the atmosphere changed completely, turning into one of harmony. It would make you think they had just finished a meeting of unity and victory. The National Economic Commission’s Metallurgical Bureau and the Nanjiang Provincial Metallurgical Department had a superior-subordinate relationship, so they interacted frequently and everyone knew each other. Once the wine was poured, all grudges melted away in the alcohol.

“Old Lawson, how’s your daughter doing? She’s in college now, right?” James Quinn sat at the head of the table with Samuel Lawson, and after a few rounds of drinks, started chatting about family. In terms of rank, James Quinn was half a level higher than Samuel Lawson, but as a ministry official, he naturally had a higher status, so James Quinn was still very respectful toward Samuel Lawson.

“She just got into Yanjing University, majoring in economics and management. I originally wanted her to study metallurgy, but she insisted that economic development needs management talent. Well, she’s a girl after all, and metallurgy is too tough for her. Let her do as she wishes.” Samuel Lawson replied with a cheerful smile.

James Quinn praised, “That’s really impressive. Getting into Yanjing University is no small feat. My second son only got into Nanjiang University this year. Ah, Old Lawson, do you remember? We used to talk about marrying our kids, but now it looks like there’s no chance.”

“Haha, whether there’s a chance or not, it’s not up to us.” Samuel Lawson laughed it off. Talking about marrying their children was just for show; his daughter had never even met the other’s son, so saying they were unrelated was no exaggeration.

After some joking, James Quinn lowered his voice and asked, “Old Lawson, is the Economic Commission really this determined this time? Forty million, not even a little wiggle room?”

Samuel Lawson shook his head and said, “No. This isn’t the Economic Commission’s determination, it’s the country’s. Pugang’s background is much stronger than yours at Nangang, and even they’re being delayed. The fact that Nangang can survive is already a stroke of luck. If you can’t cut the forty million, the Ministry of Finance probably won’t go along.”

“But there’s really no way to cut forty million.” James Quinn sighed. “If it were just the domestic construction part, we could cut it if you said so. But for the imported equipment, it’s not up to us. Those Japanese, they may seem polite, bowing three times for every sentence, but when it comes to business, they’re absolutely ruthless. The chief negotiator from Sanli Steel, Hase Yuto, made it clear as soon as we met: friendship is everlasting, but contracts are merciless. When negotiating, they scrutinize every clause in the contract, and when it comes to price, they won’t budge an inch. Well, what can we do? We’re just not as skilled as they are. They can squeeze us however they want.”

Samuel Lawson said, “Is there really no room on the equipment side? For example, for some less critical equipment, could we consider making do and lowering some requirements? That should save us tens of millions, right?”

“How is that possible?” James Quinn said. “They’re providing a complete set of equipment, and we can’t even tell which parts are critical and which aren’t. Just the blueprints alone weigh over four tons, and we’ve never dealt with this before. How are we supposed to identify the key parts?”

Samuel Lawson caught the flaw in James Quinn’s words and pressed, “Isn’t Engineer Lewis a metallurgy expert? He can’t tell which parts are critical? Hasn’t he given any opinions on the equipment?”

James Quinn said, “He has, of course he has. But the Japanese said this is the complete set of blueprints for the hot rolling production line they built in Japan—it’s an integrated system. If we break it up and can’t meet the design requirements in the future, they won’t be responsible.”

“That’s pure blackmail!” Samuel Lawson said angrily. “They have an obligation to help us optimize the equipment. How can they talk like that?”

“Well, what can we do? We’re a developing country.” James Quinn said. “When the central government decided to import this rolling mill line, they gave clear instructions that it must reach advanced international standards. If we cut corners on the equipment and the production line doesn’t meet the design requirements, how could we take responsibility for that?”

“Yeah, that’s what it means to be at someone else’s mercy.” Samuel Lawson replied with a sigh, then fell into deep thought.

After lunch, Samuel Lawson and his group, accompanied personally by James Quinn, went to the guesthouse of the Metallurgical Department for a midday rest. James Quinn instructed that the most luxurious rooms be opened for the higher-ups to rest. Yvonne Harris walked into the room assigned to him, looked at the over-standard Simmons bed and the imported color TV, and could only shake his head and sigh. This was the reality, and no amount of complaining could change it.