Ethan Franklin shrugged his shoulders imitating foreigners in movies and said, “I usually like reading too. I’ve flipped through some of the materials in the Metallurgy Office’s reference room, and combined with the things my grandfather told me, I’ve managed to understand a bit.”

Having a grandfather who was once so impressive is truly a wonderful thing—any unreasonable abilities can be attributed to this grandfather. And if this grandfather has already passed away, that’s even better; this is called ‘the dead can’t testify,’ so others don’t even have the chance to verify it.

...Uh, saying this about one’s deceased grandfather, is that considered unfilial? Ethan Franklin rarely felt a bit guilty, so he quickly started to self-reflect.

Samuel Lawson didn’t notice Ethan Franklin’s little thoughts; his mind was completely caught up by what Ethan Franklin had said. Isn’t that right? Handing over the decision-making power for importing equipment entirely to Sanli Steelworks is basically like handing your wallet, completely unguarded, to a swindler. How could he rest until he’s squeezed every penny out of you?

China indeed doesn’t have the ability to import complete sets of Western steel rolling equipment à la carte, but China can hire capable consulting firms to help with the selection. Sanli Steelworks is an interested party; there’s no way they would consider China’s interests—they’re only thinking about how to extract the most profit from the Chinese side. But a third-party consulting firm is different. They’re paid by the Chinese side and are supposed to serve China’s interests. These established consulting firms rely on their brand and reputation; they would never collude with equipment suppliers like Sanli Steelworks just to earn a small kickback and harm the Chinese side. With such a capable assistant, what’s so hard about importing equipment à la carte?

If the mindset changes, then the negotiations between the South Jiang Province Metallurgy Office and Sanli can be put on hold. It’s not too late to find a consulting firm and let them take the lead in negotiations. Compared to equipment suppliers, there are far more consulting firms, and the competition among them is much fiercer. The Economic Commission can easily compare several and find the one with the best terms and lowest price as an assistant, then use their expertise to spar with Sanli.

Thinking of this, Samuel Lawson no longer hid his intentions. He stared at Ethan Franklin and asked, “Little Franklin, would you be willing to go to the capital with me?”

“To the capital? For what?” Ethan Franklin’s heart started pounding.

Samuel Lawson said, “I can’t say exactly how I’ll arrange things for you yet; it depends on your abilities. But at the very least, you can start as a translator in our Metallurgical Bureau. Didn’t you say you know five foreign languages? We’re really short of people like you.”

“Then, what about the Metallurgy Office here…” Ethan Franklin trailed off.

Samuel Lawson replied without hesitation, “As for the Metallurgy Office, I’ll handle it. You’re just a temporary worker; Director Qiao and the others won’t be reluctant to let you go. Don’t worry, once you get to the capital, I can immediately get you a formal position. Of course, it’s not easy to get into the Economic Commission, but I can assign you to one of the subordinate enterprises. I do have that little bit of authority.”

“I still need to discuss this with my parents.” Ethan Franklin’s mind was a bit muddled, so he pulled out Liam Franklin as a shield. He’s only 19, and before getting married, he’s still considered a child in front of his parents. It’s only reasonable to seek their opinion on such a big matter.

“Hurry up and make a decision. It’d be best if you could go back with us this time, so I don’t have to make separate arrangements for you,” said Samuel Lawson. He thought for a moment and added, “If you have any personal difficulties here in South Jiang, you can bring them up as well. If I can help, I’ll take care of them for you. I can’t let you go to work in the capital with worries on your mind.”

Such a good opportunity?

Ethan Franklin was delighted.

A bureau chief from the National Economic Commission—if he wants to get something done in the province, it’s really quite easy. Samuel Lawson’s promise is basically a blank check.

Looks like this bet was the right one, Ethan Franklin thought happily.

Chapter 9: The The Franklin Family Family Meeting

“What? Director Lawson wants to transfer you to the capital?”

When Ethan Franklin solemnly informed his family of the news, everyone was stunned.

“How did he take notice of you? Did you brag in front of him?”

“Can he really get you a formal position? Did he mention the salary?”

“Wow, going to the capital, that’s amazing! Bro, will you get to see Liu Xiaoqing?”

After a brief moment of shock, father Liam Franklin, mother Susan Harris, and younger brother Lucas Franklin each raised questions from their own perspectives. Ethan Franklin had no choice but to explain one by one: he didn’t brag, he really did learn a few skills from his grandfather William Franklin, and somehow caught Director Lawson’s eye; as for the formal position, it’s likely he’ll get one, but the salary wasn’t mentioned—though it’s sure to be low, since he’s just starting out; Liu Xiaoqing isn’t wandering the streets of the capital all day, if you want to see her you’ll have to go to the cinema, and the Liu Xiaoqing in the capital’s cinemas is no different from the one in Xinling, so there’s nothing to be envious about...

“You really didn’t deceive Director Lawson?” Liam Franklin stared into Ethan Franklin’s eyes and asked. As a middle school teacher, he could see through a child’s lie at a glance.