When will I have a long tassel?

In 2012, the United States, outside a large-scale factory in the suburbs of Baltimore.

A taxi stopped and a man and a woman got out of the car. They all have yellow skin and black hair, are well-dressed, and are capable and confident in every move they make.

If it was 10 years ago, native Americans would often guess whether they were from Japan or South Korea when they saw East Asian faces with such clothing and temperament. Today, the Native Americans are more willing to believe that these two people are from China, because around them, the number of Japanese and Korean guests has been decreasing day by day, while the number of Chinese people is increasing.

"Ah, the air in America is so fresh and has a sweet smell."

It was the female of the two who spoke. She looks about 30 years old, but her appearance is a bit girly, and her words are also cute either intentionally or unintentionally. For example, her deep breathing action just now makes people think that she may have been in a submarine for more than half a year. As for such an exaggerated performance.

The man who was traveling with him sniffed, and then said in surprise: "Why don't I smell anything sweet? It's just a bit grassy at most. If you go to our northeast this season, the air in the suburbs also smells like this. It's really fragrant." of."

"Minister Zheng, can you compare Northeast China with the United States? The United States pays more attention to environmental protection, but unlike us, it only pursues GDP. There are factories everywhere near our river, and there are haze days every three days. It's really annoying. .”

"Do you know that we people in Tengcun are envious of you people in Linhe? Thanks to the help of Director Zhou and Mr. Tang, our industry in Tengcun has recovered again. Otherwise, there would be no haze in our place, but The economy has also collapsed, so we can’t just stand outside and drink in the wind, right?”

"There is no contradiction between economic development and environmental protection. Do you think how the United States has done it?"

"Americans came here the same way. The last time Professor Wang from Renmin University came to our sales company to give a lecture, you may have been on a business trip and didn't hear it. I heard Professor Wang say that the United States also experienced severe pollution back then, and later became rich. After moving all the factories abroad, their environment began to improve, but the economy became worse day by day."

"Why don't I feel that the U.S. economy is getting worse day by day?"

"It's very simple. Americans can't even build a car production line now. They can only buy it from abroad. Don't you think the United States is no longer good?"

"That's because people don't want to make it..."

"That's really not the case. America's own machine tool industry is no longer good. In the past, we bought American machine tools. Now, it's the Americans' turn to buy our machine tools. Let me tell you, Xiao Li, you can worship the United States. When negotiating, you have to stand firm. President Tang and President Han both told us that we must be confident and make Americans feel that they are stupid if they don’t buy our machine tools... Well, that’s what it means anyway.”

The man's mouth slipped and he almost slipped out the dirty words the leader said when he was lecturing them. The conscience of heaven and earth, this is what Mr. Tang of the group said at the time, telling everyone to strategically regard Americans as idiots.

Of these two people, the man's name was Zheng Kang, who turned out to be a salesman at the Tengcun Machine Tool Factory. After Linyi Machine merged with Tengji and established Linhe Machine Tool Group, Zheng Kang joined Linji Sales Company. After more than ten years of training, he is currently the deputy director of the overseas business department of Linji Sales Company.

The woman, named Li Tiantian, is a native of Linhe. After graduating from Mingxi University of Technology with a master's degree, she applied for a job at Linji Group and was later assigned to a sales company to engage in technical intelligence work. When the sales company established an overseas business department, it assigned employees with good foreign language skills to engage in overseas business development, and Li Tiantian joined the overseas business department.

This time, the Overseas Business Department learned that General Motors' Baltimore plant intended to build a fully automatic automobile production line, so Zheng Kang brought Li Tiantian over.

While they were talking, the two of them had already reached the factory gate. Li Tiantian put away her laughing expression, put on a gentle and friendly look, and informed the guard of her and Zheng Kang's names and origins. The guard had been notified in advance that two Chinese equipment salesmen were coming to visit. After registering their information, he directed them to the office of factory manager Joe Sit.

"Hello, Mr. Qiao Xite, I am Li Tiantian, the business representative from China Linhe Machine Tool Group Co., Ltd., and this is Mr. Zheng Kang, the deputy director of the international business department of our sales company."

Walking into Qiao Xite's office, Li Tiantian introduced herself to him in fluent English. Her role on this trip is Zheng Kang's assistant and translator. Most of the forty-year-old backbones in the sales company like Zheng Kang do not understand foreign languages, so they must bring their own translators when going out for negotiations.

"Welcome you two, please take a seat."

Qiao Xitte, who had a full beard on his face, shook hands with Zheng Kang casually, and then asked the two of them to sit down. He also called a subordinate and asked him to pour a glass of water for each of them, as a gesture of hospitality. Got it.

"You two, you called me and told me that you wanted to talk to me about the equipment. You can do it now."

Without much pleasantries, Josit got straight to the point.

"Mr. Chosit, we heard that the Baltimore factory intends to eliminate the old production line and build a new automatic production line. Is this true?" Li Tiantian asked. There is no need for Zheng Kang to waste time on this kind of question, just let Li Tiantian ask it.

Qiao Xiite nodded and said: "Yes, we do have plans to eliminate the old production line. The production line we are using now was built in 1970 and is no longer suitable for the development of the automobile industry. We hope to build a production line with the latest technology. Production line. What, does your company want to provide us with some services?"

When he said these words, Li Tiantian translated for Zheng Kang simultaneously. After he finished speaking, Zheng Kang gestured to Li Tiantian, and Li Tiantian replied: "Yes, Mr. Qiaoxit, we very much hope to participate in the construction of this new production line in the Baltimore factory."

"So, which part do you want to participate in?" Josit continued to ask.

"Everything." Li Tiantian said.

"All?" Josette was a little surprised. "Dear Madam, I don't understand. What do you mean by all?"

"Of course it means that we are willing to provide the entire production line for the Baltimore factory. From the initial design to the final production, we can adopt a 'turnkey' approach." Li Tiantian said.

The so-called "turnkey" is a form of technical service, which means that the project contractor provides customers with a full set of services including design, supply, installation, and trial operation until the project can operate normally and then be completely delivered to the customer.

In the early years, when China introduced technology from abroad, it adopted a "turnkey" approach, that is, foreign companies completed the construction of the entire factory for us, and we only needed to wait for the project to be put into production and take over the factory.

After the late 1970s, the state put forward the principle of "joint design and cooperative manufacturing" in the introduction of major technological equipment, requiring that foreign equipment sales must be accompanied by technology transfer, and that Chinese companies should be involved in design and manufacturing so that they can control the technology themselves. On hand, the “turnkey” approach is not advocated by the state.

As far as an isolated project is concerned, the "turnkey" method is the most trouble-free for the owner. The owner only needs to put forward his own needs without worrying too much. But as a country that pursues independence, China cannot tolerate a technology being in the hands of others. Even when buying fish, it must understand the fishing methods. This is unique among developing countries.

GM's Baltimore plant is an automobile factory. GM's executives do not intend to get involved in machine tool manufacturing, so they have little interest in the construction process of automobile production lines. Equipment suppliers can provide equipment in a "turnkey" manner, and General Motors is certainly more willing.

"Didn't you say you are a Chinese company?" Qiao Xit asked in surprise.

"Yes." Li Tiantian was a little confused. What happened to the Chinese company? Why did the other party show such an expression?

Josit spread his hands and said, "Then, how can you provide us with a complete production line?"

"You mean, you think Chinese companies can't provide you with a complete set of production lines?" Li Tiantian finally understood this time, but for a while she still didn't understand Qiao Xite's confusion.

"Mr. Qiao Xitte, do you have any misunderstandings about China?" Zheng Kang heard some clues and asked tentatively.

Li Tiantian is born in the 1980s and has no intuitive experience of the technological gap between China and the West. When she joined Linji Group, China's machine tool industry was already quite large. Although there was still a gap between high-end machine tools and foreign countries, there was no problem in meeting most domestic needs.

Zheng Kang is more than ten years older than Li Tiantian. He knows that 20 years ago, it was quite difficult to build an ordinary home appliance production line, let alone a car production line, entirely relying on domestic strength. Even if a production line is built, its technical level will be at least 10 years behind that of foreign countries.

In the past ten years, China's machine tool industry has made great progress, but this development can only be experienced by the Chinese themselves. Westerners like Joe Sit may not pay attention to it. Based on their impressions from more than ten years ago, they believe that it is impossible for Chinese companies to provide them with a car production line. This is a perfectly normal thinking.

"Mr. Zheng, I admire China's manufacturing capabilities very much." Josit said. He gestured to himself, then gestured to his office, and said: "The clothes, leather shoes, and belts I wear, And a lot of the stuff in this room is made in China. The quality is very good and the price is very cheap, which I like very much.

"However, what we need now is an automobile production line that meets the highest international standards. I don't think China has the ability to build such a production line."