Chapter 196: Cooperation
Xie Changning nodded. "I’ve only dabbled in this area. I’m not an expert."
Hearing this, the leaders exchanged a look.
It wasn’t that there weren’t teams already trying to crack this problem. It was just that cracking problems took time, and now, with the variable of Xie Changning...
They didn’t know if they should contact them.
After all, it was another team’s project, and it wouldn’t be right for Xie Changning to suddenly interfere.
Seeing the leaders fall silent, Xie Changning said no more. She simply turned her attention to other matters and didn’t dwell on the topic.
The leaders didn’t bring the subject up again for the rest of the dinner.
Xie Changning stood up, took her leave, and went to rest at the guesthouse the leaders had arranged.
It was getting late, and the leaders wouldn’t let the technicians leave on the same day they landed. Whatever needed to be done would have to wait until they departed the next day.
After all, they had been on a plane for over ten hours; they had to rest.
They were exhausted.
None of the technicians refused. They went into the guesthouse and immediately went to sleep.
They were simply too tired.
Regardless of whether it was day or night, they collapsed into bed and fell asleep.
They remained in this state for two straight days. The leaders knew Xie Changning and her team were exhausted, so they had everything arranged perfectly to ensure they could rest without a worry.
Only when they were more or less rested did everyone begin the journey home.
Jerry had already been waiting at the guesthouse for three days, hoping Xie Changning would take him back to her factory in Anong County. He wanted to partner with her.
However, before he could depart with Xie Changning, she was summoned by the leaders to discuss production issues.
Foreign countries certainly had signal sources, and if Jerry wanted to cooperate, he would surely resolve the signal source issue.
But the domestic leaders still wanted their own machines to use a domestic signal.
There were many problems at present and many difficulties to overcome, but no one wanted to give up.
So, Xie Changning gave the leaders a set of data and told them to have a lab run experiments. If successful, the first trial cellular network could be put into operation.
Of course, this would take a long time.
It could take anywhere from six months to several years.
Fortunately, Xie Changning could afford to wait, and so could the country.
They held the patents. In the future, anyone who wanted to use their technology for production would have to pay.
This was also a way to monetize it.
The main reason Jerry had come this time was to buy the technology and establish his own production chain.
The whole distributorship thing was just an excuse.
Everyone knew that Xie Changning didn’t have a production line and couldn’t mass-produce cellular phones and pagers. It would take her six months to a year just to set up a production line.
It was better to just buy the rights to use the technology.
It would be many times simpler for Jerry to set up a production line abroad than for Xie Changning to do it domestically.
So, when Jerry proposed this partnership to Xie Changning, she didn’t refuse. Instead, she told him they wanted to buy in as shareholders.
Not with technology as capital, of course, but with a financial investment.
"The investment for this production line is huge. I doubt you can shoulder it all yourselves. Wouldn’t it be better if we joined in?"
When Xie Changning saw Jerry fall silent, she knew he was hesitating.
He wasn’t keen on having Xie Changning invest.
But Xie Changning had a point. Once a cellular phone production line was established, the cost would be enormous. His family’s company definitely couldn’t handle it alone.
The pressure was immense.
It was just that—
Letting Xie Changning become a shareholder—
"A technology-for-equity deal?" Jerry asked, holding out a sliver of hope that she would agree to contribute her technology as capital.
Xie Changning shook her head. "No, a financial investment."
Jerry fell silent again.
Seeing his resistance, Xie Changning began listing the various benefits of her becoming a shareholder, such as him getting priority access to cellular phone technology upgrades, as well as support for after-sales service, repairs, and so on.
Jerry was swayed by her words.
Indeed, there were still too many instabilities with cellular phones at present. With Xie Changning’s involvement, their products would only get better and better.
But if they didn’t let Xie Changning invest—
"Oh, come on. You know we’re relatively poor. The patent money is a huge sum for us, and we need it to add more machinery, upgrade various systems..."
Xie Changning was pleading poverty to Jerry.
Jerry knew Xie Changning was no innocent, naive girl.
But he couldn’t help but believe her. She had a special talent for talking him into things, and yet, every time he fell for it, he ended up making a profit.
As a result, he had no defenses against Xie Changning.
Seeing Jerry’s stance soften, Xie Changning pressed on. Eventually, he was completely convinced and agreed to her proposal.
Why did Xie Changning want to become a shareholder?
It would allow her to gain some understanding of the foreign market. At the same time, she could leverage the partnership to make certain technical requests of Jerry.
She believed that in the interest of making the business even better, as a close friend from the United States who worked very closely with her, he would surely help her.
Once the partnership was confirmed, Jerry’s entire demeanor changed. He called his father back home and told him what had happened that day.
After listening, his father was silent for a long moment before speaking. "It seems she wouldn’t have licensed the patent rights to us unless we let her invest..."
Jerry’s father had a sharp mind; it only took him a few moments to understand why Xie Changning wanted to get on board.
His son was no match for her. He had to concede.
He truly wanted the rights to the cellular phone technology; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sent Jerry to China personally, to stay in Hua Country as a hostage of sorts.
Of course, Xie Changning had no intention of keeping Jerry in China.
Jerry was her eyes and ears. He needed to travel back and forth; she couldn’t leave the entire foreign market under his father’s control.
Jerry had to be abroad.
News of Xie Changning’s investment soon reached the leaders’ ears.
The leaders had no objection to her investment. In the past, it was always foreigners wanting to partner with China and invest in China.
Who would have thought that one day, a factory from their very own China could invest abroad!
This was a great thing!
They should encourage it!
Just think how sharp foreigners’ business acumen is.
Cellular phones were bound to be profitable; it was only a matter of time. By investing now, it was a sure win!
After the partnership was confirmed, the leaders sought out Xie Changning. "Comrade Xie Changning, the range of the pagers must be extended. We need those pagers!"
The military and the police both need them!
Xie Changning knew the importance of the pagers. She nodded. "Rest assured, leaders. After I return to the factory this time, the top priority for Workshop Five’s upgrades will be the pagers!"
’I’ll strive to crack the range problem before the end of the year!’
With Xie Changning’s assurance, the leaders all nodded, expressing that they would give her their utmost support.
Xie Changning did indeed need support, so she didn’t hesitate to present her requests to the leaders.