Chapter 75: Betrayed by a Conspiracy

“Haha, that’s great! You’re a straightforward guy, just the kind I like. Here’s the deal: when your second-generation computers hit the market, our military will place an order as well. Also, we’re interested in working with you on your high-definition displays and hard drives,” Minister Xie said heartily, pleased with Lin Feng’s cooperation.

“Hehe, I must thank you in advance, Grandpa Xie. Looks like you’ve called me here today just to give me money!” Lin Feng replied with a broad smile, his spirits lifted by the prospect of two major orders.

“Haha, don’t be too happy just yet. You know our military budget is tight; our equipment is outdated, and money is needed everywhere. So, when you sell to us, can you make it cheaper? I don’t mind what price you set for other departments, but for the military, you have to give us a hefty discount!” Minister Xie said, thick-skinned but earnest.

If the state places an order, it’s bound to be a large one. Even in regular business, volume discounts are standard practice—let alone when dealing with the nation. Lin Feng had no qualms about the discount Minister Xie requested. “Don’t worry, Grandpa Xie, I’ll definitely give you a discount. I won’t charge you the market price,” Lin Feng promised.

Minister Xie was pleased but wanted more than just a token reduction. Testing Lin Feng, he asked, “I know you’ll give us a discount, but can you make it even lower? Ideally, sell to the military at cost. I’m aware your company’s products have high profit margins. Sacrifice a bit—consider it a contribution to the country. What you don’t earn from the military, you can make up elsewhere, right?”

So this was Minister Xie’s true intention—all the earlier talk had been mere prelude. Lin Feng looked at him with some difficulty and said, “Grandpa Xie, you’re putting me in a tough spot. If I give the military this price, won’t the other state departments expect the same? My company is a business; I have many employees to support. If I sell at cost, how will I pay them?”

Seeing Lin Feng persist in pleading poverty, Minister Xie relented a little. “There you go again. Look how fast your company is making money! When your computers go international, you’ll be raking in fortunes daily. So, tell me—how much of a discount can you give the military?”

“What, you want an answer now? You should talk to Ruoxi about these things—she handles most of the company’s affairs,” Lin Feng replied, quickly pushing Xia Ruoxi into the spotlight.

Minister Xie clearly didn’t believe him, shooting Lin Feng a disdainful glance. “You little rascal, just like your grandfather—always up to tricks. You’re the chairman with full authority, yet you want to pass this off to the girl? Stop dodging—give me a real number.”

Seeing he couldn’t avoid it, Lin Feng sighed and feigned great reluctance. “Grandpa Xie, if you really want a discount right now, fine. For all military orders, I’ll give you a twenty percent discount.”

Barely had the words left his mouth when Minister Xie retorted loudly, “You’re too greedy! Didn’t Old Master Lin use to be a butcher? How did you become so ruthless? Who taught you this? You have the nerve to call that a discount! At this rate, you aren’t afraid of being cursed online?”

Unable to hold back, the Premier’s expression darkened as well. “Young man, enough is enough. You’re making too much off these deals—it’s just not right.”

Seeing the two elders growing angry, Lin Chuan quickly shot Lin Feng a warning glance, signaling him not to push too hard.

Lin Feng noticed everything—the elders’ reactions and his father’s hints—but he remained unruffled. This was, after all, a negotiation. Business is business; you start high and bargain down. If you offer your lowest price from the start, the other party will only push for more.

“Gentlemen, you can’t expect me to work for free! I know the state’s orders are large, which is why I offered such a discount. But since you’re not satisfied, my lowest is thirty percent off. Any less and I truly can’t do it,” Lin Feng countered, probing their limits.

This time, the Premier stayed silent, evidently leaving the bargaining to Minister Xie. “Thirty percent off? Dream on. That’s still too high. You think not doing business is an option? Well, let me tell you, it’s not! You think Zhongnanhai is easy to get into? If you don’t leave behind a little ‘meat’ today, you can forget about walking out that door!” Minister Xie threatened, half-joking, half-serious.

Surprisingly, the Premier didn’t object, but watched with amusement as Minister Xie and Lin Feng sparred. Lin Feng now realized their tactic: the Premier played the good cop, Xie the bad cop.

As for Lin Chuan, he could only stand by, unable to interject. He certainly wasn’t about to complain that the negotiation was unfair—that would be pure folly.

Lin Feng and Xia Ruoxi exchanged a helpless glance. Who would have thought the country’s leaders could be so crafty?

“Grandpa Xie, you’re making things difficult for me. The price I’ve offered is already very sincere. Surely, you can’t expect me to sell at cost? If that’s the case, I’ll have to let all my employees line up at the mess hall for their meals,” Lin Feng said, exasperated by Xie’s hardball tactics.

“I’m not saying you have to sell at cost. How about this—you sell to us at forty percent off. I’m still leaving you ten percent profit for your employees’ salaries. I’m not letting you work for free,” Minister Xie said, as if considering Lin Feng’s position.

“Grandpa Xie, don’t even think about forty percent off. With only ten percent profit, I couldn’t even cover payroll. Thirty percent off is my absolute bottom line. If I lose money on this deal, I won’t dare do business with you again,” Lin Feng protested.

Minister Xie didn’t believe a word. They’d had Lin Feng investigated before coming—at forty percent off, he’d still make money, just less. “You’re still not being honest with us. If we didn’t know your bottom line, you’d have fooled us. Our analysts found you’re still turning a profit at forty percent off, so stop pretending,” Minister Xie scoffed.

So, all the previous talk was for nothing—they’d already uncovered his margins. No wonder the Premier and Minister Xie themselves were in charge of this negotiation. If it were anyone else, such a price wouldn’t even be on the table.

“Come on, Grandpa Xie, there’s no need for this! I don’t know how your analysts calculated things, but I still need some profit. I have a laboratory to fund, and research costs a fortune—you know how expensive military R&D can be. I really can’t do it at forty percent off,” Lin Feng replied, matching Minister Xie’s tactics. If he caved now, he’d be eaten alive in future deals.

Minister Xie saw Lin Feng holding firm and felt stymied, unsure how to press further. The Premier, noting Xie’s impasse and that the price still wasn’t quite what they wanted, stepped in. “I know you need to fund your lab, but your products aren’t only for the state. You have the domestic and international markets too. Make more money from foreign sales, and give the state a better deal. Our country is vast and funds are stretched thin. Your family has always served the nation—don’t you have the urge to contribute as well?”

Now it was the Premier’s turn—clearly, they were taking turns in this negotiation marathon. Lin Feng could only comply, since he was the only decision-maker for his company. “Premier, I’m already showing my patriotism, offering a thirty percent discount. That’s a huge sum! Even in bulk purchases, other companies pay full price on our platform. A thirty percent cut saves the state millions—just look at an order of fifty thousand high-end units at ten thousand apiece. At thirty percent off, the savings are counted in the hundreds of millions!”

“I know the numbers, but it’s still too much. Here’s my offer: let’s both compromise—settle at thirty-five percent off. And I promise you, anything your company makes that the country can use will be included in national procurement lists. Is that acceptable?” the Premier countered.

Lin Feng quietly weighed the offer, calculating the pros and cons. Seeing his hesitation, the Premier pressed, “What’s there to consider? If you refuse, I’ll send a team to pester you every day until you give in. Believe me, I can make your life very difficult.”