Chapter 49: Do You Want a Patent?

  Manager Mao never thought he would have a chance to make foreign exchange through exports one day.

  The opportunity in front of him made him excited and unable to control himself. Manager Mao's lips were trembling, and he confirmed again: "Mr. Farrel, do you want to buy a production line for oil extraction machines?"

  "It's a production line for twin donkey head oil extraction machines," Fraser said, holding out one finger. "One million dollars."

  "1 million?" Manager Mao's head spun, with an urge to stick out his tongue and lick his fingers, and stand up with a proud expression.

  He kept muttering to himself: Halliburton is going to buy our Dalian Heavy Industry's products, Halliburton is going to buy our Dalian Heavy Industry's products...

  Manager Mao's spirit suddenly became dizzy, he stared at Farrel's blue eyes, as if there was a new world inside, where he was wearing a big red flower on his chest, receiving congratulations from the whole factory... no, the entire industrial system... promotion to three levels, commendation reports are bound to be available...

  "Manager Mao, Manager Mao!" Du Lijun's call broke the "foreign exchange dream".

  "What?" Manager Mao wiped his mouth and came to.

  "We want to confirm that you are selling the Double Girder Crude Oil Extractor without any obstacles outside of business, such as policy and so on." Fraser asked very seriously.

  Manager Mao's expression changed, and he said solemnly: "Mr. Farrel, we have already produced a set of double-headed production lines, so producing another one will only be better, you can rest assured."

  "I'm not asking about production, I'm asking if you can export this production line? Do you need to report to a certain department?"

  "It's just a formality that needs to be reported, but don't worry, it will definitely go through. If anyone dares to block the way, I'll personally go and kick their door." Manager Mao said fiercely.

  "But I heard that the Double Donkey Head oil extraction machine was designed and invented by a certain Mr. from the Victory Oil Field, how do you solve the patent problem?" In this era, searching for patents is a very cumbersome thing, especially for newly invented patents that have not yet entered or just entered the public notice period, it takes a lot of time to verify and query. Farrel was in the country, and his position within the company was not high, so he could only wait for the bureaucratic patent department to check. So far, he still didn't know whether the Double Donkey Head oil extraction machine had applied for a patent or if it was going through international patent extension, hence the news.

  Manager Mao, concerned only with foreign exchange, said without batting an eye: "You don't need to worry about these things. As the deputy director of a machinery factory, what's so impressive about that? If you're willing to pay an extra 100,000 yuan, I can arrange for the production line from the Shengli Oil Field to be dismantled and given to you."

  "No need for that."

  Manager Mao is full of regret.

  $1 million is indeed worth doing so. Because it's $1 million, not 1 million RMB, not 10 million RMB... I suppose the Victory Oil Field Machinery Factory can also understand this.

  In the 1980s, China's main exports of 17 major categories of goods had 14 categories that were loss-making, with only petroleum, coal and building materials being profitable. Among the loss-making projects were heavy machinery and light machinery.

  In a context where people are willing to lose money just to exchange foreign currency, it's no big deal to spend $100,000 to replace a manager.

  Farewell nodded at Dooly with a smile, said two more words and went back to rest.

  Manager Mao was left behind, desperately making calls to Dalian, and the travel expenses that he had saved up to buy home appliances were no longer in his eyes.

  "We're also making foreign exchange now!"

  Manager Mao couldn't help but laugh out loud.

  Tonight, the high-level executives of Dalian Heavy Industry Group did not sleep. They didn't care about the relationship between the oil extraction machine and its production line with Su City, what they were enthusiastically discussing was $1 million.

  In 1987, China's foreign exchange reserves were only $290 million, but the trade deficit was as high as $380 million. Dalian Heavy Industry created a foreign exchange income of $1 million at that time, and its star effect may be higher than the double-ram oil press itself.

  After a few days, Manager Mao appeared at the Victory Oilfield Machinery Factory with his head held high and his chin up.

  He tiptoed, advancing in a manner similar to jumping, and when he met familiar masters, he smiled and said: "When people encounter happy events, their spirits are refreshed. Our production line has been sold abroad."

  Some people will ask: "Where is abroad?"

  Manager Mao stood on the spot, loudly explaining: "Our production line was sold to the United States. The buyer is the renowned Halliburton... What? You don't know Halliburton? They have more than a hundred branches around the world and their equipment is sold globally... So why did they buy our equipment... Hehe, this is our skill..."

  His boasting quickly spread to Suzhou.

  Director Li Zongxi's beard was disheveled with anger, saying: "Dalian Heavy Industry is too shameless. This matter should be counted as a victory for our Victory Oilfield Machinery Factory. That double donkey head was invented by you, Su Cheng, wasn't it?"

  Su Cheng couldn't help but smile and shrugged his shoulders, seeming rather nonchalant. He had never expected to get patent fees from a state-owned enterprise in the first place.

  Li Zongxi continued to rage, saying: "This Manager Mao, bringing foreign businessmen to our factory to see the production line, didn't even give our department a phone call, directly went to the Oilfield Headquarters. Little Su, I think you should go receive them."

  "Who is Harry Burton?"

  "Yes." Li Zongxi waved his hand and continued to be lazy.

  Su Cheng scratched his head and went downstairs with a nonchalant attitude.

  Manager Mao was indeed surrounded by a large crowd of people.

  The blonde-haired and blue-eyed Farrel leaned against the production line, looking up and down from time to time, until Su Cheng came over and smiled: "Su Cheng, we meet again."

  "Mr. Farrel, I'm here to be your guide." Su Cheng had a naive and innocent look on his face.

  Manager Mao glanced at him with a guilty conscience and didn't go over.

  So, Suzhou became the main guide.

  However, today's Suzhou seems to have changed into a different person.

  He seems like an ignorant Chinese official at the end of the 20th century, whatever foreign businessmen ask, he answers with a pretence of ignorance, but whatever foreign businessmen need, he does his best to provide.

  Manager Mao seemed to have found a common language and quickly came together with others to serve foreign businessman Farrel.

  Even when Farell asked questions like "What's the profit margin?", Su Cheng would give a rough estimate.

  This is the happiest day Farrel has spent since arriving in China.

  He finally signed his name on the contract.

  As both parties had already put away the contract, Su Cheng mysteriously leaned in towards Farrel, with a pure and innocent gaze like that of a small white sheep, and said: "Patent, want it?"

  ……