Chapter Fifty-two Millionaire

  Before Su Cheng had time to go find Director Wei Kong, the news of the $10 million patent fee had already spread like wildfire.

  For this sum of money, Suzhou took a stance of turning a blind eye. However, the amount was so large that those in the know simply couldn't keep their mouths shut.

  Even if it's bragging, this is also great material.

  The headquarters office of Shengli Oilfield, the Shengli Oilfield Drilling and Production Research Institute, and the Shengli Oilfield Machinery Factory all have people who know about the patent ownership situation or at least part of it. Everyone is in Dongying, and after contacting various rumors, they spread and perfected the rumor. Usually, one sentence contains all the information: "The Americans gave Su Cheng 1 million US dollars, what a great guy."

  When Li Ruo Xiang told this story in a joking manner to Su Cheng, it had already been three days since the banquet.

  Su Cheng stayed for a while and didn't take it to heart. He shrugged his shoulders and said, "That patent right is indeed mine. However, as for the patent fee, I don't know what's going on either."

  This time Li Ruo Xiang was surprised and asked: "Isn't that double-drum oil extraction machine a research project of your work unit?"

  "I was in the Dongying Oilfield Planning Division at that time, with no research tasks or research funding." Su Cheng glanced at Li Tianxiang and said: "Even the drawings and pencils were bought by myself."

  "The whole process was completed independently, and saying it's not good is your specialty." Li Ruo Xiang said with a serious face, then burst out laughing. From his perspective, the so-called rumors were just that - rumors.

  Su Cheng accompanied him with a bitter smile.

  It's just a few hundred or thousand dollars, no need for him to say anything, and more than 80% of the people above will give it to him. A big machinery factory doesn't lack this little money, and nobody dares to offend him.

  But when the amount of money becomes millions of dollars, even if it's legitimate money, people will probably think twice. Not to mention that patent fees are still a vague concept in China at present.

  "Still two dishes and one soup today?" Li Ruo Xiang picked up his lunchbox, looking ready to make a dash for it.

  Su Cheng lifted his head and found that they had already arrived at the cafeteria. He nodded and also squeezed into the crowd with his lunchbox.

  "Are you from Suzhou?" Suddenly, a cadre-like guy came over from the side.

  Su Cheng reluctantly handed the lunchbox to Li Ruo Xiang and said, "If there's braised pork ribs, save some for me; if not, then it's just meat."

  After saying that, he turned around and smiled at his opponent, saying: "I am Su Cheng, nice to meet you."

  "I am Yan Shun, a reporter from Xinhua News Agency's Shandong branch. I'd like to interview you, do you have time?"

  When he heard the three words "Xinhua News Agency", Su Cheng couldn't help but carefully examine his opponent.

  This is a medium-sized man wearing black-framed glasses, with a relaxed but not very pleasant smile, small hands holding a pen as if thinking of writing something, constantly tapping and wandering.

  "Let's go to the small stove." Su Cheng nodded and took him to the corner. There was a row of screens separating the elegant seats, but the dishes provided were the same as those for the workers, and the prices were also the same, so except for discussing business, the leaders were unwilling to go.

  Yan Shun sat down in a position closer to the table, looked around carefully, then unfolded his book and said: "Director Su, shall we begin?"

  "Good." Su Cheng stared at him, also guessing his intention in her heart.

  Although they are both media, Xinhua News Agency and newspaper offices, TV stations, etc. have essential differences. Xinhua News Agency is a news information collection agency facing the media, while newspaper offices are information publishing agencies facing individuals. In figurative terms, Xinhua News Agency is a heavy industry enterprise, while newspaper offices are light industry enterprises.

  Light industry is easy to do, heavy industry is difficult to do. Correspondingly, the technology and capital of the latter also need to be much stronger.

  Although some students from Su City also went to Xinhua News Agency, the proportion was relatively small. Not only because of the difficulty in getting a job, but also because of the hard work.

  This is a humble but powerful job, and what achievements can be made in the end depends on the efforts of media workers themselves.

  Thinking so, Su Cheng's expression also relaxed a bit.

  Yan Shun looked a bit strange, but still asked as usual: "Director Su, I heard that you invented and manufactured a double-donkey-headed oil extraction machine. Can you talk about it in detail?"

  "Are you here for the patent fee?" Su Cheng did not answer him directly. If it were other media, he might have gone along with it, but Xinhua News Agency was different. This was a high-end media that could reach the heavens, and if they followed the other party's questioning sequence, the final result would be difficult to predict.

  Yan Shun, though slightly displeased, didn't show it and instead smiled to ease the atmosphere: "Indeed, it's about the patent fees paid by an American company to a machinery factory. We've heard some rumors and received several signed letters..."

  "Real-name letter?" Su Cheng was slightly surprised, had people really become bored to this extent?

  In an instant, Su Cheng continued, "As for this patent fee, I mean to put it on the mechanical factory's account, and temporarily not discuss the issue of ownership."

  "But you reserve the right to sue?" Yan Shun followed up smoothly.

  Su Cheng nodded, "Of course. The design of the Double Girder Head Oil Extractor was completely done by me independently, from drawing to production, without any modifications. Moreover, I have also applied for a patent. Therefore, based on foreign experience, its patent and benefits derived from it should belong to me."

  "Can I use this sentence?" Yan Shun's eyes lit up.

  Su Cheng hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "Even if I say no, you'll still use it anyway."

  "Let's continue." Yan Shun flipped the book over and took a look, saying: "You just said that the design of the Double Mule Head Oil Extractor was completed independently by you, but didn't it receive help from the machinery factory during its trial production process?"

  "To a certain extent, the machinery factory is the user unit. They purchased my patent and then conducted trial production and mass production, which should be a common practice. Whether it's a foreign or domestic research institution, most of them do not have the capability for industrialized production, but after they sell the mechanical equipment to the company using it, trial production still needs to be conducted. It can't be that just because of this, the research institution's patent ownership is deprived." Su Cheng carefully chose his words and spoke as calmly as possible, thinking for a moment before continuing: "If there's anything different, it's that I waived the machinery factory's patent fees."

  Quickly and carefully write down these few sentences, then read them over again yourself, and exclaim that this trip was not made in vain.

  He paused for a moment and asked a few more questions. At the end of the interview, he smiled and said: "I will stay in Dongying for a few more days, I hope I won't bother you."

  Su Cheng spread out his hands and said, "Whether it's troublesome or not, it's all like this now."

  The results soon became apparent.

  Xinhua News Agency is China's first media, and its role in warning officials is particularly evident. As soon as Su Cheng was involved with Xinhua, even the factory director Li Zongxi, a retired old man, retreated three houses away.

  The once bustling apartment building suddenly became deserted and quiet.

  At the same time, the report "Who Owns One Million Dollars" was also published in Xinhua's internal reference.

  Su Dongyuan, who had always been detached and observant, noticed this news at the first time and fell into silence.

  Xu Secretary quietly left the study.

  After a long time, Su Dongyuan suddenly stood up and dialed a number. He smiled and asked, "Is that Little Tang? I'm Su Dongyuan. I want to ask you something. There's an article in the Xinhua News Agency internal reference, 'Who Owns the Million Dollars?' Has the leader given any instructions?"

  The little Tang opposite said in a soft and gentle voice: "Leaders' instructions: The transformation of scientific and technological achievements into real productive forces should fully respect the labor of scientific and technological workers."

  Su Dongyuan's hand trembled: "Over 10 million US dollars, all given to him?"

  "In principle, that's right." The small Tang opposite him, although a bit strange, still spoke smoothly: "As for the specific form of payment, we need to ask the parties involved for their opinions."

  Su Dongyuan was stunned at the moment. Even with his current status, 10 million RMB is still a huge sum of money that cannot be obtained through non-corrupt means, and this $1 million... is truly dizzying.

  ……