10: Chapter 10 Large Order

An hour later, Cao Xiao and Liu Zhigao left the Jinghu City urban area and arrived at a small town not far away. Their car entered the grounds of a facility called Daqiang Steel Plant. This steel plant wasn't particularly large, but it wasn't small either. According to Liu Zhigao's introduction, it was a small-to-medium-sized plant that primarily produced civilian steel alloys, though it also had two types of industrial special steel products. Despite its modest scale, its profitability was quite good.

After getting out of the car, Liu Zhigao made a phone call. Cao Xiao also stepped out, grabbing the smokeless pulverized coal samples from the back seat. Before long, a steel plant employee invited them into the general manager's office.

The employee knocked on the door, and a voice from inside said, "Come in." Cao Xiao and Liu Zhigao followed the employee inside to find a spacious, bright office decorated in a primitive, classical style. Behind an elegant mahogany desk sat a lean, energetic middle-aged man wearing a Tang Suit. He sat upright, patiently brewing Kung Fu Tea with a tea set. He didn't look like a businessman at all; instead, he resembled an artist. This man was likely the owner of the steel plant, Hao Daqiang. His name was certainly grand—no wonder he had named the plant so fittingly.

"Director Liu, please have a seat. Wait a moment and we can sample this together to see how my tea-brewing skills are," Hao Daqiang said without stopping his movements, his eyes not even glancing toward Cao Xiao.

"As you wish. Today I finally have the chance to witness President Hao's tea artistry," Liu Zhigao said.

Cao Xiao sat on the sofa watching President Hao's performance, but internally he was scoffing. It was obvious the man didn't take him or Liu Zhigao seriously. If they were Hao Daqiang's friends, they might not mind, but Liu Zhigao and Hao Daqiang didn't seem to have much of a friendship either. This wasn't brewing tea to entertain guests; it was pure posturing. Although Cao Xiao didn't know much about tea ceremonies, he could tell at a glance that President Hao's so-called artistry was just for show. His movements were clumsy with obvious pauses, indicating he was hesitant and unsure of his timing during the process. He had clearly learned a bit of the form somewhere and was now putting it on display to appear sophisticated.

"Director Liu, and this young friend, come and taste this pot of junshan yinzhen." Having finished brewing, Hao Daqiang carefully brought over two small cups on a tea tray, handing them to Liu Zhigao and Cao Xiao. He then hurried back to his chair and took a small sip with an intoxicated expression.

"Not bad. President Hao, this tea is brewed authentically; it has completely released the flavors within," Liu Zhigao said, mimicking the man by taking a small sip.

"This must be your nephew, right? Young man, what do you think?" Hao Daqiang asked the silent Cao Xiao, seemingly feeling that Liu Zhigao's praise hadn't fully reflected his profound tea skills.

"I don't know much about tea, but this is the best tea I've ever had," Cao Xiao said. What he actually wanted to say was, "These cups are way too hot! You're using a saucer for yours, so why didn't we get any?" Cao Xiao wasn't lying to flatter Hao Daqiang; it truly was the best tea he'd ever tasted. How could one of the ten famous teas not be good? A commoner like him had rarely tasted any good tea, let alone a famous variety that money could hardly buy.

"Haha! I like the sound of that! China's tea culture is vast and profound, and tasting tea can truly cultivate one's character. Today I'll give you a little lesson so you don't make a fool of yourselves by saying you don't understand the Way of Tea when you're out later." Hao Daqiang laughed happily at Cao Xiao's words—he had to, as there was no one else there to satisfy his ego. When happy, he felt the need to express it, perfectly illustrating the idiom 'fond of playing the teacher.' Regardless of what Cao Xiao was thinking, Hao Daqiang began his lecture on tea: "Take this junshan yinzhen, for example. There's a poem: 'Gold inlaid with jade clears the worldly heart, as the moon rises over the distant Dongting waters.' This refers to the silver tips of Junshan. junshan yinzhen is produced on Junshan Island in Dongting Lake, Yueyang, Hunan. It is thin as a needle, hence the name. Junshan tea is divided into 'Tip Tea' and 'Downy Tea.' The 'Tip Tea' is like a tea sword, covered in white down, and was accepted as tribute tea, known as 'Gongjian.' junshan yinzhen has a lofty aroma and a mellow, refreshing taste. The liquor is a clear orange-yellow, the buds are stout and full of down, and the leaves are uniform and bright. After brewing, the buds stand vertically in the water, rising to the surface before slowly sinking, rising and falling three times—a fascinating sight. Do the tea leaves in your hands look like that?"

"President Hao, I've learned a lot; this has been very beneficial! The Chinese Way of Tea has a long history and can't be explained in a short time. How about we discuss business first, and I'll come back another day to properly seek your guidance?" Liu Zhigao said politely.

"Very well. This is indeed a profound field of study; we can chat again when there's a chance. Young man, did you bring the samples? Let's look at the samples first before discussing anything else. Our requirements for raw materials are quite high, so I hope you'll understand." Hao Daqiang said with a hint of waning interest, his tone turning serious.

"I brought them. This is Type 2 Anthracite with a volatile matter of 4.3. The particles are uniform and close to a dust-like state. I believe it will completely exceed your standards. President Hao, you can have someone test it first," Cao Xiao said confidently, pointing to the bag on the floor. While the quality of the anthracite didn't reach the optimal Type 1 standard, it was more than sufficient for a plant like Hao Daqiang's. Not to mention, those tiny, uniform, dust-like particles were rare. General coal processing plants wouldn't process coal to this state; it was too troublesome, costly, and the demand wasn't high enough to justify it.

"Hmm? Close to a dust-like state? Are you sure all your goods are like this?" Hao Daqiang's previously indifferent expression became solemn. He walked over, carefully inspected the coal powder in the bag, then looked up at Cao Xiao with a serious gaze.

"Of course. We can sign a contract, but there is one prerequisite I hope you will agree to," Cao Xiao said, his heart skipping a beat as he noticed Hao Daqiang's unusual behavior. It seemed Hao Daqiang's steel plant had an urgent need for such fine coal powder; otherwise, he wouldn't have reacted so strongly. Cao Xiao immediately suppressed his excitement.

"Oh? What requirement? You can tell me," Hao Daqiang said calmly as he stood up and returned to his seat.

"After signing the contract, half of the payment must be made upfront," Cao Xiao said. He wanted to ask for full payment, but knew that was impossible.

"As long as you can guarantee stable quality, that requirement can be considered. But let's test it first. Hello, Section Chief Zhang? Please come to my office for a moment." After speaking to Cao Xiao, he called someone to come and take the sample.

"Section Chief Zhang, please take these samples and test if they meet the requirements for our new project. Focus on the quality of the anthracite and the uniformity of the particles." In less than two minutes, a middle-aged man entered the office, and Hao Daqiang gave him the instructions.

"Please wait a moment. This kind of test is very fast," Hao Daqiang told Cao Xiao and the other.

Less than twenty minutes later, Section Chief Zhang returned. He glanced at Cao Xiao and the others, then leaned in and whispered to Hao Daqiang for a while. Hao Daqiang didn't speak, but his expression changed several times. During this, he gave Cao Xiao a deep look before dismissing Director Zhang.

"My apologies, I still don't know this young man's name. May I ask your surname?" Hao Daqiang said to Cao Xiao with a bright, beaming smile.

"My surname is Cao, Cao Xiao." From the expressions during the conversation between Hao Daqiang and Section Chief Zhang, Cao Xiao had already guessed that his Pulverized Anthracite had met the requirements. He hadn't been entirely sure about the quality of the anthracite itself, but this dust-like state could definitely meet the requirements of any metallurgical plant. It was obvious from Hao Daqiang's sudden surge in enthusiasm; if the requirements hadn't been met, the man wouldn't have even cared to know his name. Cao Xiao felt a bit annoyed, but on second thought, realized this was just the way of the world.

"Oh, so it's Mr. Cao. My apologies for the oversight. I wonder how much stock of this quality you have? Our demand is quite large; a small amount might not be of much use," Hao Daqiang said, even using honorifics now, though his thoughts remained hidden.

"I have a large amount. I just don't know exactly how much you need, President Hao?" Cao Xiao finally understood that Hao Daqiang was now the one asking for a favor, so the change in attitude was normal.

"As long as the price is right, we need at least five thousand tons," Hao Daqiang said.

"Five thousand tons is no problem. If you need more, I have that too. I just don't know what price you can offer. You should know, President Hao, that fine and uniform Pulverized Anthracite like mine isn't easy to buy," Cao Xiao said firmly, suppressing his excitement. Five thousand tons—how much money would that be? Even if it only sold for five hundred a ton, half the payment would be over a million. That much money would completely solve his family's problems; after paying off the debts, the remaining money would be enough to buy a nice house in the city. Besides, processed coal powder was much more expensive than coal chunks, let alone this kind of finely processed powder. The price should at least double.

"Start delivery within three days and provide the full five thousand tons within a month. If you have more, we can take that too. The price will follow the current highest market rate: seven hundred and fifty yuan per ton. What do you think?" Hao Daqiang said with a look of sincerity.

"President Hao, that's not very sincere. We're in this business; how could we not know the market? Seven hundred-some yuan a ton can only buy better quality Type 3 Pulverized Anthracite. Mine is Type 2 with 4.3 volatile matter. Even roughly processed stuff can sell for eight or nine hundred a ton. Not to mention this fine coal dust of mine that's hard to buy even with money—it's no less than Type 1 coal powder. I'll give you a fair price: one thousand three hundred yuan per ton," Cao Xiao said, feeling a bit displeased. The man was treating him like an ignorant novice.

"Ahem, coal with this level of processing is indeed rare, but it doesn't help us that much. We can also find goods in the market that meet our requirements, so the price can't be calculated that way. One thousand three hundred yuan a ton is more expensive than the best quality Type 1. We can't afford that price. At most one thousand; that's the highest price we can offer, otherwise we'll lose money," Hao Daqiang countered insincerely.

"One thousand two hundred at the lowest, otherwise we'll lose money too. President Hao also knows that the large-scale equipment to produce this kind of coal powder is all imported from abroad. Without that equipment, getting this kind of powder requires small-batch grinding with machines. I believe very few people do that because it's a guaranteed loss. If you can't afford it, then I'm sorry," Cao Xiao thought to himself. Who are you kidding? If you need coal powder this fine, the metal you're smelting must be something special. With costs this high, the profit must be even higher.

"This price is truly too high. For the sake of Director Liu, I'll go up to one thousand one hundred yuan per ton. This is my greatest sincerity," Hao Daqiang said, gritting his teeth as if it pained him.

"Fine, I'll take it as making a friend in you, President Hao. One thousand one hundred it is. But you have to pick up the goods yourselves; it's right in Jinghu City. We sign the contract today, you transfer half the payment to my account first, and you can pick up the goods next Tuesday. I'll tell you the location then." Cao Xiao also pretended to grit his teeth in agreement. He actually did feel a bit of pain; this kind of fine, uniform coal powder, even if it was only Type 2, would definitely fetch a much higher price if sold to those large metallurgical enterprises. But by selling it to Hao Daqiang now, he was doing the man a favor. Besides, how much "face" had this guy really given Liu Zhigao? He hadn't taken the man seriously at all.

"Good! Being able to make a friend like young brother Cao Xiao makes losing a bit of money worth it. It's a deal then. I'll have someone print the contract. Linger, come in for a second," Hao Daqiang said briskly after a moment of feigned consideration.

A heavy stone finally lifted from Cao Xiao's heart, and his mood brightened. He leaned back casually on the sofa and pulled out a cigarette. He first handed one to his Second Uncle, then offered one to Hao Daqiang before lighting one for himself. He used to smoke but had quit because he couldn't afford it. Now that a large sum of money was about to come in, he didn't care about the cost of a few cigarettes.

Without any knock, the office door was pushed open. A girl wearing a white shirt, a black short skirt, white high heels, and her hair in a ponytail walked in. Looking at the girl's beautiful face, Cao Xiao was stunned. Wasn't this his high school classmate, Hao Linger? Hao Linger and Hao Daqiang... were they father and daughter? Just now, he thought Hao Daqiang's affectionate tone was for a young secretary; he hadn't expected it to be Hao Linger.

"Uncle, what is it? Speak quickly, I have things to do," Hao Linger said, not recognizing Cao Xiao since they hadn't seen each other in years. She walked straight to Hao Daqiang's desk.

"You should knock before coming in. This isn't home, we have guests. Always so impulsive—what could you possibly have to do other than play games? Go print a procurement contract for me based on the contents of this paper," Hao Daqiang said bluntly to Hao Linger, but his eyes were full of doting affection.

"Fine, fine, why so grumpy? If you hadn't stopped me from going out to work, I wouldn't be so bored working here. Hmph!" Hao Linger said petulantly. She took the paper from Hao Daqiang and turned to leave.

"My apologies, this is my niece. I've spoiled her," Hao Daqiang said apologetically to Cao Xiao and the other.

"Hmph! Wait... Cao Xiao? Are you Cao Xiao? Why are you here? Do you still remember me? I'm Hao Linger; I sat in the row in front of you in high school," Hao Linger huffed at Hao Daqiang's words, but as she turned, her gaze suddenly locked onto Cao Xiao, and she spoke in pleasant surprise.