After the signing was completed, the entire Goldman Sachs delegation immediately left China in a triumphant manner. However, the leader had previously been Hao Jianguo, but now it was the blond.
Hao Jianguo was helped onto the plane by two people. He had not fully recovered, and many of his bones had not yet healed. He even experienced severe epilepsy symptoms, and indeed needed someone to accompany him on the flight.
"Manager Hao, I've explained everything clearly to you. Now that the contract is signed, if you continue to make trouble, it won't do anyone any good. Moreover, I guarantee that if you dare to say anything I don't like when you return to the country, I don't care what happens to me, but I'll be the first to kill you!" the blond said to Hao Jianguo without courtesy. Hao Jianguo sighed and said, "Since it's a done deal, what else can I say? I can only wish you a bright future and not hold grudges against a small figure like me."
"Hahaha! As long as you cooperate with me, everything will be fine. I guarantee you will live a good life!" the blond said contentedly, and his attitude towards Hao Jianguo improved considerably.
Seeing the blond finally smile, Hao Jianguo seized the opportunity and asked, "What is the research progress of Jiangnan Group's vacuum high-speed dual-rail magnetic levitation train, and have we personally seen the actual equipment and machinery!"
"Are you still thinking that this contract has problems?" the blond showed a cold sneer on his face, and then said, "Never mind, the contract has been signed, so I'll tell you about it. Do you think I would be so foolish as to sign directly without personally witnessing the actual research progress?"
"Let me tell you, while you were in the hospital, accompanied by two technical experts, I, under the guidance of Jiangnan Group's people, truly saw the prototype under development, as well as the entire research base."
"This base not only possesses the completed magnetic levitation train but also has a constructed vacuum experimental pipeline, with a total length exceeding 10 kilometers. I personally witnessed a running experiment, watching that vacuum high-speed dual-rail magnetic levitation train enter the vacuum pipeline with the assistance of the complete set of equipment."
"However, due to the insufficient stability of their train in the pipeline, a collision occurred, forcing a temporary halt to the experiment. But this magnetic levitation train undoubtedly operated within the vacuum experimental pipeline. Jiangnan Group's technology has already achieved more than half of its success. With just a few more years of research, they will be able to build the first experimental line in the country!" the blond said proudly, recounting everything he had seen and heard at the research base to Hao Jianguo.
"Is there really no problem? Was my guess wrong?" Hao Jianguo was speechless. He had spent his days in the hospital thinking about the contract, and it was true that he had indeed found a huge hidden problem in the contract.
That is, if Jiangnan Group was not researching this vacuum high-speed dual-rail magnetic levitation train, but a vacuum high-speed single-rail magnetic levitation train, or even a magnetic levitation train without rails, then this contract would have a huge loophole. Jiangnan Group could completely bypass the contract to sell other forms of vacuum high-speed trains.
Moreover, the contract actually contained provisions to prevent such a situation. It stated that any product and equipment that required the use of technology patents controlled by Goldman Sachs Group were within the scope of this contract.
In other words, unless all the magnetic levitation train technology patents held by Goldman Sachs were unusable, Jiangnan Group could not circumvent this contract.
And the magnetic levitation train technology held by Goldman Sachs was the blueprint for magnetic levitation trains. Unless one could surpass the entire field of rail magnetic levitation train technology and not use it, it would be impossible to bypass the contract's restrictions.
Therefore, Hao Jianguo asked the blond if he had seen any actual products. To his surprise, the blond had actually seen a vacuum high-speed dual-rail train that was capable of test runs, which left Hao Jianguo speechless. He could only wonder if his guess was indeed unnecessary worry.
Hao Jianguo did not know that he had already guessed the most crucial core issue of this scam. This vacuum high-speed dual-rail magnetic levitation train was actually a technology that had been completely abandoned. In fact, Jiangnan Group was not even using the entire traditional rail magnetic levitation train technology. Jiangnan Group was using a comprehensive magnetic levitation train technology that these people could not even imagine.
Although both appeared to be magnetic levitation train technologies, one was a hand-pushed cannon, and the other was a rocket launcher on a large truck. They were fundamentally different in terms of technology.
As for the tangible vacuum high-speed dual-rail magnetic levitation train that the blond had seen, it couldn't be said to be fake. In fact, the entire base was real.
This base was established when Jiangnan Group first announced its intention to develop a vacuum magnetic levitation train. At that time, Jiangnan Group indeed intended to develop a vacuum high-speed dual-rail magnetic levitation train. After all, with mature technology, the project could be completed in the fastest possible time.
So, in the first year, this base indeed undertook all the research and development work. The base even brought two dual-rail magnetic levitation trains for experiments.
However, later, with the discovery of some composite materials by Black Gold, and the huge and impractical operational and construction costs required for this technology of directly inserting magnetic levitation trains into vacuum pipelines, the entire base was abandoned, and they switched to developing new generation technologies.
This time, Huang He ordered people to clean up that base three months in advance, and even built a 10-kilometer vacuum pipeline within 90 days. Then, they tidied everything up to look presentable, specifically to deceive Hao Jianguo and the blond.
It can only be said that Boss Huang was extremely well-prepared, deceiving everyone.
Meanwhile, our Goldman Sachs Group was clearly unaware of this. After the delegation returned, they were immediately warmly welcomed by the entire Goldman Sachs Group. All delegation members received generous rewards, and the blond, as a senior figure, was promoted three levels at once, gradually moving from an outsider in the family to a central position. It was truly commendable.
However, our classmate Hao Jianguo was not happy. First, at the celebration party, Hao Jianguo was alone. Although he was the leader of the entire delegation, Hao Jianguo had spent his entire time in the hospital and did not participate in any negotiations. Therefore, both the members of the delegation and the senior management of Goldman Sachs felt that Hao Jianguo had gotten off lightly. Many people called him the lucky Oriental.
This made Hao Jianguo very upset. If he hadn't exchanged his lifelong scars for Jiangnan Group's concession, thereby gaining leverage to threaten Jiangnan Group, how could these scoundrels have easily made Jiangnan Group back down? As a result, he had become a lucky person with no contribution.
This was secondary. Hao Jianguo had already anticipated this outcome. He only hoped to join Goldman Sachs Group, not seeking to become a senior executive of Goldman Sachs Group in the future. He only hoped to work steadily in a loyal position, obtain American citizenship, become a true American, and completely become a person superior in the eyes of the Chinese.
However, Hao Jianguo never received his transfer report to Goldman Sachs Group. He could only helplessly continue to work at Pacific United Railway Company as a nominal, figurehead manager.
But Hao Jianguo soon discovered that he couldn't even continue to be a manager. Because when he took a stack of thick invoices to the finance department of Pacific United Railway Company for reimbursement, he was driven out like a monster.
"Are you crazy? You spent over 800,000 US dollars on accommodation and meals in less than 50 days in China. Were you staying in a palace?" the finance department supervisor roared angrily, holding the reimbursement list.
"That's because everyone stayed in five-star hotel rooms..." Hao Jianguo quickly explained the cost with a smile.
"Are you crazy? You gave them single rooms!" The supervisor became even more furious, slamming the table, and then pulled out a document, saying, "Look, this is the company's standard for employee overseas travel expenses."
"It clearly states that the daily living and accommodation expenses for each employee abroad vary according to the local GDP."
"Currently, China's GDP is only 4,200 US dollars. According to the company's regulations, the daily living standard for ordinary employees on international business trips is calculated at 1.5% of the local annual per capita GDP, which means a daily living standard of 63 US dollars per person."
"The living standard for middle management is 3%, which is 126 US dollars per day. Finally, for senior management, it is only 5%, which is 210 US dollars per day!"
"In the entire delegation, there were actually only 26 company employees, including one senior executive, yourself. Three middle managers, and twenty-two ordinary employees."
"So, the total daily reimbursement standard for all of them is 1,974 US dollars. Our total trip was 49 days, and at most, the reimbursement limit was 96,726 US dollars." The supervisor calculated the reimbursement costs clearly in front of Hao Jianguo, holding a calculator and the standard list.
In fact, this amount was not too small, or rather, it was quite generous.
After all, the daily reimbursement standard for an ordinary employee, converted to RMB, was over 400 yuan. In 2006 China, that was enough to live a very wealthy and extravagant life.
And the daily living standard for senior management, up to 1,600 yuan RMB, was more than enough for them to enjoy.
"You mean, out of this 800,000 US dollar expense, I can only claim less than 100,000 US dollars?" Hao Jianguo felt his vision going black.
"That's right!" the finance supervisor nodded, then sneered, "However, there is also a company regulation that for reimbursements exceeding 30,000 US dollars at once, all invoices must be submitted to the finance department for review, and then submitted to the company's board of directors for approval, to decide whether to reimburse or if there are any instances of malicious over-reporting."
"Your invoices are often in the hundreds of thousands of dollars. The company dislikes people who over-report like you the most. Just wait and see how much the board of directors will approve for you. Based on my experience, if they approve 50,000 US dollars, that would be the maximum!"
"..." Hao Jianguo immediately began to foam at the mouth on the spot.
A few months later, because Hao Jianguo consistently suffered from intermittent epilepsy and was unable to perform his company duties, Pacific United Railway Company simply and decisively dismissed Hao Jianguo.
Since Hao Jianguo had only been with the company for a few months, his severance pay was almost zero. Hao Jianguo practically disappeared from everyone's sight.