Chapter 52: Aukang Steel Market

Ma Jian was a quintessential man of action. Zhao Guoyang had barely been back in the workshop for half an hour when Ma Jian, accompanied by Wang Cheng, the head of the Purchasing Department, came to find him.

As the deputy factory director, Ma Jian oversaw both purchasing and sales, and he had personally mentored Wang Cheng. Just two years ago, Wang Cheng had been promoted from deputy to full department head, making him something of a protégé to Ma Jian.

Upon seeing Zhao Guoyang, Ma Jian waved him over. “Guoyang, let’s go. The car’s waiting outside. We’ll head to Guangling City now and be back by the afternoon!”

Zhao Guoyang agreed readily, quickly briefing his colleagues before hurrying out with Ma Jian and Wang Cheng.

Seated in the back of the car, Zhao Guoyang responded absentmindedly to Ma Jian’s chatter while secretly sizing up Wang Cheng, who sat in front. Wang Cheng was not tall and had a round face, his hair neatly parted, and his small eyes were always half-closed, giving him a sleepy appearance. A few deep forehead lines made him look older than his years. Judging by his features, Wang Cheng seemed the type to be smooth and diplomatic. Throughout the journey, he showed Ma Jian the utmost respect, hanging on his every word.

Though Zhao Guoyang hadn’t been at Hongda Machinery Factory long, he had heard rumors about Wang Cheng. People said he was bold and often took kickbacks from suppliers, though the truth of this was uncertain.

In reality, kickbacks among purchasing staff were common in enterprises. Even in later years, when companies had strict rules and management practices, such greased transactions disguised as personal favors were hard to eradicate.

To Zhao Guoyang, this wasn’t a grave issue—as long as Wang Cheng kept things within limits and managed to negotiate good prices for the factory instead of only lining his own pockets.

Although Zhao Guoyang had never worked in procurement in his previous life, he was well aware of these unspoken rules. Often, supplier quotes were quite flexible, and the final price depended on the negotiation skills of the buyer.

A capable purchaser could drive prices close to the supplier’s bottom line, and if he took a small cut for himself, it wasn’t a big deal.

Halfway into the journey, Ma Jian leaned forward and tapped the seat. “Wang Cheng, you’ve been to Guangling’s steel market plenty of times, haven’t you? Can you get the price down any further?”

“Don’t worry, Director Ma,” Wang Cheng replied confidently, turning around. “I know all the big bosses at that steel market. They all supply our factory. If I ask them, they’ll definitely give us a very favorable price.”

Ma Jian nodded approvingly, reassured by his confidence.

Wang Cheng, after all, was both protégé and friend, and Ma Jian valued him highly, despite knowing his reputation wasn’t spotless. That was why he’d never transferred Wang Cheng out of the purchasing department—his abilities were simply too valuable.

As Wang Cheng conversed with Ma Jian, Zhao Guoyang noticed the department head would occasionally cast guarded glances his way. This wary attitude puzzled Zhao Guoyang. As the deputy head of the Technical Department, he had nothing to do with purchasing and certainly wouldn’t meddle in Wang Cheng’s affairs. So why the caution?

After mulling it over, Zhao Guoyang couldn’t figure it out and let the matter drop. Still, he had formed an impression of Wang Cheng: a naturally suspicious, exceedingly cautious man—not someone easily caught out.

The Aokang Steel Market in Guangling covered over a hundred acres and was the largest in central Jiangnan Province, with an extensive range of products. Even rare specialty steels could be found there.

With Wang Cheng as their guide, Ma Jian and Zhao Guoyang wasted no time. Upon arrival, they headed straight for a large storefront.

The shop’s owner was a burly local man named Zhu, known by the nickname “Mountain Cannon” for his booming voice.

When Wang Cheng arrived, Mountain Cannon strode over, grinning. “Director Wang, good to see you! It’s been a while since you’ve come by. Here to do some business today?”

“Boss Zhu, this is our Director Ma and this is Director Zhao. I’m just accompanying them to select materials today—whether or not you get the order is up to Director Ma,” Wang Cheng replied by way of introduction.

“Ah, so you’re Director Ma! Welcome, welcome!” Mountain Cannon bent low to shake Ma Jian’s hand, then greeted Zhao Guoyang and handed out cigarettes.

Wang Cheng chuckled. “Boss Zhu, if I remember right, you stock QSTE380TM steel here, don’t you?”

“Yes, yes!” Mountain Cannon nodded vigorously. “You’ve come to the right place, Director Wang. If you’re looking for QSTE380TM steel, there aren’t many suppliers here—besides me, only Old Xu at the far end has any.”

Upon hearing that, Ma Jian nodded at Zhao Guoyang, “Guoyang, do you want to go in and inspect the materials? As for quantity, ordering a bit more isn’t a problem—we’ll need it sooner or later anyway.”

Zhao Guoyang nodded and asked, “Boss Zhu, what specifications do you have for QSTE380TM steel? Is it angle iron or channel steel? What thickness? Square or round tubes? What’s the price per ton?”

His detailed questions made it clear to Mountain Cannon that he was dealing with an expert. He answered eagerly, “Director Zhao, our QSTE380TM is all channel steel, two-millimeter thick round tubes, available in both 25mm and 20mm diameters.”

Hearing the specifications, Zhao Guoyang’s eyes lit up. The main columns and curved beams of the C100 chassis required round tubes, all 25mm in diameter—this supplier’s material was perfect.

“Could you bring out a sample of the 25mm tube?” Zhao Guoyang asked, pointing toward the racks.

“No problem! The stock’s inside—please have a seat, I’ll fetch it right away.” Mountain Cannon hurried off to the warehouse and soon returned with a half-meter length of round steel tube. “Here you are, Director Zhao. What do you think?”

Zhao Guoyang inspected the tube carefully, judging its quality good and seeing no signs of oxidation from long storage. Satisfied, he nodded to Ma Jian and Wang Cheng, indicating the material was suitable.

Understanding Zhao Guoyang’s signal, Ma Jian shot Wang Cheng a look, delegating the price negotiation to him.

Taking the cue, Wang Cheng cleared his throat and began, “Boss Zhu, we’ve done business more than once. I’ll be direct: our factory needs this steel, so name your price.”

“Heh, since you’ve asked, Director Wang, and Director Ma is here as well, I’ll give you my rock-bottom price!” Mountain Cannon’s face brightened with pleasure. “Let’s say 4,500 yuan per ton—cost price, not a cent of markup!”

Wang Cheng went through the motions of haggling, finally settling on a price of 4,300 yuan per ton for an initial purchase of 100 kilograms.

Ma Jian seemed satisfied with the price. After all, Q345 steel already cost 3,500 per ton, and QSTE380TM was a superior grade. Paying a bit more was only reasonable.