Chapter 121 Don’t be lenient at all, just collect some interest first (two-in-one)
The Japanese Embassy is over Liangma Bridge, which is almost the same place as the liaison office in Beijing where I went to the United States last time.
In later generations, this area was also regarded as a famous embassy district, and the nearby Sanlitun became prosperous for this reason.
Jiang Hui and Chen Chenxing set off from Dongdan No. 3 Road at around eight o'clock and did not arrive at the Japanese Embassy until after nine o'clock.
Compared to the last time I went to the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing, the entrance of the Japanese Embassy seemed a little more lively.
Last month, the chief engineer went to Japan for an inspection, and the connections between the two countries suddenly became much stronger.
The next ten years will be a time when the relationship between the two countries will be relatively close.
Jiang Hui felt that he must not be lenient when he came here today.
Anyway, I have been struggling for a long time and haven't fixed it, so I can only wait to be killed by myself.
Japan during this period was considered to be the best period of economic development, and people were really not short of money.
He was even punished later because he threatened the interests of "dad".
"Are you just here to repair your car?"
After registering the information at the gate, a Japanese man in his thirties walked out quickly after five or six minutes.
Later Westerners always find it difficult to distinguish between Chinese and Japanese, but the Chinese themselves can tell which one is Japanese at a glance.
That kind of temperament is completely different.
"Yes, I have made an appointment with you before."
Chen Chenxing glanced at his master, stood up and answered.
"You are so young, can you repair cars?"
The other party looked at Chen Chenxing and Jiang Hui with doubts on their faces.
In many industries, young people feel difficult to trust.
Doctors are like this, teachers are like this, and car mechanics are pretty much the same.
“There are many older people out there who don’t even know what a car engine is.”
“What does age have to do with whether you can repair a car?”< br>
This is not the first time that the two of them have been suspected.
So neither Chen Chenxing nor Jiang Hui was angry.
At worst, the price will be higher later.
"The American Liaison Office in Beijing is right next to you. I believe you must have contact with them, right?"
When Jiang Hui said this, the Japanese immediately became sensitive got up.
After all, the situation in Japan and the United States is quite special.
“Do we have any contact with the American Liaison Office in Beijing? Does it have anything to do with car repair?”
"They have a Cadillac ElDorado that broke down before. They hired many well-known mechanics in the capital area to repair it, but no one even had the courage to repair it."
"Mr. Smith was almost forced to go The United States hired workers to repair it.”
“In the end, it was the two of us who helped repair the car.”
When Jiang Hui said this, the expression on the Japanese’s face immediately changed. There was another change.
“Do you know Smith?”
Obviously, the people from the Japanese Embassy are relatively familiar with the people from the American Liaison Office in Beijing.
The Japanese in front of me must know Smith, or at least have heard of him.
For him, if the young man in front of him could name the staff of the American Liaison Office in Beijing, then it was obvious that what he said was true and reliable.
“When my master was in charge of repairing the Cadillac ElDorado, it was Mr. Smith who was in charge of receiving us.”
“He also treated us to a sumptuous lunch there at noon. ”
Chen Chenxing interjected and mentioned about lunch.
"You guys wait a moment."
Although the Japanese already believed that Jiang Hui and Chen Chenxing could repair the car, since the other party mentioned Smith, he was obviously ready to confirm again.
I saw him picking up the phone directly at the gate booth and dialing the American Liaison Office in Beijing.
The reason why they don't want to hide it is not because they are aboveboard, but because they don't take Jiang Hui and Chen Chenxing seriously at all.
Just like when you are reporting to your boss at the company, and he is leaning on the sofa as if you were lying down, it is not because the other person is informal, but because you are not worthy of sitting upright.
Fortunately, Jiang Hui and Chen Chenxing are not so glass-hearted. If the other party wants to confirm, then confirm.
Just in time to let the Japanese know that I received US$1,000 in cash for repairing the Cadillac.
The standards are there. The Japanese Embassy can’t be more sophisticated than others, right?
“Okay, come in with me.”
"My name is Kato Hiroyuki, and I am an attaché of the embassy. You can call me Kato-san, or you can call me Kato Attaché."
Kato Hiroyuki finished the phone call with Smith very quickly, even faster than Jiang Hui Normally it's much faster to make a phone call.
I guess their phone lines have special settings.
After confirming the situation, Kato Hiroyuki's complexion improved significantly, and he took the initiative to introduce himself to Jiang Hui and Chen Chenxing.
Although it is not very pleasant, a simple self-introduction is definitely indispensable.
After all, the car hasn't been repaired yet.
“We imported this car from Japan in 1974. At that time, it was the most advanced model in the world.”
“After four years of use, it is The performance in all aspects is not bad at all.”
“There were just some problems some time ago. You can try it out later to experience it first.”
Kato Hiroyuki. It's so stupid that they didn't tell Jiang Hui and the others that there was anything wrong with the car directly at all. Instead, they asked Jiang Hui and the others to find out on their own.
If the problem cannot be accurately discovered, then Kato Hiroyuki will doubt whether Jiang Hui and the others can fix it.
Even though he and Smith had just confirmed each other's technical level, he was ready to take another test.
Jiang Hui looked at the car in front of him. It was a fifth-generation Crown.
Toyota launched the fifth-generation Crown in 1974, and it will not be facelifted until next year.
A five-year life cycle is a common replacement arrangement for Japanese car companies.
Toyota has high expectations for the fifth-generation Crown and has made major innovations in exterior design.
The combination of square lines and soft and sharp corners makes the car body appear more slender and three-dimensional, revealing a hint of domineering in its calmness.
In terms of the interior, large areas of leather wrapping and many high-end configurations, such as dual-piston brake calipers, electric seats, etc., further enhance the sense of luxury.
In terms of power, there are two V6 engine options, 2.0L and 2.6L. The 2.6L engine uses a new electronic fuel injection system, with the maximum output power increased to 140 horsepower and the maximum torque of 210 Nm.
It matches 3AT, 4AT, and 5MT gearboxes, which was an outstanding performance at the time.
As for the 2.0L six-cylinder engine, there are two versions: electronic injection version and carburetor version.
The maximum power of the electronically injected engine is 135 horsepower and the maximum torque is 175 Nm. The carburetor version has a maximum power of 115 horsepower and a maximum torque of 165 Nm.
Although this data cannot be compared with later generations, it is still very good.
The information about the fifth-generation crown flashed in his mind quickly, and Jiang Hui suddenly became more confident.
He didn't feel nervous at all. He directly took the car key from Kato Hiroyuki, started the Crown, and drove next to it for five or six minutes.
"Kato-san, the 4AT gearbox this car is equipped with does not shift gears when the accelerator is pressed. The engine fault light came on, and during my test drive, the engine stalled abnormally."
"This problem looks a bit serious."
"If it is not repaired as soon as possible, it may be necessary to completely replace the gearbox and overhaul the engine in the future."
" The cost is not much different than buying a new car.”
Jiang Hui heard the crown back to its original place, came to Kato Hiroyuki with a confident face, and told him the results he had confirmed.
"Is it serious?"
At this time, Kato Hiroyuki no longer had any intention of testing Jiang Hui anymore.
Because the problem Jiang Hui just mentioned is completely consistent with the fault condition of this car.
Even Kato Hiroyuki originally thought that Jiang Hui might not be able to discover the problem of the gearbox not shifting gears when the accelerator is pressed, but he didn't expect that everyone has discovered it now.
That means there really are several brushes.
The more this is the case, the more convincing Jiang Hui’s words become.
Hiroyuki Kato is also worried that the car will be completely scrapped by then.
Japan is not short of money, and a car is nothing.
But it was still a bit troublesome to get the car from Japan to China, and he definitely didn't want to bother.
The most important thing is that if his immediate boss, the third secretary, feels that he did not do a good job and that is why the vehicle was scrapped, then it will be a bit more of a loss than a gain.
"It's a bit serious, but congratulations, you met me today. Although these problems are very troublesome, I have ways to solve them."
After Jiang Hui said this, Kato Hiroyuki finally relaxed Take a breath.
As long as it can be fixed!
"Then it will be your hard work today."
"Kato-san, before we repair the car, let's confirm the price first to avoid any disputes later."
Jiang Hui planned to come here to kill Japanese people today, but he didn't want to be cheated by others in turn.
As a regular employee of the Capital Automobile Manufacturing Plant, even if you use your weekends to repair cars to earn extra money, if trouble breaks out, there will definitely be a problem.
If the Japanese default on their debts, Jiang Hui will basically be bullied and will not dare to make too much noise.
"I just called Smith. The quotation you gave him before was $500. This time we are willing to pay for the repair cost of $500."
Kato Hiroyuki's face flashed with embarrassment, and then he quickly told the price of repairing the car.
In his opinion, the quotation of US$500 is already a sky-high price.
This is higher than the annual salary of most Chinese people.
Originally, Jiang Hui would happily agree after he asked himself about the price.
Unexpectedly, Jiang Hui's reaction was completely different from what he thought.
"I did quote Smith a price of US$500, but you must also know very well that the final cost of repairing the car was US$1,000."
"Smith is also my friend. If he knows that I It’s definitely inappropriate to repair your car cheaper than him.”
Hearing what Jiang Hui said, Kato Hiroyuki’s face looked a little ugly.
Japan is not short of money, but he does not want to give money to the Chinese.
The most important thing is that he really feels that the price of 1,000 US dollars is too high.
However, he thought of what Smith had said to him and did not dare to bargain, lest the more he bargained, the higher the cost of repairing the car would be.
"Master Jiang, as long as you can ensure that the car is repaired, we can also pay the US$1,000 repair cost."
After Kato Hiroyuki said this, he felt that he was in a bad mood .
His monthly salary is converted into US dollars, which is just over 1,000 US dollars.
Compared with the wages of Chinese people, this income is very good.
But now that Jiang Hui thought that he could earn $1,000 by repairing a car, he immediately felt unbalanced.
"Kato-san, the $1,000 is the cost of repairing the engine failure. Your fifth-generation Crown not only has engine problems, but also serious problems with the gearbox."
"So your repairs The difficulty and workload are double that of the American Liaison Office in Beijing, and the maintenance costs are naturally double."
"Of course, for the first time we cooperate, I will also give you a 20% discount, two. I’ll just charge you $1,600 for the question.”
Jiang Hui said his opinion in a relaxed tone, but Kato Hiroyuki’s face suddenly turned darker.
Even though he knew from Smith's mouth that Jiang Hui was different from ordinary Chinese people, he didn't expect it to be so different.
Not all Chinese people are shy about negotiating prices, especially when it comes to cooperation with foreigners.
Why is the situation completely different when it comes to Jiang Hui?
“This kind of imported car uses a lot of new technologies. My master is the only one in the entire capital who has the strength to repair such a car.”
“You may think it’s a bit expensive, but it’s quite Compared with hiring a repairman from Japan to repair the car, this quote is definitely more favorable.”
Chen Chenxing took out what Jiang Hui said at the U.S. Liaison Office in Beijing and said it again.
This can be regarded as a reason for Kato Hiroyuki to accept Jiang Hui's offer.
“More than ten years ago, a brand-new Crown sold for more than two thousand dollars in the United States. Your repair price is almost as much as the price of half a new car.”
Kato Hiroyuki was a little unwilling and wanted to bargain.
"What you said is not wrong, but you also said that it was more than ten years ago."
"Since the 1970s, both in the United States and Japan, prices have skyrocketed due to excessively loose monetary policies and rapid increases in food and energy prices."
"The CPI in the United States has increased from less than 2% in 1965 to It has soared to more than 10% of the level in the 1970s, and the prices of various commodities have also increased significantly."
"The sales price of the fifth-generation Crown in the United States has now reached more than 10,000 US dollars. Have you got one?”
Thanks to the magazines Austin sent, Jiang Hui has a clearer understanding of the international automobile market of this era.
It is not that easy for Hiroyuki Kato to deceive himself.
"Even if a car costs more than 10,000 US dollars, your repair price of 1,600 US dollars is very exaggerated."
"If it is a general problem, it is not that expensive, but the problem now is the engine and The situation with the gearbox is naturally different."
"You are only repairing the engine and gearbox, not replacing the engine and gearbox."
"If I don't repair it, then you will be in trouble in the future. The only option is to replace the engine and gearbox. At that price, I can probably buy a new car.”
Jiang Hui and Kato Hiroyuki went back and forth to discuss their respective opinions.
Compromise is impossible, Jiang Hui is determined to win Kato Hiroyuki today.
(End of this chapter)