Chapter 13.2 (1/2)
Chapter 13.2
The truth is, I didn’t actually have cla.s.s in the afternoon, but I did agree to help Wei Yan this evening by interpreting for a negotiation . His translation company was expanding their services lately, from written translations to also testing out live interpretation . T University’s French department had a good reputation and furthermore, our professors were well-connected . Thus, Wei Yan’s first customer was a big shot .
“He’s a board member of the French Antiques Committee who’s here to buy medieval French antiques that were sold into China . Besides a base fee for interpretation, we’ll also receive a 5% commission off the difference between the selling price and his bottom line . We could potentially rake in a lot of money!”
While listening to Wei Yan telling me more about the client, I uneasily deleted a text from Mo Xing Zhi . He’d written, “Lilian has already gotten the artist’s contact information . The choice is all yours . ” Then he sent me another text, this time with the artist’s cell phone number, residential address in France, and postal address . My hand trembled as it hovered over the screen, but in the end I didn’t delete the second text .
I feigned attentive interest as I looked back up at Wei Yan and asked, “Then what will I be doing?”
Wei Yan seemed a bit embarra.s.sed as he explained, “Well, here’s the issue: I can translate for the usual negotiation process without any trouble, but this case involves a lot of antique names and terminology . You seem to have a good grasp on all those stupid vocab words, so I wanted to call on you as a backup . If there’s any problems, you can help cover for me . ”
My uneasy, restless heart felt like a ma.s.sively tangled knot . It was as if there was another me trying with all her might to break out of my chest . Stifling that agitated impulse, I turned to Wei Yan and nodded . “Sure . Although I’m not too familiar with antiques either, I looked up some relevant material last night on the internet . Hopefully I’ll be of help to you . ”
Wei Yan smiled, and then rubbed my head intimately as if we were close friends . “If we do well, I’ll take you out to eat continuously for a whole semester!” My inner thoughts became a jumble, I hadn’t antic.i.p.ated that he would make such an overly-familiar motion . My mind had been preoccupied with that girl in the painting with the same face as me . Even now, that lofty gaze of hers seemed to still be staring at me, making it difficult for me to breathe .
Thus, when I eventually took a seat at the meeting table, part of my mind was still wandering elsewhere . In contrast, Wei Yan and our French client were deep in conversation, happily chatting away . I instead turned to gaze out the window at the flowing stream of pa.s.sersby on the street,1 my heart hollow as if missing an important piece .
1 The original text uses 车水马龙, an idiom meaning “an endless stream of horses and carriages” or alternatively, heavy traffic .
“Nice to meet you, Mr . Yin Li . This is Mr . DuPont, of Quinn Antiques from France . ” While I’d been s.p.a.cing out, the other party had apparently arrived . Wei Yan had already risen to greet them, but I’d been the last to notice . 2 I followed Wei Yan’s lead and got up too . , only to find that I’d still been a step behind . Wei Yan had to tug on my sleeve before I noticed and distractedly took a seat again . At the same time, I finally looked up .
2 后知后觉 is an idiom that’s the opposite counterpart to 先知先觉, which means “to be the first person to notice/understand” . The difference between the two is the use of 先 (first) vs . 后 (later), so 后知后觉 means to be the lastto perceive something .
To my shock, on the opposite side of the circular table sat Yin Li . He wore a suit that perfectly displayed his tall, handsome figure . I stared, unable to tear my eyes away . He looked shocked for a split second when he noticed me too, but immediately calmed down and afterwards didn’t look at me again . Yin Li only directed a polite, lukewarm smile in our direction . I recalled that earlier that morning, I’d learned from Wei Yan that the seller hadn’t really agreed with the amount of Mr . DuPont’s initial offer .
As I stared at Yin Li, my heart that had until now been turbulent and agitated gradually returned to its natural rhythm .
Sadly, the negotiations went poorly . Yin Li himself didn’t say much . His presence here today seemed to merely be for the sake of appearances . Instead, the negotiations on the price and terms of agreements were all conducted by the three a.s.sistants he’d brought along .
The talks were brought to a standstill over the issue of owners.h.i.+p rights . No matter what price we offered, Yin Li’s a.s.sistant stubbornly insisted that owners.h.i.+p rights would be retained by them . They would only agree to rent out the antiques for exhibition in France . After the exhibition concluded, they must be returned . However, because one of the antiques was a family heirloom, Mr . DuPont wanted to purchase the items for personal keeping, not exhibition .
The talks were brought to a standstill over the issue of owners.h.i.+p rights . No matter what price we offered, Yin Li’s a.s.sistant stubbornly insisted that owners.h.i.+p rights would be retained by them . They would only agree to rent out the antiques for exhibition in France . After the exhibition concluded, they must be returned . However, because one of the antiques was a family heirloom, Mr . DuPont wanted to purchase the items for personal keeping, not exhibition .
All by himself, Wei Yan had to interpret for both sides and simultaneously defend against the barrage of Yin Li’s three a.s.sistants . In wasn’t long before he was exhausted . At the same time time, I finally emerged from my daydream and started to observe the current situation .
Wei Yan had been tentatively sounding out Yin Li’s acceptable price range while also being careful not to give away the price our side was willing to accept . He wanted to drive the price as close to Yin Li’s lower limit as possible, but it was like haggling over a single stalk of green onion at the supermarket . Whoever was more ruthless, shameless, and black-bellied would win . Sadly, as a gentleman, he couldn’t abandon his pride to kick up a ruckus, spit flying everywhere, squabbling over the price with Yin Li . Both sides could only negotiate calmly . But consequently, we didn’t have any bargaining chips or advantages to use against Yin Li .
The negotiations had reached a deadlock . The opposing party refused to turn over the owners.h.i.+p rights and Wei Yan couldn’t abandon his face to shamelessly pester them . He was still raising our offer price in a fruitless attempt to sway Yin Li .
I decided to put aside my worries and insert myself into the negotiations . Hopefully the distraction of work would settle my uneasy heart .
“Mr . Yin, since you aren’t willing to sell the entire set, won’t you consider this?” I directed my words directly at Yin Li since he had the final say . Talking with his a.s.sistants was no good, the Kingly Way3 directed that in a negotiation you had to go for Yin Li himself .
3 王道 w.a.n.g Dao (The Kingly Way; The Kingly Way of Governance; Way of the King) refers to a Confucian philosophy arguing for an ethical, moral style of governance . Developed as a contrast to 霸道 Ba Dao (The Tyrannical Way) which argued for rule by force and conquest .
Sure enough, I caught his interest and he glanced over with a thoughtful look in his eye . As I stared at that face across from me, I was somehow able to shake off my prior worries . I began, “We are willing to relinquish the transfer of owners.h.i.+p rights for all of the antiques, instead we only want the rights for the one in question . In addition, we’re willing to make an offer slightly above market price, and include a price guarantee and other services for you . ”
Sure enough, I caught his interest and he glanced over with a thoughtful look in his eye . As I stared at that face across from me, I was somehow able to shake off my prior worries . I began, “We are willing to relinquish the transfer of owners.h.i.+p rights for all of the antiques, instead we only want the rights for the one in question . In addition, we’re willing to make an offer slightly above market price, and include a price guarantee and other services for you . ”
Yin Li listened, yet he didn’t express any opinion . He only gave Wei Yan and I a veiled look, then smiled . “The two of you must be college student entrepreneurs . You make quite the couple . ”
Wei Yan didn’t correct him and instead brushed it aside like a Tai chi martial artist . 4 “I hope that Mr . Yin can understand our circ.u.mstances as a newly formed business and go just a little easier on us . ”
4 打了个太极 or 打个太极 (“made a Tai chi move”) is used to criticize someone’s behavior . It implies that they’re being wishy-washy, evading responsibility and pa.s.sing it on to others and/or being vague and not speaking honestly and directly .
Yin Li smiled, showing his teeth . My alarms immediately sounded . “Mr . Yin, you’ve misunderstood . Though we indeed are college student entrepreneurs, we’re only cla.s.smates . I actually have a boyfriend . ” As slow as I was, even I had realized that something was wrong with Yin Li’s words .
Wei Yan probably didn’t understand why I bothered to explain myself to an outsider . He gave me a skeptical look while Yin Li only acknowledged me with an “Oh” . Yin Li neither seemed irritated nor showed any sign that he cared about this topic .
Yet I didn’t dare relax my guard . All this time, Yin Li hadn’t known that I was moonlighting as an employee of Wei Yan’s firm, and his remark earlier was about as extreme as his temper could flare up .
I resorted to smiling ingratiatingly . “I only want to settle this negotiation smoothly and professionally with Wei Yan, then buy my boyfriend a gift with my first paycheck . I originally wanted to give him a nice surprise . ”
Yin Li gave me a meaningful look . Meanwhile, I could only ignore Wei Yan’s expression on the side as I struck the iron while it was hot . 5 “Mr . Yin, can you consider our offer? We can sign an agreement to compensate you for any losses you might incur within the next five years from having a piece missing from your antique collection . Moreover, should Mr . DuPont or any of his descendants choose to sell the antique, you will have first purchasing priority . ”
I resorted to smiling ingratiatingly . “I only want to settle this negotiation smoothly and professionally with Wei Yan, then buy my boyfriend a gift with my first paycheck . I originally wanted to give him a nice surprise . ”
Yin Li gave me a meaningful look . Meanwhile, I could only ignore Wei Yan’s expression on the side as I struck the iron while it was hot . 5 “Mr . Yin, can you consider our offer? We can sign an agreement to compensate you for any losses you might incur within the next five years from having a piece missing from your antique collection . Moreover, should Mr . DuPont or any of his descendants choose to sell the antique, you will have first purchasing priority . ”
5 趁火打劫 typically means “to benefit from others’ misfortune”, but apparently it also has connotations of being quick and ruthless in decision-making; “to strike while the iron is hot”
“Sounds like it might be acceptable . Perhaps I can consider it . ” Then he turned and smiled at us . “I have 15 minutes left . ”
Wei Yan’s face lit up . After all, it was hard enough to convince Yin Li to make a concession . I looked at him smiling, “What about this, Mr . Yin: Why don’t we quickly wrap up the negotiations tonight so that you’ll have one less worry on your plate . ”
Wei Yan quickly caught on and added, “I’ll immediately book a private room at Polaris . I hope Mr . Yin can give me some face . ”
Yin Li picked up his tea cup and fiddled with it . “I have a dinner party scheduled tonight with Su Qing Dong of West Suburban Real Estate Developers . ” Then he directed his gaze back up at me . “If Miss Yan can give me a reason good enough to convince me to give up that meeting, I’ll come . ”