Cheng Ran had never seen the red-light district that Yu Xiao mentioned, but at night, he could often see young girls lingering around luxury cars with black windows on K Street. They would whisper to people who had rolled down their windows, open the doors and get in after negotiating, and then drive away, with the car shells glowing like flames.
In a world crawling under the powerful, everything can be traded.
Washington is probably the top city in the United States in terms of greenery. All major American companies in the fields of science and technology, education, medical care, military, and research have set up their headquarters and branches here. The houses here are not tall, but they are neat, the streets are clean and empty, and even the air exudes the flavor of power as the capital. The scenes of the American TV series "House of Cards" are played out here every day.
Fu Long's lobbying was not so smooth. When it came to the patent stage, Cheng Feiyang waited from ten in the morning to four in the afternoon in the Patent Administration Building in order to meet with the reviewing officials. The other party had already received several groups of people, but they never summoned these "visitors from the East."
This is not surprising. The relationship between China and the United States has always been ups and downs. The United States has always been vigilant and cautious towards China, especially in the field of science and technology. Even the lobbying company hired by Fulong could not directly negotiate for Chinese companies on such matters. However, by allowing Cheng Feiyang to enter the appointment list of the Ministry of Commerce, he could get a large sum of money paid by Fulong.
In the empty corridor, Cheng Feiyang and his party often waited on the sofa, waiting for time to pass, waiting for the sun to set and the sunset to turn golden.
Except for the time when the other party changed their mind and refused to see Cheng Feiyang, whenever Cheng Feiyang met with relevant officials and congressmen in institutions or high-end restaurants on K Street, he would try his best to explain the philosophy of Fulon Company and express the positive role of the cooperation between the two parties in the field of communication technology that will revolutionize people's lives.
Over and over again, he never tires of it, hoping that as the head of a Chinese company, he could smooth over these links and change the inherent prejudices and cognitions.
Is it effective? Maybe it is? But how effective is it? From the tightly pursed lips of every Fulong person, it is known that it is almost normal to be scrutinized and rejected when trying to obtain patent technology authorization from the United States, which firmly controls the upstream.
Every day, Cheng Ran would go to the place where Cheng Feiyang finished his business trip to wait for him, and the father and son would then go back to the hotel together.
Outside the Hoover Building on Constitution Avenue, Cheng Ran waited for Cheng Feiyang who had just come out of the building to be questioned. Cheng Feiyang had taken off his suit and was hanging it on his arm. The spare blue shirt that Xu Lan had prepared for him before he left was wet with sweat stains on his chest and back. Fu Long and his team and the people from the cooperative company were being questioned by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) of the Ministry of Commerce.
The target is that Fulong wants to purchase several patent licenses from a US partner company. The key is that Fulong owns most of the patents in this technology project. Now NTIA requires Fulong to provide all patent source codes of this technology to review whether Fulong will develop products that threaten US national security after obtaining patent licenses for US components.
"Too overbearing. This technology is not used in the United States, but only in cooperation with American companies. Why do we need to provide all the source code? Isn't this our company secret? If they make it public, won't the United States directly master this technology? How can they make such a request?"
Some people are very angry.
Cheng Feiyang stretched out his hand and let it fall, "Show them."
Everyone in Fu Long looked aggrieved and indignant. That was a technical secret that countless people had spent countless days and nights developing, and yet they had to be exposed to the other party in such a revealing manner, just because the other party had doubts about its safety.
But Cheng Feiyang said, show it to them.
"If we submit it to them, the US will soon have technology to replace ours..."
"It doesn't matter... If they want to see it, just give it to them. I also believe in the credibility of the US government and will not do that."
Everyone was silent, and finally nodded. But they knew that Cheng Feiyang did this for the sake of the overall situation. Because the other party could evaluate whether they cooperated or not, and decide whether their cooperation project in the United States would be aborted.
On the one hand, Fulong has considerations for future strategic planning. On this line, the American companies that cooperate with Fulong are already tied to Fulong. If Fulong is not responsible for their interests, then Fulong will inevitably lose the trust of more partners in the future.
So is it overbearing? The United States can review and require any company to cooperate with their actions in the name of national security. Once it comes to this level, the so-called separation of government and business, and the idea that companies will not be in collusion with the will of the state, are all empty talk.
As for Cheng Ran, he actually thinks that there is nothing wrong with this. Not only that, even if the "Prism Gate" was exposed in the future and the United States monitored its own citizens, Cheng Ran felt that for a country to maintain its own security, and even the security of its own citizens, these actions are necessary and understandable.
But it would be naive to put too much faith in the facade of liberal democracy that American politicians decorate their facade with.
After making the decision, Cheng Feiyang held Cheng Ran's hand from below, just like he had held his son's hand countless times when they were children, and they walked back in the sunset.
Cheng Ran gently squeezed his father's broad, slightly rough hand.
Just like when he was a child, he was able to provide comfort whenever he was upset.
…
At the Kennedy Center in Washington, a "Charity Night" performance by the National Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of New York and the China Folk Song Orchestra is underway.
This performance of cultural exchange between China and the West attracted great attention from the citizens of Washington, D.C. More than 2,000 people attended the event. Among the guests present were important officials from Washington, D.C. and members of the China Chengdu Business Association. The Chengdu Business Association played a very important role in this charity night.
Several companies in the Chengdu Business Association will donate to the American Children's Cancer Society, support the "Dream Home" children's charity project, and donate items to the victims of Hurricane Brett in Corpus Christi in southern Texas.
Among them, Fulong Company will donate one million US dollars in cash and materials to support these charitable projects.
After the host mentioned Fulong's donation, the audience burst into heartfelt applause. Cheng Feiyang also made a symbolic appearance. When he went on stage to shake hands with the mayor of Washington, he bowed to the audience around him, which was contrary to his personal characteristics of American gentleman behavior and won a lot of applause.
Some of the officials from Washington who were sitting in the guest seats below clapped their hands with graceful smiles, and some bowed their heads to each other and then raised their heads to nod slightly to the stage. Most of them expressed approval.
Cheng Ran was sitting in the audience, and the sound waves from all around surged up, giving him a particularly unreal feeling.
Although we know that this is actually the result of lobbying companies going around many times, it is also an activity carried out by the Fulong and even Chengdu economic and trade delegations to establish their image.
But when Cheng Feiyang stood there and received thunderous applause, and those American officials who once held high positions in government agencies lowered themselves to applaud and nod in greeting, one could still feel a warm flow of blood infected by the atmosphere on the scene.
From the mountains and seas to Chengdu and then to the Kennedy Center in Washington, Cheng Feiyang stood there. From his identity as a son, he did not seem to belong there. However, leaving aside his identity as a father, Cheng Feiyang came out of a small city and led the team to rise from the grassroots with his single-minded research and development. Not only does he belong there, he can also have these honors and disgraces, and even stand on a higher platform.
Some people sat down in the few empty seats around him and applauded. Cheng Ran didn't pay much attention to it at first. It was only after Cheng Feiyang left the stage and moved on to the next segment that Cheng Ran noticed there were people around him.
The woman next to her took off her windbreaker and put it on the back of the chair, revealing her slender figure set off by the skirt inside. Her hair was tied up, and her face was a little thin. Her appearance was not particularly outstanding, but her eyes were very bright and a little familiar. She was a little like Lao Jiang, but Lao Jiang was more beautiful, and her figure was not as mature and charming as this young woman. Cheng Ran quickly scanned with a mature eye, and the data was clear in his mind.
Then, he was stunned for a moment, or to be more specific, he was probably dazed for a moment.
From the look in the woman's eyes, he turned his head to the side and saw Jiang Hongshao hiding behind her. She was wearing a tight striped sweater and casual pants, with her hair tied up, revealing her delicate earlobes. She was looking at him with a smile but a blushing face.
Cheng Ran suddenly felt the flow of time and space.
Chengdu, on the other side of the ocean, the streets of heaven have fallen to earth, but Washington Palace, which is brightly lit, is a beautiful Kennedy Center.
Charity Night.
The Federation of Enterprises has caused such a big fuss.
Old ginger.
Ginger and red peony root.
Not only did she appear behind the cultural wall of No. 1 Middle School in Shanhai that year, as if penetrating the dimensional wall.
She can also pass through the space gate, cross the barrier of the entire ocean current, and come close to you in this foreign country during this winter vacation like Doraemon.
On a chilly night in Washington, Cheng Ran's heart was filled with passion.
At the same time, a lucky thought flashed through my mind... Fortunately, I didn’t go to the red light district!
(Wow, there was an earthquake just now. Please vote.)