149: Chapter 149 You have a good eye for people

"Fahd, do you know your phone is being tapped?"

Li Li stood at the hotel elevator entrance, his feet not moving toward the parking lot.

He held down the door-open button, scanned the parking spaces, the fire door, and the exit, then stepped back into the elevator.

There was a two-second pause on the other end of the line.

Fahd switched to Arabic.

"The previous matter has been handled. Li, I've switched to three layers of lines, you can rest assured."

Li Li pressed the button for the basement level.

"The 'rest assured' on your end usually means the surveillance personnel have been replaced by your own people."

Fahd chuckled.

"You're still as cautious as ever."

"Can't help it, I was just targeted by someone with a small explosive. Tonight, I just want to return to the Fire Station alive and have a late-night snack."

The person on the other end of the line stopped joking.

"I watched the live stream of today's fire drill."

"You guys in Ala Country are following domestic variety shows now? Your Highness certainly has a diverse range of interests."

"I was following your information and happened to see the equipment."

Fahd spoke faster.

"High-rise firefighting drones, window-breaking equipment, mobile water supply systems—we need them all."

Li Li's hand paused near the buttons.

"Get to the point."

"War has changed."

A few hurried phrases in Arabic came from the other end of the line, then it quickly went quiet again.

"Israel has started attacking high-rise buildings. Office buildings, hotels, and the annexes next to hospitals—they are trying to create panic."

Li Li didn't leave the elevator.

"Your fire department systems can't handle it?"

"The roads have been bombed, and the lift trucks can't get in. When floors catch fire, sometimes if the rescue is one step too slow, people are gone."

Fahd paused for a moment.

"Li, I need a lot of window-breaking drones and firefighting equipment. Not samples, but a quantity that can be used immediately."

Li Li didn't answer immediately.

This was no small matter.

Exporting firefighting equipment requires going through procedures for manufacturer qualifications, contract purposes, and transport approvals.

He wasn't customs, nor was he a saint.

But the people trapped in the high-rises wouldn't wait for meeting minutes to be slowly stamped.

Li Li pressed the return button.

"I'll ask for you. Whether it happens or not depends on the manufacturer and official procedures."

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet. Warm greetings aren't as good as a huge payment. Don't haggle the price until the manufacturer questions their life choices."

Fahd let out a short laugh.

"Money is not the biggest problem."

Li Li looked at his reflection in the elevator door; there was still unwashed ash on his face.

"Usually, people who say that end up making the finance department cry."

He hung up the phone, didn't go back into the suite, and just sent a message to Jiang Rumu.

"I'm heading back to the station. Lock the door. Don't let the dog out to tear up the hotel."

Jiang Rumu replied quickly.

"Got it. You be careful too."

The next message popped up.

"Xiao Chai is chewing on a slipper."

Li Li stared at the screen for half a second.

Very good.

International war is very urgent.

Hotel slippers are also very urgent.

Human society is basically one multi-threaded collapse.

When he returned to the Fire Station, Cheng Songyan was holding his waist, watching people put away the fire hoses in the yard.

Seeing Li Li enter, he looked up first.

"Didn't you take them back to the hotel?"

"Dropped them off."

"Then why are you back so fast?"

"I keep myself clean and disciplined."

Zhong Ji walked by carrying a fire hose and almost tripped over the nozzle.

"Brother Li, do you even believe that yourself?"

Li Li put his phone back in his pocket.

"Whether I believe it or not doesn't matter, as long as the cameras didn't catch it."

Cheng Songyan didn't want to argue with him.

"What happened again?"

Li Li explained Fahd's request.

Cheng Songyan didn't even bother holding his waist anymore.

"Ala Country wants to buy the firefighting drones we used in today's drill?"

"A lot."

"How many is 'a lot'?"

"He didn't say. But those rich spenders definitely aren't buying two to put in a showroom."

Cheng Songyan turned and walked away.

"Find Station Chief Chen."

Station Chief Chen Tao was still in the office looking at reports.

There were three documents on the table.

Fire handling.

Production Team safety.

Public security assistance.

When Li Li entered the office, Station Chief Chen Tao looked up.

"You'd better not tell me there's another new explosive."

"It's an order for firefighting equipment."

The pen in Station Chief Chen Tao's hand stopped.

"What order?"

Cheng Songyan closed the door.

After Li Li finished speaking briefly, no one in the office said anything.

Three seconds later, Station Chief Chen Tao picked up his phone.

"I'll handle the contact for this. The manufacturer was already a partner for today's drill; qualifications, purposes, and export procedures will all go through official channels."

Li Li nodded.

"I won't interfere with the procedures, just make the connection."

Station Chief Chen Tao glanced at him.

"You were just targeted today, and you still dare to lead an international order?"

"That's why I came to you."

"You're certainly not polite."

"Politeness affects efficiency."

Station Chief Chen Tao was choked up for a second, then dialed the phone.

"Eight o'clock tomorrow morning, conference room. I'll have the manufacturer come over."

Early the next morning, just as Li Li bit into half a steamed bun, Cheng Songyan entered the cafeteria to drag him out.

"Let's go, the manufacturer is here."

Li Li stuffed the remaining half of the bun into his mouth and picked up the soy milk.

"Making capitalism wait for me to finish my meal is so impolite."

Six people were sitting in the conference room.

Two business personnel, three technical staff, and a middle-aged man with hair so messy it screamed 'R&D'.

On the table were drone models, carrier vehicle blueprints, and controller prototypes.

The business manager was dressed in a sharp suit.

The technical lead was wearing a windbreaker, with machine oil on the cuffs.

The two groups sat at one table, their auras already clashing.

Station Chief Chen Tao vacated the conference room.

"You guys talk. The contract and export approvals will go through regular channels later."

Li Li sat down and dialed Fahd's phone number directly.

"The people are here."

Fahd answered quickly on the other end.

"I have people here too."

Li Li turned on speakerphone and placed the phone on a desktop stand.

"He insists on using Arabic, so I will translate. You guys speak slowly; don't make me act as a human simultaneous interpreter and burn out on the spot."

The business manager immediately flipped through the materials.

"Our standard package includes one carrier vehicle, four high-rise window-breaking firefighting drones, a matching console, a fast-charging system..."

Li Li raised his hand.

"Ask about dimensions first."

Fahd spoke on the other end.

"Can the transport vehicle enter an underground parking lot? Can it deploy in narrow streets?"

Li Li relayed the message.

The technical lead pushed the blueprints over.

"The vehicle is 3.2 meters long, 2.1 meters wide, and 2.5 meters high; it can fit into standard underground garages. The internal storage space is sufficient."

Li Li translated it over.

Fahd discussed it in a low voice for a few moments, then asked again.

"How many drones per vehicle?"

"Four is standard, six is the limit, but not recommended."

"Can the drones be transported separately?"

"Yes, separate cases, separate controllers, one person can deploy them."

"Payload?"

The technical lead picked up the model.

"Fully loaded with window-breaking modules and fire extinguishing projectiles, maximum 200 kilograms."

"Control range?"

"Fifty kilometers. It will be interfered with in complex urban environments; we don't recommend pushing it to the limit in firefighting scenarios."

Li Li translated it over.

The other end of the line was quiet for a moment.

Fahd muttered something in Arabic.

"The range should be enough."

Li Li tapped his finger on the table.

"Enough?"

That word doesn't sound very 'firefighting'-related.

He didn't translate that.

"Price."

The business manager immediately sat up straight.

"Standard package, one vehicle plus four drones, one million RMB."

The conference room went quiet for a moment.

Three technical staff looked over at the same time.

The pen in the technical lead's hand almost poked through the paper.

Li Li didn't translate.

He looked at the business manager.

"How much?"

The business manager gave a light cough.

"One million. This is our first big overseas order; we mainly want to open up the market."

The technical lead couldn't hold back.

"Old Wang, this price..."

The business manager raised his hand to hush him.

"Strategic pricing."

The technical lead's face turned red.

"Strategic?"

This is treating the R&D department like a sacrifice.

Li Li picked up the quotation sheet.

"If you quote this price to Prince Fahd, he might think you're selling defective products."

The business manager was stunned.

A young engineer beside him whispered.

"Can it be interpreted that way?"

Li Li leaned back in his chair.

"The security fee for one night at his hotel might be more than that. If you quote too low, their first reaction won't be that you're conscientious, it's that you're unreliable."

The business manager broke out in a sweat.

The technical lead immediately added a jab.

"For large quantities, we can push it down to 750,000, but it really can't go any lower."

Li Li glanced at him.

"I'm not asking you to go lower."

The technical lead shut up.

The business manager also shut up.

Cheng Songyan stood by the door, his hand already reaching for his phone, ready to message Station Chief Chen Tao.

This whole thing was starting to get surreal.

Li Li spoke into the phone in English so the drone team could also understand.

"Standard package, three million per set."

All six people in the conference room froze at the same time.

The business manager almost stood up.

The technical lead pressed his arm down.

"Don't move."

"The God of Wealth is casting a spell."

Fahd paused for a few seconds on the other end.

Someone spoke quickly for a few moments.

Fahd spoke.

"Can it be cheaper?"

Li Li was speechless.

It seems he overestimated the Prince's financial power.

He tapped the quotation sheet.

"Two point five million is the lowest. Any lower wouldn't be appropriate."

The other end of the line paused again.

A few seconds later, Fahd replied.

"Deal. 2.5 million USD per standard package. What about the individual drones?"

Li Li's hand stopped.

The others in the conference room couldn't understand, but they all noticed he stopped talking.

Cheng Songyan took a step closer.

"What's wrong?"

Li Li covered the microphone and looked at everyone.

"I forgot to specify the currency unit."

The business manager was bewildered.

"What do you mean?"

Li Li let go of the microphone and switched back to Arabic.

"Fahd, I wasn't talking about USD, I meant RMB."

There was complete silence on the other end of the line.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

Fahd burst into laughter.

"RMB? You meant RMB just now?"

"Yes. RMB."

"Li, is your firefighting equipment that cheap?"

Li Li looked at the group of people at the table who had already entered a state of standby.

"Don't provoke the manufacturer; their endurance is average."

Fahd was still laughing.

"Fine. Three million RMB it is. Start with 100 standard sets with vehicles."

Li Li relayed it.

The conference room exploded.

The business manager stood up abruptly, his chair sliding back half a meter.

"How many?"

"100 sets."

The young engineer raised his hand to cover the back of his head.

"Is our production line going to get rich?"

The technical lead was actually the first to sober up.

"We can do 100 sets. The delivery cycle depends on the chassis and battery supply."

The business manager immediately changed his tune.

"We can coordinate! We will guarantee it with all our might!"

Li Li spoke into the phone.

"Quote for individual drones."

The technical lead didn't give the business manager a chance this time.

"150,000 per unit. Bare drone, excluding the large vehicle-mounted system. Controllers are extra."

The business manager opened his mouth but didn't fight for it in the end.

The 1 million standard package just now had almost sent him to an internal tribunal.

Li Li translated it over.

"500,000 per individual drone."

The technical lead was stunned.

The business manager was also stunned.

Cheng Songyan held onto the door frame, not making a sound.

On the other end of the line, Fahd didn't hesitate.

"Sign for 10,000 as spares."

Li Li really paused this time.

"How many?"

"10,000 units."

Li Li held the phone away and glanced at the number.

The number was correct.

It wasn't a scam call.

The content had a very scam-like flavor.

He put the phone back.

"Fahd, this is firefighting equipment. There isn't such a high attrition rate, and you don't have that many Firefighters to use them."

Fahd lowered his voice on the other end and spoke a few words, then coughed.

"We like to stockpile some things."

Li Li didn't respond to that.

50km control range.

200kg payload.

10,000 units.

The word 'firefighting' was written quite properly, but the smell surrounding it was already leaking out.

He wouldn't ask anything unnecessary.

Clearly write down the contract purpose, complete the export approvals, and leave the rest to the regulatory departments.

As a middleman, he couldn't let himself become an international scapegoat.

"Payment method?"

Fahd was very straightforward.

"30% deposit, can be wired today. Standard transport vehicles can be in batches; can you finish delivery in three months?"

Li Li turned his head.

"100 standard vehicles, can you produce and deliver them in three months?"

The technical lead immediately nodded.

"Three months isn't needed. One month is enough. The quantity of individual drones is large, so they can be batched."

The business manager regained his professional stance.

"Yes, 100 vehicle-mounted standard systems, no problem completing the first batch delivery within a month. We need to lock down the supply chain for the drones."

Li Li spoke to the phone.

"50 days for the standard vehicles."

The technical lead turned to look at him.

One month turned into 50 days.

He paused for a moment, then immediately nodded.

Time needs to be reserved for overseas transport, inspection, spare parts, and training.

This guy even knows delivery negotiation tactics.

Fahd replied quickly.

"Good. Have them prepare the contract. Our people will arrive in Pengcheng tonight to sign."

Just as Li Li was about to hang up, Fahd added one more sentence.

"Li, I have prepared a consulting fee for you personally."

No one in the conference room understood.

Li Li replied directly.

"No need. Don't write me into the formal contract."

The phone call ended.

The conference room was excessively quiet.

The business manager sat back in his chair and took a sip from his water cup; water spilled from the rim onto his shirt.

He looked down at it.

"Did I just almost quote 1 million instead of 3 million?"

The technical lead patted his shoulder.

"You didn't almost."

The young engineer added a jab.

"You already did."

The business manager raised his hand to cover his face.

"Don't say anything else, I want to restart my life."

Cheng Songyan looked at Li Li.

"You don't want the consulting fee?"

Li Li picked up the bun bag on the table; the buns had already gone cold.

"No."

"Why?"

"If I take the money, if something happens later, it won't be clear. If I don't take the money, I'm just a helpful citizen."

Cheng Songyan was silent for half a second.

"Do you have some misunderstanding of the term 'helpful citizen'?"

Station Chief Chen Tao pushed the door open and walked in.

"What's the situation?"

The business manager immediately stood up, his movement more standardized than military training.

"Station Chief Chen, Ala Country has preliminarily confirmed the purchase of 100 vehicle-mounted drone firefighting systems and 10,000 individual drones; they are sending representatives to sign tonight."

Station Chief Chen Tao's hand paused on the door handle.

"How many?"

Everyone in the conference room looked at him at the same time.

The business manager didn't want to live anymore.

The technical lead spoke up.

"If Teacher Li Li is just a translator, then my fixing drones yesterday can only be called touching plastic."

The business manager hurriedly grabbed a pen.

"After-sales training, spare parts kits, spare batteries..."

The technical lead pressed his notebook down.

"Draft the contract first, don't scare away the God of Wealth."

Li Li stood up, ready to leave the conference room for them.

At this moment, the technical lead suddenly stood up as well.

"Teacher Li Li, can our Zhongfei Infinity Company hire you as a spokesperson?"

"Spokesperson?"

Li Li had been an influencer for a while, but he had never taken a spokesperson deal.

Mainly because he didn't check TikTok messages, and no one helped him with connections.

"Forget it, I'm not really a celebrity, you guys might lose money later."

The technical lead almost couldn't respond.

This order is 5.3 billion; one way or another, they are making at least a few billion.

"Lose money?"

"Where would they lose money?"

"Not at all, we believe in your ability to drive sales. After all, you are the only person in the country with over 100 million followers on TikTok."

Li Li paused.

"Over 100 million? I hit 100 million?"

"Yes, just hit it this morning."

Li Li felt a little excited, but still waved his hand.

"Forget it, I don't need that much money, thanks for the kind offer."

He turned around, ready to greet Station Chief Chen Tao and leave.

The technical lead immediately pulled out his phone.

"Damn it, no more pretending."

"Hey, Old Qi, in my capacity as Executive Director and minority shareholder, I demand a 300 million RMB annual spokesperson contract for Teacher Li Li."

Just as the words fell.

Li Li turned and walked back, his expression very calm.

"When are we shooting the commercial, Mr. Executive Director?"