5: Chapter 5: Negotiations That Went Too Smoothly!

12 hours later, Nigeria, Lagos International Airport.

Shen Fei stepped out of the cabin, a wave of heat hitting him in the face, and he was immediately forced to squint against the blinding, scorching sunlight.

The area surrounding the airport was filled with low-rise buildings, and one could even see slums in the distance! And this was the capital of Nigeria. The backwardness of this country was evident...

But precisely because of this backwardness, it presented an opportunity for low-priced mobile phones, an opportunity for Transsion.

"Mr. Chen, welcome to Nigeria."

A middle-aged Black man wearing a floral shirt and a gold chain strode over, followed by several burly men.

This was James Wang, who had even given himself a Chinese name, Wang Jianguo. Of mixed Chinese-Nigerian descent, he was one of the largest mobile phone distributors in Lagos.

"Mr. Wang, a pleasure to meet you." Shen Fei shook his hand with equal enthusiasm.

"Oh, so you must be Mr. Shen! Young and promising, leading the team yourself—it seems you have high expectations for the Nigerian market!" James Wang smiled warmly, but a flicker of shrewdness flashed in his eyes.

"The car is ready, let's head to the hotel first. Although Nigeria is a bit backward, the amenities in the city center are quite decent."

However, Shen Fei waved his hand. "No rush. Let's look at the goods first."

"Mr. Shen is truly a man of action!" James Wang gave a thumbs-up, but he agreed and followed the group toward the warehouse area.

By then, the mobile phones in the warehouse had been unloaded and were neatly stacked on pallets.

James Wang randomly opened a box, took out a Transsion T100, and pressed the power button.

"Dual SIM, dual standby, MP3, MP4—all these functions work perfectly. And it even has a 300,000-pixel camera..." He fiddled with it skillfully, demonstrating his professional expertise.

"The specs are decent. But Mr. Shen, the best-selling phone in the African market right now is the Nokia 1100. It's sturdy, durable, and cheap. Your features..."

"We can discuss the price." Shen Fei reached out and took the Transsion T100, and Wang Jianguo subconsciously tried to take it back...

"Mr. Wang, what price point do you think is appropriate? As long as we can agree on a price, these phones are all yours. There's no need to rush."

Wang Jianguo's eyes darted around, and then a smile spread across his face. "A wholesale price of 20 dollars. I'll take 30,000 units, and you won't have to worry about any of the subsequent work. But there is one condition: you must give me the exclusive agency rights for the Lagos area."

20 dollars? That wouldn't even cover the cost.

Li Qing's previously smiling face twitched slightly, and he started to speak, but was stopped by a look from Shen Fei.

"Mr. Wang, we can't do that price." Shen Fei smiled back.

"The wholesale price for this phone from Transsion is 33 dollars, and the suggested retail price is 50 dollars. As for the exclusive agency rights... of course, that's possible, but I don't know if you have the capability for it."

"Of course I have the capability! We are the largest mobile phone distributor in the area. But 33 dollars is too expensive; I only pay 25 dollars for Nokia stock. Why should a small brand like Transsion sell for more than Nokia?"

"But Nokia doesn't have dual SIM, dual standby, no MP4 playback, and certainly not this 300,000-pixel camera." Shen Fei placed the sample back into his hand.

"Mr. Wang, find an employee to test the camera. I'm sure most people will love the experience of taking photos."

Wang Jianguo beckoned, and a Black employee inside walked over.

Shen Fei had him stand in the sunlight and take a picture with the Transsion T100.

The photo on the screen was barely passable, and the skin tone reproduction was very... realistic—he looked like a giant lump of coal, completely incomparable to the mobile photography of later generations.

But it still pleasantly surprised them, and they couldn't wait to shove the phone into their own pockets.

After all, it was far better than those Nokia phones that couldn't take pictures.

"Interesting..." Wang Jianguo stroked his chin and thought seriously for a moment.

"But 33 dollars is still too expensive. I'll take 5,000 units first at 30 dollars to test the waters."

"32 dollars, with a minimum order of 10,000 units." Shen Fei made a slight concession. "Plus, we have a new proposal: installing charging stations in your stores."

"Charging stations?" Wang Jianguo didn't understand at first, but then, as if he'd heard some huge joke, he burst into laughter.

"Yes, you heard that right. Power outages are frequent in Africa, and many users can't charge their phones; this is the biggest obstacle to mobile phone adoption. We will install charging equipment in your stores, and users will only need to pay a small fee to charge their phones. This will not only attract foot traffic and raise awareness for your brand, but it will also generate additional revenue."

Wang Jianguo's eyes darted around again. As a mobile phone distributor, he clearly understood the brilliance of this tactic.

But this plan would increase overhead. If it required diesel generators, it would be a continuous investment. The total cost would be astronomical!

As for the profit, Wang Jianguo chose to ignore it... after all, he was a smart man.

Of course, he could choose solar power, but solar panels were a novelty, and most importantly, they were expensive and required compatible batteries.

Each unit cost money, and he would have to sell a lot of phones to earn it back...

There was a sucker right in front of him, and he needed to fleece him properly.

"Who's paying for the equipment? Nigeria doesn't have such advanced industry. An old-fashioned diesel engine costs thousands of dollars, and it also pollutes the environment... It would be devastating for Nigeria's environment."

Environmental pollution? When Wang Jianguo said this, it instantly made everyone burst into laughter... However, Wang Jianguo and his group remained expressionless.

"Transsion will pay for it," Shen Fei said. "You handle the fuel and everything else. You take sixty percent of the revenue, and we take forty percent."

"Mr. Shen... you're straightforward." Wang Jianguo laughed loudly and immediately leaned toward Shen Fei, only to be blocked by the security personnel nearby.

Of course, he wasn't angry; he just waved his hand casually. "Then it's settled."

"Then it's settled: 32 dollars, 10,000 units, and the charging equipment—ship them over as soon as possible."

A draft of the contract was signed on the spot.

On the way back to the hotel, Li Qing couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Shen, our profit margin at 32 dollars is very thin, and with the charging stations... we'll be losing a lot of money on every unit sold. Besides, they agreed too easily. I have a feeling something is fishy."

"Isn't things going smoothly a good thing?" Chen Hai said with the guileless honesty of an engineer.

"Regardless of whether there's a conspiracy, this is just a test—a small market survey."

Shen Fei looked at the dilapidated streets outside the window and shook his head slightly. Having grown accustomed to the prosperity of later generations, seeing all this... he simply pulled the curtains shut.

"In Africa, electricity is more valuable than mobile phones. With charging stations, we can establish a direct connection with users. And..."

He paused for a moment, then a smile appeared in his eyes. "Do you think that guy Wang Jianguo will honestly retail them at 50 dollars? He'll sell them for at least 60. What we want is for him to open up the market first and establish Transsion as a high-end brand with luxurious features—a phone exclusively designed for the people of Africa. Our true goal is to build our own channels, while simultaneously seeking new opportunities in this market full of potential."