《当今奇人周兴和》励志小说连载之五十三 ●难眠的异国之夜
难眠的异国之夜
一弯月牙游移在异国夜空，这里的天空像被水洗过一样明净，月牙显得那么晶莹。夜深了，宾馆周围不知名的蛩儿在此起彼伏唧唧鸣叫。连日的奔波，夫人早已疲惫地进入了梦乡，周兴和却再也睡不着了，他翻身从床上爬了起来，推门走到了庭院中来。
庭院四周，是尤加利树和棕榈树，夜风吹来，树叶在风中簌簌作响。周兴和站在草地上，举头望去，那弯月牙已移向远处黛色的山岚，天幕上的星星仿佛都笑吟吟地凝望着他。好长时间来，他第一次如释重负，没有像今天晚上这样轻松和愉快。来到埃国经历的一切，证明他先前的预感是正确的。
埃塞俄比亚虽然还是个发展中国家，但在这里，没有那种千丝万缕说不清道不白的关系网羁绊，没有中国地方政府个别官员那种雁过拔毛的官僚做派，没有黑社会地痞流氓的胡搅蛮缠敲诈勒索，更没有那种商场上处处需要提防的冷箭和暗枪；在这里，埃国政府讲法律讲信用讲工作效率，埃国人民淳朴厚道重情重义讲友谊，不但给了他们贵宾般的礼遇，政府部门也为他们创造了最好的工作条件，使他们在这里工作生活起来得心应手。
周兴和他们刚到这里时，埃国务部长阿可贝不但亲自接见宴请他们，并亲自参与了他们的合作会谈。双方在平等协商的基础上，很快就达成了由埃国亚迪斯亚贝巴市政府与中国星河公司具体合作的协议。协议确定：埃国从中国星河公司引进“FGC”专利技术和全套生产设备，由星河公司在这里选点建设轻质建材生产厂，产品原料以埃国的甘蔗渣和火山灰为主，工厂招收和培训当地的管理人员和生产工人，生产出来的产品由埃政府房屋开发办公室采购。进而，在工厂示范发展的基础上，再由星河公司投资，打造中非星河科技园。该项目预计建成8个建材生产厂，每天生产建材板近10000张，年产值可达4亿多美元，利润8000多万美元，年处理甘蔗渣和其它废弃物54000余吨，为埃塞俄比亚提供就业岗位12000余个，每年可为埃国建房100万平米以上。
这是一个双赢的合作协议，充满了美好诱人的发展前景——星河公司在这里找到了用武之地，可以充分展示他们的技术优势，发挥“FGC”巨大潜能，同时取得可观的经济效益；项目的引进和投资对埃国来说，更是他们求之不得的事情。当埃政府官员将商谈的结果向吉尔玛总统和梅莱斯首相汇报后，他们当即表示赞同，并指示抓紧时间把协议签订下来，进入实质性工作。
可这个时候，问题却来了。由于当时个别中国企业在埃塞俄比亚与他们政府、企业打交道过程中不守诚信，使政府和企业心有余悸，所以他们要求这次与星河公司的合作，需要中国驻埃大使馆或国内有关政府部门作为证人在合同上签字。
但，我国驻埃大使馆能同意吗？
怎么办呢？周兴和冥思苦想了一夜。天一亮，他到了我国驻埃塞俄比亚大使馆。我驻埃商务处王参赞在百忙之中，接待了周兴和。在认真听取了埃政府准备引进星河公司专利和设备、星河公司与埃合作建厂，以及周兴和在国内取得的的专利技术和产品情况，同时认真地审查了他们公司资料和合作协议后——王参赞摇了摇头，表示这件事他爱莫能助。“你们与埃方的经济合作，按说应该是件好事，但我们只能表示支持。”王参赞遗憾地告诉周兴和，“这个问题国家有规定，别国政府与我国企业间商务合作，驻他国的大使馆，只有审查和建议权，没有批准和决定权。”
“王参赞，国家有规定，这我们理解。”周兴和听王参赞如此一说，尽管他很失望，但他还是耐心地与他讲道，“也请您理解我们，
我们从那么遥远的祖国来，来一趟多不容易啊！我们再回国去送审报批，国内有的部门的工作效率您是知道的，这来回一折腾，说不定这么好的一个合作项目，就有黄了的可能呀！”
“国家没赋予我们这个权限，我们也实在无能为力呀。”
“埃塞俄比亚总统、首相对这个项目都如此重视，只要协议一签，我们马上就能进入到实际工作中。”周兴和继续试图说服王参赞，“对这样一个百利而无一害、马上就能产生巨大经济和社会效益的项目，您何必让我们再回国绕那么多圈子呢！”
“同志呀，你应该知道，外事无小事。我不是用外交语言来搪塞你，我还是只能向你表示遗憾。”
“我知道，您是怕我们的合作项目不成功，给国家和你们惹麻烦。您放心，作为一个中国企业家、中国公民，我用自己的信誉和人格做担保，绝对只能是为自己的国家争光，不会给自己的国家丢脸。”
“你说的这些我都相信。但这个规矩我们不能打破，也从没有开过这个先例。”驻外大使馆官员当然有自己的工作原则，无论周兴和怎么请求，王参赞就是不松这个口。“王参赞，我们国家改革开放这么多年，作为一个中国民营企业，要到海外来发展，多不容易呀！来到这个地方，我们是两眼一抹黑，你们就是我们的娘家人哪！”周兴和锲而不舍地向王参赞讲道，“现在我们是万事俱备，只差你们大使馆代表国家签个字盖个章，我们与埃政府的合作就成功了，你们驻外大使馆最大的工作原则，不就是国家的利益吗？”
王参赞还有更重要的工作要做，他给周兴和作完解释后离开了。怎么办呢？就这样走了吗？不行，如果再回国找政府有关部门，说不定他们随便找个什么借口，就会给你搁上一年半载，那样一来不但黄花菜凉了，或许一件大好的事情真的就会泡汤了！
周兴和实在不甘心，他干脆待在大使馆里不走了。从上午到下午，他坐在商务参赞办公室，不厌其烦地向其他工作人员讲埃政府从总统到首相对这个项目的态度，讲自己公司与埃政府合作的广阔前景，讲自己专利技术的优势和公司这些年在国内诚信守法的经营情况，讲自己回国办手续来回奔波的艰辛和困难。总之一句话，不达目的，他绝不罢休！
直到天快黑了，大使馆的领导终于被他的诚心和精神感动，破例以中国大使馆商务处的名义，为他签署了意见盖了公章。
从中国大使馆出来，周兴和这才如释重负地长长吐了一口气。
万事俱备。此后，他们在埃期间的工作进行得异乎寻常地顺利。勿庸赘述，他们与埃政府的协议顺利签订，选点建厂的事宜很快落实。几个月来，工厂的建设也超乎想象地顺利。在建厂同时，周兴和利用当地火山灰和甘蔗渣进行的产品试制也取得成功，生产出来的产品经检测，不但达到预期效果，某些指标甚至还超过了在国内的水平！
更让人激动和兴奋的是，2005年8月25日，当埃国务部长将中国星河秸秆厂已经落成，并将于8月27日举行剪彩仪式的消息向总统吉尔玛汇报后，吉尔玛总统听到这个消息很高兴，在对国务部工作给予肯定的同时，并表示自己一定履行当初许下的诺言，要亲自出席建材厂在埃落成剪彩仪式！
一个国家的总统，竟要亲自出席一个在世界并不太知名、规模也并不大的外国企业落成剪彩仪式，这在他们国家恐怕还绝无仅有！
现在我们揣测，对吉尔玛总统而言，他看中的恐怕还不是这个企业的知名度和规模，而是对这个企业的发展前景，以及为本国政府和人民带来的巨大利益。
“什么，吉尔玛总统明天要亲自出席星河秸秆厂落成剪彩仪式，这个消息可靠吗？”建材厂剪彩仪式前一天，消息才传到中国大使馆。驻埃大使林琳听到这个消息十分意外，同时也难以置信。中国知名的企业如中石油、中电信、中铁建等公司在埃落成或开工，埃国政府连部长亲自出席的也不多呀！当消息得到确认后，林琳大使当即表示，“既然吉尔玛总统都要亲自参加这次活动，那我怎么能不出席呢！”
吉尔玛总统要亲自参加剪彩仪式的消息，也令周兴和感到意外，当然更感到高兴。他为自己这些日子来，在这里辛勤工作，能得到这样的回报倍感欣慰——在国内，连街道办事处一个小科长、税务局一个小办事员，都可以趾高气扬在他们面前指手画脚，横挑鼻子竖挑眼。而在这里，一个国家的总统，还有部长和市长、驻外的大使，竟都要亲自来参加他们工厂建成剪彩仪式，这在政治上给了他们多大的鼓励和肯定呀！
周兴和睡不着了，他慢慢在庭院里踱来踱去，字斟句酌想着明天在仪式上的讲话内容。月牙已经落下西边的山岚，星星在天上慢慢隐去了踪影，一只晨醒的鸟儿，一声啁啾，弹丸般地射向广阔的晨空。
天，就要亮了吧？
Sleepless night on foreign land
A crescent moon drifted across the exotic night sky, the sky was as clear as washed by water, and the crescent moon was so crystal. Late at night, the unknown insects around the hotel was chirping out loudly. After many days of travelling, his wife had fallen asleep wearily, but Zhou Xinghe could not sleep any more. He got up from his bed, pushed the door open and went to the courtyard.
Around the courtyard were the eucalyptus and palm trees, their leaves rustling in the night wind. Zhou Xinghe stood on the grass and looked up. The crescent moon had moved towards the dusky mountain in the distance. The stars on the sky seemed to be gazing at him with smiles. It had been a long time since he had felt so relaxed and cheerful as this evening. The experience of coming to Ethiopia proved his hunch was correct.
Ethiopia, though still a developing country, was free from the tangled network of relationships, the extortion of gangsters, and the sniping and backstabbing that must be alert for in the business competition. Here, the Ethiopian government paid attention to the law, credit and efficiency, and the Ethiopian people were honest, good-hearted, sincere and friendly. They were not only treated as honored guests, but also given the best working conditions by the Ethiopian government, making them easy to work and live in here.
When Zhou Xinghe just arrived here, Minister of State Affairs of Ethiopia Akobbe not only received them personally, but also participated in their cooperation talks. On the basis of equal negotiation, the two sides soon reached an agreement on the concrete cooperation between the Addis Ababa Municipal Government of Ethiopia and China Xinghe Company. The agreement determined: Ethiopia shall introduce the "FGC" patent technology and a full set of production equipment from Xinghe Company of China, and Xinghe Company shall select the proper site here for the construction of lightweight building materials factory; the raw material shall be mainly the Ethiopian bagasse and volcanic ash; the factory shall recruit and train the local managers and factory workers, and the products shall be purchased by the government housing development office. Then, on the basis of factory demonstration and development, Xinghe Company will invest to build the China-Africa Xinghe Science & Technology Park. The project is expected to build eight building materials factories, to produce the building materials of nearly 10,000 boards per day, with the annual output of more than $400 million, and profits of more than $80 million, to process 54,000 tons of bagasse and other wastes per year, and provide more than 12,000 jobs for Ethiopia (excluding more than 40,000 people engaged in the housing construction and decoration), and to construct more than 100 square meters of building per year for Ethiopia.
This was a win-win cooperation agreement, full of beautiful and attractive development prospects - Xinghe Company had found a place here, where they can fully display their technical advantages, play the "FGC" huge potential, while achieve considerable economic benefits; for Ethiopia, the introduction and investment of the project was the most desirable thing. When Ethiopian government officials reported the outcome of the negotiation talks to President Gilmar and Prime Minister Meles, they immediately agreed and instructed them to sign the agreement as soon as possible and get to the substantive work.
But here came the problem. As some Chinese enterprises did not keep good faith in dealing with the government and enterprises in Ethiopia, which made the government and enterprises feeling frightened, so they required that in the cooperation with Xinghe Company this time, the contract should be signed by the Chinese Embassy in Ethiopia or relevant domestic government departments as witnesses.
But, could our embassy in Ethiopia agree?
What to do? Zhou Xinghe thought hard all night. At daybreak, he arrived at our embassy in Ethiopia. Counsellor Wang of our Commercial Counsellor’s Office in Ethiopia took time out of his busy schedule to receive Zhou Xinghe. After carefully listening to the Ethiopian government's plan to import Xinghe's patents and equipment, the cooperation between Xinghe and Ethiopia, and the patented technologies and products obtained by Zhou Xinghe in China, while reviewing their company's materials and cooperation agreements, Counsellor Wang shook his head and said he could do nothing to help. "Your economic cooperation with Ethiopia is supposed to be a good thing, but we can only show our support." Counsellor Wang regretfully told Zhou Xinghe, "There are regulations in this problem that the foreign governments have the right to conduct business cooperation with Chinese enterprises, and the embassies in other countries only have the right to review and make suggestions, but not to approve or make decisions."
"Counsellor Wang, the state has regulations, which we understand." When Zhou Xinghe heard Counsellor Wang's words, although he was very disappointed, he said to him patiently, "Please understand us too. It is not easy for us to come here from such a distant motherland. If we go back to China to submit an application for approval, and you know the working efficiency of some departments in China, after we toss about this, maybe a cooperation project as good as this one will be spoiled!"
"The country did not give us this authority, so we can do nothing about it."
"The President and Prime Minister of Ethiopia are so committed to this project that as soon as the agreement is signed, we will be able to get down to practical business." Zhou Xinghe continued to try to persuade Counsellor Wang, "How could you bear us to go back to China and waste so many times for such a project that would produce huge economic and social benefits immediately?"
"Comrade, you should know that there is no small matter in foreign affairs. I am not putting you off in diplomatic terms, but I can only express my regret."
"I know that you are afraid that our cooperative project will not succeed and cause trouble to the country and you. You can rest assured that as a Chinese entrepreneur and a Chinese citizen, I guarantee with my own credibility and personality that I will only win honor for my country and not lose face for it."
"I believe in all you say. But it's a rule we can't break and we've never set such precedent." Of course, the officials in the embassies abroad had their own working principles. No matter how Zhou Xinghe asked for, Counsellor Wang would not let it go. "Counsellor Wang, after so many years of Reform and Opening-up in our country, as a private Chinese enterprise, it is not easy to develop overseas. We have come to this place blind, and you are our own family!" Zhou Xinghe said to Counsellor Wang with great perseverance, "Now we are ready for everything. All we need is your embassy to sign and stamp on behalf of the country, and our cooperation with the Ethiopian government will be successful. Isn't the biggest principle of your embassies abroad the interests of the country?"
Counsellor Wang had more important work to do. He explained to Zhou Xinghe and left. What to do? Is that it? No, if we go back to China to find relevant government departments for approval, they may find any excuse, and delay a year or half a year; in that way, such a big good thing may really be ruined!
Zhou Xinghe was so unwilling that he simply stayed in the embassy. From morning to afternoon, he sat in the Commercial Counsellor's Office, took patience to explain to other staff about the attitude of Ethiopian government, the President and the Prime Minister toward the project, tell the broad prospects of the company cooperation with the Ethiopian government, his own patented technology advantage and the company integrity and law-abiding business situation in China over the years, as well as the hardships and difficulties of going back and forth to China just to go through the formalities. In a word, he would not give up until achieving his goal!
Until it was almost dark, the leader of the embassy was finally touched by his sincerity and spirit, and made an exception to sign their opinion with the official seal in the name of the Commercial Counsellor's Office of the Chinese Embassy.
Coming out of the Chinese Embassy, Zhou Xinghe let out a long sigh of relief.
Everything was ready. Since then, their work in Ethiopia had been unusually smooth. Needless to say, the agreement between Xinghe and the Ethiopian government was successfully signed, and the matter of selecting the site to build the factory was soon implemented. In the past few months, the construction of the factory had gone smoothly beyond imagination. At the same time, Zhou Xinghe also successfully used the local volcanic ash and bagasse for trial production. After testing, the products not only achieved the expected results, but also exceeded the level of some indicators in China!
What more exciting and excited was that, on August 25, 2005, when the Minister of State Affairs of Ethiopia reported the news that the China Xinghe Straw Factory had been completed and the ribbon-cutting ceremony would be held on August 27 to the President Gilmar, President Gilmar was glad to hear; while encouraged the work of Ministry of State Affairs, he said he must keep his promise made at the beginning, to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the building materials factory!
It was probably rare for a President of a country to attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony of a foreign company which was neither well known nor large in the world.
Now we suspected that for President Gilmar, what he may care about was not the popularity and scale of the enterprise, but the development prospects of the enterprise and the huge benefits it will bring to the government and people of his country.
"What? Is it reliable that President Gilmar will personally attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of Xinghe Straw Factory tomorrow?" News reached the Chinese embassy only a day before the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the building materials factory. Ambassador Lin Lin was surprised and in disbelief at the news. Since many well-known Chinese enterprises such as China National Petroleum Corporation, China Telecom, China Railway Construction Corporation and other companies had been completed or started business in Ethiopia, there were not many ceremonies that the Minister from the Ethiopian government had attended in person. When the news was confirmed, Ambassador Lin Lin immediately said, "If President Gilmar is going to attend this event in person, how can I not attend this event!"
The news that President Gilmar would personally attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony also surprised and certainly pleased Zhou Xinghe. He was very glad to get such a reward for his hard work here these days - how much encouragement and recognition it gave them politically that the president of a country, as well as ministers and mayors, and ambassadors, should personally attend the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of their factory!
Zhou Xinghe could not sleep. He walked slowly up and down the courtyard, thinking over his speech for tomorrow's ceremony. The crescent had fallen down the west mountain, the stars in the sky slowly disappeared, a bird woke up in the morning, and a chirp shot like a bullet into the vast morning sky.
The day was coming.
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