"Recently, we've been eating out. During one of these meals, someone came over from the staff passage and handed me a business card directly, expressing a hope that we could contact him." As he spoke, Li Chenggang handed the card to He Rui.

He Rui took it and looked; it was the card of the General Manager of the German company, Schuler. This company had not yet formally established a sales department in China, so it wasn't very well known domestically. The reason was simple: Schuler mainly served German and European users, and its mechanical equipment was quite famous in Europe.

Li Chenggang then described the recent situation. Although French companies were scrambling to cooperate with China, at least there were direct channels between China and France, and various companies were striving to meet the Chinese delegation for negotiations as early as possible. However, companies from other European countries, upon hearing the news, had rushed to Paris, striving to meet with the Chinese delegation to seek cooperation opportunities.

After explaining this, Li Chenggang probed, "Chairman, Europe also has a very large number of excellent enterprises..."

"Not right now," He Rui replied immediately. "Cooperation requires sincerity. France is currently expecting to pull the French economy up through cooperation with China. Moreover, the industrial categories in the world are currently relatively few, and supply chains are short. Possessing a full industrial chain is the standard configuration for the Great Powers. Given the current situation, in the first year, or even the second, France will try its best to use orders to satisfy French domestic demand. If we pick and choose in Europe right now, it will affect our cooperation with France."

Although Li Chenggang was somewhat disappointed, he understood He Rui's decision and asked, "What about in three years?"

"In three years, we will first look at whether we ourselves have mastered the use of French production equipment and related process technologies. Also, whether we possess a team of industrial workers and engineers. The impact of adopting better technology and equipment on us would be minimal. With our current number of domestic engineers, university students, and personnel in various technical trades, is it enough to undertake so many industries introduced from France?"

Li Chenggang thought for a moment, and the number of engineering students graduating annually in China immediately popped into his mind. Even though the Northeast Government was doing its utmost and developing with all its strength after unifying China, currently, adding domestic students and those studying abroad, the annual number of university engineering graduates was still less than 20,000.

France graduated about 40,000 engineers annually. China's population scale was ten times that of France; theoretically, its industrial scale should also be ten times that of France, with at least 400,000 annual graduates. China's current educational capacity only met 5% of the demand.

"Keep the card for now. When we go to Germany, if there is an opportunity, we will hold some receptions and invite these enterprises to China," He Rui replied.

"Mn." Li Chenggang nodded slightly. In the meetings previously held by the Central Committee, everyone agreed that Germany's education system was the most advanced in the world at this time. The purpose of He Rui's visit to Germany was to sign an educational system exchange agreement with the German government.

Currently, the major countries friendly to foreign relations were the Soviet Union and France, so trade exchanges with other countries had to take France's feelings into account. The French side could understand China's demand for an education system, and in this field, they could accept Sino-German cooperation. But in other fields, it would not be acceptable. So, this business card actually had value.

Standing up, Li Chenggang said, "I will hand these cards over to Minister Yan."

"Mn." He Rui responded. These matters were naturally the responsibility of professional departments; He Rui only needed to be responsible for his own work. After Li Chenggang left, He Rui lay on the sofa, considering the current European situation. France had earned a lot this time and might very well stand tall again. With the help of these current changes, France would likely expand its influence in Central and Eastern Europe. This would inevitably trigger unease in Britain and Italy.

Therefore, European countries would now consider using the economic and trade cooperation agreement signed between France and China to compare the preferential treatment China obtained and make the same demands of France. They would also use the Sino-French economic and trade cooperation agreement to demand equal treatment from the Chinese government as given to France. Would China's next Foreign Minister have the ability to handle this work?

The next day, He Rui, accompanied by the French President, visited the south of France according to the plan. Along the way, they visited many French enterprises. Without exception, the chairmen of these French enterprises acted as guides, and the general managers as attendants, displaying French humility to the fullest extent.

He Rui found that there was no pride in his heart. The reason the owners and operators of these French enterprises were like this was definitely not for He Rui, but for business. He Rui had nothing to be smug about. During the seven-day itinerary, He Rui saw France. These industries were indeed not worth mentioning compared to 21st-century China, but in 1928, they were one of the few powerful industries in the world.

The comrades from the Ministry of Industry who accompanied the delegation were very emotional during the meetings every night. In the past ten-plus years, China's industry had indeed developed tremendously under the leadership of the Civilization Party, but this progress only solved the problem of existence. The scale and efficiency of China's industrial level were indeed far inferior to France.

Zheng Anguo, Director of the Planning Department of the Ministry of Industry, spoke every day. "At this stage, we have already started to use modular thinking to solve industrial problems. France has not yet entered this stage. Regarding today's cooperation negotiations with the enterprises in Marseille, comrades should quickly get a grasp of the situation of these enterprises and submit a report."

There were not many things that supported the confidence of the Chinese delegation, but they were crucial. First was the thinking behind China's industrial development, which was indeed more advanced than that of France or even Europe. This advanced nature was not really because French enterprises were no good, but because France's system was no good. Under the socialist system, the government dominated the national economy, so the presence or absence of social consensus had limited influence on the direction of industrial development and policy formulation.

France could certainly understand modular design and also had the ability to recognize the advantages of such a design. However, the French side had no way to forcibly push it forward without consensus. Therefore, French complete sets of equipment were full of various 'non-standard designs'. After receiving these devices, China would first have to analyze the French equipment based on China's modular design thinking, and in future equipment replacements, gradually replace them with Chinese domestic equipment.

Apart from industrial planning and design, the social system also determined many things. Economic development was destined to eliminate old technologies, which would lead to changes in the proportions of different industries in the national economy. In the policies formulated by He Rui, China had to grasp the critical point of the internal combustion engine revolution and fully promote electrification; technologies and enterprises of the steam age would suffer a huge impact. China, firstly, did not have the burden of the steam age, and secondly, had a socialist system. Adjustments were very easy. But France was different; so many famous enterprises from the steam age would not withdraw willingly. They would also fight with all their might for the chance to continue to exist.

Although there was nothing to blame in this kind of thinking and reaction, this reaction indeed greatly affected France's industrial progress. Seeing with their own eyes the advantages of China's system, the delegation members had much more confidence in rapid development.

Moreover, China was not entirely without a single advantage. In quite a few detailed fields, China surpassed France. For example, catalysts in synthetic ammonia, and the 'powder metallurgy' technology adopted by China when mass-producing non-standard parts. After introducing complete sets of equipment from France, the Chinese side could immediately make adjustments and improvements in these details, enabling the introduced technical equipment to operate efficiently.

He Rui did not participate in this work. He was exchanging toasts with the French President at the farewell banquet. After drinking a glass of brandy, He Rui said somewhat wearily, "Mr. Doumergue, I really hope to welcome you to China soon."

President Doumergue was over sixty years old. If He Rui was tired enough from this visit, the old man was even more exhausted. At this moment, the formal banquet had ended, and President Doumergue smiled weakly. "Briand believes that traveling to China by ship with Mr. He does not quite conform to diplomatic protocol."

"Oh..." He Rui sipped his wine slowly. French Foreign Minister Briand's view wasn't wrong, but He Rui felt that Doumergue really wanted to disregard those rules. Both China and France were great powers, so rules were dead, but people were alive.

Putting down his wine glass, He Rui smiled. "Mr. Doumergue, would you like to go to China for a vacation? France is still very cold in February, but in cities in southern China, one can wear a single layer of clothing. It is very suitable for spending the winter."

Doumergue's eyes lit up; he felt this was indeed a good idea. At this time, France was already overflowing with enthusiasm for cooperation with China, so Doumergue would not face any obstacles in visiting China. If he went to China on the grounds of a vacation...

"I do indeed want to go to Indochina for a vacation. The tropical scenery there makes me very nostalgic," Doumergue replied.

He Rui didn't mind, so he smiled and said, "Then, after I finish my visit to Europe, I wonder if I can hitch a ride on Mr. Doumergue's ship back to Asia?"

"That is France's honor," Doumergue replied kindly.

"Then it's a deal." He Rui raised the wine glass in his hand.

Doumergue picked up the wine glass beside him and raised it. "I will wish Mr. He Rui a wonderful journey in Italy."

On February 13th, the light cruiser *Siping*, carrying He Rui, left the port of Marseille under the farewells of French President Doumergue, the Foreign Minister, and others. He Rui stood on the deck, waving goodbye to the French President and others on the shore until they could no longer be seen, before returning to the cabin.

The next stop was Italy, known as 'Pauper Imperialism'. He Rui did not mean to look down on Italy, because for Italy to still strive to develop its economy despite such poor natural endowments was already very outstanding. Moreover, Italy also had significant achievements in fields such as machinery and shipbuilding. If it weren't for the fact that under Sino-French cooperation, it was really inconvenient for China to introduce technical equipment from other countries first, He Rui would have very much wanted to actively invite a group of Italian shipbuilding engineers to China to participate in the 'sectional ship construction' technology research and development team currently underway in China.

Looking at the calm surface of the Mediterranean Sea, He Rui truly hoped in his heart that everything would go smoothly.