Chapter 18 I almost got fooled

"100,000 francs!"

Bonnet is a shrewd businessman. After breaking through Djoka's psychological defense, he offered an attractive price.

Seeing that Djoka was still hesitating, Bonnet added:

"No one else will give such a good price, Mr. Djoka. Like I said, they can choose to imitate, but of course they won't be willing to spend money to buy your property rights!"

Djoka turned his attention to Charles. He was obviously moved. Now that the workers' monthly salary is only 28 francs, 100,000 francs is not a small amount, not to mention there are countless invisible hands around who are planning to take advantage of it!

Charles remained silent. He recalled what Bonnet said in his mind, and finally made a summary:

Using the threat of two hundred families to put pressure on Djoka, and then using 100,000 francs to lure him, a combination of big stick and temptation... Bonnet knows how to do business.

Bonnet looked at the two silent people and felt secretly proud. He thought that this battle was already won and they had no choice!

Still, Bonnet underestimated Shire.

He didn't expect that Charles, as an inventor, also had business acumen. During the entire negotiation, Bonnet was focused on Djoka and was not prepared for Charles. Perhaps it was because Charles had been sitting on the sidelines harmlessly. He looked like an ignorant boy.

"Mr. Bonnet!" Charles spoke, his tone was unhurried and firm, with the immaturity of a young man but sonorous and powerful: "If things are really like what you said, you don't have to rush to apply for industrial property rights at this moment. Here you go, am I right?"

The smile on Bonnet's face obviously faltered, but his many years of shopping mall experience have given him the ability to remain calm in times of crisis. He smiled softly: "Mr. Charles, this is my style, and I ask my subordinates to do the same. Otherwise, There would be no "Little Daily"!"

This makes sense. To run a newspaper and capture the market, the most important thing is to seize opportunities in a timely manner.

But Charles didn't believe his lies.

"I guess you must have been prepared!" Charles glanced towards the hall outside the VIP room: "You paid the staff in advance to pay attention to people who apply for industrial property rights for tanks, and report to you as soon as they happen!"

Bonnet responded with a smile that said, "That's still my style."

Charles made a judgment: "If things are really like what you said, and no one except you will offer a higher price, then now shouldn't be the best time to negotiate, don't you think?"

Bonnet's smile gradually froze on his face. He didn't notice this loophole and didn't know how to fix it.

Djoka didn't understand it at first. Seeing Bonnet's strange expression, he carefully savored what Charles just said, and then suddenly realized:

“You’re right, this is not the best time to buy property!”

"Mr. Bonnet should let us run into walls outside, and then take action when two hundred families strangle us and beat us until we are covered with bruises and only breathe our last breath!"

"In this way, we can buy the industrial property rights of the tank at the lowest price, and we will be very grateful for it!"

"But Mr. Bonnet chose this time, before we walked out of the city hall door, to buy it for a high price of 100,000 francs... Why is this?"

Djoka became more and more excited as he spoke, and his last words were a bit provocative.

He could almost conclude that Bonnet was in such a hurry because someone else was planning to buy the industrial property rights to the tank, and the price was likely to be much higher.

Bonnet was speechless. This cannot be solved with "style". It goes against common sense. No businessman would refuse to buy at a low price. If he refused, there must be a reason, otherwise he would have gone bankrupt long ago. .

"But..." Bonnet struggled: "The price I gave is very reasonable, right?"

He glanced at the two of them in a panic, as sincerely as possible: "If you guys produce tanks on your own, you may not be able to earn 100,000 francs under their pressure!"

Djoka didn't know how to refute it. The suppression by the Two Hundred Families existed objectively. It was impossible for them to let the Bernard family monopolize tank production. This was a fact that had to be admitted.

Therefore, the price of 100,000 francs is indeed reasonable.

But Charles still exposed Bonnet's lies ruthlessly:

"No, Mr. Bonnet, you seem to have forgotten the Paris Convention!"

Bonnet looked at Ciel in disbelief, and then quietly said "Huh":

"Oh, yes. I seem to have forgotten about it. Well, if you are not satisfied with the price, we can talk about it again!"

Djoka understood the truth instantly.

The full name of the Paris Convention is the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property. It was a convention established in Paris in 1883 by Britain, France, Russia and other countries to protect the international rights of inventors.

Before the Paris Convention, it was difficult to maintain industrial property rights between countries, and a group of professional "copycats" even emerged: they always paid attention to the property rights registrations of other countries. Once a new property rights registration was made public, They immediately copied it to their own country and registered it first. When the real inventor wanted to register it in that country, he found that he had become a "copycat".

The Paris Convention stipulates that invention applications in all contracting countries can be deemed to have been filed on the date of the first application in that country, which avoids inventions being registered in other countries.

In other words, Shire's tank industrial property rights can also be registered in Britain, Russia, the United States and other countries.

These countries also need tanks. Britain and Russia are at war and are allies. They are outside the influence of the two hundred families. Therefore, the value of the tank industrial property rights is more than 100,000 francs!

Dyoka seemed to be unable to stand Bonnet's face and didn't want to talk to him anymore. He pulled Charles up and said:

"I'm very sorry, Mr. Bonnet, this matter is not up to us. We still have to refer to my father's opinion!"

"You know, Bernard's family has always been decided by him!"

Dyoka was quite restrained. He didn't want to offend Bonnet. After all, he was the owner of "Little Daily" and the media he controlled had the right to speak.

"Of course!" Bonnet nodded helplessly, stood up and handed a business card to Dyoka and Charles respectively: "If the two gentlemen change their minds, please feel free to contact me! And the price can be negotiated!"

Bonnet emphasized the last sentence, the underlying meaning is that no matter how much others offer, I can offer a higher price!

Finally, he did not forget to praise Charles: "That is a great invention, Mr. Charles, it saved France, salute you!"

Dyoka took Charles out of the city hall, looked back with lingering fear, and said with emotion:

"I almost fell for this guy. Fortunately, you, Charles! You defeated this arrogant guy!"

Dyoka looked at Charles, his eyes full of pride. Adolescents change so quickly, I can't believe he is still underage!