Fatal Reaction
staged show-and-tell for the scientists, while the business people for both sides were set to huddle in Azor’s conference room and attempt to craft a deal.
From the beginning things went badly.
The deal on the table called for the Japanese company to provide support for thirty researchers at $200,000 per scientist per year for five years—a rule of thumb that included compensation, equipment, and supplies—totaling $30 million. If Azor succeeded in producing a drug, Stephen proposed splitting the revenues in half. In addition there were several provisions regarding patents and licensing, the distribution of worldwide rights, and the training and education issues that the Japanese had up until now held so dear.
But obviously Chairman Takisawa had other ideas. He began by explaining with great deference that despite Azor’s recent success with isolating diffractable crystals of ZKBP, he doubted our scientists would be able to develop a drug. The most he could hope for was that they would be able to help Takisawa scientists find their own. Knowing what I did about the level of expertise of Takisawa’s scientists, much less their chairman, I recognized this statement as ridiculous on its face.
Stephen could barely contain himself, but I knew it was important that we hear Takisawa out. I put my hand on his leg under the table and pinched him—hard—as a signal to say nothing. I felt sick but also struggled to remain impassive. Even though I tell myself I didn’t inherit my mother’s temper, as I sat there listening to all of Takisawa’s well-thought-out reasons for trying to screw us I wanted to climb over the table and throttle him with his skinny little tie.
Thirty minutes later, it was clear that what Takisawa was proposing was much less than we’d hoped—namely $25 million for worldwide rights to any new anti-inflammatory drug that Azor produced. Before Stephen had a chance to speak, I thanked Chairman Takisawa profusely for sharing his thoughts with us and suggested we adjourn for our mid-morning break. Then I whispered to Stephen that I needed to talk to him.
Trying to remain calm, I followed him into his office.
“You never even gave me a chance to ask him how much they’re willing to give us up front,” complained Stephen angrily, once he’d shut the door.
“You shouldn’t ask them,” I replied.
“What do you mean I shouldn’t ask them?” he exploded, clearly at the end of his rope. What he had intended as a coup had now suddenly turned into, at best, a scraping negotiation with Takisawa setting performance milestones and royalty schedules. “That’s the absolute first thing you’d want to know when you start talking about this kind of deal.”
“Listen to me, Stephen,” I said, looking him steadily in the eye. “You shouldn’t ask them, because this isn’t the kind of deal you ever want to get involved in. You say yes to this, I don’t care under what terms, and old man Takisawa will have you tied up with strings and have you dancing like a marionette.”
“Unfortunately we don’t have any other choice,” replied Stephen, running his fingers through the thick waves of his hair. “If we don’t get the money soon, not only will we lose any chance at being first with the drug, but the board will have my resignation, and I’ll be working in some clinic somewhere looking into babies’ ears and telling fat people to give up smoking.”
“Get a grip on yourself, Stephen,” I advised him. “You’re forgetting Millholland’s first law of negotiation.”
“What is that?”
“When the opposition starts fucking with you, you fuck them back. Borland told me this morning that their people are hot for our science. I’m telling you, they want this deal.”
“They’re sure as hell not acting like it.”
“Come on. Old man Takisawa is an arrogant son of a bitch, not to mention one shrewd negotiator. How else do you think he got where he is?”
“What’s your point?”
“My point is that arrogant men understand arrogance. You of all people should know this.”
“So what do you propose we do?” Stephen answered, ignoring the dig.
“Go back down the hall and tell old man Takisawa that you have sent for their cars and that Rachel will be happy to help with the arrangements for their return flight to Tokyo.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“Yes, I am. Tell them to get lost.”
“After everything we’ve already sunk into this deal? You must think I’m
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