vrcanaries Chapter 55 Trade Fair
Chapter 55 Trade Fair
The mourning hall for Mr. Li, the owner of the plastic flower factory, has long been removed, just like the news of his death, which left no trace in the wave of strikes escalating into large-scale demonstrations.
In normal times, the mysterious death of a wealthy factory owner would be enough to make headlines for three days straight, with newspapers digging deep into the grudges and feuds behind it.
But now the entire Hong Kong is shrouded in the red flags and shouts of the marching crowds, and Mr. Li's factory was one of the birthplaces of the strike.
His death became a "sensitive topic" during this special period, and the police filed a brief report while the media remained silent.
Even merchants who had done business with him before only dared to whisper among themselves, their words quickly drowned out by the rising and falling slogans on the street.
Lin Zhou didn't pay much attention to this; Boss Li's death was just a minor episode in the grand scheme of things.
His Zhonghua Home Appliance Factory is at a critical juncture in its journey forward.
Since the air fryers were first produced at the factory, Lin Zhoujian's warehouse has been full. The factory employees don't understand why their boss isn't selling them. They've been stockpiling for the past few months, and the warehouse is already full.
But Lin Zhou knew very well that selling only in the Hong Kong market would ultimately be limited, and Hong Kong residents might not necessarily accept air fryers.
Unlike Westerners who enjoy fried food, air fryers become popular in Europe and America before being sold in Hong Kong.
The market acceptance will be different then, so if Zhonghua Home Appliances wants to truly establish itself, it must go international.
A few days earlier, he had asked HSBC's Li Huiting to help him inquire about the International Electronics Show and the booths.
Now, when Li Huiting introduced Henry from HSBC to Lin Zhou, Lin Zhou happily hugged Henry.
Henry was the client manager who helped Lin Zhou secure a loan by mortgaging gold when he first arrived in Hong Kong. He was shrewd and profit-driven.
Having witnessed Lin Zhou's business acumen and decisiveness, I have always been happy to befriend this young boss.
Upon learning that Lin Zhou wanted to expand into overseas markets, Henry immediately thought of his friend in the United States, Thomas, one of the organizing committee members of the New York Consumer Electronics Show.
"Mr. Lin, this is the first trade fair, so it's not particularly large in scale."
But the attendees were all distributors and retailers from across the West—a fantastic opportunity.
Henry's voice was tinged with laughter.
"Thomas secured a booth for you. It's in a corner of the exhibition hall, not the best location, but it's good value for money. And getting any entry at all is already quite an achievement."
Upon hearing this, Lin Zhou was overjoyed: "Henry, thank you so much! The position doesn't matter, just being able to participate is a victory."
He knew in his heart that this first New York City Consumer Electronics Show would develop into the world's largest consumer electronics event, bringing together top brands from all over the world.
If Zhonghua Home Appliances can make a name for itself in the first edition and gain international recognition for this entirely new product category, it will undoubtedly be recorded in the history of the industry.
Over the next day or two, Lin Zhou devoted himself almost entirely to the preparations for the exhibition and notified the people he was to bring to get ready.
Su Wanqing was busy preparing exhibition materials, translating product manuals into English, and creating concise and clear brochures, which prominently featured key selling points such as "oil-free cooking" and "healthy and convenient".
Considering the long journey across the ocean and the complex international situation at the time, Lin Zhou specifically brought Zhao Jianjun, Wang Yong, and Zhang Meng from Zhonghua Security Company with him.
Zhao Jianjun formulated a detailed security plan, while Wang Yong and Zhang Meng were responsible for the transportation and loading/unloading of the exhibition equipment.
Dozens of air fryer prototypes were carefully packed, and the packaging was repeatedly checked to ensure it was secure and would not be damaged during long-distance transportation.
On June 10, Kai Tak Airport in Hong Kong was bustling with activity.
Despite the turbulent situation, international flights at the airport continued uninterrupted.
Lin Zhou and his group were all dressed in matching suits, while Su Wanqing wore a well-fitting white skirt suit, looking both capable and elegant.
Two engineers carried backpacks full of technical drawings and tools, while Zhao Jianjun and the other two took on different tasks, looking after suitcases of various sizes and exhibition equipment.
"Boss, everything has been inventoried and everything is fine," Wang Yong reported to Lin Zhou in a low voice.
Lin Zhou nodded, his gaze sweeping over the people around him: "This trip to New York is Zhonghua Home Appliances' first time going abroad, and its success or failure hinges on this. Everyone, relax and do your best."
Su Wanqing handed over a glass of water and added with a smile, "I've already contacted Mr. Thomas, and he'll pick us up at the New York airport."
The basic framework of the booth had already been set up in advance; all we needed to do upon arrival was set up the prototypes.
Engineer Wang pushed up his glasses, his voice tinged with excitement: "Boss, our air fryer is absolutely unique. Those deep fryers in the Western market are bulky and wasteful of oil. Our product will definitely impress them."
"Confidence is a good thing, but we can't be complacent." Lin Zhou patted him on the shoulder. "Western consumers have high requirements for product quality and safety. We need to be prepared to answer all kinds of questions, especially about technical details."
At 10:00 AM, the flight took off on time.
The plane slowly ascended, passing through the clouds, and the outline of Hong Kong gradually shrank until it disappeared from view.
Lin Zhou sat by the window, gazing at the azure sky and drifting white clouds outside, lost in thought.
He remembered that he had been in this world for almost a year, and that he had followed the Lou family to Hong Kong, where they acquired a newspaper and started a security company.
Although the security company is not profitable yet, it can absorb the profits internally once its business grows.
Starting from scratch, the factory faced numerous challenges, including funding shortages, technical difficulties, and employee skepticism. Now, it finally has the opportunity to step onto the international stage.
Only he himself knows the hardships he has endured along the way. But he has never regretted it, because he knows that only by daring to take risks and fight can he earn a place for himself in this era of change.
Su Wanqing sat down next to him. Seeing his serious expression, she thought he was worried about future sales, so she gently comforted him, "Lin Zhou, don't be too nervous. We've made such thorough preparations, there won't be any problems."
Lin Zhou snapped out of his reverie and smiled at her: "I'm not nervous, I'm just thinking that once the air fryer opens up the international market, we can expand our production scale and build factories on the remaining wasteland so that more people can use our own home appliances."
A glint of anticipation flashed in Su Wanqing's eyes: "I believe that day will come soon."
The plane flew for more than ten hours, crossing half the globe.
During this time, Lin Zhou and the engineers discussed the demonstration process for the exhibition again and determined the division of labor.
Lin Zhou and Lao Wang were responsible for explaining the technical principles, Xiao Li was responsible for on-site operation demonstrations, Su Wanqing was responsible for receiving customers and negotiating cooperation, and Zhao Jianjun and the other two took turns looking after the booth and equipment, while also ensuring the safety of everyone.