Chapter 43 Using a Chicken to Lay Eggs

He crouched down, picked up a piece of broken brick, and scratched a few lines on the cement floor.

"Where will the plastic pellets come from? Most are on the coast."

"How much is the shipping cost per ton to the Northwest?"

"Three thousand kilometers of railway, and we'd have to beg everyone just to get freight cars approved."

"Once the fans are made, how big is the volume of the finished product?"

"How many can fit in one train car?"

"And then transport them back from the Northwest to Guangzhou Port for export."

"With all that back-and-forth, the few dollars we earn will be completely consumed by travel costs."

Sun Erga was stunned.

He only saw the money; he didn't see the logistics.

"Then... what should we do?"

Sun Erga was anxious.

"If we accept the order and don't produce, isn't that fraud? We'll go to jail!"

"Who said we aren't producing?"

Lin Xi stood up, threw away the brick, and cast his gaze toward the distant northeast.

"We just aren't producing them at home. This is called borrowing a chicken to lay eggs."

"Erga, your task now is to return to the base immediately."

Lin Xi's tone became serious.

"Take the news back."

"Go find my master, have him find Director Wang, and find Elder Qian."

"No matter who you find, you must get this set of steel molds machined for me within 10 days."

"Aluminum molds can only last a thousand times; we need to mass-produce 100,000 units, so we must use steel molds."

"This kind of high-precision work requires the veteran masters from our Aerospace City."

"Then what about you?" Sun Erga asked.

"I am going to Shanghai." Lin Xi patted the dust off his clothes.

"That's where the best injection molding machines in the whole country are, along with the most ready-to-use assembly lines."

"I'm going there to find a partner for our 'Red Star'."

Sun Erga nodded, half-understanding.

But he remembered one thing: the manager was about to make a big move again.

...

Two days later, Shanghai.

The largest metropolis on the coast of China, and also the country's economic and industrial center.

Lin Xi was accompanied by a young man named Wang Weidong, a junior officer from the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry's Shanghai office.

The commotion Lin Xi caused at the Canton Fair this time was too great.

To ensure no problems with future deliveries, the Ministry specifically assigned Xiao Wang to assist Lin Xi.

"Manager Lin, are we really going to Huashang Factory?"

Wang Weidong looked at the slip of paper with the address on it, feeling a bit intimidated.

Huashang Factory

Founded in 1916, it was born to revitalize domestic goods.

It is the absolute leader in China's electric fan industry!

To buy a Huashang fan, you didn't just need money; you also needed a fan ration coupon.

In the eyes of the common people, having a Huashang desk fan at home was equivalent to having a Mercedes-Benz parked in your house today!

Wang Weidong continued:

"We are from the military sector, they are from the civilian sector; they might not give us the time of day."

"Whether they give us the time of day depends on interests, not rank." Lin Xi said calmly.

...

Huashang Factory.

Because of the letter of introduction from Director Wang Bin, plus the nameplate of the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry.

They met with the deputy factory director in charge of production at Huashang Factory, Xue Jianhua.

The office was large, with red-painted wooden floors, and a banner hanging on the wall that read "Grasp Revolution, Promote Production."

Xue Jianhua was in his fifties, his hair combed meticulously, and he was holding an enamel tea mug, blowing away the tea leaves.

After the secretary poured water.

Lin Xi explained the purpose of his visit —

He hoped to entrust Huashang Factory to OEM produce 24,000 plastic fans.

"OEM?" Xue Jianhua put down the tea mug, making a crisp "clang" sound.

He picked up the piece of ABS plastic fan blade that Lin Xi brought with two fingers, held it up to the light to look at it, and a sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Little comrade, you folks from the Northwest might not quite understand the situation."

Xue Jianhua said unhurriedly,

"Huashang Factory has been established for over sixty years, and we have never made this kind of... toy."

"This is high-strength engineering plastic."

Lin Xi corrected him, "It is also the future trend."

"What trend?"

"The trend of cutting corners?"

Xue Jianhua sneered,

"A fan needs to be heavy and stable!"

"An all-cast iron base, an all-steel mesh cover—that's what you call an industrial product!"

"This flimsy thing of yours would blow away with a gust of wind. Who would buy it?"

"Selling to the people of the Lighthouse Country."

Lin Xi said calmly, "Sears Department Store, the first order is 10,000 units."

"At this Canton Fair, a total of 24,000 units were ordered."

Hearing the words "people of the Lighthouse Country," Xue Jianhua's eyelids twitched.

In this era, earning foreign exchange through exports was a massive political achievement.

He finally looked at Lin Xi properly and tapped his fingers on the desk a few times.

"Since there is a foreign trade order, in principle, we should support it."

Xue Jianhua's tone softened slightly, but then his tone shifted,

"However, Huashang's production lines are very busy."

"Stopping our all-steel production line for your plastic toy would be a huge loss."

Lin Xi didn't speak, quietly waiting for what he had to say next.

"How about this."

Xue Jianhua opened the drawer and took out a document,

"For the sake of the Seventh Ministry of Machine Building Industry and Wang Bin, we at Huashang can take over this project."

"But let's forget about OEM; it doesn't sound good if it gets out."

"We will buy your design plan directly."

"We want these blueprints."

"Subsequent production and export will carry the Huashang brand."

"As for you all..."

Xue Jianhua held up one finger:

"We'll give you a design fee of one thousand US dollars."

"Consider it hard-earned money for your base."

Wang Weidong, standing to the side, turned bright red, his fists clenched tight.

One thousand US dollars?

This was clearly a big order with a 90,000 deposit and a total value of hundreds of thousands!

This wasn't an acquisition; this was daylight robbery!

They wanted to swallow Red Star whole, bones and all, and still make you say thank you!

"Does Factory Director Xue think we are beggars?"

There was not a trace of anger on Lin Xi's face; there was even a hint of a smile.

"Little comrade, don't use such harsh words."

Xue Jianhua picked up his tea mug again, his gaze condescending,

"The organization is helping you."

"A small Service Center like yours has neither production lines nor skilled workers."

"Holding such a large foreign exchange order is like a child carrying gold through a busy market—it's asking for trouble."

"Handing it over to us at Huashang is what's responsible to the state."

"Without us at Huashang, you won't even be able to buy a single screw that meets national standards in this territory."

This was already a naked threat.

As an industry hegemon, Huashang indeed had the power to shut down a small workshop.

Wang Weidong was so anxious he kicked Lin Xi's shoe under the table.

Signaling him to yield quickly, or at least try to get more money, and not to burn bridges.

But Lin Xi gently pushed Wang Weidong's foot away.

He stood up, elegantly retrieved the fan blade from the table, and put it in his pocket.

"Factory Director Xue, I don't know if I should say this or not."

Xue Jianhua snorted.

"You look exactly like those Eight Banners descendants at the end of the Qing Dynasty, clutching their broadswords and spears, mocking foreign guns and cannons for lacking 'feel'."

Lin Xi's voice was not loud, but it even echoed in the empty office.

"You!"

Xue Jianhua stood up abruptly, "You are insolent!"