noveltune Chapter 61 The Initial Formation of the Industry
Chapter 61 The Initial Formation of the Industry
Time flies, and the days slipped away from the sweltering heat of midsummer to the cool breeze of late autumn. More than two months passed quietly between sunrise and sunset, and the calendar finally turned to November 1967.
Hong Kong, once shrouded in chaos, is now slowly shedding its gloom. The neon lights on the avenues are shining again, and the colorful lights reflect through the windows of the buildings, creating dappled light and shadow on the sea.
The tea restaurants along the street have returned to their usual bustling atmosphere. The crisp sounds of clinking cups and saucers, the shouts of waiters in Cantonese accents, and the fragrant aroma of tea and sweet pineapple buns wafting out of the shops attract passersby.
Cargo ships came and went at the docks, the roar of cranes echoed everywhere, and crates of goods were precisely hoisted ashore, restoring vitality to the once-stagnant trade routes. Even the shops on the street corners, which had been closed due to the chaos, gradually opened their doors. Shop owners wiped their windows, rearranged their dazzling array of goods, and wore long-lost smiles on their faces. Hong Kong, which had been silent for more than half a year, was like a lion awakening from its slumber, once again displaying its bustling and prosperous appearance.
Meanwhile, in the suburbs of Yuen Long, a different, bustling scene is unfolding.
Lin Zhou stood atop the makeshift project office building, gazing at the expansive land cleared by bulldozers, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. Just a few months ago, this was a barren wasteland; now, as construction progressed, reinforced concrete structures were rising at a visible pace, like a group of growing giants.
"Mr. Lin, look over here." A series of hurried footsteps came from behind. Zhou Jianhua, the manager of the construction company, walked up quickly, his face showing some fatigue but unable to hide his excitement. "The main steel structure of Factory Building No. 3 has been capped, and the foundation of Factory Building No. 4 has also been poured. The three dormitory buildings in the living area, the fastest one has already started to be capped."
Lin Zhou turned around and looked in the direction Zhou Jianhua was pointing. He saw that the blue steel roof tiles on the roof of Factory Building No. 3 in the distance had been laid, and several workers were standing on the scaffolding doing the final finishing work; the foundation of Factory Building No. 4 was wide and thick, and the exposed concrete surface still gleamed with a damp sheen; in the dormitory area of the living quarters, bricks were neatly stacked to one side, and workers were passing bricks and cement in pairs.
"The progress is faster than I expected." Lin Zhou nodded in satisfaction, his tone full of approval.
Zhou Jianhua gave a wry smile and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "The timeframe you gave us was really too tight. We had to complete the main structure of four factory buildings and six dormitory buildings in three months, and also build supporting infrastructure such as roads, water and electricity. At first, I really thought it was a pipe dream."
He paused, then continued, "There was no other way but to bring in a few trusted companies in the industry. We split up and worked separately to barely keep up with the schedule. But, as the saying goes, many hands make light work. With several companies working together, we've really made use of our connections and resources. You see, over there in the building materials storage area, H-beams, square steel, steel sheets pressed from blue sheet metal, steel bars, cement, and bricks are being delivered continuously without any shortage. As for the workers, in addition to local construction workers, we've also recruited a group of skilled workers from small Southeast Asian countries. Now there are more than 300 people on the construction site, working in three shifts, 24 hours a day."
Lin Zhou followed his gaze to the material storage area, where various building materials were neatly stacked according to their categories. Huge blue sheet metal rolls and bundles of steel bars were arranged in orderly rows, like small mountains of steel; cement bags were piled up tightly, covered with tarpaulins; and bricks were stacked into neat squares, looking like a red ocean from a distance. Trucks transporting building materials continued to drive into the construction site, their wheels rolling over the makeshift gravel road, raising clouds of dust that were quickly suppressed by the water mist sprayed from the sprinkler trucks.
"Thank you for your hard work, Manager Zhou." Lin Zhou patted Zhou Jianhua on the shoulder. "You don't need to worry about the funding. I've already had the finance department prepare the next batch of project funds. As long as the progress meets the targets, we can disburse the funds at any time."
"With Mr. Lin's words, we are even more motivated!" Zhou Jianhua's spirits lifted, and the fatigue on his face dissipated considerably. "Now the workers on the construction site are all full of energy. Everyone knows that this is a big project with a promising future after completion, and they are all thinking about doing a good job and striving to finish the project as soon as possible."
Lin Zhou nodded slightly, his gaze returning to the bustling construction site. The roar of machinery, the shouts of workers, and the clanging of building materials mingled together, creating a vibrant symphony of infrastructure development. He knew that what was about to rise on this land was not just a few factory buildings and dormitories, but also the foundation of his long-planned business.
Just then, Chen Feng, the purchasing manager of Zhonghua Home Appliances Factory, strode over, holding a telegram in his hand, his face beaming with joy: "Boss, a telegram from Europe says that the production lines you ordered have all been loaded onto the ship and are expected to arrive at the Hong Kong port by the middle of next month."
"Very good." Lin Zhou took the telegram, quickly glanced through it, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips. He had specially ordered this production line from Germany. Each production line covered all the processes of air fryer production, including stamping, injection molding, assembly, and testing, and its technology was top-notch at the moment. With these production lines, plus the supporting upstream and downstream industries, his air fryer factory could quickly start production and seize the market opportunity.
Speaking of upstream and downstream industries, Lin Zhou hasn't been idle lately. In order to achieve self-sufficiency in air fryer production and reduce costs, he has successively acquired several related factories, including a small fan factory, a plastics factory, a wire and cable factory, and a small hardware factory.
"Manager Zhou," Lin Zhou turned to Zhou Jianhua and said, "The equipment and personnel of the factories I acquired will be able to move here around the beginning of next month. I will need your cooperation to set up their factory buildings and warehouses on the east side of the industrial park."
"No problem, Mr. Lin," Zhou Jianhua replied immediately. "The ground in the factory building on the east side has been paved, and the water and electricity connections have been reserved. As soon as the equipment arrives, it can be installed and tested at any time."
Lin Zhou nodded, his vision becoming increasingly clear. The fan factory's small, high-temperature resistant fans could be used directly as core components of the air fryer; the plastics factory could provide shells and inner pots of various specifications; the wire and cable factory ensured the product's electrical safety; and the hardware factory was responsible for producing metal accessories such as brackets and clips. After these factories relocated, they would form a complete industrial chain with the main plant, achieving one-stop production from raw material processing to finished product assembly. This would not only greatly improve production efficiency but also effectively control product quality.
"By the way, we also need to expedite the construction of the living area's supporting facilities," Lin Zhou added. "The workers' dormitories should be equipped with independent bathrooms and balconies, the canteen should be completed at the same time as the dormitory building, and a small medical room and recreation room should also be built so that the workers can work with peace of mind and live comfortably."
"Don't worry, all of this is in the planning stages," Zhou Jianhua quickly replied. "The main structure of the canteen is complete, and interior decoration is underway. It is expected to be put into use next month. Construction has also begun on the infirmary and recreation room, and we are striving to complete them at the same time as the dormitory building."
Lin Zhou smiled with satisfaction and turned his gaze back to the vibrant construction site. The distant green mountains stretched endlessly, while nearby factory buildings rose from the ground, and the busy figures of workers moved about in the sunlight, creating a vivid picture of hard work and dedication.
He recalled that a few months earlier, when he proposed building an industrial park in Yuen Long to produce air fryers, many people expressed doubts, believing that investing heavily in infrastructure at this time was too risky. But Lin Zhou had his own judgment. He knew that the chaos in Hong Kong was only temporary, and as the situation gradually calmed down, the economy would inevitably recover rapidly. People's demand for convenient and efficient home appliances would also increase, and air fryers, as a new type of kitchen appliance, had broad market prospects.
Now, the situation is developing as he predicted. The construction of the industrial park is progressing smoothly, the production lines are about to arrive, and the upstream and downstream industries have been integrated. Everything is ready except for the final push.