Siheyuan's Journey Through the Ages

Chapter 166 The results of different choices

Henry Vincent changed his situation in the company because of an unexpected choice, while Doug Williams changed the trajectory of his life.

Doug Williams is a real American. His family is also engaged in trading business. When he came to Hong Kong at the age of 20, he was deeply attracted by the Pearl of the Orient.

Doug Williams discovered the sticky notes at the cash register of a supermarket chain called Baixin. As a veteran in the office, when he saw the sticky notes next to the cash register, he felt that this product would become a popular gadget around the world.

Originally, Doug Williams was going to imitate the product, but he found the patent number on the packaging. He felt regretful and had to give up the idea. However, Doug Williams' keen business sense made him want to become the agent of this product, which allowed him to find the location of Zhilian Paper based on the factory address on the packaging.

As a white foreigner, Doug Williams still enjoyed his racial dividend in Hong Kong in this era. The director of Zhilian Paper Industry actually sent someone to send this foreigner to Ma Qing.

"What, you want to be the agent for the sales of Post-it Notes in the United States and Canada? Oh, my friend, you are too late. This is impossible." Ma Qing, wearing work clothes and a plastic safety helmet, answered Doug Williams while watching the workers setting up the production line in the high temperature of July.

Doug Williams was very disappointed. When he was about to fight for it, Ma Qing shouted, "Xie Liaosha, I leave this to you. I will accompany the client around."

Ma Qing smiled and pulled Doug Williams towards the product room of Jufeng Plastic Products Company. Yes, the plastic products company owned by Ma Qing had resumed production.

"Boss, what are you doing..." Li Yuanqing looked at Ma Qing who walked into the product room with a foreigner.

Li Yuanqing is the general manager of Jufeng Plastic Products Company, who was carefully selected by Ma Qing. He has experience in managing large foreign companies. After encountering the ceiling of his career, he resigned in anger and returned to Hong Kong.

"Mr. Li, you go ahead and do your thing. This is a potential customer of our company. I'll take him to the product room to have a look." Ma Qing explained to his factory manager, and said to Doug Williams, "Mr. Williams, there is really no way out of the Post-it Notes issue. Our global agents are all in place, so we can't cooperate with you anymore. But since you are here, why don't you take a look at other products?"

Doug Williams saw many plastic tables in the product room of the so-called Kyoho Plastics. The platforms should be equipped with light tubes. The entire tables were glowing. There were some things placed on four of the tables.

Doug Williams walked forward and found a plastic stool on the first platform. It looked good, more beautiful and sturdy than the ordinary plastic stools he had seen so far.

There is also a stool on the second platform, but it is obviously a children's stool, which looks good.

On the third table is a pile of children's patchwork crawling mats. The color combination is very warm, but that's all.

On the fourth table was a transparent box, Doug Williams had not yet discovered its purpose. Ma Qing stood aside and introduced it in detail, "Look at this, a one-piece plastic stool. We use the plastic raw materials produced by Formosa Plastics, improved the formula, one-piece molding, scientific structural design, and can withstand 200 kilograms of pressure. The most important thing is, my friend, a stool costs only $2. Just think about it, how much do your cheap restaurants, cheap pubs, and cheap hotels in the United States need."

Ma Qing talked at the side. In fact, plastic was not a cheap material at the beginning. However, with the rapid rise and development of Formosa Plastics Group in East Asia, plastic materials became cheaper and cheaper, and the quality became better and better.

Ma Qing decided to make a big splash in this material, but unfortunately Formosa Plastics had already developed by then, and entering the raw materials industry had basically lost the first-mover advantage. Instead, he had to face this giant, Formosa Plastics, which was a thankless task. So he decided to move into the finished product industry.

"…This modular storage box is our company's patented product. We estimate that hundreds of millions of households around the world will use it, and it will have huge market potential."

The drawer-type storage box was actually invented in Japan in 1986. Ma Qing launched this product early. Anyway, it does not have much technical content: "The key is that all of our products are designed to be stackable, which further reduces logistics costs. How about it, Mr. Williams, are you interested in becoming our agent?"

Doug Williams originally came to seek the agency rights for Post-it Notes, but he didn't expect Ma Qing to sell him these plastic products. However, with his business acumen as a trader, he knew that the market potential of these products was definitely huge enough.

"These products are pretty good. What are the requirements if I want to get the North American agency rights?" Doug Williams asked, hoping that he could obtain the agency rights at a very low cost.

"Conditions, we'll talk about the conditions later." Ma Qing answered as he took an invitation letter from the staff beside him and handed it to Doug Williams. "Mr. Williams, I now formally invite you to attend the global product launch to be held in the banquet hall of the Peninsula Hotel in two weeks. At that time, we will seek global partners in the form of bidding."

Doug Williams took the invitation letter and heard what Ma Qing said. He thought to himself that this was not good. If he did this, everyone would have to fight to the death. The price he would pay would probably be high.

"Mr. Ma, could you please just tell me your agency conditions? I am very sincere." Doug Williams is a smart man. He does not want to compete with other trading companies in bidding, as the situation would become uncontrollable.

Ma Qing shook his head and did not comment on the American's request. In order to hold this global product launch conference, Ma Qing had set aside a full budget of 50 Hong Kong dollars. It cost 20 Hong Kong dollars just to find a public relations company to send out invitations. How could he agree to Doug Williams' request?

"Mr. Williams, if you are really interested in our company's products, please attend our product launch conference on time in two weeks." Ma Qing's tone became colder. It was obvious that this matter was not negotiable. The four products that Jufeng Plastic Products Company brought out this time were very competitive in the global market in terms of both price and quality.

"Well, I will definitely participate in this bidding, and I must obtain the North American agency rights." Doug Williams vowed.

(End of this chapter)