Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 109 The Fierce Dragon Crosses the River (Seeking monthly votes and recommendations to continue reading)
Three days later, in Chen Bingwen's office on the top floor of the Weiye Building.

Cheng Long was somewhat excited to see Chen Bingwen again.

"Chen Sheng, thank you for letting Brother Sheng bring me out!"
Boss Luo is keeping a close eye on things.

Chen Bingwen poured a glass of water and pushed it in front of him: "Ah Long, I've read the newspaper. Luo Wei's methods were as expected."

He spoke calmly, as if discussing the weather, “You don’t need to worry about your contract with his agent.”

Attorney Gu has taken over the case and will handle it according to legal procedures.

Luo Wei's attempt to use public opinion to pressure you won't amount to much.

Cheng Long picked up his water glass but didn't drink it, his brows furrowed: "Mr. Chen, I... I'm afraid of implicating you."

Boss Luo is a man of many tricks, I'm afraid of him.

"What's there to be afraid of?" Chen Bingwen scoffed. "Playing dirty tricks?"

He stared at Cheng Long and said, "Ah Long, remember this, we live in a society governed by the rule of law."

If Luo Wei dares to harbor any wicked thoughts, he is digging his own grave.

If he dares to reach out, I dare to chop it off!

Chen Bingwen didn't say everything clearly, but Cheng Long still picked up on something from his tone.

On the way here, although Brother Sheng didn't say much, his calm and reserved demeanor, as well as the look and movements of the guy driving, were definitely not those of an ordinary driver.

He worked his way up in opera troupes and martial arts circles, and met many people with a strong sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

Brother Sheng's aura, which is both imposing and well-controlled, is more intimidating than those loud and boisterous gangsters.

So there was such a powerful force behind Chen Sheng?

Looking at Cheng Long's expression, Chen Bingwen smiled and said, "Ah Long, don't worry."

Then, he changed the subject, "However, given the current situation, it's really not a good idea for you to stay on Hong Kong Island, where you'll be besieged by reporters and watched by Lo Wei's men every day."

"Perfect timing! Director Ling is about to go to Singapore. Jinba (now called 'Pulse') is launching a new product there and needs someone to promote it."

He paused, then looked at Cheng Long: "Ah Long, go to Singapore to lay low for a while."

Filming a new commercial with Director Ling.

There are many Chinese people there. If you go, you can stay away from trouble, help promote the new product, and also give "Drunken Master" advance publicity.

Jackie Chan's eyes lit up: "Singapore? To shoot a new commercial?"

Chen Bingwen smiled and nodded: "Yes."

The new product is called 'Pulse', and the packaging and flavor have been completely changed.

The feedback from the Singapore market has been very positive, and they are just missing a high-profile spokesperson.

You will go there to assist Director Ling with promotional activities; your compensation will be calculated according to the contract.

Chen Bingwen looked at Cheng Long: "Ah Long, Singapore is a springboard."

If you make "Pulse" a hit over there, its influence will extend beyond Hong Kong Island.

Luo Wei's hand can't reach that far.

Once this lawsuit is settled, when you come back, your status and influence will be completely different.

Cheng Long took a deep breath and nodded emphatically: "Mr. Chen, I'll listen to you!"

Chen Bingwen smiled and nodded, then picked up the internal phone: "Director Ling, please make arrangements for Mr. Cheng Long to fly to Singapore with you to cooperate with the 'Pulse' launch promotion."

The itinerary must be kept confidential; security will be handled by someone arranged by Brother Sheng.

Ling Peiyi paused for a moment on the other end of the phone, then immediately understood: "Understood! Mr. Chen!"

I've already made all the arrangements in Singapore; we're just waiting for the pulse to be finalized so we can start anytime.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Bingwen looked at Cheng Long: "Ah Long, go back and get ready."

Sheng-ge will pick you up early tomorrow morning.

Once in Singapore, I settled into my work and cooperated with Director Ling.

Don't worry about anything else.

"Yes, Mr. Chen!" Cheng Long stood up and readily agreed.

After Cheng Long left, Chen Bingwen dialed the R&D center again and asked, "Professor Zhou, has the 'Pulse' formula been adjusted?"

"Chen Sheng, it's just finished!" Zhou Zhiyuan's voice was filled with excitement. "The sweetness has been increased to 8 grams per 100 milliliters, with a complex tropical fruit flavor, and the menthol content has been reduced to 0.015%, resulting in a refreshing and smooth taste."

The blind test pass rate is 98%, far exceeding the old version of Jinba!

"Great!" Chen Bingwen said happily, "Produce blind test samples immediately, and Director Ling will take them to Singapore tomorrow to organize large-scale blind testing!"

"Understood, Mr. Chen! I'll get right on it!" Zhou Zhiyuan replied.

The next day, Singapore, Changi Airport.

The plane from Hong Kong Island landed smoothly.

Lin Wenxiong personally greeted them at the exit of the passage.

"Director Ling! Mr. Cheng Long! Welcome, welcome!" Lin Wenxiong stepped forward warmly to shake hands.

"Mr. Lin, you're too kind," Ling Peiyi said with a smile. "I've brought the samples, and the blind testing can begin immediately."

"Good! Good!" Lin Wenxiong replied repeatedly, "The venue, personnel, and equipment are all ready!"

Let's go straight to the scene!

The group did not linger and went directly to a large shopping mall in the city center.

The activity area on the top floor of the shopping mall has been temporarily set up as a large blind test venue.

Ten long tables were neatly arranged, with several consumers of different ages, genders, and professions sitting at each table.

On the table were uniform, unlabeled paper cups and a rating sheet.

At the entrance of the venue, several staff members were pouring samples of the "Pulse" blind test into cups.

"Director Ling, Mr. Cheng Long, this way please." Lin Wenxiong led them to the waiting room next to the venue.

“These two hundred consumers were all randomly recruited,” Lin Wenxiong explained, “and they cover different age groups and consumer groups.”

Each person will taste three different numbered drinks and then rate them based on five dimensions: taste, sweetness, flavor, thirst quenching, and willingness to buy.

The entire process will be conducted anonymously to ensure objectivity.

Ling Peiyi nodded: "Very good, thank you for your trouble, Mr. Lin."

Inside the venue, staff began distributing three paper cups containing beverages with different numbers to each consumer.

Consumers curiously picked up the cups, took small sips, and then carefully ticked off the ratings on the form.

The atmosphere inside the waiting room was somewhat tense.

Lin Wenxiong rubbed his hands together, glancing at his watch every now and then.

Ling Peiyi, Li Ming, and others stood by the window, watching the consumers' reactions to the blind test.

As Cheng Long watched the consumers' expressions—some frowning, some nodding, some thoughtful—his heart also tightened.

This was his first time participating in such a large-scale blind product test, and he was very curious about everything in front of him.

Time passed by minute by minute.

Half an hour later, the last batch of consumers submitted their rating forms. The staff began to busily collect and sort them.

Half an hour later, a staff member walked briskly into the observation room with a preliminary statistical report in hand.

"Mr. Lin, Director Ling, the preliminary statistics are in!"

Lin Wenxiong snatched the report and eagerly flipped through it.

Ling Peiyi and Li Ming also joined in.

The numbers in the report immediately catch the eye:

Overall acceptance rate: 97%
Taste satisfaction: 95%
Flavor preference: 96%
Thirst quenching effect: 98%
Purchase intention: 94%
"Great! That's fantastic!" Li Ming clapped his hands excitedly. "Overall acceptance rate is 97%! Even higher than the blind test in Hong Kong!"

Ling Peiyi also showed a relieved smile: "What about consumer reviews?"

The staff flipped to the next few pages: "Negative reviews are extremely rare, mainly concentrated on a few consumers who felt that it was 'a little too sweet' or 'the mint flavor would be better if it were a little less strong,' accounting for less than 3%."

Ling Peiyi looked at Lin Wenxiong and smiled, "Mr. Lin, it seems that Singaporean consumers really like 'Pulse'!"

Lin Wenxiong smiled, finally relieved: "It's because of Chen's recipe that it's so good!"

A week later, at the Pasir Panjang cargo terminal in Singapore.

A cargo ship from Hong Kong slowly docked.

The container bearing the "Chen Ji Foods" logo was steadily unloaded by a crane.

Lin Wenxiong and his men were already waiting in the customs inspection area. He rubbed his hands together, unable to hide his excitement.

The customs documents were completed three days in advance, and the customs clearance process was exceptionally smooth.

"Open the box! Inspect the goods!" Lin Wenxiong gave the order.

The container door opened, revealing neatly stacked cardboard boxes.

The light blue "Pulse" lettering is particularly eye-catching.

"One case, two cases, all arrived! One hundred thousand bottles!" The subordinate reported loudly after counting.

"Good!" Lin Wenxiong waved his hand. "Load them onto the trucks! Distribute them to the three major warehousing centers!"
Notify all distributors that the goods will arrive on time this afternoon!

Throughout the morning, ten vans bearing the logo of "Nanhua Trading" crisscrossed the streets and alleys of Singapore.

In supermarkets, convenience stores, and small shops, boxes of "Pulse" were quickly unloaded.

By noon, more than 50% of the sales points across the island had placed the light blue "Pulse" beverage in the most prominent position in their freezers.

Five p.m.

A vibrant scene suddenly appeared during a commercial break on Singaporean television:

Under the sunlight, Jackie Chan, dressed in sportswear, ran with a bright smile.

After a nimble somersault, he landed steadily, picked up a bottle of "Pulse" from the side, and took a big, satisfying gulp.

"After finishing my kung fu routine, I'll have a bottle of Gatorade!"

Instantly snapping back to reality, I'm full of energy again!

Jackie Chan addressed the camera in his infectious Mandarin with a Cantonese accent, saying, "I am Jackie Chan, this is my choice!"

The 15-second commercial is fast-paced, with vibrant colors, perfectly combining Jackie Chan's personal charisma with the product's features.

At the end of the advertisement, the "Pulse" logo and the words "Endorsed by Jackie Chan" are particularly eye-catching.

The advertisement was played every hour that evening, and was available on English, Mandarin, and Malay channels.

The advertising had an immediate effect.

In a small shop in Chinatown, several young people are buying drinks.

"Look! It's Jackie Chan!" a young man shouted, pointing at the television in the store.

An advertisement for "Pulse" is playing on TV.

"Wow! The drink he endorses? This one?" Another young man immediately walked to the freezer, picked up a light blue bottle of "Pulse," and asked, "Boss, how much is this?"

"One yuan and eighty cents!" the shopkeeper replied with a smile. "It's endorsed by Jackie Chan, and it just arrived today!"

"Two bottles, please!" The young man pulled out his money without hesitation.

Similar scenes were playing out simultaneously across the island.

Inside the supermarket at Orchard Road department store, housewives pushed shopping carts, curiously placing "Pulse" into their carts.

"Even Jackie Chan drinks this, it must be good, right?"

At a convenience store in the Jurong Industrial Estate, workers who had just finished get off work crowded in front of the freezer.

"Give me a bottle of Gatorade! Try the one Jackie Chan recommended!"

The celebrity effect brought by advertising and the rapid distribution of products through various channels have increased the brand awareness of "Pulse".

But what truly allowed it to quickly gain a foothold and build a reputation in the Singapore market was the superior functionality of its products.

Jurong Industrial Estate, dock warehouse.

The foreman, Amin, and his fellow workers had just finished unloading a ship's cargo. They were all drenched in sweat and slumped in the shade to rest, feeling completely exhausted.

The convenience store owner, Ah Cai, walked over carrying an ice bucket filled with chilled "Pulse" beer.

"Hey guys, try the new product, the one Jackie Chan endorses!"

Amin picked up a bottle; it was ice-cold to the touch. He looked at it and asked, "Pulse? What does it taste like?"

"Try it, it'll refresh you and quench your thirst!" Ah Cai said with a smile.

Several coworkers each grabbed a bottle and gulped it down.

Amin took a big gulp, and the rich, complex fruity aroma instantly filled his mouth. The sweetness was just right, and a cool sensation slid straight down his throat, instantly reducing the heat and fatigue he felt.

"Hey! This tastes pretty good!" one of the workers smacked his lips. "Sweet enough, but not cloying!"

A few minutes later, Amin was surprised to find that the feeling of exhaustion he had just experienced had dissipated considerably, and a surge of energy had returned to his body. Unlike drinking sugar water, which only temporarily quenched his thirst, he felt as if he had "recovered" from fatigue.

"This drink is a bit weird," he said to his coworkers, shaking the bottle. "I feel...less?"

"Yeah, I feel a bit more energetic too!" Another young coworker stretched his shoulders. "Unlike drinking soda, which only makes you thirstier."

Amin stood up: "Okay, this thing is pretty good."

Ah Cai, from now on, when our group has a day off, we'll buy this!

Changi Airport cargo area, 2 a.m.

Truck driver Chen Bogang finished unloading a load of goods and rubbed his temples wearily.

He glanced around the freezer at the airport convenience store, instinctively reaching for a bottle of water, but his gaze fell on the row of light blue bottles and the Pulse advertisement featuring Jackie Chan posted next to them.

"Energize? Combat fatigue? This looks good, I'll give it a try!" he muttered, grabbing a bottle of "Pulse".

After a few sips of the chilled beverage, a subtle fruity aroma spread from my throat, with a moderate sweetness and refreshing fruity fragrance.

More importantly, after about ten minutes, my heavy mind seemed to clear up considerably, and the dryness in my eyes caused by continuous driving was also relieved.

"Huh?" Uncle Chen looked at the bottle with some surprise. "It seems to have a pretty good energizing effect? ​​My heart isn't racing as much, but my energy has definitely returned."

The next morning, when he handed over his shift, he said to his partner, Lao Li, "Lao Li, try that 'Pulse' drink. It's very effective at energizing you and doesn't upset your stomach."

(End of this chapter)