Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 132 Envy (First update of 10,000 words per day, please vote with monthly tickets and recommendations, and please continue reading)
After getting off work, Koji Yamada habitually went into the 7-Eleven convenience store downstairs in his apartment building.

The icy blue color and the concept of "scientific hydration" from last night's TV broadcast were still lingering in his mind.

He walked straight to the refrigerator, his eyes sweeping over the familiar Lipovitan brown bottles, various coffees, and juices.

No.

He looked at it carefully again, even squatting down to inspect the bottom shelf.

That icy blue hue is still missing.

"Manager, do you have 'Pulse'?"

Yamada couldn't help but ask the store manager behind the cashier.

The store manager, a middle-aged man, paused for a moment upon hearing this, then shook his head: "'Pulse'? Sorry, we don't have it in stock at the moment."

Is it a new brand?

Yamada was a little disappointed and explained, "It's that blue bottle from the TV commercial last night, the one that says you need to hydrate after exercise."

"Oh! That one!" The store manager seemed to remember. "I saw the advertisement; it was very unique."

"But we haven't received the goods yet, maybe in a few days?" He said uncertainly.

Yamada nodded, looking slightly resigned, and bought a bottle of juice before leaving.

My curiosity and anticipation were dashed, but instead it felt like being gently tickled by a feather, a little itchy.

A 7-Eleven convenience store in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.

Housewife Mie Sato stood in front of the freezer, her eyes carefully scanning the rows of drinks.

The small brown bottles of Lipovitan, juice, and cola were all there, but the icy blue one I saw on TV last night was nowhere to be seen.

"Excuse me," she politely asked the clerk, "Do you have 'Pulse'? You know, the new blue drink."

The sales clerk paused for a moment, then shook his head: "I'm sorry, ma'am. We haven't received this new product yet. Are you referring to the new packaging for Lipovitan?"

“It’s not Lipovitan,” Mei Hui explained, somewhat disappointed, “it’s ‘Pulse,’ the one that was on TV last night, the kind with very scientific ingredients.”

"Oh, that one!" The shop assistant seemed to remember. "I heard it's going to be released soon, but our store hasn't received it yet."

You can come back in a couple of days.

Meihui thanked them and walked out of the convenience store, feeling a little empty inside.

Her husband was going to work late again tonight, and she wanted to buy him a bottle of "Pulse" to help relieve his fatigue. The advertisements made it sound so scientific, and Professor Tanaka even recommended a drink based on a similar principle, but she couldn't find it anywhere.

This feeling of "knowing there's something good but not being able to get it" tickled her heart like a kitten, making her even more eager to try.

Similar scenes played out repeatedly in the streets and alleys of Tokyo, Osaka, and Nagoya over the next few days.

The precise targeting of advertisements and the professional endorsement of science videos successfully planted the seeds of "cognition" and "curiosity" among the target audience.

However, when consumers arrive at the store with high expectations, they are greeted with the reply "This product is not currently available."

This gap between "cognition and availability" has not dampened enthusiasm; on the contrary, it is quietly fermenting.

"The harder it is to buy, the more I want to try it."

"They advertise so heavily, why don't they have it in the store?"

"Is it too popular? It seems really good."

A subtle sense of "hunger" and "scarcity" arises in the minds of potential consumers.

The labels in the advertisements such as "scientific ingredients," "gentle and refreshing," and "light and burden-free" are given a higher sense of value and anticipation because they are temporarily unattainable.

Hunger is the best appetizer.

Chen Bingwen was well aware of this.

He deliberately launched the advertising campaign before the large-scale distribution, in order to take advantage of this time difference and let the name and concept of "Pulse" take root in consumers' minds first, so as to maximize their expectations.

On the afternoon of the same day the supplementary agreement with Suntory was signed, Chen Bingwen, along with Ling Peiyi, Li Ming, and Zhao Gang, went straight to Suntory's main bottling plant in Shizuoka.

The factory gates were heavily guarded.

After showing their special passes, the group was allowed to enter.

Inside the huge factory, a faint sweet fragrance filled the air.

Several high-speed filling lines are operating at full speed.

One of the lines had just been switched on and was being filled with a light blue liquid.

"Mr. Chen, Ms. Ling, please look this way." The factory manager in charge of the liaison, Nakajima, led them to the production line specifically for filling pulses.

This is a previously idle carbonated beverage line. The equipment looks well-maintained, but it was clearly designed for carbonated drinks.

At this moment, the production line is in the debugging stage, and several technicians are busy around the core mixing tank and filling head.

“This is the line,” Nakajima explained. “As required by the agreement, we selected this idle line for modification to bottle ‘Pulse’ energy drinks.”

It was originally intended for the production of low-sugar carbonated beverages, and its basic requirements meet those for non-carbonated beverage bottling.

Chen Bingwen's gaze swept over the equipment, focusing on the distribution area.

Several large stainless steel mixing tanks have been connected to pipes, and next to them are several barrels of raw materials that have just been airlifted from Hong Kong Island and are marked with "Pulsating Instant Concentrated Powder".

"Has the concentrated powder arrived?" Chen Bingwen asked.

“Yes, Mr. Chen,” Nakajima nodded, “We arrived yesterday afternoon and have already completed customs clearance and factory inspection.”

Our technical team is currently debugging the concentrated powder dissolution, mixing, and quantitative addition system based on the process parameters provided by you.” At this moment, Zhong Qiang walked over quickly with two of Chenji’s key technical personnel.

They arrived a day earlier than Chen Bingwen and have been supervising the renovation and debugging on-site ever since.

"Boss, Director Ling," Zhong Qiang greeted, then reported, "The solubility test of the concentrated powder has been completed. The dissolution speed and effect at the set water temperature meet expectations."

We are currently testing the automatic metering and adding system to ensure a precise and stable mixing ratio of concentrated powder, purified water, and syrup.

He pointed to a newly installed precision metering pump and control panel next to the mixing tank: "We installed this system to precisely control the injection volume of the concentrated powder solution."

Chen Bingwen approached the mixing tank and watched as the technician poured a bag of concentrated powder into a specially designed premixing tank and added purified water at the set temperature.

The high-speed stirrer is started, and the powder dissolves rapidly, forming a uniform light blue concentrate.

Subsequently, the concentrate is precisely pumped into the main mixing tank via a metering pump, where it is mixed and diluted with treated purified water.

The group then went to the bottling area.

The original carbonation equipment has been removed, and the filling valves have been replaced with aseptic cold filling valves suitable for non-carbonated beverages.

Technicians are testing filling accuracy and capping effect.

On the production line, 250ml PET bottles are neatly lined up. After rinsing, filling, capping, coding, labeling, and packing, the whole process is smooth and highly automated.

“This production line was specially tuned for ‘Pulse’, and its current capacity is 600 bottles per minute.”

Nakajima proudly stated, "We prioritize production capacity in accordance with the agreement."

The first batch of 50 bottles will be filled within 36 hours and distributed to core warehouses in the three major metropolitan areas via our regional logistics centers.

Chen Bingwen nodded but did not reply.

It must be said that Suntory, as the leader in the Japanese beverage industry, has a foundation and strength far exceeding that of Chen Ji.

This high-speed production line in front of us has a throughput of 600 bottles per minute, which means that the daily production capacity of a single line is nearly one million bottles!
And this is just one of Suntory's many production lines, or even a line that was previously idle and temporarily put into use.

The production capacity reserves and capital reserves represented by this made Chen Bingwen drool with envy.

All of Chen Ji's factories combined currently have a daily production capacity of only a few hundred thousand bottles.

Suntory's single idle production line is enough to crush Chen Kee's current total output!

His gaze swept over the massive factory buildings, sophisticated equipment, well-trained workers, and efficient logistics system.

All of this silently tells us one thing: in this field, Chenji is just a newcomer.

Even giants like Suntory of Japan possess a scale, efficiency, and resources that Chen Kee cannot match in the short term.

Not to mention truly world-class beverage giants like Coca-Cola and Pepsi.
Their global production networks, supply chain depth, and brand dominance are probably unimaginable behemoths.

A strong desire rose in Chen Bingwen's heart.

"Sooner or later, Chen's will also reach this scale, or even surpass it!"

This idea, like a seed, took deep root in his mind.

The gap we face is not a source of pressure, but rather a source of motivation.

He not only wants to use Suntory's channels to open up the Japanese market, but also wants to learn, absorb, and grow in the process.

One day, Chenji will build an industrial empire that is no less than, and may even surpass, these giants, by relying on its core technologies, innovative products and global layout!
He took a deep breath, suppressed his thoughts, and his gaze returned to calm.

While we may feel envious, we must take things one step at a time.

Right now, the most important thing is to make good use of Suntory as a "big ship" and successfully bring "Pulse" to the shoreline of the Japanese market.

He picked up a sample bottle that had just come off the production line and carefully inspected the printing on the bottle, the tightness of the seal, and the production date inkjet printing.

"Quality control process?" he asked.

"We strictly adhere to Suntory's highest standards," Nakajima replied immediately. "We randomly sample 20 bottles every half hour to test the net content, sugar content, pH value, and microbial indicators."

All data is recorded in real time and is traceable.

Chen Bingwen nodded and said to Nakajima, "Manager Nakajima, I am very satisfied with the production capacity and efficiency."

However, the ability to effectively distribute products is equally crucial.

The initial distribution of goods to all target locations must be completed before midnight on February 10th.

The display of refrigerated cabinets in convenience stores and supermarkets, and the placement of vending machine aisles, must be strictly implemented in accordance with the agreement standards.

What I want is full coverage, not just embellishment.

Chen Bingwen once again reminded Zhongdao about the issue of product distribution.

Sensing the weight of Chen Bingwen's words, Nakajima replied solemnly, "Mr. Chen, please rest assured!"
We deployed our most experienced distribution team and equipped them with additional refrigerated transport vehicles.

Within Tokyo, we have over 300 refrigerated delivery trucks, ensuring that products are delivered to every convenience store, supermarket, and vending machine restocking point covered by the agreement within 48 hours.

All terminal outlet managers have received urgent instructions from headquarters to reserve designated refrigerated display cases and distribution channels for "Pulse".

Chen Bingwen looked into Nakajima's eyes: "Manager Nakajima, this is the moment for Suntory to demonstrate its channel control to its partners."

Whether it succeeds or not will determine the depth of our future cooperation.

I have faith in Suntory's execution capabilities.

"Hai!" Nakajima nodded vigorously. "We will certainly live up to your expectations!"

After leaving the bottling plant, Chen Bingwen and his team rushed to Minato Ward, Tokyo, to meet up with the marketing team from Toho Towa Co., Ltd.

(End of this chapter)