Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 57 A Sweet Troubles (Seeking monthly votes and recommendations to continue reading!)
The popularity of "Enjoy Yourself Tonight" spread like wildfire.

Overnight, the name "Chen's Bottled Sugar Water" became a household name.

The phone lines were ringing off the hook, and the store was packed with customers inquiring about bottled products. Both standard stores and mobile sales points were under tremendous pressure.

Many customers directly ask, "Do you sell that bottled sugar water here?"

Chen Bingwen became the most anxious yet calmest person in the entire company.

Faced with this overwhelming wealth and market enthusiasm, the production capacity of bottled sugar water has become a true Achilles' heel.

He knew that no matter how good the product was or how well-known it was, it was all for naught if consumers couldn't buy it.

It could even backfire, with people questioning whether Chen Ji is engaging in false advertising.

The existing small-batch temporary equipment, with a daily output of 2000 bottles, was far from sufficient to meet the overwhelming demand.

All eyes were on the soon-to-arrive Italian Sacmi hot filling production line.

"Ahai, how's the situation?"

In the office of the Kwun Tong factory, Gao Zhenhai had just hung up the phone when Chen Bingwen immediately inquired.

"Brother Wen!" Gao Zhenhai said hurriedly, "The shipping company has confirmed that the cargo ship carrying the production line will arrive in Hong Kong Island no later than the day after tomorrow!"

the day after tomorrow!

Chen Bingwen silently recited the date in his mind.

Two days, just forty-eight hours.

The core equipment, valued at HK$450,000, will soon arrive in Kwun Tong.

"Notify Zhong Qiang to immediately begin preparing the receiving, installation, and debugging plan."

All personnel, tools, and venues must be prepared in advance!

I want the production line to be installed, debugged, and put into production as quickly as possible as soon as it arrives at the port!
"We can't afford to waste a single moment!" Chen Bingwen quickly instructed.

"I'll go find Brother Qiang right away and have them organize the manpower immediately so that the production line can start operating as soon as it arrives!"

Chen Bingwen nodded and waved for Gao Zhenhai to hurry up.

The two days, filled with anxious waiting and intensive preparations, seemed to stretch out yet also pass in the blink of an eye.

Everyone was incredibly excited when the trucks carrying the production line drove into the gates of the Kwun Tong Food Factory.

Professor Zhou and his technical team, along with Zhong Qiang and the factory's key workers, were waiting early at the installation area.

Everyone's face was filled with excitement and anticipation.

Unpacking, inventorying, and moving were all carried out under the direction of Italian engineers.

The huge stainless steel cooking pot, the complex piping system, the filling valve, the capping machine, and the long cooling conveyor belt were all precisely installed in place.

"Temperature sensor calibration complete!"

"Vacuum level test passed!"

"Filling valve pressure is stable!"

"Capping torque setting complete!"

Instructions and reports echoed throughout the workshop.

Chen Bingwen stood on the high platform in the control room, looking down at the busy scene below through the glass window.

"Brother Wen, the Italians say we can test the machine now!" Gao Zhenhai wiped the sweat and oil off his face and excitedly ran up to report.

"Alright! Notify all positions to prepare for the first full-line joint test run!" Chen Bingwen decisively gave the order.

As the button on the control panel was pressed, everyone held their breath.

The low hum of the electric motor began, and the equipment slowly started up.

The tangerine peel and red bean paste in the cooking pot is pumped into the pipeline and passes through the high-temperature instantaneous sterilization zone. The brief and precise high temperature of 121°C kills all microorganisms. Then it enters the vacuum degassing tank to remove dissolved air, and is then precisely metered and injected into preheated glass bottles.

The scalding hot sugar water was steaming, and the bottle opening was instantly pressed and sealed by the aluminum cap with diamond-shaped anti-slip texture.

After the bottles are capped, they are sent to a cooling water tank for rapid cooling before entering the labeling stage.

Labels bearing the eye-catching "Chen Ji" logo and the words "Chenpi Red Bean Paste" are precisely affixed to the bottle.

Finally, bottles of crystal-clear, clearly labeled, and intact bottled red bean paste with tangerine peel are neatly arranged on the finished product conveyor belt and slowly move toward the packing area!
"Success!"

"It's done! It's really done!"

"awesome!"

Inside and outside the workshop, deafening cheers and applause erupted instantly!

Standing on the observation platform, Chen Bingwen watched the steadily running conveyor belt and the bottles of products flowing out continuously, feeling a great sense of relief.

At this moment, all the waiting, the torment, and the effort were worth it!

"Pass the word down," Chen Bingwen's voice echoed clearly throughout every corner of the production workshop, "We'll have an extra meal tonight! A factory-wide celebration! Also, all personnel involved in the installation and commissioning will have their bonuses doubled this month!"

"Long live the boss!"

"Long live Chen Sheng!"

Cheers erupted once again.

The success of the first trial production with raw materials was like a shot in the arm for the entire Chenji Foods company.

Over the next two days, the production line entered a period of intense break-in and capacity ramp-up.

Chen Bingwen practically lived at the factory, always ready to resolve any problems that might arise.

This production line is Chenji's future lifeline, and it cannot afford to make any mistakes.

On the first day of trial and error, the yield rate was 98.5%, and the output per shift (8 hours) exceeded 8000 bottles!
After optimization on the second day, the yield rate stabilized at 99.2%, and the single-shift output exceeded 11000 bottles!
On the third day, the official production day, the yield rate reached 99.5%, and the single-shift output steadily reached 13000 bottles! Daily production capacity exceeded 26000 bottles!
This figure means that Chenji's bottled sugar water production capacity has increased 13 times in just three days, from a pitiful 2000 bottles per day on the previous temporary line!
Moreover, this is far from reaching the limit of the designed production capacity!

The Sacmi production line has enormous potential. With the improvement of workers' skills and further optimization of the process, the daily production capacity will soon exceed 30000 bottles!
Meanwhile, Ling Peiyi had also made thorough preparations.

The first batch of ten franchise stores have already been renovated, and the red and gold "Chen's Dessert" signs shine brightly in their respective neighborhoods.

The store manager and staff underwent rigorous training, wore uniforms, and were in high spirits.

The promotional materials needed for the opening have already been prepared.

The opening date was set for the third day after the production line officially went into operation.

This was a carefully chosen Saturday, the day with the highest foot traffic.

At 6 a.m., four refrigerated trucks bearing the logos of "Shunda Logistics" and "Chen Ji Foods", fully loaded with bottled sugar water, filed out of the Kwun Tong factory area and headed in different directions in Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories.

Wan Chai, Lockhart Road.

The new franchisee, Mr. Huang, opened the store early.

The brand-new storefront is bright and clean, and the freezer is neatly filled with three flavors of bottled sweet soup.

A huge opening banner hangs at the entrance: "Chen's Dessert Shop Wanchai Grand Opening! New bottled products available, buy two get one free!"

At 8:00 AM sharp, the shop officially opened its doors to welcome customers.

Customers who had been waiting at the door immediately rushed in.

"Boss, give me two bottles of mango pomelo sago!"

"I want three bottles of red bean soup! Iced!"

"Do you still have coconut milk sago pudding? Four bottles, please!"

"Wow, is this the bottled sugar water that Feifei was talking about? It looks delicious! Give me a couple of bottles to try!"

The shop assistants were well-trained and worked quickly and efficiently to process the cash register transactions and retrieve the goods.

The clanging and banging of the cash registers was incessant.

The sugar water in the freezer was decreasing at a visible rate.

Standing to the side, Mr. Huang watched the bustling scene with a broad smile, feeling deeply grateful to Chen's headquarters.

The same scene was playing out simultaneously in various franchise stores.

Thanks to the massive online traffic and the positive reputation built up from previous bottled trial sales, coupled with the "buy two get one free" opening promotion, Chenji bottled sweet soup's debut at the franchise store completely ignited the market!

"So convenient! You can just twist it open and drink!"

"It tastes exactly the same as what I had at the Victoria Park Lunar New Year Fair! So delicious!"

"This bottle cap is well-designed; it's not slippery at all!"

"I'll buy this for afternoon tea from now on!"

Customers' praise was endless.

Many people buy a bottle with a try-it-out mentality, but after finishing it on the spot, they come back to buy a second, a third bottle, or even buy whole cases to share with family and colleagues.

The core selling points of bottled sugar water—"convenient, delicious, and hygienic"—are perfectly interpreted and realized at this moment.

Within just half a day of opening, the feedback from ten stores caused a stir at the Kwun Tong headquarters.

The initial allocation for all stores is completely sold out! Urgent request for restocking!
Seeing this situation, Chen Bingwen decisively ordered the production department to start two shifts!
We keep operating even when people stop, ensuring a continuous supply of goods to our franchise stores.

At the same time, Chen Ji bottled sweet soup was officially launched in fifty core stores of Wellcome Supermarket.

The prominent prime location, coupled with the promotional posters that read "Cool Summer, Chen Ji by Your Side," attracted a large number of customers to stop and admire it.

"Mommy, this is it! The bottled sugar water that Feifei mentioned!" A little girl excitedly pointed to the refrigerator, pulling her mother's hand.

"Oh, really! I'll buy two bottles to try. I heard they taste great." The mother readily took two bottles of mango pomelo sago and put them in the shopping basket.

Looking at the soaring sales figures, Zhang Zhiqiang, the purchasing director of Huikang, smiled with satisfaction.

He proactively called Ling Peiyi: "Director Ling, today's sales are excellent, far exceeding expectations."

We plan to expand our distribution to all 80 stores across Hong Kong next week. Please ensure we can guarantee supply!

While recording the requirements, Ling Peiyi replied, "Director Zhang, rest assured, we are doing our best to increase production capacity and prioritize Huikang's orders."

However, the volume of goods distributed throughout Hong Kong is very large, so we need to put them on the shelves in batches to ensure a stable supply for each store.

26000 bottles per day sounds like a huge number.

However, faced with the demand from ten booming franchise stores, Wellcome supermarkets expanding from 50 to 80 stores, and the continued demand from five standard stores and thirty mobile points in industrial zones, production capacity once again proved insufficient.

"Brother Wen, this is today's production capacity allocation sheet." Gao Zhenhai handed over a document, his brow furrowed. "The franchise stores are desperately in need of supplies, Huikang needs to increase production, and we can't cut off supplies to the standard stores and mobile outlets. This amount of sugar water is simply not enough to go around!"

Looking at the densely packed demands and limited supply on the form, Chen Bingwen calmly said, "Ah Hai, the production line's potential hasn't been fully tapped yet."

According to the design parameters, the production line can produce more than 100000 bottles per day.

The current sales figures are likely due to a surge in retaliatory consumption by these consumers after experiencing the previous scarcity marketing and traffic bombardment.

Whether current sales can be maintained in the long term remains to be seen.

　Hey everyone, here's the first chapter for today. The rest is still being written and will probably be a while longer. Those of you waiting for updates can get some rest now. Thanks for your support!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)