Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 62 Internal Potential Exploration (Seeking monthly votes and recommendations to continue reading!)

After seeing Lin Wenxiong off, Chen Bingwen immediately turned to Ling Peiyi: "Director Ling, Nanhua Trading has a large order, 150,000 bottles!"

Although Mr. Lim promised to focus on Singapore, we still face enormous pressure on production capacity.

You immediately organize a meeting with the production, procurement, and logistics departments to assess capacity limits and material availability.

In addition, as soon as Mr. Lin's detailed plan arrived, he immediately organized a joint review by the marketing department, finance department, and lawyers.

The markets of Singapore, Malaysia, and Indonesia are the first step in internationalization, and we must proceed steadily and successfully.

"Understood, Mr. Chen!" Ling Peiyi immediately replied and turned to make the arrangements.

The next morning, Chan Ping-man, Ling Pui-yee, and a lawyer arrived at the Hong Kong Sanatorium & Hospital.

In the ward, Cheng Long was holding a mirror, repeatedly looking at his post-surgery eyelids, unable to get enough of looking at them.

The wound on my left eyebrow has scabbed over. Although my new double eyelids are still a little swollen, the outline is clear, symmetrical and natural. My eyes are much brighter and sharper than before, and my whole spirit is refreshed.

"Mr. Chen! You're here!" When Cheng Long saw Chen Bingwen and his group enter, he immediately put down the mirror and jumped off the bed excitedly.

"Ah Long, you've recovered quite well!" Chen Bingwen smiled as he looked him over. "Your double eyelids look really good; your eyes look different now."

"It's all thanks to Boss Chen's idea!" Cheng Long said gratefully. "The doctor said I can be discharged after two more days of observation!"

"That's good." Chen Bingwen gestured for the lawyer to hand over the contract. "Ah Long, this is the draft of the endorsement contract."

The endorsement covers all of Chen Ji's ready-to-eat beverages and desserts, including bottled sweet soups, other ready-to-eat products that may be launched in the future, and dine-in products in standard stores and franchise stores.

The endorsement period is three years.

The endorsement fee is HK$50,000 per year.

"Fifty thousand?" Cheng Long's hand holding the contract trembled violently, his eyes widened, and he looked at Chen Bingwen in disbelief. "Mr. Chen, this is too much!"

He was loaned to Ng See-yuen by Lo Wei Film Company when he filmed "Drunken Master".

The film salary was only HK$3,000, plus a HK$3,000 subsidy from Lo Wei, totaling only HK$6,000.

Chen Bingwen is now offering an endorsement fee of 50,000 yuan per year!
This is an astronomical figure for him!

Wu Siyuan also gasped in surprise.

Fifty thousand a year!
In Hong Kong in 1978, this was definitely the level of endorsement for top stars!

Even a leading man at Shaw Brothers might not be able to consistently earn this much in a year.

Chen Bingwen's gesture was truly remarkable!
Seeing Cheng Long's shocked expression, Chen Bingwen smiled gently: "Ah Long, 50,000 is an acknowledgment of your future value."

I believe your value will skyrocket after "Drunken Master" is released.

This contract is about your present, and even more so, your future.

Chen Ji has high hopes for you and is willing to provide you with maximum support from the very beginning.

Seeing the incredible excitement and gratitude in Cheng Long's eyes, Chen Bingwen felt a clear mind.

He knew all too well the trajectory of the future.

After the release of "Drunken Master", Jackie Chan will soar to new heights. Lo Wei will immediately raise his salary to 50,000 or 100,000 per film, and Golden Harvest will offer him an astonishing contract of 2.4 million.

At that time, the mere HK$50,000 endorsement fee will become insignificant in Cheng Long's eyes.

What can restrain him, besides the liquidated damages clearly stated in the contract, is more importantly human relationships.

And now is precisely the time when Cheng Long needs help the most and is in the most "dire" situation.

He was injured while filming, his future is uncertain, and he just had eye surgery. He is in a stage where he is full of anxiety and longing for the future.

The HK$50,000 provided at this critical moment was far more significant and meaningful than the millions that would later add to one's wealth.

This money not only solved Cheng Long's immediate problem, but also represented a weighty trust and appreciation.

Jackie Chan will remember this kindness.

Chen Bingwen wanted this kind of "appreciation".

He wanted to make Cheng Long understand that when Cheng Long was not yet the "big brother," it was Chen Ji, and he, Chen Bingwen, who unhesitatingly extended their hand and gave him trust and support far exceeding his then-current status.

This debt of gratitude, coupled with the exorbitant penalty for breach of contract, is the real chain that makes Jackie Chan hesitate and ultimately choose to abide by the contract when faced with the temptations of Lo Wei's 50,000 yuan salary and Golden Harvest's 2.4 million yuan contract over the next three years.

He paused, then added, "Of course, your responsibilities are also stipulated in the contract."

Within three years, they are prohibited from endorsing any other beverage, dessert, or food brand that directly competes with Chen Ji.

This is an exclusive clause.

At the same time, you will need to cooperate in shooting advertisements and attending brand promotion activities designated by Chen Ji.

Director Ling will explain the specific details to you.

Cheng Long was so excited that he couldn't speak, only feeling a warm current surge into his heart.

Chen Bingwen's trust and support deeply moved him.

He nodded vigorously, his voice slightly choked: "Mr. Chen! Don't worry! I will definitely film the advertisement well! I will never let you down!"

Chen Bingwen patted him on the shoulder: "Okay! I believe in you. Take good care of your injury, and the advertisement shoot will be done when you are fully recovered."

After signing the contract, Cheng Long was in a great mood and kept pestering Chen Bingwen to let him visit Chen Ji's production line.

Chen Bingwen thought about it and figured it would be a good opportunity to take him to the factory to boost employee morale, so he agreed. The group drove to the Kwun Tong Food Factory.

As soon as I stepped into the bottled sugar water production workshop, I sensed that something was off.

Although the production line was running at full speed, it seemed to be moving a little slower than the previous two days.

Gao Zhenhai and Zhong Qiang were gathered at the end of the filling line, discussing something with furrowed brows.

Chen Bingwen walked over: "Ah Hai, Brother Qiang, what's going on?"

Gao Zhenhai looked up and saw Chen Bingwen and Cheng Long, and quickly said, "Brother Wen, Mr. Cheng! You've arrived."

He pointed to the production line and said anxiously, "Brother Wen, the production capacity is stuck at around 32,000 bottles per day, and we just can't increase it!"

We checked the equipment, and all the parameters were normal. The Sacmi engineer also said that there was nothing wrong with the machine.

But I just can't pick up the speed!

Zhong Qiang added from the side: "Boss, the bottleneck is not in the main filling line."

The problem lies in the supporting components!

The first step is the glass bottle recycling, cleaning, and disinfection process!

The amount of empty bottles we collect every day is enormous. The whole process of cleaning, disinfecting, drying, and quality inspection takes four hours!
This resulted in an inability to keep up with the filling speed in terms of empty bottle supply!

Secondly, there is the raw material pretreatment!

Especially the mango processing – peeling, pitting, and fleshing – is all done by hand, which is extremely inefficient!
Currently, processing the mango pulp needed for over 30,000 bottles of mango pomelo sago every day requires twenty skilled workers working from morning till night, and they often still can't keep up with the pace of the bottling line!

Gao Zhenhai continued, "Also, it takes time for sago to cook and cool."

Although heating coconut milk and boiling sugar water are done in large pots, it still takes time to process them.

These steps are all interconnected; if any one gets stuck, the entire line will have to slow down!

Chen Bingwen frowned slightly as he listened to the report.

The equipment itself is fine, but the supporting processes such as raw material pretreatment, empty bottle recycling and cleaning, and auxiliary material preparation have become bottlenecks.

This is a classic example of the "barrel effect" (or "weakest link").

Sacmi's production line is a strong point, but other aspects are weak points, limiting overall production capacity.

He walked to the observation window and looked at the busy scene in the workshop.

In the cleaning and disinfection area, piles of recycled glass bottles are being fed into the cleaning machine by workers, but the machine's throughput is clearly limited.

In the mango processing area, more than 20 female workers sat in front of the workbench, quickly but mechanically repeating the actions of peeling, pitting, and scooping out the flesh, surrounded by piles of mango peels and pits.

Next to it, the cooked sago pearls need to cool naturally, and the freshly made coconut milk needs to be cooled before it can be bottled...

Every step consumes time and slows down the overall pace.

Cheng Long looked around curiously and, seeing how hard the female workers were processing the mangoes, couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, so much work goes into making a bottle of mango pomelo sago! These women work so hard!"

Chen Bingwen quickly made a mental calculation.

The bottleneck has been identified, and a solution must be developed immediately.

He turned to Gao Zhenhai and Zhong Qiang and ordered, "Ah Hai, Brother Qiang, split up and act immediately!"
First, the empty bottle recycling and cleaning process!
Contact the equipment supplier immediately to purchase two more large ultrasonic cleaning machines and matching drying and disinfection equipment!
Money is no object, I want to double the cleaning capacity!
At the same time, we will optimize the cleaning process, increase the number of quality inspection stations, and shorten the turnaround time while ensuring the quality of cleaning and disinfection!

Second, raw material pretreatment!

Processing the mangoes is of utmost importance!
Immediately recruit and train thirty temporary workers to be responsible for mango pre-processing!
We operate on a two-shift system, so the machines keep running even when people stop!
In addition, contact food machinery factories on Hong Kong Island to see if they have automatic mango peeling and pitting equipment!

Even if it's not very efficient, as long as it can reduce some of the manual labor pressure, we should still do it!
Third, preparation of excipients!
The cooking and cooling of ingredients such as sago, coconut milk, and sugar syrup must be planned in advance and carried out at off-peak times!

Increase the number of cooking pots and cooling tanks!

Ensure that auxiliary materials are readily available whenever the filling line needs them!
Fourth, all workers in bottleneck processes will receive additional performance bonuses!
Tell them that for every 10% increase in production capacity, their bonuses will increase by 10%!

I want to see their enthusiasm!

"Understood! Brother Wen! We'll get right on it!" the two replied in unison, and immediately split up to carry it out.

Chen Bingwen watched their departing figures, then glanced at Cheng Long beside him, who was curiously examining the production line, and thought to himself: The production capacity bottleneck must be broken through as soon as possible.

Orders from Singapore, local demand, and future expansion all await this bottle of sweet soup.

He walked over to Cheng Long, picked up a bottle of chilled mango pomelo sago that had just come off the production line, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to him: "Cheng Long, have a taste. This is a product from our bottled line."

Cheng Long took the bottle and looked at the mango and grapefruit pieces floating in the golden liquid, which were crystal clear under the light.

He tilted his head back and took a big gulp. It was icy cold, sweet, and had a rich mango aroma with a hint of coconut. The sago pearls were chewy, and the grapefruit pieces burst in his mouth with a slightly sour taste, instantly dispelling the stuffiness of the workshop.

"Wow! That's amazing!" Cheng Long's eyes lit up, and he exclaimed sincerely, "It's even more refreshing than what I drink at the store! The taste is just as good! Mr. Chen, your production line is incredible!"

Chen Bingwen smiled and glanced at the busy production line: "It's impressive, but it's not fast enough yet."

We want to make this sugar water available to more people as quickly as possible.

Looking at the unwavering determination in Chen Bingwen's eyes, Cheng Long nodded vigorously: "Mr. Chen, don't worry!"

Once I'm discharged from the hospital, I'll definitely film the commercial!
Let the whole of Hong Kong, no, let the whole world know how delicious Chan Kee Dessert is!

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(End of this chapter)