Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 78 Patent (Third update of 10,000 words per day! Please vote with your monthly tickets and recommendations!)

"Director of the R&D Center?"
full time?"

Professor Zhou was stunned, his face filled with surprise and astonishment.

This proposal was completely unexpected.

He subconsciously pushed up his glasses, his brows furrowing slightly: "Mr. Chen, well... I currently hold a teaching position at the Institute of Science and Engineering, supervising students and conducting research."

As a scholar, his roots are in the ivory tower.

Teaching and nurturing students, publishing papers, and exploring the unknown—this is the life he is familiar with and cherishes.

Joining a company full-time means giving up a relatively free academic environment and devoting oneself to research and development driven by business objectives.

This seems to conflict with his pursuit of pure academic value.

Seeing Professor Zhou's hesitation, Chen Bingwen didn't rush to persuade him, but instead asked from a different angle: "Professor Zhou, what do you think of the current conditions at our R&D center?"

Professor Zhou looked around.

The spacious and bright laboratory is equipped with brand-new gas chromatographs, ultraviolet spectrophotometers, and other equipment, as well as temperature- and humidity-controlled incubators and clean workbenches.
These facilities are more advanced and complete than the public laboratories of the Food Engineering Department at the Polytechnic Institute.

"The equipment is top-notch, and the environment is excellent," Professor Zhou answered truthfully. "It's much better than the conditions in our school's public laboratories."

“That’s just the hardware,” Chen Bingwen nodded. “The more important thing is the software, the freedom and support for research and development.”

Professor Zhou, if you take on the role of director of the R&D center full-time, I will grant you absolute autonomy in R&D!
You can propose the annual budget for the R&D center based on project needs, and I will fully support it!
The direction of research and development will be guided primarily by your professional judgment, supplemented by the company's strategic needs.

Whatever equipment, personnel, or external cooperation is needed, as long as it's reasonable, the funding will be in place immediately!
You will have access to more abundant resources, more flexible mechanisms, and faster pathways for成果转化 (technology transfer) than you would in a polytechnic!

He paused, then presented the most crucial condition: "As for academic achievements and reputation, I, Chen Bingwen, hereby solemnly promise:"
All technological breakthroughs and patent achievements obtained by the R&D center are owned by Chenji Food.

However, all rights to publish academic papers and to the ownership of academic honors will belong to you and your team without reservation!
Chenji will fully support you in publishing papers in top journals, participating in international academic conferences, and applying for various international awards!
Your research achievements at Chenji will help you gain a higher reputation and status in the academic community!

These words struck Professor Zhou's heart like a heavy hammer!

resource!

free!

Academic reputation!

These three words precisely struck at the core of his innermost desires!
As a scholar, he yearns to explore the unknown, to overcome technical challenges, and to leave his mark on his professional field.

However, at the university, the cumbersome process of applying for funding, the restrictions on the use of equipment, the barriers to interdisciplinary collaboration, and the long cycle of technology transfer often hampered him.

Chen Bingwen's promise means that he will have a research and development platform that is almost exclusively his own!

Sufficient funding, top-notch equipment, an efficient team, and a clear path to translate research findings into academic reputation.

Does the intellectual property belong to the company?
This is reasonable; the company has invested real money.

But does academic reputation belong to the individual?

These are conditions that researchers dream of!

This means that every technological breakthrough he makes at Chen Ji not only drives the company's development, but also directly translates into his personal academic capital!
Publishing papers in top journals, attending international conferences, and applying for awards—achievements that are crucial for scholars—will become readily accessible on Chenji's platform!
Professor Zhou's heart began to pound.

He recalled how many reports he had written and how long he had waited in the polytechnic to apply for a basic gas chromatograph.

I think of those research projects that I had ideas for but were shelved due to a lack of equipment or funding.

I think of my students who, due to limited laboratory conditions, are unable to conduct more in-depth research.

What Chen Bingwen was describing to him was a stage with almost no resource restrictions, where he could fully display his talents!

What impressed him even more was Chen Bingwen's respect for technology itself.

Whether it was the technological breakthrough in bottled sugar water or the innovative design of the non-slip bottle cap, Chen Bingwen gave the R&D team extremely high praise and substantial rewards.

He did not view technicians as tools, but rather truly valued the worth of technology.

Professor Zhou remained silent, engaged in a fierce internal struggle.

Giving up a stable teaching position to join a company full of uncertainties?
Risks exist.

But the conditions offered by Chen Bingwen were too tempting.

Moreover, Chen Ji's development momentum is evident to all.

From a small dessert shop in Sham Shui Po, it has grown into such a large enterprise in a short period of time, with bottled desserts selling well in Hong Kong Island and Singapore, and its bottle cap patents covering the globe.
The future of this company is full of possibilities.

Here, his research may change people's lives more quickly and create greater social value.

Academic value and social value seem to find a perfect balance here.

Chen Bingwen did not urge him, but waited quietly.

He believes that for a true scholar, the ability to single-mindedly pursue technological breakthroughs and transform those breakthroughs into academic honors is an irresistible attraction.

Time passed by minute by minute.

The only sounds in the laboratory were the low hum of the instruments and the rustling of students recording data.

Finally, Professor Zhou took a deep breath, raised his head, and looked at him with a firm gaze.

“Mr. Chen,” his voice trembled slightly, “thank you for your trust and such generous terms. I am willing to accept this challenge!”

Appointed as Director of Chenji Food R&D Center, joining Chenji full-time!

Chen Bingwen smiled sincerely and extended his hand: "Professor Zhou, welcome to the team!"
With you at the helm, Chenji R&D Center will undoubtedly become our most powerful technological engine!

With Professor Zhou officially appointed as the director of Chenji's R&D center, Chen Bingwen felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders.

The R&D center, the most core department, finally has the most reliable leader!
He said happily, "Professor Zhou, you don't need to worry about the resignation procedures and handover."

I will have Director Ling assist you in communicating with the Polytechnic Institute to ensure a smooth transition.

Please also draft the personnel structure, project plan, and budget proposal for the R&D center as soon as possible.

If you need any support, feel free to contact me anytime.

"Okay!" Professor Zhou nodded emphatically. "Don't worry, Mr. Chen, I will complete the handover as soon as possible and get back to work!"
I will incorporate the optimization of functional beverage flavors, the exploration of new bottling processes, and the other new product directions you mentioned earlier into my planning!

"Okay, once you officially join the company, we'll carefully plan our research direction."

Chen Bingwen smiled and nodded, then said.

at the same time.

Top floor of the Swire Group Building, Central, Hong Kong Island.

In his spacious and bright office, Swire Coca-Cola's Hong Kong Island and Southeast Asia President, Thompson, was frowning as he looked at a special sample analysis report that the marketing department had just submitted.

Next to the report were several bottles of Chen Ji bottled sweet soup collected from different sources: mango pomelo sago, coconut milk sago, and red bean soup with tangerine peel.

What caught Thompson's eye was not the sugar water itself, but the unique bottle cap.

He picked up a bottle of mango pomelo sago, his fingers instinctively searching for the groove or protrusion on the bottle opening, but instead touched a ring of evenly distributed, slightly raised diamond-shaped patterns.

He had never seen this design on Coca-Cola or any other glass-bottled beverages before.

He tried to hold the bottle cap, his thumb and forefinger naturally gripping the diamond-shaped ridges, and applied a little force.

"Snapped!"

With a crisp, pleasant click, the bottle cap popped open effortlessly.

There was no slipperiness, no strain, and the whole process was smooth and comfortable.

A hint of surprise flashed in Thompson's eyes. He then picked up the other bottles and tried them one by one.

The results are exactly the same.

Whether the bottle is wet or dry, opening the cap is exceptionally easy as long as you hold the diamond-shaped embossed pattern.

“The design is ingenious,” Thompson murmured to himself. As a seasoned industry professional, he immediately recognized the value of the design.

One of the biggest pain points of glass bottled beverages is the difficulty in opening the lid, especially for women or the elderly with less strength.

Slippery, strenuous, and even requiring tools not only affect the consumer experience but may also pose safety hazards.

Chen Ji's bottle cap design perfectly solves this problem!
It greatly enhances the user experience, lowers the barrier to entry, and expands the potential consumer base.

More importantly, this design has a strong sense of recognition and memorability, which is a brand asset in itself!
Thompson put down the bottle, picked up the intercom on the table, and ordered, "Get the heads of the marketing and legal departments to my office immediately! Right now!"

Ten minutes later, Marketing Director Chen Shala and Legal Director Li William hurriedly entered the office.

"Look at this." Thompson pushed the Chen Ji sugar water bottle over, emphasizing the cap. "Have you ever seen this kind of cap design before?"

Chen Shala and Li William examined it carefully, then tried to open the lid, their faces showing the same surprise.

“No, this design with anti-slip textured surface is probably the first of its kind in the glass bottle beverage industry,” Sarah said confidently.

William Li said, "Currently, none of the mainstream glass bottle cap designs on the market, whether crown caps, twist caps, or screw caps, have this structure with dense diamond-shaped anti-slip ridges on the side."

Chen's design is very unique.

"Unique?" Thompson tapped his fingers on the table and exclaimed, "More than just unique!"

It solves the industry problem of poor opening experience for glass bottle beverages!
It has enormous commercial value!

After saying that, he looked at James and said, "Initiate a patent investigation immediately!"
First, investigate whether Chen Ji has registered a patent for this bottle cap design.

Especially in core regions such as the United States, Europe, Japan, and Southeast Asia!

Second, if there is a patent, find out the specific content of the patent, the scope of the claims, and its legal status!
Third, assess the potential impact of the patent on our existing glass bottle product line and future new products!

“Understood!” James replied immediately.

Thompson then turned to Sarah: "Sarah, conduct a market assessment concurrently."

How much does this design actually improve the consumer experience?
If applied to our products, how much sales growth do you expect it to bring?
How much can consumer awareness and brand favorability be improved?
Give me a detailed quantitative report!

“Yes, sir.” Sarah nodded.

“Remember,” Thompson emphasized, “be quick! But be discreet!”
Before we figure out the details, don't alert Chen Ji!

Swire Coca-Cola's massive legal and marketing machinery began to operate efficiently and discreetly thanks to Chan Kee's small bottle cap.

(End of this chapter)