Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 95 A Business Miracle (Seeking monthly votes and recommendations to continue reading)
Following the signing of framework agreements with three world-class food and beverage giants, Chen Ji's cross-border business is bound to increase significantly in the future.

The collection of patent licensing fees, cross-border tax planning, compliance of international financial statements, and even the global patent layout and operation of more new products and technologies in the future.
All of these require a key figure who understands finance, is proficient in international business rules, and is absolutely trustworthy to coordinate and manage them.

Thinking about all this, the most suitable candidate immediately came to mind—Vincent Fang.

This partner from Tak Shing Accounting Firm became an indispensable financial advisor and strategist for Chan Bing-man when Chan Kee was just a dessert shop in Sham Shui Po, due to his professionalism, rigor and reliability.

Company registration, patent valuation, international applications, and the arduous negotiations with giants to acquire Thai Golden Elephant Foods... Vincent Fang was involved in almost every important aspect of Chen Ji's development.

His depth of understanding of Chen Ji, his comprehension of Chen Bingwen's strategic intentions, as well as his professional competence and international perspective, are all things that Chen Ji urgently needs right now.

With that thought in mind, Chen Bingwen no longer hesitated and picked up the phone to dial Fang Wenshan's number.

Half an hour later, Fang Wenshan appeared in Chen Bingwen's office.

Chen Bingwen didn't waste time with pleasantries and went straight to the point: "Mr. Fang, the agreements with Coca-Cola, Nestlé, and Suntory are just the beginning."

Going forward, cross-border capital flows, licensing fee collection, international tax planning, subsequent patent maintenance, and global expansion will become extremely complex and frequent.

Chen's needs someone truly knowledgeable and someone I can absolutely trust to manage this business.

He looked intently at Vincent Fang: "Dexin's firm is doing very well, but I have a more challenging platform here."

I am formally inviting you to join Chen's Company as Chief Financial Officer, responsible for the company's financial strategy, fund management, and all international intellectual property matters.

You're not working for me; you're part of the core decision-making team, working with me to take Chen's to the next level.

Fang Wenshan listened quietly, without much surprise on his face.

He was involved in the rise of Chen Ji from the very beginning and was well aware of its potential and Chen Bingwen's ambition.

Compared to Dexin Certified Public Accountants, personally participating in and leading the grand process of a local brand going global is undoubtedly more attractive.

Therefore, upon hearing Chen Bingwen's invitation, Fang Wenshan hardly hesitated and immediately smiled and agreed, saying, "Mr. Chen, thank you for your trust and invitation."

It is my honor to join Chenji, to work alongside you and the team, and to witness and participate in the company's future glory.

I accept this challenge.

"That's great!" Chen Bingwen stood up, extended his hand and shook hands firmly with Fang Wenshan. "Welcome to the team, Director Fang!"

With you in charge of finance and patents, I can finally relax!

Upon agreeing to join Chenji, Vincent Fang immediately got to work, saying, "I will handle the handover at Dexin as soon as possible, and I expect to be able to start full-time within a week."

Once I'm in charge, I will immediately assemble a professional finance and patent management team.

Simultaneously, we are following up on the final signing of the agreements between the three giants, the receipt of the first authorization payment, and tax planning.

Chen Bingwen nodded in satisfaction.

Working with smart people is so efficient; without saying much, they already understand the big picture and the key points.

"In addition, before the patent licensing fees arrive, we contacted Wing Lung Bank, and they agreed to provide us with a very favorable financing plan."

Chen Bingwen added, "This money will be used to acquire a soft drink factory, upgrade equipment, stockpile raw materials, and recruit and train workers. All of these actions must be started as soon as possible; we cannot wait."

Fang Wenshan immediately grasped the strategic intent behind it and used the bank's funds to seize the precious window of opportunity.

"I've met Manager Zhou from Yonglong a few times; he's a very pragmatic person."

Tomorrow, no, this afternoon I will formally visit him as the financial director of Chen's company.

Based on our existing agreements and future cash flow, I am confident that I can negotiate an optimal credit line and interest rate, ensuring that funds are available as quickly as possible and without delaying the progress of capacity expansion.

"Great! That's the efficiency we need!" Chen Bingwen was very satisfied with his new partner's decisiveness and ability to act. "You and Director Ling can calculate the exact amount of funding needed in detail."

In principle, we must meet the needs of rapid expansion while keeping the cost of capital within a reasonable range. We must use this money wisely.

"Please rest assured," Fang Wenshan nodded solemnly, "I will provide a detailed plan for the use of funds and a financial model."

We need to demonstrate to banks our repayment ability and a clear plan for the use of funds to boost their confidence in lending, while also ensuring that every penny we spend is used effectively.

Seeing Fang Wenshan's calm and confident expression, Chen Bingwen felt reassured.

Just as Chen Bingwen was busy deploying capacity expansion and team upgrades, Chenji Food's long-awaited strategic new product, "Jinba" functional beverage, finally made its market debut.

According to the strategy previously devised by Chen Bingwen, the first batch of 50,000 bottles of "Jinba" were not sold independently, but were all used for "buy one get one free" bundled promotions.

Consumers who purchase a bottle of Mango Pomelo Sago at any of Chen Ji's standard stores, franchise stores, mobile sales points, or grid group convenience stores will receive a free bottle of the icy blue "Jinba" (a popular brand of mango sago dessert).

Mong Kok, a neighborhood convenience store.

"Ah Zhen, I'd like to buy a bottle of mango pomelo sago." Uncle Zhang, a regular customer, handed over the money.

"Okay, Uncle Zhang!" The shop assistant, Ah Zhen, deftly took a bottle of mango pomelo sago from the freezer and handed it over with a bottle of ice-blue "Jinba" from the promotional shelf next to her. "Uncle Zhang, this is a complimentary 'Jinba' energy drink for you. It's brand new, it's refreshing and invigorating, give it a try!"

Uncle Zhang took the two bottles of drinks and looked at the blue one, Jinba. The two big characters "Jinba" on the bottle were strong and powerful, and there was an abstract lightning bolt pattern next to it, which looked quite energetic.

"Energy drinks? Free? Great, thanks Ah Zhen!" Uncle Zhang didn't think much of it and happily walked away with the two bottles of drinks.

For him, the blue drink was more like an extra topping for mango pomelo sago.

Chen Kee Standard Store, located in an office building in Central.

White-collar worker Lin Wei rushed over: "Could you please give me a bottle of mango pomelo sago, to go?"

"Okay, miss." Salesperson Xiao Chen quickly packed up the mango pomelo sago and handed over a bottle of "Jinba" energy drink. "Miss, this is our newly launched 'Jinba' energy drink. It's a free gift with the purchase of mango pomelo sago. It's very effective at boosting energy!"

Lin Wei was in a hurry to get back to the company for a meeting, so she casually took the money and stuffed it into her bag: "Thank you."

She didn't even bother to look closely at what the blue drink was.

Scenes like those of Uncle Zhang and Lin Wei are constantly playing out at Chan Kee sales points throughout Hong Kong Island.

Fifty thousand bottles of Jinba energy drink, like drops of water flowing into the ocean, quietly entered the hands of tens of thousands of consumers.

They are either casually placed in a corner of the desk, stuffed into the compartment of a backpack, or forgotten deep in the refrigerator.

For most consumers, this is just a free, novelly packaged beverage, far less important than the mango pomelo sago they pay for.

However, change often happens unexpectedly.

That afternoon, as usual, Uncle Zhang went to the mahjong parlor on the street corner.

After several rounds of intense competition, the bottle of mango pomelo sago he brought was already empty.

Feeling a bit thirsty but too lazy to get up to get some water, he then remembered that he still had that free blue drink in his bag.

"Jinba? Let's try it and see what it tastes like."

He muttered something as he unscrewed the bottle cap and tilted his head back to drink a few mouthfuls.

The initial taste was subtly sweet, with a hint of refreshing lime and a barely perceptible minty coolness. The flavor was surprisingly good, much more thirst-quenching than the overly sweet sodas he had imagined.

The 250ml capacity was gone in just a few sips.

To his slight surprise, as he drank those few sips of the beverage, an indescribable coolness seemed to rise from his stomach and rush to the top of his head.

The slight drowsiness I had initially felt due to prolonged sitting and the stuffy indoor air had quietly dissipated.

He usually plays until four or five in the afternoon, and by then, around sixty years old, he can't help but yawn incessantly, his energy clearly waning.

But today, he felt unusually clear-headed, and his reactions to drawing and playing cards seemed to be several times faster. He could even clearly calculate the cards that the next player might be waiting for.

"Hey? Old Zhang!"

You seem unusually energetic today. Did you lose money yesterday and therefore avoid going to brothels, conserving your energy to win it back today?

His fellow card players at the table noticed his condition and made jokes.

Uncle Zhang himself was a little puzzled, but he didn't think too much about it, attributing it to his good luck and good mood today.

The next day, Uncle Zhang went to the same convenience store as usual. "Ah Zhen, the usual, a bottle of mango pomelo sago."

"Alright, Uncle Zhang! Here's another 'Jinba' delivery today, here you go!"

Ah Zhen skillfully handed him two bottles of drinks.

This time, when Uncle Zhang took the bottle of ice-blue "Jinba" liquor, he subconsciously glanced at it twice.

He vaguely felt that his unusual energy while playing mahjong yesterday afternoon might have something to do with this bottle of "free gift" that he hadn't taken seriously.

This time, he paid special attention to his condition.

Sure enough, just like the day before, after several rounds of mahjong, instead of feeling tired and sleepy as usual, he had a clear mind, quick reflexes, and even won several good hands in a row.

When the game ended, he not only hadn't lost, but he also had a small profit, and he was in very good spirits.

For two consecutive days, Uncle Zhang appeared at the convenience store on time, without fail buying a bottle of mango pomelo sago, and then received a free bottle of "Jinba" (a popular Chinese mahjong game). He then went to the mahjong parlor in high spirits to "conquer" the game, and his record was quite impressive.

He began to get used to and enjoy this feeling of being full of energy. Although he didn't say it, he secretly regarded the blue drink as his "lucky charm".

However, the good times did not last long.

The promotion lasted only five days.

On the sixth day, when Uncle Zhang handed over the money to buy mango pomelo sago again, Ah Zhen simply handed him the bottle of syrup, without taking out that familiar icy blue liquid as usual.

"Hey? Ah Zhen, where's that 'Jinba' today?" Uncle Zhang couldn't help but ask.

"Uncle Zhang, the promotion is over!" Ah Zhen pointed to the shelf next to her. "Now 'Jinba' is sold separately, three and a half yuan a bottle. It's really effective, and many customers say it's very refreshing!"
Would you like to give it a try?

"Three and a half dollars?" Uncle Zhang frowned as soon as he heard the price.

How much does a bottle of soda cost?

This blue drink is priced the same as mango pomelo sago?

He immediately waved his hand, "Never mind, never mind, it's too expensive. I'll just have a bottle of mango pomelo sago."

In the end, he left with only that bottle of mango pomelo sago.

In the afternoon, at the mahjong parlor, familiar mahjong players, familiar mahjong tables.

After drinking the mango pomelo sago, Uncle Zhang didn't initially notice anything different.

But just over an hour later, that long-lost, irresistible drowsiness came in waves.

Yawning one after another, tears welled up in my eyes, and the cards in front of me seemed to be shrouded in a thin mist. I was dizzy and my reaction was slow.

"Old Zhang, you're not feeling well today."

"You look so tired, how many rounds did you go at it with a prostitute last night?"

"Exactly, they played several cards wrong!"

His card-playing friends' teasing made him even more upset.

The more lethargic you are, the worse your luck at cards becomes, and you keep losing.

When the game ended, he not only lost all the money he had won in the previous days, but also lost several hundred yuan.

With his wallet now much emptier and his body exhausted, Uncle Zhang returned home, feeling utterly frustrated.

He slumped into his chair, feeling increasingly uneasy.

I've been feeling so good these past few days, why am I like this today?
Suddenly, a thought flashed through his mind like lightning!

For the past few days, I've been drinking that blue "Jinba" every day!
I didn't drink today!

Could it be that my good spirits the other day weren't due to good luck or a good mood at all, but rather because of that drink?

This discovery made Zhang Bo sit up abruptly.

He carefully recalled the feeling after drinking that beverage, the refreshing sensation that rushed to his head, the persistent clarity, and then compared it with the drowsiness and defeat of this afternoon.
"Worth it! Three dollars and fifty cents is absolutely worth it!" He slapped his thigh and muttered to himself in sudden realization.

The few hundred yuan I lost is enough to buy a hundred bottles of "Jinba" beer!

This is a huge loss!

The next afternoon, Uncle Zhang arrived at the convenience store early and said firmly to Ah Zhen, "Ah Zhen, give me a bottle of mango pomelo sago."

He paused, then pointed without hesitation to the icy blue bottle in the freezer. "Add another bottle of 'Jinba,' please!"

This time, he wasn't after the free gift; he was willing to pay for his rare clarity and good condition.

Zhang Bo's experience is not an isolated case.

The 50,000 bottles of Jinba free drinks, like seeds precisely sown, quietly sprouted in every corner of Hong Kong Island, and their remarkable energizing effects began to spread by word of mouth among different groups.

On the streets of Hong Kong Island late at night, taxi driver Mr. Li always keeps a few bottles of "Jinba" in his car.

During long night shifts, whenever drowsiness strikes, a bottle of ice-cold "Jinba" (a popular Chinese herbal tea brand) provides a strong cooling sensation and the resulting alertness, effectively dispelling fatigue and allowing him to focus better on the road and drive safely.

In office buildings in Central and Tsim Sha Tsui, more and more white-collar workers like Lin Wei are including "Jinba" in their "overtime food reserves".

Working through the night to finish project reports and coping with time differences at multinational conferences, "Jingba" became their secret weapon against mental exhaustion.

Its effects are direct and lasting, and unlike coffee, it doesn't sometimes cause palpitations or over-excitement, making it more effective in helping them stay calm and focused under pressure.

Students preparing for exams, stock market investors watching the market, and factory workers who need to maintain their focus—"Jinba" has precisely targeted those specific scenarios that require combating fatigue and staying alert with its unique and effective results, quietly integrating into the lives and work of people of different classes and ages.

This kind of word-of-mouth accumulation based on genuine needs is far more solid and valuable than any advertising blitz.

Chen Bingwen's office on the top floor of the Weiye Building.

Holding a newly released sales data report, Ling Peiyi, with barely suppressed joy on her face, reported to Chen Bingwen.

"Mr. Chen, the market feedback for 'Jinba' has far exceeded our expectations!"

The first batch of 50,000 free bottles was delivered within three days, boosting sales of mango pomelo sago by 35% during the same period.

“More importantly,” she said, turning to the second page of the report, “we immediately distributed a second batch of 50,000 bottles for official sales after the event.”

Guess what?

Sold out in less than two days!
We're getting calls from all channels urging us to deliver, and the production lines at our Shatin plant are already running at full capacity, with workers putting in extra hours to produce!

Chen Bingwen took the report and quickly scanned the numbers on it.

This sales speed was even a day faster than his most optimistic estimate.

Ling Peiyi continued her report: "According to the preliminary data calculated by Director Fang of the Finance Department, the production cost per bottle of 'Jinba' can be stably controlled at around HKD 0.45 after large-scale mass production."

She paused, then said with some emotion, "The ex-factory price we give to our channel distributors, including our standard stores, franchise stores, and external convenience stores, is HK$2.5 per bottle."

“This means,” Ling Peiyi took a deep breath and said the exciting figure, “that for every bottle of ‘Jinba’ sold, our Chen Kee’s gross profit is as high as HK$2.05!”
Distributors sell at a suggested retail price of HK$3.5, earning a profit of HK$1 per bottle.

This is a highly profitable product, both for us and for the sales terminals!

Ling Peiyi rose through the ranks from frontline sales to marketing director, and she is already intimately familiar with the cost structure and profit margins of various products.

For ordinary soft drinks and juices, a profit of a few cents is considered good; even Chen Ji's signature mango pomelo sago drink only has a profit of around 1.2 yuan per bottle due to raw material costs and cold chain requirements.

Now, the gross profit per bottle of "Jinba" has reached an astonishing 2.05 yuan!
what does this mean?
This means that after deducting all direct production costs, Chen Ji can make a net profit of more than two yuan for every bottle of "Jinba" sold!

This was almost the ceiling of profit margins for beverage products in her previous understanding!
Chen Bingwen smiled and said, "As long as the product is strong enough and can truly solve the core pain points of users, the market is willing to pay a premium for such an efficient solution."

He paused, then refocused his gaze on the report brought by Ling Peiyi, and said confidently, "The success of the previous trial sales proves that Jinba's product strategy and pricing strategy are both successful."

What we need to do now is seize this golden window of opportunity, rapidly expand our production capacity and distribution channels, and transform our first-mover advantage into an absolute market advantage!

(End of this chapter)