Twenty years of cold chain

The automated frost-removing equipment is still under intense development. It has undergone three rounds of testing, but the results were not ideal. Before leaving, Luan Pingxin formulated a highly targeted problem-solving plan for the team and held remote meetings with them every day. Now, in midsummer, the project has finally shown signs of a breakthrough.

The next equally crucial task is to compare the actual performance with that of traditional equipment.

While automated defrosting equipment offers numerous advantages in terms of cost and energy efficiency, these cannot be its core competitive advantage. For businesses to save on investment, the equipment's inherent preservation and humidification performance must be reliable.

If this equipment can achieve higher freshness preservation and reduced dehydration, it would be equivalent to a superior combination.

The potential is immeasurable.

However, before Hu Shutong could see the specific conclusion, an uninvited guest arrived at Tongxing.

This was the second time this person had visited Tongxing. He had come earlier last year when they discussed a financial leasing case. At that time, he didn't say much, but he left a deep impression on Hu Shutong. This was Bai Yanqiu, a senior executive of Qingning Dairy.

Since 08, Tongxing has not cooperated with any dairy companies. There seems to be a tacit understanding among its staff that potential collaborations in the dairy sector have never appeared in weekly meetings. This isn't due to industry-wide issues; while the dairy industry suffered a severe blow, the main problem stemmed from a lack of trust in infant formula. With the establishment of more regulatory mechanisms in recent years, the development of other dairy products has been rapid.

This was mostly a matter of people. For the many Ming University students at Tongxing, even the man still imprisoned was considered a senior. Even they didn't want to look back, so they avoided mentioning anything to Hu Shutong. Furthermore, Tongxing's order volume was already substantial.

This part was then filtered out.

Hu Shutong prepared fine tea.

Bai Yanqiu was not much older than Hu Shutong. As her name suggested, she was refined, humble, and polite, with a faint smile on her face that made her very approachable.

Just as Hu Shutong was focused on the dairy industry, Bai Yanqiu made a surprising statement, getting straight to the point without beating around the bush.

"Mr. Hu, I am very interested in the automated defrosting equipment at Tongxing R&D Center. I'm worried that when it comes out, there will be a rush to buy it, and there won't even be time to entertain me."

Hu Shutong smiled and said, "President Bai should know that Tongxing can only focus on research and development. I have no idea where the actual products will be manufactured. If Qingning Dairy plans to purchase equipment, I will definitely let President Bai know in advance."

Of the more than 30 million tons of high-temperature storage facilities currently in operation in my country, the dairy industry, which requires extensive preservation, is a major sector.

This perfectly matches the function of automated defrosting equipment, so their large-scale purchase was not unexpected for Hu Shutong.

It's just that things seem a bit rushed.

Bai Yanqiu shook her head and smiled slightly, "President Hu misunderstands. The future procurement of green milk doesn't require us to sit down and discuss it like this. I'm here on behalf of a friend to negotiate and try to secure Tongxing's patent."

Hu Shutong was surprised that a senior executive from the dairy industry was trying to connect with an equipment manufacturer. "I wonder which major company President Bai is going to contact with Tongxing?"

Jiangning Industry and Trade.

Seeing Hu Shutong's slight frown, Bai Yanqiu smiled and said, "It's normal that President Hu hasn't heard of it. This is a company that was only registered last year, and the factory is located in the eastern suburbs of Qingyan."

"Mr. Bai, to be honest, the equipment is still being debugged, and I haven't received any conclusive data yet. I'm also wondering when this project will actually start."

"But it will come true someday, won't it?" Bai Yanqiu sensed Hu Shutong's refusal, which was not surprising. Tongxing had great aspirations for this technology patent. Not to mention an unknown Jiangning Industry and Trade, even a top-notch equipment manufacturer in Qingning would probably make Tongxing think twice.

In Hu Shutong's eyes, such negotiations seemed absurd, reeking of a company trying to take off and grow rapidly based on one or two technologies. Automated frost equipment wasn't just a matter for Tongxing; Hu Shutong had to be worthy of the R&D personnel's efforts in transferring the technology. Even if Bai Yanqiu had the undisputed leading dairy brand in Qingning behind her, Hu Shutong couldn't possibly agree to it.

Bai Yanqiu remained calm and slowly continued, "Those in the industry know that President Hu's Yuncheng Phase II project is about to start, but on the other hand, he still has to wait for the final allocation of the eight support funds for cold chain logistics. For President Hu, funding must be a big problem."

Hu Shutong smiled and said, "President Bai, there's no need to bring up the key points. Funding issues are like daily life; there are different troubles every day. There's no need to make Yuncheng Phase II sound like a holiday."

Bai Yanqiu nodded slowly, a thought flashing through her mind at the same time. This hammer blow hadn't yielded the expected response. "President Hu, Jiangning Industry and Trade's plan is this: it can provide Tongxing with a substantial patent fee, and at the same time, it can share the sales revenue with Tongxing. In other words, President Hu can immediately obtain a patent fund, and as Jiangning Industry and Trade grows, he can also enjoy a continuous stream of income."

Upon hearing this, Hu Shutong was immediately stunned. Bai Yanqiu had turned the choice between the two into a complete package, a scenario he had never imagined before.

What surprised Hu Shutong even more was that the equipment at this time could not yet realize a true technological patent, and he himself had no idea how long it would take. However, it was precisely at this stage that the other party explained the patent fees and profit sharing so clearly, making things seem increasingly bizarre.

Who could be making such a preemptive registration before the technology is even mature, simply because they are optimistic about the prospects of automated defrosting equipment? Hu Shutong doesn't think so, because no company would let such a risk go unchecked.

What followed was Bai Yanqiu's earnest words, which made it seem even more unreal.

"Mr. Hu, I, Bai Yanqiu, am a person with some experience and I have some influence in Qingru. Since I've made this connection, I'm certainly not some charlatan trying to fool you. Mr. Hu, you can ask me for information on all aspects of Jiangning. All your doubts will be answered. I believe that the Jiangning Industry and Trade Association is the best partner for Tongxing's future technology applications, without exception."

……

I've loved cold chain logistics for twenty years.