Chapter 556
What is she planning to do?
Chapter 556 What is she planning to do?
Liaoyang, the capital of Liaoning Province, Heping District, is home to the Japanese tea ceremony hall, Hejingxuan.
The private room on the third floor had its paper door half-closed.
A low table was placed on the tatami mat, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air.
Outside the window, the streets were bustling with traffic, but inside, it was so quiet that the only sound was the whisking of matcha.
Ichiro Ida knelt in the main seat, held the teacup in both hands, took a small sip, and squinted his eyes in satisfaction.
Sitting opposite me were three people: Yamada, the chief representative of Panasonic in Japan; Sato from Toshiba's Liaoyang office; and a section chief from Mitsubishi Corporation.
All four men were dressed in suits, yet they insisted on kneeling on the tatami mats. Their posture was awkward, but no one complained.
Yamada put down his teacup, pulled a document from his briefcase, and smiled with barely concealed delight.
"According to the latest market research, among potential buyers of high-end color TVs in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, the percentage of those who have heard of Panasonic plasma TVs has increased from 12% last month to 37%."
He pushed the document in front of Ichiro Ida.
"The most crucial point is this: 23% of high-income people who originally planned to buy Panasonic color TVs said they would wait and see before making a decision."
Sato leaned over for a look and then burst out laughing.
"Twenty-three percent? Didn't the people from the East say they were going to develop plasma technology? How come our own people are ahead of us?"
Ichiro Ida took the document, read it line by line, and a smile slowly spread across his face.
"They've always been like this. Heh, Lin Xiaohe is too ambitious and arrogant, single-mindedly wanting to expand into overseas markets, little did she know, we've stolen her home. I really want to know how she feels right now."
The section chief at Mitsubishi smiled, picked up his teacup, and said slowly, "Lin Xiaohe suffered a setback in Russia. Even if she secures a military order for 5000 units, it won't make a difference. The Russian giants and the wolves of the East will tear her and Changhong Factory to shreds."
He glanced at Ichiro Ida, his words carrying a deeper meaning: "The Eastern market is vast; no single brand can dominate alone. Does Panasonic have any interest in disseminating plasma-related technologies to association members?"
Panasonic's plasma technology reserves are rapidly advancing despite massive investments regardless of cost.
One international patent after another entered the review process ahead of Changhong's factory.
A dark glint flashed in Ichiro Ida's eyes. Panasonic Group was very optimistic about plasma TVs and only wanted to swallow this big pie for themselves. How could they possibly share it with others?
"Haha, everyone, please don't be impatient. This kind of cooperation requires coordination among the group's senior management. Let's just wait for the results."
Fearing being questioned by everyone, Ichiro Ida quickly changed the subject to Lin Xiaohe.
"I heard that, at Lin Xiaohe's suggestion, Liaoyang Province approved Anning County's plan to set up some kind of foreign trade company to do barter trade with Russia. Clothing, canned goods, water pumps, they're all being dumped there."
Sato laughed out loud: "Barter trade? Isn't that what those speculators were doing a few years ago? In the end, what happened? It was just a mess."
Yamada laughed too: "That's how people from the East are, they use whatever tricks they can get their hands on, regardless of whether they're outdated or not. If barter trade could be scaled up, those middlemen back then would have been big long ago, why wait until they came along?"
Ichiro Ida put down the documents, picked up the teacup, and took a small sip.
"I've studied that Lin Xiaohe. She's a bit clever, but lacks vision. She thinks that by making a breakthrough in the Far Eastern military, she can pry open the entire market. But she forgot that the biggest problem in the Russian market isn't distribution channels, it's trust. The reputation of Russian goods has long been ruined by those scalpers. She can't turn things around with just one person and one factory."
He paused, his gaze turning deep: "Once Panasonic's plasma TVs hit the market, the high-end market will be completely out of their reach. The mid-to-low-end market? The Russians themselves are starving; who's going to buy color TVs?"
Yamada nodded, his face showing confident composure: "Panasonic headquarters has already finalized the deal. The plasma TV will be officially launched in the Japanese market next March. The advertising budget is 30 million RMB. As for distribution channels, we're negotiating with all the major department stores, offering them the best locations."
He looked at Ichiro Ida and said meaningfully, "Once Panasonic takes over the high-end market, Changhong's small-scale operations will be nothing to worry about."
Sato picked up his teacup, offering tea instead of wine, and raised it to the group.
"Then let's wait and see how long Lin Xiaohe's rock can hold out."
Footsteps passed by outside the paper door; it was the female staff member of the tea house carrying snacks.
Sunlight filters through washi paper and falls on the tatami mats, creating dappled light and shadow.
Laughter echoed softly.
Meanwhile, in Anning County, it was already dark.
The lights were still on on the second floor of the county government compound.
County Magistrate Tian stood by the window, a cigarette between his fingers, watching the people coming and going in the courtyard.
Secretary Xiao Ma ran up and down, carrying stacks of documents, sweat beading on her forehead.
Downstairs, in the small conference room of the Economic and Trade Commission, seven or eight people were gathered around a large table, reviewing materials overnight.
On the table were export application forms from twelve state-owned factories and eight private factories, each accompanied by a stack of quality inspection reports, product lists, and price calculations.
"Thirty boxes of canned goods from the food factory were sent for testing, and they all passed," someone read the report aloud, their voice hoarse.
"Of the twenty woolen overcoats randomly inspected at the garment factory, one had a skipped stitch and was returned for rework."
"The water pumps from Shuguang Machinery Factory are supposed to be three-phase from Russia, but the order they sent is for two-phase. Tell them to change it."
County Magistrate Tian listened to the commotion downstairs, but didn't say anything; he just smoked.
There was a knock on the door.
"County Chief Tian, people from Changhong Factory have arrived."
The old factory director pushed open the door and came in, wearing an old cotton-padded coat, his face reddened by the wind. He carried a cloth bag, which he placed on the table; inside were several boxes of biscuits and several bottles of soda.
"Director Lin asked me to bring this. He said it's something from Moscow, so everyone can try it. It's nothing special, just a token of his appreciation."
County Magistrate Tian looked at the boxes of biscuits, which were printed with Russian and simply packaged. He picked up a box, examined it from all angles, and then put it down.
"How's the situation over there?"
The old factory director rubbed his hands together and sat down: "Director Lin asked me to tell you that Colonel Ivanov from the Far East Military District has urged us three times, saying that the first batch of 5,000 color TVs worked well, and they want another 3,000 in the second batch. Also, people from the local area have come to inquire, asking what else we have besides color TVs. Water pumps, clothing, canned goods, people are asking about everything."
County Chief Tian nodded: "What about quality inspection? What did Lin Xiaohe say?"
The old factory director took a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to County Magistrate Tian.
This fax was sent personally by Lin Xiaohe.
Before goods can leave the factory, they must pass three checks: factory self-inspection, county-level random inspection, and commodity inspection. Whoever damages the factory's reputation must take the goods back themselves, and the factory will never be allowed to ship goods again.
County Magistrate Tian looked at it twice, folded it neatly, and put it in his pocket: "Go back and tell Lin Xiaohe that I'll take care of things at home. As for her, she just needs to focus on moving forward."
The old factory director stood up, nodded, turned to leave, but turned back at the door.
“County Chief Tian, there’s something else. The workers know this batch of goods is going to Russia, so they’re all scrambling to work overtime. Old Yan, the factory director, is over sixty. He personally supervised the workshop until midnight yesterday, saying he wanted to make the best water pumps for Russia, so they would know that goods from the East aren’t just shoes that can last three days.”
County Chief Tian was stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter.
Look, the Eastern Continent has magic lamps, but it also has many ordinary people like the old factory director and Lao Yan.
The workshops of Shuguang Machinery Factory were brightly lit.
The machines hummed, and the conveyor belt turned slowly. A row of drainage pumps were being assembled, their casings gleaming, and the joints coated with anti-rust oil.
The old factory director, Yan Dehou, stood beside the assembly line, holding a piece of cotton yarn in his hand, wiping a water pump that had just come off the line. He was sixty-three years old, his hair was completely white, but his back was very straight.
A young worker ran over and said, "Factory manager, you should go back now, it's already eleven o'clock."
Yan Dehou didn't even look up: "What's the rush? This batch of goods needs to be loaded onto the truck tomorrow, I have to keep an eye on it."
The young worker grew anxious: "But you've been watching for a whole day and night!"
Yan Dehou straightened up and threw the cotton yarn in his hand to him.
“Kid, do you know where this shipment is going? To the Soviet Union, our big brother. When I was young, they helped build our factory. They brought the machines and drew the blueprints. Back then, I thought, when will we be able to send something back to them?” He looked at the water pumps on the assembly line, his gaze somewhat distant.
"Now the opportunity has come."
He put the cotton yarn aside, turned around and walked out.
As I walked to the door, I looked back at the busy workers, the roaring machines, and the water pumps being assembled.
"Work hard. There can't be a single defective product in this batch."
Anning County Food Factory, Packaging Workshop.
A dozen or so female workers sat around a long table, their hands flying across the labels of canned goods. The labels were printed with Russian characters, winding and curving letters that they didn't recognize, but they pasted them on neatly.
The workshop director was a woman in her forties with a voice loud enough to lift the roof off.
"Keep your spirits up! This batch of canned goods is heading to Russia. Don't let them laugh at us for putting the labels on our Eastern goods crookedly!"
A young female worker looked up, her hands still busy: "Director, will the Russians like our canned goods?"
The director glanced at her.
"Why wouldn't they like it? Our canned food is made with real meat and real ingredients, much better than what they sell in those shabby shops. Don't worry, once they taste it, they'll never forget it."
The young female worker smiled, lowered her head, and continued pasting labels.
Inside the workshop, the only sounds were the tearing of labels and the clattering of bottles and cans.
Outside the window, the night was deep.
Hongqi Garment Factory, cutting workshop.
Several experienced craftsmen stood around a bolt of wool fabric, measuring and comparing it again and again.
These coats were made for the families of officers in the Far East Military District of Russia, and the requirements were much higher than for ordinary goods.
"Add another centimeter to the collar," said a craftsman wearing reading glasses. "The Russians have thick necks; if it's too small, they won't be able to fit into it."
“Make the sleeves wider here, because they need to wear sweaters in winter.”
"Change the buttons to larger sizes; they'll be easier to button."
The young man next to him listened and took notes quickly.
The old master straightened up and rubbed his eyes.
"Alright, let's get started. Remember, this batch of goods isn't for sale to them, it's for them to wear. If they wear them well, our brand will be established."
The scissors fell, cutting the first piece of fabric.
The lights were still on on the second floor of the county government compound.
County Chief Tian stood by the window, looking at the workshops in the distance that were still lit up.
One, two, three... like stars scattered in the darkness.
The meeting of the Economic and Trade Commission ended, and Xiao Ma carried a stack of approved documents upstairs and pushed open the door.
"County Chief Tian, it's all approved. We can send it to the provincial government for processing first thing tomorrow morning."
County Chief Tian nodded, took the materials, and flipped through them.
Each document was stamped with a red official seal, all neatly arranged.
He put down the materials and looked out the window at the scattered lights.
"Xiao Ma, do you think these factories will succeed?"
Xiao Ma paused for a moment, then said, "County Chief Tian, I think it can work."
"why?"
"Because everyone is working incredibly hard."
County Magistrate Tian didn't speak, he just looked out the window.
In the distance, the lights were still on in the workshop of Changhong Factory. That was what Lin Xiaohe had told her before she left.
The production line cannot stop, and the Panshi brand cannot fall.
He recalled Lin Xiaohe's message from Moscow: "Leader, the time for us to be tested has come! Unite as one, open up the CIS market, and crush Japan!"
County Chief Tian stubbed out his cigarette on the windowsill.
"Okay. Then let's stick together as one."
In the night, the lights of Anning County are brighter than the stars in the sky.
A thick, dark cloud obscured the stars in the sky.
The dog-toothed dog coldly watched the bustling Anning County.
For some reason, his sixth sense was giving him a frantic warning.
Every celestial being dares not ignore their sixth sense. It is an instinct they have honed through countless life-or-death crises.
The dog-toothed sweeping team searched every corner of Anning County but found nothing unusual.
Since Lin Xiaohe seized the divine authority in this area, he has been unable to do anything about Anning County.
The two Domain Lords outside the boundary marker sent another message asking if they needed to enter the node world.
The rolling dark clouds mirrored the restless mood of the dog-tooth at that moment.
Fang drifted to Jin City, where less than one-fifth of the area was under contention, with most of the area still under his control.
Canine Tooth secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and after hesitating for two seconds, he decisively refused the help of the two Domain Lords.
The advantage is mine, and divine right is mine!
Even so, his sixth sense was still going wild, and his canine teeth couldn't resist drifting off to Russia.
Let it see what the troublemaking Divine Heir is up to! No matter how powerful the Divine Heir is, in the Node World he's just an ordinary person and poses no threat to it.
That's right, that's it!
Fully armed, the dog-toothed creature donned layer upon layer of protective shields as it arrived over Moscow.
"Factory manager, what are you looking at?" Ivan craned his neck and looked up at the sky.
Oh, a strange dark cloud is drifting in from the sky.
Lin Xiaohe's lips curled slightly: "It's nothing, just watching an idiot."
Ivan looked around; everyone was one of his own. Where was the idiot? He didn't dare ask, nor did he want to.
“Let’s go now.” Ivan opened the car door and invited Lin Xiaohe in, complaining, “Andrei is always so secretive. Why did he have to meet you so late at night? Moscow isn’t safe! You should have refused him. Who do you think you are? Why do you have to meet so secretly, like you’re something you’re ashamed of?”
Lin Xiaohe stroked her chin and said meaningfully, "The person Andrei introduced this time is indeed not someone who can be met in a high-profile manner."
Ivan was dumbfounded. Huh?!
Could it be that Andrei is involved in a sex trade?!
There are 4 people every day. If you need to take leave, you will be notified one day in advance.
If you only update 2000 words, it's highly likely that you've been put on hold and will be released once you successfully make corrections.
Chapter 553 also had some content revised.
By the way, is it because my traffic is so low that it's always being censored?