Chapter 87: The Explosive Popularity of Post-it Notes
In his previous life, Yang Wendong had enjoyed reading rebirth-themed novels, so he naturally knew some of the classic, tried-and-true methods characters used to make a fortune.
Writing novels was one of the most common ones, but without a memory-based "golden finger," Yang Wendong couldn't learn the craft even if he wanted to.
If it were the internet era and he had IT skills, he could have started a private server for games or made simple online games—both were common and relatively low-risk ways to get rich.
Another path, like the one Yang Wendong had chosen, was through clever product ideas—small inventions with big returns.
Now that it was the 1950s, the Rubik's Cube didn't exist yet. In fact, Yang Wendong had thought long ago about recreating this simple and highly profitable toy.
However, while he understood how the Rubik's Cube functioned and how to play with it, he had no idea how the internal structure allowed for rotation in three directions. Because of that, he had shelved the idea until now.
…
Hong Xuefei studied the cube diagram and the brief written description for a moment. He couldn't think of a solution right away, so he asked, "Boss, I think this can be designed, though it'll take some time. Can you tell me what this thing is for?"
"There's no need for you to know that yet. Once you've designed it, you'll find out," Yang Wendong replied with a calm smile.
To register a patent for a new invention, you needed a working prototype. Ideas alone weren't enough.
Although, legally speaking, all work and inventions produced by employees under contract would belong to the company, Yang Wendong wasn't taking any chances.
What if the information leaked? Or what if someone in another country filed the patent before him? He would be stuck in endless lawsuits, and it would all be pointless.
So while the diagram clearly laid out the shape and functional requirements of the cube, it contained no colors and didn't explain its purpose. Even if someone else saw it, they wouldn't know what it was meant to do.
Hong Xuefei didn't press the issue. He glanced again at the paper and asked, "What material should it be made from? The weight will affect the design."
"Plastic," Yang Wendong replied. "All hollow pieces. It won't be very heavy. When designing the structure, try to avoid using metal—stick with plastic.
Our factory has injection molding machines, so we'll be able to manufacture them ourselves."
Among the valuable assets left by Li Hongxing, besides the industrial land on the outskirts of Tsim Sha Tsui, the rest were mostly related to injection molding—several experienced workers, some basic equipment, and a few very small toy clients.
If glue traps no longer required plastic boards in the future, the equipment and workforce could be repurposed to manufacture Rubik's Cubes.
In fact, Yang Wendong had plans to enter the toy industry. Toys were one of the few industries that would remain relevant for a hundred years.
Even Li Ka-shing, during the booming years of plastic flowers, realized the market would eventually decline and began expanding into plastic toys. Even when he became a real estate mogul, he never completely gave up his toy business.
However, the toy industry is deeply tied to the cultural sector. Li Ka-shing, though a brilliant businessman, had no talent for culture. As a result, his toy ventures stayed in the low-end OEM category and never became a cornerstone of his empire.
As a transmigrator, Yang Wendong wasn't particularly versed in culture either—but he still had a significant edge over the natives. Cultural industries required massive capital and resources to develop, which he didn't yet have.
For now, the goal was to create the Rubik's Cube. Everything else could wait.
"Plastic? Got it," Hong Xuefei nodded.
The two discussed a few more technical details before Hong Xuefei took his leave.
…
Oftentimes, we take small, everyday items for granted. They seem simple now, but their invention may have taken years—or generations—of refinement. A screw, for example, looks basic, but countless minds worked over generations to perfect it.
Sometimes, groundbreaking inventions came about purely by accident—like saccharin, the telephone, or X-rays.
The Rubik's Cube was common in the future. Almost everyone had played with one. But as for how its internal structure worked? Maybe one in ten thousand people could actually explain it.
Yang Wendong had no idea how it was originally invented. He could only rely on the structural engineers he had just hired.
It was unlikely they'd figure it out in a matter of days. All Yang Wendong could do was participate in brainstorming sessions, offer feedback, and hope they would crack the design soon.
Thankfully, Hong Xuefei and his team were quite capable. Working with Yang Wendong, they quickly managed to build a prototype that could rotate on one face. They were now refining it further.
…
Meanwhile, the five new Post-it production machines from Japan arrived in Hong Kong right on schedule and were installed quickly.
With the original machine, there were now six in total—all operating at full capacity.
Yang, Su, Zhao, and Lin stood together in the factory, watching the machines hum and churn. For now, all other matters could wait.
Su Yiyi did some quick math with a pencil on paper. "Brother Dong, these six machines combined can produce around 600 Post-it pads per hour. If they run nonstop all day, we're looking at about 15,000 units."
"Fifteen thousand? That's…" Zhao Liming grinned. He knew the price and approximate cost. At that rate, they'd be generating over a thousand HKD in daily revenue.
Even after deducting for maintenance and other expenses, they could easily be making 10,000 to 20,000 HKD per month in net profit. That was enough for a down payment on a decent apartment in a prime Hong Kong location.
"Not bad," Yang Wendong nodded. "But it's still not much. The first batch we're sending to the U.S. doesn't need to be large. We just want 3M to get it on store shelves and build up awareness."
Su Yiyi added, "I already booked cargo space on a flight in a few days. The first shipment—100,000 Post-it notes—will be airfreighted to the U.S. That way, we can get them in stores before Christmas."
"Nice. Looks like we caught the perfect window," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "In the U.S., Christmas and New Year's usually come with a two-week holiday. That's a great time for us to rush production."
Zhao Liming added, "Brother Dong, Dongsheng's first machine is almost done. They've invited us to come take a look in a few days."
"I'll definitely go," Yang Wendong nodded. Producing his equipment domestically was incredibly important.
It saved money and boosted efficiency. In fact, Hong Kong's success in plastics and textiles was largely tied to its ability to manufacture machinery locally.
Even in the electronics boom ten years from now, the same pattern would apply. If it weren't for the inaction of the colonial government, Hong Kong's industries might have successfully transitioned from low-end to high-end manufacturing in the 1980s.
With its population size, if even two or three out of dozens of key industries had successfully upgraded, that would have been enough.
But history doesn't deal in "what-ifs."
…
A few days later, at Los Angeles International Airport in the United States:
A plane descended smoothly from the western sky.
"Robert, you really went all out, huh?" said a blonde woman in her thirties wearing glasses. "Airfreighting an entire pallet from Hong Kong? With layovers in Japan and Alaska? I bet the shipping cost more than the goods themselves!"
Robert chuckled. "Robin, you've used Post-it notes yourself. Could you live without them now?"
"I have to admit, I really can't live without them anymore," Robin shrugged. "Since I started using Post-it notes, my work has become a lot easier. I don't have to try and remember everything myself."
Robert nodded. "Same here. A lot of people in our department feel the same way. Actually, our Hong Kong partner sent some samples to companies like Coca-Cola, General Electric, and General Motors. The feedback from all of them has been very positive.
So this air shipment of Post-it notes isn't about making money right away. It's to give free samples to many large American companies so they can realize that Post-it notes exist and how useful they are."
Robin smiled. "Giving out free samples is such a smart marketing strategy. It's exactly how Coca-Cola promotes new drinks. And I have to admit—it works."
Robert replied, "Exactly. I'm glad I acted early and reached out to Hong Kong as soon as I realized the potential.
Did you know, while I was negotiating with Eric—the inventor—in Hong Kong, someone from Kodak also tried to reach out and negotiate with him? It put me under a lot of pressure, and in the end, I basically agreed to most of Eric's terms."
Robin laughed. "From what you've told me, those terms weren't unreasonable. I haven't met Eric myself, but it sounds like he has a clear understanding of the value of his patent. He probably also realized that our distribution network is perfect for him, so he was quick to finalize the deal."
"True," Robert nodded. "But here's the strange thing—I looked into his background. Can you believe it? He never even finished primary school. He started working when he was only seven or eight.
Yet somehow, he's come up with two highly practical patented products, and he's also very sharp when it comes to business negotiations. Honestly, I can't figure him out."
"Two?" Robin asked, puzzled. "What's the other one? That wasn't in the materials you shared."
"Oh, it's a rodent trap that uses glue," Robert replied quickly. "We didn't include it because we don't do that kind of business. But yeah, it uses adhesive too. The idea is…"
"I see," Robin nodded. "Looks simple, like the Post-it, but the person who thought of it first is the real genius."
Robert waved his hand. "Exactly. I don't even know how someone like him can be so capable."
Robin thought for a moment and said, "Maybe the fact that he didn't go to school is exactly why he's like this? I read somewhere that 600 years ago, a Chinese emperor who defeated the Mongol Empire had also never been formally educated."
"Hmm, while I agree that Eric is impressive, comparing him to an ancient emperor might be a bit of a stretch," Robert chuckled.
"It's just an example," Robin said. "But maybe both of them grew up in poverty and learned to survive by being resourceful."
"Maybe," Robert nodded. "Anyway, let's go pick up the shipment. I've rented a small storage unit near the airport.
Our team will repackage everything right here and send it via express air freight to company headquarters, hospitals, government offices, and other locations across California."
Robin looked impressed. "Using express air freight from the airport? That's smart! It'll only take two or three days to reach most of those offices."
Robert smiled. "Exactly. With Christmas right around the corner, we need to move fast. We want these companies to experience the product before the holidays. Then, once the new year starts, I'll be ready to scale things up."
As they walked, Robin asked, "So you're not taking time off for Christmas?"
"I'll take off Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but I'll work the rest of the week," Robert said. "The airport's open every day anyway. Besides, we can take compensatory days off later.
I made a personal guarantee to the board about these Post-its. If they don't become a hit, how can I show my face at 3M?"
Robin laughed. "They'll definitely be a hit. I'll congratulate you in advance on discovering such a brilliant product for 3M. Who knows? Maybe you'll get a promotion next year."
"Haha, thanks," Robert said, clearly energized.
It wasn't just Robert who had confidence in the Post-it note—everyone who had used it seemed to love it. That kind of unanimous approval was almost unheard of.
Even Coca-Cola had detractors—some people preferred Pepsi or other drinks. But Post-it notes? They didn't even have any competitors. If they didn't become a sensation, it would defy all logic.
The only downside was that Post-it notes weren't used up quickly. They were a low-cost product with a relatively long usage cycle. Unlike beverages, which were consumed daily, office supplies like these weren't used in the same volume.
…
December 18th – Outside Los Angeles, California – General Electric Regional Office
"Phoebe, you've got a special delivery!" said a brunette woman as she walked into the top-floor office, holding a thick envelope.
Phoebe, a blonde woman, looked surprised. "A delivery? Could it be an early Christmas gift?"
"Maybe," the brunette—Karen—grinned. "You're pretty enough that a few guys downstairs are secretly crushing on you. Maybe one of them is finally confessing?"
"You too, Karen," Phoebe teased, smiling as she took the envelope. It felt thick—she couldn't tell what it might be.
Karen replied, "Oh, please. I can't compare. American guys go crazy for blonde bombshells, not brunettes like me. Now open it already."
"Alright," Phoebe murmured as she tore open the envelope, revealing a stack of strange yellow paper, bound like a small notepad.
"What's this?" Karen picked one up and examined it.
"Looks like something for work," Phoebe said, scanning the insert. "There's a description on the first page."
"Oh, it's called a Post-it," Karen said after reading. "It's from 3M."
"I like that company," Phoebe smiled. "I love their staplers."
Karen looked more closely at the letter. "Wait—it's from 3M, but the product isn't theirs. It's from a company called Deli. Ever heard of them?"
Phoebe thought for a moment. "No, can't say I have. Probably from another state. There are so many companies in the U.S.—it's normal that we haven't heard of all of them."
"True," Karen nodded in agreement.
Phoebe looked back at the insert and said, "This thing is for when you need to remember to do something later—you write it down and stick it somewhere visible. Or you can stick it directly onto documents."
"Interesting idea," Karen said, nodding. "That's actually really smart."
She peeled off a yellow sheet and stuck it on the envelope. Then she peeled it off again.
"No glue residue at all. It doesn't damage the paper underneath."
Phoebe tried one on her desk. "Nice! This will make it much easier to keep track of things."
Karen rummaged through her mail cart. "Looks like there are a few more. Here—we've got deliveries for HR, Purchasing, and Sales too.
Seems like 3M targeted departments with public contact info."
"Yep," Phoebe said, nodding. "HR needs to hire people, and both Purchasing and Sales deal with external vendors all the time. Their contact info is usually easy to find."
…
December 22nd – 3M Los Angeles Branch Office
The phones were ringing nonstop.
Robin walked over to Robert and asked, "Are all those calls from people asking to buy Post-it notes?"
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