Chapter 89: Technical Optimization and Expansion Needs
When Zhou Zhigang heard the number, he was overjoyed. He quickly asked, "Mr. Yang, may I ask what kind of improvements you're looking for? Dongsheng has been in Hong Kong for over ten years, and when it comes to equipment, we're definitely among the top three."
Yang Wendong replied, "The current speed is too slow. I want it increased—ideally keeping the size roughly the same, or slightly larger, but with a production speed that's several times faster."
Often, slow production speed couldn't be fixed just by adding more machines. Too many machines would create enormous management burdens—not just in terms of money, but also in terms of the management team's attention and control.
More importantly, it made quality control far more difficult.
Zhou Zhigang thought for a moment and said, "In theory, it's doable. But we'd have to redesign the machine completely. Also, to achieve that speed, we'd need to use high-precision imported components and motors. The cost will definitely be much higher."
Yang Wendong nodded. "That's fine. Just design it first so I can see the projected cost. I'll make my decision after that."
If a high-end machine with the same capacity ended up being way more expensive than several standard machines combined, it wouldn't be worth it. But if it was only slightly more expensive—or comparable—then it would definitely be worth the switch.
A simple example would be beverage production lines in the modern era. Before the 1980s, most were run like small workshops. By the 21st century, everything had moved to large-scale automated lines, even though they cost far more. Why? Because they made quality control much easier.
Even though Post-it notes were far simpler, if massive quantities were being produced by hundreds or thousands of small machines, quality would be almost impossible to manage—especially without computers. That was exactly what Yang Wendong wanted to avoid.
Zhou Zhigang said, "Alright. We'll put together the data and design and present it to you."
"Much appreciated," Yang Wendong replied with a smile. Having local equipment manufacturers like this in Hong Kong was excellent news for product-focused factory owners like him.
Zhou continued, "Mr. Yang, I understand Changxing doesn't just make Post-it notes. You also produce glue traps. Actually, those can also be made with specialized equipment."
"Machine production?" Yang Wendong asked. "Would that be cheaper than manual labor?"
"Maybe not cheaper—possibly even more expensive—but it would be standardized," Zhou admitted after thinking it over.
Yang Wendong chuckled. "Then let's not worry about that for now. Maybe in the future."
At present, labor in Hong Kong was cheap—similar to early 1980s mainland China. Machines were expensive and people were cheap. In many industries, manual labor was far more cost-effective than automation.
The more basic the industry, the more obvious this was. That's why, both in today's Hong Kong and in mainland China decades later, many industries were labor-intensive—relying on human workers and only minimal machinery.
However, Post-it notes didn't fall into the "low-end" category. They couldn't be mass-produced by hand. High-precision equipment was a must.
As for glue traps, those could absolutely be made by hand—it was just a matter of applying adhesive.
Even if using machines ended up costing less or about the same, Yang Wendong would still prefer manual production.
First, he wanted to help people like those from the shantytowns where he'd once lived. Second, in a chaotic society like this one, he needed to control a large number of jobs for his own protection. The more jobs he provided, the more the colonial government would support him—that was a mutually beneficial relationship.
Even the Japanese during the occupation had understood this principle: to stabilize a region, you had to support the local industrialists.
Zhou Zhigang smiled and said, "I understand. That said, I do have another suggestion. We don't need to use the same kind of equipment as for the Post-its, but we could adopt a very basic conveyor belt system.
Right now, after your workers apply the glue, they set the traps aside manually to dry—that's a serious bottleneck. If we introduce a slow-moving conveyor belt, the traps can be placed directly on it and moved along automatically. At the end of the belt, another person can collect and stack them.
That would save time and space. I'm sure you see the advantage."
"Hm. That does make sense," Yang Wendong nodded. "Alright then. Send the specs to our factory next time you get a chance."
The glue trap didn't have much profit margin—it faced stiff competition from other pest control methods, unlike Post-it notes.
If he could use large-scale manpower while boosting efficiency a little, that was definitely worth it—especially because factory space utilization directly impacted a business's profitability.
"No problem. I'll send someone over in a few days," Zhou replied with a smile. "Also, the amount of glue applied to each trap can be controlled with a very simple mechanism.
We could design a nozzle with a fixed output volume. That way, you won't have too little glue, but you also won't waste it."
Yang Wendong laughed. "You've thought of everything, haven't you? But we've already implemented that part internally."
Even though he wasn't an expert in industrial management, he came from the 21st century. He understood how crucial standardized processes were. Since glue was the main cost of making traps, of course he was already controlling the volume carefully.
Zhou continued, "I'm sure you already have something in place. But what I'm suggesting is an electric system that precisely controls the glue output. The accuracy would be much higher.
We can even add a counter. That way, your managers won't need to manually count how many traps were made each day—they can just check the counter on the glue machine."
"A counter? How does that work?" Yang Wendong asked curiously. Without LCD displays, he hadn't even considered how they'd do that.
Zhou chuckled. "It's controlled by mechanical counters—just like our watches. For every set number of operations, it clicks forward one digit, controlling the tens, hundreds, and thousands place like a flip counter."
"Interesting," Yang Wendong said, nodding. "Alright. If you can build it and it helps our factory, I'll definitely buy it."
In his previous life, Yang Wendong had visited many modern factories and understood the importance of precision control.
But modern precision was based on computerized systems. In this era, none of that existed. Even if he wanted to implement modern management, he simply didn't have the tools. And until recently, he'd focused most of his energy on dealing with clients.
Still, it now seemed this era had its own solutions too.
Zhou smiled. "Alright, Mr. Yang. I'll work on it and get it done as soon as possible."
Yang Wendong asked, "Mr. Zhou, you seem very familiar with factory management?"
Zhou replied with a humble smile, "Not exactly. I wouldn't say I'm an expert—but I've picked up a bit through experience. Also, many of our clients are large factories in Hong Kong. Some of the big foreign trading firms even use our equipment in their warehouses."
Yang Wendong followed up, "Mr. Zhou, if I wanted to hire someone who was more specialized in management, do you have anyone in mind?"
Over the past few months, when the factory was still small, doing things in a rough, improvised way hadn't caused much trouble. But now, with the business expanding rapidly—especially with a partnership with 3M—Yang Wendong knew that even if he couldn't implement the fully modern management systems of his previous life, he at least needed to adopt the most efficient practices available in this era.
Zhou Zhigang thought for a moment and said, "When it comes to factory management, honestly, there aren't many people in Hong Kong who are really good at it. I do know a few, but they work for our biggest clients. It wouldn't be appropriate for me to give you their contact information.
And besides, they're all senior managers in large factories. Mr. Yang, I think you've got great potential, but at this stage, it would be hard for you to recruit them."
"I understand. I'm just thinking ahead and preparing for the future," Yang Wendong said with a smile. Zhou was being honest, and Yang didn't mind his straightforwardness.
Zhou continued, "Mr. Yang, let me give you one simple truth—if you want to recruit top talent in any industry, just look at the biggest players in that industry.
If you're in beverages, poach people from Swire. If you're in warehousing, go after those at Wharf Holdings. And if you're running a factory, then look at the biggest factories."
"Cheung Kong Industrial?" Yang Wendong immediately thought of Li Ka-shing.
There was no other way—Cheung Kong Industrial had become Hong Kong's largest factory thanks to plastic flowers. The newspapers had already crowned Li as the "King of Plastic Flowers"—not just in Hong Kong, but on a global scale.
Zhou shrugged. "I didn't say anything."
Yang Wendong grinned. "So Cheung Kong Industrial is also one of your clients?"
"Yes, a major one. They've bought a lot of injection molding machines from us," Zhou said, smiling.
It wasn't a secret—on the contrary, it was something worth showing off. Supplying Hong Kong's largest factory with equipment was the kind of thing that enhanced a company's reputation.
"Injection molding machines?" Yang Wendong nodded thoughtfully. If the Rubik's Cube project succeeded, he'd likely need to invest in injection molding as well.
The outdated equipment he currently had was only good for producing the most basic, rough plastic parts—nowhere near the quality needed for high-end toys.
After returning from Dongsheng, Yang Wendong met with Hong Xuefei to check on the progress of the Rubik's Cube structure.
"Mr. Yang, we've figured out the mechanism for a 2x2 rotating cube," Hong reported. "As for the 3x3 version, we've made some progress, but it still doesn't meet your standards."
"Let me see the 2x2 version," Yang Wendong said eagerly.
Inside Changxing Industrial, the Rubik's Cube project wasn't exactly a secret. The factory was small, and the research team was always seen tinkering with it. Everyone knew something was up.
However, only Yang Wendong knew its true purpose. He never used the term "Rubik's Cube" around anyone, instead referring to it as a "rotating block."
Taking the prototype from Hong, Yang Wendong tested it for a while. It turned smoothly, but he knew the 2x2 version didn't mean much on its own. "Is the 3x3 version based on the same principle?" he asked.
"We're following the same concept, but it's been much harder to implement," Hong replied. "Even though it's just one step up, the difficulty increases tenfold."
"Start with the six central pivoting pieces—then gradually add in the edge and corner pieces," Yang suggested after some thought.
He didn't fully understand the Rubik's Cube's internal mechanics, but he knew that the rotating center of each face had to be the key.
"Got it, Mr. Yang," Hong said.
"Keep at it. If you run into any problems, come directly to me," Yang added.
Though he hadn't done any engineering design in his previous life, he'd lived in the internet age and had a wide range of knowledge. Sometimes, when asked the right question, he could offer insight others might not think of. That, perhaps, was his real "golden finger."
…
The next morning, Yang Wendong arrived at the factory early. The new equipment from Dongsheng had arrived the previous afternoon and had been set up overnight. Since the machines were based on the Japanese ones, they were already operational by morning.
Yang watched them for a while and then turned to A-Long. "How does this equipment compare to the ones from Japan?"
A-Long had been one of the first workers to train on the Japanese machines. He was dedicated and even teaching himself some Chinese characters. Yang had high hopes for him.
A-Long replied, "In terms of operation, they're about the same. But I've noticed this one sometimes over-applies glue on the Post-its. It's a bit inconsistent."
Yang nodded. "That's normal for a reverse-engineered prototype. Just write everything down. In a few days, you can call Dongsheng and ask them to fix it."
"Me? Call them?" A-Long looked nervous.
Yang laughed. "Yes, you. Don't be afraid. You're the customer—you're the boss. They should be scared of you."
"Brother Dong, I've never made a phone call before. I've only seen one here at the factory," A-Long admitted sheepishly.
Yang laughed again. "There's a first time for everything. You'll get used to it."
Later, Zhao Liming stopped by to take a look. "Brother Dong, looks like only a few small differences compared to the Japanese machines," he commented.
"Exactly. It's not a complicated design. Dongsheng has been making equipment for over a decade—they're more than capable," Yang said. "Have the latest Post-it batches been shipped to the U.S.?"
"Yes," Zhao Liming nodded. "We've been sending them by air. 3M is covering the freight—it's several times more expensive than the product itself, but only they would be willing to pay that."
Yang chuckled. "They're still in the market-building phase. Compared to their marketing budget, this is nothing."
Zhao added, "Once Dongsheng delivers more machines, our production should reach over 50,000 units per day. But even that's not enough to meet 3M's demand."
"Expected," Yang said. This kind of instantly viral product—especially one that could only be made by machines—would inevitably face early-stage production limitations. Expansion was a must.
Zhao continued, "There's another issue. Our factory can barely hold twenty more machines from Dongsheng. But if we want even more, or if we go for the high-capacity machines you mentioned, we'll run out of space.
Plus, according to our internal forecasts, glue trap sales could be ten times higher next spring."
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