Chapter 128: Thunder

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night. Not only Li Weimin, Yao Zhengru in the conference room, but also Luo Junwu, Gu Xiguang, He Heng, and others who returned to the conference room after making phone calls one after another, including those who received calls today, are probably waiting for news.

Luo Junwu, who returned to the conference room, had an irrepressible smile on his face. Although the Torch Group has not yet been established and whether it can succeed is still unknown, with such a big formation, Luo Junwu understands that once the Torch Company establishment agreement is signed, this project will become one of the great achievements on his resume!

Everyone in the conference room had different thoughts, but without exception, they were quite looking forward to the Torch Group project. This is also the expectation of everyone present, and even people in the provincial capital Xiyuan and Yanjing.

Li Dongling was not that excited. Establishing the Torch Group was originally a strategy of besieging Wei to save Zhao. Now it has succeeded, and Dongling High-Tech's overseas acquisition plan can begin.

Knowing that everyone was not in the mood to dine at the restaurant, Li Dongling asked the logistics to prepare a simple meal for everyone in the conference room. He wrote and drew on the drawings from time to time.

The Torch Group, although it will not become Dongling High-Tech's most important business department like Dongxin Semiconductor and Dongfang Optoelectronics in the future, this project was also established under the banner of Li Dongling and Dongling High-Tech. Li Dongling does not hope that it will die prematurely, and this also relates to the rice bowls of tens of thousands of people and their families behind them, so Li Dongling has to attach importance to it.

For the Torch Group, Li Dongling's plan is to start with the mass-market disposable lighter, which is the disposable plastic-cased lighter of the previous life.

After grabbing this market first, then gradually upgrade, and develop windproof lighters, metal lighters, and collector's edition lighters with higher profits according to different markets around the world.

Develop different types of lighters for different regions. For example, in places like Siam, Vietnam, and Indonesia, the climate is humid, and the market for moisture-proof lighters is much larger. Users in Japan, Europe, and America value safety performance, and people in Old Maozi and Eastern Europe like lighters with fancy appearances, etc.

Li Dongling needs the Torch Group to become the leader in the lighter industry, not a follower, forever locked in the low-end lighter industry.

This requires the Torch Group to have its own technology. Li Dongling is prepared to let the Torch Group develop AS constant-flow valve lighter technology. The function of this thing is to adjust the flame size. Currently, lighters on the market do not have this function.

As long as the Torch Group can develop this technology, it can spray other brands of lighters for not being advanced enough. Most importantly, with this technology, butane gas can be used as filling gas, which is basically pollution-free. The Torch Group can raise the banner of environmental protection and counter-target other lighter brands!

In the past, companies in Japan, Europe, and America used this trick to target domestic companies. In the future, the Torch Group can do the opposite.

As for the profitability of the Torch Group, it is basically divided into two types: one is the income from selling lighters, and the other is printing advertisements on lighters, which has a wide range.

Li Dongling feels that the Torch Group can set up an advertising department in the future, specifically responsible for docking with advertisers, and printing advertisements for cigarette brands, taxi companies, shopping malls, hotels, restaurants, and various types of merchants on the lighters produced by Torch.

Even a mosquito is meat, not to mention that if the Torch Group's annual shipment can exceed 10 billion lighters, equivalent to tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of people having contacted the advertisements on the lighters, this advertising market is already large enough.

This is actually preparing for the future of the Torch Group. Mechanization and automation replacing manual production is a matter of time sooner or later. Now the Torch Group must prepare early to avoid collapsing one day in the future!

More and more people gathered in the conference room. Zhang Xiaocheng, sitting on Li Dongling's right, looked at so many big figures from Yanjing, the provincial capital, and Pingyang Municipal Government in the conference room. For the previous Zhang Xiaocheng, these were all big figures, but now they are in the same room with him, making Zhang Xiaocheng feel a bit uneasy.

Li Dongling glanced at Zhang Xiaocheng and gave a look of "don't be impatient." After the Torch Group is established, it is estimated that Zhang Xiaocheng will transform and become the general manager of the Torch Group!

Because compared to the several major investors, letting Zhang Xiaocheng serve as the general manager of the Torch Group is acceptable to all parties.

More than an hour later, a sturdy man rushed to the Dongling High-Tech headquarters from Hanxi. Seeing this man, Li Weimin, Luo Junwu, Yao Zhengru, and others all stood up immediately. Even Gu Xiguang and He Heng were obviously a bit polite to this man, because he is the recognized God of Wealth for countless units and companies in Hanxi!

"Sorry to keep everyone waiting!"

As soon as Wu Yaoguo entered the conference room, he kept cupping his hands to everyone, and then walked toward Li Dongling with tiger steps, "I have long heard of Li Zong's great name, but never had the opportunity to meet. Today, I finally got my wish!"

"Manager Wu!"

Li Dongling shook hands with Wu Yaoguo. Wu Yaoguo is the absolute person in charge of Hanxi State Investment, serving as both chairman and general manager. The power of the entire Hanxi State Investment is concentrated in him, because Hanxi State Investment was established by him, bringing Hanxi State Investment to the largest investment group in the entire Hanxi. Many major projects in Hanxi cannot bypass Hanxi State Investment.

After sitting down, Wu Yaoguo had already made up his mind after reading the plan, but he still turned to ask Gu Xiguang first, "What do the experts from the department think of this project?!"

"The experts invited are still on the way, but the Economic and Trade Commission, the Foreign Exchange Department, and several other departments attach great importance to this project!"

Gu Xiguang said relatively implicitly, but Wu Yaoguo had already heard the meaning in these words. The Yanjing side obviously had made up its mind to support this project. No matter how much foreign exchange this project can earn, a project that can provide tens of thousands of employment positions, whether it is Yanjing or Hanxi, will never give up.

"Hanxi State Investment is willing to invest in the Torch Group project!"

After weighing, Wu Yaoguo said in a deep voice. The conference room was filled with applause for a while. The addition of Hanxi State Investment represents that Dongling High-Tech, the Shangguan Town Component Factory supported by Pingyang Municipal Government, and the Hanxi Provincial Government all support this project!

"I propose that Factory Director Zhang Xiaocheng serve as the general manager of the Torch Group!"

Li Dongling said to everyone in the conference room. For a time, the eyes were gathered on Zhang Xiaocheng.

Wu Yaoguo's eyes stayed on Zhang Xiaocheng for a long time. As the three major investors of the Torch Group, no matter whether people from Dongling High-Tech serve as this general manager, or Wu Yaoguo sends people from Hanxi State Investment to serve, it is estimated that it will cause dissatisfaction from the other side. On the contrary, Zhang Xiaocheng taking office does not have so much trouble.

Zhang Xiaocheng represents the Pingyang Municipal Government, has worked with Li Dongling, and has a private friendship with Li Dongling. And Hanxi State Investment and Shangguan Town Component Factory both belong to state-owned enterprise units. Zhang Xiaocheng serving as general manager is indeed the most appropriate.

"I agree!"

"However, after the Torch Group is established, I hope Li Zong can support this project more. The early stage requires an investment of hundreds of millions of yuan, which is really not a small number!"

Wu Yaoguo's eyes were still on Li Dongling. The Torch Group project was proposed by Dongling High-Tech. He knows who is the most important person for this project—not Zhang Xiaocheng, nor his Wu Yaoguo, or the experts from Yanjing, but Li Dongling.

In fact, everyone present, including Gu Xiguang, He Heng, Wu Yaoguo, and others, a considerable part of them bet on Dongling High-Tech and Li Dongling. Otherwise, this project could get 30% of the current support, which would be good.

"This is natural. In the early stage, Dongling High-Tech will provide technical support, promotion, and publicity for the Torch Group."

"I hope that the Torch Group's products can become that light in the lives of countless people around the world!" Li Dongling also said to Wu Yaoguo.

Under the witness of Gu Xiguang, He Heng, Li Weimin, and others, Li Dongling, Wu Yaoguo, and Zhang Xiaocheng signed a cooperation intention agreement to establish the Torch Group. This represents that the Torch Group has been freshly released!

Of course, the specific contract is much more complicated than this, involving more things and people, requiring expert demonstration, then selecting a site to build a factory, establishing or relocating other supporting component companies, etc. Even if there is no investment of 1 billion yuan in the early stage, there will be astronomical funds continuously invested. This will be one of the most important projects in Hanxi from the end of this year to next year!

"Director An, news came from the Provincial Finance Department, Industrial Department, Hanxi State Investment, and Pingyang Municipal Government that this news needs to appear in tomorrow morning's Hanxi Provincial Daily!"

A knock on the door sounded, and the secretary walked into An Yueguo's office and placed an urgent document in front of An Yueguo.

An Yueguo didn't go back to rest all day today. If there was any disturbance in the Hanxi Provincial Government, it would spread. Even if An Yueguo didn't know the details yet, he was sure that something would happen and was waiting in the office.

Taking another sip of tea and putting on his glasses, An Yueguo picked up the document and took a look. His eyes suddenly condensed. Just seeing a few keywords—Torch Group, investment of 1 billion yuan, establishing the world's largest lighter production base, full lighter industrial chain—and the sentence behind it, providing more than 60,000 jobs in the future, An Yueguo understood the weight of this document.

And in the end, seeing the names of Dongling High-Tech and Li Dongling, An Yueguo's eyes were complicated.

"Organize this document into a news release. Tomorrow, Hanxi Provincial Daily, Hanxi Provincial TV Station, and newspapers, TV stations, radio stations, and magazines in various parts of Hanxi must report this matter as soon as possible!" After calming down, An Yueguo immediately started to arrange it.

"Asia's largest lighter production company, Torch Group, established!"

"Investment of 1 billion yuan, Hanxi wants to build the world's largest lighter production base!"

"Dongling High-Tech's new project, can it continue the miracle of going to sea?!"

Early the next morning, media such as Hanxi Provincial Daily fired at full power and spread the news of the Torch Group. Subsequently, it was reprinted and reported by media from all over the country like the wind.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 129 =====