Chapter 370: Going on Sale

Liu Jiande, who was once infinitely glorious at the Xicheng No. 1 Wireless Factory, is now operating a sewing machine in Pingyang Prison. After the house he was allotted at the factory was reclaimed, his son, Liu Shirong, disappeared without a trace.

After the Liu family fell, Liu Shirong's fiancée, who had not yet married into the family, immediately drew a line between herself and him. There are rumors that Liu Shirong now makes a living by picking through trash, but there are also rumors that he couldn't handle the blow to the Liu family and has gone insane.

As for the downfall of the Liu family, there are rumors in the outside world that it was because the economic investigation department, due to the massive losses at the Xicheng No. 1 Wireless Factory, investigated Liu Jiande and arrested him, leading to the family's ruin.

However, within the Xicheng No. 1 Wireless Factory and the Pingyang Municipal Government, there is another rumor: the Liu family's misfortune, and Liu Jiande ending up behind bars operating a sewing machine, was because he offended a big shot. The reason is that the order to thoroughly investigate Liu Jiande did not come from the economic investigation department first, but from a big shot in the Pingyang Municipal Government at the time. Rumor has it that it was the then-head of the Pingyang Municipal Government, Luo Junwu, who personally issued the order...

Truth or fiction, it is impossible to know now. Liu Jiande has already entered prison, and Luo Junwu has been promoted to the provincial level; it is even more impossible for him to specifically respond to the affairs of small fry like Liu Jiande.

This matter has simply become fodder for some people's after-dinner conversation. While that may be the case for others, for Qin Fang, it is a completely different feeling.

She is aware of the grievances between Liu Jiande and Li Dongling, especially when she first joined the Shangguan Town Component Factory and Li Dongling personally asked her about the past. Qin Fang told Li Dongling everything about what happened back then.

As a result, not long after, Qin Fang heard the news of Liu Jiande ending up behind bars. Although it was rumored that the economic investigation department arrested him, Qin Fang always felt that there seemed to be some connection to Li Dongling in all of this.

Wei Hongying felt that the arm Qin Fang was gripping was actually starting to ache, and she couldn't help but look suspiciously at the pale-faced Qin Fang, wondering why she would have such a reaction.

Li Dongling looked at Qin Fang before him. Compared to the Qin Fang from the Xicheng No. 1 Wireless Factory days, perhaps her nutrition had caught up; she didn't look as thin as before, not like she would fall over with a gust of wind, but her clothes were stretched tight, which only served to accentuate her figure even more.

Li Dongling looked at Qin Fang. The grievances between him and the Liu father and son were basically settled. Whether Liu Jiande could get out of prison was a question, and even if he did, he would be an old man in his seventies or eighties. As for Liu Shirong, how long he could survive on irregular meals depended entirely on how tough his life was. In both his past and present lives, the grudge between Li Dongling and the Liu family had been avenged!

Having been old acquaintances with Wei Hongying and having kept in touch from time to time over the past few years, Li Dongling exchanged a few pleasantries with her, then nodded at Qin Fang and walked toward Zhang Xiaocheng's office.

"Qin Jie, you're hurting me!"

After Li Dongling left, Wei Hongying said to Qin Fang. Upon hearing this, Qin Fang hurriedly let go.

Wei Hongying rubbed the spot where Qin Fang had gripped her. "Qin Jie, what was wrong with you just now?"

"It's nothing, maybe I didn't rest well!" Qin Fang made up an excuse.

Wei Hongying looked at Qin Fang suspiciously, always feeling that there was something in this she didn't know, but she knew Qin Fang's temperament; if she didn't want to say, Wei Hongying really couldn't do anything about it.

"Chairman Li, sit down quickly!"

When Li Dongling arrived, Zhang Xiaocheng was discussing matters with several senior executives of the Torch Group, including Zhou Wenyang, the manager of the Torch Group's technical department.

As the old workhorse of the technical department at the Xicheng No. 1 Wireless Factory back then, Zhou Wenyang had finally made a name for himself at the Torch Group. Zhang Xiaocheng valued Zhou Wenyang highly, unlike back at the wireless factory where Liu Jiande, technical office section chief Xu Yiqiao, and others treated Zhou Wenyang as nothing more than an old workhorse to pull the millstone, never giving him any feed. Zhou Wenyang was now living quite well at the Torch Group.

Seeing Li Dongling, Zhang Xiaocheng stood up hurriedly and said to the group of Torch Group executives, "With Brother Li here, I finally feel like I have a solid foundation!"

Back in the component factory days, the Guanying satellite dish project was handled entirely by Li Dongling. Up until now, because the profit was too low, the component factory had long since stopped making them, but many small manufacturers were still hoarding parts and assembling satellite dishes. Whether in cities or rural areas across the country, one could see the presence of satellite dishes; this could be considered one of the impacts brought about by the original Guanying satellite dish!

Now at the Torch Group, with Li Dongling here, Zhang Xiaocheng immediately felt a few degrees more confident.

After Li Dongling sat down, he said directly, "The Dongling Gao Ke marketing department, along with Fenzhong Media, has helped the Torch lighter secure a portion of advertising sponsorship.

Additionally, the Dongling Gao Ke marketing department has already reached cooperation agreements with supply and marketing cooperatives, shopping malls, supermarkets, and other retailers to act as agents for lighter sales!"

Dongling Gao Ke had always had cooperation with the supply and marketing cooperatives, which had never been interrupted. This time, regarding the cooperation with the Torch Group, the supply and marketing cooperatives did not hesitate much and agreed directly. They had made a huge profit from the several previous cooperations with Dongling Gao Ke, so naturally, they wanted to replicate it again this time.

Upon hearing this from Li Dongling, Zhang Xiaocheng turned to the heads of the Torch Group's marketing and production departments and said, "Once the lighter advertisements are printed, ship the goods according to the orders immediately!"

The several Torch Group executives acknowledged the order and then dispersed to get busy. A moment later, the entire Torch Group began to become boisterous.

In the office, only Li Dongling, Zhang Xiaocheng, and Zhou Wenyang remained. Li Dongling picked up a sample of the Torch lighter from the table. The lighters produced by Torch were basically not much different from the lighters of his past life; after all, for a one-yuan lighter, cost control had to be pushed to the limit.

"Click!"

Li Dongling pressed a lighter, and a flame immediately emerged, but the flame flickered and did not remain stable.

Li Dongling put down the lighter, turned to Zhou Wenyang, who was in charge of the Torch Group's technical research and development, and asked, "How is the constant-flow valve technology coming along?"

At the inception of the Torch Group, Li Dongling had invested the money into building what could be considered the top-tier lighter laboratory in the country. Additionally, there were electrical laboratories, lighter environment laboratories, lighter safety laboratories, the Torch Lighter Museum, and more.

For the sake of constant-flow valve technology, since the establishment of the Torch Group, Dongling Gao Ke and the Hanxi State Investment had successively added several rounds of funding. They had also spent money to reach lighter project cooperation agreements with Hanxi Jiaoda, Qiantang University, and the Huaqing School of Physics for the Torch Group.

Even for the sake of constant-flow valve technology, they had brought in foreign research institutions in mechanics and fluid dynamics. The entire project involved more than eighteen research institutions. Long before this, the invested R&D funds had already exceeded five or six million US dollars, which, converted to RMB, was over 32 million. Now, the money being burned was even more!

Burning so much money for a single technology and going to such great lengths to consume so much manpower and material resources—if this technology hadn't been proposed by Li Dongling, it is estimated that the Torch Group's other two major shareholders, Hanxi State Investment and Pingyang City Investment, would have long since called a halt to it.

"The lighter laboratory has already preliminarily experimented with constant-flow valve technology. Although there is still a certain gap from your requirements, Chairman Li, the laboratory is confident that we can launch the constant-flow valve technology by the end of the year at the latest!" Zhou Wenyang said.

Li Dongling still trusted Zhou Wenyang's words. As an old workhorse, he hadn't played any fancy tricks. If he dared to say this, it meant that the laboratory was likely only one step away from achieving the constant-flow valve.

"As long as we can develop the constant-flow valve technology and hold this patent, the Torch Group will have the opportunity to challenge old-school lighter brands like Ronson in the lighter industry!"

Hearing this from Li Dongling, Zhang Xiaocheng couldn't help but feel a bit more expectant. He had read the business plan Li Dongling wrote before establishing the Torch Group.

Relying solely on price wars would not make money. The Torch Group definitely had to squeeze into the mid-to-high-end lighter market, snatching the high-end lighter market from brands like Zippo under Ronson.

Currently, lighter brands like Zippo, Dunhill, and Hansen had not yet established an absolute high-end brand advantage, so there was still an opportunity to knock them off their pedestals.

In another ten or twenty years, there would really be no chance. Domestic lighter brands were basically locked into the one-yuan mass-market lighter segment, becoming synonymous with low-end lighters. Even counterfeit Zippos sold for more than domestic lighters...

"Once the constant-flow valve technology is developed, the Torch Group can launch windproof lighters suitable for outdoor users, as well as moisture-proof lighters for places like Siam, Jiaozhi, and Malaysia, and officially enter the overseas market!" Li Dongling said to Zhou Wenyang.

The Torch Group was at its most critical moment. Li Dongling needed to stay at the Torch Group for these few days. Additionally, the Pingyang Municipal Government had sent leaders over, and even departments like the Provincial Department of Industry had sent people to supervise the battle.

In the afternoon, the warehouse doors of the Torch Group were opened, and special flammable gas box trucks drove into the Torch Group's warehouse to start loading goods.

These vehicles all belonged to the Torch Group's transportation department, specifically used for transporting lighters. Given the future domestic market demand for lighters, these special transportation vehicles were cash cows; there was no worry about orders at all.

After being loaded with goods, these lighter transport vehicles drove out one after another, heading toward various cities and counties within Hanxi Province, and some were also heading to other provinces.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 371 =====