novelhk Page 679
Page 679
However, she knew that He Yuzhu's style of doing things was always decisive and meaningful, so she did not ask any more questions, obediently agreed, and turned to leave to carry out the mission.
Previously, He Yuzhu had successfully applied for patents for instant noodles and ham sausages, and he was already very familiar with the whole process.
This time, following the same pattern and format as before, he methodically began preparing the patent application for the ballpoint pen refill.
Time flies, and three days have passed in the blink of an eye.
Huang Zhiru finally finished compiling all the materials and presented a detailed report to He Yuzhu.
It turns out that ballpoint pens are not a new type of stationery. Back in the 30s, when they were first introduced, someone had already applied for a patent for them.
It's important to know that, under normal circumstances, the validity period of a design patent is about 10 years, while the validity period of an invention patent is much longer, a full 20 years!
However, the patent for ballpoint pen tips has long since expired, so anyone can use them as they please.
Let's talk about Renault's ballpoint pen company. The patents they own are actually design patents.
Just as He Yuzhu saw with his own eyes, these ballpoint pens were simply like exquisitely crafted works of art.
Some are shaped like majestic Egyptian pharaohs, others resemble gods from Western mythology, and still others are designed based on famous historical figures. Even various strange and unusual animal shapes have been cleverly incorporated into them.
In short, their overall style can be summed up in one word—beautiful!
Moreover, this level of exquisite craftsmanship is not just empty talk; its superb production techniques and meticulous attention to detail are truly breathtaking.
Of course, such high-quality products naturally come with a very high price tag. After all, they are targeting the high-end and luxury market, and ordinary people simply cannot afford such expensive stationery.
Just then, He Yuzhu finally finished the patent application form.
Immediately afterwards, he sent the form to Hung Chen-pei, the head of the legal department of Liao Chuang Hing Bank, and once again asked him to help apply for a patent on his behalf.
After finishing this matter, He Yuzhu was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and relax a little.
However, not long after, he suddenly slapped his forehead and exclaimed, "Oh dear! There's something important I haven't had time to do yet..."
Pan Qun once solemnly entrusted He Yuzhu with an important task:
Keep a close watch on Jimmy's company and try to eliminate the highly skilled martial arts master under its command.
It turns out that the series of attacks that the newspaper had suffered were all planned and orchestrated by this person. Therefore, He Yuzhu had long hated this guy to the bone and wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible.
However, Pan Qun's request was somewhat tricky—He Yuzhu had to find another way to resolve the issue; more importantly, the entire operation had to ensure that Jimmy Trading Company would not be aware of any connection with the newspaper.
For some time now, He Yuzhu has been busy with various matters and has had no time to attend to this matter.
Only recently, when he had some free time, was he finally able to set about this arduous task.
After careful consideration, Ho Yu-chu decided to drive to Jimmy's Trading Company in Wan Chai to find out more.
Jimmy Trading Company was located in a relatively remote area, far from the newspaper office, and completely outside the sphere of influence that He Yuzhu had previously built up.
As he slowly drove to his destination, a sense of unfamiliarity welled up in his heart—after all, this was his first time setting foot in this place.
He Yuzhu brought the car to a steady stop and stepped into the shop.
Stepping into the store, one sees a small shop floor densely packed with all kinds of radios, a dazzling array that is hard to look away from.
The vast majority of these were traditional vacuum tube radios, while transistor radios were few and far between.
In a corner of the shop, there are also some scattered spare parts samples, as if silently telling the story behind these radios.
That vacuum tube radio was a behemoth, standing there like a huge small hill.
In stark contrast, the radios in front of it are much smaller, more delicate, and more charming.
Its outer shell material has also undergone a complete transformation, no longer made of traditional wood, but instead of lightweight and durable plastic.
The larger models of radios are about the size of a regular book, but the miniature models are even more amazing, being only about the size of an adult's palm.
It's incredible that such a tiny body contains such powerful functions!
"Sir, what kind would you like?" the shop assistant greeted him warmly and asked.
"Hmm... let me take a look first. By the way, how much are these radios sold?" the customer asked curiously, pointing to the merchandise on the display stand.
The shop assistant smiled and replied:
"These radios are all imported from the United States, so the price is relatively high, and they basically sell for around 100 Hong Kong dollars."
Upon hearing the price, the customer frowned and muttered:
"Why is it so expensive! Wait, why are you selling these loose parts here?"
He pointed to the various radio parts neatly arranged on the shelf next to him, looking puzzled.
The shop assistant quickly explained:
"Sir, our shop mainly focuses on wholesale business. Many factories choose to buy parts from us to assemble them into finished radios before reselling them. This reduces costs and increases production efficiency!"
He Yuzhu was stunned upon hearing this, and pondered to himself:
So you can also assemble it by purchasing parts directly! That's a good method. He eagerly followed up with:
"Then tell me exactly how to do it."
"Alright, it's actually quite simple... Although the average monthly salary for workers in Hong Kong has risen to HK$200, which is indeed much higher than that in mainland China, it's far behind the salary levels in the United States! That's why many manufacturers choose this method to save costs and increase profit margins."
Jimmy Trading Company has always been engaged in a seemingly simple yet complex business—they import various precision parts from faraway America, then entrust local factories to perform meticulous assembly work, and finally purchase them back and put them on the market for sale.
Just now, when He Yuzhu heard the shop assistant's introduction, he couldn't help but ask with a hint of doubt:
"Didn't you just say that all of these things were imported? Could it be that most of them were actually assembled locally?"
Faced with such direct questioning, the shop assistant's expression instantly became somewhat unnatural, appearing quite embarrassed. However, he still nodded stiffly, muttering to himself:
"Yes, these parts are indeed manufactured in the United States. We just chose to do the final assembly and welding here."
He Yuzhu nodded slightly after hearing this, indicating his understanding. However, his doubts were not completely dispelled, so he continued to ask:
"In that case, I'd like to ask, is it really impossible for us to produce similar parts ourselves in our beautiful Hong Kong? After all, it's a prosperous and technologically advanced place!"
The shop assistant quickly explained, "Oh dear, I'm so sorry, sir, we don't actually have the relevant advanced production technology at the moment."
He Yuzhu pondered for a moment, then continued to ask:
"If that's the case, does your store only handle the wholesale of these parts? Is it possible to transfer the core technology for producing these parts to individuals or companies that need it?"
The shop assistant shook his head without hesitation and replied:
"I'm sorry, sir, we're afraid we can't meet your needs in this regard, as we don't offer such technology transfer services."
Upon hearing this answer, He Yuzhu did not show much disappointment. He simply nodded thoughtfully, then asked again:
"So, is your boss in the store right now? If it's convenient, I'd like to talk to him about this in person."
The shop assistant was clearly taken aback by the sudden request. He hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to follow the customer's wishes and turned to go to the back of the shop to inform the owner of the situation.
Not long after, the shop assistant returned and politely led He Yuzhu into the inner office.
Although He Yuzhu had ulterior motives, when he heard someone fiddling with a radio, he couldn't help but wonder if he could take this opportunity to learn more about it and see if he was also capable of making a radio.
After all, while the machinery industry is reasonably profitable, its profit margins are quite limited compared to the electronics industry.
He Yuzhu had long desired to enter the electronics field, but unfortunately, he had never had a good opportunity. Now, by chance, he had come across this opportunity, and naturally, he wanted to seize it and give it a try.
Not long after, He Yuzhu met the owner of the business, Jimmy, just as he had hoped.
This person was quite young, probably around thirty years old, with glasses perched on his nose, giving him a refined and scholarly appearance.
It's hard for anyone to imagine that such a seemingly harmless person could actually be a CIA agent!
Even more unexpectedly, all the difficulties the newspaper had previously encountered were orchestrated by Jimmy.
Not only that, he even successfully turned two staff members within the newspaper office against him.
Fortunately, He Yuzhu possessed extraordinary abilities and ultimately saw through Jimmy's conspiracy, taking timely measures to mitigate the losses.
However, until this moment, Jimmy's business was still completely unaware that the two traitors had been exposed.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries and introductions, He Yuzhu and Jimmy naturally turned their conversation to matters related to radios.
Jimmy said, "We are just a trading company and do not have the production technology for those products ourselves. We also purchase these raw materials, so I'm sorry, we cannot provide you with the production technology."
He Yuzhu was somewhat disappointed, but upon reflection, it made sense.
Jimmy was just using this business as a cover, since his true identity was that of a secret agent.
Since the production technology for the parts could not be transferred, He Yuzhu discussed the matter of contract manufacturing with him.
Jimmy Trading Company provides all the parts; He Yuzhu only needs to find someone to weld and assemble them before handing the finished product over to Jimmy Trading Company.
There will be a manufacturing fee for each radio.
Then we discussed the specifics of the contract manufacturing. Jimmy Trading Company will provide an experienced welding master who can come to your location to provide guidance and train some newcomers.
Chapter 474 As long as you like it.
Although Ho Yu-chu already owns a luxurious villa on Victoria Peak, he rarely goes there to live and still prefers the house he rents in Wan Chai.
As for its fixed office location, it is located on a rented floor in the Yangtze River Industrial Building.
The space was cramped and narrow, and what was worse, the adjacent factory was noisy and deafening, with constant, deafening noise.
"Does this mean we have to move our residence here as well?" Huang Zhirou asked, looking puzzled.
“Let’s move here for now. Once the industrial building in Wan Chai is completed, I’ll move back to my original place,” He Yuzhu replied calmly.