Chapter 269: Steady Progress in New Industries
Yang Wendong asked, "Now that the purchase of the transistor production line is nearly finalized, when can we expect it to arrive in Hong Kong?"
Wang Zhiqun replied, "It'll take about half a month just to disassemble and pack the transistor production line. Shipping it from the U.S. to Hong Kong will take around one month. So, it should arrive in early May. After some adjustments and calibration on our end, we can begin small-scale trial production around June.
But because this is a precision production line, we need to be extremely cautious during transport. I'd like to use the Shun'an, one of Changxing Shipping's vessels. When it returns from the U.S., we can have our team, along with Fairchild's engineers, onboard to supervise the equipment. The ship also needs to maintain a steady speed, which means we really have to rely on our own vessel. Otherwise, we'd have to pay a premium to charter another cargo ship and ensure smooth sailing conditions."
"Alright, coordinate with Zheng Yuhua on that. Pick a ship based on your requirements," Yang Wendong agreed.
Transporting precision equipment has always been a logistical headache, no matter the era. In his previous life, containerization had at least helped secure delicate shipments, but even then, specific arrangements had to be made with the shipping company. Some high-precision machines required entirely separate shipping arrangements.
Cargo ships in this era were even more chaotic — tens of thousands of items often crammed together in one hold. Even with designated personnel assigning storage positions, their main concern was efficiency in loading and unloading, not whether your goods would remain intact. Clients were expected to bear that responsibility themselves. As for precision equipment, damage wasn't always visible on the surface — the interior could be compromised without anyone noticing.
"This will make things much easier," Wang Zhiqun said with a smile.
With multi-dimensional resources available within the group, everything became more efficient — Changxing Industrial provided supply chain support, Changxing Shipping handled transport, and when products eventually hit the market, Changxing Media could take care of promotion and advertising throughout Hong Kong.
"Alright, this matter's settled then," said Yang. "What's the status of the R&D center in the U.S.?"
Wang Zhiqun replied, "Mr. Lin has found a 30,000-square-foot office building in Los Angeles, very close to Stanford University. It's a good location for attracting talent. However, we haven't finalized the R&D center's lead yet. The American headhunting firm is still looking. Once we have someone in place, assembling a team will be much easier."
"Alright, good," Yang nodded.
Wang Zhiqun then added, "Mr. Yang, we've already established the Hong Kong-based team. The electric mosquito swatter project has officially launched, and Changxing Industrial is already developing molds based on our initial exterior design."
"That's quick," Yang said with a smile. "Have we solved the voltage conversion issue?"
"Yes," Wang Zhiqun replied. "We've successfully converted a 5V battery to output a 1200V current using a transformer, capacitor, and transistor circuit. Touching it gives you a noticeable shock — it stings a bit. We've tested it on small flying insects, and they die instantly. Mosquitoes should react the same way. It's just that there aren't many mosquitoes in Hong Kong right now, so we haven't had the chance to test it properly."
"Mosquitoes should be back by next month," Yang thought aloud. "But we can't afford to wait. Send the circuit prototype and a team to equatorial Southeast Asia — there are plenty of mosquitoes there. Run tests for a few days."
"Got it. I'll arrange for that this afternoon," Wang agreed.
Yang asked again, "What about battery life? With two batteries powering high-voltage conversion, how long can it run?"
"Battery life is about one hour on standby. If actively swatting mosquitoes, it drains faster," Wang replied.
"That's not ideal," Yang mused. "Are these the best batteries currently on the market?"
"Yes," Wang said. "We've tested several batteries from Japan and the U.S. — results are similar. There might be rare high-capacity models, but they're expensive. If we use those, we might as well just give customers a few extra regular batteries or go with rechargeable ones."
"That's fine," Yang nodded. "The first version doesn't need to be perfect — as long as it works."
Battery technology, especially at the materials level, was far behind what Yang knew from his original timeline. Still, the fact that rechargeable batteries were already available was a good start.
"In truth, the electric mosquito swatter will mainly be used by households," Wang added. "It's meant for those occasional mosquito sightings. Plus, we've included a power switch. Under normal use, one battery pack can last a week. That should be sufficient."
"Alright, let's proceed with that for now," Yang said. "Our first major priority is the transistor business. Japan has already imposed tariffs on transistor exports, which has severely impacted Hong Kong's radio manufacturing sector. We need to move into that market quickly, then look outward overseas.
The second priority is the electric mosquito swatter. We need a viable product on the market before summer hits the northern hemisphere."
"Understood. We'll have the finished product ready next month. You have my word," Wang said confidently.
"Great, I'm looking forward to seeing it," Yang replied with a smile.
Back in 1958, producing the electric mosquito swatter would've been a daunting challenge for Yang. But now, with the resources at his disposal, it was a relatively simple task.
March 22, Thursday:
That day, shortly after Yang Wendong arrived at Changxing Tower, he was greeted by Tang Xingzhi, who was overseeing the Four Seasons Hotel project, and Zheng Zhijie, in charge of real estate operations.
"Take a seat," Yang invited them. "Have we finalized the Four Seasons Hotel's design?"
For a five-star hotel, the most critical factor is the design phase. If done well, the rest will go smoothly. But if the early planning is flawed, it could take decades and huge costs to fix even small foundational mistakes.
For this reason, even though Yang Wendong was eager to get the hotel built as soon as possible, he had no choice but to wait — to wait until multiple design firms submitted their proposals so a proper decision could be made.
"Yes," Tang Xingzhi replied. "A total of five international architectural firms submitted bids. After discussing it with Mr. Zheng, we both agreed that I. M. Pei's design is the most reliable."
"Really? Not just because he's Chinese?" Yang Wendong chuckled.
Mutual support among fellow countrymen was actually quite common in Hong Kong society — and even more so across the broader global Chinese diaspora.
In fact, during the early stages of soliciting bids for the Four Seasons Hotel, Yang had already had his eye on I. M. Pei.
Of course, it wasn't just because Pei was Chinese — it was because Yang knew history. He knew this man would one day become the only Chinese-American member of the American Institute of Architects, and would go on to achieve great things.
"No, not at all. I. M. Pei's design stands out especially in terms of material optimization," Tang explained. "Mr. Yang, this folder contains a detailed comparison between all the proposals — including cost, space utilization, number of rooms, future energy consumption, and other key parameters. Please take a look."
"Alright. You two go ahead and take a break for a moment," Yang said, flipping directly to the comparison chart.
A great architect doesn't just design beautiful buildings — they account for a wide range of practical and technical considerations:
For example — safety, cost, energy consumption, space efficiency, and ease of use over the building's entire lifetime.
Take safety — for large buildings, structural integrity isn't just about stacking more materials. If the structure itself is flawed, no amount of steel or concrete will save it.
And beyond safety, how to use the least material to construct a durable building is a serious test of skill. Using too much material doesn't just drive up costs — it also puts unnecessary pressure on the foundation, which is especially risky in areas where the soil isn't ideal.
Space efficiency is easy enough to understand. Energy consumption is a long-term issue — especially with a skyscraper running air conditioning all summer. Electricity bills alone can be a huge burden. Designing for energy savings is a deep science in itself...
...
After a long while comparing data and reviewing the blueprints, Yang Wendong had to admit — I. M. Pei's proposal was clearly superior.
"Mr. Yang," Tang added, "each firm also sent over architectural models. They're just too bulky to bring here — would you mind heading to the adjacent conference room to take a look?"
"Sure, let's go see them," Yang nodded.
At this point, he was already 80 to 90 percent convinced by Pei's design, but he still wanted to get a first-hand look at the actual models — those initial visual impressions mattered.
Soon, the group headed to a third-floor conference room, where the different firms' models were displayed. Yang Wendong observed them one by one.
"This one's clearly the most elegant — Pei's design is visually outstanding," Yang commented with a smile.
"I thought so too," Tang nodded, then opened a photo album from the table and said, "In addition, we've also built a mock-up of one of the hotel rooms based on Pei's design. These are the photos."
"Let me see," Yang said, taking the album. After flipping through it for a while, he asked, "Not bad. Where's this mock-up located?"
"It's in a newly prepared residential development in Admiralty," replied Zheng Zhijie from the side.
Tang added, "Mr. Yang, I've already arranged transportation. We can go have a look in person."
"Alright," Yang nodded. "Might as well. Better to see it firsthand."
...
Half an hour later, the group arrived at the Jinzhong Yufu Garden residential complex, where they toured the model room based on the hotel's interior design.
Everything looked in order — nothing glaringly out of place. At the end of the visit, Yang made the final call.
"Alright, award the bid to I. M. Pei. But try to negotiate the price a bit," he said. "Tell him that if this cooperation goes well, there'll be more projects down the line."
And that wasn't just empty talk. Changxing Real Estate was bound to embark on large-scale construction projects throughout Hong Kong in the future. Having a master architect like I. M. Pei involved could very well save them 10% or more in construction costs.
"Understood. I'll finalize the agreement with Mr. Pei as soon as possible," Tang said, clearly pleased.
Only once the hotel was officially under construction would he, as the project's general manager, feel truly settled. Otherwise, he always felt like things were hanging in the air.
Yang added, "The construction of the Four Seasons Hotel will mainly rely on financing from Bank of East Asia and Hang Seng Bank. You'll need to maintain close communication with them moving forward."
As the owner, Yang only needed to agree on the broad terms with the bank heads. The actual cooperation details and fund management would be left to his team.
With all three of his new industries — supermarkets, hotels, and electronics — progressing steadily, Yang could finally breathe a little easier.
"Got it," Tang nodded.
"Alright then, the hotel's settled," Yang said with satisfaction.
Now that everything was finalized, the next step was to break ground. Once the building was completed, Yang could host business meetings on his own turf — without worrying about leaks or eavesdropping.
At that moment, Zheng Zhijie interjected, "Mr. Yang, speaking of banks, there's something I should inform you about. Yesterday, I received a notice from HSBC — Sanders will be officially assuming the position of Chief Manager."
"Oh? That's pretty fast," Yang smiled.
Many already knew this was coming, but until the crown prince officially ascended the throne, there were still limits to his authority.
Now that it was official, this was a major event — not just for HSBC, but for Hong Kong's financial sector as a whole.
Zheng added, "HSBC is a major banking partner of ours, and Sanders will now be one of our key contacts. I think we should arrange a formal visit to congratulate him."
(End of Chapter)
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