Chapter 177: Factory Inspection
The "Post-it King's" wedding had made modest headlines in a city as small and tightly connected as Hong Kong.
But it wasn't just the wedding itself that drew attention—Changxing Industrial had also donated 200,000 Hong Kong dollars to charity, buying up rice from local rice shops and dispatching hundreds of workers to deliver approximately 5 kilograms of rice to each family in nearby squatter settlements.
The paths in those neighborhoods were difficult to navigate, and even with Lin Haoyu and Zhao Liming overseeing the entire operation, it still took a full week to complete.
"The Post-it King Never Forgets His Roots: Wedding Banquet Sends Rice to Tens of Thousands in the Squatter Areas"
This was the front-page headline of Galaxy Daily. While the title was a bit exaggerated—no one was literally hosting a banquet for tens of thousands—the article described in detail the joy of the squatters who received rice. One photo even showed a young girl's delighted smile as she clutched her bag of rice.
On Hong Kong Island, in a house near the University of Hong Kong:
Bai Yujie stared at the newspaper and said, "Sis, that Yang Wendong really is a good man. Helping so many people in the squatter settlements."
"Yeah," Bai Yushan said, putting down her pen. "He once told me he wants to give jobs to tens of thousands from the squatter areas."
"It's great," Bai Yujie sighed. "If only he were like a character from a novel, loyal to one woman like Yang Guo or Guo Jing."
"You said it yourself—that's fiction," Bai Yushan shook her head. "Even our dad married a second wife."
"Hmph! I'm going to find someone who only loves me for life," Bai Yujie said defiantly, hugging her pillow.
"There are men like that—but they're probably ordinary guys. What rich man in Hong Kong doesn't have multiple wives?" Bai Yushan replied thoughtfully.
"Ugh, you're just brainwashed," Bai Yujie grumbled. "Whatever, you go back to work. I'm cooking."
...
The European honeymoon passed quickly.
Yang Wendong and Su Yiyi had mainly gone sightseeing.
When they returned to Hong Kong, it was already June.
The Hong Kong summer had arrived. But for workers at Changxing Industrial, it felt like a dream—many of them actually wanted to be at work, since the factory workshops were cooler than outside.
Phase Two Factory:
As Yang and a group of staff entered the facility, a refreshing wave of cool air hit them.
"This air conditioning system's doing its job," Yang said with a grin. "Not bad, considering how big this space is."
Zhou Xianlong, head of workshop operations, replied, "Mr. Yang, we considered insulation from the start in Phase Two. All the surrounding walls have thermal layers.
We're also adding insulation to the Phase One facility now, to ensure that once the air conditioners are running, we can maintain indoor temperature even during peak summer heat."
"Good. Also keep an eye on humidity levels," Yang reminded. "Our paper stock and finished products can't be exposed to moisture."
Although Yang considered himself a conscientious boss, this major AC installation wasn't just for the workers' comfort.
Last year had taught him a painful lesson: in summer, without fans in the Post-it production environment, productivity plummeted.
And sweat dripping onto the paper? A disaster.
Not to mention how a sudden rainstorm once caused humidity to spike, ruining a batch of warehouse stock.
So by late last year, he'd already decided to install industrial-grade air conditioning for the entire production line.
The workers were just beneficiaries of that decision.
Zhou nodded. "Don't worry, we've got temperature and humidity sensors installed. They'll alert us if anything crosses the threshold. I've also assigned staff to monitor things constantly."
"Good." Yang nodded again. "The other factories don't have AC, right? Make sure they're stocked with fans."
"Already done. Every worker has a fan, and we've distributed ice chests based on team size. Everyone can drink cold water to stay cool."
"Nice. Just make sure they don't freeze their stomachs," Yang joked.
Everyone laughed behind him.
...
There wasn't much to see in the Post-it production lines, but the warehouse management gave Yang a headache.
With hundreds of product batches entering and exiting every day, over 20 employees had to log and record everything just to keep track of inventory and paperwork.
Wei Zetao explained, "Mr. Yang, the warehouse is the most complex and error-prone part of the Post-it factory.
To ensure traceability, we've hired over 50 staff members just to manage records. Every month, we conduct a full inventory audit."
"Do issues come up during audits?" Yang asked.
"Yes. There's always some discrepancies," Wei admitted. "Most are minor and expected. But in March, we had a bigger one.
After three days of review, we found that one employee had mistakenly logged hundreds instead of thousands."
Looking over the massive warehouse, Yang said, "A few mistakes are normal with this volume. No need to make things too hard for the team."
"Don't worry. The frontline employee had minor responsibility. The supervisor who signed off got the real penalty. He should've caught the mistake right away," Wei said.
"Good," Yang nodded. "If the workload is too heavy, then hire more people. With our scale, traceability is non-negotiable."
Even in Yang's past life—despite barcodes, QR codes, and internet connectivity—batch management was hard.
In this era, it was exponentially more difficult. But it was crucial.
If you didn't have the tech, you had to compensate with manpower—and Hong Kong labor wasn't too expensive.
"Got it," Wei said.
...
After reviewing the Post-it factory, Yang also visited the adhesive hook, spin mop, and glue trap assembly lines.
Lastly, he headed to the new rolling suitcase factory—built as a joint venture between Changxing and supplier Dehe.
Dehe's owner, Lin Changrong, was already waiting at the gate. "Mr. Yang, Mr. Wei, Mr. Zhou—welcome."
"No need to be so formal," Yang smiled. "Just here to check out the factory. I want to better understand our products."
"It's no trouble at all," Lin said quickly. "Please, this way."
Yang added, "Let's start with the workshop. I just want a general overview."
"Of course. This way." Lin led the group toward the entrance. Before entering, everyone was required to change into safety shoes and helmets.
"You take safety seriously," Yang remarked with a grin.
"That's all because of Mr. Wei," Lin replied.
Wei chimed in, "Safety first—that's Mr. Yang's policy. I'm just passing along the message."
Yang nodded. "Good."
He took safety very seriously. Changxing's production environment was already safe, but subcontractor factories were riskier.
As the majority client, Changxing required even their partners to follow basic safety protocols and protect workers' rights.
Inside the workshop, a wave of heat greeted them.
Lin explained, "Mr. Yang, plastic molding generates a lot of heat. Add in summer weather and enclosed spaces, and it gets hot fast."
"I understand." Yang nodded, then looked around at the workers, who were using fans. "Just make sure they're as comfortable as possible. Otherwise, heat will hurt quality and output."
"Understood," Lin replied immediately.
Yang continued, "Fans help, but this is too hot. If you can't install AC, at least add a high-powered ventilation system to blow out the hot air."
He looked up. The ceiling didn't have the passive rotary exhaust fans he remembered from past-life factories—perhaps they hadn't been invented yet, or maybe shipping costs kept them out of Hong Kong.
"I'll get on it immediately," Lin said.
Although the joint venture gave Lin management rights, Changxing was the major shareholder and the client—meaning Lin was essentially a glorified, bonus-earning manager.
Even Wei was above his level—Yang's direct orders were final.
...
Yang then walked to a machine and watched it operate. A suitcase shell was molded before his eyes.
Once cooled, a worker removed it, blew it with a fan, drilled the holes, added the handle mechanism, and sometimes wrapped it with fabric.
Changxing's products were innovative but simple. Yang only needed a few minutes to grasp the whole process.
"Mr. Lin, how many suitcases can the two workshops produce per day?" Yang asked.
"Right now, maximum output is 3,500 units daily," Lin replied. "Our third plant is about to start construction. It'll be larger than both existing ones combined."
"Good," Yang nodded. Then he turned to Wei. "All of this is going to Japan and Taiwan?"
"Yes," Wei replied. "They're close to Hong Kong—shipping takes just a few days. Since last month, our suitcases have been selling faster than we can make them in Japan."
"Regular shipping?" Yang asked.
Wei understood what Yang meant and replied, "Yes. Also, the captain you asked me to find—he's been located. I interviewed him with the headhunters and checked his background thoroughly. I think he's a good fit.
Would you like to meet him?"
Friends, if you enjoyed the novel, you can subscribe to my Patreon channel.
Until November 30st, get 30% off both your subscription and the purchase of your novel. Thank you for your support.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10