Chapter 249: Glory Electronics
"Alright, I'll go make the arrangements right away," Wei Zetao responded.
"Mm," Yang Wendong nodded.
While he didn't need to personally oversee the hiring of specialized plastic material researchers in Taiwan, electronics were a different matter entirely. The electronics industry would be a core sector for his future—arguably even more important than his current product lines. This, he had to handle himself.
…
December 31, the last day before New Year's Day.
In Kwun Tong, at the Changxing Industrial Park, a man around 40 years old followed Wei Zetao to the south wing of the park's main office building.
"Mr. Wang, the boss's office is upstairs," Wei said.
The man smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Wei. I've long heard of the legendary 'Post-it King.'"
"No need for formalities. We'll be colleagues soon," Wei replied with a grin. "Mr. Yang is very serious about entering the electronics industry. I hope you two have a great discussion."
"Of course," Mr. Wang said politely.
The two entered the top-floor executive office.
"Mr. Yang," Wei said as he led the man forward. "This is Mr. Wang Zhiqun, formerly of the American Broadcasting Electronics Corporation. Mr. Wang, this is my boss, Mr. Yang."
"Mr. Yang, it's an honor to finally meet you," Wang greeted with a respectful tone.
"Hello, Mr. Wang," Yang smiled and gestured. "Please, have a seat."
He had already reviewed Wang's résumé. It was impressive—Harvard graduate, work experience at HP, IBM, and American Broadcasting Electronics. He had risen to mid-upper management, which was quite an achievement considering the racial barriers of the time.
"Thank you," Wang replied politely as he sat.
An assistant brought in hot tea. Yang said, "Hong Kong winters aren't too cold, but a bit of warm tea still makes everything feel better."
Wang, clearly experienced in such settings, added with a smile, "Absolutely. I've been in the U.S. for over 20 years. Over there, no one drinks warm water. Even in winter, they toss ice into everything. At home, I can boil my own water, but in social settings, it's… unbearable."
"White folks and Black folks aren't like us Asians," Yang laughed. "But when you're in a place like that, you have to adapt."
"Exactly," Wang nodded.
Yang then asked, "Have you considered returning to Hong Kong or somewhere in Asia?"
"I thought about it, about seven or eight years ago," Wang admitted. "But at that time, Hong Kong's electronics industry barely existed. Unless I started my own company, I wouldn't have found anything suitable. A lot of what I've achieved comes from the platforms these American companies provided. It's not purely my own ability."
"That's a very accurate perspective," Yang said with a smile. "It takes real insight to understand both the nature of a market and your own capabilities."
In his past life, Yang often saw jokes on the internet about people who thrived in big companies and mistook that for personal ability—only to get crushed when they left to start their own business.
Wang nodded. "It's important to know your limits. I understand electronics and product development, but running a company is a completely different skill."
"Mm," Yang agreed. "Hong Kong wasn't ready back then, but in the last couple of years, its electronics sector has started to grow. It's worth reconsidering."
"True. Hong Kong's radio manufacturers have done so well that they're making Japanese companies nervous.
But these products are still very low-end. And the industry here is very fragmented. So overall, it's not that promising yet."
"That's because the colonial government here doesn't care," Yang said with a grin. "They worship the 'free market' and do absolutely nothing to support industry.
That's why Hong Kong's electronics sector is scattered and chaotic. Meanwhile, Japan and Taiwan have made great progress.
But what the government won't do, I'll do. I believe deeply in the future of electronics, and I want to build a large-scale electronics company right here in Hong Kong. But I'll need talents like you to make it happen."
"I heard from Mr. Wei that you're planning to manufacture transistors?" Wang asked. He had, of course, done some research before coming.
"Yes," Yang replied. "Transistors are the core of many electronic products. If Hong Kong wants a viable electronics industry, we have to build our own supply chain.
But this is just the first step. Once we can produce transistors, I want to move into other consumer electronics as well."
As a time traveler, his biggest advantage was foresight. Consumer goods were his best bet—he already knew which appliances would become household essentials, and which ones hadn't even been invented yet.
But first, he had to solve the supply chain problem—just like with the adhesive for Post-its. If he could produce it himself, he would. If not, he'd secure multiple suppliers to avoid disruptions.
And transistors could be manufactured in Hong Kong. In his original timeline, Fairchild Semiconductor had established a production line for transistors in Hong Kong in the 1960s.
Sure, their tech was superior—but the point was, it was possible.
Once he solved that bottleneck, he could launch into simple consumer electronics without fear. Otherwise, he'd be just like Hong Kong's current radio factories—selling well, but at the mercy of Japanese supply chains.
"Mr. Yang, back in the U.S., I heard rumors about you—that you invented Post-it notes and rolling luggage. If that's true, then you're a real-life Edison.
Could I ask what kind of electronics you want to develop? Are they brand-new inventions as well?"
"Please, don't compare me to Edison," Yang said, shaking his head. "There might be some innovations later, but mainly I'll focus on home appliances. And even if I wanted to innovate, I'd still need technical foundations."
In his youth, Yang had been influenced by inspirational magazines portraying Edison as a great inventor. But later, he realized Edison was more of a savvy businessman—and often a ruthless one. He much preferred Nikola Tesla.
Wang nodded. "True. Innovation in appliances still relies heavily on engineering capabilities."
"That's why the technical team must come first," Yang said. "So, Mr. Wang, you've probably looked into my situation in Hong Kong. If you're willing to join me, I can offer a salary 50% higher than what you earn in the U.S. in your first year.
We'll also arrange housing and relocation for your family."
Top-tier talent was expensive. In fact, it had to be paid at developed-country rates—because these people were globally mobile. If an African company wanted to poach someone, it would have to pay at or above Western standards.
"I'm very satisfied with that offer," Wang said. "But I'd like to ask—will the transistors be for internal use only, or do you plan to supply all of Hong Kong, or even export overseas?"
"The latter," Yang said firmly. "If I build a transistor factory, there's no reason to limit it to internal use. Unless we hit capacity issues—but even that would be temporary."
Wang considered it carefully. "In that case, we'll need to purchase a large-scale production line. In Asia, only Japan has that kind of equipment, but they likely won't sell it to us.
I think we can buy from the U.S. instead. Japan has been cutting into the U.S. market share, and American manufacturers have suffered. They probably won't impose restrictions on us."
"Good. Used equipment is fine too. I'm sure plenty of American companies have extra lines," Yang said. "What about patents? Can we buy those?"
In this era, Japan was grinding the U.S. down. But for geopolitical reasons—like containing the Soviet Union and promoting free trade—America had no choice but to tolerate it.
That meant other countries could buy technology and production lines relatively easily.
Wang replied, "Yes. As long as we're willing to pay, even hiring Americans to come work in Hong Kong isn't an issue."
"Perfect. Then I'll leave it to you, Mr. Wang. After you return to the U.S., please investigate everything thoroughly."
At the start of any industrial venture, foreign equipment and expertise were essential. Even Japan had needed imported tools in its early days. Hong Kong would be no different. It didn't have the capacity to build a full industrial chain from scratch.
Wang said, "You're too polite, Mr. Yang. And don't call me 'Mr. Wang.' Just call me Lao Wang, like Mr. Wei does."
"Alright, Lao Wang," Yang said, smiling. "Welcome to Changxing Group."
"Wait—isn't it Changxing Industrial?" Wang asked carefully.
Before coming to Hong Kong, he had looked into the company's structure. Changxing Group was the parent company, with Changxing Industrial being just one subsidiary.
Yang replied, "No. The electronics division won't be part of Changxing Industrial. It will be an independent company—focused solely on the R&D, manufacturing, and sales of electronics."
While electronics were technically a form of manufacturing, they had little in common with Changxing Industrial's current product lines. Their growth paths and business models were entirely different.
Changxing Industrial was more like a Chinese version of 3M, focused on creative and niche products.
Wang nodded. "Then what's the name of the new company? Changxing Electronics?"
"No," Yang grinned. "Our products will be branded—so the company name needs to sound good.
I've decided to call it Glory Electronics. The brand will be 'Glory,' or Honor in English. It's easy to remember and has a nice ring to it."
Branding mattered—a lot. Especially for consumer products. Many companies spent millions every year just to make their brand names stick in people's minds.
Take Sony, for example. It used to be called Tsushin. Westerners couldn't pronounce it. Rebranding as Sony launched the company into the global spotlight.
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