bookrandom Chapter 556 The outcome is still uncertain
Chapter 556 The outcome is still uncertain
The equipment for the provincial capital's cannery arrived the next morning. Old Zhang and Young Li, the two foremanes, also came with the convoy.
Old Zhang was in his fifties, not very tall but very energetic, with particularly bright eyes. Young Li was in his early thirties, not very talkative but quick and efficient.
"Mr. Li, we've inspected all this equipment, and it's fine." Old Zhang patted a filling machine. "It just needs its parameters recalibrated."
"Then I'll have to trouble you two." Li Xiangyang shook Old Zhang's hand. "I've already arranged accommodations, and meals will be served at the factory."
Old Zhang waved his hand: "Mr. Li, you're too kind. To be honest, when the factory closed down, we all thought we'd never have the chance to touch these machines again in our lives."
The equipment installation was progressing smoothly, but Li Xiangyang still felt somewhat uneasy. A formidable competitor was right in front of him, and he needed to be even more prepared.
That evening, Li Xiangyang called Wang Ergou over.
"Ergou, I need your help."
“Brother Xiangyang, what are you saying?” Wang Ergou put down his teacup.
"Could you find out for me what kind of company that's next door, Jinyuan Industrial? Who's the boss? What's their financial strength?"
Wang Ergou's eyes lit up: "That's easy. I know a few transport guys in the provincial capital; they're very well-informed."
Three days later, Wang Ergou brought detailed news.
"Brother Xiangyang, I've found out," Wang Ergou said in a low voice, "This Jinyuan Industry does have some connections. However..."
"But what?"
"However, I heard that he's been facing some cash flow problems lately, and this agricultural product processing project is largely a way for him to raise money."
Li Xiangyang's heart skipped a beat: "Are you sure?"
"It's pretty much true. My friend said that the other projects they're involved in are basically unprofitable; they just make a quick buck by building factories near their new factory and forcing others to acquire them."
This news made Li Xiangyang reassess the situation. If that was truly their intention, the longer it dragged on, the better for him.
But Li Xiangyang did not let his guard down. The business world is like a battlefield; any negligence can be fatal.
A week later, the factory renovation was basically completed, and the equipment was installed and debugged. Li Xiangyang decided to start trial production.
"Old Zhang, let's try out the pear canning production line first," Li Xiangyang said, pointing to the freshly washed pears.
Old Zhang nodded and walked to the control panel to begin operating it. With the roar of the machine, the first batch of pears began processing.
Cleaning, slicing, canning, sealing, sterilization... every step is carried out in an orderly manner.
Two hours later, the first batch of canned pears was freshly made. Li Xiangyang opened a can and tasted it; the flavor was authentic.
"Good, the quality meets the standards." Li Xiangyang nodded in satisfaction. "Now we can officially start production."
Just then, several uninvited guests arrived at the factory gate.
"Is Mr. Li here?" The leader was a young man wearing glasses, followed by two people who looked like reporters, each carrying video equipment.
Li Xiangyang walked out: "I am him, and who are you?"
"We're from the county TV station. We heard you've started trial production here and wanted to do a report." The young man with glasses handed over his business card.
Li Xiangyang took the business card and looked at it; it was indeed from a reporter at the county television station.
"Welcome, welcome," Li Xiangyang greeted warmly. "However, the equipment has just been set up, so it's still a bit messy."
"It's okay, we just want to film the production process and interview you about your entrepreneurial journey."
Over the next half hour, the reporters filmed the production process at the factory and also conducted an exclusive interview with Li Xiangyang.
"Mr. Li, what do you think of the prospects of this project?" the reporter asked.
"I'm very confident about the future," Li Xiangyang said to the camera. "Deep processing of agricultural products is an inevitable trend. Our county has unique resource advantages, and if we do it well, the future is limitless."
"I've heard that companies from other regions are also working on the same project. What's your view on the competition?"
Li Xiangyang smiled and said, "Competition is a good thing; it promotes industry development. But I believe that those who work diligently and conscientiously will ultimately prevail."
After the interview, the reporters left. Li Xiangyang, however, seemed lost in thought.
The timing of this interview is too coincidental. Is it purely coincidental, or was it deliberately arranged? We'll have to wait and see.
The next day, the county television station broadcast the news. The report was very positive, focusing on Li Xiangyang's entrepreneurial journey.
To Li Xiangyang's surprise, the report also mentioned Jinyuan Industrial's project, and the wording was very neutral, giving the impression that the two companies were on par.
“This isn’t right,” Ma Qingfu said after reading the news. “Logically, as a local company, the county should be giving us priority support.”
Li Xiangyang pondered for a moment: "It seems the other side has more power than we imagined."
Just then, Liu Jianjun from the county called.
"Mr. Li, congratulations! I saw the news; the factory is doing well."
"Thank you, Director Liu. But I have a question: why was Jinyuan Industry mentioned in the news?"
There was a pause on the other end of the phone: "Mr. Li, to be honest, the county is also under a lot of pressure. Jinyuan Industry does have some connections, and we can't be too biased towards either side."
After hanging up the phone, Li Xiangyang felt somewhat heavy-hearted. It seemed that this competition was more complicated than he had imagined.
"Xiangyang, what do we do now?" Ma Laosan asked.
"Just continue doing what you were doing," Li Xiangyang said decisively. "Ergou heard that the other side is using this tactic to force many new factories to buy their facilities at high prices, making them quite wealthy. If that's true, as long as we can hold on, the outcome is still uncertain."
Over the next few days, Li Xiangyang intensified production. He organized production during the day and contacted customers at night, barely getting any rest.
Persistence pays off, and the southern channel was finally opened.
"Mr. Li, the quality of your products is truly exceptional." Mr. Chen, from the south, nodded in satisfaction. "We've decided to increase our purchase volume; we need 20,000 cans this month."
Twenty thousand cans—this was a considerable challenge for a newly established factory. But Li Xiangyang accepted the task without hesitation.
"No problem, I guarantee on-time delivery."
After President Chen left, Li Xiangyang immediately called a meeting with everyone.
"Starting tomorrow, we'll operate on a three-shift system to ensure 24-hour uninterrupted production," Li Xiangyang wrote on the whiteboard, outlining the production plan. "Quality absolutely cannot be compromised. We'd rather be slower than produce substandard goods."
Old Zhang raised his hand and said, "Mr. Li, the equipment is fine, it's just that the raw material supply needs to keep up."
“I’ll take care of that,” Ma Qingfu said, taking over the conversation. “I’ll go to each village tomorrow to expedite the delivery.”
While Li Xiangyang was busy fulfilling orders, Jinyuan Industry next door was also busy. They had started recruiting employees in the county on a large scale, and the wages they offered were much higher than the market price.
What surprised Li Xiangyang even more was that they also sent people to various villages to purchase raw materials at prices higher than the market price.
"Xiangyang, what are they trying to do?" Ma Qingfu asked worriedly. "If this continues, we'll lose our cost advantage."