"Kony, this is the invitation I just received, the poster is a Chinese with the surname Guan. I checked, and this person is the owner of the famous arcade machine manufacturer Taiyu Technology, and the recent manufacturer of portable tape recorders, New Era! ”

Kony went to general manager Lancelot to discuss countermeasures, and the two racked their brains and couldn't think of a solution. But just a day later, Lancelot went to him again, threw a gilded invitation on the table, and spoke.

“fei-guan？” Kony read out the person who signed the note, and it was not easy to pronounce the sound of "guan" in English, and he pronounced it as "gan".

The time is a week later.

Meeting Address...... Empire State Building, New York!

"I just called my friends and business partners to consult, and there are a lot of people who have received invitations, all of whom are engaged in audio manufacturing in the United States." Lancelot's face was expressionless, and he couldn't see the joy and sorrow at this time.

"What does this mean? Demonstrate? Kony waved his invitation and raised his eyebrows.

"He's probably not so arrogant yet. If you really want to demonstrate in front of all your peers, it's to die, and the enraged manufacturers will tear his face to shreds and stuff it back into his asshole! Lancelot shook his head and raised his eyes, "My question is, should I attend this invitation?" ”

LhK's headquarters address is in San Francisco, which is too far away from New York. If it's beneficial, it's not troublesome to fly over, but who knows what this "fat sweet" is going to be.

Duo Duo!

The door of the general manager's office rang a few times, and then the door opened, and Mrs. Jason, the secretary outside, took a few fax papers, and said apologetically: "Mr. Lancelot, I'm sorry to disturb you, this is the fax I just received, it was transmitted by Hong Kong New Era Technology, which said that this is their indicator for the production of various electronic components and tape recorder parts, which is what you urgently need." ”

Coney looked back in amazement to find Lancelot looking at him with a surprised expression.

"Fax me!" Lancelot, after all, was the general manager, and was surprised to be surprised, and his mood recovered quickly, and he quickly signaled for Mrs. Jason to hand over the faxes.

After handing over the fax, Mrs. Jason quickly departed, closing the door gently.

Lancelot grabbed the fax paper, which was densely packed with the names of the components, the classification marks corresponding to the United States, the electrical index data, the ansI (American National Standards Institute) standard indicators for electronic components, and then the retail price and wholesale price of the component, as well as the market price of the component in Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

This is...... To market their components?

Kony was also very curious, and relying on his good relationship with Lancelot, he walked around to the general manager's desk and poked his head out.

Judging from the indicators listed by fax, the electrical indicators of each component have reached the median value of the American national standard, and the individual filter capacitance indicators are slightly higher, even exceeding the highest standard.

This indicator is slightly lower than that of Germany, but higher than that of Japanese-made components.

In terms of price, German components are the most expensive, followed by the United Kingdom and the United States, and Nissan components are only about two-thirds of those made in the United States. However, the sales price of New Era Technology listed on the fax was lower than that of the Japanese side, and careful calculation found that each component was only two-thirds of Nissan's.

In this way, the price of each component is only 45% of that made in the United States!

Lancelot and Coney looked at each other.

He quickly flipped through the fax to the last page, and found that it was no longer a variety of components, but a set, a tape recorder set!

Above are the various movement combinations.

There are low-grade ones, equipped with ordinary playback alloy heads, belt transmission mechanisms, and the price is 14.3 dollars.

Judging from the data, the service life is average, and the belt is easy to age and relax, but the price is cheap, and it is suitable for manufacturing various low-grade playback equipment, which cannot be recorded.

For a higher grade, the three heads of recording, playback and degaussing are combined into one, and the belt carrying mechanism is also changed to gear transmission, which has improved its life and stability. However, it is also noted above that the gear transmission will bring mechanical noise, which will have a certain impact on the sound quality.

And then down, it's a variety of upgrades.

For example, in the case of direct multi-motor drive, the transmission components are eliminated and the mechanical noise is almost completely eliminated.

Another example is the patented noise reduction system in the new era, which uses different product numbers to represent different noise reduction levels. The most expensive noise-canceling chip, priced at $49, is expensive, but on paper, it is close to the effect of a high-end high-density record.

Another example is the use of separate three magnetic heads to completely isolate recording, playback and degaussing to ensure that the circuit is not interfered with, and to achieve the best recording effect, playback effect, and complete tape degaussing effect.

In addition, there are a variety of audio integrated circuits, additional function chips such as song selection, editing, recording and playback bias fine-tuning, recording and playback automatic level control and a series of audio control ICs.

Lancelot was stunned.

They make audio, and they have done a lot of audio integrated circuits, but they are all used for pre-amp drive, post-amplification, etc. Since the traditional tape recorder industry was driven out of the market by Japanese products, there has been no investment in R&D in this area.

And the emergence of this list gives them a possibility to re-enter the tape recorder market - if this list indicators are true!

The components and tape recorder accessories listed above alone allow LhK to combine dozens of products with different specifications and needs, from low-end goods that cost only tens of dollars to ultra-high-end audio that costs tens of thousands of dollars.

The Japanese occupy the market by low prices, but compared to Chinese goods, they are considered high.

True, the United States is artificially high.

But labor productivity in the United States is also higher than in Japan! Coupled with the low supply of components and spare parts, it is no problem to beat the Japanese and hold on to the traditional market, and maybe it can slowly regain the lost market share.

"Kony, you can accompany me on this trip to New York!" Lancelot no longer asked if he should go, but considered what to say and do.

"Understood! In addition, I went to the technical department to take those tape recorders apart and test each component to see if it matched the data they provided! Kony was also resolute, and from the moment he saw the list, he made a new decision, and immediately hurried out the door and rushed to the technical department.

With the rapid rise of Japanese technology, the national sentiment of the Japanese has become more and more high, and they have openly shouted that the components on the missiles of American aircraft are all made of Japanese goods. Once Japan stops supplying goods, American planes will not be able to take off and missiles will not be able to launch.

Lancelot and Kony are capitalists who do not understand why the United States is so indulgent to Japan. Driven by profits, they simply found that replacing Japanese goods with Chinese-made components was a great opportunity for the U.S. tape recorder industry to recover again.

……

New York at the end of April is the time of spring and sunshine.

With an average temperature of 7 to 20 degrees, it is neither hot nor cold, and ordinary people only need to wear a shirt and a thin jacket to go out, which is very light and comfortable.

This time is also the most comfortable time for tourists to travel.

Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, where the Empire State Building is located, is bustling with tourists, and visitors from all over the world are in high spirits.

If Washington is the political capital of the United States, New York is the economic capital of the United States.

Manhattan, New York, where most of the world's top 500 companies set up their headquarters, is the essence of the whole New York and the most prosperous area in the world.

Among the many skyscrapers, the Empire State Building is the most eye-catching.

The Empire State Building, which is more than 400 meters high and has 100 and 2 floors, was once the tallest building in the world. And the reason why it is famous is not its height, but the era in which it is located, and the background of its construction.

The Empire State Building was built in 1930.

During the Great Depression in the United States, the Empire State Building was built at a rapid rate of four and a half floors a day, and it took just over 400 days to complete and put into use.

This was an incredible miracle at the time.

The tallest building, the fastest pace of construction, during the Great Depression, the Empire State Building became a point of support for the American economy. Countless people hold on to the imperial dream, supporting them to continue to live, work hard, and finally usher in the day when the American economy recovers.

Against this backdrop, the Empire State Building became an unshakable spiritual pillar in the hearts of Americans.

Although before the forties, the vast majority of the offices of the Empire State Building were vacant and unoccupied, and were jokingly called the "Empty State Building". Although the throne of the tallest building in the Empire State Building was snatched by the World Trade Center in '71, it remains unique in New York and in the hearts of Americans, and no one can replace it.

Filming in the Empire State Building and creating film and television works with the Empire State Building as the background has become a common choice for many people.

Through countless films, pictures, and newspapers, the Empire State Building has also become famous all over the world, becoming a symbol of New York like the Statue of Liberty.

Lancelot, Coney, and a young man in his early thirties stood at the foot of the steps of the Empire State Building, looking up at the majestic edifice that symbolizes the American economy, and at its heavy marble façade, with solemn expressions.

At this moment, their feelings melt into the edifice and are with it.

Like the Empire State Building, their company developed products that were once the pride of the American economy. But after decades of wind and snow, their company has become as old and heavy as the Empire State Building, but it seems to be faltering in front of young competitors.

They need a new foothold that will allow them to regain their strength and reclaim their glory.

Here, they can't see the spire of the Empire State Building, but they know that it's there, waiting for them to come to the top!

"Kony, Edmund, let's go!" Lancelot whispered, and then took the first step, stepping up the steps, one step at a time, without looking back.

Kony, the young man named Edmund, also with a look of determination, followed him forward.

It's the best time to visit, and the spacious lobby on the first floor of the Empire State Building is crowded, and many visitors who want to go to the 80th floor and the top of the building need to buy tickets on the second floor. But the line went from the second floor all the way downstairs.

Fortunately, there are a total of 73 elevators in the building, in addition to the elevator for tourists to reach the top, there is also an elevator for the exclusive use of the in-house rental company, and the two are separated.

With the invitation, they went to the twenty-ninth floor through the internal elevator at the prompting of the staff.

Today's conference hall in the west corridor has been chartered, and a welcome desk is blocked at the door, checking the invitations of each guest and preventing outsiders from entering.

Lancelot and the others showed the invitation, wrote their names at the guest registration desk, and strolled into the venue.

The layout of the hall is very large, with 160 square meters, luxurious marble floors, thick marble columns, imitation of the architectural style of the Roman era, making the whole venue look solemn and gorgeous.

Maybe it was too early, and there were no seats in the venue yet.

At this moment, there are dozens of people standing and chatting casually, and more than a dozen waiters are standing next to them with champagne, wine glasses, desserts, and fruits.

Compared with the wide hall, there are not many people, and the hierarchical internal steps make the hall not appear too empty. Everyone can have their own space, or stand in front of the window, or walk back and forth, or gather in a circle of three or five people to talk.

Although there were many people in the hall, it was not noisy, everyone was talking in a whisper, and they all had relaxed smiles on their faces, and the atmosphere was peaceful and relaxed.

"Henry!" Lancelot looked around, found an acquaintance, took a few times the champagne from the tray in the waiter's hand, gave it to Coney and Edmund, then brought a glass himself, walked over and raised a glass to the man to say hello.

Henry had seen them a long time ago, and when he saw them coming, he also smiled.

They were all on the phone, knowing that the other was coming, and it was not surprising to see here. Under Henry's introduction, Lancelot and others understood that these were all local audio manufacturers in New York.

"I'm out of company!"

Edmund, a young man of about thirty years old who had come with Lancelot, whispered something in his ear and left the circle.

"Who's that?" Henry asked casually when he saw Edmund leave on his own.

"The son of an old friend. When he heard about our meeting, he asked his father to come and ask me to bring him over. Lancelot laughed.

"What to do? He's in our line of work, too? Have I heard of it? Henry was a little interested, curious.

"Nope! In the past, his father also made recording equipment, but unfortunately the company could not compete with the Japanese and went bankrupt. At the time, Edmund had just started high school and was forced to drop out of private school and transfer to a public school. But this kid worked hard and was admitted to Harvard. After graduating, I also went to work for an audio manufacturing company, and I have always wanted to resume my family business. So, this time he heard that there was a chance, so he followed......" Lancelot shrugged and smiled faintly.

"It's not easy!" After hearing this, Henry said disapprovingly.

"yes, it's not easy!" Lancelot answered.

Everyone knows that what they say is not easy, not how ambitious Edmund is, how difficult the road is. Rather, it is said that his ambition is too difficult to achieve, and there is almost no possibility of achieving it.

It's not the twenties and thirties anymore.

At that time, the recording technology was still in its infancy, the equipment was rudimentary, and it didn't take much money to get started. With the development of modern industry, the manufacturing process of various products has become complicated and extremely expensive, and it is difficult to start from scratch.

The story of a change in the most important stage of his life and his determination to restore his father's company is touching and positive, but that's about it......