214, Xidang Taibai has a bird road

The reason why Sun Yuanqi dared to embezzle the funds for the research of automobiles, proposed to Zhang Zhidong to buy the steel of the Hanyang Iron Works, and prepared for the establishment of the Shuimu School was based on the fact that the steel helmets produced by the Beiping Iron Works could make a profit quickly. No pop-up window update fast // (d genius only needs 3 seconds to remember) Today's cruel reality is that steel helmets will be unsalable in five years.

Huge sums of money are being paid for steel mining and casting equipment, and the iron works have recruited a large number of workers. If production is not started, equipment and workers are idle, which is undoubtedly a waste of money; If production starts, the product will be temporarily unmarketable, and the goods will be backlogged and die faster!

What to do? What to do?

Sun Yuanqi was no longer in the mood to revise the draft, frowning and meditating in the office, hoping to find a fist product that replaced the steel helmet. But how easy is that? The selection of the steel helmet was based on many considerations:

First of all, the steel helmet has no technical content. Even if the factory is newly built, the workers have not touched the machine before, and the production of steel helmets is also handy.

Secondly, although it is not technical, it is very creative and has its own intellectual property rights. When others see it, they will definitely slap their legs and shout: "I have also thought about this, why didn't I think of registering a patent?" ”

Third, the envisioned steel helmet has the characteristics of "short, flat and fast", that is, each * team will buy a large number of them in a short period of time, and the sales are guaranteed; Because the buyer is a wealthy army, there is no need to worry about the phenomenon of having no money to eat overlord meals; From the advent of the product to the return of funds, the time is short and the profit is fast.

Other products that are not technical, sell well and are not bad for money are not nothing, such as steel rails. At the end of the Qing Dynasty, the road was overhauled, the steel rails rose with the tide, and the emperor's daughter did not worry about getting married. However, the rail is the main product of the Hanyang Iron Works, and the Hanyang Iron Works is the tip of Zhang Zhidong's heart, and Sun Yuanqi does not dare to pull teeth.

Now, Beiping Iron Works has fallen into a strange circle: if it wants to produce products that can be eaten alone and make money quickly, it has no technical reserves; I want to produce products with no technical content according to my own situation, and I feel that I don't have a head. The initial investment of the iron factory reached hundreds of thousands of dollars, and when will it be able to return to its original cost by selling hoes, sickles, axes, and iron pots?

Sad! Sun Yuanqi doesn't eat well and sleep sweetly these days, and he has been thinking about what to do with the iron factory. I just hate that I didn't study engineering in college back then, otherwise I would not make a lot of money by plagiarizing a few industrial products of later generations? The dough has long been made into a rich man, how can you use it to search your intestines and scrape your stomach like this!

After a few days, Sun Yuanqi still got nothing, so he had to call Yaser and Cai Qide, assistant director of the Beiping Iron Works, to discuss together.

Seeing Sun Yuanqi's haggard face, Arthur hurriedly asked, "Johnson, what's wrong with you?" ”

Sun Yuanqi smiled and said: "It's nothing, I've been thinking about an academic issue these days, and I'm a little too involved." Hehe, unkempt, but it makes you laugh. ”

It's true, it's just not academic.

Without waiting for the two to answer, Sun Yuanqi said again: "Arthur, how do you feel about your trip around the world to major countries in Europe and the United States?" Are they politically stable? ”

Yaser didn't expect Sun Yuanqi to ask political questions, thought for a moment, and cautiously described his perception of the political situation of various countries, in general, in one sentence: Although there are frictions and contradictions between countries, they can all be reconciled.

"Is there any place in Europe or the Americas where war is going on, or about to break out?"

Arthur shook his head hesitantly: "I haven't heard. ”

This conclusion undoubtedly disappointed Sun Yuanqi: where there is war, steel helmets can be useful; Without the threat of war, who would be stupid to buy a steel helmet to play? Moreover, the steel helmet is like a sleeve, which is not safe to know. And you can't just try it once, it's better to test it on a large scale.

Some data show that the U.S. military in World War II was equipped with steel helmets, which saved at least 70,000 casualties. But throughout World War II, U.S. casualties totaled 1.013 million. In other words, the appearance of steel helmets has only increased safety by 7 percentage points. Who would have realized the magic of steel helmets if there had not been a large-scale war? Therefore, Sun Yuanqi desperately hoped that there would be a big war somewhere in Europe and the United States, so that the practicality of the steel helmet could be proven.

At this moment, Sun Yuanqi finally deeply realized the hatred of the arms tycoons for peace.

Sun Yuanqi sighed secretly and turned to Cai Qide: "Zicheng, how many steel helmets have been trial-produced in the iron factory now?" ”

Cai Qide bowed slightly in the chair to show respect: "Lord Hui, 2,400 have been trial-produced so far. If the factory is running normally and the raw materials are in sufficient supply, it is no problem to produce 400 to 500 steel helmets a day and night! ”

"That's good. After you go back, make arrangements and strive to reach 5,000 stocks within ten days. Sun Yuanqi commanded.

"Yes, sir."

"Oh, there's a market for the steel helmet?" Arthur was overjoyed.

Sun Yuanqi smiled bitterly: "These five thousand steel helmets are not for sale, but as a gift. ”

"Gift?"

"yes, it's actually a free gift." Sun Yuanqi said, "The steel helmet is a new thing, and everyone doesn't know much about its usefulness and protective performance, so they will naturally reject it in their hearts." Although no country is at war now, and the function of shreproof pieces will not be used for a while, the steel helmet has other uses, such as being used as a stool on the ground, as a pot on a firewood, as a bowl when things are cooked, as a pot when filling water and wine, and as a basin when washing face and feet...... These are certainly better than large-brimmed hats made of cloth. We give steel helmets, mainly to cultivate everyone's consumption habits. When they get used to the existence of steel helmets and realize the usefulness of steel helmets, our business will come. ”

"And who do you want to give it to?" Arthur asked.

"First of all, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, each country gave away an average of 1,000 tops. If there is anything left, consider small countries such as Spain and Belgium. Sun Yuanqi snapped his fingers and said, "Of course, it's up to you to implement the specific operation." ”

Although the steel helmet only protects the head, the head is the most important part of the human body. If someone gives it away for free, it will be laughed at by other countries. After all, no matter how small a fly is, it's meat!

"I'm going?" Asselton turned into a bitter melon face. In these years, it was a chore to travel across the oceans, with rough waves and cramped boats every day. What's more, Arthur has just arrived, and he was driven back to the sea, so it's no wonder that he doesn't complain.

Sun Yuanqi was also a little apologetic, took out a document from the drawer and handed it to him: "Look at this patent application, you will know why I sent you." Don't delay the grass and the rabbit! ”

Arthur took a look at it, and it turned out to be a patent application for a new drug, which elaborated on the uses of artemisinin and its advantages compared to quinine. When he saw that the inhibition rate of artemisinin against malaria parasites reached 100% and there was no cinchona reaction, his eyes began to shine, and the depressed color on his face disappeared without a trace: "Johnson, you plan to produce this drug?" ”

"There's no rush to wait until the steel mill is on track." Sun Yuanqi was not in a hurry to build a pharmaceutical factory, because all the working capital was trapped in the iron factory, and there was no money to build a new factory. Afraid that Arthur and others would be suspicious, Sun Yuanqi also pretended to be relaxed: "Even if the steel plant does not start for three or five years, we can buy this patent and support everyone." ”

"No, no, no, can't be sold!" Arthur hurriedly said, "This new drug is very profitable, it is definitely more profitable than the steel mill, why sell it?" Even if it is sold, it is only the right to use the patent, and the ownership must not be sold! ”

It seems that Mr. Bergman's discussion of the patent for the electric light bulb a few years ago has profoundly changed Assel's worldview.

"You have to apply for a patent and deal with the government and the military to give you a steel helmet, and you have to go on this trip around the world, Arthur." Sun Yuanqi said sincerely.

Arthur immediately agreed: "No problem, I'll make another trip." ”

Sun Yuanqi said: "Regarding the iron factory, the task at this stage is not only to install the mining and smelting equipment that has arrived in the factory, but also to keep the foundry workshop running normally, so that the workers can master the basic operations. However, I estimate that the process from mining to product delivery in the iron factory will not be completely completed in less than half a year; Moreover, the cultivation of the steel helmet consumer market has been at least half a year. In other words, in the next year, the iron plant will still face huge losses. On this point, Arthur and Zicheng, what do you two suggest? ”

Arthur is a law student, what advice can he have? gnawed and gnawed for a long time, and didn't say why.

Cai Qide, in his thirties, is a professional manager recruited by Tony for Sun Yuanqi from Shanghai, mainly responsible for the management of the iron factory. For the current difficult situation, he doesn't seem to have any useful tricks except for the clichéd two strategies of open source and throttling. However, the last sentence he held back was very inspiring to Sun Yuanqi. He said, "My lord, why don't we put it in the newspaper?" ”

"Great idea!" Sun Yuanqi praised the case. China is so big, there is so much demand for steel, but there are so few modern steel plants, and there are even fewer advanced ones such as the Beiping Iron Works.

At the moment, Sun Yuanqi made a decision to give Cai Qide a salary increase of 20%, and let him be responsible for publishing in major newspapers such as "Declaration", "Zilinxi Daily", "Beihua Jiebao", "Ta Kung Pao", etc., to publicize the various steel processing and sales businesses provided by Beiping Iron Works.

The bait has been thrown into the water, so let's wait for the fish to take the bait. At this point, Sun Yuanqi's heart was slightly calmer.

Arthur is about to go overseas, and he still has some questions about the patent application for artemisinin, and he has stayed at Jingshi University for the past few days, and he has to ask Sun Yuanqi some questions from time to time. Sun Yuanqi was not a researcher, so he couldn't answer at all, so he had to send someone to invite Zhao Jinghui.

The three of them were talking about Zai Xingtou, and the security guard at the door came to report: "Sir, there is a man who combs his hair outside the door, saying that he is looking for you!" ”

Men who comb their hair?

Sun Yuanqi and Zhao Jinghui looked at each other, the Qing Dynasty nationals, the monks who shaved their heads, the men who shaved their braids, and the Taoist priests and women who combed their hair. What does this guy do with his hair?

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