At the end of September 2012, Huaxia held a symposium on the steel and coal industry.

At the meeting, the relevant parts and units made a deep reflection: the Huaxia steel market has overcapacity, but we still import a large amount of special steel.

There are three main types of imported varieties.

First, the general varieties of steel imported due to market prices are not too high-tech content, which is certainly not of concern to everyone.

The second is the import formed by the cooperation agreement between Chinese and foreign enterprises, such as many joint venture automobile factories designated to use foreign automobile steel, this part of the problem is not so big.

The third is the steel varieties that Huaxia relies on imports, mainly including: high-end special steel, deep-drawn tin plate, tool steel, some high-end rigging wire rope steel, some automobile and home appliance steel, etc.

Obviously, the third part is the real problem.

The special steel used in the nib of the ballpoint pen was taken out as a typical case at the symposium and explained as a negative case.

This time, the relevant case immediately appeared on the Huaxia Internet.

Some public intellectuals seem to have found a new hot spot for propaganda, and they began to constantly revolve around this topic, where they talked about how China's science and technology are not good, and how foreign countries are so powerful.

In their opinion, saying that Huaxia is not good is the greatest meaning of their own existence.

However, there are a number of people on the Internet who believe this statement.

"Huaxia has always claimed to be an industrial power, and it can't even make a small ballpoint pen ball."

"There are only two countries in the world that produce ballpoint pen balls, one is Rui/Shi and the other is Dongying."

"Although it looks like a steel ball, the surface roughness requirement is 0.4 microns, and the thickness is only 0.3 to 0.4 millimeters at the very top of the nib."

"Next to the small steel ball, there are five grooves that guide the ink, and the machining accuracy must reach one thousandth of a millimeter."

"The opening thickness of the nib is less than 0.1 mm, and any small deviation can affect the smoothness and longevity of the nib, taking into account the writing angle and pressure."

"If the accuracy is not enough, the gap between the ball and the nib will either be too big or too small."

"If the gap is too small, the ink won't flow out smoothly; If the gap is too large, it will cause ink leakage. ”

"In short, the small steel balls on the ballpoint refill are something that looks very powerful, and the machining accuracy is very high."

"The performance of nib steel requires that it be easy to cut and not crack when machining with such precision."

"And we really can't make such a thing, and domestic steel can't make this kind of ball."

"You can't even make a ballpoint pen nib, how far is Huaxia from the world's manufacturing power?"

……

This matter was not a big deal in the first place.

Nib steel is a very small market, and there are only a few small companies in the world engaged in it, and they are the hidden champions in this field.

When their founders first entered this field, the competitive pressure was very small, and then after half a century of development, they continued to use profits to gradually develop new technologies, thus establishing certain technical barriers, so that ordinary small enterprises could not enter.

However, this so-called technical barrier is not worth mentioning at all for large enterprises, and it is not an indestructible technical barrier, which can be developed if you want to.

But for large enterprises, the market size of this small field is too small to be eye-catching, and there is no need to pay attention to it.

Such is Baosteel's attitude.

"Mr. Cao, I think nib steel is a thing, and it is a good opportunity to start a new Nanshan special steel."

"In the past, things like aircraft carrier steel plates were not suitable for excessive publicity."

"But the nib steel is different, this is a completely civilian product, and now the heat is very high, and it has even reached the level of national honor."

"If we say that we want to produce nib steel at this time, it can have a very good publicity effect."

There are so many boiling news on the Internet, Xie Lingyun has naturally seen it.

Even as an expert in the field, he stood up and explained.

Nib steel is a very small market, and there are only a few small companies in the world engaged in it, and they are the hidden champions in this field.

When their founders first entered this field, the competitive pressure was very small, and then after half a century of development, they continued to use profits to gradually develop new technologies, thus establishing certain technical barriers, so that ordinary small enterprises could not enter.

However, this so-called technical barrier is not worth mentioning at all for large enterprises, and it is not an indestructible technical barrier, which can be developed if you want to.

But for large enterprises, the market size of this small field is too small to be eye-catching, and there is no need to pay attention to it.

Therefore, this kind of steel does not mean that Huaxia cannot produce it.

Huaxia can fully produce in China.

It's just that this kind of steel can produce hundreds of millions of ballpoint pens by producing more than ten tons, and the sales channels are not good, the profits are low, the quality is special, and no steel mill is willing to produce.

It makes it feel as if only Swiss and Dongying manufacturers are able to produce it all over the world.

He also advocated that this is the craftsman spirit of others, and that they are the hidden champions of the industry and the like.

However, Xie Lingyun's statement, few ordinary netizens are willing to believe it at all.

Especially under the leadership of some public knowledge, the direction of public opinion is even more wrong.

In order to prove that there is no problem with Huaxia's steel technology, and in order to break the ignorant remarks of the public knowledge, Xie Lingyun felt that Nanshan Special Steel had to get the nib steel out.

It was during this time that Nanshan Special Steel acquired Shaogang and had its own crude steel production line.

Then, combined with the process technology of Nanshan special steel, a little adjustment can produce nib steel.

Compared with large-scale steel that is described in millions of tons at every turn, Nanshan Special Steel, a "small enterprise" in the steel field, has an advantage in producing this kind of nib steel.

They do not need to build a large production line, it is enough to flexibly adjust the process parameters on the basis of the existing pilot line.

After all, a furnace of molten iron is casually dozens of tons, and the annual demand for nib steel in Huaxia is also a matter of dozens of furnaces of molten iron.

If a large enterprise like Baosteel does it, it is estimated that it can only be sold at a loss in the end to be cheaper than imported nib steel.

Because you take into account all kinds of R&D costs and production line transformation costs, the price is not cheap at all.

But for Nanshan Special Steel, the pressure in this regard is much less.

Even in order to make this nib steel production line can be used all the time, the molten iron can be reduced each time, and the molten iron will be released for a longer time.

And then snatch this market from all over the world, so that this experimental production line can always be started.

After thinking about these problems clearly, Xie Lingyun took the initiative to come over to find Cao Yang.

"How long will it take us to develop nib steel?"

Cao Yang can generally understand the story behind this matter.

However, he also has to consider whether the R&D investment on the side of Nanshan Special Steel is worth it.

After all, there are quite a few special types of steel that are worth paying attention to.

Even within the various companies in the Nanshan system, they are also doing further in-depth investigation in combination with the action of the industrial survey of the parts, and see where the steel on the parts is not possible for Huaxia to deal with.

After all, sometimes you don't investigate deeply enough and feel that a certain part is purchased domestically, that is, it is domestic.

But if you investigate further, it may be that the materials of this domestic part are purchased from abroad.

Or when you investigate, you find that the materials of domestic parts are purchased from other domestic material manufacturers, but the base metal of this material is actually imported, and domestic material manufacturers only do some post-processing process.

If you don't spend enough time and do not do this information many times, there is actually no way to grasp it accurately.

Even with each survey, something new comes out.

"One week is enough!"

"Huh?"

Cao Yang looked at Xie Lingyun in surprise.

Is a week enough?

That's an exaggeration, isn't it?

"Mr. Cao, the nib steel is really not so difficult, the technical accumulation we do ourselves is actually very rich, as long as we take out a material with a similar composition and make appropriate adjustments."

"It's just that this market is too small, and the annual sales in Huaxia are one or two hundred million."

"At that time, we will definitely have to lower the price of imported nib steel, which means that the annual sales may be less than 100 million."

"Even if you take into account the foreign market, it will be quadrupled at most."

"So the large domestic steel manufacturers are too lazy to take care of it."

"If it weren't for the excitement on the Internet now, I wouldn't want to engage in this product."

Xie Lingyun explained this, and Cao Yang probably understood.

However, he couldn't help but ask rhetorically, and said: "This kind of thing involving honor, isn't it that ordinary Baosteel companies should rush to the front?" ”

"Yes, normally this is true, it is said that the relevant ministries and commissions have also found Baosteel, but it seems that people have found an excuse to shirk it."

Xie Lingyun added.

Thinking that this is Nanshan Special Steel's first action after acquiring Shaogang, it doesn't matter whether you make money or not, the important thing is to make a name for yourself thoroughly, so that Nanshan Special Steel can go from behind the scenes to the front of the stage, Cao Yang agreed to Xie Lingyun's proposal.

With Cao Yang's nod, Xie Lingyun immediately unexpectedly announced on the official Weibo of Nanshan Special Steel that the company would start to produce nib steel, and it is expected that there will be official products within a month.

At the same time, Nanshan Special Steel has also arranged personnel to take the initiative to contact various large-scale ballpoint pen manufacturers, so that domestic nib steel can completely replace imports.

Let those who know keep their mouths shut!

……

"Mrs. Kim, didn't you say that nib steel is very difficult and has no significance in research and development?"

"Why do people say that Nanshan Special Steel can produce this kind of steel in a month at most?"

At the moment when public opinion on the Internet was fermenting, Nanshan Special Steel advertised that it wanted to engage in nib steel, which was naturally on a wave of hot searches.

People in the domestic steel industry are naturally also concerned about this matter.

Lai Liang originally put this matter aside, but he didn't expect that there would be a new situation halfway.

He can imagine how he will be criticized the next time he goes to a ministry meeting.

"Mr. Lai, the technical level of Nanshan Special Steel is second to none in China, maybe they happen to have similar grades of products that have not been mass-produced."

Mrs. Kim also found herself in a bit awkward situation.

Some time ago, how could he brag in front of Lai Liang that the nib steel has a high technical content, how to say that there is no need for Baosteel to engage in this thing.

Now it's troublesome!

The leader seems to be angry with himself.

However, Mrs. Kim felt that she was also wronged.

He only obtained relevant information from the ministry, inquired about some of the information, and then deduced it according to "common sense", and reported it to Lai Liang after processing it appropriately.

Why did it go wrong this time?

Normally, this kind of steel that has been imported in China is not a relatively high threshold?

"We also have a subordinate steel plant in Western Xinjiang Province, and there is a location there that needs to be assisted by personnel from the headquarters."

"You can hand over in the next few days, and then go over there and take office."

Lai Liang sank his face, feeling that this time his descendants were too disappointed.

Baosteel has properly lost face on the side of the relevant departments this time.

In particular, the industrial survey of the steel industry was held before, and then there was a symposium on the steel and coal industry, and these two things were put together, if they did not trigger a public opinion upsurge, it didn't matter.

Now it's different.

Lai Liang had to find someone to take responsibility.

"Leadership ......"

Mrs. Kim's face turned pale.

Working as a sales director at the headquarters and working as a sales director in a subsidiary company in Xijiang Province is not only a lower level, but also a completely different working environment.

I've been exiled!

However, Lai Liang didn't mean to explain to him this time.

……

Xie Lingyun's movements were very fast, and the first furnace of molten iron of Nanshan Special Steel came out quickly.

After a simple first step of testing, the materials were sent to various ballpoint pen manufacturers for trial.

Due to the relatively high pressure of public opinion, all links have come out to work with the spirit of working overtime.

Tests are being carried out one by one, and trial production is being carried out one by one.

With the continuous aggregation of various data, Xie Lingyun is basically sure that the nib steel he has made has reached or even surpassed the level of imported nib steel.

Those ballpoint pen manufacturers are also very shrewd, and immediately used this news to find the original material manufacturer to reduce the price.

120,000 yuan a ton of nib steel, Nanshan special steel can be sold for 80,000 yuan a ton.

Some people even think that it is possible to push the price to 60,000 yuan a ton.

As a result, the nib steel manufacturers of Switzerland and Dongying immediately sat on the wax.

It's like a person sitting at home, and disaster comes from heaven.

I didn't recruit anyone or mess with anyone, just a small ancestral company that earns some living expenses every year, why did such a big giant suddenly come to the table?

Huaxia is known to be messing around with small essays there, they have no benefit, but the ancestral rice bowl has been broken.

Although the profit margins of these materials are not low, they are not to the point where they can be cut in half.

After all, there are still two or three manufacturers in the world.

If there is really only one manufacturer to produce, it will not be 120,000 yuan a ton, but 1.2 million yuan a ton.

As a result, those hidden champions will immediately fall into a business crisis.

The materials that have been produced in the warehouse are not wanted.

Do you want to continue to organize production in the future?

If you make such a product yourself, if you don't produce it, won't the company go bankrupt?

The ancestral enterprise that has been passed down for so many years was not destroyed by his father and grandfather, but it was destroyed in his own hands.

The bosses of those companies have blood in their hearts.

This somewhat tragic encounter was even reported by NHK on Toei's side on a special program.

The consequence of this report is that many small enterprises in Dongying immediately took countermeasures.

In the future, when cooperating with Huaxia Company, we must tell us a lot, do not promote our company, and do not praise our technology.

What a big hat like craftsmanship, don't wear it on me anymore.

Even if you want to cooperate, you can't, but you can't advertise, otherwise our company will refuse to cooperate with you.

There are many small companies in Dongying, all of which are so-called hidden champions in various fields.

They just want to make a little money silently, and they are not interested in mixing in any national honor, nor are they interested in becoming the standard-bearer of the commanding heights of national technology.

If they continue to be known by Huaxia, Huaxia will not suffer any actual losses, but they will be unlucky.

After all, with Huaxia's industrial volume and industrial population, it has reached the point where everything can be developed, but the resources are limited, and the research and development has a priority.

Just because people don't do it doesn't mean they can't do it.

……

"Mr. Cao, yesterday the company that produces nib steel in Dongying took the initiative to visit us and said that it wanted to cooperate with us."

Early in the morning, Xie Lingyun came to Cao Yang's office with a smile on his face.

Obviously, something good had happened to him.

"Looking for us to cooperate?"

"What is there to work with?"

Cao Yang really didn't understand what the other party did.

Nanshan Special Steel has come up with nib steel, which is going to smash their jobs.

They didn't get angry or say anything, and they even went to the door to look for cooperation.

"This sharp steel was originally only a profit of tens of percent, but now the exchange rate of Dongying currency against the yuan is very high, which makes their yield even lower."

"So for them, it is a profitable thing to import nib steel from Huaxia and then sell it to its regular customers in Dongying and other places."

As soon as Xie Lingyun said this, Cao Yang immediately felt it.

In 2012, RMB could only be exchanged for a little more than 12 Dongying coins, unlike in 2023, when it can be exchanged for 20.

In this case, the same 10,000 yen per ton of material was required for about 800 yuan in 2012.

And something with the same price will only cost about 500 yuan in 2023.

There is a 60% exchange rate difference, and for many commodities, the impact is huge.

Why can Toyota have such a high yield in 2023?

A big reason for this is the exchange rate gains.

The most obvious is that Huaxia's Lexus is imported from Dongying.

Under the condition that the selling price of Huaxia remains unchanged, along with the change of exchange rate, it is equivalent to a decrease in import costs by dozens of percent.

There are almost 10 percent, or even 20 percent of the profits.

And then add tens of percent of exchange rate gains, and this high profit margin is scary!

So even if someone reduces the price significantly, they are not afraid of losing money.

"Do you think this cooperation can be done?"

Cao Yang didn't directly pat his head, but to see what Xie Lingyun's opinion was.

After all, sometimes you have to listen to the opinions of professional people.

"I think we can still cooperate!"

"We do all the domestic market."

"Foreign countries cooperate with this company in Dongying to ensure that we have the right profits, so that they can grab the original customers."

"Many of the customers there are their old customers, and if we go to grab customers, the cost is actually relatively high, and we may not succeed in the end."

"Considering the sales of nib steel, I don't think it's worth it."

Xie Lingyun didn't think there would be anything bad about exporting to Dongying.

Anyway, being able to make money and sell products abroad is something that is supported by various policies.

Whether it is for Nanshan Special Steel or for Huaxia, it is a good thing.

"Since you think it's appropriate, go for it."

"However, we have to sign a long-term contract with them, so as not to make any trouble when the exchange rate changes greatly."

"And then in the process of this cooperation, we have to find a way to get them to completely abandon their own production line."

"Otherwise, they will be prepared and can kick us out at any time."

Although Cao Yang agreed to Xie Lingyun's report, it did not mean that he had nothing to worry about.

At the current exchange rate, the advantage of exports is obvious.

However, after the appreciation of the renminbi in the future, or after the depreciation of the Dongying currency, the advantages of China's commodity exports will not be so obvious.

This is something that must be prevented.

In this process, if the production lines of Dongying manufacturers are abolished, the workers are also dismissed.

So after a few years, even if they want to regret this cooperation plan, there is no better choice.

This is the advantage of having a "long-term vision".

"No problem, now the labor cost in Dongying is already very high, all kinds of iron ore and coal mines need to be imported, and there is no advantage in smelting steel."

"As long as they don't plan to resist our competition, then giving up the production line and working with us honestly is the best way."

Xie Lingyun is very confident in this matter.

He had already talked to the manufacturers over there, although he didn't mention this topic, but combined with the content of the chat, he had already felt the voice of these former invisible champions crying in their hearts.

Originally, you can earn money comfortably every day, and you never need to worry about orders.

Now all of a sudden, the pot has been smashed, and life can't go on.

It's something they've never thought of before.

So the initiative is completely in the hands of Nanshan Special Steel.

Seeing Xie Lingyun's confident appearance, Cao Yang was not worried.

And just when Cao Yang and Xie Lingyun had just finished talking, Mi Ying told Cao Yang a rather surprising arrangement.

(End of chapter)