In fact, Chen Zhiwen has considered producing snacks or food for a long time, but it doesn't matter if he does it sooner or later, because there is basically no first-mover advantage. Instead, in the early stage, he urgently needs to rely on Costco and Wal-Mart, which already have a certain market share. As long as these two supermarkets develop well, especially Costco, they will be able to bring a very stable market to their own business.
Going from 0-1 is the hardest thing. It is the same in any industry. This first step requires the most energy. Just getting the recognition of the first customer, especially a big brand customer, is as difficult as climbing to the sky. Unless it is Special products like Midea's arcade machines.
The existence of Costco perfectly solves this problem. In terms of consumer goods, you can have the first customer for any product.
However, like Very Coca-Cola, it is very difficult for the food business to develop into an international giant. Chen Zhiwen basically has no expectations. He is planning to do this now just because Costco needs it, as long as it can reduce Costco's operations. If the cost is high, then it is worth investing. Chen Zhiwen will basically not interfere with this kind of business, because if there is no problem, there will be no loss.
After the domestic reform, we can also move this kind of business to the country and use the lower domestic labor costs to develop more overseas markets. Success is naturally good. If it doesn't work, then wait until the domestic market is further opened. , when seeking the domestic market, according to common sense, this should not be difficult, especially since Chen Zhiwen also knows what mainstream foods will be popular in the country in the future.
These are relatively far-off things. Now we only need to take the first step and ask the assistant to write down the matter. Chen Zhiwen rushed to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City.
There are many female college students studying here in New York City, and they all look up to Chen Zhiwen. However, Chen Zhiwen is very busy during the day, so he only has time to discuss the meaning of life with them at night.
After a night's rest, Chen Zhiwen had a hearty breakfast at the buffet downstairs, and then went to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. There were many treasures in it. After being invited, Chen Zhiwen was naturally willing to go and broaden his horizons.
"Eric, this is Van Gogh's original "Starry Night", Picasso's "Les Demoiselles d'Avignon", and Monet's "Water Lilies". These are the most precious paintings in the world, and each one is unique. It’s a national treasure.” Henry Morgan introduced with a smile.
"It looks pretty good, but I'm a layman and I really appreciate the beauty inside." Chen Zhiwen shrugged and said with a smile. These paintings looked good to him and felt quite beautiful, but he couldn't figure it out. What's the difference between these and the paintings painted by talented people at stalls outside?
"Actually, I don't understand either, but apart from its historical significance, the most popular value of this kind of art is that its quantity is stable and there is no possibility of more, which can be a good benchmark for monetary value. "Henry Morgan said with a smile.
"Is it the same as gold?" Chen Zhiwen said with a smile. Although gold itself also has industrial value, the real reason for its value is its stable quantity and non-deterioration characteristics. From ancient times to the present, gold has been used as currency for this reason. Until 1971, the United States abolished the Bretton Woods system gold standard, but Whether today or in the future, gold is still currency and is recognized by all countries, but is rarely used directly.
Another diamond is a proper IQ tax. Its production capacity can actually bring natural diamonds to cabbage prices. However, De Beers, which monopolizes diamonds, can control global sales, causing supply to exceed demand, and also links diamonds with marriage. Hook up and earn huge profits from it.
"Absolutely." Henry Morgan nodded and said: "It's just a collection, Eric, if you like something, you can also buy it. After all, these things are very rare collections, and the prices will get higher and higher in the future. .”
"Can museum items be sold?" Chen Zhiwen asked.
"Yes, basically everything is fine." Henry Morgan added: "A lot of the antiques in the museum are actually not from the museum, but were temporarily borrowed by some people. Why are these people borrowing them temporarily when they have nothing to do? In fact, Isn't it just to attract interested buyers?
Moreover, the museum itself is also in business. As long as the price is acceptable, it can be negotiated, but not for these national treasures. "
"That's not bad. Let's check out other places. If there are suitable ones, we can buy some." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said. There are also many works of art or antiques worth tens of thousands of dollars here, and there are many varieties. If you really look No matter what you win, it doesn’t matter if you buy it.
"Eric, you don't consider me a friend now. What did you fancy? I bought it for you." Henry Morgan said with a smile.
"It seems that the results of "Space Invaders" are even better than I thought. Henry, you have become so generous." Chen Zhiwen said with a smile.
Last month, Henry Morgan brought 1,000 samples of the new game "Space Invaders" to the United States. Later, Chen Zhiwen also received news from Henry Morgan. The feedback on the new game was very good, but it was unclear how it would be used. Too clear.
"Preliminary data analysis of "Space Invaders" shows that it is more popular than "Magic Cube". Many young people in the bars are rushing to play, and some almost fight. The bar owner has to increase the price. This is amazing. Big good news, we have made it again." Henry Morgan said with a chuckle. If there weren't people around, he would definitely laugh happily.
"That's good. Hong Kong has started 24-hour production of "Space Invaders" arcade machines, and large quantities are expected to arrive in the United States next month." Chen Zhiwen said casually. After the success of the first two arcade machines, now everyone is going their own way. It's very easy for everyone to do the job. Hong Kong only needs production and delivery.
"Understood, I will absolutely cooperate." Henry Morgan nodded, and said: "In addition, Eric, you previously entrusted me to find the most advanced wafer production line. I consulted a lawyer I know and an acquaintance. Friends of White House officials said that the export of this most advanced production line is prohibited in the entire United States, not to mention Hong Kong, even Japan and Europe.
Unless you come to the United States to invest, build a factory in the United States, and all employees are Americans, and you are only an investor, then there is still room for negotiation. "
"Forget it, what's the difference between me purchasing chips directly from the United States?" Chen Zhiwen shook his head and said.
"However, if you want a second-level chip production line, I can get it. The 3-inch wafer production line was the highest technology in the United States two years ago." Henry Morgan continued.
"3 inches? That's okay. You can help me get through the connections and give me a final quote. If it's suitable, we'll buy it." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said.
In this era, apart from the United States, no other country can purchase equipment for chip production lines. Even Japan, the future semiconductor powerhouse, only started last year. It was led by the Japanese government and participated by several major electronics giants to conquer semiconductor-related technologies. , from equipment production to chip production, everything is researched and developed.
In today's semiconductor technology, the technological generation gap is not very big. It took Japan four years to basically open up the industrial chain in 1980, and thus began the exciting scene of beating American semiconductors in the early 1980s.
But now, even Japan has to introduce American production lines, and Chen Zhiwen has no choice.
Henry Morgan said with a smile: "Actually, I have also asked relevant professionals that when you build chip production bases overseas, it might be better to start with low technology. Anyway, you are planning to make chips for home appliances."
"That's just self-comfort." Chen Zhiwen shrugged and said. Those who can be the most advanced are naturally better. As for talents, just dig them directly from the United States or Japan or even Taiwan. This is a strategic level technology investment, and money It’s not a problem at all. Besides, today’s chip technology is far behind that of later generations. In the early 1990s, Samsung poached thousands of Japanese engineers to develop chip technology, but now maybe a few dozen are enough.
"Texas Instruments has a 3-inch chip production line that has only been in production for half a year and is ready to be launched. I can take it, and I also convinced them that they will send a certain number of engineers to Hong Kong to teach you step by step. The Ministry of Commerce also has Texas Instruments and me. We will solve it together. This is not the most advanced equipment and the problem should not be big. The cost is about three to four million US dollars, including installation. However, the infrastructure in Hong Kong must also be built according to the requirements of Texas Instruments." Henry Morgan said.
"No problem." Chen Zhiwen nodded and said. The price may not be cheap, but considering that it is exporting and lobbying the U.S. Department of Commerce for approval, it is better to pay more. As long as this chip production line is obtained, not only can he contribute to Hong Kong Those low-end electronics industry OEMs can also cultivate relevant talents in Hong Kong. Even if the highest-end chip production equipment cannot be purchased due to various reasons in the future, at least as long as there is a mid-level chip production line, you can also produce various types of home appliances yourself.
Moreover, before the foundry-based TSMC was born, in addition to general-purpose storage chips, every electronics company built its own chip factories to produce its own products. It was impossible for Midea's home appliances to wait until the late 1980s to find TSMC. If you don't work, you'll miss a lot of opportunities.
"Okay, then I will go to Texas Instruments to discuss this matter in two days." Henry Morgan said with a smile.
"Thank you." Chen Zhiwen said. This kind of thing is best handled by people with some connections in the United States. If you send someone to do it yourself, it will cost more to do it. It is not certain whether it will succeed. Even if it succeeds, it may not be possible. It will take a long time, which is unacceptable in today's rapidly changing semiconductor industry.
"You're welcome. We are long-term partners and good friends. Helping partners and good friends is what I should do." Henry Morgan said with a smile.
Nowadays, the success of "Space Invaders" has made him more sure that following Chen Zhiwen, there will be great development. The entire arcade industry is basically monopolized by Midea. There are many other players, even HP and Texas Instruments. All the giants have branches trying to develop arcade games, but without exception they are directly rejected by the market, and no one wants them even if they break their bones.
For Henry Morgan, the greatest benefit can be obtained by being tied to Midea's warship. However, this established "channel" is actually of little value. Midea can be abandoned at any time and replaced with another one. At this time, it must be shown As long as he has value, Chen Zhiwen will definitely continue to cooperate with him.
And this value can only be found in other aspects. For example, when Chen Zhiwen wanted his home appliances to enter other large supermarkets, Henry Morgan used his family connections to find the vice president of purchasing at Celtic Supermarket to sell Midea electric fans. A small door was opened. When Chen Zhiwen wanted to acquire a high-tech production line that had certain restrictions in the United States, he also used his connections to find a suitable seller and would work with the seller to find a way to convince the Ministry of Commerce.
Try to let Chen Zhiwen get what he wants directly, so that it can have the greatest value. This is also the basis of business cooperation. If there is no value, then it is not worthy to cooperate with the strong.
"Okay, by the way, if you want to go to Deyi, I will ask a few people to go there together. They need to verify the 3-inch production line you mentioned." Chen Zhiwen said again.
Chen Zhiwen didn't understand things like chip production lines. He didn't recognize a state-of-the-art photolithography machine in front of him. Professionals do professional things, so it's natural for professionals to check the equipment.
Last month, Midea's team in the United States recruited several engineers who had some knowledge of chip equipment and processes, and it was these people who were able to verify the results.
"No problem, I'll ask Deyi later to see when they are free in the next few days, and we will go together then." Henry Morgan nodded and said.
On the fourth day, Henry Morgan took Chen Zhiwen and his party to Texas Instruments, a chip factory in Chicago.
"Woz, how is this production line?" Chen Zhiwen said to the person who was wearing a white dustproof suit and could only see two eyes. If it weren't for the names on the clothes and the different voices of everyone, Otherwise, it’s really hard to tell who is who.
After arriving at the Texas Instruments factory, after chatting with the factory executives for a while, everyone began to visit the factory. At this moment, they were in the chip production workshop, and everyone was wearing dustproof clothing.
"I don't know much about the chip manufacturing process, but I can see that it's very professional here. I'll just pull out some chips later to test the performance." Woz said in a white dust-proof suit.
"Okay, let's go." Chen Zhiwen looked around. He didn't understand the equipment here. His subordinates had a good exchange with TI's engineers for a while, and they seemed to feel pretty good. However, what is the specific situation? Depends on Woz.
Although he did have some talents, Chen Zhiwen was a little worried about the professionalism, so he called Woz and pulled him over. It happened that Apple's Apple 2 computer was very successful. Within a short period of time, Woz's research and development tasks will not be very heavy. This is another rare opportunity to visit the chip factory, and Woz is naturally happy to come.
Everyone walked to the end of the chip production line, which was a running belt with a large number of chips on it. Employees wearing gloves picked them up one by one and placed them in fixed plastic boxes.
In the 1970s, induction technology, motor technology and PLC control technology were not developed enough, and the end of the chip could not be automatically collected and had to rely on manual labor.
Woz's men brought a large amount of equipment and an Apple 2 computer. After a while, several people filled the table with various electronic control boxes and cables. Then they took out the chips and put them into a on the circuit board.
Everyone was looking at the screen. Although the Apple 2 computer had become a sensation in the United States, it was still controlled by code and had no future operating interface. Chen Zhiwen only saw Woz constantly inputting various codes, not a single one. They knew each other, but the few engineers around him were looking at the interface intently, and occasionally communicated with Woz.
After a while, Woz stood up and said to Chen Zhiwen: "Not bad, but these quantities are still too small. If I can take out some of them, I can conduct batch testing."
"No problem. There are a thousand chips in this box. You can take them out for testing, but you must pay attention to electrostatic protection. Your testing also needs to be in a dust-free workshop, otherwise static electricity will breakdown the circuits in the chips." said Ted, vice president of Texas Instruments' chip business.
"Okay, then I'll take this box away." Woz said unceremoniously.
"I will pay another sum of money separately for these chips." Chen Zhiwen said again.
Ted smiled and said, "It doesn't matter. This kind of ordinary chip only costs a few dollars a piece. Our business is more important. If you confirm the quality earlier, we can move on to the next step."
Compared with a multi-million-dollar transaction, this chip is just a drop in the bucket, and the terminal selling price is only a few dollars a piece, so the actual production cost will be even lower.
"Okay, let's go out then." Chen Zhiwen said: "Can my men continue to stay here?"
"No problem, as long as you follow the safety rules of the workshop." Ted nodded in agreement.
Several people followed the procedure and walked out again. When they got outside, they took off their dust-free clothes. The moment they took them off, Chen Zhiwen felt that his breathing became much easier.
"Eric, you are not used to this kind of clothes. In fact, it's just the same if you are used to it." Ted seemed to see what Chen Zhiwen was thinking and said with a smile.
"Then I'll never get used to it." Chen Zhiwen shook his head and smiled. As the boss of the company, he basically didn't go to factories. After all, it wasn't when he first started his business. There were so many factories, so why would he go there? At most, I only spend a few days a year walking around.
"That's right." Ted nodded, understanding what Chen Zhiwen meant.
Afterwards, several people came to the conference room of an office building in front of the factory.
"Eric, although I am the vice president of TI's semiconductor business, I actually don't understand the technology very well. So, how about the engineers discussing the technology and us discussing the price?" Ted smiled. said.
"Yes, as far as I know, the new equipment for a 3-inch wafer production line is only about US$3 million. Taking into account terminal installation, personnel training, restrictions from the Ministry of Commerce, etc., I can bid US$3.5 million. How about that?" Chen Zhiwen said.
"The price is too low. Everything else is easy to say, but if we want to convince the Ministry of Commerce to sell it, we at Deyi have to use a lot of connections. This is definitely not a question of money," Ted said.
"Every problem is a matter of money. This is not a device that is currently strictly prohibited by the U.S. Department of Commerce. It just needs to be reported and obtained a license. There is a lot of room for manipulation." Chen Zhiwen added.
"It has a lot of space, but it also requires a lot of cost. Our quotation is US$4.2 million. We can guarantee the transportation of the equipment to Hong Kong, as well as installation and production guidance for the following six months. How about that?" Ted said.
"Let's do this. How about we discuss it after my people have determined the capabilities of this production line?" Chen Zhiwen said with a smile. At this time, the other party's insistence on the export issue is an endless loop. There is no point in arguing anymore. .
"Okay." Ted nodded and said. He also knew that a transaction involving millions of dollars could not really be concluded in a few days.
After a delicious meal, Chen Zhiwen and others left the TI factory. Chen Zhiwen asked Henry Morgan, who was sitting across from him in the Lincoln limousine: "Henry, besides Texas Instruments, what other companies are preparing to sell Your own second-hand production line?”
If he can buy new ones, Chen Zhiwen is naturally willing to buy new ones, but as far as he knows, many equipment suppliers on the chip production line have absolute monopolies in the United States. The export of different equipment, even if it is not the latest, may require permission from the Ministry of Commerce. , he has no interest in going to contact each other one by one. Besides, these manufacturers are rushing to produce the latest equipment, and the old ones may not be produced anymore. Even if they are produced, the time and other things will be delayed. It is better to buy one. Second-hand ones are more reliable.
"Many chip manufacturers are replacing new-generation production lines, and there are still some second-hand ones. But TI's equipment is relatively the most advanced. At the beginning, I knew that I couldn't buy the highest-process chip production lines, so I was more optimistic about TI. This set of equipment." Henry Morgan asked again: "Eric, do you want to see other equipment?"
"Let's take a look? Maybe it's not as good as TI's set, but it doesn't mean it's useless. Besides, when did I say I would only buy one set?" Chen Zhiwen said with a shrug. There are so many electronic foundries in Hong Kong alone. , as long as the localization of chips and integrated circuits is truly realized, one production line may not be enough, and the cost reduction also means that Hong Kong foundries can get more orders, and Midea's chip factories will also have better business. , to achieve a virtuous cycle.
Thirdly, other production lines can also be used to lower prices for TI.
"Okay, I'll make arrangements." Henry Morgan agreed.
In the following week, Chen Zhiwen did not participate in the factory visit. It was enough to see the chip production line once, no more would be meaningless. But it was a poor female college student in the United States. Everyone was different, blond, black, yellow-haired. , red hair, looks more valuable.
Within this week, Henry Morgan took Woz and others to visit several chip factories one after another. At the same time, he also deliberately spread the news and indirectly informed people in the industry.
You know, many chip factories are also thinking about how to deal with old equipment. This is a sleepy pillow.
Of course, Ted from Texas Instruments also knew about this, so he came to New York in person, sat down with Chen Zhiwen and Henry Morgan and talked for a long time, and finally sold the production line they had watched before to US$3.8 million. beautiful.
(End of chapter)
