Chapter 39: I tumble and turn, like the surging waves.

The plane touched down smoothly at Kai Tak Airport.

Looking through the porthole at the familiar contours of Victoria Harbour and the Kowloon Peninsula, Chen Bingwen finally felt his nerves, taut for the past month, begin to relax.

Fang Wenshan and A-Chang followed closely behind him with their luggage as the three made their way quickly through the bustling arrivals hall.

Just as they cleared the gate, they spotted Gao Zhenhai in the crowd, waving his arms vigorously, his face glowing with irrepressible excitement. "Brother Wen! Mr. Fang! A-Chang! Over here!"

"A-Hai!" Chen Bingwen strode forward and gave his shoulder a firm pat. "Been waiting long?"

"Not long, not long at all!" Gao Zhenhai quickly took the suitcase from Fang Wenshan’s hand. "The car is just outside. Are we heading straight to the Kwun Tong factory?"

"Drop off Mr. Fang first, then we’ll head to the factory," Chen Bingwen nodded, and the group walked toward the parking lot.

They climbed into the van Gao Zhenhai had borrowed. As the vehicle pulled out of the airport and merged into the flow of traffic, Gao Zhenhai asked impatiently, "Brother Wen, is everything settled in Thailand?"

"Basically, the dust has settled," Chen Bingwen said concisely. "Golden Elephant is ours now. Raw material supply is no longer an issue, Pangu Bank has become a shareholder, and I’ve arranged for people to monitor the management. We’ll go over the details later. Tell me, how have things been back home?"

Gao Zhenhai perked up and immediately began his report. "Everything at the factory is going smoothly! Both the Cheung Sha Wan and Kwun Tong plants are running at full capacity. As for the quality control system you ordered before you left, Ah Qiang and I have been keeping a close eye on it, and there have been no problems."

"The coconut sago and the mango pomelo sago are selling like crazy! Our five standard stores have queues every day, especially the Tsim Sha Tsui and Central locations; during the lunch rush, people have to wait at least fifteen minutes. When we first launched, people complained about the price, but now they’re fighting to buy them! Except..." He paused, his voice dropping slightly, "we’re running low on coconut cream. We can last at most another week."

Chen Bingwen nodded. "The first shipment of one hundred tons of coconut cream has already set sail and will arrive in Hong Kong tomorrow."

Hearing that the delivery was imminent, Gao Zhenhai said happily, "That’s wonderful! With a hundred tons, we won't have to ration the supply anymore."

"Yes, there will be no more rationing from now on," Chen Bingwen said with a smile.

"Also, Brother Sheng’s Shun Da Logistics is running more and more efficiently. They’ve added two second-hand trucks, which has improved delivery speeds..." Gao Zhenhai reported each item clearly. "Oh, by the way, Brother Wen, guess what our total turnover was last month?"

"How much?" Chen Bingwen asked, playing along.

"It broke one million!" Gao Zhenhai announced excitedly. "The net profit was nearly three hundred thousand!"

Fang Wenshan couldn't help but praise from the back seat, "Incredible! A-Hai, you’re really growing into the role of a factory manager."

Gao Zhenhai scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed. "It’s all thanks to Brother Wen’s planning, and everyone working hard together."

"And the R&D center?" Chen Bingwen was more concerned about that.

Gao Zhenhai’s excited expression dimmed slightly. "Professor Zhou and his team are working day and night; the laboratory lights have never gone out. They’ve made some headway on flavor preservation using a combination of natural stabilizers, and the results are okay. But room-temperature storage and preservation... that’s where we’re stuck. We’ve tried many methods, but without those chemical additives, it’s hard to keep it fresh for a long time. We’ve also done several rounds of seal testing on the bottles, and we’re still optimizing."

Chen Bingwen nodded. He had been prepared for this; the transition to bottled products was a strategic breakthrough, and they were already moving faster than he had anticipated.

"Tell them to keep pushing. Funding will be prioritized for them. Professor Zhou mentioned earlier that they’ll need to import an aseptic filling line; follow up on that, and prepare a budget of 1.2 million."

"1.2 million?" Gao Zhenhai gasped, but seeing the unwavering look in Chen Bingwen’s eyes, he immediately replied, "Understood! I’ll contact the equipment supplier for a quote tomorrow!"

The car exited the airport and merged into the bustling traffic of Nathan Road. In late 1970s Kowloon, the low-rise shophouses along the streets were interspersed with new high-rises, while massive neon signs flashing "Gold Shop," "Watches," and "Restaurant" created a scene that was vibrant yet somewhat chaotic.

While waiting for a red light at an intersection, Chen Bingwen’s gaze swept casually across the street. A massive movie poster caught his attention. The design was striking, featuring a traditional martial arts school in the background, with the lead actor, Jackie Chan, in the center, displaying his signature exaggerated expressions and poses in a dynamic snake-style stance. At the top of the poster were the bold characters for *Snake in the Eagle's Shadow*, with a smaller line of text below: "A Ng See-yuen Production."

"Huh?" Chen Bingwen gave a soft exclamation and pointed at the poster. "A-Hai, when was this movie released? Seems quite popular?"

Gao Zhenhai followed his gaze and perked up immediately. "Oh! *Snake in the Eagle's Shadow*! It was released at the end of last month, and it’s a massive hit! I took Ah Mei to see it last week; the theater was packed, people were laughing throughout, and the fight scenes were great! Jackie Chan has really made a name for himself this time! I heard the box office has already broken three million. Everyone is talking about this film, and the newspapers are reporting on it every day."

*Snake in the Eagle's Shadow*... Ng See-yuen...

Chen Bingwen remembered clearly that it was the massive success of this film that gave producer Ng See-yuen the confidence to plan *Drunken Master* at the celebration banquet. That led to the classic film that truly established Jackie Chan as the King of Kung Fu Comedy and ignited the global box office. He had read about the filming process of *Drunken Master* in his past life; the budget was only 500,000, no one in the industry was optimistic, and investors weren't interested. The conditions were harsh, and the crew had to be extremely frugal even with their boxed lunches.

Chen Bingwen’s eyes lingered on the poster for a few seconds. Jackie Chan’s iconic face and his distinct, witty martial arts style... A bold and highly cost-effective marketing plan formed in his mind. In 1978, when television advertising was just emerging and product placement in films was still primitive or rare, if he could place "Chen’s Sweet Soup" into the movie *Drunken Master*... the brand exposure and influence would be incomparable to any traditional advertising! It would be a hundred times more effective than months of front-page ads in the *Oriental Daily News* or *Sing Tao Daily*. "Chen’s Sweet Soup" could ride the wave of *Drunken Master*'s global release for a massive branding campaign.

...

After dropping off Fang Wenshan, Gao Zhenhai turned the car toward the Kwun Tong factory. On the way, Chen Bingwen told him, "A-Hai, find a way to investigate as soon as possible if See-yuen Film Company has already started a project called *Drunken Master*. Let me know the moment you have news."

Gao Zhenhai looked confused. "*Drunken Master*?"

"Yes, do as I say and investigate quickly. This cannot be delayed." Chen Bingwen’s tone was firm. Hong Kong film production cycles were extremely short, and most were fast-paced. The entire filming of *Drunken Master* only took twenty-seven days; the window of opportunity would vanish in a flash. If they waited until the film started production to discuss product placement, not only would the costs skyrocket, but they might miss the key scene design phase.

"Understood! I’ll get right on it!" Seeing Chen Bingwen’s seriousness, Gao Zhenhai promised solemnly.

The car drove into the Kwun Tong food factory. Having been away for over a month, the factory area seemed even busier and more orderly. It was the afternoon break, and workers greeted them warmly as they saw the familiar face: "Brother Wen, you're back!" "Boss!"

Chen Bingwen smiled and responded to each of them without stopping, heading straight for the R&D center. Professor Zhou and his researchers were working day and night, and he wanted to express his appreciation immediately.

Inside, Professor Zhou and his team were arguing in front of a piece of laboratory equipment, the atmosphere tense.

"Professor Zhou," Chen Bingwen’s voice was soft, instantly breaking the gloom in the lab. "Thank you for your hard work."

Professor Zhou turned abruptly, his eyes bloodshot behind his glasses. Upon seeing Chen Bingwen, he brightened. "Mr. Chen! You’re back!" He hurried over, his tired eyes flashing with excitement. "You’ve returned at just the right moment! We’ve just had a breakthrough in stability!"

"Oh?" Chen Bingwen perked up, his travel fatigue vanishing. "Tell me about it!"

Professor Zhou led him to the workbench and pointed to rows of glass bottles with different labels. "Look at these. They are our latest batch of bottled coconut sago samples. After repeatedly adjusting the stabilizer ratio and homogenization pressure, we’ve kept them at room temperature for two weeks without any obvious separation or water leaching. The flavor loss rate is controlled within 5%! This is the best level we’ve achieved so far!"

Chen Bingwen picked up a bottle and examined it against the light. The liquid was uniform and translucent, and the sago pearls were stably suspended. He unscrewed the cap and took a careful sip. The familiar, fresh, sweet coconut fragrance was there, and the sago was chewy. Although it lacked the "wok hei" of freshly made soup, the overall flavor was remarkably well-preserved.

"Good! Excellent!" Chen Bingwen praised sincerely. "Thank you, Professor Zhou! Everyone!" He looked at every red-eyed member in the lab. "This breakthrough is significant! We are one big step closer to the production of our bottled sweet soup!"

"You're too kind, Mr. Chen," Professor Zhou waved his hand. "Stability is just the first step. The preservation issue for long-term storage at room temperature is the real hurdle. We’ve tested many natural solutions, but the results haven't been ideal. To achieve a safe shelf life of over six months while retaining the natural flavor, the challenge remains huge."

"I understand," Chen Bingwen nodded. "The direction is correct, and the foundation is solid. The rest is a tough battle, but I believe in you. Funding, equipment, personnel—if you need anything, just ask! If the project succeeds, the bonuses will be doubled!"

He checked his watch. "Everyone, pack up. Tonight, it's on me. We're going to the Yuanbao Restaurant to reward everyone for their hard work!"

A cheer erupted in the lab. The pressure of continuous high-intensity work dissipated under the recognition of their boss and the promise of a sumptuous dinner.

That night, the atmosphere in the private room at Yuanbao Restaurant was lively. Chen Bingwen hosted the team, including Professor Zhou, Zhong Qiang, Gao Zhenhai, and several key members. Steamed Star Garoupa, crispy roasted goose, stuffed crab claws, and seasonal vegetables in supreme broth... the aroma was intoxicating.

Chen Bingwen personally poured a glass of whiskey for Professor Zhou. "Professor, this first glass is to you and your team! Without your professionalism and persistence, bottling would be a castle in the air. I, Chen Bingwen, will keep this in my heart!"

Professor Zhou raised his glass. "Mr. Chen, you are too modest. We should be the ones thanking you for providing such a good platform and resources, allowing us to focus on research and overcome difficulties. Bringing scientific research to life to benefit the public is our pursuit!"

The two drank it in one gulp. Chen Bingwen had originally intended to have the restaurant owner serve some mainland spirits like Moutai or Wuliangye, but he discovered that even those were rarely available. It turned out that at the time, mainland spirits were only occasionally stocked by state-owned enterprises or Teochew businessmen; ordinary restaurants couldn't get them. Moreover, since mainland spirits were quite strong, Hong Kong locals weren't used to them, and daily socializing was mostly based on beer, local Hong Kong spirits, or Western liquor.

During the meal, Chen Bingwen briefly shared his experience in Thailand. When they heard how he had managed a reverse acquisition of Golden Elephant in a desperate situation to control upstream raw materials, everyone was amazed, filled with admiration for their boss’s courage and skill.

"So, from now on, not only will our coconut cream supply be abundant and the quality guaranteed, but our costs will have an advantage!" Gao Zhenhai excitedly slammed the table. "Brother Wen, we really have nothing to fear now!"

Chen Bingwen nodded with a smile. "The supply chain risks have been resolved, but the market is ever-changing. We cannot slack off. Next, bottling is the top priority, and the promotion of new products must continue with force."

Stimulated by the alcohol, the group ate and drank until late into the night before returning home satisfied.

The next morning, at the Kwun Tong food factory meeting room, the core management of Chen’s Food gathered. Chen Bingwen sat at the head of the table, with Gao Zhenhai, who was responsible for sales and acting as factory manager, on his left, and Zhong Qiang, responsible for production and technology, on his right. Professor Zhou, as the head of R&D, and A-Sheng, as the head of the affiliate, were also in attendance. Financial matters were assisted by Liang Qiming, a senior accountant from De-Xin Accounting Firm. In addition, quality control personnel and team leaders from the Cheung Sha Wan and Kwun Tong factories were also present.

The atmosphere in the meeting room was harmonious. Everyone knew that the boss had returned not only with the good news of resolving the raw material crisis but also with a clear assessment of the company’s industrial status.

"Good morning, everyone," Chen Bingwen started directly. "First, I will report the final results of the Thailand trip." He concisely explained how he had spotted an opportunity in a crisis, performed a reverse acquisition of 51.3% of Golden Elephant Food Industrial Company’s shares, introduced Pangu Bank as a strategic shareholder, and completely resolved the coconut cream supply chain crisis while gaining control over upstream resources.

The crowd was thrilled, especially when they heard that Golden Elephant’s stock price had steadily recovered and that Pangu Bank’s investment provided a strong credit endorsement.

"Therefore," Chen Bingwen concluded, "the Golden Elephant crisis has been completely transformed into our company's strategic advantage. In the future, 70% of high-quality coconut cream from the Ratchaburi factory will be stably supplied to Chen’s, with controllable costs and guaranteed quality! This is the solid backing for our entry into the bottled market and further expansion!"