Reborn since 1993

Chapter 1424 There are only wrong names, no wrong nicknames

Only by overcoming this final hurdle can Ruyan e-cigarettes truly reach their full potential!

Zhang Xiaocheng nodded. He understood what Li Dongling meant. He wasn't just talking about Ruyan e-cigarettes; he was trying to bring Reynolds into the e-cigarette camp and then get Ruyan Emperor listed on the market.

We also need to consider another matter, which is what will happen after Ruyan e-cigarettes are launched. Torch Group needs to transform!

"Once Ruyan e-cigarettes are launched, Torch Group will begin preparations for transformation!"

Zhang Xiaocheng knew what Torch Group's decision meant. The Torch Group, which seemed to be at its zenith and had reached a new peak, was likely to face changes and growing pains.

After all, with hundreds of thousands of employees in the Torch Group, settling them down and finding new ways out is no easy task; one wrong move and the whole thing could go wrong.

The more support you give Torch Group in the past, the greater the price Torch Group will pay if things go wrong.

"It's better to be in pain now than to be unable to solve the problem later!"

Li Dongling noticed Zhang Xiaocheng's expression and spoke to him.

Torch Group already has a large workforce, and it can continue to assemble disposable lighters manually, allowing it to continue profiting for several more years.

However, once domestic salaries start to rise, Torch Group may not be able to cope, and may face either losses and collapse or large-scale layoffs.

Neither of these two options is good news for Torch Group; they will leave Pingyang and even Hanxi with a huge mess.

Torch Group was previously promoted as a benchmark project. If it becomes a mess, Dongke's reputation will be tarnished.

In the future, other cities will probably have to think twice before bringing in companies from the Dongke Group, worried that they might be bringing in a huge pitfall.

Before Torch Group undergoes its transformation, it must first stabilize its three existing businesses: disposable lighters, metal lighters, and Ruyan e-cigarettes. These three businesses will become the foundation of Torch Group.

As long as the core business is preserved, even if Torch Group's transformation attempt fails the first time, there will be a second and a third opportunity.

Li Dongling instructed Zhang Xiaocheng, knowing that Zhang Xiaocheng would likely be under a lot of pressure, but no matter how much pressure he was under, he had to stabilize the situation first.

Only by stabilizing its position can Torch Group make steady progress. Even if it suffers one or two setbacks, as long as its core business remains intact, it can make a comeback!
"In the future, Torch Group may consider expanding into areas such as gas stoves, bathroom fixtures, and outdoor products."

Torch Group is inherently involved in the "fire" industry. While we wouldn't claim to be unique in controlling miniature fire-fighting equipment, Torch Group certainly has the capability. The significant investment and development team they've cultivated over the years are far from incompetent.

China will enter an era of large-scale infrastructure construction and a real estate boom, which will bring more than 20 years of benefits to the gas stove and bathroom products industries.

As long as Torch Group seizes this opportunity, it will definitely be able to survive the transformation.

As outdoor sports flourish worldwide, not only professional outdoor athletes will need items such as windproof jackets, hiking boots, trail running shoes, tents, sleeping bags, hiking backpacks, sunglasses, and sun hats, but these items will also become part of the daily lives of the younger generation.

Even without mountain climbing, you can still commute to get off work wearing a windproof jacket, hiking shoes, and a backpack – this is an industry for young people.

By seizing this industry, you've essentially seized control of the next generation's "wallets"!
Riding the wave of the real estate boom and the rise of outdoor products, Torch Group has the potential to complete its transformation. Moreover, these industries are all labor-intensive, making them suitable for Torch Group to enter.

Of course, as mentioned before, to provide employment for so many people, the Torch Group's salaries cannot be high. In many places where automated machinery would have been used for production, the Torch Group will use manual labor to increase the number of jobs.

Just like BYD in its previous life, although countless people complained that BYD was too "stingy" with its employees, and often compared it with companies like Toyota and Tesla, it seemed that BYD and its founder were being a bit ruthless.

However, if you carefully examine Dizi's salary system and staff size, you will find that Dizi, which is the one that is criticized the most, has recruited the most employees. Even when competitors are touting things like "lights-out factories" and automated production, Dizi still chooses to use a large workforce for some processes.

If we look at it from another angle, does Dizi not know that using mechanized and automated production would be more efficient, lower in cost, and more profitable?
As for the claim that Dizi lacks technology and cannot automate processes, think about it: a company that became the world's largest mask manufacturer in 24 days, does it really lack technology?
However, Dizi still introduced automated production in a measured way, providing a large number of jobs in China.

Whether it is right or wrong is for future generations to judge, but the jobs provided by Dizi may not be the highest-paying, but they have given millions of domestic families an income to support their families.

Torch Group is expected to be similar to Dizi in the future, providing a large number of jobs, but don't expect high salaries.

To be honest, Li Dashan hopes that more people will choose to leave Torch Group, because that means they have better prospects and can earn higher salaries than they did at Torch Group.

Torch Group may become an "old-school" company in the future, providing an opportunity for those without a skill to make a living.

If one day in the future, no one is interested in working for Torch Group, it will actually mean that Torch Group has completed its mission. The new generation of young people no longer need to work for Torch Group to make a living. They can have better jobs to make a living. For Torch Group, that is enough.

Hearing Li Dongling point out the transformation direction for Torch Group, Zhang Xiaocheng kept it in mind, wishing he could write it down in a notebook. Zhang Xiaocheng dared not disregard Li Dongling's instructions, as Torch Group had basically been developing according to the strategy formulated by Li Dongling over the years.

The current size of Torch Group is enough to prove Li Dashanren's operational capabilities, so how could Zhang Xiaocheng dare to question Li Dashanren's proposal?
The noise at the scene grew louder, and the match was obviously about to begin. Li Dongling looked at the field, thought for a moment, and then gave instructions to Zhang Xiaocheng.

"For outdoor products, brand awareness is essential. If necessary, you could choose to establish a new outdoor brand company and acquire a number of well-known domestic and international brands!"

"For example, acquiring brands such as Arc'teryx from Canada, Salomon from France, The North Face from America, and Patagonia."

Brand building takes years of accumulation, but Torch Group doesn't have that kind of time to waste. They simply throw money at it, acquiring a number of outdoor sports brands and their technology and production lines, which saves a lot of time.

Furthermore, after Ruyan e-cigarettes went public, Torch Group could use Ruyan e-cigarettes to engage in various schemes, such as cashing out stocks, issuing bonds, and borrowing from American banks, to raise money through various means.

Once the funds are raised, the companies can be acquired. For Torch Group, the most important thing right now is to find new ways out. Any unconventional tactics are acceptable as long as they don't affect the overall situation.

"In addition to acquiring outdoor brands, Torch Group can sponsor sports events and even join hands with Oriental Media and Focus Media to create outdoor sports TV programs."

For example, they could produce documentaries about round-the-world travel, wilderness survival, and the North Face Global Music Festival. They could also organize a group of mountaineering experts and top outdoor athletes to conduct activities such as a documentary on Mount Everest climbing and an oxygen-free K2 climb, using these events to promote Torch Group's outdoor brand.

"Of course, these extreme outdoor activities must be carried out with safety guaranteed and sufficient logistical support. I don't want these activities organized by Torch Group to become..."

Li Dashanren originally wanted to say that we shouldn't let the events organized by Torch Group become material for a certain video website UP master "Secret Garden".

Once you're featured on Secret Garden's material, your fate is truly uncertain; you'll be lucky to escape with your life.

Torch Group sponsors and organizes these events to promote its products and showcase the performance of its equipment to the world. It's not like Red Bull, which sponsors ridiculous events for no reason, like some kind of disastrous, unimaginable spectacle…

Zhang Xiaocheng, who was listening, suddenly stopped when he saw Li Dashanren and couldn't help but look at Li Dongling.

"When Torch Group's outdoor advertising company conducts promotional activities, it should try its best to avoid accidents and prevent users from having negative feelings about the products or services!"

Li Dongling instructed Zhang Xiaocheng, who nodded. He knew that according to Li Dongling's plan, Torch Group was about to enter an era of rapid acquisitions, and would begin spending large sums of money on acquisitions.

Suddenly, a huge commotion erupted from the scene, and the host's voice became loud and excited.

"The competition now officially begins!"

"The horse that took the lead at the start was number 6, and it's the champion of this racetrack!"

Li Dongling's gaze fell upon the arena, where shouts echoed continuously. Everyone sitting in the arena was cheering and waving their arms in desperation for the horses they had bet on. In such an atmosphere, it was easy to stir up people's emotions.

The Golden Boat, owned by the philanthropist Li, was wearing the number 3 horse. Compared to the other horses, the Golden Boat started a few minutes later, and since it was its first time participating in a formal race, it was clearly inexperienced.

Therefore, among those present, not many people actually bet on the Golden Ship to win the game, and after the game started and they saw the scene on the field, no one thought the Golden Ship could win.

Li Dashanren didn't care too much, and even planned to leave the field with Ning Wenke and the others after the competition ended.

But halfway through the race, the situation suddenly changed dramatically. The Golden Ship, which was originally at the bottom, suddenly accelerated, just like Usain Bolt.

The horses on the racetrack were all very fast, but Golden Boat was particularly impressive, as if it had overtaken all the other horses in front of it.

When the gold ship started moving, a huge gasp of surprise erupted from the crowd.

"In the last two hundred meters, Golden Ship No. 3 is almost catching up with Ship No. 6, just one step away!"

"Fifty meters to go!"

"The Golden Ship has surpassed No. 6, and with its invincible momentum, it has completely left No. 6 behind and become the number one."

"The Golden Ship has won the race!"

"Congratulations to Golden Boat for winning 9 out of 1! It will become the new king of horse racing in Hong Kong. This race has won its owner a prize of three million Hong Kong dollars!"

When they saw that the Golden Ship had actually won the game, not only the audience at the scene but also those who had placed bets in front of their TVs were dumbfounded. Even Li Dashan was somewhat surprised.

Could it be that there's some hidden meaning behind the name of the racehorse "Golden Boat"?
(End of this chapter)