Reborn since 1993

Chapter 375: Once is new, twice is familiar
Gu Ming called his assistant in the company in a hurry and asked him to retrieve the joint letter with his name on it no matter what!
Things like boycotting Torch Group and challenging Torch Group all disappeared in Gu Ming's mind when he saw Torch Group appear on the news broadcast!
When a company appears in the news broadcast, even in a commendatory manner, Gu Ming can imagine what will happen next. Sweeping the entire domestic lighter market is a foregone conclusion, and no one can stop the rise of Torch Group.

Gu Ming was worried, not knowing whether he could get the jointly signed letter back. Once it appeared in the newspaper or was made public, the company whose name was on it would probably be in trouble.

From the news just now, Gu Ming already knew Yanjing’s attitude. Compared with their group of old-fashioned lighter companies, Yanjing obviously values ​​Torch Group and Torch Industrial Park more!
Gu Ming and his team's lighter company can earn some foreign exchange, but the number of jobs they can provide and the amount of tax revenue they can generate are not enough to match what the Torch Group can do.

Gu Ming, who had experienced many storms, knew clearly that only by being able to bend and stretch can one live longer; otherwise, he would be trying to stop a chariot with a mantis arm or using an egg to hit a rock!
At this time, Gu Ming no longer wanted to confront the Torch Group. He would be satisfied if he could join the Torch Group and get a share of the lighter export market and make a living.

The phone on the table rang, and Gu Ming quickly picked up the phone. After hearing that the jointly signed letter had been retrieved, Gu Ming couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

But after hearing what the assistant said, Gu Ming's face turned strange, and he couldn't help but curse, "A bunch of fence-sitters!"

It turned out that Gu Ming was not the only one who was anxiously chasing after the joint letter. Even several lighter manufacturers had already jumped out and announced that they would join the Torch Industrial Park.

"Buy the earliest flight ticket tomorrow. I'm going to Hanxi!" Gu Ming cursed inwardly and said with gritted teeth. He was ready to go to Torch Group to pay a visit and hand in his pledge of allegiance. It would not be shameful to pay a visit at this time, and it would be better than the company going bankrupt!

……

"Bring me another bottle of wine, the one that's ten years old!"

In an apartment in the staff housing compound of Hanxi Provincial Government, when Luo Junwu, the founder of Torch Group, saw Torch Group appear on the news broadcast, he seemed to be intoxicated even without drinking a sip of wine.

After taking a look at the TV and then at Luo Junwu who was obviously extremely excited, Luo Junwu's wife knew that he was in high spirits. Although she was reluctant to give him a drink, she still got up and brought it to him.

"You should drink less. Your body is not as strong as before. During the physical examination last month, the doctor told you not to drink too much..."

Luo Junwu was not annoyed by his wife's nagging. He smiled and poured a glass of wine, then drank it all in one gulp. "Today is different, it's time to drink!"

The news on TV had ended long ago, but Luo Junwu still kept his eyes on the TV. He was the founder of Torch Group, and Torch Group was a project he approved when he was the head of Pingyang. No one could refute this.

Although he had already left Pingyang and moved to the provincial capital, Torch Group was Luo Junwu's most dazzling achievement in his career!

As long as Torch Group performs well enough, even if Luo Junwu retires in two years, he will be remembered and mentioned in news about Torch Group. How many people in the official career can enjoy such treatment? !

Not only Luo Junwu, but also people in the officialdom related to Torch Group and Torch Industrial Park, when they saw this news, they all understood that Torch Group is becoming a book of merit!

As long as there are people related to Torch Group and Torch Industry, they can benefit from the merit book. With the development of Torch Group in the future, I am afraid that more people in official careers will benefit from Torch Group.

Almost immediately after Torch Group appeared in the news, the phone of Torch Group’s marketing department was bombarded with calls. The calls did not stop all night and there was no way they could be answered.

That night, Torch Group’s orders almost exploded, and large orders from all over the country poured into the Torch Group.

This time being in the news is almost equivalent to running an advertisement for Torch Group in front of hundreds of millions of viewers across the country, and it is an officially certified advertisement.

If before, it was mainly tobacco, alcohol, health care products and other companies that wanted to use Torch Group's lighters to run a buy-a-product-get-one-free promotion, then this time, it was major domestic shopping malls, supermarkets, convenience stores, restaurants, hotels and other retail channels that placed orders with Torch Group, and the Torch Group's orders exploded in one wave!
When Torch Group appeared on the news broadcast, there was no longer any obstacle to the establishment of the Lighter Import and Export Association.

"Approved by the Economic and Trade Commission, Industry and Commerce, Development and Reform Commission, Customs Administration and other departments, Torch Group has joined forces with several lighter industry companies to formally establish the National Lighter Import and Export Association. Zhang Xiaocheng will serve as the first president of the Lighter Import and Export Association!"

The next day, the Hanxi Daily publicly announced the establishment of the Lighter Import and Export Association. At this time, naturally there was no opposition.

Gu Ming hurried to the provincial capital of Hanxi early in the morning, and then rushed to Pingyang. The sooner he submitted the letter of allegiance, the better. What would be the point of submitting it late?

After getting in the car, Gu Ming called Huang Xinhai. They were both in the lighter circle, so they had some connections. Gu Ming and Huang Xinhai were old acquaintances, but they were not very close before. But this time, Gu Ming asked Huang Xinhai, who had already taken refuge in the Torch Group, to introduce him to the senior executives of the Torch Group. "Old Huang, I'm relying on you this time!" As soon as he arrived in Pingyang and saw Huang Xinhai, Gu Ming immediately complained.

Huang Xinhai saw this and shook his head and said, "Boss Gu, come here. Even if you don't look for me, there won't be any trouble. Torch Industrial Park has already stated that it welcomes other domestic lighter manufacturers to settle in and use the Torch Industrial Park's lighter industry chain together!"

Huang Xinhai has had contact with Torch Industrial Park and senior executives of Torch Group, including Zhang Xiaocheng and even Li Dongling.

Huang Xinhai had a feeling that the scale of establishing Torch Group was much higher than outsiders imagined.

Old-school lighter manufacturers like Gu Ming still want to sell products at low prices, compete with their peers, or do OEM for lighter manufacturers such as Nippon Benz and America. However, the generosity shown by the Torch Group made Huang Xinhai feel that the establishment of the Torch Group did not seem to be really for the purpose of competing with domestic lighter manufacturers for the leftovers of foreign lighter manufacturers!

"That's what you said, but who knows what will happen in the future? I still need you to say a few good words to me, Old Huang!"

Gu Ming had a worried look on his face. He had already heard about the establishment of the Lighter Import and Export Association. He asked himself, if such power and weapon were in his hands, would he use it against his previous opponents?
Huang Xinhai heard this and without saying anything, he picked up a new newspaper and handed it to Gu Ming.

Gu Ming didn't know what Huang Xinhai meant, and took the newspaper with some doubt. It was the latest report of Pingyang City Daily today. When he saw the title on the front page, Gu Ming's eyes widened, and a surge of blood rushed to his forehead, making him feel dizzy and his vision a little blurred.

"Boss Gu, are you okay?"

Seeing Gu Ming's body shaking and seemed about to fall, Huang Xinhai was shocked. He quickly supported Gu Ming and shouted for people to come in.

"I'm fine!"

Gu Ming was panting heavily, his eyes were bloodshot, and he held the newspaper tightly in his hand, "Is what it says true?"

"Can this be false?"

Huang Xinhai breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Gu Ming recover. "Other media and newspapers haven't been delivered yet, but I think they will all report on it!"

After a while, newspapers such as Economic Daily and Commercial Times were delivered to him. Gu Ming pulled one over and saw the headlines on them. They were basically the same as the news in Pingyang City News just now.

Gu Ming's eyes were complicated, but also a little admiring. "We lost to Torch Group, and it was not unfair. If we can really win this lawsuit, I will be really convinced. Those people in Torch Group, Zhang Xiaocheng, are real men!"

The newspaper in Gu Ming's hand fell to the side. The headline on it read, "Zhang Xiaocheng, president of the National Lighter Import and Export Association, announced the first proposal of the association after taking office. He will formally respond to the anti-dumping investigation launched by old Europe against the domestic lighter industry!

In addition, Mr. Li Dongling, one of the chairmen of the National Lighter Import and Export Association, the largest shareholder of Torch Group, and the founder of Dongling Hi-Tech, announced that he would file a lawsuit for unfair competition against the Old European Lighter Manufacturers Association, the American Lighter Association, and foreign lighter companies such as Zippo, Colibri, Dupont, and Bic! "

The domestic lighter industry has been suppressed overseas, targeted and fined in various ways. Led by a number of lighter giants such as Zippo, Colibri, and Bic, they have used various means to target domestic lighter manufacturers, and even lobbied Capitol Hill in the United States to pass the CR Act to drive domestic lighters out of the American market.

But in the past, including Gu Ming's lighter company, they all fought alone. A single company could not afford the high litigation costs. Another point is that domestic lighter manufacturers had a fear of those overseas lighter companies and did not dare to respond to the lawsuit, as if they were afraid of losing the case and becoming sinners in the industry.

As a result, when America launched anti-dumping measures against domestic lighters, no domestic lighter company dared to stand up and resist. American lighter manufacturers such as Zippo and Colby easily drove domestic lighters into the Pacific Ocean!

But now, the National Lighter Association, which was established less than a few hours ago, has stood up and responded to the anti-dumping investigation by old Europe, and even filed a counter-suit against Zippo and other lighter giants for maliciously suppressing domestic lighters and unfair competition.

This was too much of a shock to Gu Ming. It was like facing an opponent whom he had never dared to challenge. He regarded the opponent as a god. No matter how excessive the opponent was, he dared not resist, for fear of angering the opponent and suffering greater punishment.

But now, a man stood up, raised the sword in his hand, and challenged the god in the eyes of Gu Ming and others. This action was almost tantamount to killing God!
From the moment he saw the newspaper, Gu Ming knew that their group of old-fashioned lighter manufacturers had lost, and lost completely. Not only did they lose lighter revenue and sales, but more importantly, the pattern, courage, and strategic vision of the two sides were almost completely on different dimensions.

(End of this chapter)