Journey 1995:Non-Stop

Chapter 311 Price Increase
"Mr. Yan, those two people I introduced to you before should be available for a few months after the Chinese New Year. Do you think we should invite them over?" Chen Jian asked after chatting for a while.

“If there are more professional people available, of course we should hire them. You can handle this.” Yan Hui nodded.

"Exactly. I estimate their salaries will be very high." Chen Jian was a little embarrassed to say it.

"You told me before that it would be 5 a month, right? So for two people, that's 10 a month?" Yan Hui asked.

If someone is a true expert, they deserve any amount of money.

"No, no, the two of them together make about 50,000 a month. They're just highly educated and experienced, but they're not exactly industry leaders. The problem is, they might not be willing to come if they make 50,000 a month for both of them. I think I'll have to offer them some stock options as incentives to get them to come."

“I think it’s fine, but there’s no point in talking about phantom stock now, since the factory hasn’t been built yet. How can I make such an empty promise to others?” Yan Hui thought for a moment, “How about this, since you say they are experts and postdoctoral fellows, I’ll pay each of them 30,000 a month. Let them come first. If they feel we have a future after a few months, then we can talk about phantom stock. If they want to leave, we won’t stop them. I personally think that having both of them will definitely help our project progress.”

“Alright, Mr. Yan, I’ll go talk to them soon.” Chen Jian nodded.

He was genuinely under pressure. Initially, Chen Jian also thought that he and his wife could handle the project on their own. Chen Jian wasn't purely academic; he had worked in some industrial labs and conducted similar experiments dozens of times. However, he only realized how difficult it was to do it when he actually got his hands dirty. The key issue was that he knew, of course, that high-purity single-component polyurethane was an advanced material, which meant that very few people in China understood it, including his advisor.

Even with guidance from his mentor, it's not guaranteed that he'll see results in a short time.

Many people are superstitious about titles like "professor," but it must be admitted that some people are just lucky enough to achieve results in an experiment and then get the corresponding title. Such luck may not happen in the next experiment.

Now, in Chen Jian's entire academic circle and network of contacts, the most professional people are these two postdoctoral fellows, and he needs their help.

So far, after five experiments, polyurethane has been successfully synthesized, but the purity is far from satisfactory!

Yan Hui and Chen Jian had previously discussed producing polyurethane that could be used in automobiles, requiring high purity, no bubbles, and no particles. Only by achieving this level of purity could they secure a market and generate profits. If it were just ordinary polyurethane, it could be produced with any shoddy workmanship.

In the current market, most demand for adhesives comes from cheap products like urea-formaldehyde resin used in plywood factories, which often have excessive formaldehyde levels. Industries that require polyurethane, however, are typically high-value-added sectors, such as the automotive industry. These manufacturers require high-quality adhesives, so low-quality polyurethane is pointless; buying urea-formaldehyde resin would be far more efficient.

"It's almost Chinese New Year, and I haven't prepared any gifts for you and your wife to go home for the holiday. Here's 20,000 yuan; take it as your bonus for this year." Yan Hui took out 20,000 yuan in cash from his bag and handed it to Chen Jian.

"Huh? Boss?" Chen Jian was a little discouraged after failing five times in a row, but he didn't expect Yan Hui to prepare a big red envelope for him.

"Do you know why I agreed to let you invite those two professionals over? It's not that I don't trust you, but I feel that scientific research progresses through communication. Most importantly, with them around, the pressure of your experiments will be reduced. Although the experiments will inevitably continue to fail, at least you won't be too bothered by the failures. I've experienced far more failures in business than you have. Remember, this is all within expectations, and the bonus will not be reduced by a single penny." Yan Hui stuffed the money into his hand.

"Boss, thank you! I'll definitely show you the results after the New Year!" Chen Jian said.

"You're more professional than me when it comes to science, how can you guarantee anything? If it doesn't work in 2004, we'll continue in 2005," Yan Hui laughed. After seeing Chen Jian off, Yan Hui cooked two packets of instant noodles, giving one to Lingling. The noodles contained four boiled eggs; Lingling got two, and he got two.

Yan Hui and Lingling spent the New Year together again. There was no one else in the huge warehouse, a feeling that Yan Hui was getting used to.

Business people, especially bosses, are sometimes lonely. Yan Hui knows too many people and friends, and he has to visit many people during the Spring Festival, but every time he finishes his work and goes home, he is still alone with Lingling.

After a peaceful Lunar New Year, on the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Yan Hui knew that President Han was at home, so he went to visit him with gifts and chatted about recent events.

"I didn't expect you to actually get into the chemical industry. There's not much I can do to help you in this area," said General Manager Han, somewhat moved after hearing Yan Hui's account of the progress.

Over the years, Yan Hui has matured completely.

“I know I can only do this on my own. But, Mr. Han, I’ve received so much help from you over the years on the construction site,” Yan Hui said gratefully again.

“Things are different now. The market recognizes you. Even without my name, you can still build a successful business,” Mr. Han said with a smile.

“Mr. Han, this is what I’m thinking. When I do business outside, I inevitably use your name to some extent, so I always try my best to do things well and efficiently. In the past year, my business has expanded considerably, and I’m basically handling all the plywood business related to Jian’an Group. Have you heard any rumors? If there are any issues about me or my sales staff, please be sure to remind me promptly.” Yan Hui always maintained this humble attitude in front of Mr. Han.

"You're just too cautious. Sometimes when I talk to my wife about you, she says, 'Why are you still so low-key and composed even though you're earning quite a bit now?' Actually, you have pricing power now, so there's no need to be so meticulous," Mr. Han said with a smile.

Most people would only worry about their subordinates doing things recklessly, but Yan Hui is so worry-free that even President Han is somewhat helpless.

Timber prices have been rising in recent years, as have labor costs, yet Yan Hui's plywood prices haven't increased much!

"I was just about to mention this. My chemical engineering experiments this year will be very expensive, so I'll have to raise the prices a bit." Yan Hui didn't expect President Han to bring this up on his own initiative.

Once Yan Hui's business reaches this level, he already has the power to set prices.

The biggest advantage of such a high price is that it directly increases profits, but it will immediately provide other competitors with room for bidding and new ways to survive.

Whether it's good or bad, Yan Hui no longer wants to think about it; he must earn more money in 2004.

(End of this chapter)