Rebirth in Hong Kong: From Dessert Shop to Industrial Empire

Chapter 48 Breaking Through the Wall Using a Crude Method (Second Update, Please Subscribe!)
Just as Chenji was undergoing a vigorous management upgrade, good news also came from the R&D center.

Professor Zhou's team has made a breakthrough in the technical route of "high temperature instantaneous sterilization + vacuum degassing + hot filling" proposed by Chen Bingwen!
After five days of exploration, the "vacuum + high temperature sterilization" method has finally entered the final full-process testing stage.

At this moment, the atmosphere in the R&D center was more somber than ever before, yet it also concealed an irrepressible excitement.

Professor Zhou stood in front of the experimental table, his bloodshot eyes fixed on a makeshift simulated production line.

Stainless steel cooking pots, vacuum degassing tanks, and small hot filling machines. To professionals, these pieces of equipment are so rudimentary they seem almost cheap.

However, it is a key verification platform for whether the alternative solution proposed by Chen Bingwen, namely "high-temperature instantaneous sterilization + vacuum degassing + hot filling", can be implemented.

"Full-process simulation test, ready to begin!"

As Professor Zhou gave the instruction, the two doctoral students and four technical backbones transferred from the factory behind him immediately took their positions, looking focused.

On the lab table, a pot of red bean paste with tangerine peel, made strictly according to Chen's secret recipe, is steaming hot.

The thermometer showed that the red bean paste temperature had risen to the preset 121 degrees Celsius.

"Activate the high-temperature sterilization unit! Maintain at 121°C for 30 seconds!" Professor Zhou ordered.

The operator immediately started the timer while closely monitoring the temperature.

These 30 seconds are crucial for killing all microorganisms; the temperature and time must be precise.

Any deviation could lead to sterilization failure or severe flavor degradation.

Time ticked by, and only the low hum of the equipment and the ticking of the timer remained in the laboratory.

Everyone's hearts were in their throats.

"30 seconds! Turn off the heat source and start vacuum degassing!" Professor Zhou's voice broke the silence.

The operator quickly pumped the scalding hot red bean paste into the connected vacuum degassing tank.

"Degassing complete! Vacuum level met!"
Ready for hot filling!

Glass bottles, already preheated to 85°C, were quickly arranged on a makeshift filling line.

The scalding hot red bean paste flowed into the bottle under the influence of gravity, and the liquid level was almost flush with the bottle opening.

"Seal immediately! Aseptic heat seal!"

The specially designed aluminum-plastic composite cap is pressed tightly against the bottle opening, and the high temperature instantly melts the sealing material to create a seal.

The entire process must be completed before the red bean paste temperature drops below 80℃ to ensure sufficient vacuum is formed inside the bottle and to use residual heat for secondary sterilization inside the bottle cap.

When the last bottle was sealed and placed in the cooling water bath for rapid cooling, a suppressed cheer erupted in the laboratory.

"Success! The process went smoothly!"

"Temperature, time, and vacuum level all meet the standards!"

"Quickly! Take samples! Conduct microbiological testing and flavor assessment immediately!"

Professor Zhou smiled with relief, but he immediately became serious again: "Don't be too happy yet! Getting the process through is only the first step! The key is the result!"

The sample was quickly divided into several portions.

Some were sent to the adjacent microbiology laboratory for sterility testing, a matter of life and death concerning food safety and shelf life.

The other part was labeled and placed in constant temperature chambers at different temperatures for accelerated aging tests to simulate long-term storage.

Another portion was sent to the sensory evaluation room for blind flavor testing.

The wait for the result felt even longer than those thrilling 30 seconds.

Finally, the door to the microbiology lab was flung open.

Xiao Liu clutched the report tightly in his hand, his face a mixture of elation and excitement.

He practically rushed to Professor Zhou, his voice trembling with excitement: "Professor Zhou! Sterility test... all passed! All samples, sterile! All passed!"

"Good! Good! Good!" Professor Zhou slammed his hand on the table and said "good" three times in a row.

The fatigue of the past few days vanished instantly. "Notify Boss Chen! Notify Boss Chen immediately!"

A cheer erupted in the laboratory!
The tension and anxiety that had been suppressed for so long were completely released at this moment!
They succeeded! They really broke through the exorbitant price barrier of aseptic filling using this "homemade method"!

Upon hearing the news, Chen Bingwen practically ran to the research and development center.

As soon as he entered, he saw Professor Zhou excitedly come up to him and hand him a bottle of red bean paste that had just cooled down.

"Chen Sheng! It's a success! All sterility tests are passed! The preliminary flavor assessment is also excellent!" Professor Zhou's voice was still filled with excitement.

Chen Bingwen took the bottle of warm red bean paste and examined it carefully.

Inside the transparent glass bottle, the deep red bean paste looked enticing, with a smooth and even texture, without any layering or separation of water.

He unscrewed the bottle cap, and a familiar and rich aroma of tangerine peel and red bean paste wafted out.

He took a small sip. The red bean paste was smooth and creamy, with a moderate sweetness and just the right amount of tangerine peel. The taste was almost identical to that of freshly made red bean paste, and even purer and smoother due to the vacuum degassing process.

"Great! Excellent!" Chen Bingwen said sincerely. "Professor Zhou, thank you for your hard work! Everyone, thank you for your hard work!"

This is the most crucial step in the bottling strategy!
You have done a great service!

"Mr. Chen, your approach is the key!" Professor Zhou exclaimed with deep emotion. "Without your mindset of breaking free from the conventional thinking of aseptic filling, we might still be at a loss when faced with the expensive equipment quotes."

Now, all we need is a mature and reliable hot-fill production line to achieve mass production! The entire equipment purchase budget can be kept under HKD 80!

"80!" Chen Bingwen's smile deepened.

This number is more than seven times lower than that of aseptic filling lines that cost millions!

Although the cost was still higher than he had initially anticipated, it was still within Chen Ji's budget!
Sugar Heart Capital's funds, combined with Chen Ji's own ability to generate revenue, are sufficient to support the establishment of this production line!

"Professor Zhou, please prepare a detailed process flow report and a final equipment requirements list!" Chen Bingwen made a decisive call. "Ah Hai!"

"Brother Wen!" Gao Zhenhai immediately responded and stepped forward, his face full of excitement.

"You should fully cooperate with Professor Zhou and immediately start purchasing the hot filling production line based on the finalized process flow and equipment list!"
The price must be kept to the lowest possible level, the delivery time to the shortest possible time, and the quality must be of the highest standard.

This is our lifeline; we cannot afford to be careless!

Chen Bingwen quickly made arrangements, "At the same time, we will start looking for suitable glass bottle suppliers. The bottle design should be simple and elegant, highlighting the 'Chen Ji' brand, and the capacity should be 350 ml, suitable for immediate consumption."

The bottle cap must also be a matching one; the seal must be absolutely airtight.

"Understood! Brother Wen! I'll take care of it right away!" Gao Zhenhai happily agreed.

With the successful development of the bottled sugar water production process, a crucial link in Chenji's future plans has finally been completed.

“Director Ling,” Chen Bingwen turned to Ling Peiyi, who had rushed over upon hearing the news and also had a happy expression on her face, “Once the bottled products are put into mass production, market promotion and channel development will be of paramount importance.”

I need you to immediately set up a marketing department and find professionals familiar with FMCG channels.

Market expansion must begin immediately!

Ling Peiyi was already in the zone. "Don't worry, Mr. Chen, I've already started looking for candidates for the marketing department, and I expect to finalize a preliminary list this week."

I'm also compiling information on the purchasing managers from Wellcome and ParknShop, and will arrange initial contact as soon as possible.

I will submit a draft of the positioning, pricing strategy, and initial launch promotion plan for the bottled products within three days.

"Good!" Chen Bingwen nodded in satisfaction.

With the assistance of a professional like Ling Peiyi, he can indeed reduce a lot of his workload and focus his energy on controlling the company's development direction.

　I'll post two chapters first, and continue during the day!
　　
　
(End of this chapter)