Traveling back to 1966, starting by living in a cowshed.

In the suburbs of Yuen Long, Hong Kong, a lively atmosphere permeates the industrial park. Red lanterns are casually hung by workers at the entrances of newly completed factory buildings, and "Fu" (福, meaning good fortune) characters cut from red paper are pasted on the windows of dormitory buildings. The air is filled with a faint smell of gunpowder and the sweet aroma of New Year cakes—the Lunar New Year is fast approaching, and the small industrial park that Lin Zhou has spent months building has finally been fully completed before the end of the year.

Lin Zhou and Zhou Jianhua walked side by side on the cement road in the factory area, their feet glistening with morning dew. The road was smooth and wide, with neat rows of lampposts on both sides, their brand-new aluminum alloy lampshades gleaming coldly in the morning light. Four factory buildings stood in a row, their off-white exteriors paired with black PVC windows, simple yet grand. A huge sign with the four characters "Zhonghua Home Appliances" hung above the main building, the bold and powerful characters standing out prominently in the sunlight. In the green belt between the factory buildings, workers were busy planting evergreen shrubs, with scattered red wildflowers adding a touch of vitality to this industrial land.

"Mr. Lin, please take a close look. We strictly followed the design drawings for the main structure, water and electricity lines, and ventilation system of each factory building. The acceptance reports are all here." Zhou Jianhua handed over a thick stack of documents, a relieved smile on his face, but his eyes betrayed his exhaustion. For the past few months, he had practically lived on the construction site, leading workers from several construction companies to work day and night. Finally, he hadn't let Lin Zhou down and completed all the projects before the Chinese New Year.

Lin Zhou took the document but didn't read it word by word. Instead, he walked to the main factory building and pushed open the heavy steel door. The factory interior was spacious and bright. Rows of chandeliers were neatly arranged on the eight-meter-high ceiling, the floor was polished smooth, and the pre-installed equipment locations were clearly marked. Fire hydrants and ventilation ducts were all in place, and the cable trays on the walls were neatly arranged without a trace of clutter.

"Not bad, the details are very well done." Lin Zhou nodded in satisfaction, then turned and walked towards the living area. Six dormitory buildings were scattered on the west side of the factory area, each more than ten stories high. The corridors were spacious and bright, and the rooms already had wooden doors and windows and simple bed frames installed. Pushing open the door of a south-facing dormitory, plenty of sunlight rushed in, illuminating every corner of the room. In the private bathroom, the faucet had been installed, and when the valve was turned on, clear tap water gushed out.

"Each dormitory room is equipped with a private bathroom and balcony, and water, electricity, and gas are all connected. There are three canteens right across from the dormitory building, each capable of accommodating two thousand people at the same time," Zhou Jianhua explained from the side. "The infirmary and recreation room have also been renovated."

After a thorough inspection, Lin Zhou was very satisfied with the quality of the project and signed the acceptance report on the spot. "Manager Zhou, thank you for your hard work and that of all the workers. This is the last payment for the project. Please distribute it to everyone as soon as possible so that the brothers can take their wages home for the New Year." Lin Zhou's tone was full of gratitude.

Zhou Jianhua accepted the check, his eyes slightly moist. "Mr. Lin, we've seen how straightforward you are after working together for so long. We'll be there for you anytime you need us for your next project!"

After seeing Zhou Jianhua off, Lin Zhou did some mental calculations. From acquiring the land and designing the blueprints to construction and the improvement of supporting facilities, the huge sum of cash he received from Boss Li was now almost entirely spent. But looking at the brand-new industrial park before him, he felt no heartache, but rather a great sense of accomplishment—this was his foundation in Hong Kong, and spending any amount of money was worthwhile.

Back in his office in Central, a floor of office space Lin Zhou had bought at a bargain price, and given the noise from factory construction in Yuen Long, he had the staff from Chung Wah Appliances move in temporarily. His newly hired secretary and assistant, Ms. Chen, was already waiting there, holding a newspaper and several documents. "Boss, this is the latest sales report from the Chung Wah Daily, and a summary of orders from the appliance factory."

Lin Zhou took the report and first looked at the data for the *Zhonghua Daily*. The report showed that the newspaper's sales had been lukewarm for the past few months, barely maintaining an average of around 30,000 copies per day. "Fortunately, it hasn't completely collapsed," Lin Zhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Since its inception, the *Zhonghua Daily* has adhered to the principle of not participating in politics or commenting on military affairs. In a Hong Kong newspaper environment where major publications were taking sides and public opinion was rife with noise, this positioning, while prudent, lacked many eye-catching sensational elements. If it weren't for Lin Zhouchao's serialized novel *The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty*, which attracted a large readership with its dramatic plot and vivid characters, the newspaper's popularity would likely have plummeted long ago.

"Tell the editor-in-chief, Chen Jingzhi, that after the New Year, we can consider adding some lifestyle and business columns, such as home appliance user guides and Hong Kong market updates, to enrich the content," Lin Zhou instructed. He knew that for the *Zhonghua Daily* to develop in the long term, it couldn't rely solely on a single novel; it had to find its unique positioning and advantages.

Ms. Chen nodded and handed over the appliance factory's order summary: "Boss, since the trade fair ended, orders for air fryers have been increasing. We now have nearly 20,000 units backlogged, and General Manager Su is under a lot of pressure."

Lin Zhou glanced through the orders, which included orders from various department stores under Xiao Ri Zi, as well as foreign trade orders from Southeast Asia, Europe, the Americas, and other countries and regions. Since its debut at the trade fair, the air fryer has quickly become a hot item in the market due to its "oil-free cooking, healthy and convenient" features, especially in Western countries, where it has been highly sought after. The name "Zhonghua Home Appliances" has also gradually become known to overseas consumers along with the popularity of the air fryer.

"How's Su Wanqing doing?" Lin Zhou asked. Since returning from the trade fair, he had officially promoted Su Wanqing to general manager of Zhonghua Home Appliance Factory, responsible for the factory's production, sales, and daily management. Su Wanqing did not disappoint him, managing the home appliance factory in an orderly manner with her excellent business skills and rigorous work attitude.

"General Manager Su has been overseeing production at the factory. The factory is now operating on a three-shift system, and the workers are working overtime to catch up. However, due to limitations in equipment and manpower, the daily output can only reach a maximum of about 1,000 units," Ms. Chen replied. "Moreover, General Manager Su said that the only excuse he can use is the fact that the situation in Hong Kong has just stabilized and production conditions are limited, so he can communicate with customers to delay delivery. If this continues, it may affect the company's reputation."

Lin Zhou frowned. The manufacturing process of an air fryer is not particularly complicated; the core technology lies in the coordination of the heating element and the fan, as well as precise temperature control. In theory, such a product should be easy to copy, but since the factory went into production, no company has dared to imitate it, all thanks to the patent protection he had laid out in advance.

"Is there a problem with the patent?" Lin Zhou asked.

"Don't worry, there's no problem," Ms. Chen quickly replied. "The patent agency you entrusted with David's project has already applied for a global patent for the air fryer. During this time, the patent agency has been closely monitoring market trends, and will immediately take legal action to protect its rights should any infringement be discovered. Western countries have very strict patent protection, so there haven't been any infringement cases there. Several companies have wanted to discuss patent licensing, but Mr. Su said he's waiting for your decision."

Lin Zhou nodded, feeling slightly relieved. Patents are a company's core competitiveness, especially in overseas markets. Only by firmly holding onto patents can a company prevent others from copying it and maintain its market share. "Let's put the licensing issue aside for now. The most important thing right now is to increase production," Lin Zhou pondered. "Tell Su Wanqing to calculate how much additional equipment and manpower we need to meet the order demands. I'll take care of the funding. Also, order two more production lines from Europe, have them shipped back as soon as possible, and install and debug them to expand production scale."

"Okay, I'll go tell Mr. Su right away," Ms. Chen replied.