Chapter 55: Before leveling up
Translated by me, edited by drpetro.
Two days later, Ye Qing was keeping an eye on the aluminum forge while the peons used a small pincer to extract the liquid aluminum and pour it into several highly precise molds.
Having waited until the metal solidified, two sets of the still scorching aluminum wheel hubs were born.
Not only that, but the scooter’s brake disks, their back tails, and so on could all be made like this.
Not only does this save materials, but also loads of time.
Five engraving machines had already been completed and sent off. There were only two left in the workshop for demonstration purposes.
Following the increase in curbstone replacements throughout all of Zhongyun, many stone processing plants all began to ask the city construction management office, where and how these curbstone came to be.
Those who become factory owners all had their own connection network, so it was quite easy for them to find Ye Qing through all of their contacts.
It was just that all these stone processing plants were small scaled enterprises, so when they heard an engraver cost a whopping 500,000, they were only the courage to buy one, for testing.
And there were also two advertis.e.m.e.nt companies that called to ask whether those engravers could work with soft metals.
After getting Ye Qing’s guarantee, they each ordered one, but they needed to inspect the machines before they made the payment.
To be fair, the city of Zhongyun was situated right on top of a plain, so naturally it didn’t have any large scale industrial stone processing plants.
But it had quite a number of advertising agencies. It was just that all of them aren’t well known, so the ones that were actually able to cough up 500,000 for an engraver were quite minimal.
The biggest stone processing plant near Zhongyun was Sang Qing’s Jiangshan masonry. Except that under no condition would Ye Qing sell it to them.
Ye Qing, now having released two ‘amazing’ products into the market, originally thought that the engravers would definitely be an instant hit, but who would’ve thought that the scooters would be even more popular.
Actually, this was quite easy to explain. The engravers are priced at 500,000 a pop, and more than 400,000 of it was pure profits for Ye Qing. On the other hand, the civilian used scooters cost 2,800 to buy and around 1,300 to make.
So with a profit margin of 1,500 per scooter, he needed to sell at least 260 of them before he could match the earnings he can make from selling a single engraver.
The only regret right now was that the scooters weren’t normal quality products, otherwise the monster factory would already be level three by now.
Just as he was preparing to ship off the fifty newly created sets of scooter parts to the old factory, his father called. He told Ye Qing that the scooters were exceptional and that they were already sold out again.
It was just that this should be very happy news, but Ye Jiangning’s voice was quite grave.
He informed Ye Qing that, as of this afternoon, thirty scooters that were exactly the same, but with a different brand name, suddenly appeared on market.
These scooters, apart from having the outer casing, everything else was completely different. Especially the internal electric wiring which was like the difference between day and night.
These knockoffs sold at the exact same price, and before long, they were completely sold out.
“I’ve already asked a friend on mine in the Bureau of industry and commerce. He said that these knockoff matters are really hard to resolve. If it’s a registered patent, then it’s possible to sue them, otherwise unless the name is copied, then there is no other recourse.”
“Seems like we can only work on increasing the quality of the scooters. Those knockoffs’ specs are seriously c.r.a.p.” Ye Jiangning was somewhat disappointed. The product just got popular, yet someone already started to make knockoffs.
“Now we can only register the scooter’s outer and inner patents, and see what happens. But I’m guessing that even with patents, it still won’t do much. All they need to do is make some minor changes and they can start selling again.”
knockoffs, are forever the business world’s most annoying and most uncontainable problem.
All the way from cars to even nail clippers, as long as it was a popular product, then there was guarantee to be a knockoff somewhere.
Of course, knockoffs are forever knockoffs. Take the iPhone for example. Countless cell phone makers tried to imitate it, but under no circ.u.mstance, were they able to imitate the iPhone operating system.
All customers who bought the fake scooter had to just take a ride and they would naturally realize they got scammed. Except they had already bought it, so they could only swallow their anger.
“Who’s selling it?”
“The store right across from your uncle Huang. Now that our scooters are this popular, no one will recognize it if sold anywhere else.”
Hanging up the call, Ye Qing in his van, drove to the Emma specialty store on Pearl river street.
That knockoff store wasn’t hard to find at all. Because his dad’s friend, Huang Ranjun, was currently having a bitter argument with the store’s owner in front of the store.
As the proverbs say: those in the same profession all treat each other as enemies. Originally the two of them already hated each other, but now under the drive of new interests, the two owners had finally entered opened hostilities.
“Why are you selling such s.h.i.tty knockoffs? Just look at this frame, it’s fking terrible!”
“What a joke, you can sell it, why can’t I?” The owner selfishly said: “Isn’t your store an Emma specialty store? So why is it selling Aima’s Star?”
Huan Ranhun was p.i.s.sed to the point of stomping: “Not only does my Aima’s Star have a different name, it also has a different appearance. Now look at yours! Apart from having a different name, it’s like they’re from the same mold!”
“If you’ve got the guts, why don’t we compete and see which one’s better?”
“What’s the point of you yelling at me for?” The boss seeing the ever increasing crowd, was starting to lose his confidence: “These are Owen’s Scooter Manufacturing’s new ‘Stormy’ long distance scooter. Come and take a look at this new and amazing product.”
Ye Qing was also in the surrounding crowd. The two scooter stores, all held on to one scooter to act as a sample.
If the Stormy and Typhoon brand names were removed, then even if it was Ye Qing he would still have a hard time telling which one’s the fake.
Ye Qing doesn’t have his own plastic molding machine, so he wasn’t able to make the casing himself, hence the need to outsource the casings to other companies.
Now from the looks of things, not only does this Owen Scooter factory have their own injection machines, they also had their own experienced mold maker. Otherwise, there was no way they would be able to make the exact same casings.
Ye Qing, now having gotten all the required information, returned back to the Dragon Creek beach factory. Not long after, Ye Qing started squatting there in deep thought on how to resolve this problem.
Blaming the G.o.ds and accusing others wasn’t Ye Qing’s nature. Going the legal route was definitely out of the question.
If lawsuits were useful, then all those like Kangshuaifu, Pepsi, Shanjiao toothpaste would’ve already disappeared from the global market.
Even if Ye Qing had more power, he still couldn’t compete with those billion dollar leviathans.
Of course that still doesn’t mean that Ye Qing won’t pester Owen’s Scooter Manufacturing with problems. Now right, at the start of the scooters. .h.i.tting the market, there was already some mouse c.r.a.p mixed in. Then wasn’t this just smashing the old factory’s reputation?
But pestering problems won’t solve the main underlying problem. When the sales for the Typhoons increase, then there will be countless fakes like Owen II, Owen IV, The True Owen and so on.
Then was there anyway for the clients to tell the difference between the real and the fake with just one look?
Recalling that two were almost the same looking scooters, even for professionals like Huang Ranjun, they would say that the two of them are made from the same mold.
Made from the same mold……
Hold on a second there!
Ye Qing looked at the corner, where the peons were pouring molten aluminum alloy to form scooter wheel hubs, and thought of the most important step.
They were made from the same mold!
Ye Qing immediately pulled out his cell phone and called the previous wheel hub mold company, to have them rush a set of highly precise, aluminum scooter outer casing molds.
Aluminum alloy molds were all made from compact sand, so they were naturally very quick to make. The only down side to them was that when the formed aluminum came out, their surfaces were extremely rough and in need of a buffing.
The molds arrived at noon the next day. When the molds were placed, Ye Qing had the peon’s pour molten aluminum straight into them.
When the aluminum inside the mold cooled down, a silvery, white looking scooter casing appeared.
After having the monsters polish it for a bit, Ye Qing picked up the scooter’s hood piece, placed it on the rapid metal engraver, and carved out an angry looking dragon floating on clouds on it.
When this scooter, with its new silvery white casing and the wonderful dragon carving was a.s.sembled, a completely silver white scooter, as if it had come from the future, appeared in front of Ye Qing’s eyes.
Ye Qing was straight up stunned. Who’s seen a scooter with an aluminum outer casing before?
With the help of the monster’s precision and efficiency properties, although it was just a bit of polishing, but the aluminum cased scooter was as eye-catchy as a super car.
So why the h.e.l.l was it a freaking scooter?
Ye Qing, at the moment, regreted not having made a new silvery white casing with carvings for his old beat up van.
Of course, craving all dragons on it is just too low cla.s.sed. But if he were to carve on some court girls then that’s some real taste.
Now let’s see who can imitate it, Ye Qing evilly laughed.
Aluminum casings were easy, but what about the polishing and carving part?
Ye Qing only needed to waste a couple of cents worth of electrical fees, but if others want to copy it, then just carving the dragon alone will baffle many who attempt such a feat.
Suddenly the Monster Factory cell phone sent out a new notification. Originally Ye Qing didn’t pay it any attention because before they were all inspection failure notices.
However this notice sounded somewhat different, so Ye Qing decided to take a look.
Inspection pa.s.s!
The product’s monster made parts exceed 60%. Meeting normal quality’s lowest requirements.
Super long distance electric scooter (Quality: Normal. Sell-able).
Battery management tech and quick charging tech in creation……
This surprise had come too suddenly. Ye Qing was straight up dumbfounded, just like a girl finding herself suddenly pregnant.
Before, the scooter’s self made parts only hit 43%. Who would’ve thought that just with the monsters making the casing alone it would exceed the normal quality requirement of 60%.
If he sold fifty normal quality products, then the Monster Factory could level up to level three and enter new heights.
Currently the factory had only sold five engravers, and a couple hundred sub-par quality scooters.
But now that the scooters has become a normal quality product, then doesn’t that mean the Monster Factory can level up tomorrow?
Before the plan was to sell fifty engravers, but the engravers were seriously too complicated to make. Even with all six master artisans working on it together, they still needed half a month before they could be shipped out.
Now he just needed fifty scooters. All the monsters had to do is work through the night and wa la, level three and new heights for the factory.
Not only would the ranking system be unlocked, but there was also an opportunity to purchase disguise uniforms for the monsters, which lets them leave the factory and enter the human world.
Moreover, the M.P.C.V. also gets a welcoming upgrade.
Hehe!
When the factory hit’s level three, then with the monsters, I’ll immediately go looking for trouble with Owen’s Scooter Manufacturing.
And there was also Sang Qing. That guy was definitely looking for me all over the place after leaving the detention center.
And who else?
With these, able to appear in human society, monsters, Ye Qing only hate not being able to bring a loudspeaker to the top of a mountain and yell: “And. Who. Fking. Else!”