The first batch of products—fifty "Red Star" brand hand-cranked corn threshers and thirty "Red Star" brand household water pumps—bearing the funds raised by all the factory's employees and the expectations of thousands, finally completed its final inspection process. Neatly arranged in the open space at the warehouse entrance, they gleamed with a brand-new metallic sheen in the morning light. These were no longer laboratory prototypes, but commodities about to hit the market, the weapons of the Red Star Factory in its do-or-die battle.

There was no boisterous factory opening ceremony, yet the atmosphere was more solemn than ever before. Factory leaders, project team members, and many workers who came spontaneously all stood silently to the side, watching these "iron lumps" that embodied countless hours of hard work.

Liu Li stepped forward and reached out to touch the sturdy casing of a threshing machine. It was cool to the touch, but her palm felt warm. This machine embodied Fu Jingchen's precise calculations, Master Wang's ingenuity, Zhang Shulan's strict quality control, and the sweat of every worker involved in the production. It also carried the heavy trust of more than 78,000 yuan.

"Load it up," she said, taking a deep breath and addressing the truck driver and movers waiting nearby.

The Jiefang brand trucks, which were already prepared, slowly reversed. The workers carefully lifted the threshers and water pumps one by one onto the truck bed, as if they were fragile items, and secured them with ropes. The dull thud of each machine being moved struck a chord in the hearts of everyone present.

Old Qian, the sales manager, held the preliminary sales plan, his face showing both anticipation and nervousness: "Director Liu, as we agreed, the first batch of goods will mainly be distributed to the supply and marketing cooperatives in several counties around our city, as well as the township market sales points that Zhao Qiang and his team have contacted. The price... will be set at cost price plus 15% gross profit, slightly lower than similar high-quality products on the market, but higher than generic brands, highlighting our quality advantage."

Liu Li nodded: "Let's do it this way. Tell the sales team that they not only need to sell goods, but also collect customer feedback, just like we did in Liujiatun. Any problems should be reported back immediately!"

The truck engine roared, carrying all the hopes of the Red Star Factory, and slowly drove out of the factory gate, disappearing at the end of the street.

What followed was an anxious wait.

Every day, the project team and sales staff eagerly awaited the call. Every time the phone rang, their hearts would leap into their throats.

No news on the first day.

The next day, all was quiet.

A sense of unease began to creep in. Was the market not accepting it? Was the price set too high?

On the afternoon of the third day, the sales department's phone finally rang urgently. It was the Hongxing County Supply and Marketing Cooperative, the closest to the city!

As Zhao Qiang listened to the phone call, his face lit up with ecstatic joy. He covered the receiver and shouted excitedly to the room full of people who were holding their breath: "Hongxing County! We sold five threshing machines and three water pumps! The director of the supply and marketing cooperative said that as soon as the goods were displayed, villagers came to see them and said they were sturdy! One old farmer even tried out the threshing machine on the spot and paid for it without saying a word! He said he trusted the Hongxing Factory brand!"

"Very good!"

A huge cheer erupted in the office! The anxiety that had been building for days finally eased.

Good news followed one after another.

On the fourth day, news came from a sales point in another county that the threshing machines were sold out and they needed to be restocked urgently!

On the fifth day, in Liujiatun, where the prototype had been tested before, the old team leader, Grandpa Li, specially sent his son by bicycle to the factory. He said that several households in the village had seen the results and asked him to inquire whether they could come directly to the factory to buy the machines…

A week later, preliminary statistics showed that the first batch of eighty units had sold out completely! There were even cases of supply and marketing cooperatives approaching the factory to compete for the next batch of supply slots.

The name "Hongxing" (Red Star) spread rapidly through the surrounding rural markets, accompanied by its reputation for being "sturdy," "easy to use," and "worthy of being a product from an established factory." The solid materials, smooth user experience, reliable performance, and especially the decades-old reputation of "Hongxing Machinery Factory" became the product's strongest endorsement.

When the first sales payment—though not a large sum—entered the nearly depleted account of the Red Star Factory, the finance manager practically ran into the factory director's office, his voice trembling with tears: "Director! The payment came in! There's money in the account...!"

This is more than just money; it's the lifeblood of their business! It's a powerful stimulant proving they're on the right track!

The warehouse entrance was no longer filled with the somber atmosphere of worrying about stockpiled products, but rather with figures busily preparing for the next batch of production. Inside the workshop, the roar of machines was filled with unprecedented energy and hope.

The "Red Star" brand, carrying a rich history, fired the first shot in its rebirth in the field of civilian products! It is no longer just a symbol on the blueprint, but has become a real helper in the hands of farmers, a "star product" and a source of hope for the Red Star Factory to get out of its predicament and usher in a new life.