Chapter 649 Small Dryer
Li Chongguang and Zhou Yimin huddled together at the table, discussing the idea of a small dryer.
Li Chongguang's pen tip moved rapidly across the paper, sketching out one sketch after another, while Zhou Yimin added details: "It has to be designed to be foldable, so it can be folded up when not in use and doesn't take up space."
"The heating tube must be made of durable material, otherwise it will break after a few uses, affecting the reputation."
"It would be best to have a timer function so that the power is automatically turned off when the drying time is up. It is safe and worry-free."
The two of them became more and more excited as they talked, with sweat breaking out on their foreheads, but they didn't feel tired at all.
Li Chongguang looked at the design gradually taking shape on the paper and couldn't help but clap his hands. "Just follow this idea, it's guaranteed to work! Just think about it, when the overseas market opens up, our small dryer might become a hit like the air fryer!"
Zhou Yimin smiled and nodded, his eyes full of anticipation: "As long as we can solve the energy consumption and size issues and improve the price-performance ratio, it will definitely be a big seller."
After the excitement wore off, Li Chongguang calmed down. He looked at the plan and said, "But we can't do this alone. We need the factory's support, from funding to materials, and we have to coordinate with the production department. Otherwise, no matter how good the idea is, it won't come to fruition."
Zhou Yimin agreed: "You are right. We need to report this to the leadership and win their support."
Li Chongguang immediately picked up the phone on the table, quickly turned his fingers on the dial, and dialed the number of Director Hu's office.
The phone rang only twice before it was picked up, and Director Hu's steady voice came through: "Hello, who is this?"
"Director Hu, I'm Li Chongguang, and I'm in the research lab." Li Chongguang's tone was full of excitement.
"Yimin and I have come up with something new. Do you have time now? Come over."
As soon as Director Hu heard the three words "Zhou Yimin", he knew what was going on.
Zhou Yimin is a man with a sharp eye and a quick mind. All the projects he is involved in are eye-catching. The solar water heater and air fryer are the best examples.
He immediately said, "Wait for me to come over!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he hung up the phone with a "click".
Director Hu stood up as soon as he put down the phone, dumped the documents on the table, and said to his secretary, "I'm going to the research lab. I'll talk to you about this when I get back."
After saying that, he strode out.
He was also very curious about what good things Zhou Yimin and Li Chongguang could come up with together. He couldn't help but quicken his pace and headed towards the research laboratory.
In the research lab, Li Chongguang put down the phone and said to Zhou Yimin with a smile, "Director Hu will be here soon. When he arrives, we'll tell him about our idea. We're sure to get his support."
Zhou Yimin looked at the plan on the table and nodded, hoping that the project could be moved forward as soon as possible.
The two men sorted out the drawings on the table and waited for Director Hu to arrive. The office was filled with an atmosphere of anticipation for a new beginning.
Not long after, a burst of hurried footsteps were heard in the corridor, coming from far away.
Immediately afterwards, the door of the research laboratory was pushed open and Director Hu walked in quickly.
He was wearing a neat Mao suit, his hair was combed meticulously, and there was a hint of anxiety on his face. He glanced around the laboratory and walked towards Li Chongguang's office.
"Director Hu!" The busy researchers stopped their work and stood up to greet him.
Director Hu waved his hand, signaling everyone to continue working, and pushed open the door of Li Chongguang's office.
"Director Hu, you're here!" Li Chongguang and Zhou Yimin quickly stood up to greet him.
Director Hu walked over to his desk, his eyes fixed on the blueprints spread out on it. He asked directly, "Tell me, what new ideas have you two come up with?"
Li Chongguang picked up the most detailed sketch and handed it to Director Hu, excitedly introducing it. "Director Hu, look, this is the small dryer we're thinking of. As you know, the climate in many parts of China is humid right now, especially during the rainy season. Clothes can take days to dry and easily get moldy and smelly."
"This small dryer is different. It's small and doesn't take up much space. It can be placed anywhere in the house. We also plan to make it foldable, so it's very convenient to put away when not in use."
He pointed to the details on the blueprint and continued, "The heating tubes used here are specially made. They are durable, energy-saving, and dry quickly. A wet garment can be dried in just an hour. We also want to add a timer function. When the time is set, the power will automatically shut off, which is safe and worry-free."
Zhou Yimin added, "Director Hu, we're also considering the overseas market. Many countries have even more humid climates than ours, and their spending power is high, so they have a great demand for these small appliances."
"If we can sell this small dryer overseas, it will not only solve the problem of limited domestic market demand, but also earn foreign exchange for the country. It's a win-win situation."
Director Hu held the sketch, nodded as he listened, tapped his fingers lightly on the drawing, and his brows gradually relaxed.
He pondered for a moment and said, "It sounds promising. It's a good idea and quite practical."
Li Chongguang and Zhou Yimin looked at each other, both with anticipation in their eyes.
Director Hu changed the subject, "However, no matter how good the idea is, it must be put into practice. So, you should make a sample first. Once you have something tangible, I can show it to the higher-ups and let them intuitively understand its uses and advantages."
He paused and continued, "After the samples are made, we'll conduct market research to see how much actual demand there is both domestically and internationally, and what price range consumers can accept. Once we've figured this out and confirmed there's a market for this product, we'll consider large-scale production."
Li Chongguang quickly responded, "No problem, Director Hu, we will make the sample as soon as possible!"
Zhou Yimin nodded in agreement: "Director Hu has thought this through very carefully. This step-by-step approach is indeed more prudent."
Director Hu smiled with satisfaction. "Okay, then I'll leave this matter to you two. If you need any support, whether it's manpower, materials, or funds, just let me know and the factory will do its best to coordinate it for you. I'm looking forward to seeing your samples."
After saying that, Director Hu picked up the sketch on the table, took another look at it, carefully folded it and put it in his jacket pocket, told the two of them to "hurry up", and then turned and left the office.
The footsteps in the corridor gradually faded away, and only Zhou Yimin and Li Chongguang were left in the office.
Zhou Yimin looked at Director Hu's back as he left, and suddenly he began to back out.
He moved quietly, hoping to slip away while Li Chongguang was sorting out the blueprints - he had worked day and night for many nights when he was developing the solar water heater and air fryer for the last two times.
The days of looking up information, modifying plans, and trial and error are still vivid in his mind, and he really doesn't want to jump into this "fire pit" again.
But just as he moved to the door, before his hand touched the door handle, Li Chongguang's voice came from behind him: "Yimin, where are you going!"
Zhou Yimin's heart skipped a beat, thinking to himself that something was wrong. He slowly turned around and forced an unnatural smile on his face.
Li Chongguang had already put down the drawings in his hand and was looking at him with a half-smile, his eyes full of the understanding that said, "I've seen through you a long time ago."
"I've been sitting for too long, so I need to get up and move around." Zhou Yimin scratched his head, trying to hide his thoughts. His eyes unconsciously glanced out the window, not daring to look Li Chongguang in the eye.
Li Chongguang walked forward, put his hands on his shoulders, and pushed him back into the chair. His tone was a bit helpless and a bit pleading: "Don't think about slipping away. Don't I know you? You can't do this without me."
He picked up the blueprint on the table and pointed at the details. "Look at the design of the heating system and the energy-saving plan. They are all the ideas you just mentioned. Without you watching over me, I wouldn't be so sure."
Zhou Yimin sighed and stopped pretending.
He picked up a sketch and traced his fingertips over the densely marked drawings. He sighed, "Chief Li, you know it's not easy to develop a new product. Last time, when we were making the air fryer, we tried adjusting the temperature dozens of times. How many parts did we burn out?"
"For the solar water heater's collector plate, I tried seven or eight different materials before I found the right one. This dryer looks simple, but I wonder how many nights it took to actually make it."
Li Chongguang patted his arm, his eyes gleaming with determination: "I know it's difficult, but precisely because it's difficult, we need to carry it together!"
"Don't worry, I'll share more of the work this time and won't let you get tired all by yourself. Besides, when the sample is finished and we see it can help everyone, that sense of accomplishment is something that can't be exchanged for anything else."
Zhou Yimin looked at the expectation in his eyes, and the reluctance in his heart gradually faded away.
He picked up a pen, circled a spot on the drawing that needed revision, and smiled helplessly, "Alright, I'm afraid of you. But we've got a deal. Overtime is fine, but you have to provide me with enough midnight snacks."
Li Chongguang immediately smiled and nodded quickly: "No problem! Not to mention midnight snacks, I'll even take care of breakfast!"
The two smiled at each other, and the previous incident disappeared. They lowered their heads and huddled together again to continue to improve the design of the dryer.
Not long after, Li Chongguang looked up, glanced at the busy people outside the office, and said to Zhou Yimin, "Yimin, this can't be done by just the two of us. We need everyone to get involved and pool their wisdom to get it done."
Zhou Yimin agreed: "You are right, there is strength in numbers. Let's quickly tell everyone this news."
Li Chongguang stood up, straightened his messy white coat, and walked out of the office quickly.
When everyone in the laboratory saw Li Chongguang coming out, they stopped what they were doing and looked at him curiously.
Everyone was a little frustrated during this period because there were no new inventions. Seeing the smile on Li Chongguang's face, they all felt a little bit of anticipation in their hearts.
Li Chongguang cleared his throat and raised his voice, saying, "Comrades, I have good news for you. Section Chief Zhou and I have just come up with a new R&D project—a small dryer. Factory Director Hu is also very supportive and has asked us to make a sample first."
As soon as the words fell, the laboratory erupted in joy. Everyone's face broke into excited smiles, their long-suppressed emotions finally released.
"Great! Finally, there's new work to do!" A young researcher said excitedly, almost dropping the tools in his hand.
"A small dryer? That sounds very promising!" Another researcher pushed his glasses, his eyes gleaming.
Everyone started talking at once, and the whole laboratory was full of energy.
"Yes, I finally have a product to show off. I've been feeling very frustrated for a while." An old researcher sighed. He had been feeling unhappy because there had been no new progress.
At this moment, a quiet discussion sounded in the crowd: "Have you noticed that every time Section Chief Zhou comes here, there are new products. Just like the solar water heater and air fryer last time."
After hearing this, the person next to him nodded and said with deep agreement, "Now that you put it, it's true. Section Chief Zhou has a brilliant mind and always comes up with great ideas. Next time, maybe we should invite Section Chief Zhou over more often. Maybe he can come up with more new ideas."
"That makes sense. Section Chief Zhou is experienced and understands the market. With him around, we can avoid many detours in our research and development."
Others echoed this, looking towards Zhou Yimin's office with eyes full of admiration.
Li Chongguang saw all of this and became more determined to cooperate well with Zhou Yimin.
He clapped his hands and said, "Alright, comrades, now is not the time to be happy. We need to act quickly. Section Chief Zhou has helped us sort out the general ideas. Now it's up to us. Everyone, put aside your work for now and come over to discuss the specific plan."
Everyone responded and surrounded Li Chongguang as he walked towards the office, ready to contribute their own strength to this new R&D project.
Zhou Yimin heard the noise outside in his office and a relieved smile appeared on his face. He knew that a new R&D battle was about to begin.
The long table in the research room was quickly cleared, and the drawings and sample parts were spread out one by one. Everyone stood around the table, and the atmosphere was so heated that it seemed like it was about to explode.
Everyone began to express their opinions.
Zhou Yimin leaned against the table, listening to everyone's chatter, occasionally interjecting, "Will the turbofan be too noisy? Things used at home need to be quiet."
"The cost cannot be too high, otherwise the export price cannot be lowered." Xiao Zhao, who is in charge of market research, frowned.
"The price of the air fryer went up last time because it used imported bearings. This time, we have to try to use domestic parts."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone fell silent for a moment - everyone knew that domestic parts were cost-effective, but their stability was indeed questionable.
"How about we come up with a compromise?" Zhou Yimin pointed at the core components on the drawing.
"The key heating elements and motors are imported, while non-core components such as the housing and brackets are domestically produced. This can control costs while ensuring quality."
This suggestion was immediately responded to. Lao Wang touched his chin and nodded: "I know a local hardware factory. The stamping parts they make are of good precision and the price is cheap. I will go there later."
The two young researchers argued fiercely about this, but Li Chongguang finally made the final decision: "Make some samples and try them out! Compare the results in three days, and use whichever one works best."
After hearing Li Chongguang's words, everyone was immediately filled with strength and couldn't wait to get to work.
(End of this chapter)
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