Chapter 183 Directly Introducing the Production Line (Bug Fix): White Moonlight and Cinnabar Mole
Fleece is made from 100% synthetic polyester fiber. After obtaining the raw material, it needs to be spun, then woven, dyed, napped, combed, sheared, and fleeced. Each step requires different machines and equipment.
For example, in weaving, synthetic fiber filaments need to be woven into cylindrical fabric using a circular loom.
Ivanov stood there watching for a long time, but he still couldn't figure out how the machine wove the fabric.
Fortunately, Toray Industries had already computerized its systems, and the slow-motion diagram on the computer screen next to us finally made it clear: well, it's like the hook on the needle pulls the fiber filaments up and then loops them together.
Well, it's okay if you see it clearly but can't explain it clearly. Have you ever seen a sock knitting machine? This is roughly the process, and the result is also a zigzag stitch.
Then the woven fabric needs to be washed, dried, and dyed, and then washed and dried again before the fabric is considered complete.
Wait a minute, grey fabric isn't fleece.
The most distinctive step in making fleece is brushing, which creates a layer of nap on the fabric; after combing and shearing, the fabric is sent into a high-temperature fleece shaker to produce small pellets.
Ivanov watched very intently, and in the end, he couldn't help but express his incomprehension: "Why do you have to brush out the bristles and then create these bumps, making it look like a towel?"
Honestly, he just couldn't understand it at all.
How ugly, going out in public wearing a towel.
Bidrovich glanced silently at his employer and sighed inwardly, "No wonder the Soviet Union is finished."
These guys, who couldn't even pass high school physics, somehow became famous and wealthy.
God, what kind of people can receive your protection?
The reception staff at Toray were clearly well-informed and didn't think there was anything to ridicule about the customer's question.
At least they maintained a polite demeanor: "Brushing is to make the fabric surface fluffy, which creates larger gaps to isolate the air, thus reducing the fabric's contact with cold air."
He picked up a fabric sample and showed it to the customer, explaining, "So, to enhance the warmth, you can brush both sides with fleece. The surface fleece curls into balls, which further traps air. The air inside the balls cannot circulate with the cold air outside, making the fabric even warmer."
Ivanov, like a struggling student in class who has finally understood after being guided by the teacher, suddenly became excited: "Yes, yes, air convection creates wind, and without air convection there is no cold wind."
Bidrovic silently called upon God once more and made the sign of the cross in his heart.
However, no one cared about his melancholy; the boss's eyes were already on the production equipment.
Based on the principle of doing what you know better than what you don't, Wang Xiao simply asked the reception staff at Donglifang, "Do you have complete sets of equipment?"
If not, we can still consider accepting the sample.
Fortunately, in addition to developing various fabrics, this long-established textile giant also produces a variety of textile machinery, making it a veritable textile kingdom.
Wang Xiao took it all this time.
It must be said that big companies do indeed have the demeanor of big companies.
They don't intend to do just one-off business, so they don't treat customers like suckers just because they pay readily.
On the contrary, the reception staff who had been running around with them, upon hearing that the delivery destination was China, gave them a rather serious suggestion: "If you're producing in China, I suggest you renovate the entire factory. Over the past ten years, many textile factories in China have come to Dongli to visit and learn from us. They are very smart, hardworking, and able to endure hardship, but their management is still somewhat lacking, which will affect product quality."
As a long-established company in the textile industry, Toray Industries has been a must-visit destination for Chinese companies traveling to Japan for study and learning since the late 1970s. They have also exported many production lines to Chinese companies. However, regarding their application, well, sometimes Toray has suspected that the Chinese were simply importing technology for the sake of importing technology.
This made Toray feel rather awkward, as if they were unwilling to accept that a gem had been cast into the dark.
Most importantly, if they don't use it properly, it won't be effective as advertising, which will hinder Toray Textile Machinery from further expanding its market in China.
Ivanov suddenly realized: "Your Majesty, are we going to build a textile factory?"
When people talk about fleece, they usually think of it as clothing.
They have long-term partnerships with hundreds of garment factories, so he doesn't see any problems at all.
It was only at this moment that he suddenly realized that fleece was a type of fabric.
Neither China nor Moscow produces it; we need to find a textile factory to make this brand-new fabric.
But they didn't have much dealings with textile factories, because they mainly sold ready-made clothing and footwear.
“Yes, we’re going to build a textile factory that specializes in producing fleece,” Wang Xiao replied in Russian. “Before coming here, I had already spoken with people in Jiangdong. They’ve always felt that it’s unfair for us to set up a factory in Xiaozhou, since Jiangdong also has some idle small third-tier factories. They recommended several places beforehand, so we can pick one to use.”
Yes, she could find different factories and separate the processes of spinning, weaving, dyeing, napping, combing, shearing, and pelletizing. Theoretically, this could reduce production costs.
But time and transportation costs are equally important.
As we all know, the more production stages there are and the more production sites involved, the higher the probability of accidents.
If any link in the chain fails, the entire chain below will fail.
Instead of doing that, why not just start from scratch and do it all from the beginning?
Now, Wang Xiao simply makes a request: "How should we renovate the factory? Do you have any solutions to recommend? Do you offer any technical guidance?"
The receptionist was taken aback by her directness and hesitated for a moment before replying, "We need to know the specifics of your factory before we can make a recommendation."
Wang Xiao raised his hand directly: "Please help us find suitable candidates to conduct on-site inspections, and then tell us what to do next."
She glanced subconsciously at the electronic clock with a date display in the research institute, "I hope that by the time the equipment arrives, the factory will have already completed its initial modifications."
Even the usually composed chemist, Bidrovich, nearly collapsed to his knees in shock.
It turns out that capitalists can compress time to this extent.
Wang Xiao, however, felt that his request was perfectly reasonable.
Because a complete set of production equipment had to be transported by water to reach Jiangdong, and then transferred to land transport to the factory.
But technicians can just take a plane.
The time difference between these two can certainly allow for efficient work.
The receptionist at Toray was quite cautious: "If there are many changes needed, I'm afraid there won't be enough time."
Fearing that his clients might not believe him, he gave another example: "The last OEM factory in China had more than a hundred things that needed to be rectified, and it took nearly three months in total."
“It’s alright.” Wang Xiao said generously, “I just need to be able to produce the first batch of fleece in September.”
Bidlovic was starting to sweat again.
It's already mid-May, and in three months it will be mid-August. They want to complete the commissioning and production in just half a month. They're really using their time in a very fragmented way.
But this time, Ivanov took it for granted, or rather, all the assistants and bodyguards present were used to their boss's way of doing things.
Especially Miss Wang, if she has an idea today, she'll ask you for the finished product tomorrow, which is already considered lenient.
But it is precisely this fast pace that allows commercial centers and streets to maintain their leading position in the industry, even amidst the impact of various forces.
The Toray receptionist immediately assured them, "We'll contact the technical team right away."
Japan's traditional textile industry is now in severe decline, and many experienced workers have lost the opportunity to continue working.
However, their experience as veteran textile workers made them readily available technical advisors.
Wang Xiao smiled broadly: "I hope to see our technical guidance tomorrow."
As Wang Xiao exited the Toray Research Institute, the sun was setting. The songs playing on the street sounded familiar, and for a moment, he felt a sense of disorientation.
Bodyguard Xiao Gao recognized it first and exclaimed excitedly, "It's 'A Thousand Songs,' right? Haha, 'A Better Tomorrow'!"
Actually, if we're talking about "A Better Tomorrow," then it should be another Cantonese version called "Song of the Setting Sun." It also has a Mandarin version called "Promise in the Wind."
But Wang Xiao immediately pursed his lips, instantly losing interest in listening.
Because she now knows what song it is, it's the original Japanese version of "Yuyake no Uta" sung by Masahiko Kondo.
She's a scumbag, but she's scumbag openly and honestly. Unlike Masahiko Kondo, who's scumbag to the extreme, shameless, and despicable.
Hmph! She didn't even want to listen to a single song.
When Ivanov saw her lost in thought, he assumed she had suddenly become emotionally charged, and he breathed a sigh of relief.
Seeing her walk away with gritted teeth, he became even more uneasy.
Hate lasts longer than love, and he didn't want it to go on forever.
Fortunately, Wang's ambition was clearly stronger than her romantic ambition. As she got into the car, she asked Ito Sachiko, "When will your junior arrive? Have you made plans to meet at a restaurant?"
Sachiko Ito blurted out, "It's arranged, Chinese food."
She doesn't know many Chinese restaurants in Tokyo, but the one she ate at for lunch was her favorite.
The atmosphere at the scene instantly became tense, and the bodyguards and assistants dared not utter a sound.
Wang Xiao didn't realize anything was wrong. She just raised her hand to check her watch: "Has she come over yet? If she has, let's hurry over and finish the interview as soon as possible so we can arrange the next steps."
With that said, could Ivanov object?
Of course not. Everything else has to take a backseat to work and making money.
When everyone returned to the Chinese restaurant, it wasn't yet the peak dining time for Japanese people, but there were clearly more customers than at noon.
Fortunately, Sachiko Ito had already called ahead to reserve a private room, so they didn't have to worry about not having a seat.
The junior recommended by Sachiko Ito is named Saori Yamada, who looks a bit like Yuka Natsukawa, the genius girl from "Attack No. 1".
She was clearly a little nervous. While sitting opposite Wang Xiao and Ivanov, waiting for the restaurant waiter to serve the food, she secretly wiped away her sweat.
However, despite speaking fluent Japanese-accented English, she still managed to answer Wang Xiao's question in great detail.
She had indeed worked part-time at a clothing store and knew the latest fashion trends in Tokyo and the preferences of different customers like the back of her hand.
But Wang Xiao felt that wasn't enough: "The store decoration needs a plan. In addition, while waiting for the decoration to be completed, you need to conduct a more detailed survey of Tokyo's fashion trends and come up with at least 30 basic styles that you think will be popular, explaining why. There are also promotional methods, such as how to advertise."
Saori Yamada was overwhelmed by one request after another, and to make matters worse, the boss also wanted her to come up with a promotional plan for jeans on the spot.
The poor soon-to-be graduate racked his brains, drank a glass of juice, and barely managed to come up with an advertising plan, which was then rejected on the spot.
“No, there are too many elements.” Wang Xiao earnestly advised her, “The more elements there are, the less customers will remember them, and the less likely you are to immediately target your audience. The basic function of advertising is to convey information. For any product, you only need to focus on one or two of the most distinctive features.”
Yamada Saori was forced to start eliminating options right at the dinner table, and finally chose the non-existent pair of jeans based on their biggest feature—they were versatile and could be paired with any outfit.
Wang Xiao smiled: "Okay, then you can choose the style of jeans that you like best."
Separated by a wall, the curly-haired young man was quietly remarking to Wu Haoyu at noon, "There are so many intricacies to doing business, it's really impressive."
Wu Haoyu silently took a sip of the tofu and seaweed soup, saying nothing.
In 1993, even in Tokyo, Chinese restaurants did not have the concept of pre-prepared dishes.
So, Wang Xiao and the others waited for about twenty minutes before the hot dishes were served.
Wang Xiao gestured to Ivanov, who picked up the chopsticks he had practiced with for several months and was now proficient at using, and gestured to everyone: "Let's eat."
People who are not used to using chopsticks can use a spoon or fork; they can just put the food in their mouths.
Only now, with her back drenched in sweat, did Yamada Saori come to her senses: "Was I hired?"
After she finished speaking in Japanese, she hurriedly repeated it in English.
Ivanov understood and was immediately overjoyed.
This Japanese girl is really slow to realize things. If she wasn't going to be hired, why did Wang make so many demands on her?
Yamada Saori, however, hesitated to believe it.
Not only because she had only worked part-time as a sales clerk before, but more importantly, in Japan, although the majority of customers and employees in the clothing retail industry are women, managers such as store managers are often men.
She's a fresh college graduate, and she's about to become the manager of a clothing store?
If it weren't for her long-standing admiration for Ito-senpai, especially her admiration for Ito's outstanding achievements in the workplace, she would have seriously doubted that the person in front of her was a fraud.
Wang Xiao laughed and said, "Yes, you are. Let's eat. After you eat, you can think about how to run the clothing store well. By the way, when you're looking for a shop, make sure you find a good dorm too. Pay attention to safety and transportation."
Sachiko Ito quickly agreed.
Yamada Saori, on the other hand, couldn't even enjoy the delicious Mapo Tofu anymore; her entire CPU was practically burning out. She subconsciously asked, "So, does that mean we should start hiring shop assistants too?"
“Of course.” Wang Xiao nodded. “A high school education or above, preferably a junior college or university degree, but the most important thing is the person. They need to be energetic and not have bad habits like alcoholism or glue addiction. They need to be good at and enjoy communicating with people. Um, one thing to note when working is not to be overly enthusiastic towards customers.”
Sachiko Ito couldn't help but smile, because her Chinese colleague had once complained to her that the Japanese shop assistants were frighteningly enthusiastic.
Wang Xiao explained with a smile: "Sometimes, being enthusiastic can make customers feel guilty, as if it's a sin not to buy anything from the store. We don't need customers to feel that way. We want customers to feel more comfortable and at ease when they come in, so that even if they're carrying items that cost a few hundred yen, they can freely mix and match them."
Yamada Saori quickly nodded in agreement.
After the boss put down his chopsticks and wiped his mouth clean, she mustered up the courage to ask, "Do I need to remain single? If so, I will."
Wang Xiao was stunned by her question, but after thinking about it for a moment, he realized there was nothing strange about it.
Women have always faced a challenging workplace environment.
Lin Qiaozhi, known as the "Mother of Ten Thousand Babies," remained unmarried and childless throughout her life. The initial reason was that Peking Union Medical College Hospital had a rule in the 1930s that women who wanted to become doctors in major departments at the hospital had to be single.
At the time, Peking Union Medical College Hospital believed that once women got married, they would inevitably follow their husbands' lead. After having children, they were even more likely to return to the home. The hospital saw no need to expend energy training such female doctors.
This also applies to the modern Japanese workplace.
It is well known that no matter how well Japanese women perform at work, getting married, having children, and returning to the family remains the mainstream social trend.
Wang Xiao had no intention of encouraging her on how to break free from conventional thinking and create a brilliant life for herself.
No one can live someone else's life for them.
“No, you can fall in love, get married, and have children.” She had only one requirement: “Before you decide to quit, you must train a qualified successor, someone who can take over all the work. Also, I hope you can work for a few more years, preferably until you are 30.”
In the next private room, the curly-haired guy started to sigh again: "The Japanese have such strange ideas. They stop working after they get married. It's not like every family is a big household."
Wu Haoyu felt the soup in his mouth was terribly bitter.
He just couldn't understand why she wasn't against marriage and childbirth, but was unwilling to enter into a stable marriage, no, she wasn't even willing to have a stable romantic relationship.
He wiped his mouth, stood up, and walked out.
The curly-haired guy, having finished the last bite of his meal, caught up with her: "Hey, over there, aren't we going to say hello? It's like meeting an old friend in a foreign land."
"There's nothing to say," Wu Haoyu said, walking forward without looking up. "Nothing to say."
The curly-haired guy sighed, "Yeah, look at their entourage. Sigh, I'm even thinking of going into business myself. What do you think about me applying for a job selling clothes? They're opening a new store and they're hiring. Those clothes that sell well might make money. Hey, Wu Haoyu, slow down."
However, the person who was called didn't turn around and strode away.
It was as if if he hesitated any longer, he would be unable to hold on any longer and force himself to leave.
Wang Xiao and Ivanov had no idea that they almost ran into an old friend again.
After finishing their meal, instead of leaving immediately, everyone started discussing what to name the clothing store in Tokyo.
Wang Xiao initially wanted to name it "My Wardrobe".
Uh, it's not very good.
However, her decision to open a clothing store in Tokyo was also a spur-of-the-moment thing, and one cannot expect her to have a burst of inspiration and come up with a great store name all at once.
But she didn't expect that as soon as she brought it up, everyone rejected it with "emmm" expressions.
As one of the few women present, Lyuba was forced to speak on behalf of everyone: "I thought it was a store that sold wardrobes."
Wang Xiao was momentarily speechless.
Okay, she has a good idea. My wardrobe means that all the clothes you want to put in your wardrobe are available in our store.
But Lyuba is right, it is indeed easy for people to misunderstand.
Her hand went limp, she gave up, and simply tossed it to them: "What name do you think is good?"
The men immediately fell silent.
Frankly speaking, in their opinion, almost all the names of designer clothing brands are strange and make it impossible to tell what they are actually for.
Their whispered discussion gave the women some inspiration.
Yes, no fancy tricks, just tell customers straight up: we sell clothes, and we sell high-quality clothes.
After some discussion, the girls came up with the name Yi You, which means excellent clothes.
This immediately reminded Wang Xiao of Uniqlo, and she immediately ruled it out—it was too strange.
Her reason was that the name sounds very similar to "Yi You" in Chinese, which might not be suitable.
But she couldn't come up with any other good names, so in the end, the name became "衣の优" (Ii no Yu).
Wang Xiao couldn't help but think that the name sounded like one of those pseudo-Japanese brands that emerged in China around the turn of the millennium.
Unfortunately, she didn't have any good ideas, so she could only settle for this one for now. Anyway, she hadn't found a shop yet; she'd wait until she found a more suitable name.
With the store name and manager in place, the next step is for the store manager to decide how to proceed.
Being a pioneer is not easy, but if you do it well, you'll become a true elder statesman and a powerful regional official.
In normal mode, this is an achievement that a junior employee could never hope to reach in their entire life.
Wang Xiao encouraged Yamada Saori: "Good luck! I look forward to you becoming Japan's number one store manager!"
When large-scale investments are not progressing smoothly, people sometimes experience a strange sense of pleasure from making small investments and mentoring others.
At least for now, Wang Xiao is in a good mood, enough to give her a good night's sleep.
She and Ivanov didn't stay in Japan for long; they didn't even have time to wait for Sachiko Ito to choose a location to share the shop.
As soon as the technical advisor recommended by Toray arrived, everyone immediately packed their bags, helped the technical advisor with the formalities, booked plane tickets, and flew back to China.
During this process, Ivanov was afraid that Wang Xiao would get entangled with Wu Haoyu again and delay things. In fact, he was quite petty and didn't let her show up at the embassy. Instead, he had people busy checking the sales of Love Power and Yi You.
But even with all his caution, on May 20th, when the main group departed from Tokyo Airport, his old friend still arrived unexpectedly.
Wu Haoyu was there as a representative of the Chinese Embassy in Japan to welcome the Chinese official delegation at the airport.
When he saw Wang Xiao hurrying by, he froze, forgetting to turn around for a long time.
Ivanov also spotted the male fox spirit.
Tsk, wearing a white shirt, with the top two buttons undone, revealing a bit of collarbone and skin.
As a playboy who always pays attention to his image, Ivanov has to admit that the male vixen dressed quite convincingly and followed an ascetic route.
However, his career was now at its most critical moment, and the turbulent situation in Moscow made him walk a tightrope every minute; so, under no circumstances would he let Wang be distracted at this time and waste time and energy on unnecessary things.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward, his bear-like physique making him as imposing as a mountain, and stood directly between the two.
The bright May sunshine was blocked by him, and it turned into a cloudy day.
Airport staff remind passengers to go through security.
The members of the Huaxia delegation spotted Wu Haoyu's sign first, waving frantically from afar and calling out loudly, attracting everyone's attention.
Wang Xiao nodded slightly to Wu Haoyu and went to queue up for inspection.
We just passed each other by.
Well, actually, given the distance between them, they wouldn't even be able to brush past each other.
But Ivanov, the very culprit who caused all this, still had to make a fuss.
The plane had already taken off when he deliberately winked and said, "Wang, you've become his white moonlight now."
Wang Xiao was drinking juice when she heard this and blurted out, "White moonlight? It should be cinnabar mole."
Ivanov asked, puzzled, "What's the difference?"
He had heard oral translations of Eileen Chang's novels and felt that "white moonlight" and "cinnabar mole" were parallel concepts, with no difference between them.
The king's style should be closer to that of a white moonlight.
Wang Xiao smiled but didn't say anything, because she had just thought of an internet joke.
What is a "white moonlight"? It's someone you want to sleep with but haven't been able to.
What is a cinnabar mole? It's someone who hasn't had enough sleep.
What does it mean to feel resentful? It means the duck that was about to be eaten has flown away.
Romantic love, or any love between men and women, boils down to sex. Otherwise, what's the essential difference between it and friendship?
However, she had no intention of discussing these matters with Ivanov, and simply continued drinking her juice while pondering the future layout of the clothing store.
Although she didn't like the brand name "Yi no U," she wanted to make the clothing business bigger and stronger.
As is well known, Japan was the world's second-largest economy for a long time.
This strong economic power meant that even when it faced the financial crisis in the early 1990s, its cultural influence remained robust. Popular culture in Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and mainland China was heavily influenced by Japan.
This means that after achieving success in Japan, E-no-Yu is more likely to be popular when opening branches in Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.
As for mainland China, Japanese dramas dominated television screens during the 1980s and 90s. Especially in the 1990s, it can be said that Japanese dramas were the very foundation of mainland Chinese idol dramas.
Even after the turn of the millennium, with the rise of Korean pop culture and the decline of Japanese dramas, those who grew up watching Japanese dramas and were among the first to watch color TVs—the post-70s and post-80s generations—will still appreciate the aesthetics of Japanese pop culture.
And they have precisely become the main force in the consumer market.
By then, it was also the time when Inoyu began to shine brightly in the domestic market.
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