area51novel Chapter 71 Lou Zhenhua's Plea for Help
Chapter 71 Lou Zhenhua's Plea for Help
Lin Zhou sat in the luxury car, his fingertips unconsciously tracing the velvet seats. He wore a bespoke Italian suit, which made him appear even more imposing, and the Patek Philippe watch peeking out from the cuff gleamed in the dim light, complementing his youthful yet composed face.
The charity gala at the Peninsula Hotel in Hong Kong just two weeks ago is still fresh in my mind. The figures of Lou Zhenhua and his family of three are still clearly visible. At that time, Tan Yali was adorned with jewels, and her daughter Lou Xiao'e followed behind her. Lou Zhenhua, as a veteran industrialist in Beijing, still carried some of his former glory in his every move.
I never expected that after saying "call me if you need anything" before leaving, they would suddenly call and invite me to a banquet just half a month later.
"Boss, we've arrived." The driver's voice interrupted my thoughts.
Lin Zhou looked up and saw a Cantonese restaurant with a sign that read "Li Ji Restaurant" outside the car window. Although the gilded characters on the mahogany sign were a bit mottled, they still exuded the charm of an old brand.
Red lanterns hung at the entrance of the restaurant, and people moved about behind the glass windows. The aroma of roasted meats and slow-cooked soup could be faintly smelled, giving it a more down-to-earth and lively atmosphere compared to those international hotels.
As I entered, a waiter immediately greeted me warmly: "Sir, do you have a reservation?"
"The private room was booked by Mr. Lou Zhenhua."
"Oh, Mr. Lou has arrived. This way, please!" The waiter led Lin Zhou through the noisy hall, past the carved screen, and to a private room on the second floor called "Guanhai Pavilion".
Pushing open the door, Lou Zhenhua was already up to greet him. Today he was wearing a dark gray Zhongshan suit, his hair was neatly combed, but the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes were deeper than they were half a month ago, and there was an undisguised weariness in his eyes.
Unlike last time, he was not accompanied by his wife and daughters. Instead, a man in his thirties sat beside him. He was burly, with calloused hands and a look of restraint and anxiety between his brows.
"Lin Zhou, you're here!" Lou Zhenhua's voice was slightly hoarse as he reached out and shook hands with Lin Zhou. The rough texture of his fingertips revealed the marks of years of working in the factory. "This is my son, Lou Jianjun, the eldest son. He's always been helping me manage things at the factory."
Lou Jianjun quickly stood up, extended both hands to shake hands with Lin Zhou, and said in a somewhat simple and honest tone, "Mr. Lin, I've long admired your name."
Lin Zhou smiled and nodded in acknowledgment: "Brother Lou, you're too kind."
The three sat down, and Lou Zhenhua called for the dishes to be served. The waiter quickly brought out one classic Cantonese dish after another—crispy roast goose with crispy skin and tender meat, drizzled with sweet and sour plum sauce to whet the appetite; and blanched shrimp that were crystal clear and full of fresh and fragrant flavor when dipped in garlic soy sauce.
There was also a slow-cooked soup, its broth milky white, wafting the aroma of figs and pork ribs. But despite the table full of delicious food, no one had much of an appetite.
After several rounds of drinks, Lou Zhenhua picked up his glass, but instead of exchanging pleasantries as usual, he sighed heavily and downed the glass of baijiu in one gulp.
The spicy liquor slid down his throat, his face flushed slightly, and he finally spoke: "Xiao Lin, the reason I called you here today is because I have some unspeakable difficulties, and I have no choice but to shamelessly ask you for help."
Lin Zhou put down his chopsticks, his expression calm: "Uncle Lou, you don't need to be so polite with me. Just tell me what's on your mind."
"Alright, to be honest," Lou Zhenhua's voice trembled slightly, his hands gripping the wine glass tightly, his knuckles turning white, "our Lou family's steel rolling mill here is about to go under. Our friends in Hong Kong are in similar financial straits, and they can't help us with our factory's difficulties."
Lou Jianjun added from the side, "Mr. Lin, the equipment in the factory is all antique from the 1930s, it should have been upgraded long ago."
Two years ago, raw material prices skyrocketed, and orders were snatched away by several emerging steel mills. Now, the cash flow is about to completely dry up, and workers won't even be paid this month. If we continue like this, we'll probably have no choice but to declare bankruptcy.
Lou Zhenhua closed his eyes, his tone full of helplessness and resentment: "I built this steel rolling mill before the public-private partnership. It's been more than ten years. Now that we can't go back to the mainland, this factory is the foundation of our Lou family! If it really closes down, what will happen to my family? There are still hundreds of workers in the factory. They've worked for me for more than ten years. I can't just watch them lose their jobs..."
At this point, the usually strong-willed veteran industrialist's eyes reddened, and his voice choked with emotion. Lou Jianjun also lowered his head, rubbing his knees with both hands, utterly powerless.
Lin Zhou listened quietly, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. He knew that in late 1960s Hong Kong, traditional manufacturing was facing an unprecedented challenge. With the rise of cheap labor markets in Southeast Asia, coupled with rising local land prices and labor costs, many old factories were struggling to survive, and the plight of Lou's Steel Rolling Mill was not an isolated case.
"Uncle Lou," Lin Zhou began slowly, "could you tell me more about the steel rolling mill? For example, the size of the plant, the current state of the equipment, the number of workers, and the current debt and asset situation?"
Lou Zhenhua, as if grasping at a lifeline, hurriedly pulled a stack of documents from his briefcase and handed them to Lin Zhou with both hands: "Lin Zhou, these are the factory's detailed information, please take a look."
Lin Zhou took the documents and carefully reviewed them under the light in the private room. The documents weren't neatly arranged, and some pages were even stained with oil, but they were clearly very detailed—the factory was located in the Kowloon Industrial Zone, covering about three acres, with three old-fashioned rolling mills, 347 workers, and currently owed the bank 800,000 Hong Kong dollars in loans. Its assets mainly consisted of factory buildings and equipment, valued at over one million Hong Kong dollars. The data showed that the factory's core problems were outdated equipment and a single product line, only able to produce ordinary construction steel, lacking market competitiveness.
"I understand the general situation." Lin Zhou placed the documents back on the desktop. "Uncle Lou and Brother Lou, this matter is of great importance. I need to go back and consider it carefully. How about I give you an answer tomorrow?"
A glimmer of hope flashed in Lou Zhenhua's eyes, and he quickly stood up to express his gratitude: "Thank you so much, Little Lincoln, for your help! As long as we can save the factory, we're willing to negotiate any terms!"
As the banquet ended, night had fallen. Lin Zhou sat in his car, watching the gradually quieting street scene outside the window, his mind replaying the situation of the Lou's Steel Rolling Mill. The HK$800,000 debt was nothing to him, but a simple capital injection could only solve the immediate crisis. To truly revive the factory, a new way out had to be found.
He returned home and entered his bedroom. He locked the door, and with a thought, the scene before him suddenly changed. It was no longer a bedroom from the last century, but a newly renovated three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment with simple and modern decoration. The walls were painted with white latex paint, the floor was made of light gray tile, and there was a sofa and a projector screen in the living room. There were also a few potted plants on the balcony. It had been more than a year since it was last seen.
This is his personal space, and also his greatest asset in his journey through time.
Lin Zhou walked to the living room sofa and sat down, picking up a slightly worn-out cell phone from the coffee table. This phone was one he'd replaced when he renovated the house. Although it couldn't connect to the outside network now, it contained all the material he'd accumulated in his previous life as a self-media creator—thousands of articles and videos covering various fields such as technology, food, and lifestyle. He swiped the screen, his fingertips weaving through the densely packed video files, trying to find inspiration that could be combined with the steel rolling mill.
Videos flashed across the screen: DIY tutorials, food reviews, tech product evaluations... Lin Zhou's fingers gradually stopped, and a video titled "Classic Lawn Mower of the 1980s: A Highly Efficient and Labor-Saving Gardening Gadget" caught his eye.
He clicked on the video, which showed a sleek gasoline-powered lawnmower. The host was demonstrating how to use it on the lawn—simply hold the handle and push; the sharp blades quickly cut weeds, making it dozens of times more efficient than a traditional sickle. The video also detailed the lawnmower's structure: engine, transmission, blades, and wheels. The structure wasn't particularly complex; the core technology lay in the design of the engine and blades.
Lin Zhou's eyes lit up instantly!
In late 1960s Hong Kong, with economic development, more and more wealthy people were buying villas in the suburbs, and private gardens were becoming increasingly common. However, the lawnmowers currently on the market were still the traditional sickles and hoes, inefficient and labor-intensive. If a lawnmower model reminiscent of the 1980s could be developed and produced based on the existing technology of the Lou's Steel Rolling Mill, its high efficiency and labor-saving advantages would surely open up the market. Furthermore, with the export of Zhonghua Home Appliances' air fryers to Western countries, many customers who came to inspect the products occasionally mentioned in casual conversations that household lawnmowers were impractical!
"What a great opportunity!" Lin Zhou was overjoyed.
More importantly, the core components of the lawnmower—steel and mechanical structure—can be utilized using the steel mill's existing equipment and technological foundation. Although the engine needs to be developed or procured separately, the videos on his phone can be used to draw up detailed design blueprints to guide the factory's transformation and upgrade. This would not only revitalize the steel mill's existing assets but also open up entirely new product lines, allowing the factory to completely escape its predicament.
Lin Zhou became increasingly excited as he thought about it. He got up, walked to his desk, picked up a pen and paper, and began to quickly sketch out the structural diagram of a lawnmower. The lines on the paper became clearer and clearer, and the prototype of a lawnmower that combined 1980s technology with 1960s production conditions gradually took shape.