The work of the research institute was temporarily handed over to Guo Rui, and Xu Qiang worked in Changzhou for the next week.

After a period of investigation, the CZ Municipal Government finally selected a glue factory and wanted Xu Qiang to help them develop a new product.

This glue factory in Changzhou originally produced paste. The paste production process at that time was very simple, it was just made by boiling starch and water in a certain proportion.

However, after the reform and opening up, there were more and more paste manufacturers in China, and Changzhou Paste Factory faced great competition. As a result, the paste products, which originally had small profits but quick turnover, could only be sold at a loss in order to avoid product backlogs. As a result, the factory eventually reached a point where it could hardly continue.

Later, the factory introduced an acrylic glue production line, which allowed it to barely maintain its operations, but the benefits were still not very good.

The so-called acrylic glue is actually the transparent glue most commonly used by students in the 1980s. It is packaged in a small soft plastic bottle with a flat mouth. When using it, you only need to apply it directly, but you must cover the lid in time after use to prevent the glue from drying quickly.

Xu Qiang was not unfamiliar with this kind of product. Acrylic glue of this era was still the second generation product. In later generations, the third generation of acrylic products appeared. Compared with the second generation products, they had lower costs and better performance.

However, the investment in production equipment required for the third-generation acrylic glue is huge, which is not suitable for the current situation of this factory. Some equipment may even need to be imported, so Xu Qiang immediately gave up the idea of ​​helping them develop and produce the third-generation acrylic glue.

Considering the small scale of the factory and the limited funds available for investment, Xu Qiang quickly thought of another product, which is solid glue sticks.

In Xu Qiang's impression, glue sticks only appeared in the 1990s. Compared with glue and chemical paste, the biggest feature of glue sticks is that they are easy to use and carry, clean and hygienic, and will not drip. Therefore, they are very popular in schools and can be said to be standard equipment for students of that era.

But in fact, the production process and formula of this solid paste are very simple. The solid paste is made from animal glue, animal glue anticoagulant, fatty acid salt, solvent and preservative as the main raw materials. As for the production process, it is also very simple.

As the first project under a long-term contract with the CZ municipal government, Xu Qiang attached great importance to it. In just one week, he not only made the first sample of a solid glue stick, but also developed a new glue stick production line with He Yonghong and Liu Siying, and completed the drawing of the design drawings.

The design of Xu Qiang's solid glue stick is completely based on the product style in his memory of his previous life. It is a plastic tube larger than a lipstick. To open the lid, you only need to rotate the plastic bottom and the glue stick will come out. After use, just cover it directly to prevent it from drying out.

After receiving the glue stick sample, Mayor Xue Zhiqin was very satisfied and praised Xu Qiang as a genius. He then arranged for the factory to purchase and install the corresponding equipment. In just one week, the glue stick was put into mass production.

The entire project, from research and development to factory mass production, took only half a month. After the project was completed, Xu Qiang temporarily returned to Shanghai for a short "rest".

Time flies and it is already early October.

Xu Qiang has had a relatively leisurely life these days.

During the day, Xu Qiang either does experiments in the laboratory or studies with Liu Siying. In the afternoon, Xu Qiang drives to the research institute to check on the progress of the project team.

In the evening, Xu Qiang would play cards and chess with Guo Rui and others, and they lived a very comfortable life.

As for the research progress, it is still in a preliminary stage.

The reason for this is not that Xu Qiang deliberately delayed, but that he currently lacks several chemical raw materials. These raw materials are only produced in small quantities by manufacturers in the Northeast, and they need to be ordered in advance for production. Therefore, even if Xu Qiang wants to make explosives, the current conditions are not met.

But as long as the raw materials are in place, Xu Qiang can complete the project in a very short time. So Xu Qiang is not in a hurry now. Even if he is in a hurry, it is useless. It is just as the old saying goes: everything is ready, only the east wind is missing.

While Xu Qiang was leisurely waiting for the raw materials to arrive, Zhang Li was busy with the production and sales of the Changzhou daily chemical factory.

As the first batch of perfumes came off the production line, marketing and sales work also began to be carried out simultaneously.

In order to ensure the sales of the perfume, Zhang Li used her connections to rent a perfume counter in Shanghai No. 1 Department Store. Although the counter was very small, less than one meter wide, it was still very conspicuous because it was located on the second floor where there was a lot of traffic.

In today's China, Shanghai women are probably at the forefront of fashion. They pay great attention to clothing and appearance, and their general income is higher than that in other cities, so the demand for cosmetics has also begun to gradually increase.

In fact, if a product can sell well in Shanghai, it will become popular all over the country within one or two years. Therefore, Zhang Li also attaches great importance to the sales of this batch of perfumes. Recently, she will go to Shanghai almost every one or two days to check the sales of products and ask the sales staff for feedback from customers.

The final result indeed made Zhang Li very happy. Except for the slightly low sales in the first week, by the second week, the sales of various perfumes began to rise sharply, even to the point where supply could not meet demand!
Especially the lavender perfume, which accounts for more than half of all the fragrance perfumes. It is so popular that Zhang Li had to ask the factory to start three shifts and work overtime to ensure the supply of this perfume.

"Ms. Wang, this is the quotation from an international senior perfumer in Hong Kong. Please take a look." In a coffee shop in the center of SH, a middle-aged man in a suit and tie sat opposite Zhang Li and handed her a list with a smile.

"Thank you for your hard work." Zhang Li nodded, picked up the list and started reading it. After a moment, she looked up and asked, "If we let them come to China, will this work?"

"That's impossible." The middle-aged man shook his head and said, "They don't want to come to mainland China. Besides, the policy also stipulates that, except for special reasons, foreigners can only stay in the mainland for a maximum of one week, and they are also subject to great restrictions. For example, if foreigners want to go to the suburbs or the countryside to play, they must return to the city at night..."

"So what you mean is that even if I spend so much money, they can only help me develop products abroad?" Zhang Li asked with a frown.

"Yes, there is nothing we can do about it." The middle-aged man pondered for a moment, then continued, "In addition, it usually takes a long time for these senior perfumers to develop a product, half a year at the fastest, and it's hard to say if it's slow. From my understanding of this industry, foreign perfume manufacturers usually have a product development cycle of about six months to four years, and there is no guarantee that the product will be a best-seller. Some big-brand perfume manufacturers have exclusive perfumers who don't work for other brands, so if Miss Zhang wants to create an international perfume brand, she needs a very high-level 'super nose'..."

The so-called "super nose" is the creator of a perfume brand and the promoter of olfactory fashion. Their inspiration and creation determine the character, personality and trend of the perfume.

It can be said that the first famous brands in the fashion world are all great creations and masterpieces of "super noses". Undoubtedly, perfumers must first have an innate extraordinary sense of smell, and secondly, acquired training.

There are no talents in this area in the country today, so Zhang Li thought of recruiting experts from international countries at high prices.

However, it now seems that this is almost impossible because of various domestic restrictions. A mature senior perfumer cannot come to China to work, which means that Zhang Li’s original idea cannot be realized.

"Ms. Zhang, in fact, with your uncle's strength, you can definitely create a high-end perfume brand in Hong Kong. There are talented people there, and it is convenient for capital operation. There is really no need to develop such an industry in the mainland." The middle-aged man paused, and then said: "Even if you can produce high-end perfume, considering the current consumption level in the mainland, not many people can afford it. Even if you want to export it, foreigners will not recognize a Chinese perfume brand..."

"I know this..." Zhang Li smiled and continued, "But don't underestimate our motherland. We have a population of one billion. If the country further relaxes its policies, the domestic economy will surely develop rapidly in the future, and there will be more and more wealthy people. If I want to develop abroad, the cost will be very high and the competition will be fierce. I won't have many opportunities... But here, I can at least seize the opportunity..."

"Okay then, I respect Miss Zhang's choice." said the middle-aged man.

"In fact, I just want to make a career while I'm still young. As for establishing a high-end perfume brand in China, I also think it is very difficult and even a little out of reach." Zhang Li smiled and continued, "But there are a billion people, and there will always be someone who will try to do this in the future. If so, why not me?" (End of this chapter)