Back to 1958: Creating a Century-Long Family Empire

Chapter 80: Discovery by American Industrial Giant 3M

Two weeks flew by, and just like that, it was already December. Hong Kong had begun to feel a chill in the air.

"Dong-ge," Su Yiyi walked into the small office, holding a notepad, "Zhao Chenguang just called — he wants 3,000 sticky notes."

"Mhm," Yang Wendong nodded, then asked, "Have most of those big companies we sent samples to already placed their orders?"

"Pretty much," Su Yiyi replied. "Over the past two weeks, we've sold more than 20,000 sticky notes, almost all to those companies."

"That sounds about right," Yang smiled. "And that's because big company purchases, even if the value is low, often go through a bunch of procedures. They'd rather buy in bulk than make frequent purchases. Otherwise, I doubt we would've reached 20,000 so quickly."

Sticky notes, as a product, weren't used up that fast — unless you lost them, of course. Depending on the person's habits, a pad could last weeks, even months.

Hong Kong, in the grand scheme of things, was just a small city. Literacy rates were far lower than in developed nations, and office density wasn't even close. The domestic market was tiny — arguably even smaller than glue boards.

"Right," Su Yiyi nodded. "Some of the procurement contacts even told me they wouldn't need more in the short term."

"So for now," she continued, "we'll have to rely on Zhao Chenguang?"

"Even his market won't be that big," Yang shook his head. "Half a month ago, I already sent a batch of sticky notes by air freight to companies in Japan and the U.S.. The goal is to replicate the model we used here in Hong Kong."

Su Yiyi thought for a moment. "Dong-ge, if we gave Hong Kong's sticky note business to Zhao Chenguang, why not use our glue board channels in Japan and Europe for sticky notes too?"

"It's different," Yang said, shaking his head. "Hong Kong is tiny — with Zhao Chenguang's local connections, he could help sell glue boards or sticky notes, no problem. And we still rely on him here, so it's good to maintain a strong relationship.

"But Japan, Europe, and the U.S. — those are huge markets. The channels needed for different products are completely different. Besides, I don't even trust our current distributors that much. I didn't have better options earlier, but now I do."

"So you're using sticky notes to find better distributors?" Su Yiyi asked.

"Exactly," Yang nodded. "It might be painful in the short term, but if we find the right people, long-term growth will be much smoother.

"Glue boards always had a limited appeal. They're crude, easy to misuse, and if a person steps on one, it's a disaster. Plus, they have strong competitors — cages, traps, poison.

"But sticky notes are different — every office in the world could use them. The reorder cycle is slow, yes, but overall, it's still a far better product."

"Dong-ge really thinks long-term," Su Yiyi said with admiration.

Yang chuckled. "It's not that deep — it's just logical. Whether we can execute it is the real challenge.

"The Hong Kong market is almost tapped out. If we don't see overseas orders soon, we'll have to hunt for new trading companies — whether we like it or not."

Hong Kong's export channels were largely dominated by established foreign trading houses. Most Chinese-owned factories, like Yang's, were too small to bypass them.

Even in Southeast Asia, Yang's glue board sales were totally controlled by the trade partners — he had no direct say.

That's why direct contact with foreign clients was gold. Cut out the middleman, and profits increased significantly.

Back when Li Ka-shing started in plastics, he was also shackled by trading companies. It wasn't until his plastic flowers became wildly popular that foreign buyers sought him out directly, allowing him to break through the stranglehold of foreign firms.

Without that breakthrough, even as the "King of Plastic Flowers" with a factory of thousands, he would've just been another contractor earning meager profits — and the Li family empire might never have existed.

Half a world away, in Saint Paul, Minnesota, winter was setting in.

In the south suburb, a towering 40-story office building stood out among the sea of low factory warehouses. It looked out of place — but the locals knew exactly what it was:

The global headquarters of 3M — Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company.

In Saint Paul, at least 5-10% of the population either worked for or relied on 3M for employment. It wasn't just a company — it was a city-defining giant.

Inside the skyscraper, Robert stepped into an elevator and headed to the Procurement Department.

"Hi, Sean," Robert greeted his colleague with a grin as he walked into the office. "Brought you a coffee."

Sean looked up, smirking. "Robert, you don't bring coffee unless you want something. Out with it — what do you need?"

Robert laughed. "Busted. I need to purchase a high-precision glue adhesion testing device. Here are the specs.

Can you help check the market for what fits? Once I decide, I'll get it signed off."

Sean took the request and glanced through it. "Alright, no problem."

"This one's urgent — I need it quick," Robert emphasized.

Sean sighed. "Ugh, IRS is doing our audit this week. Can't do anything until that's done. Give me three days, and I'll handle it right after."

"Fair," Robert nodded. Nothing was more serious than an IRS audit.

Then he watched as Sean casually tore off a small yellow square, jotted down a reminder, and stuck it to the corner of his desk.

"What's that?" Robert asked curiously. He noticed the square said:

[Robert's Adhesion Equipment Request]

Sean glanced at the note. "Oh, this? It's called a sticky note — or post-it. A company from Hong Kong mailed it to us.

Honestly, it's pretty clever. When I can't handle something right away but don't want to forget, I just jot it down here and stick it to my desk. I see it every day.

You can even stick it to documents, so when you open a file, the note reminds you what needs to be done."

"Sticky note?" Robert's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea."

…

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