newbobooks Chapter 35 Air Fryer
Chapter 35 Air Fryer
In Lin Zhou's home on the sixteenth floor, the morning sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting dappled shadows on the floor. A breeze drifted in through the open window, carrying the distinctive salty smell of the sea. Lin Zhou had just washed the breakfast dishes and placed them on the drainer when the telephone in the living room suddenly rang, its deep ringtone standing out clearly in the quiet room.
Lin Zhou wiped his hands as he walked to the phone in the living room. He picked it up and held it to his ear when the editor-in-chief's cheerful, excited voice came through the receiver: "Zhou! Great news! 'A Step into the Past' is now available!"
"So fast?" Lin Zhou was a little surprised. When he had negotiated the publication with Xiangjiang Literature and Art Publishing House, they said it would take a week to complete the typesetting and printing. He didn't expect it to be officially released only four days later.
"That's right!" Chen Jingzhi's voice was full of admiration.
"The publisher also spared no expense. The typesetting workers worked around the clock for three days and three nights, and the printing press never stopped. Moreover, their publicity was so effective. Our Zhonghua Daily gave half a page of GG on the front page, and mainstream newspapers such as Oriental Daily and Ming Pao also carried extensive promotions. Even the light boxes on the street were changed to GG with the cover illustration of A Step into the Past and the slogan 'Travel through a thousand years and fight for hegemony in the Warring States period,' which can grab people's attention at a glance."
Lin Zhou picked up the phone and sat down on the sofa, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the armrest as he listened to Chen Jingzhi continue, "This morning, long queues formed at all the bookstores, Joint Publishing bookstores, and newsstands throughout Hong Kong! I just came back from a bookstore in Tsim Sha Tsui, and the queue stretched from the entrance all the way to the street corner, with at least a hundred people—students, office workers, and quite a few middle-aged and elderly men and women—all there for 'A Step into the Past.' The bookstore owner said that of the first batch of 100,000 copies printed, nearly 20,000 were sold in just one morning, and they're still urging the publisher to restock!"
Upon hearing this news, Lin Zhou finally felt relieved. He had initially written this novel to revitalize the newspaper he had just acquired, but now it also served as a means to accumulate the first pot of gold for his upcoming factory construction plan. It seemed he had exceeded his initial goal.
"Regarding the book signings," Chen Jingzhi paused, his tone slightly tentative, "the publisher asked if we wanted to arrange a few to capitalize on this momentum and boost sales."
Lin Zhou thought for a moment, then smiled and shook his head: "No need, Lao Chen. Sales are already so good, there's no need for a book signing. First, it'll be a waste of time, and second, I don't want to be too high-profile." He knew in his heart that his focus had never been on writing; novels were just a stepping stone, and building factories and engaging in real industry was the long-term plan.
"Tell the publisher to keep me informed about any sales figures or reader feedback. Also, please keep an eye on the royalty settlement and get it transferred as soon as possible; I need it urgently."
"Don't worry!" Chen Jingzhi readily agreed. "I've already discussed the royalties with them. It'll be settled monthly, and the money will be in your account at the beginning of next month. You're a real hidden gem; one novel and you've become a sensation in Hong Kong. You'll have to write more good stuff for our newspaper in the future!"
"Definitely, definitely. Isn't The Legend of the Twin Dragons of the Tang Dynasty being written right now?" Lin Zhou replied casually, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then hung up the phone.
Lin Zhou hung up the phone, put it back, and leaned back on the sofa, pondering the situation. The success of "A Step into the Past" had given him a considerable sum of money, and construction on the factory site had already begun. But a question arose—what products would the factory actually produce?
This problem had been bothering him for several days. As a time traveler from the 21st century, he had countless products that would be popular in the future in his mind, but most of them were limited by the current level of technology and simply could not be realized.
He got up and walked to the window, gazing at the lush trees on the distant mountains, his thoughts racing. Computers? Forget it. The core technologies—chips, operating systems—are mastered by only a handful of companies worldwide; his small factory had no chance. The Subor game console? Also limited by hardware and software, impossible to achieve in the short term. A mobile phone? Even more of a pipe dream. He couldn't even manufacture the core components of a pager, let alone a mobile phone.
Lin Zhou frowned, pacing back and forth in the living room. The home appliance sector was worth considering, but the compressor technology and refrigerant formula for air conditioners were not easy to overcome.
Television involves cathode ray tube technology, which Hong Kong currently relies on imports for; the refrigeration system of refrigerators and the motor and control system of washing machines also require the support of a mature supply chain. His small factory is just starting out, with neither technological accumulation nor stable upstream and downstream resources. To rashly venture into these fields is tantamount to throwing an egg against a rock.
"Isn't there a product that's simple in structure, has low technical barriers, and is in market demand?" Lin Zhou was a little worried. He went to his desk, picked up a pen, and started scribbling on a piece of paper, listing the products he could think of one by one, then crossing them off one by one. Fans? There are already quite a few brands on the market. The technology is low, the competition is fierce, the profit margin is thin, and you can't make much money at all.
Rice cookers? Although the structure is not complicated, the non-stick coating technology for the inner pot is not mature enough yet, and Japanese brands have already occupied the high-end market. There are also many small brands in Hong Kong. It would be difficult for them to gain an advantage if they tried to squeeze in.
After thinking it over, Lin Zhou felt a bit irritated, so he simply got up, drew the curtains, and went into the room.
As soon as he stepped into the space, a familiar feeling washed over him. The lights in the hall were soft and bright. Lin Zhou rubbed his temples, sat down on the sofa, raised the projection screen with the remote, turned on the projector, connected it to his laptop via Bluetooth, randomly picked a downloaded sci-fi movie, and clicked play. This feeling of relaxation was something that Hong Kong in 1967 could not provide, or even anywhere else in the world.
Lin Zhou finished watching the movie two hours later. He then slowly paced around the living room and dining room, his gaze sweeping over the refrigerator, microwave, dishwasher, blender... These appliances, which were commonplace in later generations, were either technologically immature in this era, or simply unusable for ordinary families, or even unaffordable for them.
He reached out and touched the outer shell of the microwave oven, which was newly manufactured in 2025. It felt cool and smooth. The principle of microwave ovens is not complicated, but microwave ovens in Hong Kong are now large, consume a lot of electricity, and heat unevenly. In this era when electricity is not abundant, it is a niche product that is difficult to popularize.
Just then, his gaze fell on a black appliance in the corner of the kitchen cabinet... an air fryer.