Chapter 40 – A Huge Commercial Opportunity

Chapter 40 – A Huge Commercial Opportunity

Having secured the patent, Yang Wendong finally felt a weight lifted off his shoulders.

Sure, patents could still be violated—people would always try to copy a successful idea—but now, the law was on his side.

Even if the courts in Hong Kong weren't particularly reliable, the fact that he had filed in major developed countries meant something. In Europe, the U.S., and Japan, intellectual property was taken seriously.

More importantly, registering the patent wasn't just about protecting the glue board—it was about protecting everything else he'd develop in the future.

Because without a patent, someone could easily reverse the situation and register it before him, making him the one accused of infringement.

…

Over the next few days, Yang returned to the hardware market multiple times, purchasing large quantities of glue and release paper.

Meanwhile, Lin Haoyu focused on acquiring more wood boards for manufacturing.

The raw materials were simple, and the process even simpler. Once they got into a rhythm, the glue boards could be produced on a quasi-assembly line.

Before they knew it, the day they had marked on the calendar arrived.

Su Yiyi stood up and stretched her back. After hours of sitting and working, her legs and arms had gone numb.

"Brother Dong," she said, smiling tiredly, "we've made over a hundred glue boards in just a few days. That's… impressive."

Yang chuckled. "Think back to the old bamboo tube traps. How many could we make in a day?"

Su Yiyi thought about it. "Maybe fifty or sixty between two people. But that was a lot more exhausting."

Yang shook his head. "Wrong. We only reached that number because we were living in the shantytown, right next to piles of bamboo.

If we didn't have that supply nearby, the transport costs alone would've eaten up half our time."

Su Yiyi nodded. "True. These glue boards are much easier to manage. The wood is a bit of a hassle, but it's light."

"Exactly. Bamboo is heavier," Yang said. "And most importantly, the bamboo traps weren't easy to stack or transport.

They were awkward, fragile, and bulky. Glue boards? Flat, light, and stackable. We can move hundreds at a time."

Su Yiyi grinned. "So they're even more convenient than cages or clamp traps."

"Right. These boards are the perfect solution for mass distribution," Yang said. "Lightweight, cheap, easy to make, and even easier to carry."

"It's amazing how you came up with this, Brother Dong."

Yang laughed. "The idea's been around for ages. People just didn't realize its value."

The truth was, sticky surfaces had been used to trap rodents for centuries. In ancient times, people even used kitchen grease to coat boards and catch pests.

But grease was limited in quantity and not as reliable.

It was only with the rise of modern chemical production that industrial adhesives became widely available. And with them, the glue trap.

Back when he made the bamboo tubes, Yang couldn't afford to patent them.

Besides, they were cumbersome and unscalable. Even metal cages weren't worth shipping over long distances—transport cost exceeded product value.

But glue boards? They were different.

This was the first product Yang believed could be the foundation of a real business—one that could grow and scale across the world.

"So how do we sell them?" Su Yiyi asked. "Should we start with the market vendors again?"

"We could," Yang said. "But not yet. Those vendors are too slow. The real plan is to launch with a big promotion."

She blinked. "A promotion?"

"Yes. Taking on the Kowloon Wharf extermination wasn't just about making money. It's also about building a brand."

Even if the port job hadn't come along, Yang would've eventually used his profits to fund a launch campaign.

But now that he had this opportunity, it was the perfect stage to introduce the glue board to the entire city.

"If this works," Yang said, "we won't just impress the port or the warehouses. Even the public and other pest control companies will take notice."

"And we'll make good money too," Su Yiyi added with a grin.

"Exactly." Yang laughed. "Sure, five thousand dollars isn't a fortune for Kowloon Wharf or the folks behind it—but for people like us? That's a windfall."

To put things in perspective: when Li Ka-shing started Cheung Kong Industrial, his seed capital was 50,000 dollars.

Forty-three thousand came from his uncle. The rest—just seven thousand—came from years of savings.

That was considered impressive back then.

And those seven thousand dollars?

In the 1940s, they were worth even more than five thousand in 1958.

Just then, the front door opened and in walked Zhao Liming and Lin Haoyu, grinning from ear to ear.

"Well?" Yang asked.

"It's amazing, Brother Dong!" Liming beamed. "Last night we deployed over a hundred glue boards in several warehouses. We used braised chicken soup as bait. This morning—more than forty rats caught!"

"Some boards had two or three rats stuck at once!" Haoyu added.

Yang nodded. "Excellent. So, better than the bamboo tubes and the cages?"

"By far," Liming said. "I carried over a hundred boards by myself. If it had been tubes or cages, it would've taken four of us!"

"And they work," Su Yiyi said proudly. "The glue doesn't wear off overnight."

Yang smiled. "Good. The prototype is confirmed. The patent is filed. Tomorrow, I'll go meet with Wang Zhixian and lock in the deal."

Liming laughed. "Congratulations on the big job, Brother Dong!"

Yang looked at them both and said, "Don't congratulate me yet. Congratulate yourselves.

"If this deal goes through, I'll rent two more apartments. We'll move your families out of the shantytown."

"Really?!" Liming and Haoyu were both stunned with joy.

Yang nodded. "Not just new homes. If the glue board takes off, I'll need to rent more space for production too."

"You mean… open a factory?" Su Yiyi asked.

"Exactly," Yang said. "What we're doing by hand now won't scale. If we're going to sell across Hong Kong—and eventually overseas—we'll need to mass-produce.

Not just for quantity, but for quality control."

"Overseas?" Zhao Liming blinked.

Yang smiled. "Of course. You think only Hong Kong has rats?

"There are rats everywhere—across Asia, Europe, America, Africa.

If this works, we'll export."

Because if there was one pest that united all of humanity, it was the rat.

And now, Yang Wendong had the weapon.

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