Chapter 2: Ballpoint Pen
Ding ding! Just as Yan Guang was lost in thought, a sudden blaring horn sounded nearby
In the following months, Yan Guang produced more than one hundred items in total, which can almost be described as one item per day
Of course, would I engage in a losing deal?" After placing the contract in the safe, Roger chuckled and scolded himself.
Racial discrimination..." Yan Guang forced a smile. "Speaking of which, during this period, schools in some states in the United States didn't even allow Black students to attend, right?" To be precise, schools in all states did not allow it.
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Of course. Yan Guang nodded slightly. "When I return to my country to start a factory in the future, I certainly hope I won't have to pay fees for things I invented myself"
Fifty thousand US dollars? Yan Guang calculated in his mind that at this time, fifty thousand US dollars was roughly equivalent to about one hundred fifty to sixty thousand silver dollars, and it might even be a bit more. Moreover, during this period, one silver dollar could buy thirty jin of rice or eight jin of pork, which is equivalent to about seventy to eighty yuan in 2007. Therefore, fifty thousand US dollars is indeed not a small amount
"Forget it, even if we don't want such a good thing, others will probably be eager to take it..." With a shake of the head, Tu Shu ultimately abandoned the thought of lowering the price. "It truly is a remarkable item; if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I really couldn't imagine it being invented by a Chinese person"
I can't believe it! After the car drove away, Yan Guang realized what had happened and gave the driver the middle finger. This was the first time he encountered a racist, but he didn't pay much attention to it; after all, every country has its share of scoundrels. Yan Guang just considered himself unlucky to have run into one.
"Mr. Roger, what do you think?" Yan Guang, sitting across from him, asked somewhat nervously
Is this the earliest car? The curiosity about the car overshadowed the anger of nearly being hit, but soon Yan Guang became furious.
Although they were all just small gadgets, Yan Guang still earned the title of "King of Inventions." Even on the other side of the United States, in New York, there were people who knew about a Chinese inventor named Yan Guang in San Francisco. Several local Chinese community groups had invited Yan Guang, which led him to create his final invention in the United States, the flavor enhancer, in the fifth month after he arrived in this world.
According to historical facts, after its launch, the ballpoint pen sold 10,000 units for the first time, with each unit priced at 10 dollars
With a wry smile, Yan Guang quickly found a house for rent. Although the location was somewhat remote, the space was quite large, and the price was reasonable. He then returned to the hotel to check out of his original room, and afterward went to a store to buy some bread. Upon returning to the house, he considered himself settled into his new home
However, when Yan Guang walked into a seemingly nice restaurant to have a meal, he was expelled by the waiter on the grounds of customer complaints, only then did he realize that as a person of Asian descent in America, he truly was an outsider
Then how about this, I am willing to offer fifty thousand US dollars to purchase your patent, with the condition that, as you mentioned, you retain the right to produce in the Chinese region, what do you think?" Saying this, Roger smiled. "I believe you must have understood our company's situation before coming here, otherwise you wouldn't have approached us first.
While many San Franciscans, especially the Chinese community, were still waiting for Yan Guang to produce new inventions and to see if he could surpass Edison, they were unaware that Yan Guang, a Chinese individual who had nearly set a record of one invention per day, had already exhausted all the ideas in his mind. It was at this moment that Yan Guang came across a newspaper, a newspaper about rubber.
By this time, Yan Guang's net worth had already exceeded 900,000 US dollars, equivalent to over 2 million, nearly 3 million silver dollars. Although it could not be compared to those tycoons, he could still be considered a wealthy man in San Francisco
The seasoned Roger certainly could not overlook the expression on Yan Guang's face. As a businessman, he should have taken this opportunity to negotiate a lower price. However, considering the company that had been weighing over him for more than ten years, along with the group of equally watchful individuals below...
"Damn yellow-skinned monkey, can't you even watch where you're going?" Although Yan Guang, who stood over 1.8 meters tall, appeared to be much taller than himself, the white male driver still cursed loudly and left without waiting for Yan Guang to respond
Yan Guang carefully examined it and, finding no traps to ensnare him, signed his name.
Consider the fifty thousand dollars in the suitcase, and then think about how I almost ended up sleeping on the streets not long ago. Fate is indeed something that is difficult to grasp.
Reflecting on the feeling of writing on paper with this "ballpoint pen," Roger truly cannot imagine that it was invented by a Chinese person
"This was not originally my invention," Yan Guang scoffed inwardly. "So how much are you prepared to pay to acquire it?"
The price is not the main concern for now; I would like to ask about the conditions you just mentioned. Rubbing his head, Roger looked seriously at the Asian man in front of him. "You want to retain the right to produce this type of pen in China, correct?"
Although he has been in this world for some time, the instinctive reactions cultivated in his previous life still caused him to subconsciously dodge to the side
"Boss, is this pen really worth fifty thousand dollars?" The male secretary asked curiously, glancing at the very simple ballpoint pen in Roger's hand
Speaking of which, Yan Guang must also thank the owner of his body, who had already cut off his braids before coming to the United States. Now, having short hair is not too outrageous; otherwise, the people around him would likely show more than just strange expressions.
Upon hearing Yan Guang's agreement, Roger immediately drafted a contract, signed his name, and then handed it to Yan Guang
After waiting for approximately thirty minutes, Roger's male secretary and a figure from the bank brought in fifty thousand US dollars in cash. Yan Guang shook hands with Roger before leaving the company named "Heimter".
He is truly in a state of financial embarrassment now, having invested almost all his money into the ballpoint pen. If he cannot sell them quickly, he may really end up sleeping on the streets
Before coming here, he had already inquired about how many companies in San Francisco produce stationery, and this time he specifically aimed for this company, which has always been the perennial second. It seems that the results are quite satisfactory; this perennial second clearly has not given up on the idea of becoming the leader.
Yan Guang understood that the price offered by the middle-aged man before him was very reasonable, especially considering their urgent desire to become the best in San Francisco. The price might even be higher than what other companies would offer, so he did not haggle and readily said, "Then it's a deal!"
It was not until this moment that Yan Guang noticed that there was indeed something unusual in the eyes of the people on the street when they saw him; he simply had not been aware of it before.
First, let's go have a meal, and then look for a place to stay. Although the hotel room is nice, it is too small. In the time ahead, I still need to create quite a few things. If I accidentally blow up the hotel...