Chapter 286: The Bestselling Electric Mosquito Swatter
"It shuts off automatically?" Wei Zetao asked in surprise. "How does it do that?"
Wang Zhiqun explained, "It's triggered by steam pressure. Once the steam reaches a certain force at the top of the kettle, it activates a mechanical switch that cuts off the power."
Yang Wendong stepped forward and touched the handle, frowning slightly. "The handle is still a bit hot. Can we find a way to improve the heat insulation? Ideally, the heat from the water shouldn't transfer up here at all."
Even through the plastic, he could feel a notable amount of heat — not scalding, but uncomfortable if held for too long.
Wang stepped up and said, "Mr. Yang, we've tested this thoroughly. The temperature is within the range human skin can tolerate. It won't burn anyone."
"It might not cause burns, but it's still unpleasant and inconvenient." Yang turned to Wei. "Old Wei, can you look into some better heat-resistant plastics?"
Wei replied, "In the automotive industry and a few specialty fields, there are indeed plastics with much better heat insulation. I'll get in touch and check the prices. But they're definitely more expensive."
"Check anyway," Yang said. "At the end of the day, it's still plastic. This product will be patented, sure, but to break into the market quickly, we need to make it as good as we can. At least within our current capabilities."
If something couldn't be helped due to technical or supply chain limitations, Yang would accept compromises on the first-generation product. Improvements could always come later once the product launched and brought in revenue.
But if it could be improved easily, then it had to be done. Patents didn't guarantee dominance — especially not in consumer products, where similar alternatives always existed. Only a few inventions like the Post-it note were so unique that rivals couldn't legally copy them.
"I'll get back to you soon," Wei promised.
Yang then asked, "What kind of metal is the exterior made from?"
"Tinplate," Wang said. "That's what most kettles in Hong Kong are made of."
"Could we use stainless steel?" Yang asked again.
He'd seen stainless steel kettles in his previous life. But he wasn't sure if Hong Kong had the ability to manufacture them yet.
"No, not possible," Wang replied. "Stainless steel is too tough. It needs special pressing equipment, which Hong Kong doesn't have. Also, the cost is several times that of tinplate, and we'd need to import it."
Wei added, "Mr. Yang, Hong Kong hardly produces any stainless steel items. If we use it, we'd have to import both the material and the equipment. Plus, the stamping process for steel and stainless steel is completely different. The hardness makes it technically more demanding."
"Alright, let's shelve that for now," Yang nodded. "Once we resolve the handle heat issue, we can launch the product."
Hong Kong's industrial capabilities were limited. Product design had to adapt to local constraints — at least until the business was large enough to sustain its own supply chain. At that point, Yang could either start his own upstream ventures or incentivize suppliers to develop new capabilities.
"Got it," Wang replied. "The electric mosquito swatter is also just about ready. I'd like to release it to the market first."
"Go ahead. Send some over to Carrefour. Let them test it out and get customer feedback," Yang said. "What's the current cost and suggested retail price?"
Wang replied, "Since we're still importing the transistors and capacitors — our factory hasn't started making them yet — the cost per unit is about HKD 8.
I think a wholesale price of HKD 12 is reasonable. What it sells for in stores depends on the supply chain — how many distributors are involved."
Wei looked over the swatter and said, "It's light and compact, so shipping costs will be low. If it's sold through Carrefour, we can probably keep the retail price under HKD 16."
"HKD 16? That's not cheap," Yang said. "A box of mosquito coils is only a few cents."
Even with patent protection, the product wasn't without competition. Like steamed buns — even if yours were the best, others could still buy cheaper red bean ones.
Wang explained, "That's why we're targeting affluent households. But that's just for Hong Kong. Once we get into the US and Europe, even average families will find the price very reasonable."
"Alright, let's test the Hong Kong market first," Yang nodded.
Electric mosquito swatters had a decent market in his past life. In theory, they should do well now too — after all, no one in any country or era liked mosquitoes.
"Yes, sir," Wang said happily.
After more than half a year of development, his new product was finally ready for launch.
That evening, Yang returned home and pulled a few flat-pack swatters from his trunk.
"I brought back the electric mosquito swatters," he called into the living room.
"Let me see!" Su Yiyi rushed over and opened one up.
The design was simple enough that she figured out how to use it without any instructions.
Yang unboxed a few more and said, "Let's try them out. There are plenty of mosquitoes outside."
"Sounds fun!" Everyone agreed cheerfully. Killing mosquitoes was something no one would object to.
Soon, the group gathered in a small garden outside. The buzzing of mosquitoes was already audible.
Auntie Guo held her grandson. Meanwhile, Bai, Su, and Yang wielded the swatters.
ZAP! ZAP! ZAP! The devices crackled as they zapped one mosquito after another.
"This is so much fun!" both women exclaimed.
Little Zhiwen, held in Auntie Guo's arms, reached out his hand, wanting to join in.
"This thing makes a great toy," Su Yiyi laughed.
Yang nodded. "Yep, it really does have toy appeal."
In his past life, people had even bought electric mosquito swatters specifically for kids to play with — carefully supervised, of course.
Especially in an era like this, when entertainment was scarce — just newspapers, radio, and a few dull toys — the novelty of a zapping mosquito-killer could be quite appealing.
That night, the whole family played in the garden until dark.
Of course, there was a price to pay — everyone still got bitten.
No matter how many mosquitoes they fried, some always slipped through.
Even the most powerful battleship couldn't withstand a swarm of kamikaze aircraft.
June 9, Carrefour Supermarket in Causeway Bay
A woman stood in front of the mosquito repellent shelf, comparing prices and packaging.
A sales clerk approached. "Hi there, are you looking for mosquito coils?"
"Yes," she replied. "I'm trying to find one that actually works. The mosquitoes are relentless lately, and most coils don't seem to do much."
"This one's from Bayer — a top global brand," the clerk said, pointing to a product.
"One dollar twenty a box? That's expensive!" the woman exclaimed.
"It's Bayer," the clerk said. "They're an international brand. Their products are pricier, but also more effective.
Chances are, the ones you've used before were locally made. Naturally, the effectiveness is different."
"That's true… but still too expensive," the woman muttered. "I'll look around more."
"Or," the clerk said, "you could try something new — the electric mosquito swatter."
She picked one up and handed it to the woman.
"Electric mosquito swatter?" the woman asked. "You kill mosquitoes with electricity?"
"Yes," the clerk explained clearly. "It works like this…"
After a short demo and explanation, the woman asked, "These mesh grids are hollow. Can it really hit tiny mosquitoes?"
"Yes. You don't need direct contact," the clerk said. "The high-voltage current creates an arc that kills anything close. You can test it with this tweezer — you'll see the arc when it gets close."
"What if it hits a person?" the woman asked.
"It just stings a bit," the clerk said. "It's like the spark from a lighter's igniter. No harm done."
"I see," the woman nodded. She knew what lighter sparks felt like. "And it won't set clothes on fire?"
"Not at all. It's much safer than coils," the clerk said. "And if you go outdoors, nothing beats this. Way more effective than other methods."
"Hmm… what's the price?" the woman asked.
"Normally HKD 16.9. But with the launch discount, just 15.9," the clerk replied.
"That's expensive…" she hesitated. "That Bayer coil was only 1.2."
"Ma'am, this is an electronic product. Radios go for a hundred bucks these days. This one's only fifteen.
And it lasts for years. How long does one box of coils last? A week, maybe ten days? By the end of summer, you'll have spent HKD 7 or 8 on coils.
This thing? One-time purchase. Just kill the mosquitoes inside your net or home. Easy and reusable."
"Alright, I'll take one," the woman said, convinced.
"Great. Let me grab a new one for you," the clerk smiled.
By noon, more and more people were being introduced to the product at Carrefour.
Liu Huayu stopped by and saw a clerk simultaneously explaining the swatter to several customers.
"How many have we sold today?" he asked a nearby staffer.
"Eleven units so far. The clerk's talked to about 90 people. Conversion rate's about one in eight — and all of them were originally shopping for mosquito repellents anyway."
"Not bad," Liu nodded. "Put up a banner at the entrance. Big, bold headline — 'The Ultimate Mosquito Killer.' Make sure everyone sees it as they walk in."
The swatter was one of the boss's pet projects. Liu needed to make sure it performed.
Within Changxing Group, Glory Electronics and Carrefour were on the same tier — both top-priority subsidiaries in Yang's eyes.
"Understood," the employee replied. Though he didn't fully understand why, he obeyed without question.
Liu glanced at the product again. It really did seem impressive. He decided he'd buy one for himself, too.
Next morning, at Changxing Tower
"Mr. Yang," Liu reported, "we sold 273 units of the electric mosquito swatter across six Carrefour stores yesterday."
"273? That's solid," Yang nodded. "You pushed a lot of marketing, right?"
"Yes," Liu admitted.
Not only had they reserved prime ad space at store entrances, but Carrefour also assigned their best salespeople to promote the product. Placement on the shelves was top-tier — treatment few other items ever received.
Yang turned to Wang Zhiqun. "Old Wang, how's production going?"
"No problem at all," Wang said confidently. "Mr. Wei lent us over 100 staff from Changxing Industrial. With their help, we're assembling over 3,000 units per day.
At full capacity, we could reach 10,000 daily. Parts aren't an issue — most components are made in-house at the industrial park. The remaining transistors and capacitors are already stocked in our warehouses. Plus, local traders still have over 200,000 sets of components on hand."
"Excellent. That'll more than cover Hong Kong's needs," Yang said. Then he turned to Qin Zhiye. "Old Qin, run ads in the papers and on the radio tomorrow."
"Understood," Qin said with a grin. "Radio can go live this afternoon or tonight."
"Good. This is Glory Electronics' first product. Let's make it shine here in Hong Kong," Yang said.
June 11th
Oriental Daily, Hong Wah Daily, and Hong Kong Commercial Radio launched coordinated ads promoting the electric mosquito swatter.
Even Jin Yong wrote a short column in Ming Pao, calling the swatter "a clever and highly useful little invention."
Between the three papers — even accounting for overlapping readership — the total reach was around 50,000. And Ming Pao had die-hard fans. Commercial radio reached over 100,000.
Once the media blitz hit, Carrefour saw an explosion in foot traffic.
After browsing and realizing the swatter wasn't that expensive, customers quickly cleared the shelves.
But Carrefour was ready. Stock was replenished immediately. The cycle continued.
June 14th
Yang received the three-day sales report: 1,659 units sold.
"Not bad," Yang said with a smile. "Even if the pace doesn't last forever, it's a very promising start."
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