Chapter 257: Hong Kong Citizens: "There's Actually a Bag This Useful?"
"So soon?" Yang Wendong was a little surprised. He asked, "I remember you said the equipment needed to be custom-built and wouldn't be ready until mid-year?"
He had been placing considerable importance on the plastic bag project recently. Although it might not be a massive moneymaker on its own, it could drive significant industrial development, and it would be a major convenience for his Carrefour-style supermarkets. However, since the project involved advanced polymer materials, he could only wait patiently.
Wei Zetao explained, "These weren't made on the production line. Formosa's lab in Taiwan used the Swedish patent formula and manually produced the film in a lab. Then they cut the film into bags using a small-scale cutter.
The efficiency is low and the cost isn't cheap, but we were able to make a batch of samples and test various properties. We've already shipped some to Hong Kong."
"That's still faster than I expected. Not bad." Yang Wendong stepped forward, intrigued.
Wei Zetao opened the box he was carrying. Inside was a stack of semi-transparent, slightly white plastic bags—already neatly folded.
Yang Wendong took one and ran his fingers over it. "Feels a bit stiff. Just like the samples we tested last time."
"It's the same material. Lab-produced, so no big difference," Wei Zetao said with a smile. "Formosa's lab is actually pretty solid—probably only the chemistry department at National Taiwan University is better."
"What about our own future lab?" Yang Wendong asked casually.
To support technological R&D, Changxing Industrial had already established a tech division and R&D lab in Taiwan. However, it was still under construction, so they remained reliant on Formosa for now.
Wei Zetao replied, "Our facilities and equipment will be better than Formosa's. But in terms of talent, they still have the upper hand for now. Even if we poach people at any cost, it will take time to build team chemistry."
"Mm, one step at a time," Yang Wendong nodded. "At this stage, I just want our R&D division to identify the most cost-effective materials worldwide for our products. That's good enough."
You didn't need to invent brand-new materials to qualify as an R&D center. Around the world, there were thousands of plastic materials. If one team could find the best-suited, lowest-cost option for a company's needs, they could save millions. That alone was an immense contribution to the business.
That too was a form of technology: finding the optimal material.
As for true innovation—they weren't there yet. Even a future plastics giant like Formosa was still manufacturing other people's patented materials at this stage.
Wei Zetao added, "Mr. Yang Wendong, although the plastic bag feels stiff, it's incredibly strong. Formosa tested it by loading 30kg into a bag and hanging it for two days—it didn't tear at all.
So it's definitely strong enough for checkout bags in Carrefour supermarkets."
Yang Wendong thought for a moment and asked, "This feels a bit like packing tape. If you load something heavy into the bag, the bag itself might not tear—but what about the strain on people's hands?"
From past life experience, anyone who frequently used plastic bags knew—unless it was very thin or made of biodegradable material, plastic bags rarely tore from ordinary use. It usually took sharp objects.
But once the bag was loaded with something heavy, it would dig painfully into your hands—especially if the handles were thin. The heavier the contents, the sharper the discomfort.
Now, the plastic bag he was holding had the hardness of tape. If someone used it to carry something heavy, it might be unbearable.
"There is that problem," Wei Zetao acknowledged. "But we don't have a good solution right now. We could reinforce the handles with a thicker strip of material, sort of like using cloth to buffer the grip.
But that would drive the cost way up and slow down production."
"If the cost is too high, it's not viable," Yang Wendong said, nodding.
Cost control was essential for any product—even military goods weren't exempt.
Plastic bags had to be cheap. If they cost too much, neither supermarkets nor street vendors would give them away. That would severely limit adoption.
At that moment, Liu Huayu—who had been quiet—spoke up. "Mr. Yang Wendong, I don't think this is a big issue. Yes, there's a minor flaw, but it only affects a small number of users.
In supermarkets, few people carry extremely heavy items. We can't hold back from serving the majority just to accommodate a few outliers.
And even if someone does carry something heavy, the worst-case scenario is a bit of discomfort. Most people will grab a towel or cloth to pad their hand, and even if they don't, the pain is temporary and not serious."
"Fair enough. Let's go ahead and try using this bag," Yang Wendong agreed.
Just like launching a supermarket—your first product didn't have to be perfect. The priority was solving the "have" versus "have not" problem. Optimization could come later.
A few years down the line, whether it was himself or someone else, someone would likely develop a material that was both softer and stronger—something close to what modern plastic bags had become in his previous life.
"Understood," Liu Huayu said with a smile. "I'll place the first order with Formosa. We'll start using these bags at the checkout counters."
"But I thought these were made in a lab. Can they really meet demand?" Yang Wendong asked.
Wei Zetao explained, "Even though they're lab-produced, the output isn't that low. Supplying one Carrefour store for now won't be a problem.
Plus, we want feedback from a few thousand or even tens of thousands of users. That will serve as a large-scale beta test."
Liu Huayu agreed. "Exactly. A few thousand plastic bags don't require much material—we use that many in just one day.
Formosa's lab can easily handle that volume for a single store."
"Alright. You two figure it out," Yang Wendong said.
Plastic bags weren't that bulky. A few thousand only filled a couple of boxes. The material cost was low.
But the market demand was enormous. If he could produce low-cost plastic bags, there wasn't a single person in Hong Kong—or in nearby regions—who wouldn't need one.
Even in the mainland, such bags could drastically improve how people carried everyday items.
"Understood," Liu Huayu said.
Yang Wendong then asked, "What about the softer bags—the kind used for candy, snacks, and small fruits? Any progress there?"
For this plastic bag project, Yang Wendong had drawn on his prior-life experience shopping in supermarkets and proposed two different products.
The first was a strong, sturdy bag for carrying groceries home after checkout. It needed to be thicker and tougher.
The second was a lighter, thinner bag for snacks and fresh produce—items that had to be weighed, sealed, and bagged on the spot. These bags had to be soft, easy to tie, and hygienic—convenient for both shoppers and store staff.
"It hasn't gone into production yet," Wei Zetao replied. "Formosa Plastics is still testing. They've produced some samples, but because the film is so thin, the plastic bags often tear during the bag-making process."
"Is that because of the equipment?" Yang Wendong asked again.
Wei Zetao nodded. "Yes, the thinner the plastic film, the harder it is to work with. And once you get to the cutting phase, it's even more prone to tearing."
"So the equipment they're using—is it Japanese?" Yang Wendong asked.
Wei Zetao nodded again. "Yes."
Yang Wendong thought for a moment. "Then have their technical team look into European and American equipment. See if there's something better out there. The priority is smooth production."
In this era, Japan had begun surpassing Europe and America in many industrial fields, but not across the board.
Generally speaking, late-developing nations focus first on industries with large markets. Niche or small-market sectors are usually neglected. For example, in his past life, the Chinese mainland didn't start producing high-quality ballpoint pen tips until public pressure forced them to.
Film-cutting machinery was probably a niche sector, and Europe or the U.S. might still hold the technological edge.
"Got it," Wei Zetao agreed.
Yang Wendong looked at the plastic bag in his hand and asked, "Lao Liu, are we really going with this design? Just plain and transparent?"
"Yes," Liu Huayu replied, unsure why the boss was asking.
Yang Wendong pointed to the center of the bag and said, "What if we print our brand name and logo here? That way, anyone using the bag isn't just carrying groceries—they're also advertising our brand. Everyone around them will see it."
In his past life, stores like RT-Mart used this strategy all the time. They made their bags very sturdy, and people loved them. Even after plastic bag bans forced stores to start charging, many customers still paid just to get those branded bags.
"That's actually a smart promotional idea," Liu Huayu said. Then he turned to Wei Zetao. "Lao Wei, it wouldn't be hard to print, right?"
"It's not hard per se…" Wei Zetao paused, thinking. "But printing text on a bag this small might cost more than the bag itself. The ink has to be imported. And we'll need specialized equipment to print quickly."
"That is a problem," Yang Wendong nodded. "Well, look into it. Let's launch the bags first. If printing costs are too high, we'll hold off for now."
Many limitations existed in this era. For example, production speed was dictated by the quality of industrial signal transmission systems. Yang Wendong didn't understand this field deeply, but he knew industrial development for decades to come would center on exactly this. So many high-speed production techniques from his past life wouldn't be viable yet.
And places like Hong Kong and Taiwan were too small—both in population and land area—to support full industrial ecosystems. Specialized industrial products like printing ink had to be imported, which added to costs.
"Understood," Liu Huayu replied. "But if we're only producing for our Carrefour stores, we could subsidize the costs ourselves. If branded plastic bags start trending in Hong Kong, it'll be worth it.
It's a cheaper and more effective promotion than newspaper ads—and it's a novel idea. Should work quite well."
"Alright," Yang Wendong said. "Ask Formosa to print some test samples for us, even just in black text."
Full-color printing would obviously be more expensive and more complex. Since plastic bags were a brand-new product here, there was no need to go all-out with the first batch.
"I'll also reach out to some overseas companies to ask about mass-printing options," Wei Zetao said. "Plenty of goods already use printed plastic packaging. There might be solutions out there."
"Thanks. Good work," Yang Wendong said with a smile. "When are we launching the bags?"
"Very soon," Wei Zetao replied. "Formosa has already produced nearly 100,000 bags. Their current daily capacity is around 3,000. If we place an order, they can probably double it."
"Good. Then launch the plain version first," Yang Wendong nodded. "Add the printed version later."
Using plastic bags as an advertising platform was just a bonus. Their actual utility was far more important.
Once his supermarkets started offering plastic bags, the entire shopping experience would be vastly improved.
…
Three days later, Yang Wendong arrived at the Carrefour supermarket inside Changxing Plaza.
Dozens of boxes filled with plastic bags were being unloaded by several workers and stacked next to the checkout counters.
"Mr. Yang Wendong, we've just received 100,000 plastic bags from Taiwan," Liu Huayu reported. "They come in three sizes, for different customer needs."
"How much are we charging per bag?" Yang Wendong asked.
Once plastic bags could be mass-produced cheaply, they might eventually be free.
But for now, these bags were new. Compared to traditional bamboo baskets or cloth bags, they were far more convenient—easily making them a sellable product.
Give them away too early, and freeloaders would swarm in. His current production couldn't keep up, and the whole rollout could be derailed.
"They'll be sold," Liu Huayu said. "Large, medium, and small sizes priced at 3 cents, 2 cents, and 1 cent respectively. We're actually losing money on the 1-cent bag, but for ease of checkout, we didn't want to introduce decimals."
"Understandable," Yang Wendong nodded. "Lab-produced batches are naturally more expensive. Once we move to mass production, costs will drop."
"Exactly," Liu Huayu agreed. "Wang Yongqing has already signed a deal with a German equipment manufacturer for a custom chemical production line. It should be completed before June.
Wei Zetao also ordered a specialized film-cutting machine from Japan. Once both are running, we'll be able to mass-produce bags by August or September."
"Perfect," Yang Wendong said with satisfaction.
Production of plastic bags would take place in Hong Kong. This high-demand industry would generate a lot of jobs.
Taiwan would focus on polyethylene synthesis, converting it into film, and shipping it over. This arrangement would keep Hong Kong's pollution levels low.
Of course, Taiwan would implement its own environmental protections—at the very least, meeting legal standards and ensuring no risk to human health.
…
Soon, the supermarket opened.
As usual, customers entered through the main doors, browsed and shopped, then queued up at the checkout.
"Miss, would you like to try our supermarket's new shopping bag?" the cashier asked with a polite smile.
"Bag? I've got one," the woman replied, lifting a cloth tote.
"Ours is different," the cashier explained. "It's made of plastic. Strong and waterproof. Feel it for yourself."
There weren't too many customers in the supermarket yet, so the cashiers still had time to explain the new product to shoppers—just as instructed by the higher-ups. Later, when things got busy, dedicated staff would be stationed near the checkout lines to provide explanations.
"Plastic? Waterproof? Durable?" The woman looked skeptical. "This clear bag is really made of plastic?"
"Yes," the cashier replied. "Look, even our packaging tape is transparent. It's made of a similar material."
"Oh, you're right." The woman suddenly understood. She picked up the bag and gave it a few hard tugs—it didn't tear at all. It felt incredibly light, even lighter than a cloth tote.
"How much is this bag?" she asked.
"The one in your hand is a medium size, two cents each," the cashier replied.
"Two cents? I'll take one," the woman said without hesitation.
Two cents wasn't even worth thinking about. Even if she lost it, she wouldn't care. A decent cloth bag cost two or three dollars, and even a paper one would set her back several dimes.
"Certainly," the cashier added the plastic bag to the customer's total.
After paying and stepping aside, the woman found a quieter spot, emptied the plastic bag into her own cloth tote, and studied it carefully.
"It really doesn't tear, and it's waterproof," she said to herself after testing it for a while. "Two cents for something like this? So cheap… this could be a problem for our factory."
Her family's business produced plastic baskets. Back in the 1950s, Hong Kong saw a massive wave of plastic replacing traditional materials. Metal buckets, washbasins, hangers, cups—all had been phased out in favor of plastic alternatives.
When the market became saturated, they set their sights on bamboo baskets. Plastic baskets were lighter, more durable, less prone to damage, and cheaper to produce. Business had been good.
But now, after seeing this plastic bag, she realized their business could be in serious trouble.
"I need to get home quickly," she muttered, packing her things and hurrying out of the plaza.
Inside Carrefour Plaza, more and more customers were discovering the wonders of the plastic bag. Those who understood its utility were already discussing it among themselves.
"Excuse me, where does your supermarket get these plastic bags?" a middle-aged man asked a staff member who had been introducing the product.
The staff replied, "It's a proprietary supply chain from our company. I'm afraid I don't know the details."
The man pressed further, "So no one else in all of Hong Kong sells these bags?"
"That's right," the staff member nodded.
The man immediately said, "Then I want to buy ten thousand. No, one hundred thousand! I'll go to the bank right now."
As a businessman, he saw the opportunity instantly. This bag had enormous commercial potential. If he brought it elsewhere, he could definitely make a profit.
But the staff member quickly shook her head. "Sorry, sir, we don't sell the bags separately. They're only available with purchases. The bags are given out based on the number and size of your items."
That was the policy from upper management: plastic bags must only be distributed in conjunction with goods.
"Huh?" The man froze. "So I have to buy stuff just to get one bag? That'd bankrupt me! Why wouldn't you sell them?"
"I don't have the answer to that," the staff member said, already beginning to excuse herself. "Now that you know about the bag, I need to explain it to other customers. Excuse me."
"Ah…" The man watched her leave, sighing in disappointment.
It was obvious that Carrefour's upper management didn't want anyone speculating on the plastic bags.
"Can I buy more of these bags?"
This was a question being asked at nearly every checkout counter. But the answer remained the same: "Sorry, you can't."
"You're a business! Why wouldn't you sell something to a customer?" Some were clearly frustrated. Everyone wanted to buy more.
The bag was better than anything they had at home—better than cloth, paper, bamboo, or plastic baskets. It was lightweight, waterproof, and cheap. It combined the best features of every type of bag.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they wouldn't have believed something like this existed in the world.
"Brother Jiang," a young reporter walked up to a slightly older man. "I've already interviewed over thirty people. Everyone has something to say about the plastic bag."
"Good," the man called Brother Jiang said. "Mr. Wu wants us to immediately write up an article based on today's customer feedback from Carrefour.
Besides interviews, we need our own commentary and analysis. This is a top priority. Honghua Daily and Oriental Daily will be publishing together. Don't underestimate the importance of this assignment."
"Don't worry, Brother Jiang. I love this plastic bag myself," the young reporter said with a smile. "I'll write from multiple perspectives—my own and those of different social classes."
"Alright. Do one more round of interviews, then we need to head back and discuss tomorrow's print layout," Brother Jiang said.
"Got it," the younger reporter nodded.
As he looked around again, he saw many customers treating the bag like a treasure. Most of them were encountering such a thing for the first time.
Around noon, a middle-aged woman carrying a plastic bag walked into her home and called out, "Ah Bu, look what I brought back!"
"What is it? A clear bag?" the man named Ah Bu looked puzzled. "Where did you get this?"
"From Carrefour. They're giving them away with purchases," the woman said happily. "This thing is unbelievably convenient. Try it!"
She emptied the contents of the bag and handed it to him.
Ah Bu took it and gave it a few test tugs. "Sturdy. And waterproof, I assume?"
"Exactly! I never imagined something like this even existed," the woman said, delighted. "If this kind of bag spreads to the mainland, it'll make transporting goods so much easier."
"What's the price?" Ah Bu asked.
The two of them were China Resources employees stationed in Hong Kong. Their job was to report any products that could benefit the mainland.
This plastic bag clearly fit the bill. If the production cost was low, it could reduce packaging and logistics expenses across the board—affecting everything from foreign exchange to fuel and food transport.
"Two cents each. Shouldn't be expensive—just material costs," the woman replied.
Ah Bu nodded. "Let's look into it further. Once we have more detailed info, we'll report it."
"Okay~"
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 40 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/johanssen10