An ordinary Tuesday in mid-September saw the exhibition center packed with people.
Gao Yuan and Dr. Xu Qingzhou arrived a little late. The moment they entered the hall, they were stunned by the sheer number of people. There had to be several thousand at least.
Samples of Kunlun Company's new X2 Fiber and simple printed brochures were displayed at several counters throughout the exhibition center. The merchants held the brochures in their hands and studied them carefully.
"How could there be so many people?" After finding Cao Feiyu, Gao Yuan asked in surprise, "Didn't we only send out two hundred invitations?"
Cao Feiyu wiped the sweat from his forehead. "A lot of merchants who weren't invited heard the news and came on their own. We're running a business with our doors open—anyone who comes is a guest. We can't exactly turn them away."
That was true. Gao Yuan nodded slightly.
Cao Feiyu added, "We'll have to play it by ear. Our country accounts for more than fifty percent of the global apparel, footwear, and headwear market, so the demand for raw materials is enormous. What worries me most now is Chaoda Chemical Fiber's production capacity."
Gao Yuan knew that Chaoda, his partner, was merely a medium-sized private enterprise. If orders suddenly exploded, it definitely would not be able to handle them.
But at this point, they could only adapt as they went. There might be many merchants here, but that did not necessarily mean they would place orders on a massive scale. After all, it was already mid-September, and major apparel companies had long since put their fall and winter collections on the shelves.
Gao Yuan asked the exhibition center staff for a microphone, had them turn on the public-address system, then walked onto the stage and lightly cleared his throat twice.
"Welcome, everyone, to our order fair. I'm Gao Yuan, the person in charge of Kunlun Company..."
"Is that Gao Yuan!?"
"He's so young! Is he still a student?"
"He invented the X-series Super Fiber?"
"You really can't judge a book by its cover. He's achieved so much at such a young age. Incredible!"
After Gao Yuan introduced himself and delivered a few words of welcome, the crowd below erupted.
By now, who had not heard Gao Yuan's name? Calling him a legend of the chemical fiber and textile industry would not have been an exaggeration.
Yet who could have imagined that this newly risen king of chemical fibers was only twenty-one years old? In a white shirt with neatly styled hair, he looked exactly like a college student. He was absurdly young.
And yet this seemingly ordinary young man had invented a super fiber technology worthy of being recorded in history.
X1 Quick-Dry Fiber had broken DuPont's international monopoly. Its performance was explosive, and its value for money was simply unmatched!
Several fast-fashion companies using the technology were selling like crazy across Europe, launching a frenzied assault right on Zara and H.M's doorstep.
Such a scene, such wild momentum—no one would have dared even dream of it in the past!
When had Chinese manufacturers, always at a disadvantage in brand marketing, ever been this formidable?
Now that autumn was gradually settling over Europe, they had shifted their focus to the hot climates of Latin America and Southeast Asia, where they had achieved equally astonishing results.
Why had this relatively small order fair drawn so many merchants from across the country?
The answer was simple: the profit effect and word of mouth.
Up to this point, Gao Yuan had only a dozen or so actual clients, all companies focused on overseas fast fashion.
Yet these companies, virtually unknown at home, had swept through Europe and built an unstoppable momentum!
Many European personal shoppers had begun exporting goods back to China, mailing Xiyin Group and Global clothing into the country. There was no helping it—Xiyin Group was strong abroad but weak at home. It did not even have a single domestic store, so people could not buy its products even if they wanted to.
What made their competitors even more envious was the meteoric rise in the image of the companies working with Gao Yuan. Who still dared call Xiyin Group a cheap fast-fashion business? It had transformed itself into a genuine high-tech fast-fashion company, all right!
Of course, that was not necessarily good news for Boss Xu of Xiyin Group.
Just look around: Weiqiao, Shenzhou International, Chenfeng, Hailan, Shanshan, Ruyi, Yangguang, Jifa, Lutai, Dayang Chuangshi, Li-Ning... every major domestic giant that mattered was present!
These companies, whether people knew of them or not, produced sixty percent of the world's textiles every year!
From a tiny pair of stockings to a custom suit costing tens of thousands, you might think it was an international luxury brand, but deep down it was still made in China. The only problem was that China's textile and apparel companies faced an extremely awkward reality: they did not know how to build brands...
For example, the world's largest contract manufacturer of sportswear was China's Shenzhou International, listed in Hong Kong under stock code 02013. The Nike, Adidas, and Uniqlo products you bought were, nine times out of ten, made by this company.
Yet most people did not know that besides manufacturing for Nike, Shenzhou International also had its own brand, Mavi Fushi.
So here was the question: if Shenzhou International could manufacture for international apparel giants, its management and manufacturing standards must have been exceptional. Its own brand should have sold pretty well, right?
Wrong.
Not just wrong—wildly wrong!
Since its founding, Mawei Apparel had been losing money nonstop, nearly to the point of losing its shirt!
In March 2019, Shenzhou International quietly shut down Mawei Apparel without saying a word.
Why had it closed it down in secret without making any announcement?
Because it was too embarrassing to publicize. Shenzhou International, the world's number-one sportswear contract manufacturer with a market capitalization of 160 billion Hong Kong dollars, had launched its own brand and lost money so badly it was unrecognizable. How could it possibly tell the world?
And this was far from an isolated case.
The world's largest contract manufacturer of suits and women's professional attire, Dayang Chuangshi, made products of such high quality that it manufactured for Zegna, Armani, MS, Macy's, P&C, and Aoki. But what about its own brands?
Who had ever heard of TRANDS?
Who had ever heard of YOUSOKU?
Standing onstage, Gao Yuan looked around at the familiar faces of his countrymen. Every pair of eyes was filled with fervent hope.
That hope came from the Summer's End Offensive that had begun in August!
Because of Gao Yuan's persistence, several Chinese fast-fashion companies that had originally been at a competitive disadvantage had unleashed an unprecedented surge, creating overwhelming momentum!
The promotional costs had been enormous. They had not made much money, but they had won back their pride!
After all, that was Europe—the home turf of the world's textile and apparel giants! Their opponents' doorstep!
That was why, when Kunlun Company held an order fair today, domestic giants had arrived without invitation and gathered in Jiangnan. It was a classic example of word-of-mouth impact.
Faced with so many industry titans, Gao Yuan felt slightly nervous onstage.
But he quickly regained his composure. With an unexpected opening line, he said with a smile, "Without realizing it, the world we live in has already been completely changed."
"Don't be naive. Things cannot possibly be that simple."
"Without question, no person and no company can remain uninvolved."
At this point, Gao Yuan's lips curled upward, and he smiled.
"When I first arrived at the exhibition center and saw so many people, I'll be honest—I was startled." Gao Yuan joked, "But I quickly figured out why everyone had come."
"It's simple. You are all smart people. You know your companies cannot possibly remain untouched by this mighty tide, so you are filled with a sense of crisis."
"In the past, you manufactured for European and American companies. But now, the war has begun. They are investing heavily in Southeast Asia and cultivating contract manufacturers there precisely so that one day, they can replace you."
"This is not alarmism. In this world, no one is truly irreplaceable. No matter who is gone, the sun will still rise tomorrow."
"On August 3, 2020, Samsung shut down its last computer factory in China. Before that, it had already withdrawn nearly all of its businesses, including mobile phones, motherboards, televisions, and more."
"This shows that even the highly integrated, technology-intensive electronics industry can be moved entirely to Vietnam. Those who think international giants would die if they left China are probably looking at things far too simply."
"In this world, anyone can be replaced. It is only a matter of how long it takes."
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