Traveling back to 1966, starting by living in a cowshed.

Chapter 56 Trade Fair

The plane landed at New York City's international airport on the afternoon of June 10, local time.

Stepping out of the plane, a different atmosphere from Hong Kong greeted me in the spacious airport terminal.

People of all skin colors come and go, and multiple languages ​​such as English, French, and Spanish are spoken together, creating a vibrant atmosphere reminiscent of an international metropolis.

Thomas was already waiting at the exit. He was a tall American with blond hair and blue eyes, and a warm smile.

Upon seeing Lin Zhou and his group, he immediately stepped forward and greeted them in slightly broken Chinese: "Mr. Lin, welcome to New York City!"

"Mr. Thomas, thank you for coming all this way to pick us up." Lin Zhou extended his hand and shook hands with him firmly.

"You're Henry's friend, so we can be considered friends too. Don't be so polite."

Thomas smiled and waved his hand, "The booth is ready. I'll take you to the hotel to settle in first, and then we'll go to the exhibition hall to set up tomorrow morning."

Sitting in the car arranged by Thomas, Lin Zhou enjoyed the street scenes of New York City along the way.

The skyscrapers resemble a steel jungle, and the streets are bustling with traffic. In stark contrast to the prosperity of Hong Kong, this place feels more open, after all, it's not an island.

But he didn't linger too much in the city's scenery; his mind was preoccupied with tomorrow's trade fair.

After arriving at the hotel and settling in, Lin Zhou did not rest, but instead called a short meeting with everyone.

"Tomorrow is the first day of the trade fair, and there will definitely be a lot of people. Everyone should follow the division of labor as we have before, pay attention to their words and actions, and show the professional image of Zhonghua Home Appliances."

When Lao Wang and Xiao Li give their demonstrations, they must ensure the presentations are smooth and allow customers to clearly see the product's advantages.

Manager Su, you need to be flexible during negotiations and adjust the cooperation plan according to the client's needs.

Brother Zhao and the others must keep a close eye on the equipment and data; there can be no mistakes.

"Understood!" everyone answered in unison.

The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, Lin Zhou and his group followed Thomas to the venue of the trade fair.

The exhibition hall was already bustling with activity, and each booth was being set up in full swing.

Lin Zhou and his team's booth was located in the corner on the west side of the exhibition hall. It was not large, only a few dozen square meters.

The booth's backdrop was specially designed by Su Wanqing. The blue background featured the white words "Zhonghua Home Appliances" and a product image of the air fryer, making it simple yet eye-catching.

"Mr. Lin, the power and display racks here have been tested and are ready. You can put your products on display now."

Thomas pointed to the power outlets and the display stand in the booth.

"Thank you so much, Mr. Thomas." Lin Zhou said his thanks and immediately got to work with the others.

Wang Yong and Zhang Meng carefully took the air fryer prototypes out of the boxes and placed them on the display stand. Each prototype was wiped spotless.

Old Wang and Xiao Li then connected the power supply and tested whether the equipment could operate normally.

Su Wanqing neatly arranged the brochures on one side of the booth and placed several printed product comparison pictures in a prominent position.

On the left is food cooked in a traditional deep fryer, which is extremely greasy.

On the right is food made in an air fryer, with a bright color and a label that reads "Zero oil intake, 70% reduction in calories".

Lin Zhou stood in front of the booth, looking at everything before him, and took a deep breath.

The incandescent lights in the exhibition hall shone on the air fryer, reflecting a dazzling light.

He could sense that in the next few days, this place would be a battlefield without gunpowder, and their weapon would be this air fryer, the culmination of everyone's hard work.

The exhibition hall was getting more and more crowded, with exhibitors and buyers from all over the world coming and going in droves.

Most people headed straight for the well-known brand booths in the center of the exhibition hall, and few noticed the Chinese brands in this corner.

Occasionally, someone would pass by, only glancing briefly at the air fryer on the display stand, their eyes filled with doubt and unfamiliarity.

Undeterred, Su Wanqing picked up a brochure and handed it to passersby: "Hello, welcome to learn about Zhonghua Home Appliances' air fryer. Oil-free cooking, healthy and convenient."

Several foreign buyers stopped and took the brochures to look through. One blonde woman frowned and asked, "Oil-free cooking? How is that possible? How can fried food cook without oil?"

Mr. Wang immediately stepped forward and explained in fluent English: "Madam, our air fryer uses high-speed air circulation technology."

The air is heated by a heating element, and then a fan circulates the hot air rapidly to envelop the food.

Cooking with the food's own oils preserves the texture of fried foods without requiring additional oil, making it a very healthy option.

The blonde woman asked skeptically, "Could you demonstrate it live?"

"Of course!" Xiao Li immediately took out the chicken wings he had prepared in advance, put them into the air fryer, and set the temperature and time.

As the air fryer is turned on, the machine emits a slight buzzing sound. The transparent lid, specially provided for the prototype, allows you to clearly see the chicken wings slowly changing color and releasing oil inside.

A crowd of curious people gradually gathered around, all staring at the strangely shaped device and discussing it animatedly.

"This thing looks very novel; I wonder how effective it will be."

"A home appliance brand called 'Little Life'? I've never heard of it before."

"If oil-free cooking is truly possible, then the market potential is enormous."

"Sir, we are a brand from Hong Kong, Zhonghua Home Appliances," Su Wanqing explained to one of the people who said it was the Xiao Rizi brand.

Lin Zhou stood aside, calmly watching all of this.

He also understands very well that to break the international market's prejudice against Chinese brands, he needs to let his strength speak for itself.

And the air fryer in front of you is the best proof of that.

Fifteen minutes later, Xiao Li opened the air fryer, and a rich aroma of meat immediately filled the air.

The golden-yellow chicken wings looked glossy and shiny, but there wasn't any excess oil seeping out. Xiao Li wiped the bottom of the pot with a paper towel, which remained clean.

"Everyone can have a taste." Su Wanqing handed over the disposable tableware that had been prepared in advance.

The blonde woman picked up a chicken wing first, took a bite, and her eyes lit up instantly: "It tastes amazing! It's exactly like fried chicken, even more tender, and it's not greasy at all!"

People around flocked to try it, and after tasting it, they all praised it highly. The originally quiet booth instantly became lively.

Su Wanqing and Lin Zhou were busy receiving customers, answering their questions, and leaving their contact information.

Engineer Wang and Xiao Li continuously demonstrated and explained the technical details to interested buyers.

Zhao Jianjun and his two companions vigilantly observed their surroundings to ensure the safety of their booth.

Lin Zhou looked at the endless stream of people in front of him and a gratified smile appeared on his face.

Zhonghua Home Appliances' trip to New York has taken a successful first step.

This step is not only a breakthrough for Zhonghua Home Appliances, but also a bold attempt for Huaxia Home Appliances to enter the international market.

In the center of the exhibition hall in the distance, the booths of internationally renowned brands were still bustling with activity.

But Lin Zhou believes that before long, this Chinese brand hidden in the corner will emerge as a dark horse and create a new storm in the international consumer electronics market.