Feb. 17, 2020
I had just arrived inMunich the day before for the 2020 Ispo show, January 26. The booth and meetingroom looked beautiful. While the first day was very slow as it was Sunday, themeeting room was humming with activity on Monday, the 2nd day. I was going from one customer to the next. Mostcustomers were optimistic for the coming production season and I was planninghow we would arrange for all the helmets ordered. Then in the afternoon, myphone rang. At first, I was thinking not to answer as I was speaking to acustomer, but then I saw it was Mr. Wang. “Wei, I call you later…”I started.But Mr. Wang interrupted me. He told me, Wuhan was closed and Hubei will alsobe closed off soon. He was going to call key managers and inform them to comeback to the factory immediately. Their New Year holiday will be cancelled. Wemust plan for this coming crisis! He said, calling a meeting for all topmanagers on January 29. I told him, as I was in Germany, I would not make it backin time. But I would see if I could go back earlier. “No!” He said. “You stayin Europe. Go to Portugal. Do not come back until this is over.” I was shockedby this. Stay in Europe? “Yes,: he said. “If something happens to me, you remain healthy.”
Speaking with Sherry,we decided, we had to come back as we could not stay away during this stressfultime. I could not hide in Portugal as everyone else takes such risk. Wereturned to Hong Kong to a city panicking with face masks, cleaning agents,rice and even toilet paper completely sold out. I called our friends BradWaldron in the USA and David Assyag in France to send us whatever masks theyhad. They drove to many places but finally found masks to send to us. Whileeach day I was watching the statistics of number of people getting infected andalso dying, the entire situation weighed heavily, crushing my spirits. But thenI was told the stories of heroes among our midst rushing back, putting hugeefforts to arrive back to the factory as Mr. Wang requested.
YangPang Pang and Gao Shu Jie of the injection factory are from Henan but close tothe Hubei border. They received Mr. Wang’s notice on Jan. 25 and that day, theyleft home and to avoid Hubei, they travelled around the entire province adding3 days to their travel and arrived back at the factory on Jan. 28th. Just in time for Mr. Wang’s meeting. They did nothesitate to leave their home and left as soon as they received notice.
ZhuXiao Ming of the EPS facility arrived in Hubei on Jan. 22 for his New Yearholiday. He left as soon as he received word – before the quarantine of Hubei.He drove himself and avoided all other people. He arrived back to Chasan Jan.25th and immediately put himself into self –quarantine. He worked at his home for 14 days with Strategic sending him hismeals. But on Feb. 10th, his quarantine period was finished and heimmediately reported for duty. Had he delayed even 1 day from leaving Hubei, hewould have been part of the quarantine.
TangHong Tao of the FRP factory is from Shanxi. Normally to get to Chasan, he wouldgo thru Hubei but he travelled around the province adding 2 extra days to his journey.
Subian’s Luo Ming Dong left An Hua, Hunan on Feb. 6. As all transport wascancelled, he caught a taxi and paid for it out of pocket to drive to Changshawhere he could catch a train. He arrived at the factory 3 days earlier than theFeb. 10th as requested. There was no question that hewould stay at home even though the normal public transportation methods were all cancelled.
SalesDepartment Sally Mao Niu Hong also is from Shanxi. To avoid Hubei, she drove anextra 40 hours thru Sichuan and Guangxi. To make sure she could document thatshe did not travel thru Hubei, she took pictures at all major sites.
JamesZhang Jian Nan and Mason Li Wei Nan, also of the sales department had gone backto Taiwan. Taiwan had already implemented a restriction of all people fromChina and Hong Kong from entering. When their manager requested Taiwanese staffto return and work from the Hong Kong office, they ignore their familiesprotests and flew to Hong Kong.
There are many suchstories of valor and dedication to return to Strategic Sports. The Americanssay when someone truly goes beyond normal effort, we can say, he went the extramile. But in all of these 5 people, they went an extra 1000 miles.
I understand that this is stressful and challenging time for everyone at the factory. Each one of youare tired and scared. I realize that Strategic is not products, or molds ormachines. But it is the valor and courage of our people. And this is what willget us thru this current challenge. Be strong. Be safe. And stay clean! But weare not alone. Many of our customers and friends have sent us message ofsupport and admiration and we will share these in the coming days.
我在1月26日，也就是2020 ISPO 運動用品展的前一天抵达慕尼黑。我们这次的展位和会议室布置得比以往都好。第一天是周日不算太忙，但第二天开始我们的会议室就非常的繁忙，客人络绎不绝，我一个接一个的跟他们交谈。大多数的客人对新年度的生产充满了乐观和期待，我也是忙着规划如何安排我们的订单。到了下午，我的电话响起。刚开始我没准备接这个电话，因为我正在會議中。但我发现是王先生打來。” 我稍后回您电话…”我一开始这样说了一句。但王先生打断了我，”武汉已经封城，紧接着整个湖北都会关闭交通”, 他說。他准备打电话给经理级人员通知大家立即返回工厂。所有经理级人员的春节假期将因为疫情而取消。王先生计划1月29日（大年初五）召开经理级会议，商讨如何面对危机。我告诉他我还在德国，不能在会议之前返回，但我会展覽結束立即回到公司。“不！”王先生说道：“你待在欧洲，去葡萄牙工厂，在疫情没有结束之前不要回来.” 我一下子愣住了,留在欧洲？“對”，他非常肯定的回答, “如果我怎麼了, 至少還有你是健康的。”
我跟戴副总沟通后，我们决定一起返回：在这个特殊不同於以往的时期，我不能待在葡萄牙而我们的员工却在中國面对这场危机。我们返回香港,发现这座城市也陷入了恐慌，所有口罩，清洁剂，大米甚至厕纸全部售空。我紧急打电话给美国的朋友Brad 以及法国的 David,请他们寄任何能找的到的口罩。他们驱车到十幾個不同的地方终于买到了一些口罩寄给我们。我看到每天的数据，患者数量和死亡病例都在增加，情况日趋严重，我内心感到沉重。但另一方面，我也被我们公司一些感人的事例所鼓舞，那些应王先生要求，在假期中途费尽周折而提前返回工厂的英雄们。
注塑厂的杨盼盼和镐士杰来自河南，但他们的家靠近湖北。当他们1月25日接到王先生的通知，当天就启程返回，为了避开湖北省，他们从其他省份绕了一大圈，花了整整三天的时间终于在1月28日赶回了工厂，从而如期参加了王先生召开的会议。他们在接到公司的通知后，毫不犹豫的离开家乡。
EPS 厂的朱晓明在1月22日回到湖北过年。当他得知有可能封城的消息，立即驱车赶回，一路避免遇到其他人员，他在1月25日就赶到了茶山，然后按政府规定立即自我隔离。期间他在家工作：指挥EPS 复工安排，公司协助提供用餐。2月10日隔离期满，他即刻返岗上班。他果断返回的决定非常重要 ,假如晚一天离开湖北，他就会因为封城而留在湖北。
FRP 汤宏涛来自陕西。正常到茶山都要经过湖北，他为了绕开湖北多花了两天的时间赶到工厂。
粟边的罗棉冬在2月6日离开老家湖南安化。因为公共运输都取消了，他花了一笔不菲的费用，自己租车赶到其它城市的火车站，终于坐到了到东莞的列车。他在复工前三天抵达了工厂，如果不是这番努力，他毫无疑问至今还在老家无法出来。
业务部的毛妞红来自陕西，她为了避开湖北比正常路程多花了40多个小时，途径四川和广西等省，并沿途在不同的位置拍照以便证明没有经过湖北。
詹见南，李威男，还有其他返回台湾的业务部同事。因为台湾已经对来自中国大陆和香港的人员发布了禁止入台的禁令，当业务部门负责人要求台湾职员回到香港办公室上班的时候，他们不顾家人的反对飞到了香港上班。
韬略公司还有许许多多英勇和无私的返程故事。当人们比正常情况付出更多努力的时候，美国人有一句俚语：go the extra mile. 但对于以上这些韬略人来说，他们多走的何止一英里，而是上千英里。
我理解这个时期对于在工厂的任何人而言，都是紧张和挑战。每个人都很辛苦也会有一些担忧。但我也相信韬略并非单纯意味着产品，模具或者机器设备，韬略更意味着英勇和无畏的你我！这些足以让我们走出困难的时期。我希望所有韬略人更坚强！也希望所有人都平安！记得保持卫生！我们并不孤单，许多的客人给我们发信表示支持和尊敬，让我们携起手来，共度时艰 ！
Norman Cheng
Strategic Sports Ltd.