Still, Li refused to give up. He kept telling himself, "Just hold on a little longer – perhaps this is the darkest hour before dawn. The world's first Chili Stalks Cutting Machine must come from Chinese hands." He pulled himself together and went back to the drawing board, refining his design through countless iterations. In 2014, his prototype finally passed a 100 hour continuous operation test, delivering impressive throughput and a stem removal success rate of over 90%. When it worked, he was speechless with joy – and then broke down in tears. Every hardship of those five plus years, he felt, had been worth it.

　　A TV Feature Interview Ignites Global Demand

　　The year 2015 proved pivotal. A 50 minute Feature Interview on Li's invention by CCTV created a buzz in the agricultural machinery sector – and became the catalyst for international orders. "The first buyers came from India" Li says. "We didn't even have a company yet. They saw the show and found us. After a live demonstration, they ordered four units on the spot." He had not yet worked out his cost structure, so he quoted 50,000 yuan per machine – and the buyers accepted without hesitation. His first deal, worth 200,000 yuan, was sealed.

　　To tailor the machine to overseas conditions, Li travelled personally to India and other countries to adjust the equipment and conduct on site training. His attentive after sales service earned high praise. He still vividly recalls his first trip to India, when a client gave him a warm embrace and said, "Welcome – here comes China's BMW!" At that moment, Li felt a deep pride : Who built the world's first Chili Stalks Cutting Machine? China did!

　　Going Global and Making "Made in China" Heard Worldwide