Long Journey for Cashless

Prepared by Peter Lichang Kuo

"Long Journey—A Cashless Revolution Triggered by Linda Din" (tentative title) is a preview of a new book.

Troubled times need clean stream! When the world still didn’t know what “Social Enterprise” (SE) was, “Social Responsibility Investment” (SRI) had quietly started in Taiwan. The long list of inventions that are closely related to your life actually comes from this female social entrepreneur—Linda Din.

* Linda Din served as a speaker at APEC 2003 to achieve the Cashless Revolution

When people today enjoy the convenience brought by portable mobile communicators, grab the "cashless" transaction system with an annual transaction volume of more than USD 30 trillion, and artificial intelligence is about to open a new chapter for mankind, you may not Knowing that this was the early wish of Linda Din, a female social entrepreneur, she was like an ascetic embarking on an extraordinary journey, from "caring about taxi drivers be robbed" to triggering the four major global revolutions of "monetary, industry, channel and employment". The previous stories were all written in the book "Defense Employee's Daughter" (Linda Din, 2001).

* the book "Defense Employee's Daughter"

The pathfinder was opening a road in the remote place of weeds. Someone asked: "Hey, what are you doing?" The answer: "Open the road!" Another person asked: "There is no one here, who would come here?" The answer: "The road is open. Of course, people will come!" The pioneers seemed to be opening the road aimlessly. Until the road was opened, everyone flocked to the road, but no one knew who was opening the road. Still, this extraordinary journey is an important moment in human history that still needs to be documented.

Linda Din's monetary revolution is attractive in term of "Cashless" transaction because it has the following advantages:

Increased Transaction Convenience:

Consumers: "Cashless" electronic payments enable consumers to conduct transactions more quickly and conveniently, without the need to carry cash or cards, and payments can be made at any time and place.
Merchants: Merchants can process transactions rapidly, enhancing transaction efficiency, and reducing the costs associated with handling and storing cash.

Promotion of Economic Growth:

Increased transaction volume boosts consumption and economic activity, particularly in e-commerce and online shopping, driving the digital transformation of the economy.

Enhanced Financial Inclusion:

"Cashless" electronic payments can reach areas and populations that traditional banking services often miss, increasing accessibility to financial services, especially in remote areas or among low-income groups.

Data Analysis and Customer Insights:

"Cashless" transaction systems can collect a large amount of transaction data, which helps merchants understand consumer behavior, conduct market analysis, and implement personalized marketing strategies.

Reduction of Cash Handling Risks:

Reduces risks associated with cash transactions, such as counterfeit money, loss, or theft, thereby increasing transaction security.

In addition, the four major revolutions triggered by Linda Din also paved the way for today's "Artificial Intelligence" (AI) industry.

The story of Linda Din began in early 1986. A "taxi driver was robbed" incident inspired her to invent the "cashless transaction system", aiming to create a non-cash transaction mechanism that allows drivers to safely earn money. Her innovation not only changed the way of "public transportation payment", but also extended to the field of e-commerce, having a profound impact on the global transaction system.

As a speaker at APEC 1998, she attained "Steering the E-commerce" and supported U.S. President Bill Clinton's E-commerce executive order. However, since 2000, Linda Din started facing two decades of corruption attacks, and had even been plagued by investigations and financial cleansing, which had severely damaged her health and career. Still, she's rising back to the occasion amid the recent AI craze, sharing her story and pursuing opportunities to rebuild. This story not only demonstrates her innovative spirit, but also reflects her tenacity in the face of difficulties and challenges, hoping to create empathy and protect future entrepreneurial women.

Linda Din's father, Fu-Chin Ding, was an employee of Kaohsiung 205 Arsenal. She did not have a prominent family background, so she modestly called herself "A Daughter of Defense Employee" humbly. When she was studying in the Accounting and Statistics Department of Shijian University in Dazhi, Ms. Peng Meng-Hui (Doris Marie Brougham, 1926~2024/8/6) in the "Studio Classroom" named her "Linda Din", which was the origin of her English name. After graduating from school, she married into an industrial family at the behest of a matchmaker, opening up her knowledge of the industrial world.

* Ms. Peng Meng-Hui from the Studio Classroom

Her father worked as a quality inspector at the 205 Arsenal. Sometimes he went on a business trip to collect products and returned home with these products after the Arsenal had closed. Curious Linda would always watch her father wipe the guns he brought back and ask questions. Therefore, the importance of "standardization" and "precision" was like a mustard seed planted deeply in her heart.

When she got married, she saw that in the precision industrial company founded by her husband, customers required extremely high precision for every product. She also knew that both the commercial field and the military industry needed to take good care of "quality", which was very important. Unfortunately, shortly after the marriage, her husband left Tainan and they came to Taipei due to her husband's property was taken away by the coup.

In addition to taking care of her husband and children at home, she sometimes went to Pumen Temple with her son's godmother, and worked as a volunteer to help a newly established merit association. However, she still read three newspapers every day, as well as the "Trade Express" published by Taiwan External Trade Development Council（TAITRA）Foreign Trade Association, to understand the dynamics of society. She originally wanted to be a housewife, but she saw reports in the newspaper about taxi drivers being robbed again and again, which made her think deeply.

One day during meditation, an idea flashed through her mind. She said to her husband, it's me, "I want to invent a mechanism where there is no cash in the car, but the taxi driver can still make money." I was called as "Dr. Blacksmith", but I totally couldn't understand what she's saying?

At the end of 1979, I was summoned back from America. The day after Christmas, my mother wanted me to see if a girl who had come to apply for the job was "suitable"? I heard that she was studying accounting and statistics, and after asking a few questions about purchase, sale, inventory and internal audit, I thought it was okay. When I was going to continue my work, my mother wanted me to take them to the factory to look around; Unexpectedly, among the automated production equipment with thousands of horses galloping, Linda discovered a fine horse and was able to express her opinions, which was impressive. So soon after, she became my wife.

After we got married, I found that she cared about those employees very much, and even the tax refund we had not done for many years, she actually did it in just over a month and received NTD 5 million; At that time, one square meter of land in Yong-Kang area near Park Road cost about NTD 1,500, and the money received from the tax refund could buy 3,000 square meters of land. Recently, a manager of a restaurant in the border area of Yong-Kang said that their land was worth at least NTD 150,000 for 1 square meter. Clearly, Linda's production values were pretty high.

Although I responded to her: "Just take care of yourself and don't think so much." But Linda is not a woman who gave up easily. One day, I saw her lying on the table, drawing, cutting and pasting on a paper, and then she came up with a schematic diagram and said to me: "Ha, this is it: 'Electronics + Commerce'!" I said rudely on the spot to her: "What is this? It's just a cartoon----"

* The E-Commerce System Diagram

Unexpectedly, she said that "Consumers take the TranSmart chip card to the 'electronic store' (eStore) to make purchases, and the transaction will be memorized and recorded by VAM, and then sent to the company's 'Control Center' through 'Interphone" (Internet phone) ---." And she also expressed that "the taxi driver is like the storekeeper of an electronic store, there is no cash in the car and he is not afraid of being robbed, but he can gain the money." Linda named her invention "The eStore System" (TES for short), and 11 years later, she was appreciated by representatives of various economic bodies at APEC in Vancouver, who encouraged her to apply for a "U.S. Invention Patent"; Because of the Asian financial crisis of 1997, the affected economies were at a loss, so he was invited to serve as a speaker for APEC 1998, achieving "Steering the E-Commerce", and leading the Asia-Pacific economies to a bright future through innovative industries and new thinking.

In fact, it is easy to say that this journey has many climaxes and no dull moments. In 1989, Taiwan's stock market suddenly boomed, and everyone had forgotten the pain of unemployment caused by the withdrawal of foreign capital in the previous few years. Banks were often short of money due to the boom in the stock market. Linda Din, who had only been in business for three years, actually had money to "lend to banks". She also had money to lend to some semi-big companies to help them survive the crisis of bounced checks.

Speaking of entrepreneurship, it was also a product of crisis. My mother came to Taipei at the end of 1985 and cried to Linda that her fourth son was "to bite the hand that feeds him". She was crying and hoped that Linda would help her find customers and bring back some purchasing orders. Without saying a word, Linda picked up her five-year-old son and went to south, borrowing her father's motorcycle to go to the Kaohsiung Export Processing Zone (KEPZ) and get a lot of orders; even orders from major consumer electronics manufacturers in Taipei county and city.

When my mother had normal income again and many orders for the whole year, she immediately shouted that "No orders from the north will be shipped!" She even said to me sinisterly: "I want to see how you die." Since the coup to seize property in 1981 and the second betray in 1983, 1986 was the third time that my mother had repeated her old tricks.

Since 1985, there had been a wave of foreign capital withdrawing from Taiwan. An American businessman at that time told me: "Ah, Taiwan's national income has reached 'three thousand US dollars', and there is no value for investment anymore!" Every time foreign investment evacuation would certainly leave thousands of unemployed people behind. At this time, the "master's wife" in many people's mouths became the target of confiding. Linda, who was easy to empathize, felt the pain of being unemployed and unable to find a job. 師母的英文應該怎麼說？

One morning, Linda stood in front of me with our son in her arms and said: "I want to start a business to solve the unemployment problem." I was originally opposed to it, but I thought about the orders from Taipei county and city, delaying the delivery schedules of these major consumer electronics manufacturers, including World Electric, Sony, Sanyo, etc., was not good either. So Taiwan, or possibly the world's first social enterprise "SEL" was established.

In the authoritarian era, the word "society" was very sensitive to the island authority; therefore, the Chinese name of "Society Enterprise Ltd." (SEL) became "Sanhornic Enterprise Ltd.", and the English abbreviation of the export card was still "SEL". Linda took one of my "I/O" products and improved it so that it can be assembled with only one pair of hands and a small table. In addition to unifying the "I/O" specifications of the American NTSC and European PAL, it was to start a business for three years, she would have money to lend to the banks.

However, the invention of the “Cashless System” took three years of exploration before it found its direction. In December 1989, the Economic Daily and the Commercial Times simultaneously reported: "Sanhornic Enterprise Ltd. which is famous for its production and sales of AV Connectors, developing a 'RF Transmitter'----" Linda told reporters: "RF Transmitter is a key component of non-cash transaction systems." The world began to be led by Linda Din from "Contact" to "Contactless", but a difficult and long journey also began.

First of all, when it was started first step in 1990, NTD 100 million was quickly gone! Only then did we realize that “Invention is very expensive like burning money.” The problem is that inventing is not like producing a product for which there is an order, we know nothing about the date for success. When making money couldn't keep up with spending money, seeking help from the bank, the result just in a burst of mock and ridicule, happy days turned into hardships and pain. Because social problems arose one after another; the original intention of helping disadvantaged groups seemed to have fallen into a mud due to the loss of resources, and had fallen deeper and deeper.

She sought cooperation from the business community, no one understands "contactless technology" and "cashless transaction", and no one was willing to participate in "social responsibility investment". Therefore, she could only walk alone in the weeds and thorns, overcoming obstacles and paving the way. She just got injured all over the body.

In the blink of an eye, in July 1996, “Typhoon Herb” took away the life of her father, Ding Fu-Ching. Linda sadly completed her father's funeral. Suddenly, many knots seemed to be easily untied, especially when went through the thorns alone became accompanied by a companion, it seemed that the father who loved his daughter was blessing her in heaven. Then, due to deadlines in 1997, Mr. Li Chang-Yi returned to Taiwan from Hong Kong to serve as the Director General of the Small and Medium Enterprises Administrtion, MOEA.

In addition to the original "Science & Future Lecture" and "Forward-looking Industrial Incubation Symposium", Linda also helped to complete the "Small and Medium Enterprises Service Tour Train" of the Ministry of Economic Affairs. Director Li came to invite Linda to attend the 1997 APEC in Vancouver. She thought to herself: "No one understood TES in Taiwan, why not go to APEC and talk to representatives from the Economies?" Unexpectedly, she received an enthusiastic response from those friends of the Economies.

Later, in addition to being used in "cashless" transaction in taxis, the radio frequency conversion technology invented by Linda can also be widely used in everything from newborns to space shuttles; therefore, her "Invention Patents" such as "Vending Machine Operated By A Chip", "Transaction Reading Devices with Induction" (TRD), "Entry Security Device" (ESD), "Electronic Toll Collection for Transportation" (ETC) and "Shopping System" etc. were widely cited by world-renowned companies such as Hitachi/ IBM/ LG/ Panasoic/ VISA. Even Disney, the entertainment kingdom in urgent need of upgrades, cited her invention.

After Linda attended the APEC 1997 meeting, she went to New York/ Washington DC/ Silicon Valley to share her invention with others. It was not until 1998 that after she gained the e-commerce bill at APEC, I personally took "Science & Future" to Silicon Valley to share it with everyone I met. Reporting good news about the "cross-century e-commerce industry", the sleepy Silicon Valley suddenly became active, and everyone was gearing up to prepare for the e-commerce industry in the next century.

Then I went to Germany. At the Reichstag in Berlin, when Economics Minister Rexrodt hosted a banquet for me, he told everyone: "Peter's wife Linda Din is a big name in e-commerce!" Our friends at Merrill Lynch lobbied us all the way to take advantage of the situation and list our stocks on NASDAQ. By 2000, our company's market value reached US$60 billion. If we had an IPO (initial public offering), it would probably be the largest listing in history.

It's a pity that her "righteous" personality had been turned into a flaw by those who were interested. An official named Liu from the Ministry of Economic Affairs made effort to lobby Linda to build a factory in the Taichung Port Export Processing Zone. Because no one was stationed in the Taichung Port Processing and Export Zone, which was located in Wu-Chi and a piece of yellow sand, Linda actually invested NTD 499 million to become the first bird. With this delay, all evil things had happened. Next, 20 years of continuous corruption attacks finally defeated the entrepreneurial woman most favored by leaders of the Economies— Linda Din.

The entity of corruption once threatened: "We won't let you live past 2004!" Linda actually collapsed on November 22, 2004, suffering from dementia, aphasia and amnesia. During the second political party rotation, Wang Jian-Xuan, the President of the Control Yuan appointed by President Ma Ying-Jeou, actually classified the investigation results of Linda Din as "confidential" until August 16, 2017. -- Warning you not to mention your own inventions, causing all the investment to go down the drain, and corruption continued to attack and rage until not a single blade of grass was left.

An invention that could have brought Taiwan US$10 trillion was actually destroyed by the island's corruption group. In 2009, leaders of the two countries invited me to the APEC CEO Summit to contribute the way of "Rebuilding the Global Economy". I still told them: "Global Channel-TES is the hope for revival." It also a best practice of social responsibility investment, only with universal concern could we get out of the black hole of the financial tsunami. Linda Din's invention had really triggered a global revolution in "monetary, industry, channel, and employment" since 2010. The monetary revolution of "cashless" transactions alone has exceeded US$ 30 trillion so far.

* A Flyer for APEC CEO Summit 2009

After returning to Taiwan, the Council for Economic Planning & Development, Executive Yuan invited me to give a report. The officials specifically warned me: "Don't mention the word 'corruption', otherwise it will be bad." Sure enough, the subsequent nest-breaking operation would let you finally with no bones left.

Since the "UNCAC" (United Nations Convention against Corruption) had watched on the Island, after the investigation report was declassified, until recently, Linda received attention because of her early mention of "TES is AI" and had the courage to enter international conferences. Everyone saw her invention and said in unison: "TES is simply the best application field for AI." Friends from various countries also encouraged her to bravely tell her story, and even write a book about real people and real events, and let public opinion review it and do judgment, hoping to protect future entrepreneurial women who are with innovative ideas.

Peter Lichang Kuo, the author created Taiwan's Precision Industry in his early years. Peter was a representative of the APEC CEO Summit and an expert in the third sector. He advocated "anti-corruption (AC)/cashless/e-commerce (E-Com)/ICT/IPR/IIA-TES / Micro-Business (MB)…and etc." to win the international bills and regulations.