Rebirth 08: Rise from copycat phones

Chapter 539 Xu Weiwei's Wedding
Shenzhen, Zhihai Park.

Xu Shenxue looked at the somewhat reserved man in front of him. Hmm, he was a bit bald, with thinning hair on top.

It feels very strange that my younger sister actually found such an unattractive man. This doesn't quite fit my younger sister Xu Weiwei's aesthetic standards.

At this moment, Xu Weiwei coughed and said, "Brother, this is Zhao Hua, whom I mentioned before. He is also my boyfriend. He teaches as a lecturer at my alma mater and is now able to lead projects."

Xu Shenxue naturally knew that he already knew about the person in front of him. The security department had thoroughly investigated and reported all kinds of information about this person many years ago. He was the rich second-generation biological dog who had a complicated relationship with Xu Weiwei.

He's the kind of person who would rather give up a perfectly good life as a rich second-generation heir and not inherit his family business than go off to do scientific research.

When they were in school, this person and his younger sister had an on-and-off, complicated relationship. They never expected that years later, they would actually end up together.

Well, I don't know if it's because he's done too much research, but he's gotten a bit ugly... I remember when I saw his photos in the materials before, he was quite a handsome young man, but now... he's become a middle-aged balding uncle.

At this moment, Xu's mother stepped forward with a kind expression and said, "Xiao Zhao, don't take it to heart. He's used to giving orders when he's out there, and he treats everyone like that!"

"Weiwei said that you two have already decided to get married at the end of the year?"

Zhao Hua was still a bit reserved. Although he was a biology student who spent all his time in the lab, it didn't mean he was clueless about social interactions. He had been a rich kid since childhood, and his understanding of money and social status was much clearer than that of the average person.

Although his family has assets worth tens of billions, making them a super-rich family by outside standards, compared to the Xu family in front of him, frankly speaking, their money is still insignificant.

Especially Xu Weiwei's brother, Xu Shenxue, whose status is terrifying... not only because Xu Shenxue is the world's richest man, but also because of his significant influence in many fields.

Let alone him, even if his father came, he would have to speak humbly in front of Xu Shenxue!
This is also why he has always made excuses to refuse to come to the Xu family over the past few years... To be honest, the gap between the two families is quite large, and he feels inferior!

So he had known Xu Weiwei for seven or eight years, and they had been officially dating for three or four years, but he had never been to the Xu family home!
If you told this to outsiders, probably no one would believe it. How could a rich second-generation with assets of tens of billions of dollars feel inferior?
However, seeing that she's getting older and it's time to get married, Xu Weiwei has said it several times: Do you still want to marry me or not? If you do, you have to face it; if you don't, get lost. Is it fun to waste my youth?

We've known each other for seven or eight years, and we've been secretly dating for three or four of them. Why keep dragging this on? In a few more years, I'll be getting old...

Zhao Hua figured that whether he stuck his neck out or not, he would still get stabbed, so he gritted his teeth and came today.

He immediately said, "I proposed to Weiwei a few days ago, and she said yes. We're thinking of having our wedding at the end of the year!"

Xu's mother said, "That's great! What did your parents say? When can we meet them?"

Zhao Hua said, "My parents are very happy. When is a convenient time for Auntie to meet between the two families?"

Xu's mother said, "That's great! How about this weekend? The two families can meet and discuss the marriage!"

Zhao Hua quickly replied, "Sure!"

Xu Shenxue chimed in, "Then let's do it on the weekend, everyone's more free then!"

Although he didn't seem to say much about his younger sister's marriage, he knew the whole story... The security department wasn't just sitting idly by; they knew about Zhao Hua and the Zhao family's situation and there weren't any major problems. It was good that the two of them could get together.

At this moment, Lin Yaxian spoke up, "Then I'll arrange the place."

After chatting briefly, Xu's mother asked Zhao Hua about his family situation. Xu Weiwei then took Zhao Hua out of the house, saying they would take a walk around the neighborhood. Xu Weiwei could also see that her fiancé was reserved and nervous.

After watching the two leave, Xu's mother said to Xu Shenxue, "Make sure you arrange your time properly later, don't have to go on another business trip at the last minute. Your father passed away early, and as his older brother, you need to take Weiwei's matter seriously!"

Xu Shenxue said speechlessly, "I take it very seriously!"

The investigation materials related to Zhao Hua and the Zhao family filled a large cabinet, containing information about Zhao Hua from childhood to adulthood, from his family background to his business operations.

However, Xu's mother only said a few words and didn't really ask any questions. She was well aware of her son's status and influence, and everyone who frequently appeared around the family could not escape the investigation of the security department.

The fact that Zhao Hua has been able to stay by Xu Weiwei's side for so many years, and is now making a formal visit, indicates that he has already passed the investigation and been confirmed to be without problems.

Otherwise, Zhao Hua wouldn't be here today!

Lin Yaxian, who was standing next to her, also said, "Time flies! When I first met Weiwei, she was still in her final year of high school. In the blink of an eye, she's about to get married!"

Xu's mother also said, "Yes, they've all grown up!"

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

A few days later, on the weekend, Zhao Hua's parents, along with his brother and sister-in-law, came to Shenzhen and sat down for a meal with Xu's mother, Xu Shenxue, Lin Yaxian, and other family members. During the meal, they discussed the marriage.

The meal went very well, after all, Zhao Hua's parents, especially his father, were seasoned businessmen who had been navigating the complexities of interpersonal relationships for many years.

The Xu family was also happy to see Xu Weiwei's marriage arranged.

So the marriage was quickly arranged.

The Zhao family is quite interesting. The eldest son played music and even self-published a flop album. Later, he settled down and focused on his career, but it was still in the music industry. He had no intention of inheriting the family's chemical business.

The second son, Zhao Hua, who is Xu Weiwei's boyfriend, is a biology student who is pursuing an academic research career and has no intention of inheriting the family business.

The Zhao family parents weren't in a hurry and were very open-minded. They felt that as long as their child was happy, that was enough. Their family's chemical company had already implemented a professional manager system, and the assets had been allocated as shares and placed in trust. It wouldn't be a problem if the family members didn't personally manage the company.

Unlike many wealthy families, they don't insist on having their children take over the family business.

After the marriage arrangements between the two families were finalized, Xu Shenxue had nothing to do, but his mother and Lin Yaxian were busy with many things to do regarding the wedding.

However, this wedding could not be as grand or influential as Xu Shenxue's wedding back then.

The main reason is that Xu Weiwei and Zhao Hua are both low-key people. Xu Weiwei is not willing to let her family appear in the public eye, while Zhao Hua is devoted to scientific research and does not like to make things too complicated.

The Zhao family wanted to expand the business, but the two young men disagreed.

Therefore, the wedding will be relatively low-key.

Of course, while they claim to be keeping a low profile, there are still many things going on. After all, both families are typical super-rich families, so no matter how low-key they try to be, they will still have the expected pomp and circumstance.

Xu Shenxue didn't get involved in these wedding-related details, instead focusing his attention on his work.

In late September, Xu Shenxue made a trip to Ancheng to visit Weiku Industry's local production base.

After years of construction and expansion, Ancheng has become the main production base of VKOOL Electronics. Its overall scale is the largest among the three major bases, and it is mainly used to produce various smart terminals and robots.

After touring Ancheng, Xu Shenxue also made a detour to Chuancheng to check out the local Hailan Automobile production base project.

In recent years, Hailan Auto has vigorously developed the domestic market. Through the three models Hailan SLMC, Hailan MEV and the newly released Hailan YEV, it has created huge sales in China, and the market is gradually penetrating from first- and second-tier cities to third- and fourth-tier cities.

With economic development, third- and fourth-tier cities and even small counties have gradually become the main markets for mid- to high-end cars.

In previous years, Hailan Auto's sales were mainly concentrated in first- and second-tier cities, especially a few first-tier cities. However, now a large number of Hailan cars can be seen in third- and fourth-tier cities, and even small counties. Among them, the Hailan YEV model, priced at over 200,000 yuan, has played a huge role. This car is relatively inexpensive and comes standard with L3 level assisted driving, coupled with the long range brought by the semi-solid battery, and the rich brand value of Hailan Auto.

This model has become a best-selling car in China, making it the best-selling model in the Hailan brand. In the first half of this year alone, its sales exceeded 200,000 units, making it the third best-selling model in China.

In addition, more than 100,000 units were sold overseas in the first half of this year, making this model a truly global best-selling vehicle.

This increase in sales has also brought enormous pressure on production capacity, which has put considerable manufacturing pressure on several automobile production bases, including Chuancheng.

Xu Shenxue visited the local production situation and also attended a local automotive supply chain conference.

Afterwards, I returned to Shenzhen and went to the headquarters of Hailan Auto to check on the development progress of some new models.

Although Hailan Auto's smart electric vehicle business is developing well and no longer requires much intervention from him, it's fine to continue developing in this step-by-step manner. However, he will still pay attention to some new models.

It's not about interference, but about showing concern; it's not about offering opinions, but about demonstrating importance.

In particular, the entry-level SUV model, Hailan HEV, will be released next year... Hailan Auto executives, including Xu Shenxue himself, have high hopes for this unreleased model. Whether Hailan Auto can achieve sales of three million vehicles next year depends on how competitive this model is.

The main reason is that there is a high acceptance and preference for SUVs in China. Even though we are now in the era of electric vehicles, gasoline-powered SUVs still sell very well, with many models selling 200,000 to 300,000 units.

The Hyland MEV, a smart electric vehicle from Hyland Auto, is expensive, but it still sells very well in China, with annual sales of around 150,000 units, continuing to lead the sales charts for luxury SUVs in China.

It's clear that Chinese consumers still have a strong preference for SUVs!
Therefore, Hailan Auto started developing entry-level SUV models several years ago, but the development of such key models is not easy.

Even though it borrows a lot of technical architecture from the Ocean Blue YEV sedan, it's still not easy to develop.

After all, Hailan Auto is not a new force, nor is it an ordinary domestic automaker that can just release a model and hold a press conference.

The development of new models by Hailan Auto is a very cautious and complex process.

Once the new car is developed, the cost of various tests alone exceeds the overall R&D cost of other car manufacturers.

Now, Xu Shenxue has also seen the prototype, or test vehicle, of the future Hailan HEV model.

"Our Hailan HEV model extensively adopts the technology and architecture of the Hailan YEV model, which greatly reduces R&D costs. In terms of technology, we will equip this model with L3-level assisted driving technology as standard. When it is released next year, it will be able to catch up with the mass production of solid-state batteries, so we will use solid-state batteries as the power battery!"

"In the design of many technical details, we have learned a lot from the lessons of the previous Hailan SLMC and Hailan YEV, especially in operation. We have achieved a balance between mechanical and intelligent operation, and most systems will adopt a dual-structure framework of touch screen and mechanical buttons!"

"In our previous YEV model, we significantly reduced the number of mechanical buttons to save costs. Some users reported that it was inconvenient to use, especially new owners who had switched from gasoline cars. The feedback was generally negative!"

"On the improved YEV model we launched this year, a large number of mechanical buttons have been added again. Although this has increased the cost, it can significantly improve the user experience and provide a suitable option for a wide range of different car owners!"

Hailan Auto focuses on a sense of technology, so it often comes up with some fancy features. For example, last year it eliminated a large number of physical buttons and concentrated most of the operations on the touch screen. This was partly for the aesthetics and technological feel of the car, and partly to reduce costs. Physical buttons also have costs. They may not seem like much, but if you save a few hundred yuan per car, then it adds up to a lot over a million cars.

However, this attempt was not very successful, and car owners reported that it was not working well, so physical buttons were added again this year!

There are actually many similar cases. Hailan Auto is always trying out many new things. Some of them look great and are well-liked by car owners, while others are well-liked by engineers and some users, but not by others.

As a multinational automotive company targeting the global market and a large number of different types of users, it must take into account the different markets and different groups of people around the world when designing and developing products.

Try to find a design solution that most people can accept.

Then, the safety standards must also comply with the different safety standards of each major market.

Therefore, Hailan Auto is quite cautious in its vehicle development.

On the other hand, some so-called new energy vehicle manufacturers and second-tier manufacturers in China are very unrestrained in developing new models. They just draw a simple exterior design, assemble it, and then release the new model for sale... and then all sorts of problems arise after the car comes out.

These kinds of manufacturers usually don't end up well. Even with the rapid rise of the electric vehicle market, many car companies are still struggling, unable to sell their electric vehicles... They treat consumers like fools, and consumers will eventually learn the harsh realities of the market!

The Hailan HEV that Xu Shenxue saw in front of him had a pretty good design. It continued the design language of the Hailan MEV, a large SUV, but it was slightly smaller in size.

Xu Shenxue also got into the car for a test drive and felt it was pretty good. It had all the necessary small features and was worth the price of over 200,000 yuan.

At this moment, Bao Yongyan said, "We have completed the main technical research and development and adaptation work. Now we are mainly conducting various security tests, and we are conducting rigorous tests in different usage environments to meet the security review standards of the domestic, European, American and ASEAN markets!"

"At the same time, we are also testing our vehicles in environments such as mud, desert, extreme cold, high temperature, humidity, high altitude, and high salinity!"

"The entire testing process will continue for more than six months. After six months, we will begin preparations for mass production and market launch, which is expected to take place in May next year in both the domestic and European markets!"

After getting out of the car, Xu Shenxue said, "This car is not bad. The subsequent testing work was done thoroughly, exposing as many problems as possible during the testing phase, and then making improvements to avoid problems affecting the reputation after the model is released!"

"We operate in the mid-to-high-end market, so quality and reputation are very important!"

Bao Yongyan said, "Chairman Xu, rest assured, since the establishment of our Hailan Auto, every generation of our vehicles has undergone rigorous quality and safety tests. To date, we have never had a large-scale recall due to quality issues."

As for some design concepts that some people are not used to or do not like, such as the pop-out door handles used in the early days, those are not considered quality issues... although Hailan Auto later issued a recall and provided free modification solutions.

After seeing the Hailan HEV model, Xu Shenxue also saw several concept cars under development, which were strange and looked very avant-garde and futuristic.

However, Xu Shenxue only glanced at it and then skipped over it. This kind of concept car used to show off technology has no commercial value and is unlikely to be launched on a large scale. At most, it can be used in a small number of sports cars and then a top-of-the-line sports car can be made into a toy for rich kids.

The sports car business is only a peripheral business at Hailan Auto, mainly used for advertising.

Bao Yongyan also said that they are currently planning to sponsor electric vehicle racing events to expand their influence. After all, Hailan Auto is a leading global electric vehicle company, so it is only natural for them to sponsor electric vehicle racing events to expand the global influence of electric vehicles.

Especially with the advent of solid-state batteries, the safety of racing cars has been greatly improved, and there is basically no need to worry about racing cars catching fire after a collision. This makes Hailan Auto even more interested in electric vehicle racing.

Not only do they sponsor top-level Formula E racing and build their own team, but they also plan to establish their own electric car racing program, using modified versions of Hailan Motors' electric cars for competition.

These are all marketing measures that Hailan Auto is taking to gradually expand its influence. Xu Shenxue doesn't interfere much with them, as Hailan Auto's operations team is doing a very good job and there's no need to interfere.

He is more concerned about the fact that Hailan Auto is scheduled to be launched next year!

The listing of Zhuyun Group in China this year has been successful, and the previous listings of Weiku Electronics and Weiku Industry in China have also yielded good results.
Therefore, the launch of Hailan Auto was accelerated.

Like Vcool Electronics and Vcool Industry, Hailan Auto will also choose to list domestically. However, Hailan Auto will be larger in scale and even market value than Vcool Electronics, and its financing scale will also be larger.

Therefore, preparing for it is also very troublesome!

After all, Hailan Auto's valuation is very high. Many external investment institutions have given it a valuation of over $600 billion, and this valuation actually underestimates Hailan Auto's actual value.

When it actually goes public, its valuation is estimated to be seven or eight hundred billion US dollars.

For such a large high-tech smart electric vehicle company to go public, the scale of its financing is enormous, and the demand for funds is also very large. Therefore, the listing cannot be rushed and must be done gradually.

(End of this chapter)