What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 426 White Box Mode
The prototype's air suspension essentially narrowed down the scope of the problem, and the Silicon Carbon Group established a temporary team specifically to track and communicate about this issue.

However, even though the problem is small, perhaps as small as just replacing the material of a small part, it may not be so easy to solve.

Air suspension is not a standard feature on "Jiuzhou" models because it is expensive, with a starting price of 6 yuan. From the beginning, it was planned to be included in the range of optional features for users, becoming one of the fully equipped options.

Therefore, compared to German company Wibac, Silicon Carbon Group is destined to be a small customer, and it is not surprising that various problems cannot be handled in a timely manner.

Electric vehicles are not mainstream, range-extended electric vehicles are not mainstream electric vehicles, and customers willing to pay extra for air suspension are even more niche. Therefore, the order amount that Silicon Carbon Group can provide is quite limited.

Yu Xing's feelings toward the supplier quickly dissipated in the face of reality. Instead, he focused on the facts and arranged to meet with Guo Chuan to discuss deeper cooperation.

The so-called "starting from the facts" is that the current price of air suspension is too high. Single-chamber suspension is already so expensive, and double-chamber or even multi-chamber suspension is even more difficult to popularize.

Conversely, once this configuration becomes widespread, it will not only benefit the development of suppliers but also greatly enhance the image of the vehicle itself.

The German engineers stayed at the Silicon Carbon Group for three days before leaving. By the time they returned home, a new batch of air suspension vehicles had not yet been delivered to Lingang, and the two prototype vehicles remained out of service.

Yu Xing had just arrived at the canteen at noon that day, and before he had taken a few steps, he saw Ma Lianhua, the deputy technical director of the Lotus Project, standing next to him.

"President Yu, the airlift hasn't arrived yet?" Ma Lianhua asked, immediately bringing up work.

Yu Xing nodded and replied, "I'm sure I can arrive next week."

The two prototypes were parked there, and many people knew that problems had been encountered during testing. As a member of the tuning team, Marlian knew the details even better.

She then said, "Wieback's attitude is too arrogant."

"If I had to put it in a nutshell, they're generally arrogant," Yu Xing laughed. "At least Wieback was willing to sell to us, but Continental AG wouldn't even sell. Isn't that arrogance beyond measure?"

There are no domestic suppliers of suspended systems, so the only option for procurement is to go to international Tier 1 suppliers. However, Continental AG, another well-known supplier, simply rejected Silicon Carbon Group's procurement request. Although Wibac agreed, it only provided a "black box" solution, requiring Silicon Carbon Group to adapt its existing software and hardware systems. Even if Silicon Carbon Group was willing to pay extra, there was no room for negotiation.

There's really nothing to say about differing stances.

After asking a few questions about work, Ma Lianhua changed the subject and asked, "President Yu, why haven't you been going racing with us lately?"

Yu Xing laughed and said, "I'm busy, and I'm not good at that either. You guys can play."

"Then why did you move the things I sent you from the office?" Ma Lianhua turned her head and stared at him.

Secretary Zhang Suyang suddenly quickened her pace, deciding not to ask the boss what he wanted for lunch and to get her own food according to her own preferences.

Yu Xing said directly, "Thank you, but it is indeed a bit of a nuisance to have in the office. I'm not very interested in racing or sim racing."

Ma Lianhua frowned slightly and asked hesitantly, "Then what about you...?"

Yu Xing raised his hand to interrupt: "Here."

Ma Lianhua was a little surprised that President Yu suddenly offered her his hand, and subconsciously raised her hand to shake it.

Yu Xing slapped her hand away and said irritably, "Can't you smell the perfume on my hand? I'm very interested in your Lotus project and hope you can provide your professional experience to make our cars more popular with consumers."

Ma Lianhua was rejected before she could even finish speaking.

She said, half-complainingly, "I'm not here to cause trouble. I can join you, according to our beliefs..."

“Ma Nana, stop. Freedom of religion, mutual understanding.” Yu Xing stopped the topic. “I hope next time you’re trying to sell the Lotus Project company to me.”

Ma Lianhua stopped being coy and became cheerful again: "Isn't it enough that others admire you? I'm here to join the Silicon Carbon Group's business. I'm just waiting for you to sell the cars well, then acquire Lotus Engineering and revive Lotus's glory."

Yu Xing felt that this was a good opportunity to continue the conversation.

He took a couple of steps, and out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of Xiao Ying, who was looking this way with her arms crossed. He quickly ended his conversation with the foreign technical deputy director.

The cafeteria at the Silicon Carbon Group is pretty good. Liu Wanying, who came over this morning, didn't go out to eat. She made two phone calls and went back into the cafeteria when she saw President Yu chatting and laughing. When she saw him walking towards her, she didn't smile.

Yu Xing briefly described the little anecdote from earlier.

Liu Wanying asked, "What? Do I have to hand over my hand? Can't I just say it?"

Yu Xing chuckled: "It's only because we've arrived in this barren land of Lingang that..."

Seeing the unfriendly look in Xiao Ying's eyes, he changed his tone: "Fortunately, I can control myself."

"Keep it up." Liu Wanying ended the conversation with four words, then picked up a chicken leg from her plate. "A big chicken leg as a reward."

While eating a chicken leg, Yu Xing said, "In the domestic air suspension sector, we really need Hongjun to step in and help. According to our normal plan, we can't add more funds to the carbon silicon sector. As for Guo's air suspension project, we estimate it will take at least two more years. It probably won't catch up with the first generation of 'Jiuzhou', but once it can be mass-produced stably, it will actually be a very good configuration to improve product competitiveness."

If air suspension technology can be domestically produced, costs will decrease, and brand image and product strength will be significantly enhanced.

"Can he really make it happen?" Liu Wanying asked for the opinion of a professional.

Yu Xing nodded: "Yes, it's just a matter of time. Our first batch of cars will still use Weibak air suspension, and the quantity will definitely not be large. It would be best if we could make it standard equipment later."

Guo Chuan's air suspension system is already undergoing performance verification, but considering optimization and stability, coupled with the fact that "Jiuzhou" is still in its early stages, it's likely he won't be able to catch up. Liu Wanying pondered and said, "Then let's talk about it. Red Falcon has no problem making industrial investments, and the amount at this stage won't significantly affect subsequent actions."

The mountain peak is brewing a new attack, and the more capital you have, the greater your profits will be.

Now, considering the size of the automotive giant and the ease with which this scam could be replicated, Liu Wanying is inclined to try to increase the amount of capital she has invested, for example, by targeting the pharmaceutical company Vania, which she had previously considered "stirring up trouble."

However, if strong evidence is not available, the amount of money invested must be controlled.

After careful consideration, Liu Wanying still felt regretful and hoped to find a more definite target, but such things are subject to great uncertainty.

She said with some emotion, "In this situation, it really feels like making less is a loss."

“I feel much better about it now,” Yu Xing said with a smile. “Back when we were working with Fenzhong, we only made a little money, but we were still quite happy. People have two kinds of hearts: greed and unwillingness to accept defeat.”

Fenzhong was the first target of Guoshanfeng's debut, and compared to its evaporated market value, the money earned at that time was just a drop in the ocean.

Liu Wanying raised an eyebrow and said decisively, "Yes, I've learned something, President Yu. I'll try to restrain myself."

Yu Xing quickly and tactfully put away his tendency to be a know-it-all.

The following day, the two bosses from Silicon Carbon Group and Red Falcon Capital met with Guo Chuan, who was committed to the localization of air suspension technology.

Yu Xing didn't hide anything and went straight to talking about his recent experiences.

Guo Chuan knew what today's scene represented. Controlling his elation, he talked about the current situation: "Weibak and their companies use a standard black-box approach. Once the system is closed, they can maximize profits and obtain subsequent benefits."

He said earnestly, "However, Mr. Yu, a new trend is emerging in our joint research and development process: the black box model is not conducive to the continuous upgrades brought about by automotive electrification."

Automakers have little knowledge of the technical details of the solution, making system integration difficult and subsequent OTA optimization challenging.

“If they close their doors, we’ll open them up; if they use black boxes, we’ll use white boxes.” Guo Chuan said this to both General Manager Yu and General Manager Liu of Hongjun. “Close cooperation between suppliers and OEMs is a new model that is more suitable for the development of electrification.”

“Mr. Yu, the Silicon Carbon Group provided a lot of advice and support when we first started the project. Since Wibac can’t offer deeper cooperation, we need to integrate deeply in the supply chain and R&D.”

“I can grant Silicon Carbon Group access to Tier 2 suppliers. If Silicon Carbon Group is willing, they can also delve into our Tier 2 or even Tier 4 supply chain and directly participate in the quality certification process. This will ensure that quality issues are resolved, and resolved in the fastest way possible.”

Deep integration is not just about talking about it, but about how to do it.

Guo Chuan quickly reviewed the situation and proposed measures to prevent the "Wibak incident" from happening again through institutional reforms.

This time, the problem with Wibac was caused by its supplier, but Silicon Carbon Group couldn't interfere with overseas supply chains. However, Kong Hui Technology, under Guo Chuan's control, could completely delegate authority to Silicon Carbon Group.

We should work together to select suppliers based on performance, and jointly supervise quality and processes to truly achieve win-win cooperation.

Yu Xing and Liu Wanying exchanged a glance.

Although they planned to provide more support, Guo Chuan's decisive action before even discussing financing was still quite surprising.

"President Liu, do you know what the romance of industrialization is?" Yu Xing asked Liu Wanying, seemingly changing the subject.

Liu Wanying said in a very official tone, "President Yu, I would like to hear the details."

Yu Xing laughed and said, "The romance of industrialization is like 'the swallows that once graced the mansions of the rich and powerful now fly into the homes of ordinary people.'"

Guo Chuan exclaimed in admiration, "Flying beautifully!"

“Mr. Guo… Hmm, your suggestion is very good.” Yu Xing pondered for a moment. “I have similar ideas, but not as comprehensive as yours. The reason I brought Mr. Liu here today is to see the results of domestic air suspension as soon as possible. It just so happens that Hongjun is also going to make industrial investments, so this is a very good opportunity.”

Industrial investment and venture capital have different orientations.

Liu Wanying nodded and said, "Yes, President Yu mentioned the prospects of domestically produced air suspension systems right away. The foreign monopoly is also an opportunity for everyone."

Guo Chuan nodded repeatedly, observing the official procedures of this couple.

If air suspension can be successfully localized, it will certainly be good for silicon carbon groups that can conduct in-depth research and development, but it will also be extremely good for Konghui Technology. Other OEMs will also be willing to purchase high-end parts with reduced costs.

Moreover, once verified by the Silicon Carbon Group, the quality is effectively guaranteed.

Based on this win-win situation, it is only natural for Red Falcon Capital to obtain equity and even a seat on the board of directors.

Guo Chuan understood the importance of perspective: only by achieving success first can one be qualified to discuss the distribution of benefits.

Carbon Silicon Group and Konghui Technology aim to deeply integrate into a white-box model, while Red Falcon Capital focuses on industrial investment. Despite their different positions, they share a common goal, making communication extremely smooth. However, specific details and team function allocation still need to be discussed in detail.

However, what makes Yu Xing even more concerned is whether the model proposed by General Manager Guo can be applied to another part of the supply chain.

On the last day of October, Yu Xing, who was lost in thought, received a WeChat message from Lü Haiying: MusVid is online.

By launching software on the Apple App Store through a Singapore subsidiary held by an offshore company, the company hopes to share its rich mobile internet operation experience from the Chinese market with the world.

(End of this chapter)