I have a debt of 3 trillion, and my creditors are begging me not to die.

Chapter 226 Dragon Kingdom Unifies Battery Standards; Star Battery's Standard is the Standard.
Around 8 a.m., Yang Chen's private plane and the EU delegation's private plane landed at Beijing Capital International Airport one after the other.

The EU delegation disembarked first, and then followed the reception staff to wait at Yang Chen's plane.

A few minutes later, Yang Chen and his team disembarked from the plane.

Tusk and others shook hands with Yang Chen one by one at the gangway, and then everyone got into a special car and headed straight to the venue.

This Dragon-Europe symposium will once again be broadcast live globally, showcasing the entire process to people all over the world.

Of course, things that are not suitable for public disclosure or are confidential will be selectively not broadcast.

Think tanks from various countries are interested in what the official representatives of China and the European Union discussed, but ordinary netizens are just there to see Yang Chen.

At 11:40, it was finally Yang Chen's turn to speak.

At this moment, the live broadcast rooms of official media such as CCTV, Beijing News, and People's Daily suddenly saw a surge in comments.

"Finally, we've got Mr. Yang here. He's amazing; he gets to speak alone in this kind of setting."

"Boss Yang is handsome, his status is getting more and more impressive, and the occasions he goes to are getting more and more high-class."

"Given Mr. Yang's status and contributions, shouldn't he be promoted to some kind of representative or committee member? I think he would definitely offer some suggestions that would benefit ordinary people."

……

Good companies and good entrepreneurs can make money, and respectable companies and entrepreneurs will surely win the hearts of the people.

Yang Chen's speech was devoid of official jargon and platitudes; it was all based on genuine substance.

"Foreign friends call me a financial robber, but I don't agree with that title. I'm just doing what Wall Street has been doing for years. If my behavior is problematic, then they are even more problematic. Anyone who opposes me is opposing me, because they are not against Wall Street. Isn't this clearly targeting me? Since they are targeting me, I will naturally defend myself and fight back."

"I am a businessman, and businessmen pursue profits. The financial market and the real manufacturing industry must give me an opportunity to make money, right? Either accept my industrial products or accept my financial harvest. I don't care, it just depends on what the other party chooses."

"Actually, in the pharmaceutical industry, my first choice is not to pursue high profits, but to make affordable medical services available to people all over the world as much as possible. But the world doesn't belong to me alone, and I can't be the only one making concessions while other companies in the industry continue to reap high profits. Some people say that I've made too much money from pharmaceuticals, but I'm willing to give up all patent rights and share all technologies. In return, other pharmaceutical companies should also give up all patents and technological restrictions. That's the only fair way."

"I am currently building battery swapping stations in China and Europe. I am determined to make affordable and clean new energy vehicles available to people all over the world. European leaders are wise and considerate of their people, unlike the capitalist 'UK,' which completely disregards whether ordinary people can live a better life. I believe that controlled nuclear fusion will become a reality in the near future, at which time people all over the world will have access to cheap and sufficient electricity, and new energy vehicles will be the best means of transportation. If we start planning now, people will be the first to enjoy the wonderful life experience brought about by technological development."

"My ideal is a world of great harmony, where everyone is a member of the global village, regardless of race, skin color, or religious belief, and every villager can enjoy the fruits of technological development. I will work tirelessly towards this goal, and those who work with me toward it are my friends. Anyone who tries to stop me from achieving this goal is my enemy. You don't have to be my friend, but it's best not to be my enemy either. To sum it up with a line from a song: 'Friends come, we welcome them with good wine; enemies come, we meet them with shotguns.' Thank you everyone."

The Chinese representatives present were pounding their hearts like drums. Hadn't they been told to be careful with their diplomatic language? Why were they speaking so forcefully?
The EU representatives all looked serious; they all knew how forceful Yang Chen's words were.

To ease the awkward atmosphere, Zheng Kaiyang from the Ministry of Commerce said with a smile, "Chairman Yang is right. The people of Europe are indeed our friends, and we have many opportunities for cooperation."

Tusk quickly chimed in, "So, we're being greeted with good wine?"

"Absolutely!" Yang Chen said with a smile.

"Haha..." The whole audience burst into laughter.

At this point, the high-ranking officials and think tank of the Bald Eagles, who were watching the live broadcast, became unhappy.

"That damned Yang Chen is so arrogant! He actually dared to criticize us by name! Who gave him the guts to do that?"

"Fuck! I feel like we've made some strategic mistakes. Our actions are gradually pushing Europe eastward."

"This is not a strategic mistake, but a necessity! If we don't recover our losses from the Europeans, how can we make up for the deficit we've incurred?"

"That damned Yang Chen actually wants a world of harmony. Let him either make money from industrial products or from finance. Even at our peak, we wouldn't dare to be so arrogant. How dare he?"

"He's such a show-off! This speech will definitely win him even more fans worldwide. Even Elon Master, the human hope we've worked so hard to create, can't outdo him!"

……

At this moment, foreigners in the TikTok live stream were excitedly sending comments.

"This is the light of humanity! Humanity needs outstanding representatives like him to lead us to a better life."

"Yang Chen is more sincere and practical than Elon Master. He genuinely uses technology to change people's lives, while Elon Master just talks big about going to Mars. I'm not saying Elon Master will never go to Mars, but even if such technology succeeds, it won't be available to ordinary people like us. So his promises are useless to us ordinary people; Yang Chen's are much more practical. I will definitely support Yang Chen when his new energy vehicles are launched."

"Yang Chen is too arrogant. Is it really appropriate to say such things in this kind of occasion? But it's understandable. After all, the EU can sign such a humiliating treaty, so how can Yang Chen treat them like human beings? So what if he talks tough to their faces? They don't dare to say a word."

"The East has its own hope for humanity. I wonder which is stronger, the Western hope of humanity, Master, or the Eastern hope of humanity, Yang Chen?"

……

The talks continued.

Tusk said, "It would be a great thing if people all over the world could use cheap and clean new energy vehicles. But as far as I know, solid-state batteries are too expensive and completely unsuitable for use in family cars. Mr. Yang, are you planning to sell them at a high price, or subsidize the price yourself to sell them at a low price?"

Yang Chen smiled and replied, "Mr. Tusk is right. Currently, solid-state batteries are indeed very expensive, costing about three times that of lithium batteries of the same specifications. There's an economics term called 'economies of scale.' If the demand for solid-state batteries is large enough, their price can be brought down to the current cost level of lithium batteries. Therefore, I hope people all over the world will work together to bring down the price of solid-state batteries so that we can all use affordable and high-quality new energy vehicles. Take France as an example. The distance between east and west, and north and south, is about 1000 kilometers. Our standard solid-state battery has a range of over 2000 kilometers—this is based on real-world testing, not theoretical or lab data. This means our new energy vehicles can travel from the northernmost to the southernmost point of France, and then from the easternmost to the westernmost point. And this only costs 60 euros in electricity—an incredibly low cost. You can travel freely between EU member states, and in the future, you can drive our cars and travel freely throughout the EU. Every family can afford this cost; this is what it means for technology to change lives."

Tusk nodded and said, "Then, Mr. Yang, how many batteries do you think need to be produced to bring the cost down to the current level of lithium batteries?"

Yang Chen immediately replied, "We've done a rough estimate. If solid-state battery production reaches 50 million units, its price can drop to the current level of lithium batteries. Last year, my country's new energy vehicle sales were 11 million units. If we rely entirely on domestic sales, the price could drop to the level of lithium batteries in about five years. If the Europeans can contribute more, we might be able to reduce the cost of solid-state batteries to the level of lithium batteries within a year. I can guarantee here in front of both leaders that my new energy vehicle profit margin will definitely be controlled within 2%-3%. I'm not doing this for profit, but so that people all over the world can use affordable and high-quality Xingchen cars."

The most crucial area for deindustrializing foreign countries is the automotive industry. If this step is successful, foreigners will never be able to keep up with China's industrialization pace.

Therefore, Xingchen Auto's profit margin cannot be too high; 2%-3% is sufficient. This profit margin is equivalent to BYD's profit margin two years ago. So, for automakers that have just entered the new energy vehicle industry, this profit margin is actually not low.

The biggest advantage of low profit margins is that they make it easier to seize market share. BYD's sales of millions of vehicles a year, making it the top new energy vehicle brand in China, is the best proof of this.

Tusk nodded and said, "If Mr. Yang can truly keep his word, I will really admire you. We Europeans are absolutely willing to work with Mr. Yang to realize the great ideal of a world of great harmony."

At this point, a spokesperson for China stated, "We also acknowledge that new energy vehicles are the future trend, and controlled nuclear fusion will eventually become a reality. We have transported helium-3 from the moon to generate electricity, enough for humanity to use for tens of thousands of years. To support the development of solid-state batteries, our Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has formulated incentive policies, requiring all new energy vehicle companies in China to join Xingchen Automotive's battery swapping alliance and use Xingchen batteries. We hope that the people of Europe can also join us, so that within a year, Europeans can buy a practical new energy vehicle for 2 euros and travel freely throughout the EU for a few hundred euros."

Tusk nodded and said, "If China can really do this, we in the EU will actively follow suit."

At this moment, the Bald Eagle executives who were watching the live stream were devastated. "Fuck! Isn't this the end? They really cooperated, and they've taken over all the market share in the automotive industry!"

"If the data Yang Chen gave is accurate, and our people don't need such cheap and good cars, they'll definitely cause a commotion. Ugh... Damn Yang Chen, he's always creating trouble for us."

"It's over, our auto industry is doomed. So, should we continue to subsidize the auto industry? I think our auto industry is too backward, and continuing to throw money at subsidies will be useless. Let's not waste money."

"Are you crazy? If we don't subsidize them, won't those auto industry workers take to the streets again? The money that needs to be spent has to be spent; we can't skimp on it. As long as they don't cry and make a fuss, the money is well spent. But then again, shouldn't we focus on the new energy vehicle industry? I think the Chinese are right. Controlled nuclear fusion will definitely become a reality in the future, and the resources on the moon will be enough for humanity to use for tens of thousands of years. At that time, electricity prices will definitely be very, very cheap, and new energy vehicles will definitely sell very well. If we don't put in the effort now, we won't even get a taste of the benefits in the future."

"Sigh... Everyone understands the principle, but who among you is going to deal with those oil tycoons? The upcoming elections are coming up soon, do we still want to win? Sometimes I also think socialism is good, and capitalism has too many flaws."

……

After the EU-China symposium concluded, Yang Chen accompanied the EU representatives to a state banquet.

At this moment, the CEOs of major new energy vehicle companies watching the live broadcast did not dare to delay for even a second. They immediately made phone calls to stop purchasing lithium batteries and returned any unused ones.

Cars that have already been produced should be sold off at discounted prices. As long as the price is low enough, people will buy them before Xingchen Motors is officially launched. Once Xingchen Motors is launched and the price is affordable, it will be difficult to sell lithium battery cars.

BYD and CATL are in a terrible situation, as these two giants in the lithium battery industry have too many lithium batteries piling up in stock.

But that's not the worst part. The worst part is that they just added several new lithium battery production lines, each with an investment of billions of yuan, and they haven't even recouped their costs yet. Now they're about to be phased out.

That's how progress is; many industries are eliminated without a word, not because they aren't good enough, but because the times no longer need them.

BYD devised a clearance sale strategy in the time it took to have lunch. After receiving all the subsidies for the Qin series, the price dropped to below 20,000 yuan, which is really a bargain.

Other car manufacturers have also followed suit with significant price cuts, and many models that were previously unaffordable or unattainable can now be purchased with cash.

The car companies are simply changing battery suppliers; for them, the only loss is this year's profits.

But for pure battery manufacturers like CATL, the trouble is much bigger. The stockpiled products, raw materials, and production lines are all useless. The worst part is that they can no longer produce Starcell batteries, and now they can declare it bankrupt and liquidated.

That evening, Yang Chen had just returned to the hotel when he received a call from Xu Yumin, the CEO of CATL.

"Chairman Yang, you're not giving us any chance at all! You're driving us straight to our doom!" Xu Yumin complained.

Yang Chen smiled and said, "As times progress, some outdated industries and companies will naturally be eliminated. However, things haven't reached the point you described. Why don't you sell the company to me, and you won't have to worry about it anymore."

Yang Chen can take the technology and use CATL's existing workers and production lines to start production, saving the need to continue expanding the battery factory.

Xu Yumin has no choice now, because the attitude of the higher-ups is very clear: they want to strongly support Yang Chen's Xingchen Motors and Xingchen Battery, and take advantage of this wave of cooperation between China and the European Union to launch another overseas expansion of automobiles.

If this attack succeeds, China can establish automobiles, electronics, and semiconductors as its pillar industries, and then completely abandon real estate, allowing housing prices to return to rationality and enabling the people to enjoy better welfare.

As a highly successful entrepreneur, Xu Yumin understood the situation and had considerable courage, so he immediately accepted Yang Chen's acquisition offer.

The Xu Yumin family holds a total of 60% of CATL's shares. According to Yang Chen's usual practice, he will definitely issue a takeover offer to all shareholders and then delist the company, so that he can take full control of it. In this way, all the money the company makes will belong to him alone.

CATL's current stock price is 165.57 Dragon Coins, with a total of 50 billion shares and a total market value of 8278.5 billion.

Yang Chen is willing to offer 180 Dragon Coins per share, equivalent to the price of a limit-up stock, spending 9000 billion to buy CATL.

After discussing it with his family, Xu Yumin decided to accept the price.

CATL subsequently issued an announcement.

"Following friendly negotiations between our company and Mr. Yang Chen, Mr. Yang Chen has decided to launch a takeover offer to all shareholders at a price of 180 Dragon Coins per share. In order to avoid stock price fluctuations, the company's stock will be suspended from trading from now on, and a decision on whether to resume trading will be made after the shareholders' meeting."

Soon after, BYD's CEO Wang saw CATL's announcement and immediately muttered to himself, "CEO Xu acted so quickly! I'm still a little hesitant."

If President Xu could see the will of the higher-ups, President Wang naturally could too.

BYD Group is mainly composed of three parts: BYD Battery, BYD Contract Manufacturing, and BYD Auto.

Multiple investment firms have valued BYD's batteries at 5000 billion yuan, its factories at 4000 billion yuan, and its cars at 5000 billion yuan.

Mr. Wang has always wanted to split up the three businesses so that the battery and contract manufacturing businesses could be listed separately, and he could become the richest man in China.

However, human plans are no match for fate, and individual will can never go against the will of the state.

Since General Manager Xu has taken action, General Manager Wang must act quickly as well.

Mr. Wang called Yang Chen and directly proposed to sell the battery business to Yang Chen, hoping that Yang Chen could help him buy it, otherwise the tens of billions invested in the battery business would go down the drain.

In return, BYD immediately adopted Star Battery and did not set a transition period.

One thing is certain: China's tens of millions of new energy vehicles will all use Xingchen solid-state batteries. However, the specific demand in overseas markets is still uncertain.

With such a large annual demand, relying on the current Xingchen Battery Factory and the CATL Battery Company which is about to be acquired cannot meet the production requirements, so acquiring BYD's battery business is a good choice.

Yang Chen has no shortage of money and is most unwilling to waste time; his favorite outcome is to use what he has immediately.

Yang Chen laughed and said, "President Wang, don't joke around. I just spent a lot of money to acquire CATL, and now you want me to buy your battery business. Where am I going to get so much money?"

Mr. Wang immediately said, "Chairman Yang, don't tease me. Money is the easiest problem for you to solve. The higher-ups have already stated that Xingchen Battery's annual production must be over 1500 million sets, otherwise it will be difficult to meet the demand for automobiles. Your Xingchen Battery and CATL's battery production capacity cannot meet this production requirement, so taking over my battery business will be enough. I won't ask you for more; just give me a cost price of 500 billion."

Yang Chen laughed heartily and said, "You need my help now, but you're asking me for the cost price. That's a bit inappropriate, isn't it? If I don't acquire your battery business, all of this will be for nothing. I don't want to take advantage of your misfortune, but you can't be insincere either."

Mr. Wang smiled awkwardly and asked, "Then what price range does Chairman Yang think is appropriate?"

“200 billion! Not a penny more!” Yang Chen replied.

(End of this chapter)