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

Chapter 227 Yang Chen Achieves Unification of the Battery Market; Xingchen Automobile Breaks Records on First Day of Listing

President Wang was so angry he laughed. The cost was 500 billion, but Yang Chen was only willing to pay 200 billion. Wasn't that taking advantage of someone's misfortune?

"Chairman Yang, you're killing me! A 40% discount!" General Manager Wang asked helplessly.

Yang Chen smiled and replied, "You should know that all these investments of yours were going to go down the drain. Giving me 200 billion is like giving it to you for free. You think it's not enough money? That's going too far."

"Haha..." This time, President Wang was genuinely amused by the situation.

However, Yang Chen is not wrong. Now that Sihai batteries are to be used uniformly, BYD's battery business is essentially rendered useless, and the previous investment will indeed go down the drain. Yang Chen's willingness to give 200 billion yuan is really like BYD getting something for free.

"Mr. Wang, you can think it over carefully before making a decision. I'm a very straightforward person, and the price I offer is my final price. I won't add a single penny, nor will I reduce it by a single penny," Yang Chen said with a smile.

Mr. Wang certainly couldn't accept this offer. After hanging up the phone, he immediately contacted the relevant department leaders to see if the battery business issue could be resolved properly.

Two days later, Yang Chen received a call from President Wang.

"Chairman Yang, haha... I've thought about it carefully, and what you said makes sense. 200 billion is practically free for me. I can't complain about how little I get for free, otherwise it would be my fault. I accept your offer, Chairman Yang. Thank you for your help," said President Wang with a smile.

Yang Chen chuckled and said, "You're wasting your time looking for people everywhere."

Mr. Wang said helplessly, "People only accept unfavorable conditions when they are desperate. Fortunately, the leaders said they would give us some tax breaks and subsidies, which will make up for our losses to some extent. So we will sell our battery business to Chairman Yang. I hope Chairman Yang will not use batteries to strangle us in the future."

Yang Chen laughed heartily and said, "I've already said that my goal is universal harmony. I wish everyone in the world would use my products. How could I possibly hold you back?"

Mr. Wang quickly replied, "Haha... Okay, then it's settled. Also, I hope Chairman Yang can help us with some stock trading. You know what I mean."

"Haha... No problem, no problem," Yang Chen replied with a smile.

Three days later, BYD issued an announcement.

"In order to improve product quality, enhance user experience, and strengthen the competitiveness of China's new energy vehicles, our company has decided to actively respond to national policies. After friendly negotiations, our company has decided to sell its battery business to Xingchen Battery for 200 billion yuan. At the same time, our company and Xingchen Battery have reached a strategic cooperation agreement, under which Xingchen Battery will specially customize the 'Longxing' series of solid-state batteries for our company. From now on, all our old models will be sold at half price, and all new cars will use Xingchen solid-state batteries."

As soon as the announcement was released, BYD's stock price immediately hit the daily limit at the opening, increasing its market value by 1100 billion yuan, and the value of Wang's personal shares increased by 176 billion yuan.

According to the usual practice of A-shares, such positive news usually leads to about three consecutive limit-up days. With Yang Chen buying BYD shares, its stock price will definitely continue to rise on top of the three limit-up days. This is why Lao Wang was willing to sell the battery business at a loss of 30 billion yuan.

Some people might say that these are all paper assets, and they are not real money unless they are sold and cashed out.

However, listed company shareholders often pledge their shares to securities firms, and rising stock prices mean that shareholders can pledge more funds.

Currently, there are many restrictions on major shareholders selling and cashing out in the A-share market. However, if a stock price is driven up to a certain level and pledged to a brokerage firm, and the shareholder does not redeem the pledged shares when the price falls to the liquidation line, the brokerage firm can legally liquidate the pledged shares. In this way, the shareholder achieves the goal of legally reducing holdings and cashing out at a high price. It's just that retail investors suffer by taking over the shares and bearing the losses caused by the forced liquidation.

If BYD, the leading company in the new energy vehicle industry, has "raised its political awareness," other new energy vehicle companies will naturally follow suit.

"Geely Galaxy series vehicles are being offered at half price, and all new models will use Xingchen batteries, specifically our company's 'Sky Dome' series solid-state batteries..."

"Li Auto's entire lineup is being offered at half price, and all new vehicles will use Xingchen Battery's 'Li Auto' series solid-state batteries, manufactured by our company..."

"XPeng Motors is offering a 50% discount on its entire lineup, and all new vehicles will use Xingchen Battery's 'Kunpeng' series solid-state batteries manufactured by our company..."

……

Almost all the well-known new energy vehicle brands have made statements, leaving only two car companies that have not yet done so.

One is Tesla, the other is the future.

Tesla is not making a statement because they have not yet reached an agreement on compensation with the relevant departments in China. They are not making a statement in the future because they have their own battery swapping stations and are also negotiating compensation with the Hecheng government.

The Hecheng City government, along with future high-ranking officials, came to Jiangcheng to meet Yang Chen, wanting to sell the battery swapping station to him.

To be honest, it would indeed be time-saving and labor-saving to buy future battery swapping stations and directly convert them into Xingchen battery swapping stations.

But Yang Chen isn't a professional at cleaning up messes; you can't just dump every mess on him to solve.

As the saying goes, there is no deal that cannot be made in this world. If there is, it must be because the benefits that should have been given were not enough. Just give more benefits and it will be fine.

Yang Chen has been "professionally taking over deals for two and a half years," and he's not incapable of taking over deals as long as the conditions are agreed upon.

After repeated consultations, the three parties finally reached an agreement.

Xingchen Battery acquired Future Battery Swapping Stations for 100 billion yuan. Future's entire series of vehicles will use Xingchen Battery's "Future" series solid-state batteries, which were custom-designed for them.

Hecheng has granted Sihai Group and other companies controlled by Yangchen Holdings a three-year tax subsidy policy within Anhui Province. Furthermore, companies under Sihai Group and other companies controlled by Yangchen Holdings can use the land first when building factories in Anhui Province, and then pay the land fee after they become profitable.

The three parties signed the agreement, and an official announcement will be made soon.

"After friendly negotiations, Future Auto decided to sell all its battery swapping stations to Xingchen Battery for 100 billion yuan. Future's entire series will be sold at half price, and all new cars will use Xingchen Battery's 'Future' series solid-state batteries produced by our company."

On the other hand, Tesla has also reached an agreement with relevant departments in Haicheng. It is unknown what specific benefits they received, but they have officially announced that they will use Starcell batteries to produce their "Starry Sky" series batteries.

These car companies all claim that Starcell Battery specially produces certain series of solid-state batteries for them, but in reality, the batteries are all the same; they are just branded with the specific logos of each car company.

With this, Xingchen Battery has completed its mission of unifying the battery markets in China and Europe.

StarChip solid-state batteries, which were already in full stock, were immediately distributed to battery swapping stations across the country. At the same time, three cargo ships loaded with solid-state batteries set sail for Europe, where battery swapping stations also needed to prepare the batteries in advance.

Xingchen Automotive has completed its road test and is fully prepared for its market launch.

Since Xingchen Auto is called Xingchen Auto, it is natural to name its models after the stars in the universe. The first major series will be named after the twelve constellations, and the first car will naturally be named after Virgo.

Nowadays, large domestic companies hold new product launch events to release new products, using terms that ordinary people don't understand, such as austenitic stainless steel, thinner than a one-yuan coin, high-tech pebble rearview mirror, etc., which sound very high-end at first glance.

Xingchen Motors doesn't need to hold a special new product launch event. Just the name "Boss Yang" is more effective than any publicity or introduction, not to mention that it now has the government's endorsement.

On the evening of March 7, Yang Chen posted a Weibo post.

"Friends, Xingchen Auto's first pure electric sedan in the 12 Constellation Series, the 'Virgo,' will be launched simultaneously at all experience stores across the country starting tonight at midnight. Positioned as a C-segment car, this model comes in three versions: Standard, Pro, and Max. All versions utilize the latest solid-state batteries, offering ranges of 1600km, 2000km, and 2500km respectively. All models are equipped with a Level 4 advanced intelligent driving system. The Standard and Pro versions boast 305 horsepower, while the Max version delivers 700 horsepower. Prices start at 228,000 RMB for the Standard version, 258,000 RMB for the Pro version, and 328,000 RMB for the Max version. Owners can opt for optional features such as a carbon fiber hood and a rear spoiler. Sihai Financial offers up to 5 years of interest-free and fee-free loans. Interested parties are welcome to visit our stores for a test drive; a 'Virgo' car model will be included with every test drive. The promotional video will also be released online simultaneously at midnight; those interested can check it out."

Yang Chen also attached a nine-grid image below the Weibo post, featuring promotional photos of the "Virgo" in various colors and driving environments.

Yang Chen's hundreds of millions of real fans on Weibo quickly flocked to watch.

"Wow, that's so cheap! Aren't cars with solid-state batteries supposed to start at least at 30? But even that price is too expensive for me."

"Huh? Mr. Yang, are you sure this photo isn't of a Porsche? Has Porsche Tai been promoted? Also, is it true that you're giving away a Virgo model for the test drive? I have to say, Mr. Yang is really generous. Although Virgo girls are a bit difficult to deal with, since it's a free model, I won't be picky."

"This car is so beautiful! Not only does it have a Porsche-like design, but the paint looks so high-end. Is it just the lighting?"

"700 horsepower in the MAX version? Holy crap, those off-road vehicles are nothing compared to it. A sedan with that much horsepower, wouldn't it accelerate like crazy? In the future, when we're waiting at a traffic light, the gas car will have barely started moving before the Virgo is already flying ahead, and by the time the gas car passes the traffic light, the Virgo's taillights will be nowhere to be seen."

"The two saddest things in a man's life are meeting the woman he wants to protect for a lifetime when he is at his most powerless age, and meeting the car he most wants to buy when he is extremely poor."

……

After seeing the Weibo post, the CEOs of major car companies panicked and hurriedly called engineers to come to the Xingchen Auto Experience Store to wait for the store to open for testing at midnight. They were the first to enter the store to learn about and test drive the vehicles.

Test drives come with a free car model, and young people who usually stay up late all line up to get one.

Shenzhen-Zhenjiang-Longgang Experience Store.

Mr. Wang, the CEO of BYD, arrived with his team to queue up. The other people in line recognized him. "Mr. Wang, are you under a lot of pressure?"

"Haha... How much will your cars sell for after you install solid-state batteries? Will the Qin still be 798?"

"Let's be friends, I'll name my price, 668!"

"Ha ha……"

Mr. Wang said with a smile, "I came here specifically to drive and experience Chairman Yang's car so that we can determine the price of the new car. However, it is certain that we will still position it as an ordinary family car, and the main model will definitely be priced around 10 yuan. Even if we lose money at the beginning, we will accept it. We can make a profit once the volume increases and the cost is spread out."

The technology of gasoline-powered cars has not changed much in decades, and traditional car companies can make money effortlessly. Many of the best-selling models of foreign and joint venture gasoline-powered cars are now discounted by more than 100,000 yuan and they can still make a profit, which shows how much profit they made before.

New energy vehicles are different; problems in any aspect—technology, quality, service, or price—can lead to their elimination.

BYD has just survived an era where profit margins were only 2%, and now it has to start all over again.

But this is a good thing; technological progress should benefit ordinary people.

Only by breaking the traditional monopoly of gasoline-powered vehicles can China's automotive industry have a chance.

At midnight, the black cloth covering the glass windows of the experience store was removed, and the doors were opened to allow test drives to the people waiting in line.

Mr. Wang got the first batch of test drive opportunities. He personally got in the car and drove for a while, experiencing the surging power of 700 horsepower. Just as netizens said, the Virgo had already sped away for a distance, while the gasoline cars behind it had just passed the traffic light.

"Wow, this acceleration is amazing! With technology like this, Xingchen Automotive could easily make sports cars. And this L4-level advanced intelligent driving system truly meets the definition of L4, unlike the equivalent L4 driving systems from other automakers. If Tesla were to make this car, the lowest version would start at least at 30 yuan, and the highest version would cost over 40 yuan," said Mr. Wang.

The sales consultant in the back seat smiled and said, "Thank you for your recognition, Mr. Wang. Xingchen Automotive is just starting out, and it is our honor to receive recognition from an industry leader like Mr. Wang."

Mr. Wang quickly replied, "Haha... No, no. New energy vehicles are different from traditional fuel vehicles. Traditional fuel vehicles really require time to accumulate experience, and many technological barriers cannot be overcome, which limits the development of latecomers. But new energy vehicles can be made as long as there is new technology, and there is a great chance that they can catch up and surpass others. Fortunately, Chairman Yang kept his word and did not make low-priced models, otherwise BYD would be in big trouble. Putting aside solid-state batteries, just this L4-level assisted driving is enough to penetrate the 10-level market."

After a test drive, Mr. Wang rated the Virgo as the best car under 100 million yuan, bar none. He wasn't just saying that casually; he and each member of his team pre-ordered a MAX version of the Virgo to prove his assessment with their actions.

Yang Chen arrived at the company at nine o'clock in the morning.

At this time, Xingchen Automotive released the order data through its Weibo account.

According to data from the Xingchen Auto app, as of 9:00 AM, the number of confirmed orders for Virgo Auto nationwide reached 221898, with 328976 pre-paid deposits. Following Chairman Yang's instructions, if the number of confirmed orders exceeds 500,000 within the first full 24 hours, all orders will receive an additional 10 maintenance services and 10 battery swaps. If the number of confirmed orders exceeds 1 million, in addition to the 10 maintenance services and 10 battery swaps, all orders will also receive an extra YC-01 tri-fold mobile phone of the same version. Specifically, the standard version will receive a standard version phone, the pro version a pro version phone, and the max version a max version phone.

Netizens who were watching the spectacle left numerous comments.

"My God, you bunch of bastards are always complaining online about the pressure of life, low wages, and high unemployment. I thought you were all telling the truth, just like me. Turns out, I'm the only one who really has low wages and high pressure. Are you kidding me? Cars worth two or three hundred thousand yuan sold over 20 units in just 9 hours, and over 30 people have paid deposits, so it's basically a done deal. And that's only been 9 hours! Do you treat buying something worth two or three hundred thousand yuan the same as buying something worth two or three hundred yuan?"

"There are still a lot of rich people. The internet is full of drama, but in reality, everyone is richer than the last. You bunch of bastards have bought cars worth two or three hundred thousand yuan and made them look like cars under 10 yuan."

"Let's all work together! I want the YC tri-fold phone, but I don't want to spend the money to buy it. We must reach 100 million units sold! Let me tell you a secret: don't be fooled by the high price. With various national subsidies, provincial subsidies, regional subsidies, store subsidies, and limited-time offers, you can save at least 6 yuan. Moreover, Sihai Financial offers interest-free and fee-free mortgage loans for up to 5 years. You can pick up the car with just 4 yuan on hand."

……

Whether it was Yang Chen's incentive policy or not, the order confirmation speed of Xingchen Auto App increased rapidly. As of 15 p.m., the number of confirmed orders for Virgo reached 50.

Meanwhile, customer experiences have also gone viral online.

"I experienced what it means to feel the push in the back for the first time. When I was test driving, I was waiting at a red light. There was an Audi A6 on my left and a Future ET5 on my right. As soon as the light turned green, the Audi had just started moving when I had already passed it. I truly experienced what it means to not even see my taillights. Moreover, the paint is really high-quality. I have never seen such high-quality paint before."

"Mr. Yang is indeed a man of action. Without any boasting or advertising, the cars he makes are simply amazing. I've seen all the models from mainstream brands, and I dare say that no other car under 100 million can compare to Virgo's perfectionism."

"This car will absolutely dominate the overseas market, selling for 3 to 4 euros apiece. Other cars won't have a chance to survive. Come on, let the Western public also welcome the industrial civilization from the great Eastern power. I suspect Mr. Yang isn't making any money at this price; he might even be losing money. According to industry insiders, this price doesn't even cover the cost of the solid-state battery. However, if the quantity is large enough to drive down the battery price, it's still possible to make a profit. Mr. Yang is currently trading losses for market share. If you want to buy, buy now; buying is making a profit."

……

Thanks to the interest-free and fee-free mortgage loan services provided by Sihai Financial, many Virgos who originally couldn't afford to spend money have also placed orders through mortgages.

Unfortunately, the total number of confirmed orders in 24 hours was only 88, which is still some distance from the million mark, but the number of pre-paid deposits reached 62.

Although the number of vehicles did not reach one million, Yang Chen still offered discounts to customers who placed orders on the first day.

As soon as midnight struck, Xingchen Automotive released a battle report via its Weibo account.

"As of 3:0 on March 9th, Xingchen Auto's Virgo model received 880238 confirmed orders and 620189 pre-paid deposits. Although the confirmed order count hasn't reached one million, Chairman Yang has decided to give all promised benefits to customers who confirmed their orders on the first day: an additional 10 maintenance services, 10 battery swaps, and a YC-01 tri-fold mobile phone (the same model as the car). Thank you for your trust in Xingchen Auto; we are very encouraged. The new model has been registered, so please look forward to it."

Customers who had placed orders and were eagerly awaiting the sales report were overjoyed to see this Weibo post.

"Awesome! Although it hasn't broken a million yet, it's already over a million when you include customers who paid deposits."

"Is this data accurate? These are cars worth two or three hundred thousand yuan, how could so many be sold in just one day?"

"Boss Yang is awesome. This is the kind of entrepreneur people should have. He genuinely wants to provide the benefits he promises, not just empty promises. Some people doubt the data is real, which makes me laugh. What's the point of Sihai Financial's interest-free loans? Money is becoming less and less valuable, so enjoying things in advance is the key."

"At this rate, Mr. Yang could sell several million cars this year. That's incredible. He single-handedly doubled the price that ordinary people expect when buying a car."

……

Other car company executives were not in a good mood after seeing this battle report.

For example, Wang, the CEO of BYD, was stunned for a long time after seeing this Weibo post. As some netizens have said, many consumers who should have bought cars in the 10 yuan range insisted on buying Virgos on installment, which is equivalent to stealing BYD's core business.

In the future, the CEOs of car companies like XPeng will also be in a bad mood, because their original mid-to-high-end customers have been attracted by the Virgo's perfect appearance, powerful configuration, and rugged body.

This means that Virgos have pulled down mid-to-high-end customers and brought up low-end customers. All customer groups have been devoured by Virgos, so how can other car companies compete?
In fact, they don't need to worry about these things, because Yang Chen's idea, and the task the country has given him, is to lead China's new energy vehicles to penetrate overseas markets.

Therefore, the overseas market is what Yang Chen really wants; the domestic market is just a way to boost sales in the early stages and keep all the factories busy.

All Xingchen Automobile factories in Beijing, Chang'an, Chengdu, Hecheng, Jiangcheng, Jiangcheng-Haicheng-Hecheng are now operational, with a monthly production capacity of 60 vehicles.

It seems like a lot, but 70% of these cars will be supplied to overseas markets and 30% to the domestic market. Domestic order volume will be controlled by extending delivery dates.

Many users cannot accept a delivery period of several months or even a year, and may choose other brands of cars instead.

A week later, the supply to overseas markets was back on track.

The first batch of 10 cargo ships, each carrying 7000 Virgos, departed from Jiangcheng Port. The ships will pass through the Strait of Malacca and head straight for France.

Every 2-3 days thereafter, a batch of cargo ships will be loaded with Virgo Star and transported to Europe, so that all EU countries can complete the distribution as quickly as possible.

France, as Yang Chen's first stop in opening up the European market, can be said to carry his high hopes. As long as the French people experience the thrill of being fully charged and traveling throughout the country, the European people will fall in love with this feeling.

Meanwhile, experience stores and battery swapping stations in various French cities have started promoting the Virgo Star, offering free bread, eggs, grains, and other food items to those who book a test drive. These tricks, which are old news in China, are working perfectly there.

The average salary in France is 2500 euros, and the prospect of earning a day's worth of food by simply taking a test drive is very tempting for them.

In order to quickly seize the market, Yang Chen priced the three versions of Virgo at 2.9 euros, 3.3 euros, and 3.9 euros respectively in Europe, so that Europeans could experience the charm of the industrial civilization of the great Eastern country.

Similarly, customers there also enjoy interest-free loan services from Four Seas Financial, and can pick up their cars directly with a deposit of 5000-10000 euros.

This is the benefit of the government helping Yang Chen open up the EU financial market; with these prices and services, he'd be dominating the European market.

Mercedes, BMW, Audi—they all have to kneel down.

(End of this chapter)