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

Chapter 281 Star Cars are a Hit, White-Headed Eagle Imposes 50% Tariff
While Hamilton was being interviewed by reporters, Jessica and her team from StarCraft were waiting in the audience.

Meanwhile, William Hill's thugs surrounded Hamilton and waited until he finished the interview before taking him away.

Hamilton is now very frightened, and he has to think carefully before answering each question from reporters.

The reporter asked, "What do you think are the differences between the Stardust Virgo Ultra and other supercars?"

After quickly organizing his thoughts, Hamilton replied, "I've driven many supercars—Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini, Hennessy, etc.—and none of them can compare to the driving experience of the Virgo Ultra. The feeling of the Virgo Ultra's instant acceleration to takeoff is something no other supercar can offer. I suggest that those who can afford it should buy one and try it out; those who can't should make the effort to buy one and experience it. Because this might be the closest you'll ever get to a supercar in your life, and if you miss this opportunity, you might never have another one."

The reporter asked, "You've praised it so highly, so are you willing to be its spokesperson and guarantee that its promotional data is accurate?"

Hamilton immediately replied, "I can tell you this with absolute confidence: I'm willing to endorse the Virgo Ultra for free, and I'm willing to bear the legal consequences of its advertising. If any of you ever discover that it's engaging in false advertising, come directly to me, and I'll help you protect your rights, and I can even advance the compensation. That's how confident I am in this car."

At this moment, the chat in Xingchen Auto's TikTok live stream was filled with comments.

"Wow, Hamilton is praising it to the skies and is even willing to be its spokesperson for free. It seems he's really satisfied with this car."

"This car is going to be a huge hit. Yang Chen is really amazing; he always manages to create products that surprise people. You have to admire him."

"Its speed far surpasses that of many supercars, but the price is only one-fifth, or even one-tenth. Even I, who only earns 3,000 a month, am tempted. It seems that Xingchen Auto can provide free loans to buy a car. If I grit my teeth and buy one, it would fulfill my supercar dream."

"I've already placed an order on their official website and am just waiting for the pickup notification. It's only 38.8 yuan; if I'm careful, I can pay it off in a little over ten years."

……

The CEOs of Bugatti Veyron, Ferrari, Lamborghini, and other supercar brands watching the live stream were stunned. They never imagined that a Chinese automaker would create an electric supercar to steal their market share.

Just imagine.

Imagine two cars: one is driving a €500 million Bugatti Veyron, and the other is driving a €38 Virgo Ultra. They're both cruising on the same road, and the Bugatti Veyron can't even see the Virgo Ultra's taillights. How furious must the Veyron driver be?

This is like someone riding a bicycle and completely beating up your car. Would you still be in the mood to drive that piece of junk?
Fake!

The terrifying electric vehicles from China have had a tremendous impact on the global automotive industry.

Hamilton finished all the activities, took his prize check, and went back to the locker room.

William Hill's thugs immediately surrounded him.

“Mr. Hamilton, our president, Mr. Edward, wants to speak with you. Your wife and children will also be coming; perhaps they have already arrived. You must be eager to see them immediately, right?”

Hamilton grabbed the henchman and whispered a warning: "I'm warning you, don't touch them, or I'll fight you to the death! I swear, I'll fight you to the death!"

The leader smiled and said disdainfully, "You don't need to scare me, it won't work. Even if you kill my whole family, there are still so many people who can kill your whole family. If I were you, I would come with us now, immediately. After all, if we delay for even a second, no one can guarantee what an angry Mr. Edward might do to your wife and children."

At this moment, Jessica walked over with employees from Xingchen Military Industry.

"What are you doing? Why are you harassing our contracted driver?" Jessica questioned.

The leader pointed at Jessica and threatened, "This has nothing to do with you. You'd better not get involved."

Jessica chuckled and said, "Hamilton is our contracted driver. If you're harassing him, we have a responsibility to intervene. Who are you people?"

The junior manager replied, "My name is Kurbandler, and I'm the head of the action team in the public relations department of the William Hill Group. You'd better not interfere in the affairs of the William Hill Group."

Jessica scoffed, "Who do we have here? Just someone from William Hill. How does your company compare to Blackwater? If you don't want to die, get out of here right now. I'll only count to three; if you don't leave, you're not leaving at all. One! Two!"

Kuhlbasindler dared not linger and quickly led his men away.

Hamilton immediately said, "They've taken my wife and children; we can't let them go!"

Jessica said, "Don't worry, your wife and kids are safe and sound. They should be waiting in my office now. Come on, let's talk in my office."

Hamilton was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly before following Jessica.

They soon arrived at Jessica's office, where Hamilton's wife and children were indeed waiting.

Seeing his wife and children all there, Hamilton was completely relieved.

His wife, Lucy, immediately scolded him, "What's wrong with you? Why aren't you following Mr. Edward's orders? Have you thought about the safety of our whole family? They're a gambling company. You deal with them all the time. Don't you know their style of doing things?"

Hamilton was stunned, and after a long while, he said, "I'm so worried about your safety, and this is all you care about? Aren't you going to ask me if I've been threatened by them?"

Lucy was stunned, but quickly retorted, "No matter what, you're supposed to do the job after you got paid, aren't you?"

Hamilton was very disappointed, but he didn't say anything in front of the children.

Jessica said, "Ms. Lucy, please take the children to the lounge to rest for a while. We have something to discuss with Mr. Hamilton."

Lucy immediately questioned, "Did you force Louis not to do what Mr. Edward asked?"

"Someone, take them to the lounge! If they resist, beat them until they behave!" Jessica said coldly.

The burly men from Xingchen Military Industry stepped forward and took Lucy and the child away. Lucy did not dare to resist.

Hamilton immediately asked, "Can you remove the nanobots from my brain now?"

Jessica laughed and said, "We retrieved it after showing it to you that day. Our goal was to make you follow the rules, not to really hurt you. However, it seems William Hill won't let you off the hook now."

Hamilton slapped his forehead and asked, "You're not kidding me, are you? I really don't have nanobots in my head?"

Jessica laughed and replied, "Why would I lie to you? Are you going to give me money? I'm too lazy to waste time with you, let's get straight to the point. Mr. Yang values ​​talent highly, and as long as you're available at any time, we can protect you and your family from harassment and harm by William Hill. Give me a clear answer now, are you willing or not?"

Hamilton immediately replied, “Yes! If you ever need anything, just let me know. No matter where I am or what I’m doing, I’ll come right away to serve you.”

Jessica smiled and nodded, then took out a contract for Hamilton to sign.

The contract is simple: Hamilton is a contracted driver for Starstar Motors and enjoys the company's protection.

After finalizing the deal, Jessica photographed the contract and sent it to Edward, the president of William Hill.

“Mr. Edward, Hamilton is now a contracted driver with Star Auto and enjoys the company’s protection services. If he or his family are harmed by your side, we will directly involve Star Military Industry in the matter. I hope you understand what I mean.”

Upon seeing this news, Edward, who was in a meeting with shareholders and executives, was furious.

After seeing Jessica's message, the shareholders and executives were also furious and swore.

"Even if StarCraft Military Industry gets involved, we must make Hamilton pay the price. Otherwise, how can we control the games in the future? If they all seek protection from StarCraft Military Industry, will we be unable to control anyone?"

"But StarCraft's combat capabilities have already been proven. Even Blackwater Group is no match for them, so how could we, William Hill, possibly be their match?"

“If we can’t beat them, then let the Gurkha Cavalry take over. As long as our country doesn’t allow unmanned equipment from China to enter England, the Gurkha Cavalry can beat the people at StarCraft Military Industry to a pulp.”

"I agree with having the Gurkha cavalry take action. We must maintain our dignity, otherwise business will become difficult. Giving up a small share is better than losing all business, right?"

……

The Gurkha mercenaries are one of the world's most famous foreign mercenary groups, known for their strict discipline, bravery, and extreme loyalty to their employers.

Most of the members of this organization come from Gorkha villages west of Kathmandu, Nepal, and some are retired special forces soldiers from England.

This team existed during the Qing Dynasty and has participated in almost every war and conflict involving England over the past 150 years.

The Blackwater Group participated in the Iraqi and Ahuhan wars, but the Gurkha Gurkha organization has participated in more wars, has a longer history, and its members are more combat-effective. If England refuses to allow StarCraft's unmanned equipment into the country, the Gurkha Gurkha organization can really beat the small number of StarCraft employees to a pulp.

However, a problem has arisen: the Gurkha organization will not help William Hill for nothing. The organization has long wanted a 10% stake in William Hill, which William Hill has never given to them.

The Gurkha organization had previously attempted to rob the place openly, but the British government intervened and prevented them from doing so.

Now that William Hill wants to ask the Gurkha Organization for help, they will definitely take the opportunity to demand shares, and even 10% of the shares may not be enough for them.

But as the shareholder just said, giving up some shares is better than not being able to do business at all.

After a moment's thought, Edward made up his mind, nodded, and said, "Okay! I'll contact them right now and we'll accept their terms as long as they don't ask for an exorbitant amount. If the Gurkha organization becomes one of our own, we won't even lose money on Jessica Ribery's bet, and we won't suffer any losses."

Everyone nodded in agreement with Edward's suggestion.

As long as they don't have to pay back that 100 million yuan, they'll make a fortune.

Since we're going to go against Yang Chen anyway, we might as well go all out. Even if he doesn't lose his bet, the result will be the same.

Edward immediately called Andrew Adams, the leader of the Gurkha organization.

Andrew Adams knew the trouble William Hill was in, and since Edward had personally called for help, he naturally wouldn't hesitate to ask.

“Mr. Edward knows we’ve always wanted a stake in William Hill, and we’re happy to help you, but you’ll have to pay a price. Give us 20% of the shares, and we’ll be on your side. We’ll do everything in our power to protect you,” Andrew Adams said.

Although Edward had anticipated that Andrew Adams would take the opportunity to make an exorbitant demand, he never expected him to ask for such a large sum.

Edward immediately refused, saying, "No! You're asking for too much. We can only give you 10% of the shares at most, and you'll have to complete the tasks we assign you before you can fully own those 10% shares."

Andrew Adams laughed and retorted, "Do you even have the right to negotiate now? No one on the European continent dares to take on the job of protecting you, and only we in the British Isles have the strength to do so. You have no choice, understand?"

Edward paused for a moment, then said, "15%, that's the most we can do! Otherwise, we'll try contacting other organizations."

Andrew Adams laughed heartily and said, "Don't be in such a hurry, I didn't say I couldn't accept 15%. Okay, 15% it is. So, what are your conditions?"

Edward immediately said, “Louis Hamilton betrayed me, took my money, but didn’t do what I said. Now he’s a contracted driver for Starstar Motors, enjoying Starstar Military’s protection. I want you to hand over his entire family to me. Also, Yang Chen bet over 100 million euros on Starstar Virgo Ultra, and I don’t want to pay him back; I want to keep his bet money. If you can accomplish these two things, you’ll immediately hand over 15% of the shares. Before these things are done, you are not allowed to expose our relationship. If you fail, I don’t want William Hill to be implicated. Do you understand what I mean?”

Andrew Adams laughed and said, "You're a fucking bastard, but I can accept that. I'm going to make this clear from the start: if I do my job well and you don't keep your promise, I'll kill your whole family."

Edward laughed and said, "Don't worry, since I made this call, I won't go back on my word. I'll be waiting for your good news. Bye."

After hanging up the phone, Edward told the shareholders and executives about the terms he had agreed upon with Andrew Adams.

Although they paid 5% more shares than expected, everyone felt it was worth it, so no one said anything, which was considered an acceptance.

Star Auto Experience Centers across Europe are now packed with people, most of whom are there to test drive the Virgo Ultra.

Whether you buy it or not is another matter, but experiencing the acceleration of the world's fastest sports car is exhilarating.

The allure of 38.8 euros is simply too great; many people who shouldn't be buying a car in this price range are taking out loans to finance it.

Sihai Financial is not afraid that they cannot repay. If they can't repay in ten years, then they will repay in twenty years. If they can't repay in twenty years, then they will repay in thirty years.

If there are widespread bad debts, then the country's stock market will be used to cover them; in short, there will be no losses.

Only Yang Chen dares to do this. Other financial institutions simply wouldn't dare to do it, because they don't have Yang Chen's ability to operate with 100% success. If they experience large-scale bad debts, they will really suffer losses.

The annual sales volume of the car market is relatively stable. Xingchen Auto has attracted a large number of customers who wanted to buy cars on loan, which means that customers who originally wanted to buy other brands of cars are no longer available, which will naturally affect the sales of other brands of cars.

Buying the world's fastest sports car at the price of a family car is an extremely attractive option for Europeans.

In just three days, the total sales of the Virgo Ultra in the entire European market exceeded 500,000 units.

What was supposed to be a limited edition supercar was turned into a mass-produced model by foreigners.

On the other hand, the Bald Eagle Virgo Ultra also sold out, selling 30 units in 3 days, averaging 10 units per day, breaking Bald Eagle's vehicle sales speed record.

Meanwhile, 8 vehicles were sold in Japan, 3 in South Korea, and even 1 in Vietnam.

At this moment, Yang Chen was having a video call with Prince Holdan of the Sand Kingdom.

“All of our cars in this batch must be top-of-the-line, with the best possible configuration. One car is for Crown Prince Salman, and the other is for King Salman. Both cars will have their signatures and photos on them, and will be painted gold, as a sign of respect. Is that alright?” Holdan said.

Yang Chen replied with a smile, "Of course! We will try our best to meet all the reasonable requests of our customers."

Holdan laughed heartily and said, "Great! We won't haggle, but you must deliver the goods to us first. How long will it take to deliver 5235 vehicles?"

Yang Chen replied, "Ten days!"

Holdan replied, "Okay! It's settled then. I'll contact Mr. Yang again in 10 days to pick up the goods."

Yang Chen particularly enjoys doing business with wealthy clients. They don't make excessive demands and generally don't haggle over prices, as long as the clients feel respected and treated well.

Before long, the wealthy family transferred 20.38 billion Eagle Dollars, and Star Auto immediately prepared to ship the goods upon receiving the money.

There are still more than 5000 cars available, but the two cars for the King and the Crown Prince need to be made to order, which will take some time.

At this time, the bald eagle's home.

Bald Eagle Automotive Association President Paul received complaints from the heads of local car brands, alleging that Xingchen Automotive had stolen a large number of their customers. They demanded that Paul take immediate action to stop this from continuing.

To put it bluntly, they want the U.S. government to find a way to restrict Star Auto.

Knowing he was not capable of solving the problem, Paul went to the Ministry of Commerce for help.

Commerce Department official Reventon received Paul.

Bohr lamented, "All the major automakers are asking me to find a way to restrict Xingchen Motors. What can I do? This matter can only be addressed through the government, don't you think?"

Reventon sighed and said, "Of course I know we should start with the government, but we have no choice. We've opened the market to Star Auto; we can't just drive them out again. Yang Chen will definitely retaliate against us."

Paul demanded, "Then what are we going to do? Don't you care about the lives of the auto workers? Many factories are already short of orders, resulting in idle workers. If we let Star Auto continue to sell so well, more and more factories will lack orders, causing widespread layoffs and unemployment. You should know better than me what the consequences will be. You don't want another Detroit strike, do you?"

Reventon replied with difficulty, "It's no use telling me this. This isn't a problem that I, as the Minister of Commerce, can solve. Here's what you do: you go back first, and I'll go to the White House to report and hear their opinions."

Bohr nodded, got up and left.

Reventon immediately went to the White House to report the situation and request a decision from the higher-ups.

The destructive power of the Detroit auto workers' strike in late 2003 is still fresh in everyone's memory; that strike directly caused losses of over 10 billion US dollars, and no one wants to experience it again.

After some discussion, the White House decided to impose a 50% tariff on cars from China. They believed that as long as Xingchen Automotive's prices increased significantly, its sales would definitely decline sharply, allowing other local car companies to survive.

In fact, this tactic is very familiar to the Chinese. When the Santana entered the Chinese market, they wanted to price it at 8 yuan, but the Chinese side insisted that they sell it for 20 yuan. The reason is the same: to provide an opportunity for the development of domestic automobiles.

Unfortunately, many ordinary people don't understand the economic principles behind this and only resort to sarcastic and mocking remarks about the policy online.

Without hesitation, the U.S. Department of Commerce immediately issued a notice.

"Effective immediately, all cars from the Dragon Kingdom market will be subject to a 50% tariff, effective immediately."

(End of this chapter)