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

After much deliberation, the only solution Messy could think of was to lower prices. However, Porsche had already issued a statement declaring that it would not join a price war and that it wanted to maintain the prestige of the Porsche brand.

More than two years have passed, and it has become clear that their choice did maintain Porsche's prestige, but it also cost them a large number of customers.

Apart from a few supercar brands, other car brands ultimately need to rely on sales volume to survive.

Porsche's layoff of 3000 employees in March was just the beginning; if its sales continue to decline, it will have to lay off more employees next year.

Messerk ordered his secretary to send a message to shareholders and executives, informing them that a discussion meeting would be held in three days and requesting that all shareholders and executives who received the notice attend.

The reason for choosing to hold this discussion three days later is that Messek wanted to see how Libra's sales would go over the next three days. If sales were very good, they might have to consider lowering the price; if sales weren't particularly good, they could continue to hold on.

At midnight, the Xingchen Auto Libra was launched globally.

In addition to China and Europe, this time it will also be launched simultaneously in Japan, South Korea, Singapore, the Sand Country, Persian Cat and other countries and regions.

Although it was late at night in China, it didn't dampen the enthusiasm of car enthusiasts. They lined up to book test drives, eager to take advantage of the "pay 10,000 and get 30,000 off" promotion for the first 1 million buyers.

As an electric vehicle with a range of over 2000 kilometers, Porsche-style design, HarmonyOS infotainment system, and a starting price of less than 20 yuan, it has only advantages and no disadvantages.

Therefore, many consumers, trusting Yang Chen and impressed by the success of Virgo, didn't even bother to test drive the car; they simply placed their orders on the Xingchen Auto website or app.

At 12:35 PM, Xingchen Auto released a sales update.

"As of 12:29:38, Xingchen Automotive's global confirmed orders have reached 1 million, of which 763589 are from the Chinese market. These customers will enjoy a discount of 30,000 RMB off for every 10,000 RMB paid. There are not many discount slots left. Sales in the Chinese market are expected to reach 1 million units by 6 PM this afternoon. Interested friends should hurry up."

Netizens left numerous comments.

"Holy crap, they sold so much in just half a day? That's the annual sales of other car companies' best-selling models!"

"To be honest, with a range of over 2000 kilometers, it looks like a tractor. At less than 200,000 yuan, it's a steal. What's more, it has the same style as Porsche. Level 4 assisted driving, a sturdy body, etc. These are features that other car companies could use as a selling point, but Xingchen Auto has them all. It's no wonder it sells well; it would be strange if it didn't."

"I also placed an order. The down payment was 3 yuan, and the loan was 15 yuan, to be paid off in 10 years with no interest. The monthly payment is 1250 yuan. Although my monthly salary is just over 3000 yuan, I still have no pressure. Boss Yang has brought over people who couldn't afford to buy before. It would be strange if the sales were not good."

"I didn't buy the Virgo version, but I couldn't resist the Libra version. The space is huge, even more spacious than my boss's BMW X5. The key is that if you cover the logo, it looks just like a Porsche. It's so beautiful. Since there's no interest, I paid 10 yuan for a mid-range model, and I only have to pay 1000 yuan a month. It couldn't be easier."

Only Yang Chen would dare to use this tactic. If it were any other car company offering interest-free loans for up to 10 years, they definitely wouldn't be willing.

The main reason is that Sihai Financial is too profitable. So much money lying in the bank is useless, so it's better to use it for loan business so that more people can own their own cars.

Even if you encounter a few bad debts, you won't lose much money, and you can still sell the car as a used car for a good price.

At 5:30 p.m., Xingchen Auto released another sales update.

"As of 5:27:25 PM, confirmed orders for the Libra in China have reached 1 million units. Thank you to these customers for their trust and support. You will all enjoy the 10,000 RMB discount for a 30,000 RMB deposit. Meanwhile, global sales of the Libra have surpassed 1.5 million units. We also want to thank the people of Europe for their trust and support, as well as consumers in the Sands, Persia, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and other countries and regions for their trust and support."

"Mr. Yang Chen is very pleased with the outstanding results achieved by Libra. He has just requested that we add 10 extra free maintenance services to these 150 million vehicles. Interested friends should act quickly; the sooner you place your order, the sooner you can enjoy these benefits."

Seeing the sales figures for Xingchen Automotive, executives and shareholders of major automakers around the world are all getting anxious.

BMW Group headquarters.

President Punke is holding a meeting with executives.

"You've all seen the sales figures for the Xingchen Motors Libra, right? The first day wasn't even over, and global sales had already surpassed 150 million units, with over 1 million in the Chinese market alone. Our SUV is a direct competitor to the Libra; it's stealing our customers. It'll take away almost all of our customers from the X100 to the X7. Our performance this year is doomed. Everyone, think of a solution, how should we deal with this?" Punk asked with a serious expression.

Everyone expressed their opinions.

"The only solution is to lower the price; I can't think of any other way to deal with it."

"Our only advantage right now is that global consumers recognize us as a luxury brand, but in the current market, relying solely on that brand reputation is clearly insufficient to maintain sales. However! If we are willing to lower prices, most customers will still choose us first. Many men dream of owning a BMW; they didn't have the opportunity to realize it before, but now we're creating that opportunity for them. A 700,000 RMB X5 is now selling for 600,000 RMB, or even just over 500,000 RMB—can they resist buying it? And an X1 for just over 100,000 RMB—can they resist the temptation?"

"Yang Chen's cars are all high-spec, low-priced. It's no exaggeration to say that if those features were branded as BMW, they could easily sell for a million yuan. So it's no wonder his cars sell so well. We should be realistic. Since the goal is to maintain sales, until a new revolutionary technology emerges, we can only do so by lowering prices. I suggest a price reduction of over 100,000 yuan across the entire model range; that should bring a surge in sales. I agree with what Jason just said: which man doesn't dream of owning a BMW? Let's help them realize their dreams now."

……

President Pang Ke listened carefully to everyone's opinions and summarized them in two words—price reduction.

"Sigh...it seems that lowering prices is the only option now. As long as we can maintain sales volume, we'll be willing to earn less. If we lose even basic economies of scale, we're truly doomed. We're now seriously working on a price reduction plan, determining different reduction amounts for each model based on sales volume and inventory," Punk said.

Three days later, BMW took the lead in announcing a new round of price cuts.

比如，宝马3系降价11-13万不等，指导价31.99万的低配版本现在只需要20.79万即可拿下。

If you apply for a mortgage or buy insurance at the store, you can get some discounts.

For example, the BMW X5 has been reduced in price by about 13 yuan. The original guide price for the entry-level configuration was 61.5 yuan, but now it can be purchased for only 49 yuan.

Subsequently, Mercedes-Benz and Audi also announced price reduction policies, with price reductions similar to those of BMW, generally ranging from 10 to 13 yuan.

For example, you can now buy an Audi Q3 for only 15.8 yuan, and a Mercedes-Benz E-Class for only 32 yuan.

Meanwhile, Porsche's discussion meeting was held as scheduled.

President Messer looked at the sales figures for the Libra constellation with a worried expression, unwilling to believe that the data was true.

“Selling 200 million cars in 3 days, and that’s just one model. Is that really something a human could do? I just don’t understand. Do consumers all over the world really trust him like that?” Messyk said.

The vice president said, "To figure out exactly what the similarities and differences are between the Libra and our Cayenne, I went for a test drive, and then... and then I couldn't resist and placed an order." Messerke: "..."

Everyone looked at the courageous vice president; at this moment, those who dared to speak the truth were truly brave.

The vice president quickly said, "Please don't look down on me. As a consumer, I have the right to choose my own car. Let me put it this way: after test driving the Libra, I don't want to touch any of our models anymore. I'm not exaggerating at all; I really don't want to touch any Porsche models again. The smoothness is something that gasoline cars can't compare to, and our electric cars don't have the same smoothness as the Libra. The infotainment system, range, and other aspects are even less comparable. I sincerely believe that if we don't lower the price, our sales performance this year will be very poor."

Messerk said, "But we clearly stated in a previous announcement that we would never lower the price. Wouldn't it be a contradiction to lower the price now?"

At this point, one shareholder said, "If the stock price falls, we will lose too much wealth, which is even more painful than slapping ourselves in the face. BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi have just announced price reductions, with most companies cutting prices by more than 10 yuan. If we don't follow suit, the few remaining die-hard fans of gasoline cars will be snatched away by them, and our situation will be even worse. Please lower the price; I don't want the stock price to plummet, and I don't want to see another round of massive layoffs this time next year."

The other shareholders echoed this sentiment. All they cared about was Porsche's stock price. As long as they made money, that was all that mattered. They didn't care about brand prestige, since that wouldn't drive up the stock price anyway.

If Porsche really goes out of business in the future because of its brand losing prestige, these shareholders can sell their shares and invest in other companies.

In short, all they care about now is performance; everything else is secondary.

After much deliberation, Punk finally succumbed to everyone's persuasion and agreed to lower the price.

but!

Porsche cannot directly announce a price reduction, but instead offers discounts to customers when they make a purchase. The discounts range from 10 to 20 yuan for different models, which is considered a way to maintain their last bit of dignity.

How can such self-deception be hidden?
Soon, the customers who came into the store to negotiate prices spread the news of Porsche's price reduction, and it quickly spread online.

The topic "BBAB has lowered its prices" has become a trending topic on Weibo, Douyin and other platforms, attracting netizens to come and see what's going on.

"Didn't Porsche say it wouldn't join the price war? Why is it lowering prices now? Is it because the pressure from the Libra Star is too great, and they have to negotiate?"

"Boss Yang only needed two models to dethrone BBAB. They either had to lower prices or wait to die. They had no choice but to lower prices to maintain sales. But I think this is just a short-sighted solution. There are still 10 of the 12 constellations that haven't been released yet. As Xingchen Auto's sales expand, costs will decrease further, and the price of the new models will be even lower. BBAB can't compete with Xingchen Auto in terms of quality, and they certainly can't compete with it in terms of cost."

“I just bought a Cayenne, which was my dream when I was young. With all the discounts, I saved more than 21 yuan. Who would have thought that Porsche would offer such a discount? Thank you, Mr. Yang, for making my dream come true.”

"You may not like electric cars, and you may not buy electric cars, but you must thank Mr. Yang for helping you bring down the price of luxury gasoline cars."

"It's hilarious! When the three major telecom operators lowered prices, everyone thanked Mr. Yang. When Jingdong started its food delivery business, and MiTuan and BaomaLe provided social security for their riders, reduced commission rates for merchants, and issued coupons to users, everyone still thanked Mr. Yang. Now that BBAB has lowered its prices, everyone is thanking Mr. Yang again. I really feel sorry for these companies. They genuinely offered discounts, but all the credit goes to Mr. Yang."

……

Yang Chen was enjoying a massage from Chen Xi in his office when Zheng Kaiyang from the Ministry of Commerce called.

"Chairman Yang, congratulations! The new car sales are excellent. My boss asked me to call and congratulate you. I hope you can keep up the good work and maintain this momentum," Zheng Kaiyang said with a smile.

"Thank you for your concern, leader. Haha..." Yang Chen said with a smile.

Zheng Kaiyang laughed heartily and then said, "The leader's idea is that Biyadi will be responsible for seizing the market share of cars from Japan and South Korea, while Xingchen Automotive will be responsible for seizing the market share of BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. Ultimately, we aim to capture about 70% of the market, leaving them with a maximum of 30%. Therefore, Chairman Yang, please strike a balance; you can't do too little, nor can you do too much. We can't let them earn too much, nor can we let them completely leave the Chinese market. Chairman Yang, do you understand what I mean?"

Yang Chen smiled and said, "Minister Zheng made it very clear, of course I understand. Please convey to the leadership that I will handle things appropriately."

Zheng Kaiyang smiled and said, "Alright! I've conveyed everything I wanted to say. Chairman Yang, is there anything you'd like me to relay to the leadership?"

Yang Chen replied, "That's enough to convey what I just said. I have nothing else to say."

Zheng Kaiyang quickly replied, "Okay! That's settled then. I won't bother Chairman Yang any longer. Bye."

According to Yang Chen's plan, he would seize as much market share as he could, and if foreign companies couldn't make it work, they would leave on their own, since they were simply not as skilled as him.

However, it is clear that the leaders have considered things more than he has. Foreign capital cannot leave, otherwise the economy will have problems. Moreover, foreign capital is a bargaining chip and a hostage at critical moments, so it is necessary to ensure that some market share is left for foreign capital.

70% it is, what can I say when the leader has spoken?

Before long, Guo Hu arrived at Yang Chen's office.

"Chairman Yang, as you instructed, we have contacted representatives from Jianpu Village and the Thai military. They want to have a video conference with you to discuss things further. When would be a convenient time for you?" Guo Hu said.

Yang Chen immediately replied, "It's convenient right now."

Guo Hu quickly replied, "Okay! I'll arrange it right away."

Guo Hu quickly made the arrangements, and Yang Chen spoke with representatives from Jianpu Village and the Thai military via video conference.

Yang Chen stated directly, "I propose building a canal from the Lancang River in southern Yunnan, running through Jianpu Village from north to south, connecting to Baima Port in the Pacific Bay. Another canal will then connect to the Indian Ocean, bypassing the Strait of Malacca. In the future, our Chinese cargo ships can directly reach the Yunnan border via these two canals. Ships from other countries will certainly no longer need to pass through the Strait of Malacca, but will instead choose the Pacific Bay Canal, which saves thousands of kilometers. The Pacific Bay Canal will then become a canal on par with the Suez Canal and the Panama Canal. All three parties will benefit from this."

Hong Kun, the military representative from Jianpuzhai, said with a smile, "We warmly welcome Mr. Yang's desire to build a canal in our country. We can discuss the specific details now, such as how to invest and what shares to hold, etc."

However, the Thai military representative, Su Mingcha, said, "But the construction of the canal in the Gulf of Thailand might cause internal divisions. We dare not agree to it until this issue is resolved."

The southern region of Thailand connects with Malaysia. If a canal is built there, it could cause instability in the south. If the Malays interfere and incite the south to seek independence, the risk to Thailand would be too high.

Making money is certainly a good thing, but national stability and integrity are more important than making money.

Since Yang Chen wanted to build these two canals, he naturally took all aspects of the problem into account.

Yang Chen smiled and reassured them, "You don't need to worry about that at all. I can send you an unmanned combat battalion to help you maintain national stability and integrity. In addition, I'm building a bridge across the canal to connect the north and south, and investing in a factory in the southern region. As long as the people in the south make money, they won't rebel. If there are any separatists, I can also help you deal with them in advance. In short, I've already thought of solutions to all your concerns. You don't need to worry about that at all; you just need to think about how to spend the money when you make a fortune from the canal."

Su Mingcha smiled happily and said, "After hearing Mr. Yang's words, I instantly feel confident. Let's discuss the details of the cooperation then." (End of Chapter)