The Grandmother in the Siheyuan

Chapter 592 Catfish
Ma Jianjun arrived, and the kid finally couldn't contain himself any longer and flew to China.

Because he'd had enough. He'd had enough of all the infighting in the United States. Whenever he tried to do something, there was always someone standing up to block him.

Whenever his factory does something, all sorts of organizations, such as American labor unions, American environmental organizations, and American animal protection organizations, will jump out.

These people do nothing but find fault and come up with all sorts of absurd excuses. They can't help you get things done, but they have all sorts of ways to ruin things for you.

If it costs one million to build a Tesla, then Ma Jianjun would need to give two million to these organizations so they wouldn't stand in his way.

Upon arriving in China, he visited several factories, his envy evident on his face. If the United States had such work efficiency and environment, his car would have been launched long ago.

Ma Jianjun expressed his desire to invest in a super factory in China, which is naturally welcomed domestically, but he does not want to make joint venture cars.

Many people think that Ma Jianjun's super factory is a normal thing, but it is not normal at all. You should know that since the opening up, all automobile companies entering our country have to choose a domestic automobile company for joint venture.

However, Tesla is wholly owned, which is quite unusual.

A meeting was held by relevant domestic departments, in which Liu Hua, the largest new energy battery manufacturer in China, also participated. Other attendees included representatives from several large automakers.

The meeting's main topic was whether or not Ma Jianjun should be allowed to establish a presence at the super factory.

Many car companies have expressed their opposition because they adhere to the rules: if a company wants to establish a presence in China, it must do so through a joint venture with a domestic car company; otherwise, it would be considered a violation of regulations.

“Let’s stop the joint venture and let it settle down here,” Liu Hua said with a smile. “Back then, we formed a joint venture to develop our own automobile industry. Now, our domestic car companies are strong and powerful, and we no longer need excessive protection.”

A representative from one of the car companies objected, saying, "Academician Liu, this is against the rules. The regulations are there; we can't just ignore them."

“We can ignore it,” Liu Hua said matter-of-factly. “The rules of that time are the rules of that time. The situation is different now. We can’t be like the Qing Dynasty. The rules of our ancestors cannot be changed.”

"Academician Liu, what are you saying? It makes us sound like we're so outdated."

Liu Hua nodded: "That's what I think too. The reason we let him settle separately is to let him act as a catfish, to create a catfish effect and revitalize the domestic automobile market."

Someone slammed their fist on the table and said, "Academician Liu, are you implying that all of us are just loafing around and waiting to die, leaving the domestic market stagnant?"

Liu Hua retorted, "Isn't that right? After so many years of joint ventures, what remarkable achievements have you made in car design? You're just using the designs and patents of foreign car companies without making any progress yourself. The foreign companies you've partnered with have become your lifeline. Since it's a joint venture, what's theirs is yours, right?"

Liu Hua tapped the table: "I've looked at some companies' recruitment last year. Designers and technicians accounted for less than 10% of the total recruitment. I wonder if heavy industrial companies that produce automobiles don't recruit more technicians and engineers? What career prospects do they have?" The leader nodded: "I agree with Academician Liu's point of view. It seems that we really need a disruptive force."

The leaders agreed to Tesla's establishment in Shanghai with a sense of disappointment and frustration. Although the domestic auto market has been growing in recent years, the technology of domestic automakers has not kept pace, which is what annoys the leaders the most.

Comrade Ma Jianjun is not short of money; what he lacks now is a suitable place to realize his grand ambitions. Upon receiving our reply that he can build a factory on his own, Ma Jianjun was overjoyed.

After achieving his first goal, Ma Jianjun immediately went to Beijing and applied to Taiyi Group to meet with Liu Hua so that they could have a proper talk, preferably with plenty of time to discuss things.

The office director reported the situation to Liu Hua, who smiled and said, "Sure, I'm on vacation right now and have a lot of free time. Let's find a teahouse I frequent, book the whole place, and I'll spend half a day having a good chat with him."

The teahouse where Liu Hua often drank tea and chatted with his friends was booked out. The owner and waiters were all gone, and only a manager was downstairs taking orders.

Ma Jianjun brought a translator with him. Ma Jianjun greeted him, and just as the translator was about to speak, Liu Hua waved his hand and said in fluent English, "No need, I understand English and can communicate directly with Comrade Ma Jianjun."

This person's use of the word "comrade" was quite shocking. Ma Jianjun asked curiously, "I've heard that in your country, only people within an organization call each other 'comrade.' Why do you call me 'comrade'?"

"Comrade refers to someone who shares the same ideals and goals; we all call each other comrades," Liu Hua said with a smile. "I think you and I are like-minded people. We are both developing aerospace technology, and we are both developing the real economy."

Ma Jianjun nodded: "If that's the case, then it's my honor that you call me comrade."

“You once said in a media interview that if I didn’t move the factory to China, my electric vehicle business would not be able to develop.” Ma Jianjun smiled and said, “That was the most difficult time for me. Who knew it would get more and more difficult. I had all the necessary technology and was ready to start production, but I found obstacles everywhere.”

“That’s normal,” Liu Hua said with a smile. “I saw this trend several years ago. Several years ago, I saw through the key point: Wall Street capital is working hard to transform the entire United States into a financial nation, and you real industries are all serving them.”

“The real economy and the financial sector are complementary.” Ma Jianjun shook his head and said, “Without the financial sector, it would have been impossible for me to raise funds so quickly to establish my company.”

"The two are indeed complementary, but now Wall Street capital wants to take a dominant position." Liu Hua said dismissively, "The ancestors of those people have been using financial means for more than two thousand years. They have been despised for more than two thousand years, but they still insist on operating in this field. I don't know whether to praise them for not changing their original intentions or to say that they are stubborn?"

At this point, Ma Jianjun suddenly sat up straight; he understood that Liu Hua was implying something.

Liu Hua said with a smile, "The United States is not really like a country, but more like a joint-stock company. Now they are fighting for control of the shareholders' board of directors. I don't know if you are ready."

(End of this chapter)