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As 1950 approached, the situation in the Far East was like a pot of porridge about to boil over. The conflict on the Korean Peninsula was showing signs of escalation, with various forces intertwined and undercurrents surging.

Although the gray market of "Phoenix Trading" can still bring astonishing profits, Suning, with its forward-thinking keen sense, has noticed the growing risks involved.

At a high-level strategic meeting at the Zurich headquarters, he made a decision that surprised some of the key executives.

"Effective immediately, 'Phoenix Trading' will completely and thoroughly withdraw from the business of trading in second-hand arms and sensitive military supplies." Su Ning's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable decisiveness. "We have made enough profits from the war; it's time to wash our hands of this and get out of here."

One of the managers in charge of arms trade couldn't help but speak up: "Boss, the demand in the Far East is huge, and the profit margin is almost several hundred percent! Wouldn't it be a shame to give up now?"

Su Ning shook his head, his gaze deep: "Behind the profits lie risks. The current US-Soviet confrontation is clear. The conflict in the Far East is no longer a vague proxy war, but the front line of the power struggle between the two camps. If we continue to stir things up, we will easily get burned and become the scapegoat for either side. Remember, a true giant knows how to dive into deeper, safer waters before the storm arrives."

"But……"

"No buts! This is a trade-off that the group must make for its development."

"Yes, Boss!"

However, Suning did not completely abandon "Phoenix Trading," but rather strategically shifted its business focus.

In terms of commodity trade, the focus is more on the global circulation of basic materials such as oil, minerals, and food, which are indispensable hard currencies in any era.

Moreover, it uses its channels to export machinery and equipment, and even some "non-sensitive" industrial technologies, to developing countries that are industrializing.

By continuing operations of "Phoenix Shipping," the large fleet has shifted its focus to transporting civilian goods, becoming a solid force supporting the recovery of global trade.

This transformation marks a crucial step for Suning from a "military tycoon" that relied on war speculation to reap huge profits to an "industrial giant" rooted in the real economy and building a long-term business empire.

At the same time, he turned his attention to another field that could demonstrate status and was highly technological: the automobile manufacturing industry.

His target was Maybach, a brand that struggled to survive amidst the ruins of the post-war era, yet still symbolized the spirit of German industry and top-notch craftsmanship.

Post-war Germany, especially West Germany, was on the eve of an economic miracle, but many established companies were still struggling.

Maybach, once a top luxury brand on par with Mercedes-Benz and Rolls-Royce, suffered heavy losses in the war, with its production lines withered and its funds exhausted, its former glory covered by a thick layer of dust.

The acquisition team dispatched by Suning had already made several rounds of secret contacts with the Maybach family and management in Stuttgart.

Initially, the Maybach family, who prided themselves on craftsmanship and lineage, were quite resistant to selling the brand to an "Orientalist".

To facilitate the acquisition, Suning personally flew to West Germany.

Instead of being aggressive in the meeting room, he invited key members of the Maybach family to visit his highly automated and well-managed "SU" food factory and precision instrument plant.

During the visit, the Germans were deeply impressed by Suning's emphasis on production processes, quality control, and R&D investment.

He is not simply a capitalist player, but an entrepreneur who understands and respects the laws of industry.

Subsequently, in a private club with a Prussian flair, Suning and Maybach held their final negotiations.

“Mr. Maybach,” Suning said sincerely, “my acquisition of Maybach is not to kill this great brand, but to revive it. What I admire is its unparalleled craftsmanship and its pursuit of perfection. I promise that after the acquisition, Maybach’s brand independence, design philosophy, and production base in Germany will be fully preserved, and I will invest several times more in research and development than before for the development of the next generation of luxury cars. What I value is not short-term profits, but the flagship status of the 'Maybach' name in the future global top-tier automotive market.”

“Mr. Su, but you have no experience in car manufacturing, and our family is really worried.”

"Mr. Maybach, instead of letting the Maybach brand continue to fade into obscurity, why not give it a try to our Su Group?"

"This……"

"Moreover, I believe the Maybach family really needs this substantial acquisition payment."

"Alright! I hope Mr. Su will treat this brand well."

"Mr. Maybach Jr., I wish us a pleasant cooperation."

"Pleasant to work with."

The offer from Suning not only included enough cash to ensure the Maybach family's comfortable life for the rest of their lives, but also an attractive profit-sharing agreement based on future performance, and a commitment to guarantee employment in Germany.

Faced with ample funding, respect for the brand, and a clear blueprint for future development, the Maybach family, upholding the last vestiges of aristocratic dignity, ultimately signed the contract.

The news sent shockwaves through European industry.

This means that the mysterious Eastern tycoon SU not only controls a vast trade and transportation network, but is now also extending his reach to one of the jewels of German industry.

For Suning, the acquisition of Maybach is more than just a business investment.

This is a strong signal: he will integrate deeply into the core industrial circles of Europe with a more "clean" and technologically advanced image.

He will emerge from the shadow of arms dealing and stand before the world as a new automotive tycoon.

This move not only avoided the political risks in the Far East, but also laid a solid and splendid foundation for his future business empire.

As the wheels of time roll ever onward, Suning always manages to pinpoint its most suitable position and achieve one remarkable transformation after another.

……

The ink was barely dry on the agreement to acquire Maybach when Suning had already begun his ambitious revival plan.

His goal was not simply to keep the brand afloat, but to make it rise from the ashes of war like a phoenix in mythology, and fly higher and more brilliantly than ever before.

At the heart of all this is the creation of a brand new, modern Maybach production facility in Stuttgart, West Germany.

Suning did not choose to relocate its production base to a place with cheaper labor, but instead firmly remained in Stuttgart.

This place is not only the historical origin of Maybach, but also a gathering place for Germany's top automotive engineers, designers and skilled workers.

He knew that the soul of Maybach lay in the essence of its "Made in Germany" craftsmanship.

On a vast expanse of land outside Stuttgart, once reduced to ruins in a bombing raid but now cleared, a grand groundbreaking ceremony was held for a new factory.

The West German Minister of Economic Affairs, the Governor of Baden-Württemberg, the Mayor of Stuttgart, and many prominent figures from German industry were invited to attend.

This is more than just a business event; it is seen as a symbol of West Germany's economic recovery and reintegration into the world's high-end manufacturing sector. Suning delivered a brief but powerful speech at the groundbreaking ceremony: "Today, we are not just laying the foundation for a factory, but also for a spirit, a legacy. Maybach represents unparalleled craftsmanship, an uncompromising pursuit, and a dedication to perfection. The Suning Group will dedicate its resources, working alongside German engineers and workers, to ensure that the double 'M' logo once again becomes the most dazzling jewel in the crown of the global automotive industry!"

His words were broadcast throughout Europe through the media, announcing Maybach's official return and demonstrating the Su Group's determination to be rooted in the real economy.

The new Maybach production site was designed jointly by the architecture division of the Suss Group and a top German architectural design firm.

It abandoned the darkness and noise of traditional factories and introduced the most advanced concepts at the time.

The spacious and bright combined factory building features a large-span steel structure and high side windows, ensuring ample natural light and a comfortable working environment.

The production line draws on some of the efficient production line concepts of the American automotive industry, but it has been optimized according to Maybach's characteristics of small-batch, high-quality production, emphasizing flexibility rather than pure scale.

The temperature- and humidity-controlled dust-free workshop is used for engine precision machining, assembly of precision parts, and final testing, ensuring that every Maybach leaving the factory meets the standards of a work of art.

They have established an independent R&D and design center in a modern glass curtain wall building, equipped with state-of-the-art wind tunnels, testing equipment, and computer-aided design systems. Suning promises that the center will have "unrestricted" R&D funding.

At the construction site, tower cranes stand tall, and German engineers work closely with the international project management team dispatched by the Suss Group to ensure project progress and quality. A large number of German workers have regained their jobs with compensation far exceeding the industry average, earning the Suss Group a good reputation locally.

In addition, Suning knows that the most crucial element in reviving Maybach is talent.

He personally intervened to retain most of the core engineers and veteran craftsmen from the Maybach family era, granting them exceptional courtesy and decision-making authority, and respecting their professional judgment.

At the same time, he poached top designers and promising young engineers in their prime from companies such as Daimler-Benz, BMW, and even Rolls-Royce in the UK with high salaries.

In the newly built design center, you can often see this scene: white-haired old craftsmen, with their calloused hands that can perceive millimeter-level errors, caress the clay models of the new designs, and have heated discussions with fashionable and energetic young designers about the balance of lines and structures.

Traditional experience and innovative thinking collide and merge here.

Suning gave the design team only one instruction: "We must create the world's best-selling luxury car."

In 1951, when the main building of the brand-new Maybach production base was finally completed and the first batch of precision equipment began to be installed and tested, a new vitality was already surging in this land.

German engineers and technicians in neat work clothes move around the brightly lit production line, while the research and development center is brightly lit, with designers debating a detail until late at night.

The citizens of Stuttgart were astonished to find that the ruins that once symbolized the pain of war had now risen into a modern industrial palace.

It not only brought employment and prosperity, but also rekindled the pride of the German automotive industry.

Suning, far away in Switzerland, saw this thriving scene through telegrams and photos, knowing that his investment was bearing fruit.

Maybach's rebirth is not just the revival of a car brand, but also a landmark step in his personal transformation from a clandestine arms dealer to a legitimate industrial giant.

He wants to use Germany's finest craftsmanship, combined with his substantial capital and global vision, to forge a golden key that unlocks the door to the world's top luxury goods market.

The engines of Stuttgart are about to roar again, and this time, they will resonate with the powerful voice of the Suhrmann Group and the new era of Maybach.

……

When everyone thought Suning would follow Maybach's tradition and build it into an ultra-luxury brand with an annual production of no more than 100 vehicles, serving only royalty and the super-rich, he threw out a strategic direction in the conference room of the newly built R&D center in Stuttgart that left all the German engineers and old Maybach members dumbfounded and even felt a little "blasphemous".

"Gentlemen," Suning said, standing before a massive blackboard that was filled with formulas for cost analysis, market size, and production capacity planning, instead of any elegant car sketches, "we will completely change Maybach's development path. Our goal is not to remain at the top of the ivory tower, producing dozens of priceless works of art every year."

He surveyed the confused and even dissatisfied faces below the stage, and continued firmly:
"Our goal is to make Maybach a high-quality, highly reliable car brand that is affordable for ordinary middle-class families through hard work. We are not following the old path of Rolls-Royce and Bentley, but rather—mass industrial production to conquer the global market with high quality at low prices!"

"Whoa—" The conference room erupted in an uproar.

An elderly engineer with gray hair, who had worked at Maybach his entire life, suddenly stood up, his face flushed with excitement: "Mr. Su! This is impossible! Maybach's glory lies in its handcrafted nature, its uniqueness, and its ultimate performance! You're asking us to make a noble swan compete with ducks in a pond for food! This is the destruction of the brand!"

“Mr. Hans, please calm down.” Su Ning calmly gestured for him to sit down. “I understand your feelings about tradition. But please consider this: the post-war world has changed. The aristocracy is declining, while a completely new and enormous middle class is rising in Europe and America. They crave reliable, comfortable cars that reflect a certain taste, yet are affordable. This market is far larger than the market of a mere few hundred top billionaires—a thousand times, ten thousand times larger!”

He walked to the blackboard and began to elaborate on his "Japanese car-style" strategic concept.

Although Japanese automakers such as Toyota had not yet fully risen to prominence at that time, Suning foresaw the success of this model with its forward-thinking vision.

1. Platform and Modular Design: "We will develop a universal chassis and powertrain platform. Based on this, we can develop passenger cars, station wagons, and even light commercial trucks! By using universal and modular components, we can greatly reduce R&D and production costs."

2. Automation and Large-Scale Production: "The new factory will introduce state-of-the-art automated stamping lines, welding robots, and efficient final assembly lines. Our goal is not to maximize profits per vehicle, but to achieve economies of scale. The objective is to exceed 50,000 vehicles per year within three years!"

3. Quality and Reliability as the Core: "High quality at a low price—'low price' is the means, 'high quality' is the core! Maybach's new slogan will be 'German craftsmanship, reliable companion.' We want every Maybach that rolls off the production line to have durability, safety, and craftsmanship far exceeding those of other vehicles in the same price range. This in itself is a new era's inheritance of the Maybach craftsmanship spirit!"

4. Precise market positioning: "Our competitors are not Rolls-Royce, but Mercedes-Benz's mid-range models, Buick from the US, and even potential future Japanese competitors. We will use the quality advantage of German craftsmanship to crush them!"

Suning's explanation was like throwing a boulder into a calm lake.

Excitement began to gleam in the eyes of some young designers and engineers, who saw an unprecedented future full of challenges and opportunities.

Some of the older generation remained furrowed in disapproval, feeling that this was utterly heretical.

“But Mr. Su,” a marketing manager asked worriedly, “won’t such a radical shift in brand positioning cause Maybach to lose its original high-end image and become something that doesn’t quite fit in?”

Suning smiled confidently: "Brand image can be reshaped. When our cars, with their excellent quality and affordable prices, are running on the streets of Europe and even the world, the name 'Maybach' will no longer be just a synonym for 'expensive,' but a symbol of 'trustworthy German quality.' Isn't that a greater and more lasting success?"

Thus, Suning ultimately defied all opposition and, with unwavering decisiveness, propelled the ancient ship of Maybach to turn its bow and sail into a vast but unknown blue ocean.

Although he knew that this path was fraught with risks and would draw condemnation from traditional supporters.

But if successful, Maybach will no longer be a plaything for a select few, but will become a car brand that can truly "conquer the world".

The profits and influence it brings will far exceed those of those who stick to the top luxury car category.

And Suning will also gain unimaginable wealth...

At this moment, in the Stuttgart factory, the sound of machines being debugged seemed to have taken on a new rhythm, no longer the slow and delicate hand-hammering, but a powerful, efficient, and precise roar full of industrial force.

An "industrial revolution" belonging to Maybach has officially begun under the strong leadership of Suning.

This phoenix, reborn from the ashes, did not choose to fly back to its original golden cage, but instead prepared to spread its wings and soar to cover a wider world.

...(End of chapter)