What the hell is a private enterprise?

Chapter 373 Preparation
"Tang Wen, Tang Wen!"

Backstage at the press conference, Shi Juzhu excitedly tugged at Tang Wen's clothes, completely unable to contain his excitement.

"You're a marketing master! You're amazing! I've never seen anything like you before, anywhere in the country or even abroad!"

Marketing guru Shi Juzhu seems to have just gone through a brainstorming session, with countless ideas popping out of his head.

Not only him, but Zhao Hande and Gao Yuliang, who were chatting about their feelings, also frequently looked over.

This is amazing, incredible, and groundbreaking.

This press conference can truly be described as unprecedented, absolutely!

However, the real protagonist didn't have it so easy. It was his first time doing this, and he was very nervous. There were a lot of unexpected events, but he managed to get through it all thanks to his conceptual output.

Because the internet is not yet mature enough and its coverage is not wide enough, the tactic of releasing prices separately to generate public opinion was ineffective, so the price was announced on the spot.

However, since there is no mobile app for ordering cars now, relying on traditional media advertising is delayed, so the publicity after the press conference is even more important.

Even with dozens of air conditioners in the venue running at full capacity, he was still covered in sweat.

"Xiao Tang, we need at least fifteen of these cars."

Zhao Hande originally didn't intend to be involved in government vehicle procurement, but this press conference saw some changes compared to previous ones:
Realizing the promotional video was very effective, Tang Wen still mobilized the car factory to manually modify the prototype car on display:
The headlights were changed from round to square, and a light strip was added between the taillights to make the trunk a continuous design. Then, a bodywork mechanic was hired to make a new hood and rearview mirrors, reshape the front and rear fenders, and replace them with brand new CNC-milled aluminum alloy wheels.

This change transforms it from a mere "rebranding and facelift" into a "similar resemblance," at least providing more justification when clashing with BMW in the future.

Since they're not just rebranding vehicles, it's acceptable to purchase some for use as official buses.

“I’ll buy one in Echeng too. We happen to have a car replacement quota this year, so let’s give it all to Gaijin.”

Gao Yuliang followed suit, saying that while cars starting at 40 are expensive, high-end buses are not cheap either, so local car manufacturers should certainly support them.

After they finished speaking, Shen Wei jogged over:

"Mr. Tang, we've received 70 pre-orders!"

"so much!"

Tang Wen was somewhat surprised. There were fewer than three hundred people present, and probably less than a hundred of them were wealthy businessmen.

Shen Wei quickly added, "There are also some suppliers from large factories, maybe seven or eight."

The group then understood; this person wanted to establish good karma.

"That's still quite a lot," Zhao Hande remarked, then asked:

"What's the deal with your phone number and website offering free car options for selecting configurations? The costs must be quite high, right? Why don't you open a physical store?"

"Of course we will open stores, but I only plan to open directly operated stores for now, and the expansion will be very slow."

Tang Wen: "There are only ten such companies nationwide, and they only have display vehicles, which is far from enough to meet the demand."

Television advertising is a crucial channel; subcontracting it to regional agents can easily damage a brand's reputation. Selling luxury cars requires cultivating a positive atmosphere.

Shi Juzhu, who was standing nearby, also expressed his agreement:

"The quality of regional agents... Hmph."

Zhao Hande: "How many vehicles do you expect to sell?"

Tang Wen stroked his chin:
"In the first month... two to five hundred cars. If we can sell 1500 cars this year, we'll be considered successful. The key is definitely in the 100,000 yuan range, which is much harder than selling luxury cars."

Four or five hundred thousand will not be a small amount in thirty years; it will be equivalent to a luxury car worth over a million, truly only for a select few.

1500 vehicles would generate 7.5 million in sales; under the current conditions, achieving that should be about right.

"By the way, I'd like to edit the press conference down to 30 minutes and broadcast it on CCTV, is that alright?"

Tang Wen then made another request. Gao Yuliang immediately replied:
"Local TV stations can broadcast for a long time, even an hour after 8 pm, I'm talking about within the province."

"CCTV...okay." Zhao Hande finally agreed.

……

"Wishing Mr. Tang great wealth."

Old Zhang shook the delivery slip in his hand. It was for five customized Hanma S9s that Gai Jin had given to the Navy, and the delivery was expected to take two months.

Given the current relationship between the two sides, this is just a drop in the ocean; even twenty vehicles are nothing, not even comparable to the freebies included in a single arms sale.

"Are you sure you want Cheshire and Zara?"

The cruiser that will be given as a bonus to the Hanover has been confirmed.

The Cheshire was a fictional Tier VIII cruiser from the British Navy, and the next model in the historical "Albemarle" program. It was a heavy cruiser equipped with three twin 234mm gun turrets, and had a large and relatively modern hull.

The Zara is a Tier VII cruiser of the Italian Navy, and along with the Algeria (a Type 055 destroyer), it was one of the best heavy cruisers of its time, with a very good foundation.

The navy's thinking is simple: only the big ones matter.

Old Zhang: "We don't need the modification. We want to hand it over to a domestic shipyard for a trial, but please remove all the turrets and superstructures, just the hull."

Tang Wen said OK, then looked around to make sure no one was eavesdropping.

"By the way, we should have the nuclear submarine data you requested."

"Oh, oh." Old Zhang nodded subconsciously.
What kind of submarine was it?

"We are only confident for now. It's not the most advanced model. We'll only know what it looks like when the time comes. We're just giving you a chance to make some preparations in advance."

However, barring any unforeseen circumstances, it will most likely be the Los Angeles level.

Actually, it's not just the US; during U-boat activities in Europe, quite a few submarines with British or Chinese characters have been discovered, and it's unknown whether any of them are nuclear submarines.

However, Tang Wen didn't think much of it; he still preferred to fleece the empire.

His target was the Missouri fleet heading south. The Empire cautiously sealed off the voyage after it set sail, and no one knew where they would pass through or stop.

Finding a three-ship fleet on the vast ocean is indeed difficult, but it's a different story with dozens of U-boats:

To avoid alerting the enemy, these U-boats conduct low-speed surveillance and relay information, requiring them to relocate their positions approximately every 10 hours.

According to the latest developments, the Missouri task force is deliberately detouring towards the Pacific Ocean, and surveillance has revealed that the nuclear submarine surfaces to communicate every two to three days.

There are now 40 U-boats circling the formation, then stopping ahead to quietly monitor the situation, and repeating the cycle once they detect any movement.

U4501 and eight U2501s are also on their way. The current plan is to encircle and kill them off the coast of Panama, which will allow them to take advantage of the cover provided by the surrounding cargo ships.

Considering the attack window, it will last at most 3 to 5 days.

Nuclear submarines are not ordinary supplies, so Tang Wen gave very serious instructions:
"The people you contact must be extremely confidential and highly trustworthy; otherwise, even a small leak could cause huge problems."

"I see."

Old Zhang was also very serious. He knew that there were no more than two people who knew about the nuclear submarine data trade, so it was the kind of deal that would absolutely not cause any problems.

Even if there is contact at that time, it will definitely be limited to a small number of people. As it is almost top secret, the safety is guaranteed. He is more worried about Tang Wen having an accident and involving Chinese people.

"Me? No way."

Tang Wen vehemently denied it, as that would only implicate the Second Fleet.

(End of this chapter)