I can become stronger by paying salaries. I have one billion employees!

Chapter 663 Technological Hegemony! Bundled Sales! You kneel down, and I'll consider it—no, you're really going to kneel?
Panasonic has had a tough year.

Not only did it lose a large number of power battery orders, but its sales in the camera and camcorder sectors also continued to decline.

The reason is simple: competing companies have all started using deep blue batteries, while Panasonic is still using traditional lithium batteries.

Take camera batteries as an example. A Deep Blue battery of the same size can support 1500 photos, while a Panasonic camera battery can only take 300 to 500 photos at most.

While carrying an extra battery can solve the problem, if one battery can last a whole day of shooting, and the image quality is the same, who would still choose Panasonic products?
Therefore, even though Panasonic Chairman Yoshino knew that sending Yamada Yuki to China would most likely result in rejection, he still held onto a sliver of hope and decided to give it a try.

However, when Yamada Yuki arrived, he discovered that without an invitation, he couldn't even get through the gate.

He stood at the entrance of DeepBlue Technology with his assistant and entourage, looking extremely embarrassed.

Shenzhen in August was hot and humid. It wasn't that Yamada Yuki didn't want to get in the car and turn on the air conditioning, but he was afraid that if he left, he would miss Chen Yansen.

He made up his mind to wait until Chen Yansen, Ma Zhiao, or Zeng Jiwen passed by in a car before immediately chasing after them and begging them.

At that moment, a Tesla Model S LR slowly came to a stop, and the window rolled down, revealing a face that Yamada Yuki knew all too well—Elon Musk.

Yuki Yamada was slightly taken aback. He really hadn't expected that Musk would attach so much importance to this procurement negotiation meeting, and would actually come all the way from the United States to Shenzhen.

"Mr. Yamada, it's been a long time. What brings you here?"

Musk glanced at Yuki Yamada, whose forehead was sweating, and joked with a smile.

Musk and Yuki Yamada are old acquaintances.

After all, Tesla had previously been supplied with battery packs by Panasonic, and Yuki Yamada was the one in charge of coordinating this cooperation.

However, with the advent of the Deep Blue battery, Tesla's purchases of Panasonic batteries have been declining sharply.

Currently, Panasonic batteries are only used in some low-cost versions with short battery life.

In 2014, the price of a pure electric sports sedan was as high as tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of US dollars. Users who were willing to spend money to buy Tesla had higher requirements for range performance and handling, which led to Panasonic's power batteries being unpopular in the North American market.

With the price of Deep Blue batteries trending downwards, Musk has even considered a complete switch to Deep Blue batteries.

"I'm waiting for a friend."

Yuki Yamada stammered.

He couldn't very well say that he was stopped at the door by security personnel because he didn't have an invitation, could he?

"Mr. Yamada, please continue. I won't bother you any longer." Musk saw through his intentions but didn't say anything. He waved his hand, signaling the driver to start the car.

Yamada Yuki forced a smirk and was about to take a step back when an idea suddenly popped into his head: Why not take this opportunity to get into Musk's car and go inside with him?

Thinking of this, he quickly stopped and reached out to stop him, forcing himself to speak: "Mr. Musk, I just realized that there are still some details about the battery supply price in the second half of the year that I'd like to discuss with you. If you don't mind, could I get a ride with you? We can discuss things on the way."

Musk grinned, knowing exactly what was going on.

He's not stupid; he already knew that DeepBlue Technology had blacklisted Panasonic.

He knew that if he didn't think things through and brought his current comfortable life into DeepBlue Technology, Chen Yansen might take his anger out on Tesla.

"It's not convenient today, let's talk about it another day."

Musk made up a perfunctory excuse, and as soon as he finished speaking, he waved to the driver to start the car, not giving Yamada Yuki a chance to speak again.

After verifying the invitation, the gatekeeper immediately raised the barrier to let people in.

"Xinei!"

Seeing that Musk refused to help, Yuki Yamada could only watch helplessly as the three cars drove deeper into the Deep Blue Tech Park.

At this moment, he felt a little regretful; he had been too impulsive last year!
He underestimated the impact of high-energy lithium-sulfur batteries on consumer electronics, new energy vehicles, and the medical industry.

They underestimated Chen Yansen's skill and courage!
If they say they won't supply Panasonic, they really won't give them any chance at all!
They act decisively, leaving no room for ambiguity!

Following closely behind, representatives from companies such as Yamasei, LG, and BMW passed by one after another, but not a single one dared to give Yamada Yuki a ride.

Those who have reached their current positions are not unintelligent and naturally do not want to cause trouble.

Besides, what benefit would I get from helping Yamada Yuki?
There's absolutely no benefit to it!

On the contrary, they have to bear huge risks.

Therefore, everyone avoided him like the plague.

In August, the weather in Shenzhen grew increasingly hot, and the incessant chirping of cicadas from the branches along the roadside made Yamada Yuki even more irritable.

A dozen minutes later, Ma Zhiao, the CEO of DeepBlue Technology, finally arrived.

As if grasping at the last straw, Yamada Yuki practically ran over, not even bothering to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

"Mr. Ma! Mr. Ma, please wait!" he shouted in broken Chinese, waving his hand. His voice was filled with barely concealed urgency.

Ma Zhiao peeked out and looked at Yamada Yuki, who was covered in sweat. A knowing look flashed in his eyes, but he didn't speak immediately. He just watched him quietly.

Yuki Yamada ran to the car, bent over and gasped for breath before he could finally calm himself down. He forced a fawning smile and said, "Mr. Ma, I am Yuki Yamada from Panasonic. I would like to talk to you about battery supply."

Last year we were wrong. We shouldn't have questioned the pricing and safety of DeepBlue batteries at an industry conference, and we certainly shouldn't have joined other manufacturers in boycotting them. Could you please give Panasonic a second chance?

"I'm sorry, I can't help you," Ma Zhiao said, shaking his head.

The big boss personally ordered that no supplies be provided to Panasonic for the next three years.

Hiroki Yamada swallowed hard, feeling his throat dry and parched; the shirt under his suit was probably soaked with sweat.

There was a time when Chinese buyers came to him, and he always acted superior, taking the opportunity to have them eat, drink, and play with him.

Now that the roles have been completely reversed, he truly understands how unbearable it is to be choked.

After saying this, Ma Zhiao drove into the company's campus.

Yuki Yamada stood frozen in place, watching Ma Zhi'ao's taillights disappear into the depths of the park, too exhausted to even reach out and stop him again.

His assistant handed him a bottle of mineral water. He unscrewed the cap and gulped down several mouthfuls. The icy water slid down his throat, but it couldn't suppress the heat and anger in his heart.

He recalled a scene from three years ago when he hosted a representative of a Chinese manufacturer in Tokyo.

The other party came with a thick cooperation proposal to purchase the product, but he deliberately kept them waiting for two hours.

Mastering advanced technology gives you confidence in your words!
However, DeepBlue Technology currently holds the dominant position, while he has become the one asking for help.

"Minister Yamada, what do we do now?" the assistant asked cautiously, his voice filled with frustration and unease.

Yuki Yamada did not answer, but stared at the tightly closed door of Deep Blue Technology with a complicated expression.

He suddenly remembered what Yoshino had told him before he left: "Yamada, this time when you go to China, you must put aside all pride and even kneel down and beg them to get the battery order back."

At the time, he thought the chairman was exaggerating, but now he realizes that Panasonic has long since lost the leverage to negotiate.

After a year of development, even the medical device industry is switching to Deep Blue batteries.

High-energy-density lithium batteries can store a large amount of electrical energy in a small volume and weight, making them suitable for devices such as portable patient monitors and small oxygen concentrators. This facilitates mobile operation and patient portability, making them particularly beneficial for home healthcare and emergency scenarios. Furthermore, DeepBlue batteries can provide longer-lasting power to medical devices, reducing the inconvenience of frequent charging.

It's important to understand that medical equipment is always expensive, and buyers don't care about the cost of DeepBlue batteries. They value the battery's battery life, ease of use, and safety and stability more.

"What should I do? What else can I do?"

Yuki Yamada slammed the empty mineral water bottle to the ground. The plastic bottle bounced twice on the scorching asphalt before rolling into the roadside bushes.

The assistant shrank back, not daring to say another word.

suddenly!

Out of the corner of his eye, Yamada Yuki spotted a Mercedes-Benz S600L. This car was unusual, as it was escorted by a minivan in the front and a minivan in the back.

Even Ma Zhiao, the CEO of DeepBlue Technology, doesn't have this kind of VIP treatment!

Yamada Yuki's heart skipped a beat, and he instantly realized what was happening.

"Mr. Chen! Mr. Chen, please wait!"

Before the assistant could react, he saw Yamada Yuki jogging towards the Mercedes S600L.

The Mercedes slowly came to a stop, and the rear window rolled down, revealing Chen Yansen's calm profile.

He looked at the panting Yamada Yuki, his eyes showing no surprise, only a knowing indifference, as if he had expected him to stop the car.

After all, with his mental strength, he had already spotted Yamada Yuki lying in wait at the door.

Unlike last year, Yamada Yuki was covered in sweat and looked disheveled.

He also smelled of sweat!

Chen Yansen frowned, looking disgusted, and asked indifferently, "What is it?"

Yuki Yamada nodded hurriedly, bowing even lower, almost touching the car window: "President Chen, I apologize to you and to Deep Blue Technology for my rude behavior last year! Please give Panasonic a chance, even if it's just a small batch of supplies, we are willing to accept any conditions."

"Would kneeling be acceptable?" Chen Yansen countered, then paused before adding, "Perhaps I'll consider it."

Yamada Yuki was taken aback when he heard this; he hadn't expected Chen Yansen to make this request.

But he immediately remembered the chairman's instructions, so he gritted his teeth, took a step back, and knelt directly on the scorching cement road.

Then he lowered his hands and forehead and kowtowed to Chen Yansen.

Damn, this is so unlucky!

I asked you to kneel down, not to kowtow!
Why are you adding more drama to your story?

Chen Yansen chuckled lightly and said slowly, "You actually knelt down when I told you to? But I've thought it over, I won't accept your apology."

"..." Yamada Yuki couldn't say a word, his face suddenly turning a deep liver color.

He had always thought that Chen Yansen should at least consider his reputation, but he never expected that the other party didn't take him seriously at all and instead made him dizzy with his tricks.

"Old Huang, drive."

Chen Yansen looked away, feeling utterly bored.

The other party knelt down too quickly, and he felt no satisfaction at all.

Before he could even stand up, Yamada Yuki could only watch as the wheels of the Mercedes slowly turned, kicking up a small pebble from the roadside that hit him squarely in the cheek.

The pain itself was nothing, but the humiliation he felt surged up like a tide, making him tremble all over.

This scene was witnessed by Huawei and Aston Martin's suppliers.

Their first thought was that this person was out of his mind; who would kneel down to do business?
9:30 a.m., DeepBlue Technology Conference Hall.

More than 30 key account (KA) buyers were present, and during their exchanges, they inadvertently learned about Panasonic's embarrassing situation.

In an instant, everyone felt a chill and became much more obedient.

Several buyers had originally planned to take this opportunity to win over a few major clients and put pressure on DeepBlue Technology to increase their bargaining power and force Chen Yansen to lower the price by another five or ten percent.

But when they witnessed Matsushita's fate, all those chaotic thoughts vanished instantly.

They were completely awake!
This is a seller's market, not a buyer's market!
Unless they can find a second alternative supplier, they have no choice but to accept whatever price DeepBlue Technology quotes.

Chen Yansen sat in the first row and chatted casually with Musk, Sun Rongzhen of Shanxing, and Herbert of BMW.

Then, Ma Zhiao went up to the stage, connected to the LED projection screen, and displayed the concept image of the second-generation Deep Blue Battery, with some core parameters on the right.

"First of all, thank you all for coming all the way to Shenzhen to participate in DeepBlue Technology's 2014 Procurement Negotiation Meeting. Today, there are two main points. First, for the first generation of products, our company will adjust the supply volume and supply price."

Secondly, we will launch the second-generation Deep Blue Battery!

Ma Zhiao spoke eloquently.

He then pressed the space bar, and the parameter table on the LED projection screen instantly enlarged.

The core parameters, such as "energy density of 860 watt-hours per kilogram," "cycle life of 1400 cycles," and "discharge efficiency of 88% at -10 degrees Celsius," were like nails, piercing the eyes of all the buyers present.

"This unscientific!"

"Herbert, BMW's purchasing manager, whispered."

The second-generation Deep Blue battery boasts a performance increase of over 40% compared to the first generation, both in terms of energy density and cycle life.

Aston Martin's purchasing director, Philippe, rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn't seeing things, and then couldn't help but gasp.

Musk leaned back in his chair, his eyes brimming with excitement.

The Tesla Model S LR has a range of 1200 kilometers. Once it is equipped with the second-generation Deep Blue battery, the range will easily exceed 1600 kilometers while maintaining the same weight. This is an absolutely crushing advantage in the North American market.

How can traditional gasoline-powered cars compete with Tesla in terms of range?

The murmurs from the audience gradually subsided, and Ma Zhiao continued, "Regarding the adjustment of the supply price for first-generation batteries: Starting in August, we will reduce the supply price by 10% for customers with long-term cooperation and no default record."

However, for partners whose purchase volume has not met the contract requirements in the past six months, the supply price will remain unchanged. If the target is still not met by the end of the year, we will terminate the cooperation directly and remove them from the market.

Ma Zhiao's tone and attitude were very assertive.

DeepBlue Technology's technological dominance is already established; he is announcing it, not negotiating it.

Seeing that no one objected, Ma Zhiao continued, "Due to production capacity constraints, the overall supply of the first-generation Deep Blue Battery will be reduced to 60% of the original amount, and the remaining capacity will be fully invested in the production of the second-generation product."

In addition, for every $500 million worth of second-generation Deep Blue batteries purchased, a 5% discount on first-generation products will be automatically applied, up to a maximum of 10%.

To put it bluntly, DeepBlue Technology is using a bundled sales strategy.

(End of this chapter)