From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 298 Xu Yi: I thought of something funny

Jia Yueting was abroad and couldn't communicate directly with Xingchen, so he was secretly trying to find out what was going on with Xingchen.

Last year, the other party made a name for itself in the new energy field, and he was keen to make connections with them. However, LeEco's series of explosive growth happened too quickly, so he hurriedly went abroad and fled.

It's a pity.

Otherwise, he would definitely be friends with Mr. Xu!

The platform through which Evergrande implements its car manufacturing initiative is primarily through Evergrande Health.

—Key actions such as investing in Faraday Future, disclosing transactions, arranging funding, and securing board seats were all driven by people from the Xia Haijun system in the President's Office of Evergrande Health.

Evergrande Health has just acquired the FF license and is simultaneously working on establishing the necessary qualifications for landing and supplementing its supply chain channels.

In fact, since last year, new energy vehicles have become the most sought-after theme in the capital market.

Even though many companies have gone bankrupt due to financial crises, the capital behind them has become increasingly larger.

Investors and shareholders share the same sentiment: the cars you built back then weren't powerful enough, and your capital wasn't strong enough either!

It's no surprise that they went bankrupt and suffered financial ruin.

Now that Evergrande has entered the fray, this punch carries the power of two billion US dollars!

...

Xia Haijun and Xu Jiaying's plan was to transform Evergrande Health into a complete entry point for car manufacturing, but they needed more convincing evidence.

Having only FF91 isn't enough; we need to bring out something truly impressive.

At least the pieces of the puzzle need to be put together: batteries, motors, and vehicle manufacturing.

Manufacturing cars isn't difficult.

It's nothing more than "buy, buy, buy; circle, circle, circle; merge, merge, merge; big, big, big; good, good, good!"
Evergrande is reportedly targeting companies such as NEVS, CALB New Energy, and TATE Electromechanical, aiming to build a complete industrial chain from batteries to complete vehicles.

Among them, CALB New Energy is a Sino-Japanese joint venture that focuses on the field of new energy power batteries and can provide Evergrande with ternary lithium power batteries that meet automotive standards.

However, CALB New Energy's size and market value are only at the bottom of the top ten in the power battery industry.

The industry reputation of Polestar Battery and the soaring market value of Weineng Battery after its listing also caught Evergrande's attention.

If we bring the prestigious Star Auto brand into this narrative, the whole picture will be even more complete!

As the saying goes, action speaks louder than words.

To show sincerity.

On April 13, Xia Haijun personally led a team to inspect Xingchen Group and held a "meeting of giants"!
of course.

This is Evergrande's perspective.

When Xu Yi learned that the Evergrande team had come for him, he could only frown.

A strange feeling gradually crept into my mind.

"Wow—good heavens, why is Evergrande approaching us?"

Others trust Evergrande, so how could he not know what's going on with this thing?
Add Faraday Future FF91, and the buffs are practically stacked to the max.

He saw a joke on his phone earlier.
If you feel your life is going too smoothly, you could consider buying an off-plan apartment from Evergrande and a new energy vehicle...

But actually, this isn't classic enough.

He knew an even more hellish version.

That means first buying LeEco stock, then buying Evergrande pre-sale housing, and then buying a Hengchi car... This can be called the three great joys of life!

This is it for my whole life!

-

"Mr. Xu, this is great news..."

Yu Nian entered the office with a smile, but his first words made Xu Yi's face turn dark.

"Good news? What good news is there?" Xu Yi retorted.

"The Evergrande team will be arriving at the company soon. Last year, Evergrande spent a lot of money promoting its intention to manufacture cars. This is a major move in its strategic transformation of the real estate industry," Yu Nian said with a smile.

Xu Yi was both amused and exasperated: "All I heard was the cawing of crows overhead."

From another perspective, that's not wrong either.

It was indeed a big move, but it was so big that it set off a major incident.

When the time comes, there will be wailing everywhere and blood and spittle flying everywhere. Just don't get splattered on yourself.

Yu Nian didn't know why President Xu gave this reply, and secretly glanced out the floor-to-ceiling window.

Hmm—where did these crows come from on the fifteenth floor?

"The promotional posters for the Brilliant U9 are ready."

He didn't understand, and didn't want to ask, so he simply changed the subject.

Xingchen Group attaches great importance to the promotion of its only high-end brand, and even though the "Brilliant U9" has only been built with a shell and electric motor powertrain so far, it can be said to have been put into every aspect.

The paint, materials, and meticulous finishing... everything about it is top-notch.

The Kyoto International Motor Show opened at the end of April. In terms of scale, brand completeness, and debut density, it was the highest in China that year, and it was also the perfect day to unveil the exterior of the Brilliant U9.

Xu Yi took the rendered image, looked at it, and then nodded, "This is truly a good thing!"

The U9 comes in two design levels. The first level is a high-end performance sports car model with four doors and five seats, targeting the million-level market.

The second-tier two-seater supercar is a specially made carbon fiber version designed for top-tier world-class racetracks and breaking world records and lap records.

It can be called a "track prototype".

A well-known example is the 919 Hybrid Evo, an oversized model specifically designed to break records.

This includes the famous Nürburgring lap record and lap times at major internationally renowned racetracks.

The Starry Sky is preparing to unveil its first-tier model, the Brilliant U9.

There is absolutely no information about supercars in China.

The ultimate purpose of supercars is to show off.

But no domestic car manufacturer has ever been able to pull off this kind of impressive feat.

This is a shortcoming of the industry.

The NIO EP9 takes a different approach, using a shell to create a supercar, but it falls slightly short in terms of style.

ff91 made empty promises with a PowerPoint presentation, and will be returning to China next week; his performance was somewhat lackluster.

Xu Yi intended to lead the trend and create a unique domestic high-end car, and finally participated in history, witnessing the "stylish" development of Evergrande's car manufacturing.

speak English.

The people from Evergrande are so flamboyant, you can't help but be there.

"Mr. Xu, seeing is believing..." Xia Haijun introduced himself first. As the president of Evergrande's board of directors and a senior promoter of Evergrande's health car manufacturing project, he felt that he had given them enough face and sincerity by coming here.

Convincing Xingchen Motors should be a piece of cake.

"Evergrande is interested in entering the new energy vehicle sector. We've also contacted Mr. Jia of LeEco... oh no, Faraday Future. This year, we plan to invest $2 billion in domestically produced supercars, and another 5-8 billion to acquire some supply chain companies, to develop cars exclusively for Evergrande, producing hundreds of thousands of vehicles a year..."

Xia Haijun speaks fluently and is a straightforward person.

He talks about billions of dollars as if they're nothing.

"As you know, Evergrande builds houses, and making cars is to maintain its style. In the future, the domestic elites and middle class will live in Evergrande's high-end houses and drive Evergrande's cars..."

Wow—their life couldn't be happier!

The words had barely left his mouth.

Xu Yi, who was sipping his tea, suddenly spat it out with a "pfft"!

The saliva was sprayed onto the expensive wool carpet in the reception area and was absorbed at a visible speed.

A puddle of water was left behind, which looked extremely unsightly.

Xia Haijun was dumbfounded, and at the same time, his "spellcasting" was interrupted.

"Mr. Xu, did you choke?" he asked, puzzled.

"Hmm, maybe..." Xu Yi replied casually, but the slight twitching at the corner of his mouth was almost uncontrollable.

Living in Evergrande's pre-sale apartments and buying Evergrande cars, great, great, so that's what you guys think internally too, right?
This is so stressful!
"..." Xia Haijun was slightly speechless, and a thought began to run through his mind.

Yes it is, no it is not.

What could it mean?
He reluctantly added:

"So we invested in Faraday Future, just like how real estate developments aim for high-end positioning, car manufacturing should also start with the high-end market."

When Evergrande's cars are launched, they will shock the entire industry. If the first batch of pre-orders is as popular as our housing sales, there might even be a lottery system for them!
We usually issue commemorative certificates to the first batch of lottery winners.

talking.

Xia Haijun even took out his phone to show the grand opening of Evergrande's high-end residential project this year!
It was a scene of "a sea of ​​people and a deafening din of gongs and drums"!
"Firecrackers crackled and red flags waved!"

I won't play any tricks on you.

His original intention was to show off in front of the stars.

Showcasing cultural heritage.

Look—

When Evergrande sells houses for several million yuan a unit, wealthy people are scrambling to buy them.

If you sell a car worth a few hundred thousand, it'll be snapped up!

Consumers who are able to buy a unit through the lottery are truly fortunate.

"Pfft-"

His response was another burst of tea that he couldn't hold back.

Assistant Xiao Zhou had just changed Xu Yi's cup of tea.

He stared in utter astonishment.

The wet stain on the carpet has gotten even bigger!
Xu Yi could guarantee that he had really tried his best to suppress the attack, but he never expected that the Evergrande team's words would be more and more devastating.

Manufacturing cars is one thing, but you even have a license plate lottery system...

Lottery system is one thing, but you also have to issue certificates??
Take asparagus.

Is this a human job?
You should remember every single one of them, no matter how good or bad, for a lifetime.

Xia Haijun's expression started to look strange; even the most oblivious person would have noticed something was wrong.

What does it mean?
Are the new energy giants looking down on Evergrande?

"Mr. Xu, what's wrong...?"

"Sorry, I just thought of something funny."

Xu Yi waved his hands repeatedly, his expression returning to a serious one.

They control their micro-expressions with the utmost professionalism.

Xia Haijun didn't ask what was funny, but went straight to the point:
"Evergrande also plans to build its own new energy battery factory. After all, power batteries are the core of new energy vehicles. If Polestar is willing to cooperate and jointly build a battery factory with Evergrande, we can use Polestar's battery technology in Evergrande Group's future new energy vehicles and grow stronger together..."

Purchasing Polestar batteries is one approach, but Evergrande believes that its group size cannot meet the needs of procurement alone, nor can it achieve the goal of significantly reducing costs.

“That’s a good idea—but I refuse,” Xu Yi said outright.

"What? Rejection??"

Xia Haijun had considered many developments, but he did not expect Xingchen's attitude to be so decisive and unilateral, without even a second of thought. If it were any other power battery manufacturer in China, they would have given it serious consideration, right?

"Mr. Xu, don't you like making money at Xingchen?" Xia Haijun couldn't understand.

He judged that Xingchen would continue to expand its territory in the field of power batteries, and the cooperation between the two parties should be a perfect match, which would be good for business profitability and speculation of commercial expectations. When the news was released, the stock price should rise sharply.

“If Evergrande wants to purchase power batteries, they can wait until the car is actually launched. Xingchen has its own pace of expansion.” Xu Yi knew exactly what the other party was planning.

Currently, Polestar Battery selects high-quality partners for its external supply and will not participate in activities like those of Evergrande.

"Mr. Xu, do you feel that we're not sincere enough in manufacturing cars? Within Evergrande Group, new energy vehicles are positioned as a next growth target. We're willing to invest real money to try things like the FF91, a high-end new energy supercar, and do what traditional car manufacturers haven't done yet..."

With resources concentrated, this matter can be completed quickly, and Mr. Jia is currently selecting a suitable battery supplier.

It would have been better if he hadn't mentioned Faraday Future.

The moment the topic was brought up, Xu Yi's expression turned even colder.

Even more popular than "returning to China next week" is "mass production by the end of the year".

Whether the FF91 can be mass-produced might fool novices, but compared to StarCraft, which is truly dedicated to the automotive industry, it seems more like a joke.

"Xingchen is very pleased to see the booming development of new energy vehicles. If that day ever comes, Xingchen will definitely attend the press conference to support the hype."

Xu Yi nodded slightly, sincerely expressing his attitude.

Instead of discussing cooperation, they simply expressed their anticipation for the press conference as a purely friendly company.

Understand the applause!

Xia Haijun felt as if he had bumped into a ball of cotton, his heart filled with mixed emotions, and his temper finally turned impatient: "Since Xingchen has no intention of cooperating, then I won't stay any longer. Let's work together again in the future if there's an opportunity."

"Okay, see them out."

What was even more ruthless than a refusal was the decisive and clean manner of seeing the guest off. Xia Haijun had just stood up when he seemed to trip over something.

He couldn't help but feel annoyed by Xingchen Group's behavior.

...

The Evergrande team left Xingchen Group in a hurry.

Sitting in the car, Xia Haijun sent a message to Jia Yueting, briefly explaining the outcome of the trip.

"This star is too arrogant!"

He added a final sentence to vent his dissatisfaction.

Meanwhile, in his villa abroad, Jia Yueting stared at the message popping up on his phone, finally losing his composure and feeling utterly bewildered.

"President Xia, did you mention my situation? Does Xingchen have absolutely no ambition in terms of high-end car manufacturing narratives?"

He was a little skeptical.

“I did mention it. They said that once you, Mr. Jia, have built the actual car, remember to send me an invitation to the press conference,” Xia Haijun replied.

Jia Yueting fell even more silent.

Judging from their attitude towards each other, Xingchen was simply ruthless!
hiss.

He could hold ten press conferences, but he might not be able to produce a single actual car.

They wanted to use Xingchen Group's name as a backer and painstakingly sought out Evergrande as an intermediary, but unexpectedly got a cold shoulder.

Feeling helpless emotionally.

A feeling of resentment arose in Jia Yueting's mind.

well--

Since we can't be friends or business partners, let's just turn them all into nutrients for FF91's fundraising!
An unnamed fire ignited within Jia Yueting, a desire to seize the stars and refine them!

The next afternoon.

A lengthy post on Weibo by the founder of LeEco, publicly criticizing Star Group, has attracted the attention of Chinese netizens and media!

The full text is as follows:

Xingchen Automotive's car manufacturing development has been very successful, reflecting the increasing maturity of China's new energy vehicle industry chain in recent years and the huge price advantage of China's manufacturing system.

While Xingchen's execution and marketing capabilities certainly deserve praise, the mindset of taking shortcuts through imitation culture and the promotion of large refrigerators, TVs, and sofas is worrying, as many people regard it as gospel.

Without genuine innovative thinking, it is undeserving of the title of a leading domestic new energy vehicle manufacturer, and it is even less capable of shouldering the task of pushing domestic automobiles towards the high-end market and leading the reform of the global industrial chain.

-

After offering their opinions and comments...

He also included promotional images of the FF91 and an official link to the collaboration with Evergrande at the end, along with pictures of the FF91's overseas factories, making the most of this wave of traffic.

(End of this chapter)