Returning wealthy individuals develop their hometowns and become rich in the 1980s

December 82, 10

The Xiaochi Auto test vehicle team, which started from Jinbu Industrial Park in Zhaoyang District, Tuocheng, spent nearly a week driving on national highways in Fujian Province. After leaving Fujian Province, they plunged into Zhejiang Province and finally arrived in Shanghai on the 15th.

As the test vehicle convoy traveled along the road, it became the front page of local newspapers in every city it visited. The "Dilu" leading the way, with its golden horse head logo on the front, became the best advertisement for Xiaochi Motors.

In an era before Rolls-Royce and other luxury cars from overseas entered China, the general public had little experience with such vehicles. Upon suddenly seeing such a luxurious convoy, the locals followed behind on bicycles. Only when the convoy stopped for a meal did those who had followed begin to chat with the test drivers.

Upon learning that it was the Tuocheng Xiaochi Automobile that had been reported in the news, everyone was extremely curious. The local police and other departments were also in an uproar, especially in Ningcheng. After the local police chief test-drove the "Zhaoyebai", he praised the car, saying that it was not only powerful but also drove smoothly, and most importantly, it looked good.

Chen Dong's road test was less about testing the vehicle's adaptability to different geographical environments in China and more about promoting the coastal economic belt around China.

As someone who lived through the past, Chen Dong naturally knew that after China's reform and opening up, three regions would be the first to become wealthy: the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region, the Yangtze River Delta region, and the Pearl River Delta region. In the future, Xiaochi Motors would prioritize opening Xiaochi 4S stores in these three regions for direct sales.

As long as Snapdragon secures its sales channels in these three regions, it can firmly establish itself. As for other regions, it will expand its reach through franchisees and other means.

Those who have seen the logo on the front of the Xiaochi car automatically refer to "Dilu" and "Zhaoyebai" as "Big Horse" and "Little Horse," and some have even heard that Xiaochi cars are named after the famous horses of various ancient emperors and generals, and that "Dilu" is called "Bao Ma" (meaning "BMW").

Later, more people simply called the car "Continental" and referred to "Dilu" as "Emperor". After the internet became developed in the millennium, various jokes about the car appeared online.

For example, various jokes emerged, such as "The Black Emperor is untouchable, the White Emperor has confidence, to drive the Emperor you need to get foreign exchange, to ride the White Emperor you need to go to sea," but these are all stories for later.

When the test vehicle convoy entered the urban area of ​​Shanghai, it caused a phenomenal sensation. Shanghai has always been an important economic hub in southern China. The people here were exposed to various new Western things very early on. In particular, after the central government proposed reform and opening up, Shanghai was one of the first cities to receive policy support.

On Nanjing Road in Shanghai, bicycles flow like a tide, with the crisp sound of bells ringing incessantly. People go to work on their old bicycles, some with children on the back, others with freshly bought groceries in their baskets—everything is so ordinary.

At the corner, three cars that I had never seen before turned onto the main road of Nanjing Road. People riding bicycles around couldn't help but turn their heads and stop, their eyes full of curiosity.

The lead car, a silver-gray sedan, had a streamlined body that gleamed softly in the sunlight. The golden horse head emblem on the hood stood proudly, as if it were about to leap off the engine. Behind it was a black car of the same model, and then a slightly smaller silver-white sedan.

"My goodness!"

A middle-aged man riding a bicycle nearly crashed into the car in front of him. He quickly slammed on the brakes, braced himself with his feet, and stared blankly as the three vehicles drove past him.

The person who was almost rear-ended also stopped their bicycle and asked the person behind them incredulously, "What kind of vehicle is this? I've never seen one like it before?"

As the convoy passed by, more and more people stopped to watch. As more and more people stopped, some simply parked their cars on the side of the road and craned their necks to look out.

Meanwhile, many more cyclists pedaled furiously to catch up. For a moment, a strange sight appeared on Nanjing Road: a test convoy of three brand-new cars and two buses led the way, followed by hundreds of bicycles, like a long dragon, appearing in front of pedestrians.

"Wow! We've never seen such a beautiful car before! What country is it from?" someone asked curiously.

"Those are cars produced by Xiaochi Company in Tuocheng, Guangdong. It's been mentioned in the newspapers and on the radio," an old man with his hands behind his back explained to the young woman.

"Wow! That's a car made by us Chinese! It's really beautiful!"

The convoy continued to move slowly forward. At each intersection, more bicycles followed. By the time they reached the vicinity of People's Square, there was a dense crowd of at least four or five hundred bicycles behind them.

Such a sensational scene naturally attracted the attention of the local police. A Shanghai-plated police car, license plate number 760, billowing black smoke, stopped the convoy of test vehicles that was still in motion. Four police officers in white uniforms got out of the car and saluted the driver of the "Dilu" sedan.

"Hello sir, please show me your identification!"

Sitting in the passenger seat was Huang Bensheng, the supervisor leading the team. He hurriedly took out various documents from his briefcase, opened the car door, and politely greeted the police officer who was saluting in front, "Hello comrade, we are from Tuocheng Xiaochi Automobile Company. We are departing from Tuocheng to conduct a road test around China. This is the road test document issued by the Ministry of Industry. Please take a look!"

Upon hearing Huang Bensheng's words, another policeman standing behind him took the document, glanced at it, and asked in surprise, "Comrade, you're from Tuocheng? Did you build this car yourself?"

Huang Bensheng nodded, pointing to the documents, various letters of introduction, and vehicle registration certificates, "These are the cars manufactured by our Xiaochi Automobile. We have all the necessary paperwork for road testing, comrade!"

Just as the traffic police were looking at the documents and indicating that they needed to conduct an inspection, several people carrying cameras and microphones ran over and shouted at Huang Bensheng, "Comrade, we are from Shanghai TV Station. May we interview you?"

"Of course," Huang Bensheng readily replied.

Before Huang Bensheng set off, Chen Dong had already told him that during the road test, the local news media would take photos and report on the event, and he must cooperate fully and not refuse.

This is a great opportunity to promote Xiaochi Motors for free. Once the Chinese people learn that their own people can build such a beautiful luxury car, they will definitely help spread the word about Xiaochi Motors.

The man carrying the camera immediately started filming the three cars, while the female reporter began questioning Huang Bensheng with a microphone. The convoy was stopped, and the crowd that had followed immediately surrounded the area.