Great Power Reclamation

Chapter 2803: The Soaring Warrior Steel Group

Wei Yuxiang looked guilty: "Yuze, I'm sorry, I wanted to give Ye Mao a satisfactory answer, but it turned out like this."

Ye Yuze patted his shoulder and said, "Old Wei, you have done your best. Warrior Steel is the only company I have not paid attention to, but you have developed it to this point. It shows how much you have paid."

Then Ye Yuze looked up and saw several thick dark clouds floating over from afar. It was estimated that these dark clouds would bring rain.

"Economic development has its stages, especially the steel industry, which is the most sensitive. So don't worry about it."

Wei Yuxiang raised his head and looked at the dark clouds rolling in the sky with Ye Yuze, which seemed to be the clouds of sorrow in his heart at the moment.

Ye Yuze looked at his partner who had fought side by side for many years, and he knew how sad he was. Warrior Steel was facing difficulties now - the global economy was in a downturn, the demand for steel had plummeted, the order volume of overseas branches had dropped off a cliff, and the inventory was piling up like a mountain.

"Old Wei, let's sit down and talk first."

Ye Yuze led Wei Yuxiang into the office. On the wall hung the global map of the Warrior Steel Group. The once bright red mark was now much dimmer.

He turned on the projector, and a series of dazzling data popped up on the screen.

The capacity utilization rate of the North American branch fell below 40%, the losses in the European market exceeded expectations, and the inventory turnover days of the Southeast Asian factory have reached 90 days.

"The global economic recession is like a storm. What we need to do is not to be defeated by the rain, but to learn to hold an umbrella in the rain."

Ye Yuze pulled up a new chart. "You see, although overall demand has declined, steel demand in areas such as new energy infrastructure and green buildings has grown against the trend. This is the breakthrough."

Wei Yuxiang was a little shocked. As the eldest brother and brother, he had never asked about anything about Warrior Steel for decades, but he did not expect that he knew everything about the group.

Thinking about it carefully, I almost broke out in a cold sweat. Fortunately, I have worked diligently for decades. If I really had other thoughts, the consequences would be...

Concentrating his mind, Wei Yuxiang moved closer to the screen, a gleam of light flashing in his eyes:
"You mean, adjust the product structure?"

"Yes!" Ye Yuze nodded heavily.

"Warrior Steel can no longer stick to the old path of traditional construction steel. We must focus on high-end special steel, such as steel for wind turbine towers and lightweight steel for new energy vehicles. The group's R&D center must immediately launch special research and development, and must come up with new products within three months."

At this point, Ye Yuze opened the tablet on the table and displayed an overseas market research report:
"In addition, we need to re-position the market. The European and American markets are unlikely to recover in the short term, but countries along the Belt and Road are vigorously promoting infrastructure construction, and there is huge demand in Central Asia, the Middle East and Africa."

“We can shift the sales focus of overseas branches there, and at the same time, utilize the cheap energy and labor there to reduce production costs.”

Wei Yuxiang frowned: "But, adjusting the product structure requires a lot of capital investment, and it takes time to bring new products to market. Now the cash flow of each branch is very tight..."

“That’s exactly the third thing I want to talk about – reducing costs and increasing efficiency.”

Ye Yuze pulled up the financial data and said, "We need to conduct a major review of the global supply chain. First, we need to optimize the procurement of raw materials and renegotiate with iron ore suppliers in Australia and Brazil to secure more favorable long-term agreements."

“Secondly, we will close some inefficient production capacity and integrate factories in Europe and North America.”

“Finally, we will promote digital management and use AI technology to optimize production processes and reduce energy consumption.”

Then, Ye Yuze took out a plan: "I have contacted several international investment banks and are preparing to issue green bonds."

"Warrior Steel has invested heavily in environmental protection transformation in recent years. We can take this opportunity to show the market our determination for green transformation and attract long-term investors."

The dark clouds outside the window grew darker and darker, and there was a faint sound of thunder in the distance. Wei Yuxiang pondered for a moment and clenched his fists:

"Okay! Let's do as you say! I'll call a video conference with the heads of each branch right away."

Over the next three months, Warrior Steel entered a period of unprecedented change.

In fact, Warrior Steel's various special steel products are now among the best in the world.

It’s just that due to various reasons, except for a few special industries in the country, it is not exported at all. Otherwise, how could it have come to this?
But no matter what, they could not starve to death while holding on to a golden rice bowl. So, after careful discussion, the two men decided to develop civilian products based on special steel.

The technology and products are already there, so wouldn’t it be easy to develop products with lower technology levels?
As a result, the R&D center in Junken City was brightly lit, and hundreds of engineers worked day and night to finally successfully develop high-corrosion-resistant steel suitable for offshore wind power and ultra-high-strength hot-formed steel for new energy vehicles.

At the same time, the group signed strategic cooperation agreements with a number of new energy companies, and new products were sold out as soon as they came off the production line.

In overseas markets, the Southeast Asian branch was the first to complete capacity adjustments, shifting production lines to steel for photovoltaic brackets and steel structure house materials, and order volumes have been recovering month by month.

The Middle East branch cooperated with the local government and won several large-scale infrastructure projects.

The European branch, which once suffered heavy losses, has transformed itself into a research and development and sales center for high-end specialty steels, leveraging local technological advantages to open up new markets.

Cost reduction and efficiency improvement measures have also begun to show results. Through supply chain optimization, the group's raw material procurement costs have been reduced by 15%.

Digital transformation has reduced energy consumption by 20%.

Capacity integration has increased overall operational efficiency by 30%.

The successful issuance of green bonds not only eased the financial pressure, but also brought new development opportunities to the group - many international institutional investors began to re-evaluate the value of Warrior Steel.

However, just as the situation was gradually improving, new challenges arose.

As international trade frictions intensify, some countries have imposed tariffs on steel products, and exports from overseas branches have been hindered.

Ye Yuze responded quickly: he established local processing centers in major overseas markets and transported semi-finished products to local areas for further processing to avoid tariff barriers.

At the same time, we actively participate in the formulation of international standards, promote green steel certification, and enhance the international competitiveness of our products.

One summer later, when the sun shone on the Warrior Steel factory again, the once accumulated inventory had long been cleared and the production line was running at full capacity.

At the group's annual summary meeting, Wei Yuxiang looked at the bright financial data on the big screen with tears in his eyes:

"Yuze, I never thought we could make it through this."

Ye Yuze looked at the blue sky outside the window and said with a smile:
"Old Wei, this is just the beginning. The storms in the global economy will not stop, but as long as we dare to change and are good at innovation, Warrior Steel will always stand firm in the storm. Our next goal is to become a global leader in green steel!"

Warm applause rang out in the conference room. Outside the window, a rainbow spanned the sky, heralding a new life after the storm. Warrior Steel Group is welcoming greater challenges and opportunities in the future with a new attitude. After establishing the goal of becoming a global leader in green steel, Ye Yuze and Wei Yuxiang quickly transformed their strategic ideas into practical actions.

They are well aware that green transformation is not only the key to responding to market changes, but also the only way for sustainable development of enterprises.

First, the group launched the “Zero Carbon Factory” program.

Ye Yuze personally led a team to Denmark to inspect the world's leading green steel production technology, reached a cooperation agreement with local companies, and introduced the world's most advanced hydrogen direct reduced iron (DRI) technology.

At the domestic headquarters, they dismantled two high-energy-consuming traditional coke ovens and replaced them with two new vertical furnaces that use hydrogen as fuel.

This renovation project, which required an investment of 30 billion yuan, caused a lot of controversy in the early stages, with many people worried that it would be difficult to see a return in the short term.

But Ye Yuze said firmly at the shareholders' meeting:

"Today's investment is for tomorrow's survival. While other companies are still struggling with carbon emission targets, we want to make 'zero-carbon steel' the golden signboard of Warrior Steel."

At the same time, Wei Yuxiang is responsible for promoting green transformation of global branches.

In Brazil, the branch took advantage of the abundant local hydropower resources to build a steel plant that relies entirely on clean energy for power supply.

In Southeast Asia, they work with local governments to use waste heat from factories for heating and power generation in surrounding communities, which not only reduces energy waste but also significantly improves the company's social image.

In order to further reduce carbon emissions, the group also invested in the acquisition of a carbon capture technology company to capture, store and reuse the carbon dioxide generated during the production process for the manufacture of building materials and chemical products.

In terms of technological innovation, Warrior Steel has established a global R&D alliance, joining forces with top scientific research institutions such as Cambridge University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology to jointly tackle the technical challenges of green steel.

They have developed a new electric arc furnace steelmaking process that reduces energy consumption in the steelmaking process by 30% by optimizing the scrap steel recycling and utilization process.

This technology has not only obtained multiple international patents, but has also been listed as an industry-recommended technology by the World Steel Association.

However, the road to green transformation was not smooth. The following year, the global steel market fell into a downturn again, and competitors cut prices to grab market share.

Even the higher authorities have begun to question the green transformation strategy and demanded that the group cut its environmental protection investment and reduce costs.

Faced with internal and external pressures, Ye Yuze and Wei Yuxiang did not waver.

They held a global executive video conference, at which Ye Yuze said:
"We cannot give up our long-term goals because of the current difficulties. When the market recovers, those companies that sacrifice the environment for short-term profits will be eliminated."

In order to ease short-term financial pressure, the group, on the one hand, recovered funds by selling non-core assets, and on the other hand, actively expanded into new business areas.

They established a new energy materials subsidiary, using by-products from the steel production process to produce lithium battery negative electrode materials and photovoltaic glass raw materials.

This business soon achieved a breakthrough and signed long-term supply agreements with a number of new energy companies, opening up a new profit growth point for the group.

In terms of market expansion, Warrior Steel has launched a combination of "green + high-end".

They provide all the tower steel for the world's largest offshore wind power project and supply lightweight steel to various new energy vehicle companies.

In the international market, relying on the "zero-carbon steel" certification, the group has successfully entered the EU market with extremely high environmental protection requirements, and the order volume continues to rise.

While the global steel industry is still worrying about carbon emission quotas, Warrior Steel has achieved carbon neutrality throughout the entire process.

At the World Steel Conference, Wei Yuxiang spoke as the only Chinese enterprise representative:

"Green transformation is not a burden but an opportunity. Warrior Steel has proved through practice that only by adapting to the trend of the times and taking the path of sustainable development can an enterprise remain invincible in the fierce market competition."

Today, Warrior Steel has transformed from a traditional steel manufacturer to a world-leading green steel solution provider.

Their factory has become a popular attraction for industrial tourism, with visitors from all over the world coming to learn about their green production experience.

In the exhibition hall of the group's headquarters, a huge electronic screen displays the carbon emissions data of branches around the world in real time.

The words "zero carbon" always shine with green light, witnessing the magnificent transformation journey that Ye Yuze and Wei Yuxiang have led the company through.

After completing this series of major reforms, Wei Yuxiang breathed a sigh of relief when he looked at the financial statements just submitted by the entire group.

Then he looked at Ye Yuze: "I have an idea."

Ye Yuze looked at him without saying anything, waiting for him to continue.

"Let's take Warrior Steel public. Our investment this time is too big."

Ye Yuze thought for a while and nodded: "It's not impossible, then we have to separate the special steel plant."

Wei Yuxiang nodded: "Of course, first of all, we have to ensure the superiority of some domestic technologies."

Ye Yuze patted his shoulder and said, "Then go ahead and do it. I won't get involved in these matters. You have so many elite soldiers and generals under your command now, so you don't have to do everything yourself."

Wei Yuxiang smiled bitterly: "Yuze, I want to retire. My brain really can't keep up with many things. Instead of occupying the position, it is better to make room for young people."

Ye Yuze smiled: "Don't worry, Ye Mao is not stable yet. You should learn from Wang Lina and the others. A good manager does not mean he knows everything, but he knows how to use capable people."

"Of course, if there are good seedlings, you can focus on training them. We will eventually have to step down."

Wei Yuxiang nodded heavily: "I understand. Once I have made arrangements, I will come and farm and hunt with you."

Ye Yuze handed him a cigarette: "Then it's decided. Come early and enjoy life while you are still strong."

Now the young people on the farm have taken their pots and pans to the military reclamation city.

Liu Neng called to thank Ye Yuze profusely. This group of people were so amazing. They had brought about earth-shaking changes to the Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Corporation of Junken City.

After all, now is not the age of mechanization, but digitalization. This is still a new thing for the military reclamation city.

Here we go, where are the tickets?