Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2517 We Will Reclaim World Number One (Second Update, Please Subscribe)

new Year!

On New Year's Eve, millions of people gather in the city's centers, waiting for the New Year's bells to ring.

The moment the clock struck midnight, the entire city erupted in celebration.

Beneath the Chang'an Tower, in the city's central squares, with the final countdown, countless helium balloons simultaneously broke free from our grasp, like a reverse meteor shower, hurtling from the ground into the night sky. Red, blue, yellow, purple... the colorful balloons tumbled and rose, the cotton threads still warm from our fingertips.

"Happy New Year--"

Cheers surged across the square. A little girl in a red dress stood on tiptoe, watching her balloon with a gold star pattern disappear into the night sky, where light and shadow danced.

The balloons rose higher and higher, their individual shapes still discernible at first, before gradually merging into a flowing cloud of colored mist. They brushed past the glass curtain walls of skyscrapers, reflecting upturned faces in the windows.

Some people clasped their hands together, while others embraced and wept. All their emotions were carried away by the balloons and floated into the unseen distance.

The night wind was strong, and the swarm of balloons sped towards the other side of the city, like a moving rainbow being guided by an invisible hand.

On the shores of Taiping Bay, dazzling fireworks once again illuminated the night sky.

New Year's Eve also reaches its climax at this time.

Regardless of worldly conflicts, for the vast majority of ordinary people, this is the happiest time of the year.

After all, the Spring Festival is for family reunions, while New Year's Day is for celebration.

Meanwhile, at an outdoor table in a restaurant near Chang'an Tower, a couple sat enjoying dinner and red wine while watching the cheering crowds below.

"look……"

Phelps looked at those people with a complicated expression and said:

"Even during the war, they still enjoy life to the fullest here."

Hearing her husband's words, Christine shook her head and said:

“Darling, you have to understand that this war is nothing to them. At most, it’s just like the police maintaining order in a certain place. It’s not a war at all.”

His wife's words made Phelps shake his head and say something.

"War is war, and that cannot be changed."

"Perhaps so, but..."

She picked up her wine glass, took a small sip, then turned her gaze to the bustling city on the other side of Chang'an Tower and said softly.

"You have to understand that this is a very powerful country. Their economic strength is only slightly inferior to that of the United States."

Christine put down her glass and said.

"Although the official figures for their GDP this year have not yet been released, various speculations suggest that it will exceed $1.4 trillion."

This figure is astonishing; even with the factor of currency appreciation, they still maintained an economic growth rate of over 10%.

You should know that, for the past thirty years, with only a few exceptions, the economic growth rate here has consistently remained above 10%.

Then she turned her gaze to her husband and asked in an extremely serious tone:
“Honey, do you know how astonishing these figures are? From an economic perspective, it's practically impossible. But we've all seen it, it's real…”

Christine looked around and then spoke in a very emotional tone.

“They were able to find a new economic growth index almost every decade. In the 1950s, they chose the textile industry.”

In the 60s, they chose home appliances; in the 70s, they chose ships and automobiles, which have been the engines of their industry ever since.

So now—as we approach the 80s—what will they use to drive their economic growth?

In just a few words, Christine clearly explained the economic growth engine of Sea over the past few decades.

Actually, this is not a secret at all. After all, the "Miracle on the Equator" itself is a major subject of study in the global economics community, with hundreds of books published on the subject.

Anyone who pays even a little attention to the economy knows very well what enabled SEA's rapid economic growth over the past 30 years.

"So what do you think?"

Looking at his wife, Phillips knew this was a professional matter—she was a university economics professor, and naturally, she was extremely interested in these things.

"Electronic computers, the Internet..."

Christine, holding her wine glass, pondered for a moment, then said:
"Although these technologies have existed for a long time, their application has been limited by constraints in hardware and software."

However, in the past few years, the technology has become increasingly mature. And they have consistently led the development of electronic computers and the internet. In the past few years, in Silicon Valley, in Chang'an, and throughout the SEA (Self-Expert Registry), thousands of companies related to electronic computers and the internet have emerged. And these companies are the future of the next decade…”

Christine deliberately emphasized the word "10" when she mentioned the next decade.

"Their economic trajectory is traceable. In the early 50s, they mainly focused on light industries such as textiles, toy manufacturing, and footwear. However, at the same time, they vigorously promoted the development of the household appliance sector, which began to gain momentum in the mid-to-late 50s and became the main driving force for their economic growth in the 60s."

In the early 1960s, their shipbuilding and automobile industries began to show astonishing potential. By the start of the new decade, their automobiles and ships had swept the world, virtually unchallenged, even overwhelming the American automobile industry.

Phelps wholeheartedly agreed with his wife's words, saying:

"Yes, their cars are not only more fuel-efficient, but also more durable, and the failure rate is so low that it's hard to believe it's true—for the first 10 years, they hardly need any maintenance, only basic upkeep."

These two advantages alone are enough. And we simply can't compete with them.

Phelps used the word "we" because he was the deputy manager of Ford's Chang'an branch.

There was a time when Ford could sell hundreds of thousands of cars a year, but what about now?

They only sell a mere tens of thousands of vehicles each year. Even more devastating is that—even in their home market of the United States—they are suffering a steady decline.

With lower fuel consumption, more reliable performance, and greater environmental friendliness, sEA cars are simply a game-changer in the US market.

As for the Detroit car companies, they have not only been defeated but are now forced to apply for US government aid—they can no longer hold on.

“Honey, you know, it’s not just that. Their cars don’t even rust.”

Christine looked at her husband in front of her and said with a smile:

"Back then, American companies used ordinary cold-rolled steel sheets to manufacture cars, and almost no anti-corrosion coatings were used."

After a few years of use, rust and perforation can easily occur on parts of a car, such as the fenders and lower edges of the doors, which seriously affects the vehicle's safety and lifespan.

The problem is even more severe in areas where de-icing agents are used in winter.

All American cars, European cars are like this, only they…”

Christine gestured with her wine glass towards a Wuling minivan parked on the side of the road, and then said:

"When their cars first entered the American market, it was initially because they were cheap—new cars were even cheaper than used cars in the US. They entered the market as family cars for women, mainly for grocery shopping."

But what happened next?

Looking at her husband, Christine counted on her fingers as she spoke.

"Those thrifty housewives suddenly discovered something very magical."

First of all, these cars have very low fuel consumption. The cost of driving them for a week is less than what a man would spend driving for a day.

Moreover, they rarely break down. All they need to do is have their husbands change the oil and perform other maintenance when they have free time.

What will be even more amazing a few years from now?
It never rusts—it never rusts. Can you believe it? Even after five or six years, it still looks no different from a new car.

Such a superior product naturally won over American housewives, and at that time almost every American family owned a SAIC car.

When the oil crisis hit, well, the last straw finally broke the camel's back. Even men started worrying about fuel consumption because oil was so expensive.

Looking at her husband, Christine said in an extremely helpless tone:

"So it's not surprising that American car companies are losing ground, because your products simply don't have their performance."

Hearing his wife's comments, Phelps said with a hint of helplessness.

"Well, there's nothing we can do about it. Our environment is different from theirs. When faced with change, it's difficult for a large car company to respond in a short period of time."

However, I think our backwardness is a reality. Just like you mentioned before, our cars didn't have anti-corrosion coatings, but now our cars have adopted anti-corrosion technology.

Moreover, we are also producing new products, and I believe we will soon catch up with them and regain our market share.

After all, cars…

Phelps spoke in an extremely confident, even arrogant and conceited tone.

"The automobile industry originated in the United States. We are the real automobile nation. Back then, they improved their automobile industry by importing technology from the United States. And now... we are only temporarily lagging behind."

After taking a sip of red wine, Phelps, with a rather self-assured tone, looked at the cars parked on the side of the road, and the thought echoed in his mind once again—yes, this is just a temporary difficulty.

We will soon reclaim our number one spot in the world...

(End of this chapter)