When I am reborn, I just want to be a top student

"Generally speaking, there are three ways to cooperate."

"The first method is cash injection, which involves setting an extremely high valuation and then injecting a huge amount of capital to acquire shares and thus gain the upper hand."

"This approach is most useful for some startups with technology."

"However, the company that developed the Xuanwu Battery is Galaxy Technology, so this cooperation method is not feasible."

"The second approach is to exchange technology for production capacity. We open up all our production capacity resources to produce Xuanwu batteries, thereby obtaining exclusive production rights."

"This approach is a win-win solution. Galaxy Technology can take advantage of our full-scale production capacity to quickly launch the Xuanwu battery, seize the market, and establish the brand."

"On the other hand, for us, obtaining the exclusive production rights to Xuanwu batteries means that the production and processing costs alone will skyrocket as the Xuanwu battery market expands."

"As for the last one, it is to sign a performance-based agreement to attract Galaxy Technology by increasing costs."

"However, I personally believe that Galaxy Technology is unlikely to agree to this."

Of these three options, only the second one has a certain degree of feasibility.

"If you look closely, we also have quite a few advantages in this area. For example, the lithium extraction technology from the Qinghai salt lake that we have can reduce the cost of cathode materials for Galaxy Technology by about 40%."

"We also have the custom equipment drawings for BYD batteries, which can help Galaxy Technology solve the equipment supplier adaptation cycle and save at least 18 months."

"We can also promise that as long as the Xuanwu battery passes our needle penetration test, it can be installed in vehicles and sold on the market immediately, which can save 3 years of automotive certification process."

"These are all our advantages."

"If we discuss it from this perspective, I think there is still a great chance of securing exclusive production rights."

At this point, Lian Bo paused for a moment and deliberately observed the boatman's expression.

Upon discovering that the boatman did not show much joy, he became even more certain of his guess.

"Of course, not everything will go according to our plan."

"We must also be prepared for the negotiations to break down and for the maximum benefit to be achieved."

"To this end, we need to accelerate the research and development of solid-state batteries, directly mobilize 90% of the R&D team, put all the R&D funds here, prepare for several years of R&D, strive to achieve a breakthrough within three years, and at the very least, mass-produce products with an energy density of 1000Wh/kg."

"Although this energy density is still far from that of the Xuanwu battery, as long as the research and development is successful, it will prove that our research and development direction is correct, which is of great significance."

"Secondly, before Xuanwu Battery is launched, we will launch a price war, for example, by reducing the price of lithium iron phosphate batteries to 60 yuan/kWh, selling them close to the cost line, or even selling them at a loss, in order to strike at competitors and seize the market."

"The same principle can be applied to car sales. We can lower the price of the Qin P brand to 69000 and sell it at a loss to stimulate the market."

"Although doing this will thin our profit margins and make our funds more vulnerable, it also has one advantage: it allows Galaxy Technology to see our capabilities more clearly and intuitively."

“We can even use other methods to increase our bargaining power.”

When he said the last sentence, Lian Bo only mentioned it lightly and did not explain it in detail.

However, everyone present clearly understood what the unfinished meaning meant.

It's nothing more than using online trolls to stir up trouble online, whether it's exaggerating the safety risks of Xuanwu batteries or using nationalistic sentiments for moral blackmail.

These are the commonly used methods.

Of course, there are also some less commonly used methods.

After Lianbo finished speaking, the boatman's eyebrows visibly relaxed a bit.

After pondering for a while, he made a decision and said, "Some methods cannot be used. We are all domestic brands, and we cannot hold each other back at this time."

"Just like you said before, we should prepare for both possibilities and not put all our eggs in one basket."

"Adhering to independence and self-reliance is a prerequisite for creating a great company. I founded BYD, and I most hope that it can exist for a long time and become a century-old company."

"Without delay, we should mobilize researchers and resources to invest in the research and development of solid-state batteries. On the other hand, we should immediately prepare for product price reductions and draw up a rough plan. I don't want to hear about how much money has been spent; I only want to hear about how much market share we have captured."

"As for the shareholders, leave that to me. You all go and take care of it immediately!"

Having made up his mind, the boatman immediately gave the instructions.

As the founder, he is decisive and efficient.

……

The same situation that occurred at BYD also occurred at CATL.

In recent years, with the booming popularity of new energy vehicles, CATL's business has been getting better and better.

Its market value has continued to rise, making it a rising unicorn company.

In March of this year, Ningwang updated its prospectus, supplementing its 2017 performance information.

This has led countless people to anticipate CATL's IPO, hoping it will be as swift as Foxconn's.

CATL's popularity stems from its significant position among lithium-ion battery suppliers.

BYD, for example, produces ternary lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries.

CATL, on the other hand, specializes in lithium-ion power batteries and has indeed accumulated a lot of technical patents over time.

Two months ago, three international standards working group meetings related to lithium-ion power batteries for new energy vehicles were held in Ningde, and CATL, the world's largest supplier of lithium-ion power batteries, was the core drafting unit for these meetings.

In the competition for international standards, CATL is far ahead of other foreign companies.

Even though it includes well-known domestic and foreign companies such as Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler, Audi, Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo, Toyota, and Honda.

With such a large scale, jointly discussing and formulating four international standards related to lithium-ion power batteries for new energy vehicles, CATL has considerable influence.

What's puzzling is that Galaxy Technology was not present at this meeting.

However, only those in the know understand that the reason Galaxy Technology did not attend the meeting was because Galaxy Technology refused to participate.

If your pride is shattered, it's naturally not a good idea to publicize it; you can only ignore it.

Originally, some people were hoping to see Galaxy Technology make a fool of itself.

After all, Galaxy Technology did not participate in this international standards conference that was about developing scientific and reasonable testing methods and technical requirements for lithium batteries in terms of thermal runaway, vibration, impact, smoke, and corrosion. This will undoubtedly affect Galaxy Technology's subsequent business development.

However, once the performance of the Xuanwu battery was revealed, all thoughts of watching it fail vanished instantly. Everyone then realized the true scale of Galaxy Technology's ambition; they didn't bother with setting standards at all, and their initial move was to overturn the existing market structure.

CATL's rise and fall both stemmed from lithium batteries.

Many people were already worried that with the gradual withdrawal of subsidies for new energy vehicles, the pressure on car manufacturers would shift to lithium battery companies. Since CATL is almost entirely linked to lithium batteries, even the slightest fluctuation would have a huge impact on CATL's performance.

as predicted.

What happened is fortunately that CATL has not yet gone public.

The impact on them was far less than that on BYD.

Inside CATL's conference room.

Individuals and institutions holding major shares all came.

The matter being discussed was precisely about the Xuanwu Battery.

The information about Xuanwu batteries is all that needs to be known.

The reason why we are in a dilemma at this moment is quite simple.

Benefit!

If companies like Galaxy Technology significantly increase employee salaries and benefits, it will inevitably reduce the interests of shareholders.

A company's profit is inherently constant; what remains after deducting various costs is the profit.

Originally, all the shareholders could have received a total of 5 billion, but after drastically increasing employee wages and benefits, labor costs rose, and the final profit was only 4.5 billion.

The missing 500 million could have gone into the pockets of the shareholders, but now it has simply vanished, which naturally makes them dissatisfied.

“We are the world’s largest supplier of lithium-ion power batteries. Whether it’s annual production capacity or related production equipment, we are the most complete. If Galaxy Technology wants to quickly produce enough Xuanwu batteries to occupy the market, then it must cooperate with us.”

"It is undeniable that the Xuanwu battery has excellent performance, but sometimes, good product quality alone is not enough to dominate the market; the two are not positively correlated."

"If Galaxy Technology is willing to modify the terms, I would accept even more shares in Galaxy Technology. But raising salaries and benefits for the employees is absolutely unacceptable."

"If the employees below all have money, who would be willing to work overtime and stay up all night to do research and development?"

"We absolutely cannot allow practices like those of Galaxy Technology to become widespread; the employment environment must not be damaged!"

"This is malicious salary increase. Simply raising employee benefits will have a serious negative impact on the company's operations."

Zeng Qun frowned as he listened to these words.

He was genuinely impatient with these idiots.

However, things do not change according to human will.

These idiots have connections, that's why they're here.

Those who are more capable, however, don't even have the chance to sit at the table because they lack connections.

With these thoughts flashing through his mind, Zeng Qun spoke up and said, "Everyone, I must remind you that if we do not obtain authorization or reach a cooperation agreement with Xuanwu Battery, the company can only last for a maximum of one year."

"A year from now, the company's valuation may be less than one-tenth of what it is now, not to mention its business volume and revenue."

"Now, we only have two paths before us."

"First, we will try every means to cooperate with Galaxy Technology and obtain the patent authorization for Xuanwu Battery technology. Second, we will cooperate with Galaxy Technology and take advantage of the momentum of Xuanwu Battery to completely occupy the main market of global power batteries."

"The other path is to conduct our own research and development, hoping that we can develop a product that can rival the Xuanwu battery."

"In that case, we will easily become a trillion-dollar giant."

"The purpose of this shareholders' meeting today is to discuss this matter."

"Let's all think carefully about what to do!"

To be honest, Zeng Qun had a thought: to simply abandon these shareholders and avoid being dragged down.

He didn't want to be completely eliminated in this wave of technological innovation.

It's just about improving employee benefits, he tolerated it!

It's just a matter of reducing capital gains, increasing labor gains, and changing the distribution ratio; he tolerated it!
Zeng Qun clearly understands the principle that "after the clouds disperse, the moon will shine brightly."

"Yinhe Technology's Xuanwu battery has caused losses to countless people. At least, gasoline car manufacturers absolutely do not want to see the emergence of Xuanwu batteries."

"With the development of new energy vehicles over the past few years, so many gas stations under the two oil giants have accumulated a lot of resentment. If Galaxy Technology were to launch a product with a range of over a thousand kilometers and fast charging that only takes a few minutes, these gas stations would probably hate Galaxy Technology to death."

"Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents. Sometimes, even if you have advanced technology, you can't necessarily popularize it smoothly. Many things in this world are not that simple!"

"However, the trillion-yuan industrial park proposed by Wang Donglai of Galaxy Technology will inevitably receive full support from Tangdu City and even Qin Province. As a result, some methods will be difficult to use."

"Actually, mass production of Xuanwu batteries is not so easy. I have read some relevant information. Xuanwu batteries have an energy density of 1400Wh/kg. Under thermal runaway, the energy released is about the same as 3kg of TNT. It is necessary to use nanoscale membrane self-healing technology, and the equipment for this is mainly imported. After the news about Xuanwu batteries came out, I don't think overseas will continue to export related equipment. And coincidentally, we have such equipment that can meet the production needs."

Being able to invest in a unicorn company like CATL must mean you have considerable influence.

Therefore, they knew these news items like the back of their hand.

Upon hearing this, Zeng Qun's previous opinion of them changed somewhat.

At the same time, another thought also arose.

"Could we leverage their connections to make some plans?"

Once this thought appeared, it took root in Zeng Qun's mind and wouldn't go away.

After thinking it over carefully, Zeng Qun tried to speak up: "We're all in the same boat. The higher the company's market value, the better it is for all of us. Similarly, no one wants to see the company encounter problems and eventually go bankrupt."

"So, is it possible for us to find a way to achieve cooperation with Galaxy Technology?"

When Zeng Qun spoke seriously, he looked intently at one of the shareholder representatives.

After a long while, the shareholder representative finally spoke up, saying, "We can give it a try, but to make this happen, some things need to be done. So regardless of whether it succeeds or not, we must have what we need."

Zeng Qun was overjoyed upon hearing this and immediately nodded in agreement, saying, "I understand the reasoning; you can rest assured about that!" (End of Chapter)