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

"Distinguished guests, friends, good afternoon."

"Thank you all very much for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend this procurement negotiation meeting. Today, we humans are standing at the critical point of the energy revolution. While human transportation is still struggling with 'range anxiety,' Galaxy Energy has already developed the Xuanwu Battery."

"I think everyone here is already familiar with the performance parameters of the Xuanwu battery, so I won't repeat them here."

"It is no exaggeration to say that the Xuanwu Battery is the world's number one battery today!"

"Therefore, regarding the pricing of the Xuanwu Battery today, I have decided to adopt the method of the highest bidder wins."

"To protect the business interests of our partners, there are only three slots available in each sector, which are divided into four sectors: automotive, energy storage, smartphones, and electronics."

Upon hearing this, the audience below the stage immediately became anxious.

According to Wang Donglai, only twelve companies among them will be able to secure the procurement rights for Xuanwu batteries.

For a moment, the way the colleagues looked at each other was wary, angry at Wang Donglai, and also a strong sense of unease.

This scene felt both strange and familiar.

The familiarity lies in the fact that this is the attitude of Western giants towards their Chinese partners.

Back then, Lei Jun personally went to South Korea to ensure that Samsung could provide chips, and drank three bottles of red wine at the banquet to show his sincerity, which was enough to demonstrate their strength.

What was unfamiliar was that Wang Donglai's assertive attitude was something they had never seen in Chinese companies before.

A strong sense of unease made them look at each other blankly, and the entire venue fell silent.

While domestic manufacturers were also somewhat surprised, they felt a secret satisfaction at the performance of these Western giants, finally seeing them suffer a setback.

Wang Donglai continued on stage.

"The bidding item is the exclusive procurement right for the 'Xuanwu-Flagship' model for 2019-2020. The starting price is $1200/kWh. Please consider this now. The bidding will begin in half an hour, and I will select the highest bidders from each of the three categories."

“I know many people think this price is too high, but I must emphasize that the performance of the Xuanwu battery is worth the price. This is not me asking for an exorbitant price, but the right price for a revolutionary product that transcends an era.”

"True cutting-edge technology always serves those pioneers who dare to break boundaries first, just like smartphones in the past. The initial high cost was transformed into a benefit for the general public through mass production and technological iteration."

"Now, everyone can think about this carefully!"

After Wang Donglai finished speaking, a collective gasp of surprise rippled through the audience.

It's worth noting that the current mainstream square ternary lithium battery cells are priced at only 380-450 yuan/kWh, and even the ex-factory price of ternary lithium battery packs is only 900 yuan/kWh, which is more than ten times the price Wang Donglai mentioned.

This price, when applied to a car, would be an astronomical sum.

Even for smartphones, the cost of the Xuanwu battery alone can reach thousands of yuan, based on this price.

Although I had anticipated that the Xuanwu Battery might be priced very high before I came, I was mentally prepared.

However, when they actually heard Wang Donglai shout out the price, everyone present couldn't help but hesitate.

Xuanwu batteries have excellent performance, but their high cost also affects their market sales.

However, those who can appear here are all successful businessmen, and even the representatives are extremely bold and visionary.

Without much hesitation, everyone started quoting prices.

Standing on the stage, Wang Donglai could clearly see the people below gritting their teeth and looking extremely distressed as they made their bids.

He chuckled inwardly, realizing that a product like the Xuanwu battery was simply not something that should have appeared at this time of year.

They released it a generation ahead of time, and it only increased in value by more than ten times, which is already considered very conscientious.

If it weren't for the desire to expand the market and strengthen its influence, the price of Xuanwu batteries would only be higher.

As for the material cost of the Xuanwu battery, it is only $100.

This is the source of our confidence in having such a technological lead!

Besides this pricing, there will naturally be other requirements for the cooperation with Xuanwu Battery.

For example, there are requirements for the purchase volume. Any company that obtains the right to purchase must have an annual order amount of no less than one billion US dollars. If the order amount is less than this, then the unit price of Xuanwu Battery will be increased according to the difference.

For example, there are prohibited behaviors. If the purchaser uses the product improperly, such as dismantling it, Galaxy Energy will not only not compensate for the losses incurred, but will also seek compensation for infringement.

This is, after all, a massive business collaboration involving tens of billions of dollars, and every aspect needs to be taken into account.

The contracts alone were a thick stack.

Since the purpose was to allow everyone to think, Wang Donglai left after saying that, leaving the space to everyone else.

At that moment, Ikeda, the representative of Matsushita from Japan, stood up casually.

"Galaxy Energy's offer for Xuanwu Battery is completely insincere."

“$1200 per kilowatt-hour is an astronomical price. It’s unimaginable how much our product costs would skyrocket if we purchased at that price.”

"The most valuable part of an electronic device is probably this Xuanwu battery, which means that all of us and all companies are generating profits for Galaxy Energy."

"I understand Chinese people; this price is definitely not their bottom line, and there is still a lot of room for it to go down."

"As long as we stay consistent, its price will definitely come down."

"At the same time, granting only three exclusive purchasing rights to each industry sector is a superficial means of differentiation."

"Please don't fall for Galaxy Energy's tricks. If we unite, we can bring down the price of Xuanwu batteries."

"Please trust me, everyone, when it's time to place a bid, no one should bid."

"We absolutely cannot lose our dominance just because our products are excellent."

After saying this, Ikeda bowed deeply to everyone present.

They completely disregarded the fact that Chinese entrepreneurs were also present.

Upon hearing Ikeda's words, the reactions of everyone present varied.

Some were deep in thought, some remained silent, and some wore cold smiles.

When the boatman heard what Ikeda said, he became anxious and immediately wanted to run out and tell Wang Donglai about the situation.

He simply ran out, found Wang Donglai, and told him what had happened.

Wang Donglai's reaction surprised the boatman.

"Hmm, it's only Panasonic, which is a bit unexpected!"

Wang Donglai sighed with slight surprise.

"Academician Wang, aren't you worried that those people might actually be swayed by Ikeda and not bid later?" the boatman asked curiously, a little worried.

Wang Donglai shook his head and said, "What's there to worry about?"

"They're just a bunch of rabble. If they could unite, I might think more highly of them."

"Trying to control me without offering a bid? You're really overthinking it."

"The performance of Xuanwu batteries speaks for itself. Anyone who isn't an idiot knows what to do when faced with such a disruptive technological product."

"If you don't actively embrace and seize the market as soon as possible, but only think about costs and dominance, then you are simply the most stupid of all."

"And fools are not worth worrying about!"

"By the way, the exclusive procurement rights for the flagship Xuanwu battery are something BYD must secure if it wants to maintain its position in the high-end market, even if it means going bankrupt."

"With the current price of the Xuanwu Battery flagship model, spreading it across new energy vehicles would cause vehicle costs to skyrocket. But the more this happens, the more it can establish the image and positioning of a high-end product." "It's always easier and less costly to start with the difficult and then move to the easy than to start with the easy and then move to the difficult."

"In addition to the flagship Xuanwu battery, there is also a standard version with an energy density of only 1000 kWh, which is much cheaper. You can think about what you want to do."

Logically speaking, this is a trade secret and shouldn't have been told to the boatman.

However, considering the boatman's tip-off and past support, Wang Donglai still told the boatman about these things.

A hint of joy appeared on the boatman's face.

At the same time, I was also having intense thoughts.

Before long, the boatman made up his mind and said, "If I don't take what Heaven has given me, I will suffer the consequences!"

"The high-end market has higher profit margins. Although there are risks involved, I believe that with the performance of the Xuanwu battery, these risks can be minimized."

"However, I have more faith in Academician Wang's judgment; what you said is definitely correct."

Wang Donglai couldn't help but find it somewhat amusing to see the boatman's blatant flattery.

Entrepreneurs like "Boatman Brother" are the undisputed emperors within the BYD system, with over 800,000 employees under his command. A single word from him can save his employees decades of hard work.

Even in the whole society, he is among the top one percent.

As a result, if word got out that I said such things in front of him, it would probably shock people.

"Alright, you should go back first. Let them try to coordinate. I want to see just how many idiots they are."

The boatman reassured Wang Donglai that he was so confident, and he returned to the field.

Thirty minutes passed quickly.

Wang Donglai returned to the meeting hall, stood on the stage, and asked, "Alright, thirty minutes have passed. I think everyone here has made the calls they needed to make, consulted the relevant authorities, and should have made a decision by now."

"Now, those who have decided to abstain from the exclusive 2019-2020 procurement rights for the Xuanwu Battery flagship model can leave."

As Wang Donglai finished speaking, everyone in the audience turned their attention to Ikeda.

Under the gaze of everyone, Ikeda stood up stiffly with a blank expression.

"Mr. Wang, it is undeniable that your company's Xuanwu battery has excellent performance and is a successful product."

"However, its pricing is simply too high. With this battery price, the price of our products will also increase, which will bring great instability to market sales. The risk is simply too great."

"If your company could consider lowering the price to $600/kWh, I think there is still room for cooperation."

"Otherwise, if I may be so bold, this would not be a qualified and excellent product."

Ikeda spoke more and more fluently, as if he had found his rhythm.

Just as he was about to continue speaking, Wang Donglai interrupted him.

"In other words, you think the price is too high, so you're going to abstain!"

"Since you're abstaining, then leave!"

After saying these two sentences, Wang Donglai casually waved his hand, and two strong young men immediately walked to Ikeda's side and politely asked him to leave.

Ikeda hadn't expected Wang Donglai's attitude to be so resolute, without the slightest hesitation.

The second reaction was to scan the faces of everyone present, especially the representatives of Western giants such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Samsung, and Apple.

To his disappointment, these people showed no intention of moving or speaking at all.

Instead, many people avoided his gaze when he looked over.

Upon seeing this, Ikeda immediately realized that he had become the scapegoat and had been betrayed by everyone.

My first feeling was anger, followed by panic.

He actually pulled this stunt just to put some pressure on Galaxy Energy, to take a shot even if there was no chance of success.

It's not that they really want to give up the right to purchase Xuanwu batteries.

After all, Panasonic has many competitors, and they are not weak either.

If they lose the support of Xuanwu batteries while their competitors do, they will only push high-value customers to their competitors.

Just as Ikeda was thinking about these things, the two strong young men beside him saw that he hadn't moved, so they picked him up and carried him outside.

This immediately woke Ikeda up.

"Mr. Wang, I did not abstain; I was just offering a small suggestion."

Wang Donglai sneered at Ikeda's weak explanation and said, "I don't accept your opinion. Since you've stood up, in my eyes you're dissatisfied with the price I proposed, which means you've abstained."

"Since you have reservations about my business plans, I think it would be best if we didn't cooperate for the time being. Let's wait until three years later, when there's an opportunity, to cooperate with your company again!"

Wang Donglai spoke with a smile, but to everyone else, that smile seemed like that of a demon.

In short, it directly cut off Panasonic's development for the next three years.

This method is undeniably ruthless.

Of course, everyone understood that this was a warning to others.

Galaxy Technology possesses advanced technology and therefore has the right to speak and dominate. Anyone who tries to interfere or challenge it will naturally be severely punished.

Even without Panasonic, other companies would have been chosen as sacrifices.

However, they did not expect Galaxy Technology's counterattack to be so fierce.

For a moment, the crowd below the stage was completely silent, without the slightest noise.

"No, Mr. Wang, it was really just a misunderstanding. I truly meant no harm."

"Please be magnanimous and let this matter go. We are very sincere in our offer."

"Mr. Wang, please give me another chance. I really didn't mean anything by it; I just misspoke."

At this point, Ikeda was already panicking. If his company was unable to cooperate with Galaxy Technology for the next three years because of him, he couldn't even imagine what kind of treatment he would receive when he returned to Japan.

His face was full of fawning, and he was hunched over, looking just like an old dog with a broken spine.

They look both pitiful and hateful!

Wang Donglai completely ignored Ikeda's explanation, waved his hand again, and the security guards immediately and swiftly dragged Ikeda out.

After Ikeda left, Wang Donglai remained calm and said indifferently, "If there are any more who abstain, they can step forward."

After Wang Donglai finished speaking, and after waiting for a while without anyone standing up, he continued, "Since there aren't any, then everyone can make a bid!"

None of the remaining 33 companies abstained; all submitted bids.

Xuanwu batteries are indeed very expensive, which causes their product costs to skyrocket.

However, if such an excellent battery is not used in our own products but instead appears in competitors' products, then it's not a matter of whether it's expensive or not, but a matter of life and death.

Everyone can tell which is more important and which is less important.

Moreover, with Panasonic's cautionary tale right before their eyes, naturally no one would want to repeat the same mistake. (End of Chapter)