The God of Wealth starts with doing whatever you want

"You're pregnant too?"

To be honest, Xu Yun was somewhat surprised when he heard the news.

Chen Xin did the same thing before, just once, and she got it right away!

Am I really that strong?

What kind of expression is that?

Seeing Xu Yun's reaction, Zhong Yanyan smiled and said, "Are you happy or unhappy?"

"Happy."

Xu Yun replied, "Of course I'm happy, I just didn't expect myself to be this strong."

"Isn't this the result of my hard work?"

Zhong Yanyan joked, "I don't know who was trying so hard that night, but some people weren't willing to cooperate."

"Um, mainly."

Xu Yun said somewhat awkwardly, "What you're saying isn't scientific at all. I don't know where you heard it from, and it's difficult to do."

"Don't worry about that."

Zhong Yanyan said smugly, "Just tell me, did I succeed or not?"

"..." Xu Yun.

"I can't say anything more."

Zhong Yanyan paused for a moment, then asked a question that many women like to ask: "Do you want a boy or a girl?"

“I’m not that traditional in my thinking.”

Xu Yun replied, "Actually, I only care who gave birth to him. As long as he was born to a woman I like, it doesn't matter whether he is a boy or a girl."

This is called "love me, love my dog"—I love you, and that's why I love the child you gave birth to.

"Is he so attractive to women because he's good at sweet talk?"

Zhong Yan Yan smiled and then gave her answer: "I want a boy."

"why?"

"Because Chen Xin from your hometown is already pregnant with your daughter."

Zhong Yanyan explained, "That's why I want to have a boy for you, so that we'll have a boy and a girl, wouldn't that be great?"

"Isn't it to make him my eldest son and inherit all my property?"

"???"

Zhong Yanyan scoffed, "Even without your wealth, my child will live a better life than most people, as long as he doesn't break the law."

“You’re not exaggerating when you say that.”

Xu Yun thought about all the elders she saw at the banquet, and she knew that even without her protection, her child would be taken care of in the future.

"But when it comes to having a child, whether it's a boy or a girl is not something you can decide."

Zhong Yanyan sighed again, "I wonder if it's a boy or a girl in my belly."

"You want to know?"

"Of course I want to know," Zhong Yanyan said. "But we can't rush it. We'll have to wait four months to get the results after a check-up at the hospital."

"I know."

Xu Yun said with a smile, "Give me your wrist, I'll take your pulse."

“???” Zhong Yanyan.

Why are you staring at me like that?

Xu Yun said proudly, "Your husband here also knows a little about medicine."

"Alright, Dr. Xu."

Zhong Yanyan stretched out her hand and said with a smile, "Just let me see if I'm having a boy or a girl. If you're wrong, you don't have to pay."

"Honest and fair dealings with both young and old."

Xu Yun, just like in the TV show, closed his eyes, then placed two fingers on her wrist and began to call out.

Zhong Yanyan cooperated with him, and seeing how convincingly he acted, she couldn't help but laugh.

She didn't take it seriously; she just thought it was a role-playing game to satisfy her husband's hobby.

A minute later, Xu Yun withdrew his hand and opened his eyes.

Zhong Yanyan asked with a smile, "Honey, has the number been released yet?"

"The number has been released."

Xu Yun replied in a serious tone, "Congratulations, Madam, your dream has come true, it's a boy."

"real or fake?"

Zhong Yanyan said, "Are you just trying to amuse me by saying random things?"

"Of course it's true."

Xu Yun explained, "According to ancient Chinese medical texts, a faster pulse in a pregnant woman's left hand may indicate she is carrying a boy, while a faster pulse in her right hand may indicate she is carrying a girl. I just touched your left hand, so I'm sure I'm right."

"You actually know a lot about this???"

"I don't know, I was just talking nonsense, hahaha..."

Xu Yun said with a smile, "But I believe you are definitely having a boy, because you are quite assertive, and assertive women are most likely to have boys."

"Where have I been assertive? Stop slandering me."

Zhong Yanyan retorted defiantly, "From the moment I've known you, you've been bullying me."

"Really? But why is it that every time..."

Xu Yun said in a low voice, with a meaningful tone, "Just tell me, how strong or not you are!"

"How embarrassing!"

Thinking about her own behavior, Zhong Yanyan immediately said in shame and anger, "It's all because you wouldn't cooperate with me."

"I'd like to, but unfortunately I'm not up to the task."

"Bullshit, don't give me that. With your physical condition, do you think I don't know?"

Zhong Yanyan laughed and said, "You only know how to put on an act in front of me."

"Uh, you knew that?"

Zhong Yanyan refused, saying, "I'm not like your other women. I have my own principles!"

"Oh."

Xu Yun was only testing the waters, but unexpectedly, it really didn't work out.

"Then you should get some rest."

Xu Yun deliberately sighed and said, "I'm leaving."

"Will you stay with me tonight?"

"You're pregnant, we need to be careful."

Xu Yun glanced at her and smiled, "I'd better go find someone else."

"..." Zhong Yanyan.

How could you so blatantly say to my face that you're going to fool around with other women?

That guy is absolutely despicable!
……

In June, the air in Shenzhen is so humid and hot that you could wring water out of it.

The air conditioning was blasting in the conference room of CATL's headquarters building, and the two sides of the long conference table were clearly defined.

On one side is the management team led by Zeng Yuqun, chairman of CATL.

There were only two people on the other side.

Xu Yun, and Lin Zhengyu, who was casually leaning back in his chair and playing with a fountain pen.

"Mr. Zeng, everyone, it's an honor to meet you." Xu Yun extended his hand, his smile gentle and courteous.

Zeng Yuqun stood up. This godfather-like figure in China's battery industry is over fifty years old, with graying temples, but his eyes are as sharp as an eagle's.

He grasped Xu Yun's hand firmly: "President Xu is young and promising. We have been looking forward to this meeting for three months."

Both parties took their seats.

Besides Zeng Yuqun, CATL also has Chief Technology Officer Huang Shilin, Vice President Li Ping in charge of strategic investment, and three or four core executives.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on Xu Yun, filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and a barely perceptible wariness.

This young man is too young; he looks to be under thirty.

But this is the person who holds the key to reshuffling the entire industry.

“Three months ago, when we first received the sample test report from ‘Future Energy,’ the people in the technical department all thought the data was falsified.”

Huang Shilin adjusted his glasses and got straight to the point, saying, "Energy density of 702Wh/kg, cycle life of over 2000 cycles, and capacity retention of 91% at -30 degrees Celsius—these figures exceed those of current mainstream ternary lithium batteries by at least 40%."

The meeting room quieted down, with only the faint hum of the air conditioner vents.

Lin Zhengyu finally put down his pen, grinned, and said, "President Huang, you retested it seven times, right? The last three times were done without our knowledge, by obtaining the second batch of samples through special channels."

These words, spoken casually, caused a slight change in the expression of several senior executives at Ningde.

Xu Yun raised his hand, signaling Lin Zhengyu not to continue, and said gently, "Technology needs to be verified, that's only right. Mr. Huang, do you think the data is reliable?"

Huang Shilin paused for three seconds, then slowly nodded and said, "It's believable. Although I don't understand how you achieved a breakthrough in the stability of solid electrolyte interfaces, the data doesn't lie."

Zeng Yuqun took over the conversation and said in a steady tone, "President Xu, President Lin, the reason we invited you two here today is to discuss the feasibility of cooperation."

CATL has been established for decades and has thirteen major production bases around the world. Its customers include almost all mainstream car companies such as Tesla, BMW, and Volkswagen.

We have extensive experience in manufacturing processes, quality control systems, and supply chain management.

“We know all of this.”

Xu Yun nodded, but then changed the subject and asked, "So, Mr. Zeng, what form of cooperation would you prefer?"

The question has been thrown back at us.

Li Ping opened the folder in front of him, cleared his throat, and said, "We have initially come up with several plans."

First, we will cross-license technology. In exchange for the right to use some of your patents on liquid cooling systems and packaging technologies, we will grant you the right to use your core patents on solid electrolytes.

Second, we will establish a joint venture, with CATL contributing 51% of the capital and you contributing 49% of the technology, to jointly develop the next generation of products.
Thirdly, there's the simple OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) partnership: we produce batteries for you and charge a processing fee.

This is a standard negotiation opening, presenting a range of options from best to worst, and waiting for the other party to counter-offer.

Lin Zhengyu suddenly burst out laughing, which sounded particularly abrupt in the quiet conference room.

"Mr. Li..."

He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, and asked in return, "Do you think we're short of money?"

Without waiting for a reply, he continued, "With the Lin family, the Zhong family, and Xu Yun's own capital, the last thing we lack right now is money. As for manufacturing capacity..."

He pointed out the window and continued, "The second phase of the G-level factory in the Yangtze River Delta will have its equipment installed next month. It will be a fully automated production line with a designed capacity ten times that of the current one."

What we need is time to ramp up production, not production capacity itself.

With each word spoken, the expressions on the faces of the people from Ningde grew increasingly grim.

Xu Yun spoke at the opportune moment, his tone still calm, but his words clear: "President Zeng, I'll be frank."

We are here because we respect CATL's contributions to China's new energy industry, and we value your decade of accumulated manufacturing experience and global supply chain system.

However, cooperation must be based on equality, or rather, on the existing technological gap.

He paused, his gaze sweeping over each face opposite him, and continued, "Solid-state batteries are not an improved version of lithium batteries, but the next generation of technology. It's like the leap from internal combustion engines to electric motors; it's a change of track, not a race to catch up."

Having said all that, all formalities have been stripped away.

Zeng Yuqun placed his hands on the table, his fingers slightly clenched, and asked, "So, what are Mr. Xu's conditions?"

"Two options."

Lin Zhengyu suddenly spoke up, holding up two fingers, and said, "First, CATL will become the strategic contract manufacturer for 'future energy'."

We provide the core materials, process standards, and quality control system; you are responsible for large-scale production.

Profits will be split 70/30, with us getting 70% and you getting 30%.

"This is impossible!"

Li Ping blurted out, "We invest in factory buildings, equipment, and manpower, and we only take 30%? President Lin, that's a bit..."

"Mr. Li."

Lin Zhengyu interrupted him, but looked at Zeng Yuqun and said, "Please let me finish explaining the second option."

The conference room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

"Secondly, we have authorized CATL to use our first-generation solid-state battery technology, with a licensing fee of 15% of sales revenue per kilowatt-hour."

At the same time, CATL needs to open up all its patent pools related to battery manufacturing for 'future energy' to use free of charge for five years.

This time, even Zeng Yuqun frowned.

Huang Shilin couldn't help but say, "President Lin, this is tantamount to turning Ningde into your subsidiary factory."

With a 15% licensing fee and our own costs, our profit margin will be squeezed to the limit.

And open up the entire patent pool..."

"General Manager Huang."

Lin Zhengyu finally dropped his gentle smile, his eyes sharpening, and said, "You should know that with your current technological path, you'll hit the ceiling in energy density within two years at most. And two years from now, our second-generation solid-state battery will be in mass production, with an energy density exceeding 850Wh/kg."

"By then, do you think customers like Tesla and BMW will continue using 550 kcal/m³ batteries, or 850 kcal/m³ batteries?"

He paused, his voice low but each word striking deeply, and continued, "I'm not threatening you, I'm stating the facts."

CATL's market capitalization is built on technological leadership. Once its technology falls behind, how long can its trillion-dollar market capitalization be sustained?

Cruel, but true.

Zeng Yuqun finally spoke, his voice a little hoarse, saying, "President Lin, Ningde has 60,000 employees, thirteen major production bases, and annual R&D investment of over 10 billion yuan."

If we follow your plan, we'll be crippling ourselves.

"Do not."

Lin Zhengyu shook his head and said, "But I feel that you are undergoing a rebirth."

He opened the tablet he had brought with him and pushed it to the center of the table.

The screen displays a complex industrial ecosystem diagram.

"Mr. Zeng, as you can see, this is an energy ecosystem built around solid-state batteries."

Electric vehicles are just the first step.

The second layer is grid-scale energy storage. The high safety and long lifespan of solid-state batteries can reduce energy storage costs by 40%.

The third layer consists of special applications, including aerospace, deep-sea equipment, and military equipment.
The fourth layer is consumer electronics, including the battery life revolution in mobile phones and laptops…

Lin Zhengyu slid his finger across the screen, each node glowing, and said, "The value of this ecosystem is not trillions, but tens of trillions."

If CATL persists with its current path, it can at most retain a portion of the electric vehicle battery market.

But if you become deeply integrated with us, you will become the most important manufacturing foundation of this ecosystem.

He raised his head, his gaze intense, and said, "President Zeng, you've been in business for ten years, making Ningde the number one in the world. What was your goal?"
Will we simply wait and grow old, clinging to the existing order, or will we participate in shaping the energy landscape of the next era?

This is a very harsh question.

Zeng Yuqun leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes.

No one spoke in the meeting room; everyone waited for his decision.

Time passed second by second.

Five minutes later, Zeng Yuqun opened his eyes, looked at Huang Shilin and asked, "Has the technical department done the calculations? If we develop solid-state batteries ourselves, how long will it take to catch up with them?"

Huang Shilin said with a wry smile, "President Zeng, this is not a matter of time."

We analyzed their published patents, and the core breakthrough lies in a method for synthesizing a novel sulfide solid electrolyte.

This method involves algorithmic optimization of materials genomics and a special sintering process. It's an original innovation from scratch. Even if you know the direction, without basic data and process details, it would take at least five years, and…

"And what?"

"Moreover, their patent portfolio is very comprehensive, covering the entire chain from material synthesis to cell design to production equipment. It's almost impossible for us to bypass them."

Reality is so cruel.

Zeng Yuqun then looked at Li Ping and asked, "If we refuse to cooperate, how will the capital market react?"

Li Ping's face turned pale: "After 'Future Energy' announced mass production and delivery to Xiaomi last week, our stock price has already dropped by 8%."

If news of the negotiations breaking down today gets out...

He didn't finish speaking, but the meaning was clear.

The meeting room fell silent once again.

This time, it was Xu Yun who broke the silence.

He took out a silver metal box from his bag, opened it, and inside were four cylindrical battery cells, all silver-gray, without any markings.

"Mr. Zeng, these are samples we randomly selected from the mass production line. The serial numbers have been removed."

He pushed the box to the center of the table and said, “You can have someone test it now, or I can demonstrate it for you.”

Without waiting for a reply, Xu Yun picked up one of the battery cells and took out a handheld needle penetration tester from his bag.

That is the most stringent battery safety test, which involves piercing the battery cell with a steel needle to simulate an internal short circuit.

The faces of the technical team in Ningde changed.

"President Lin, this is too dangerous!" Huang Shilin tried to stop him.

But Xu Yun had already pressed the button.

The steel needle pierced the battery cell with a sudden force.

But nothing happened.

There was no smoke, no fire, and the temperature did not even rise significantly.

On the tester's display screen, the voltage remained stable, like a straight line.

"One more time."

Xu Yun replaced the battery cell. This time, instead of using a steel needle, he directly cut open the outer casing of the battery cell with scissors, revealing the layers of electrodes and solid electrolyte inside.

Then, he picked up a bottle of mineral water and poured it directly on it.

Even when water comes into contact with the inside of the battery, it remains calm.

"The thermal runaway temperature is 287 degrees Celsius, which is three times that of ternary lithium batteries."

Xu Yun placed the damp battery cell on the table, grinned, and said, "President Zeng, this is the generational difference."

Visual impact is always more convincing than data.

Zeng Yuqun stared at the two damaged battery cells, remaining silent for a long time.

This entrepreneur, who came from a small town in Fujian and was originally an engineer, knew all too well what this meant.

It's not just about superior performance, but also a complete security revolution.

Once this type of battery becomes widespread, the safety anxieties that currently plague the electric vehicle industry will disappear.

Whoever controls it controls the discourse power to define the next decade.

"A 7:3 split is too harsh."

Zeng Yuqun finally spoke, his voice tired but firm: "Ningde needs to support 60,000 people and maintain R&D investment; 30% profit is not enough to support that."

This is exactly what Xu Yun was waiting for.

"So, Mr. Zeng, what do you think is a suitable amount?"

"5:5. Equal cooperation."

Xu Yun smiled, a smile that was expected: "President Zeng, technological value should take precedence. 6:4, six for us, four for you, that's the bottom line."

5.5:4.5.

Zeng Yuqun stood firm, saying, "What CATL can offer is not just production capacity, but also our global supply chain system, customer relationships, and after-sales network. These soft strengths are worth the price."

The negotiations entered their most difficult tug-of-war phase.

For the next two hours, the two sides clashed over every single detail.

Scope of patent licensing, synchronous mechanism for technology iteration, investment ratio for new factories, division of market areas, sharing of customer resources...

Lin Zhengyu displayed a professional side that was completely different from his usual cynical attitude.

He has an intimate knowledge of the costs of every step in battery production, is well-versed in the fluctuations of international raw material market prices, and can recite the new energy policies of various countries by heart.

Xu Yun, on the other hand, controlled the pace and the bottom line.

He will make concessions on some non-core terms, such as agreeing to allow CATL to retain the independence of its existing lithium battery business.

However, they are unwilling to concede an inch when it comes to controlling key technologies and distributing profits.

"Mr. Xu, you're going to hollow out Ningde!" Li Ping's voice was hoarse by the end of the conversation.

"Mr. Li, quite the opposite."

Xu Yun said earnestly, "I am giving Ningde a second life."

Think about it, when global automakers are all chasing solid-state batteries, how many years will CATL's orders be booked up as the only company capable of large-scale contract manufacturing?
At that time, your capacity utilization rate will reach over 95%, and although the profit margin may not seem high as a percentage, the total volume will be several times that of now.

He paused for a moment, then offered a new condition: "If the cooperation goes smoothly, we can consider granting Ningde joint development rights for the second-generation technology three years from now."

This sentence became the last straw that broke the camel's back.

Zeng Yuqun and Huang Shilin exchanged a glance.

They understood that this was the best they could get.

To refuse is to sit and wait to be eliminated by the times;

Accepting it, though humiliating, at least allows one to survive and gain a foothold in the new arena.

At 4:27 p.m., Zeng Yuqun slowly stood up and extended his hand: "President Xu, it's a pleasure to cooperate with you."

Xu Yun also stood up, grasped that hand, and smiled, "President Zeng, you won't regret your decision today."

The memorandum was signed on the spot.

Although the formal contract still needs several weeks of refinement by the legal team, the core framework has been finalized.

CATL will become the exclusive strategic contract manufacturer for solid-state batteries for "future energy," with a profit split of 6:4.

Future Energy has authorized CATL to use its first-generation technology, with the licensing fee reduced to 12%.

The two parties established a joint laboratory to jointly develop customized products for specific application scenarios.

As Zeng Yuqun saw Xu Yun and Lin Zhengyu off, he stood at the elevator entrance and suddenly asked a question: "President Xu, if it were BYD instead of CATL sitting here today, would you offer the same terms?"

Xu Yun thought for a moment and answered honestly, "It will be more demanding because BYD has its own complete vehicle business and is our potential competitor."

CATL, on the other hand, is purely an upstream supplier.

The elevator doors slowly closed.

On the way back, Lin Zhengyu loosened his tie and let out a long sigh: "Damn, I'm exhausted."

Old Zeng's last look in his eyes was like he wanted to devour us alive.

"His ability to endure it is truly remarkable."

Looking out the window at the rapidly receding street scene, Xu Yun laughed and said, "If it were me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to bow my head so readily either."

That's because you had no choice.

Lin Zhengyu sneered, "That's how technological dominance works: either you kneel down and cooperate, or you stand there and wait to die."

But honestly, isn't a 6:4 split a bit too lenient? In my opinion, even 7:3 would be considered generous.

"enough."

Xu Yun said calmly, "Ningde's value lies not in its immediate profits, but in the manufacturing system they have built over the past ten years."

We need to scale up quickly; building a factory from scratch is too slow.

With these thirteen production bases in Ningde, our production capacity will be able to cover major global markets within a year.

He paused, a smile appearing on his lips: "Moreover, by bringing Ningde onto our chariot, we are essentially bringing half of China's new energy industry chain onto it."

Next, you should go and talk to BYD.

Lin Zhengyu's eyes lit up: "You want to use CATL to force BYD to cooperate?"

"It's not about forcing them, it's about giving them a choice."

Xu Yun looked at the city lights gradually illuminating in the distance and said, "Either join the ecosystem or be marginalized by it."

The electrification revolution in the automotive industry has only just begun. Solid-state batteries are the ticket, and we are the ticket inspectors.

As the car drove into the twilight, the neon lights of Shenzhen lit up one after another.

Meanwhile, in the top-floor office of CATL's headquarters.

Zeng Yuqun stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a draft of a newly printed cooperation agreement in her hand.

Huang Shilin stood behind him and said in a low voice, "President Zeng, the people in the technical department are very emotional."

Some people say...that we are surrendering our sovereignty and humiliating our nation.

"Losing sovereignty and humiliating the nation?"

Zeng Yuqun repeated the word, then suddenly laughed, a bitter laugh, and said, "If Ningde's 'nation' is based on the existing technological route, then it is indeed doomed."

But what is a company's "nation"? It's survival, development, and participation in the next era.

He turned around, his eyes sharpening again: "Tell the technology department to establish a solid-state battery research team starting today."

We need to thoroughly understand the technology they provide, and then surpass it.

"But the agreement stipulates that we cannot develop competing products within five years..."

"It's not a competitor, it's an iteration."

Zeng Yuqun said slowly and deliberately, "The agreement prohibits competing products based on their core patents, but it does not prohibit us from exploring new material systems."

"Mr. Huang, today's humiliation will be washed away by tomorrow's technological strength, understand?"

Huang Shilin nodded heavily.

As night fell completely, Shenzhen Bay was ablaze with lights.

There was no media coverage or announcement regarding the negotiations that day.

But many informed and astute people have already noticed this.

The entire industry was shocked!

From this moment on, the power structure of the new energy industry has been completely transformed. (End of Chapter)