What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 517 Relapse into Old Habits

The meeting between the two leaders of Silicon Carbon Group and BYD, along with a leader who is extremely concerned about the development of new energy, naturally attracted more media attention to this exhibition tour.

Although Leader Wan had previously indicated that reporters did not need to follow, there were still telephoto lenses filming, and as the three chatted and laughed, more media came over to try to interview them.

Compared to his criticisms of new energy vehicles at the auto show, Yu Xing simply smiled in front of the camera and barely answered any questions.

Leader Wan noticed this but did not immediately inquire. Instead, he inquired about some details before "Jiuzhou" went public and Yu Xing's views on the current domestic new energy industry.

“Our materials and standards are commensurate with the price, and they are comparable to those of our competitors.” Yu Xing was initially a little apprehensive, but after seeing the hybrid models worth hundreds of thousands or even millions at the auto show, his mindset changed. “Of course, this doesn’t mean we can sell well right away; it may take time.”

Leader Wan chuckled and teased, "President Yu, you've been praising your own products so highly, why are you showing your weakness now?"

"It's not that I'm being timid, but rather that it's an objective situation," Yu Xing said frankly. "Cars are big purchases, and consumers have to consider many factors. Putting aside brand value, our weak offline network is one issue they will consider. If we only have outlets in the provincial capital, people in other cities in the province who buy or use cars will have to drive hundreds of kilometers or have their cars towed if they encounter problems. It will definitely be difficult to convert them into car buyers."

"We want to focus on key markets and key cities, and that's one of our considerations. Market expansion is a gradual process."

Upon hearing Mr. Yu's account, Wang Chuanfu nodded in approval, saying, "Mr. Yu is very calm. I really like Mr. Yu's style of starting from the facts."

He added with a smile, "The 'Tang' model on our booth today has ventilated seats."

“The market is objective, isn’t it?” Yu Xing feigned surprise. “So installing ventilated seats isn’t that difficult? If that’s the case, I’ll have to place an order for one to take home and drive.”

The two looked at each other and both laughed.

Upon seeing this, Leader Wan inquired further and learned that "Tang" had indeed made changes based on General Manager Yu's suggestion, which surprised him with the "substance" in his words.

Wang Chuanfu was very supportive today: "President Yu's words always carry weight. I heard that those internet companies even invested money in the Silicon Carbon Group in order to prevent President Yu from speaking. This is truly unique in China and makes us feel ashamed of ourselves."

He was referring to Tencent and Alibaba's investment in Silicon Carbon Group. Looking back now, it seems both funny and bizarre, but it happened at the time.

When Wang Chuanfu first learned about it, he suspected that large companies like Tencent and Alibaba were just makeshift operations, and later he felt that there was some kind of collusion involved.

Yu Xing reciprocated: "What's the real value of what I have? Mr. Wang got Buffett to buy company stock, that's real value. I'm actually planning to buy some whenever I have spare cash."

After exchanging compliments for a while, the conversation returned to the entire new energy industry.

Yu Xing, as always, started from the facts and presented the current situation in two aspects of the industry.

Firstly, there is no unified standard for charging pile protocols in China, which leads to incompatibility between car manufacturers' fast charging ports and third-party charging piles.

Secondly, with the progress and development of the industry, the standards for battery energy density also need to be raised.

Wang Chuanfu strongly agreed with the first point and immediately expressed his willingness to cooperate with the Silicon Carbon Group in this regard. As for the second point mentioned by President Yu, he felt it was somewhat rash and remained silent.

Both are chairmen of car companies, and their leaders have been concerned about new energy for many years. The standard of energy density sounds somewhat euphemistic and obscure, but they both know the underlying meaning.

The current domestic subsidies are based on driving range as the core standard, with a threshold of 50 kilometers of pure electric range. Therefore, many car companies are installing batteries in their models just to meet the subsidy threshold, with the goal not being to make a better car, but simply to get the subsidies.

As long as low-range, low-cost vehicles flood the market, automakers can make money. However, how these vehicles flood the market, or even whether they actually reach real owners, is where the manipulation lies.

Without mandatory policy requirements, many automakers have no incentive to upgrade, even though the energy density of lithium iron phosphate and ternary lithium batteries has improved significantly in the past two years.

However, bringing up such a thing in front of a leader is like cutting off someone's livelihood, and even seems like sabotaging someone's livelihood.

Wang Chuanfu remained silent, but couldn't help sighing inwardly. After all, President Yu was still young, and he needed to carefully consider such remarks, as they would be extremely offensive if they got out.

However, he suddenly noticed Mr. Yu's bright eyes and began to suspect that the other party might have already considered the matter.

After listening to Yu Xing's explanation of energy density, Leader Wan remained silent for a moment before simply saying, "This kind of thing will be considered comprehensively."

He paused, then added, "Mr. Yu, you don't need to talk about this anymore, to avoid any trouble."

When an atypical leader meets an atypical chairman, the conversation becomes more direct.

Yu Xing nodded, saying it was fine to tell or not to tell.

Leader Wan also discussed the schedule for the auto show and finally gave Yu Xing a suggestion: "President Yu, I understand that you should focus on R&D. Now that the car is about to be launched, you should talk to the media about new energy. Talk more about it. This is not just about the Carbon Silicon Group. It's all about new energy. Don't just favor your Internet business."

Yu Xing was both amused and exasperated: "I actually have a soft spot for the internet?"

"The only time I see your name in the news is about another carbon and silicon issue," Leader Wan said with a smile. "Isn't that favoritism?"

Yu Xing shook his head: "The media all love the internet; they just love publishing that."

Leader Wan pointed to Yu Xing's name tag: "Look, President Yu, you yourself came in wearing a 'Latest Hot Topics' name tag."

Yu Xing: "Uh..."

He did indeed have such an employee badge when he attended the media day of the auto show today.

Leader Wan smiled and shook hands with President Yu at the end, indicating that he was quite satisfied with the meeting.

Wang Chuanfu chatted about cars for a few more minutes, then suddenly said, "President Yu, talking about energy density can easily offend people."

"Let's just stick to the facts, no one else can hear us anyway," Yu Xing said with a smile. "Sometimes I'm like that, my mouth moves faster than my brain. I really need to learn from President Wang's composure."

Wang Chuanfu carefully observed President Yu, recalling his past as a know-it-all, and felt that this man was probably still quite serious at heart.

But then he thought again that the Silicon Carbon Group might indeed need this kind of meticulousness in manufacturing cars.

The two chatted for a while longer, but then the media came to interview them, so they parted ways.

Thinking about the leader's advice on public opinion, Yu Xing did not refuse this time, but walked to a corner before accepting the impromptu interview.

Shi Ming, holding the microphone, was very excited about catching Yu Xing from the Silicon Carbon Group.

He is a reporter for the "Car Players" program on Yangcheng Traffic Radio FM105.2. He was assigned to report on the first day of the auto show, but apart from some routine information, there were no exciting news.

As a seasoned industry commentator, a car enthusiast, and a member of a local car club in Guangzhou, he had spotted Yu Xinghe and his superiors earlier. He couldn't approach them at first, but once he was alone, he felt it was a good opportunity to interrogate them.

Shi Ming had limited interest in new energy vehicles. He knew that the Silicon Carbon Group was making cars, but he didn't think they could make anything of it, especially after learning that they were making cars worth over 300,000 yuan.

"President Yu, I heard that the car that Carbon Silicon Group plans to launch next year will be priced at over 30 yuan. Isn't it a bit too prudent to start with high-end products?" Shi Ming's first question revealed his stance.

Yu Xing has had less contact with the media in the past two years, but only compared to his previous situation. He glanced at the reporter in front of him and said slowly, "In the past, domestic independent brands have always thought about competing from the bottom up, laying a solid foundation first, and then continuing to expand. I understand this very well. However, the development of automotive electrification can be used to try competing from the top down. Specifically for mid-to-large SUVs, our target group is actually only one model below BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi) – the Highlander – which has very good sales."

"Building cars from the bottom up actually involves a lot of intense competition, while the competition is relatively less fierce in the mid-to-high-end segment. Today, I visited the auto show with everyone and saw many new energy vehicle models. I have great confidence in the new energy vehicles produced by our Silicon Carbon Group. They are absolutely top-notch in quality."

Yu Xing felt that his answer was already quite honest.

However, Shi Ming couldn't see for himself and found it hard to believe that the Silicon Carbon Group had entered the market from another industry. He also didn't think that this competitive approach was really feasible. He asked directly, "President Yu, you think that Silicon Carbon Group has already produced good quality vehicles in the new energy vehicle sector, but your cars are not only competing with new energy vehicles. How are you going to compete with fuel vehicle companies that have accumulated many years of experience in terms of quality?"

Yu Xing laughed and asked in return, "Are you saying that our cars are going to compete with those who falsify emissions data, collude to monopolize the market, and whose former chairman shorted his own company in terms of quality?"

Shi Ming was taken aback by Yu Xing's sudden change of heart. After a couple of seconds of hesitation, he emphasized, "President Yu, we're talking about the product, not certain actions of the car company. We're focusing on the product."

Yu Xing laughed again: "You mean those products that didn't perform well in offset crash tests, which were previously unwilling to use high-strength steel but have now been updated to use it, while others haven't been updated yet?"

Shi Ming's face flushed slightly: "You, you..."

He took a breath and changed his perspective: "President Yu, I heard that the car you're making is a six-seater model. Such a rare positioning, what if it fails?"

“This ‘if’ assumption is very good.” Yu Xing nodded. “If we fail, we will not delay wages or payments to customers. We will use the failure to provide lessons for those who follow in the new energy field. Of course, if we succeed by chance, it will also provide successful experience for those who follow.”

Seeing how pleasantly he spoke, Shi Ming asked, "President Yu, does the Silicon Carbon Group have enough money?"

Yu Xing laughed and said, "If the Silicon Carbon Group doesn't exist by then, I do. I also have a listed company under my name, and another internet company that's doing quite well. What do you think?"

Shi Ming was already regretting that he hadn't prepared enough.

He had used this straightforward style in previous interviews, but it always made the interviewees feel awkward. Now, he was at a loss for what to do when he encountered a target who seemed to be somewhat reckless.

Shi Ming was stunned for several seconds before suddenly saying, "President Yu, I have a suggestion for you. When you're being interviewed, don't explode at the slightest thing. You don't need to be so sharp."

Yu Xing laughed: "I've been very mild. Three years ago, I would have immediately taken out my phone to take a picture of you, then shouted to attract everyone's attention, and then repeated the question and answer. This isn't sharp."

As Shi Ming heard President Yu's voice growing louder and louder, and sensed that people nearby were looking over, he panicked and cried out, "President Yu, don't shout, don't shout..."

Yu Xing patted the reporter on the shoulder and laughed, "You're back to your old ways. Write it well. I've remembered your name. When it's done, I'll show it to the boss."

Shi Ming remained silent, watching President Yu's departing figure, and felt that this person was really difficult to deal with.

Yu Xingshi didn't even look at the reporter's name. Since he had revealed his whereabouts, he really didn't care about being interviewed. Apart from the inevitable perfunctory comments on the models on display, he also showed strong confidence when asked about the Silicon Carbon Group.

Six seats, extended range, 30+.

The participating journalists all shared a similar assessment of Mr. Yu from Lingang—his confidence left a deep impression.

Or, to put it another way, Mr. Yu and his silicon carbon group both appear very arrogant.

Yu Xing overheard snippets of comments from his colleagues who were viewing the exhibition separately, but he simply laughed them off.

Everything comes down to sales volume. If sales are high enough, then great scholars will naturally come to debate the matter.

……

In mid-November, although it wasn't the first time Douyin (TikTok) launched in the domestic market, it began promoting content with various tags, showing signs of becoming a mainstream short video platform.

Lightsaber transformation / kick transformation / music transformation...

As the person in charge of Weishi, Liu Chiping is very concerned about the dynamics of competitors, especially Douyin's actions.

He immediately started studying Douyin's recent promotional activities and also saw some short videos of handsome men and beautiful women, but he didn't think they would be of much use.

However, one evening when Liu Chiping was resting in his office, he subconsciously opened Douyin (TikTok) and was suddenly surprised by his action.

Etc., etc……

How did I accidentally press the TikTok button with my finger?
I don't think I was planning to watch TikTok just now, was I?

Is this still research driven by competition?
Liu Chiping was stunned for a while, then frowned and opened his phone to check today's software usage time, and suddenly froze.

TikTok: 3 hours and 12 minutes.

Weishi: 1 hour and 23 minutes.

Music: 19 minutes.

He fell into self-doubt. "Wait a minute, I'm a hard-working person. How did I end up playing short videos for almost 5 hours?"

Is this how a workday is supposed to be spent?

Liu Chiping's mood immediately became even heavier. It wasn't impossible to get through it this way, but he couldn't spend most of his time in the opponent's software.

He had some difficulty recalling how he had spent so much time on Douyin, and then continued scrolling through Douyin while silently compiling a list of video content in his mind.

Strategy game, this is kind of interesting.

Astronomical research is something I enjoy.

Christian culture, well, I'm a Christian.

The king of short sellers, well, how could someone from Goldman Sachs not have paid attention to Shanfeng?

Liu Chiping became increasingly alarmed as he scrolled through the app. He immediately stopped and asked his colleagues to quickly tally the usage time. They discovered a startling situation – Douyin (TikTok) was almost always used for longer than Weishi (Taiwanese short video platform).

While there is certainly a motivation to study competitors, are there really no other issues?
Liu Chiping felt that this was practically a TikTok invasion.

That evening, when he got home, he was still communicating and analyzing the situation with his colleagues, believing that there were deeper factors behind this situation.

After a long while, Liu Chiping prepared to go to sleep, and as soon as he lay down, he casually opened Douyin (TikTok).

He scrolled through two videos before it suddenly dawned on him: Oh no... this isn't right...

(End of this chapter)