What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 534 The Reform of Kyushu (Part 1)

The launch event for the new car from Silicon Carbon Group is scheduled for 9:2 a.m. on February 21.

Yu Xing didn't feel nervous, but he woke up very early that morning.

"Are you nervous?"

Liu Wanying, who returned to Lingang yesterday, felt movement by her bedside. She glanced at the time and saw that it was only six o'clock. Somewhat groggy, she asked a question.

Yu Xing shook his head: "Not nervous, well, maybe a little, I can't quite put my finger on it."

Liu Wanying on the bed fell silent.

Five minutes later, Liu Wanying yawned and struggled out of her warm bed. She first washed up quickly, and then hummed the tune of "The Fake Monk" as she chose an outfit for Yu Xing, who was going to perform on stage that day.

She didn't like the song at first, but after being influenced by Yu Xing's listening to and singing of it, she started to like it.

"Let's stick with this suit, the silver-gray one. It's formal yet more vibrant than black." Liu Wanying had pre-selected three suits yesterday, but after looking at her wardrobe today, she still felt that classic and safe choices were more important. "I actually quite like the silver-gray color scheme of your car model; it looks sophisticated, just like this suit of yours."

She smiled and said, "Black trousers paired with a white shirt, black and white, suits you very well. You do a good job with both black and white."

Seeing that Yu Xing hadn't spoken yet, Liu Wanying teased, "Why didn't you invite people from Volkswagen and BMW? You should let them see what kind of cars Guo Shanfeng has made."

“Two different things.” Yu Xing shook his head. “There are already more people here than I expected.”

Liu Wanying observed Yu Xing's expression and smiled, "You weren't nervous when you decided to short Dazhong and the others, so what's there to worry about now?"

“It’s not that I’m worried. Overcoming the mountain peak is something we’ll do on our own. As for the Silicon Carbon Group…” Yu Xing pondered, “Let’s not talk about the big players, the city, or the investors. There’s the collaborative R&D with a series of suppliers like Zhibo, Kong Hui, Huayu, Shenhang, and Linggang, as well as the efforts of thousands of people at Silicon Carbon over the past few years. Now we’re facing an unknown situation. Well, I guess I feel a bit like I’m walking on thin ice.”

Liu Wanying blinked. It's hard for different people in different positions to truly empathize.

After thinking for a moment, she asked, "Want to see the cat?"

At eight o'clock in the morning, Yu Xing, dressed in a formal suit and feeling refreshed, set off from home and headed straight for the headquarters of the Silicon Carbon Group.

According to the original plan of silicon carbide, the scale of this press conference should be around 300-400 people, including supplier representatives, industry friends and media reporters, but on the actual day, the scale at least doubled.

Many automotive industry elites who had never dealt with the event before, media reporters who had not made appointments, and business people who had little interaction with the event attended the press conference. Moreover, the Shanghai authorities coordinated with Dragon TV to provide live coverage, and CCTV also filmed the event.

Yu Xing sat in the car with his eyes closed, trying to rest, but he could hear constant noises around him.

He opened his eyes and saw his secretary, Zhang Yangxu, wiping his sweat from time to time, clearly looking extremely uncomfortable.

Yu Xing asked, "What are you nervous about?"

"No, I don't know," Zhang Yangxu stammered, answering truthfully.

Logically speaking, he's just a secretary, and if the sky falls, the boss will hold it up. But the thought of the new car about to be tested by the market makes him sweat profusely.

Yu Xing smiled at him, breathing slowly, his emotions already quite stable.

The Silicon Carbon Group has already gone all out in manufacturing cars, and "Jiuzhou" has brought together Chinese and foreign technologies during a special period with high subsidies. There is no time to be anxious.

As the saying goes, being anxious in advance is like taking out a loan and eating shit.

"President Yu, what data do we need to pass the test today?" Zhang Yangxu asked in a low voice as they were almost at headquarters.

"Let's see if we can get five or six hundred small orders during the day, and see if we can convert them into one hundred large orders at night," Yu Xing said calmly.

Zhang Yangxu said with some disappointment, "It seems like there aren't many."

“GAC Toyota has about 450 dealerships in China. When the new Highlander was launched, we received 1 orders in the first month, with about 1000 on the first day. In the two weeks after its official launch, we received another 1 orders, but the total sales for the year were still less than 8,” Yu Xing said with a smile. “If the Highlander is like this, how many do you expect to get for a new energy vehicle brand like ours?”

The Highlander is a good target for comparison because it has a 7-seater version that is popular with families, but its annual sales have never exceeded 10 units in the past few years.

Last night, 20 directly operated stores of the Silicon Carbon Group sent small deposit information to potential customers. Paying a deposit of 2000 yuan can be used to offset 5000 yuan of the car purchase price, and there are also several small deposit gifts. If the deposit can be converted into a full deposit and confirmed within 72 hours, it will be given priority in production. If the deposit is not converted into a full deposit, a full refund will be given unconditionally.

Yu Xing agrees with the company's cautious approach. The development of the industry and the establishment of the company's brand both require time. Considering the reduction of costs due to production capacity and economies of scale this year, the carbon silicon group's most desired target is 5 vehicles.

That is, there are 10 months left, and the average monthly sales volume is 5000 vehicles.

If this goal can be achieved this year, and 8.5 vehicles can be produced next year, the cost per vehicle can be reduced very effectively, leaving room for gross profit to cope with the impact of subsidy reduction.

With the same understanding, the leaders of Lingang hope that carbon silicon can achieve a "crazy sales" of 3 vehicles this year, so that they can celebrate together.

After all, this is a car with a standard price of 34.58 yuan, venturing into uncharted territory that domestic brands have not yet reached.

Just as Zhang Yangxu was about to speak, he glanced at the message on his phone and immediately reported, "President Yu, Alibaba's President Ma and President Cai have arrived."

"President Cai said he would come to the press conference, but President Ma actually came too." Yu Xing thought for a moment, then shook his head.

He has received many Zhejiang business leaders in the past few days. He was surprised by the arrival of these people he had not interacted with much before. In addition to the relationship between the two provinces, personal reputation, and the development of carbon silicon, another small matter may also have been the glue that held them together.

Zhejiang merchants have always had a strong business atmosphere, and this year they have been thinking about establishing a "Zhejiang Merchants Association". Although it has not been officially launched yet, the president who has been appointed is naturally Ma Chuan.

The car arrived at the headquarters of the Silicon Carbon Group, where many reporters were already taking pictures.

Once the car had come to a complete stop, Yu Xing said to his secretary, "Come on, let's begin."

Zhang Yangxu noticed that his hand was visibly trembling as he opened the door.

Yu Xing got out of the car steadily, smiled at the many cameras, greeted them, and strode towards the building.

During this time, many reporters followed and asked questions.

Yu Xing simply responded to reporters with a smile, saying "We'll talk about it at the press conference," and didn't forget to greet acquaintances and friends with his eyes.

With less than an hour and a half left before the press conference, the company's senior executives had already arrived, and the site was undergoing final equipment adjustments. Yu Xing arrived at his office, and the first thing he did was to check on the pre-orders from the previous night. Upon learning that there were already over 100 pre-orders, he felt somewhat gratified. He then proceeded to review the press conference content one last time.

At this point, no one, whether it was leaders, investors, friends, or the media, bothered me by phone anymore.

At nine o'clock, Yu Xing, who had just finished a cup of bitter coffee, appeared with a big smile at the venue where the Silicon Carbon Group was holding a new car launch event. The first thing he saw was Ma Chuan, who had an unusual appearance. Next to him, Guo Guangchang, Zong Qinghou, Chen Zongnian, Lu Weiding and others were chatting and laughing.

The second thing I noticed was the city and Lingang leaders sitting in the first row, talking in hushed tones. A quick glance revealed that Zeng Yuqun from Ningde, Wang Chuanfu from BYD, Li Shufu from Geely, and industry figures such as Zhu Huarong, Chen Anning, and Wang Fengying were already present, some sitting and some standing.

Yu Xing quickly went to the leader to receive encouragement. After chatting and laughing for a few minutes, he hurriedly greeted each of the friends who had come to support him. Due to time constraints, he couldn't attend to everyone present and could only offer a smile to most of them.

At 9:30, Yu Xing stood on the first stage of the Silicon Carbon Group for the national market. He was a little caught off guard by the sudden flash of the camera and squinted his eyes slightly before giving his opening remarks.

"Hello everyone, I am Yu Xing, Chairman of Silicon Carbon Group. Thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the launch of our group's first model, 'Jiuzhou'."

As Yu Xing spoke, the words "Carbon Silicon Group·Jiuzhou" appeared on the large screen behind him, while the headlights shone on the car next to him. Today, the car that appeared with Yu Xing was a black "Jiuzhou".

The live broadcast on Dragon TV was 15 seconds slower than the on-site press conference.

At this very moment, the screens inside and outside all 20 directly operated stores of the Silicon Carbon Group across the country have switched to the live broadcast of Yu Xing's press conference. On Saturday morning, in the fairly substantial flow of customers in the business district, some people stopped to look around curiously.

"Four years ago, I chose to switch from the internet to new energy vehicles. At that time, many people did not understand. But with the development of electric vehicles abroad and the progress of the domestic supply chain, today, four years later, many people, like me, firmly believe that the electrification of automobiles will redefine the form and value of automobiles."

“The first product of Silicon Carbon Group, ‘Jiuzhou,’ is based on this concept. It is not only a means of transportation under the development of electrification, but also a new starting point for intelligent mobile space.”

"I have no doubt about this. 'Jiuzhou' is a milestone achievement in China's new energy industry and will work with many industry colleagues to complete the restructuring of the domestic industry."

"I am honored to participate in and lead the development of the domestic new energy industry with Silicon Carbon Group, and I am also honored to open the prelude to the innovation of the automotive industry by domestic independent brands."

Yu Xing intended to slow down his speech, but as he continued speaking, he unconsciously sped up.

He turned around and ripped off the curtain on the car next to him, revealing the "interim results" he was talking about to all the guests' cameras.

Although the Silicon Carbon Group recently opened its doors to visitors and released information about its models, this live stream, which was primarily aimed at potential customers through its 20 directly operated stores, still showcased the "Kyushu" concept to those who had never seen it before.

Unlike today's more angular SUVs, the "Jiuzhou" has a very rounded front end. The continuous light strip around the front is very memorable, while the side profile is outlined by segmented waistlines. The 21-inch wheels and rounded window lines enhance the sense of luxury, and the continuous taillights at the rear echo the front.

Yu Xing had a lot to say, showcasing the new car with his actions. He then picked up the microphone and started by mentioning the previous round of financing: "What exactly can the electrification of automobiles bring? This is something we have been exploring and something that many people are unclear about."

"For Silicon Carbon Group, the most direct example is that our last round of financing, which set a global record for new energy financing, was completed smoothly in just 3 hours with a total of 60 billion yuan."

"Everyone knows that it's difficult to get money out of other people's pockets. But we managed to get real money from European institutions that are used to century-old car companies like Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW, thanks to the technological innovation that electrification has brought to automobiles."

60 billion, 3 hours, a record for global new energy financing for European institutions accustomed to BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi).

Silicon Carbon Group's Series C funding round was indeed fast, but certainly not this fast, and the 60 billion Chinese yuan did not all come from European consortia.

Yu Xing's slightly ambiguous message successfully piqued the interest of the audience both at the venue and in front of their televisions. Whether they were organizations or individuals, whether they were wealthy or ordinary people, everyone had their own money targets.

“I still remember that investor who used to work at Volkswagen said to me, ‘Mr. Yu, I’ll give you three minutes. Tell me why I’m not buying Volkswagen stock and instead investing in an Eastern car project?’”

"I spent thirty seconds getting him to extend the time with me to discuss our technology."

Yu Xing stood in front of the car, turned to look back at the screen, which displayed the results of the "Jiuzhou" deer test.

—75km/h.

Yu Xing pointed to the number on the screen, pressing a button in his hand as he explained its significance: "This number represents the number one ranking in the global moose test for mid-to-large-sized SUVs!"

The screen then showed that the Jeep Grand Cherokee had a speed of 63.5 km/h, the Mercedes ML had a speed of 67.6 km/h, and the BMW X5M had a speed of 72 km/h.

"Everyone knows that they are still very expensive, costing over 60, 80 and over 100 million yuan on the road. BMW has always been known for its good handling and its performance is indeed excellent. Come on, let's take a look at the posture of our moose test."

While playing the video, Yu Xing inserted the price information and gave a thumbs-up to the second-place winner.

The "Jiuzhou" in the video is undergoing a moose test, and its body posture is quite stable.

Many industry veterans were present at the press conference, and many industry media outlets were also aware of the significance of the data, so they couldn't help but start discussing it.

Yu Xing turned around with a smile and said confidently, "We welcome all institutions to retest this world first. We are very confident, but what makes it so that the first car from the Silicon Carbon Group can achieve such results?"

“The Europeans didn’t believe it at the time, and before the meeting was even over, they used a car to retest it.”

Yu Xing reached out and played the video again. This time the picture was a bit shaky, but it was indeed the scene of the European consortium's retest at the time. The sound was also noisy, but you could clearly hear the foreigners' surprised voices when they saw "Jiuzhou" finish the test.

The screen switched back to a comparison of the performance of "Jiuzhou" and the ML, Grand Cherokee, and BMW X5M.

“Our on-site retest results even exceeded 75km/h, reaching 77km/h. This technological advancement has brought us 60 billion yuan.”

Yu Xing once again emphasized the importance of technology.

Those in the audience were already almost convinced that such a result was so easy to replicate, and they gave Mr. Yu a warm round of applause for his confidence.

“Our ‘Jiuzhou’ uses a front double wishbone + rear multi-link suspension, and it uses Bosch’s best iBooster system. Oh right, the current Model S also starts to install this system. Most importantly, the front and rear motors have a huge advantage in torque adjustment. We only need 20ms, while gasoline cars need 200ms.”

"This configuration is familiar to those who frequently look at cars. It is usually used in cars costing 400,000 to 500,000 yuan, such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, which uses a MacPherson strut and multi-link suspension."

"The combination of cost-free hardware and advancements in electrification directly impressed our investors."

"But it's not just that; we need not only stability, but also toughness."

Yu Xing took two steps, reached out and pressed his hand on the A-pillar of the car, displaying the now highly authoritative offset crash test footage.

(End of this chapter)