What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 536 A Temper as Stubborn as a Car (6k)

The sudden arrogance of the head of the Silicon Carbon Group silenced the small media conference.

Everyone looked at Yu Xing in front of them, as if waiting for his serious expression to turn into a warm smile.

However, the person in front of me, who had just finished a press conference, remained serious throughout.

Is this not a joke?

How dare you?

A reporter kindly winked at Mr. Yu, implying that everything he said was being filmed.

Yu Xing winked at him and smiled, "This is my judgment and my goal. I think it's more interesting to talk about it before things are settled. It would be boring to talk about it later."

The reporter who had just asked the question realized what was happening and laughed: "Mr. Yu, that's BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi). That's indeed a good goal. How long does the Silicon Carbon Group plan to take to achieve it?"

“When I founded Silicon Carbon Group, no one thought Nokia would be sold to Microsoft,” Yu Xing answered seriously. “The success of Silicon Carbon Group’s ‘Jiuzhou’ will quickly drive the cycle of market competition. In the next five years, we will see more choices on the market. The automotive industry is progressing, the domestic market is innovating, and every brand will be involved. BBA will be no exception, and the whole world cannot stay out of it.”

The reporters looked at each other, finding the words more appealing than the performance.

"Mr. Yu, you can be the toughest in the world, and you can also bring down the prices of BBA (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Audi). Did you ever imagine that you could be talking so eloquently today when you were selling love insurance on the street?" A conspicuous reporter spoke up from a seat in the back.

Some reporters smiled wryly, while others burst out laughing.

Looking back at today's press conference, Mr. Yu's seemingly humble statement was actually quite telling; he was claiming that "Jiuzhou" was the toughest car in the world. Listening to the questions from his colleagues just now, the irony was palpable.

Yu Xing showed no anger whatsoever, but instead laughed heartily: "Brother, do you think I would be ashamed of the past? Haha, that's the road I came from."

The smiles on the reporters' faces suddenly vanished. Mr. Yu's candor was actually quite charming.

"Mr. Yu, as far as I know, Tesla uses ternary lithium batteries exclusively. Compared to ternary lithium batteries, lithium iron phosphate batteries have the disadvantage of lower energy density and poorer consistency. Why does Silicon Carbon Group still choose lithium iron phosphate batteries?" a reporter asked.

Yu Xing was a little surprised. He took two steps forward and saw the man's name tag. He was Qiu Jiayou, a reporter from "Automotive Business Review".

He didn't answer immediately like he had when faced with the previous questions. Instead, he paused for ten seconds before saying, "Carbon Silicon Group and Tesla are on different paths. Tesla focuses on pure electric vehicles, which requires it to choose ternary lithium batteries with sufficient energy density in order to achieve adequate range. The batteries themselves are also very heavy. Using lithium iron phosphate batteries with lower energy density would make them even heavier, which has various effects."

"Even so, due to the current state of charging infrastructure, there will still be range anxiety. If you can't reach a charging station, it will be a real problem. I have this experience myself. Some of you may not have driven a pure electric car yet, but I have."

"Our goal at this stage is to meet the demands of electrification for automobiles while addressing range anxiety in real-life situations. At the same time, how to make the materials themselves relatively safe is also a key consideration for us at this stage. Of course, technology will continue to advance."

"Regarding the consistency issue of lithium iron phosphate, we have made tremendous efforts together with CATL. I won't go into details today, but simply put, we have optimized the materials by designing nanoscale particles and surface coating and ion doping. This can shorten the lithium-ion diffusion path and improve the conductivity of the materials, which reduces the performance difference of the cells from the source."

"CATL employs strict selection and control in manufacturing to reduce electrode defects and material fluctuations, thus ensuring consistency in cell production."

"In addition, there are corresponding measures in terms of structure, thermal management, and intelligent BMS, which is a system covering the entire chain from materials to use."

Yu Xing answered seriously and praised, "Qiu Jiayou, that's a very good question."

The reporters barely understood what he meant. This... this really wasn't Yu Xing who sold love insurance; he was now the CEO of the Silicon Carbon Group...

Qiu Jiayou, who asked the question, didn't understand either, but nodded with a smile, as if he was very satisfied with President Yu's answer.

He was even more pleased with himself for cleverly using the key points of discussion on Baixiaosheng to ask questions.

With these questions raised, the interview seemed to return to a certain level of professionalism.

An hour-long press conference is not short, but the new silicon carbon car involves many aspects, so it can only be touched upon briefly. At this point, many related questions were raised.

For example, the six unique and unconventional seats.

This feature remains eye-catching even among a dazzling array of configurations.

"The space for six seats is quite good. I know some of you have questions, so let me explain from a simple point of view," Yu Xing said. "Take Shanghai as an example. The number of registered births in Shanghai the year before last was about 12.5, with second children accounting for about 14%. Last year, the number of registered births was 12.6, with second children accounting for about 15%. This is data from the Shanghai Municipal Health Commission. We believe that the demand for family cars, especially the demand for multi-person travel, has not been fully met."

"No product is perfect and can be suitable for all potential users. When we make products, we need to have a target user group. I have confidence in 'Jiuzhou' in this regard, and I welcome everyone who has this need to give it a try."

"Oh right, regarding the consistency issue from earlier, let me add that we provide a lifetime warranty for the first owner of the vehicle."

Yu Xing glanced at the time, looked around, and smiled, "It's noon, everyone must be hungry. Thank you all for your hard work. One last question, then let's go eat together."

The reporters quieted down and quickly considered how to phrase their final question.

Yu Xing glanced at the reporter and directly called out the reporter who had initially asked the professional question: "Qiu Jiayou, ask an easy question. Don't keep us hungry. I'm afraid Jack Ma and the others from Alibaba will have finished their meal."

Qiu Jiayou's spirits lifted, and he combined his two questions into one sentence: "President Yu, will the Silicon Carbon Group consider five- or seven-seater models in the future? Just like you said, how do you view your journey from the Internet to new energy vehicles?"

Yu Xing answered the first question easily: "In the future, we will consider providing a large five-seater model. As for seven-seaters, it depends on whether there is such an urgent market demand. Regardless of the model, we will still prioritize the needs of users."

"How I see it..."

“I have actually done quite a few projects. Some were sold because of incorrect market judgment, and some were sold out of necessity due to competition. So I have been thinking about what kind of business model can go further and I have been studying the different models of different companies.”

“The Silicon Carbon Group is a model that I think is excellent.”

That is, to exchange sincerity for sincerity.

Yu Xing smiled, and the reporters who were interviewing him, because it was the last question, were less tense and smiled as well.

“The Silicon Carbon Group has shown us its sincerity and given us everything it could. So, as the founder of a company, I am grateful for the reflections that the setbacks in the past have given me, and I am even more grateful for the country’s policies on the new energy industry, as well as for the consumers’ evaluation and support.”

"Thank you everyone, please eat and drink plenty of food at noon."

Yu Xing smiled and clasped his hands together in prayer for the cameras, concluding the small media briefing following the main press conference.

After several days of preparation, negotiation, and reception, the solo performance of the new car this morning, the current media press conference, and the constant concern about feedback from the front lines, he was indeed feeling mentally exhausted.

The reporters were led to a luncheon by employees of silicon carbon.

Yu Xing went upstairs and walked around for a while, deliberately choosing an empty office, where he smoked and looked at the store summary.

As of 11:40 a.m., the number of large deposits for "Jiuzhou" was 786, while the total number of small deposits was 4136. Because small deposits have a cash deduction, large deposits are converted from small deposits, and the current ratio is 19%.

Yu Xing believes that this is quite considerable for a new energy vehicle brand and model.

We're not in a position where we dare not launch a product without tens of thousands of small orders, nor are we in a stage where orders will "explode" as soon as we step off the stage. The fact that the new carbon silicon car has achieved this is already an unexpected delight.

Among them, the free license plates for new energy vehicles in Shanghai were a huge stimulus, accounting for 40% of the total orders.

Carbon Silicon Group has made an assessment of its home base in Shanghai, because license plates are indeed a huge benefit. However, license plates worth around 8 yuan do not really reduce the on-road price. Users who choose the Pro version will still need to pay more than 28 yuan to purchase the car.

For gasoline cars, the price is 28 + 8 for the car and license plate. For "Jiuzhou", the price is 28 + 0 yuan for the car and license plate. Salespeople can make it seem like customers are getting a new car and license plate for 20 + 8, since the license plate has cash value. But the actual amount they spend is still 28.

For customers like him in Shanghai, who have specific needs, spending 28 yuan still means getting quality that matches the price, not just a free license plate.

Therefore, the Carbon Silicon Group is not very optimistic about the sales of BYD's "Tang" released last month. It is priced at 30 yuan, and after subsidies, it is 24 yuan. At most, it can only be considered as having the quality of a 24 yuan car.

However, potential users with a budget of 28 or 24 may only require quality that meets or is below their budget when choosing BBA or second-tier luxury brands, but when examining carbon silicon or BYD, they will inevitably demand that these two companies provide quality that exceeds their budget.

I spent 28 yuan. You're a new brand, you can't really only give me a car worth 28 yuan, can you?

Therefore, the carbon silicon group offers cars to potential users at a cost price of 34 yuan, while such a cost price of 34 yuan can be claimed by well-known brands as having a quality value of at least 40 yuan.

Yu Xing and Silicon Carbon Group both need to be grateful for, and are indeed grateful for, the support provided by the policy. Without this cash subsidy, there would be no "Jiuzhou".

A surprised comment suddenly popped up in the WeChat group.

Cui Zhiyu: Nearly 800 yuan in orders, and 30% of them were for the top-of-the-line Max version. Damn, no customer is stupid!

The morning's press conference only gave a brief, one-sentence introduction to the top-of-the-line Max and revealed the final price. Yet, now over 200 people are willing to spend nearly 33 yuan to buy it...

What more can I say? Air suspension, CDC, soft-close doors, rear-wheel steering, 21-inch wheels, fragrance system... I'll give it to you!
Yu Xing stubbed out his cigarette, rubbed his face, and walked out of the office.

Secretary Zhang Yangxu waited outside, holding a cup of iced coffee that had appeared out of nowhere.

In late February, I downed most of a cup of iced coffee in one gulp.

Yu Xing felt greatly invigorated and exclaimed, "So bitter, so good bitterness! So icy, so good icy!"

Zhang Yangxu chuckled, feeling that his secretary was becoming increasingly perceptive. He followed his boss closely and asked, "President Yu, now that this deal is finalized, are we done?"

"It's half done. We need to see how the large orders are converted into sales. These people will definitely need to test drive the cars. You should tell General Manager Cui and the others again to make sure that the test drive experience is well-prepared," Yu Xing instructed.

Zhang Yangxu nodded repeatedly. Several senior executives in the company did not attend the press conference today; they had personally gone to the front lines to observe and supervise the work.

……

The luncheon for the new car from Silicon Carbon Group was extremely lively, but the scenes also appeared to be clearly divided.

The internet industry is one group of people, the automotive industry is another, the conference attendees are yet another, and the media reporters who came later are yet yet another.

Besides, top Zhejiang businessmen like Ma Chuan, Cai Chongxin, Guo Guangchang, and Zong Qinghou formed their own small circles, and occasionally someone would leave the table to go and say hello, usually to catch up with someone like Li Shufu.

Chiu Chia-yu, a reporter from Automotive Business Review, sat at the dining table, listening intently to his colleagues' conversation while curiously observing the lively chatter of Ma Chuan and others in the distance.

After a long while, he looked away and said with some surprise, "Isn't it said that silicon carbide and Alibaba are fierce competitors in short videos? Why are Mr. Ma and Mr. Cai here?"

"Who knows? Competition is competition, but Alibaba also invested in Silicon Carbon Group, and besides, WeChat was created by Mr. Yu, so there's probably some tacit understanding between the two sides," Zhu Congfeng, a colleague next to him, casually remarked. "Hey, by the way, do you use Weishi, Leyin, or Douyin?"

Chiu Chia-yu replied, "I think Douyin is quite fun. I just posted a short video I took at the press conference."

Zhu Congfeng laughed and said, "Really? I also use Douyin. Let's follow each other."

The two exchanged followers on Douyin (TikTok).

Qiu Jiayou waited a while, but the topic he wanted to hear didn't come up at the dinner table. He held back and quietly asked Zhu Congfeng, "Brother Feng, has the transportation fee been paid by the Silicon Carbon Group?"

Zhu Congfeng didn't answer directly, but instead asked, "Did I give it to you?"

"They gave me a souvenir and 1000 when they came over," Qiu Jiayou said in a low voice. "They wouldn't just give me 1000, would they?"

Zhu Congfeng shook his head and laughed, "No, this is probably just a small gift. There will definitely be more travel expenses later. They just got on the train today, so they must be very busy. I understand."

Qiu Jiayou nodded slightly, pondering how to write a report on the new car of the Carbon Silicon Group. He had a good impression of President Yu today and felt that the new car of Carbon Silicon Group was indeed of good quality, and the dazzling array of configurations looked very sincere.

only……

Mr. Yu himself said that sincerity begets sincerity, so he should know that the travel expenses represent his heart. Nowadays, even small shops on Taobao know to exchange money for positive reviews.

As Qiu Jiayou pondered these thoughts, he looked up and saw President Yu striding in.

An employee from the silicon carbon group jogged over and handed him the microphone.

Yu Xing took the microphone and apologized, "Thank you for waiting so long. Thank you all for your support of our Silicon Carbon Group and the new energy business. I'll make sure you have a good lunch. I just have one small request: please don't drink and drive. Thank you all, thank you all."

With the arrival of the local landlord, food and drinks were served.

The luncheon was booked well in advance, and another group of chefs were even hired on short notice to help out. The wine was the standard Moutai, and the Zhejiang businessmen did not differentiate between different types of wine.

Yu Xing put down the microphone and greeted everyone along the way. He explained that his purpose for lunch today was to entertain the guests and offer them toasts to express his gratitude.

Zeng Yuqun from CATL had just exchanged a few pleasantries with President Yu when, seeing him about to leave, he quickly grabbed his arm and asked in a low voice, "How's the feedback?"

"Not bad." Yu Xing's answer remained the same, but he added a sentence that was different from what he would say when talking to a leader: "I think we can negotiate a lower price with you this year."

When sales increase, the supply chain will have to be compromised.

When Zeng Yuqun heard about the price cut, he was not angry at all. Instead, he smiled. Only when the end market can be opened up can the sales volume of CATL batteries follow suit.

He desperately wanted Silicon Carbon Group to follow supply chain practices and get more discounts.

As Zeng Yuqun watched President Yu's retreating figure, he pondered how to advance the cooperation between the silicon carbon group and ternary lithium.

Wang Chuanfu of BYD also chatted with President Yu for a while, asking the same questions and receiving similar answers. However, he was thinking about his own "Tang". Looking at the listing of "Jiuzhou" today, he suddenly had a reflection on the decision.

Perhaps the "Tang" should not have been converted from an oil-powered to an electric vehicle.

Furthermore, "Tang" is capable of further improving quality.

Although the target groups are different, based on the current prices, one costs 28.98 yuan after deducting the cash discount for the initial deposit, which can be reduced to 28.68 yuan, while the other costs 24.4 yuan after deducting the initial deposit. Comparing the two, the former seems to offer better value for money.

Wang Chuanfu felt this way, and he was afraid that end users would feel it even more strongly. In that case, when the official full-scale sales begin in June, the price might have to be lowered again.

Previously, when BYD was exposed on Baixiaosheng, he didn't show much emotional reaction. But today, even though he doesn't know the feedback from the end users of the Silicon Carbon Group, his emotions have become more complicated.

This Yu Xing, I really want to be friends with him...

Yu Xing walked along the way, chatting and laughing all the way.

Before he even reached the Zhejiang businessmen's table, Ma Chuan had already stood up to welcome him, saying in a slightly exaggerated tone, "Come, come, welcome our new energy king to our table for guidance. Not bad, not bad, Mr. Yu is quite skilled at car manufacturing."

Yu Xing laughed heartily, shook hands with Ma Chuan, and asked, "So, did you buy it?"

Joseph Tsai shook his phone: "I ordered two cars, count one as his."

Yu Xing shook hands with Cai Chongxin to express his gratitude.

At this point, the well-known Zhejiang businessmen at the table all spoke up, and each of them ordered at least one unit.

Yu Xing thanked him repeatedly, then raised another glass of wine, and they drank it all in a joyful gulp.

"Mr. Yu, your car is really impressive. I'm quite tempted by it myself. However, I have a question, a completely layman's question," Ma Chuan asked with interest. "I see that 'Jiuzhou' has used a lot of features to enhance its competitiveness. Why don't those second- and third-tier gasoline brands use a lot of features to improve their competitiveness?"

Yu Xing understood Ma Chuan's meaning. 'Jiuzhou' had given everything it could, and if a newly established car company could do this, then traditional car companies that had been established for many years should also be able to do so.

He laughed and said, "BBA has a large volume, so the supply chain gets more discounts than second-tier brands. Bosch charges BMW 100 yuan for patent fees, but Volvo charges 120 yuan. Second-tier brands already have low profit margins, and they also have to have high and low configurations. Moreover, the powertrain of gasoline cars accounts for 3% of the cost. They all have to ensure the core investments in engines and transmissions first, so they have less money for the remaining configurations. Our electrification integration is better, and most importantly, there are subsidies."

The integration of electronic and electrical architecture will increase the advantages, but the first "Jiuzhou" was supported by subsidies.

Once the scale increases, costs can be reduced as the proportion of domestic supply chains increases.

Ma Chuan nodded, indicating he roughly understood.

"Come, come, Mr. Ying, let's toast Mr. Yu. You should learn from Mr. Yu how to build a good car." Guo Guangchang then called over Ying Jianren from Tieniu Group at another table and introduced him, "Mr. Yu, this is Mr. Ying Jianren from Zotye. You two should exchange ideas more often."

Yu Xing was somewhat surprised by this person's appearance, guessing that he must have had some connections and exchanges with other Zhejiang businessmen.

He nodded slightly, intending to give a token nod.

Ying Jianren, being older, had already drunk several cups. He felt that when he was working on Zotye, this young man was probably still studying somewhere. In addition, Zotye had only been making tens of thousands of cars in recent years, while Carbon Silicon Group was making more than 300,000 cars right from the start. His feelings were rather complicated.

They were confident in their seniority, were in the same industry, and had influential friends who could introduce them to them.

Ying Jianren held up his wine glass but didn't clink glasses. Instead, he said with a smile, "President Yu, building cars is not like building a website. It involves transportation and industry. We must do it seriously and learn more from the experience of our predecessors so that we can build the industry together. Back when I was young, I had the same persistence and dream for cars as President Yu. Come on, President Yu, let's exchange ideas."

The senior held himself in high esteem, raising his glass quite high, especially in this setting, surrounded by Zhejiang businessmen.

Yu Xing's smile faded, and he didn't clink his glass forward: "A hero's origins are irrelevant."

He paused for a moment: "Just like car models don't ask where they came from, we communicate when it's time to communicate."

Zotye's models are there for all to see; we'll communicate when it's appropriate, and naturally, we won't communicate when it's not.

Ying Jianren was stunned by the young man's direct response and stood there, his face turning red.

He gripped his wine glass: "You, you..."

Guo Guangchang frowned and then relaxed: "Oh dear, President Yu, with your temper, President Ying only talks for a moment, and you have several things to say waiting for him, right? Colleagues should communicate more."

"Then let's skip that line to avoid wasting time." Yu Xing took a sip of his drink and then laughed at himself, "I have a temper as stubborn as a car, people have been saying that for a long time. When you drink, don't take it to heart."

Guo Guangchang looked at the Zhejiang businessman's unsmiling eyes and felt a chill run down his spine. This was not just a young man, nor was it just a new company that had just started making cars. This was the head of Lingang, who had already clashed with Tencent and Alibaba time and time again.

(End of this chapter)