What's wrong with me being a rich man?

Chapter 556 Production Capacity (4k)

As soon as there was any movement from carbon silicon, investors, local governments, his alma mater, and partners all extended invitations to Yu Xing, seemingly on his behalf.

This unexpected enthusiasm is perplexing, but once it reaches its peak, it ceases to be perplexing.

They were all asked to do it, which is the same as not asking to do it at all.

Yu Xing adjusted his mindset quickly. The attitude he expressed to Cui Zhiyu was his true thought: to stabilize the market first.

Three weeks into April, the sales of Carbon Silicon Kyushu did not decline under scrutiny, but it was unable to challenge for second place on the sales chart. According to Carbon Silicon's own cumulative sales figures for the three weeks, Kyushu has sold 4419 units this month, while the Envision sold 7380 units in the same period, a significant gap between the two.

However, Kyushu's sales trend in April is clearly expected to surpass last month's, the only question is whether it can break the 6000 mark again.

March saw 5699 units sold, and April's sales were at least 5000+. This represents two consecutive months of sales exceeding 5000 units, leaving the industry in awe!

Meanwhile, some media outlets carefully compared the second and third place rankings on the carbon and silicon list.

Buick's Envision does indeed have a solid leading sales volume, and its price range does overlap with that of the carbon silicon-based Kyushu. However, its actual volume-selling model is the "20T two-wheel drive elite" with a guide price of 23.59 yuan.

昂科威是去年10月才上市的新车型，提供了20T和28T两个系列，每个系列又分出4个配置车型，最贵的是指导价34.99万的“28T四驱全能运动旗舰型”。

However, the 20T two-wheel drive elite model accounted for nearly half of the sales, and its actual on-the-road price was around 25 yuan.

The Carbon Silicon Kyushu model only comes in two configurations, with the lower-priced Pro version costing over 28 yuan even after subsidies.

With this comparative analysis, it's quite normal that the more expensive Kyushu falls behind the Encore. Of course, there's not much need to analyze the Audi Q5, which is more expensive than the second and third most expensive models.

On the morning of April 22, Yu Xing chaired a company meeting to review sales figures from the previous three weeks and the problems that had emerged in the market.

Compared to the rush of last month, the pressure on the carbon silicon direct sales stores has eased this month. However, this has been accompanied by minor issues arising from car owners using their vehicles. Cars are industrial products and undergo many layers of inspection and testing before leaving the factory. New car companies like carbon silicon need to build a good reputation, so they are even more stringent in this regard.

Even so, thousands of cars still have to go through logistics and transportation before they can be delivered to their owners, and some problems are bound to occur. Here the paint is scratched by stones, there is a strange noise when driving, these are all feedback from the front line.

Small problems combined with a new brand can amplify the feelings of car owners. At the same time, the coverage of carbon silicon's offline services is still being expanded. Some car owners are willing to try it out and travel to nearby cities to pick up their cars, but it becomes troublesome when they need to check and solve problems.

Silicon Carbon Group needs to address the problems it encounters from multiple perspectives, but the advancement of offline services will inevitably take time. It can only try its best to meet the needs of car owners. Fortunately, most of the feedback received from car owners so far has been one of surprise, delight, and satisfaction.

"The sales volume of Kyushu carbon silicon has reached 1 units. I forgot to mention this at the last meeting. I only remembered it when General Manager Cui and General Manager Hu talked to me about it last night."

"When I was considering sales at the beginning of the year, I thought that 10,000 was a number that would take a while to reach. I didn't expect to achieve it before April was even over. This is a performance that should excite everyone!"

"The only pity is that our current production capacity is limited to just over 6000 vehicles, so we can't push further. But on the other hand, this production capacity limitation is precisely helping Silicon Carbon Group solve the small problems that have arisen in the market that we just discussed."

"I am confident that Kyushu's sales will not stop at 5000, 6000, or even 1, given the recognition it has received. However, the more consumers support us despite their doubts about new brands, new energy vehicles, and new models, the more we must be cautious in ensuring product quality. This quality is not only about the car itself, but also about our after-sales service."

"Director Song gave a very specific timeline. The capacity expansion of the production line can be completed in May. We will be able to provide stronger delivery capabilities in the second half of the year. We must not let small problems in the market accumulate into big problems. We want to build the reputation of Kyushu, and even more so, the reputation of Silicon Carbon Group."

Yu Xing emphasized the importance of building product reputation and production capacity.

Seeing that everyone had given the appropriate response, he was about to end the meeting when he suddenly remembered the leak and said with a smile, "There's another small matter. President Cui should have told everyone that our normal meeting discussion was going to be discussed in the morning, but how did it get to other people's ears in the afternoon? This can't be allowed to happen like this. Let it go this time, but we must investigate it next time."

Yu Xing adjourned the meeting, and everyone stood up.

Cui Zhiyu moved over and chatted for a few minutes about his new ideas for accelerating the coverage of offline services.

Pang Ruiyang, who had been sitting in the middle of the conference room, walked over, looking conflicted. He wanted to admit his mistake in leaking the information, but he was also a little embarrassed.

He was a former factory director recommended by Xu Xin. In recent years, he has played a significant role in the development of the Silicon Carbon Group. On the one hand, he served as a consultant for factory construction, and on the other hand, he was an expert in communication between Silicon Carbon and Lingang. In addition, he was also a member of the executive office of the Silicon Carbon Group.

"President Pang, please sit down. What's wrong?" Yu Xing asked, then continued to smile at Cui Zhiyu, "The last two months are still a bit of a pity. There's a Shanghai Auto Show tomorrow, which can provide some stimulus, but our maximum sales in April and May are only 6000+."

The decision to expand the capacity of the silicon carbon production line was rather aggressive, and it seems to be the right decision now. However, it is difficult to have both. The best sales period is the early stage when a car model is most popular after its launch.

“We are different; our potential market is much larger,” Cui Zhiyu said. “We sell 6000 vehicles, which is not the limit; we can only produce 6000 vehicles. Once the capacity expansion ends, we can expect more deliveries in the second half of the year. Moreover, there are no official figures yet for next year’s subsidies. If the subsidies decrease, it will be a significant stimulus at the end of the year.”

This year, the highest cash subsidy can reach 5.6 yuan. If the national or local subsidy ratio is reduced next year, hesitant customers may rush to place orders before the end of the year because of the subsidies of tens of thousands of yuan.

The single policy change is a minor negative factor for Silicon Carbon Group, but it will definitely benefit from it by the end of the year. As for next year, considering Kyushu's current performance in first- and second-tier cities and the Yangtze River Delta region, it will be able to continue to compete in the market once it expands its stores to more cities.

Silicon Carbon Group is quite confident in this regard, unless all subsidies are suddenly canceled in China, but the policy will definitely not be so uncontinuous.

After exchanging a few words with Cui Zhiyu, Yu Xing, seeing that Pang Ruiyang remained silent, asked again, "President Pang, what suggestions do you have?"

Pang Ruiyang opened his mouth: "Um, President Yu, it was yesterday..."

"Oh right, a delegation is coming this afternoon." Yu Xing then remembered something else and said with a smile, "President Pang, you can come with me to receive them this afternoon. We'll need to discuss the factory construction plan then, and you'll be a good fit to speak."

After he finished speaking, he asked, "What do you want to say?" Pang Ruiyang saw President Yu smiling at him and suddenly became a little suspicious. Maybe...maybe President Yu already knew. Now that he has specifically asked him to attend the reception, he may not want to talk about this anymore. After all, it was said at the meeting that he would not pursue the matter.

He had been chatting on the phone with an old friend in the industry during lunch, and his words were a little boastful, since it was something to be proud of to contribute to Lingang again. But he didn't expect the news to spread so quickly.

Pang Ruiyang shook his head and didn't say anything.

"Relax, don't be nervous, we're just here to take a look." Seeing that the old factory director didn't speak, Yu Xing thought he was nervous and laughed, "You're the expert, you can just chime in to confirm what I'm saying."

Pang Ruiyang nodded silently, then suddenly asked, "President Yu, will there be a timetable for the new factory?"

“There’s no timetable. At least, if we’re talking about it ourselves, it’ll be at least the end of next year,” Yu Xing said. “Phase II needs money, the new factory needs money, R&D needs money, the new model needs money, and we’ll talk about the new factory after the company goes public.”

Pang Ruiyang believes that by the end of next year, they can start considering a new factory, which would actually be a fairly rapid expansion.

Having heard this information, he learned his lesson and will absolutely not reveal it to anyone again.

The Silicon Carbon Group had a leadership visit in the afternoon, but not much extra preparation was made. Since Kyushu went public, there have indeed been quite a few visits recently, from Beijing, Shanghai, and Lingang.

These inspections mainly diverted the attention of some senior executives, but internal operations remained largely unaffected.

After leaving the meeting room, Pang Ruiyang went to the executive office for a short meeting. At noon, while having lunch in the cafeteria, he received a call from an old friend who works in Zhejiang Province.

As soon as he answered the phone, he said irritably, "What are you doing now? The silicon car isn't selling well, and you don't even remember to call once a year."

"Old Pang, I swear to God, every time I have some tea, I call you to send it over. Besides, I'm genuinely happy for you guys selling your cars well, and I just wanted to help spread the word that our own brand of cars can be this good! Am I wrong?" The person on the other end of the phone said confidently. "And when you, Old Pang, told me, you were all smiles and didn't ask me to keep it a secret. How can you blame me?"

Pang Ruiyang was speechless.

The person on the other end of the phone paused for a moment: "Old Pang, we're just trying to get our hands on you, we're not trying to scam you. What's Carbon Silicon thinking right now? Have you determined the approximate location? What's the timeline?"

Pang Ruiyang firmly refused to disclose anything this time: "No, no, really no. The second phase of Lingang hasn't even started yet. The new factory will be a matter after the listing. You don't need to care about this."

The voice on the other end of the phone suddenly rose an octave: "Is silicon carbide about to be launched? When? Is it that fast?"

Pang Ruiyang was stunned. This... this news wasn't leaked, was it...?

He ended the call perfunctorily, feeling slightly uneasy.

When the scheduled inspection arrived in the afternoon, Pang Ruiyang indeed heard the latest news.

"Mr. Yu, I heard that silicon carbon has plans to go public. That's great news," the visitor said casually.

Yu Xing was slightly taken aback. The listing... was known only to a small number of people. However, it wasn't surprising that the other party knew. Perhaps Zhejiang Investment Group had inquired with General Manager Xiong or General Manager Xu.

The thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately smiled and said, "Our main consideration is going public to raise funds, which will allow the company to develop faster. We still need to study the specifics of how to go public. Right now, we just need to ensure that our orders can be delivered and continue."

The visitor nodded and said, "New energy is a huge market, and everyone is very happy that Kyushu has been able to enter it smoothly. I often hear them say that you business people need to have a benchmark. Does the Carbon Silicon Group want to become Toyota or BMW?"

“When I was looking for investment, I talked to them about these things. Because silicon carbide is starting from scratch, it is difficult to compete with competitors on cost. In the end, Jiuzhou will win with quality and sincerity,” Yu Xing said seriously. “Jiuzhou’s market feedback is good. I believe that the domestic supply chain around new energy will become more mature. The threshold for new energy is not that high, so the subsequent competition will inevitably be fierce.”

"Given this situation, Silicon Carbon aims to have both mid-range scale and mid-to-high-end brand. We haven't considered targeting any particular company; market competition has dictated that we want to move in this direction, using scale to reduce costs and brand to maintain profits."

The visitor felt that the young Mr. Yu spoke very sincerely.

He smiled and said, "Mr. Yu, I know there are many invitations for silicon carbide now, but we are different. I am very happy to hear you mention scale. If silicon carbide needs anything, you are welcome to come and see us anytime. We attach the highest importance to this area and have excellent supporting facilities."

Yu Xing felt that this inspection was indeed taken very seriously. He even saw his old relatives three rows away, although they hadn't exchanged a single word yet.

The two groups talked as they walked, without making any particularly difficult requests.

Silicon Carbon has demonstrated its sincerity with products like Kyushu, and the inspection team also showed its sincerity with a sincere invitation and attitude.

As the exchange between the two sides was about to end, the visitor remembered the hometown sentiment that hadn't been discussed yet, and extended his hand to introduce, "President Yu, this is from Haiyan. We are also very grateful for your contributions to our hometown."

Yu Xing shook hands with his fellow villagers: "I'm ashamed to say that I've been busy away from home all these years. I'll have to come home more often to keep in touch."

The villagers shook hands repeatedly and said warmly, "Mr. Yu, you're too kind. The fruit market in Haiyan is doing very well now. Everyone is very grateful to you, and also to you for setting up the scholarship for the school. Everyone has seen and remembers your support for education in Haiyan."

Yu Xing said a few more words, and they exchanged contact information.

After the conversation ended, the villagers returned to the third row and watched Mr. Yu chatting, their hearts filled with warmth.

(End of this chapter)