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In the spring of 1996, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics was officially upgraded to Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group.

The news was published on the front page of the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily, accompanied by a picture of the brand-new Shenzhen-Hong Kong Headquarters Building.

At the group's founding ceremony, Suning announced the new structure from the podium: "From today onwards, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of the group and will continue to be responsible for the mobile phone business. At the same time, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Semiconductor Company will be established to focus on chip design and manufacturing; Shenzhen-Hong Kong Industrial Company will focus on high-end equipment and machine tools; and Shenzhen-Hong Kong Investment Company will be responsible for the group's capital operations."

Several hundred middle and senior managers sat in the audience, and the applause was thunderous.

Huang Yunyun sat in the first row, looking at Su Ning on the stage, feeling a mix of emotions.

More than three years ago, Shenzhen-Hong Kong Electronics was just a small factory with a few hundred employees; now it is a group with thousands of employees.

"In addition," Suning continued, "the group will launch an automobile project and establish Shenzhen-Hong Kong Automobile Company. Our goal is simple—to build good cars made by Chinese people."

After a few seconds of silence, the audience erupted in even more enthusiastic applause.

But many people's faces showed doubt—car manufacturing?

Isn't this a huge leap?
After the meeting, several senior executives surrounded Suning.

"President Su, isn't building cars too risky?" the CFO spoke first. "The automotive industry requires large investments, has long cycles, and high technical barriers. We have absolutely no experience in this field."

“Experience can be accumulated, and technology can be developed,” Suning said. “Do you remember three years ago? When we were making mobile phones, everyone said that domestic mobile phones were no good. And now? We have the number one market share in the Shenzhen-Hong Kong mobile phone market.”

"But cars are different from cell phones..."

“It’s all essentially manufacturing,” Suning interrupted him. “As long as you have the technology, the capital, and the talent, you can do it. The group has the money now; we’ll poach the talent; and we’ll gradually accumulate the technology.”

Where to begin?

“Let’s start with gasoline-powered cars.” Suning clearly had a plan in mind. “I’ve done my research. In the current domestic car market, joint venture brands dominate, and there are almost no domestic brands. This is the opportunity—a market gap with huge demand.”

"What about the technology?"

“The high-end machine tools from Shenzhen-Hong Kong Industrial Group are already capable of providing equipment for the production of auto parts,” Su Ning said. “This is our advantage. Car manufacturing requires a lot of precision machining, and our machine tools are exactly what we need.”

This served as a reminder to everyone.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Industrial has made rapid progress in the past six months, achieving breakthroughs in the field of high-end CNC machine tools and securing orders from more than a dozen large state-owned enterprises in China.

The technical director asked, "Mr. Su, what about the car design? We don't have any car designers."

“Poach them.” Su Ning said decisively, “Poach from FAW, Dongfeng, joint ventures, or even from overseas. Offer high salaries and equity; I don’t believe we can’t poach them.”

"Where should the factory be located?"

"I've already reached an agreement with Shanghai and secured 5,000 mu of land in Pudong to build an automotive industrial park," said Su Ning. "The first phase of investment will be 2 billion yuan, initially to build four major workshops: stamping, welding, painting, and final assembly. I want to see the first Shenzhen-Hong Kong car roll off the production line within two years."

Seeing Suning's strong determination, the senior executives stopped trying to dissuade them.

They knew that once this young boss set a goal, he would definitely achieve it.

……

For the next six months, the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group operated like a wound-up toy.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Semiconductor Company has poached chip experts from Taiwan and the United States to increase its efforts in developing dedicated chips for mobile phones.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Industrial Company's high-end machine tools are selling better and better.

Not only are domestic orders coming in, but exports have also begun to Southeast Asia.

What shocked the industry most was that they had actually developed a five-axis CNC machine tool...

This kind of equipment used to be entirely imported, and each unit cost tens of millions of yuan.

Shenzhen-Hong Kong Industrial's products are priced at only half the price of imported products, yet their performance is just as good.

When the news reached Germany and Japan, established machine tool manufacturers couldn't sit still.

They just couldn't understand how a Chinese company could suddenly master such advanced technology.
Only Suning knows the answer—those technical data from another world are gradually being transformed into real productivity.

The car project is progressing faster.

A 5,000-acre automotive industrial park broke ground in Shanghai, and headhunting firms poached more than 200 automotive engineers from all over the country.

There are veteran technicians who jumped ship from FAW and Dongfeng, middle managers poached from Shanghai Volkswagen and Guangzhou Honda, and even a few returnees from Germany and Japan.

These people gathered at the temporary R&D center of Shenzhen-Hong Kong Automotive and began designing China's first independently developed gasoline-powered vehicle.

In order to obtain the car manufacturing qualification, Suning also spent a high price to acquire a state-owned car factory.

The project's chief engineer is Li Mingde, who is in his fifties and has worked at FAW for over twenty years.

When he first met Suning, he asked directly, "Mr. Su, are you really planning to manufacture cars? Do you know how much that will cost?"

“I know,” Su Ning said. “The initial investment is 200 million, and more will be needed later. But I’m willing to spend that money.”

"Why? Because making cars isn't profitable now; joint venture brands have taken over the market."

“Not making money now doesn’t mean we won’t make money in the future,” Su Ning said. “Besides, Li, don’t you feel frustrated? China is such a huge market, yet the streets are full of foreign cars. When will our own automotive industry be able to stand up?”

Li Mingde fell silent.

He recalled the arrogant attitude of the German experts when he was at FAW, and the helplessness of having core technologies always in the hands of foreign companies.

"President Su, if you're really serious about this, I, Old Li, will follow you!" Li Mingde slammed his hand on the table. "It's just building cars, right? We Chinese aren't stupid or dumb, why can't we build them?"

“Okay!” Su Ning shook hands with him. “Engineer Li, you are fully responsible for the technical matters. We will provide the funds and personnel as needed. I have only one requirement—the car must be off the production line within two years.”

"Two years..." Li Mingde thought for a moment, "...time is a bit tight, but I'll do my best!"

……

In the autumn of 1997, the first phase of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong Automotive Industrial Park was completed.

Four workshops have sprung up, and equipment has been brought in one after another.

Meanwhile, the design plan for the first Shenzhen-Hong Kong car was also completed.

The model, codenamed S1, is a three-box sedan. Its exterior was designed by a designer poached from Italy, the interior is simple and practical, and the engine is a modified version of the domestically produced model.

The entire industrial park was in an uproar on the day the prototype was produced.

In the stamping workshop, steel plates are pressed into body parts. In the welding workshop, robots weld the parts into a white body. In the painting workshop, the unique metallic paint of Shenzhen and Hong Kong is sprayed on. Finally, in the final assembly workshop, workers install the engine, transmission, chassis, and interior parts one by one.

Suning watched the entire process.

Li Mingde stayed by his side, his palms sweating nervously.

"President Su, this is our first vehicle, and there may be... there may still be many problems." Li Mingde gave a heads-up in advance.

“It’s normal to have problems,” Suning said. “The key is whether we can solve the problems and continuously improve.”

At 3 p.m., the first Shenzhen-Hong Kong S1 sedan slowly rolled off the production line.

The silver-gray body gleamed under the lights, and the front featured the iconic logo of Shenzhen-Hong Kong, with smooth and elegant lines throughout.

The workers gathered around, cheering and jumping for joy.

Some people even shed tears. This was a car they had built with their own hands, a car made by the Chinese themselves!
Li Ming opened the car door. "President Su, you're the first to take a ride."

Suning got into the driver's seat, touched the steering wheel, and looked at the instrument panel.

Although the workmanship is still a bit rough and the interior has a strong plastic feel, it is a complete, drivable car.

He started the car, and the engine sounded steady and powerful.

Engage gear, release clutch, and the car slowly drives out of the workshop.

Suning drove around the test track in the industrial park.

Acceleration, braking, and cornering all meet basic performance standards.

After getting out of the car, he said to Li Mingde, "Engineer Li, you've worked hard. This car is where we begin."

"It's a starting point, and it's also a source of hope." Li Mingde said with emotion, "President Su, I've worked in the automotive industry for half my life, and today is the most fulfilling day I've ever had."

“There will be many more days like this in the future,” Suning said. “The S1 is just the beginning. Next, we will make SUVs, new energy vehicles, and high-end cars. Shenzhen-Hong Kong Automotive aims to become a world-class brand.”

This is a long-term statement, but no one thinks it's just empty talk.

Because Shenzhen-Hong Kong Group grew from a mobile phone factory into a massive conglomerate encompassing electronics, semiconductors, equipment, machine tools, and automobiles in just three years.

This speed and this boldness make everyone believe that nothing is impossible.

In the evening, the group held a celebration banquet.

Suning raised a glass: "To all those who have worked hard for Shenzhen-Hong Kong Automotive! Today, we have built our first car; tomorrow, we will build even better cars! Shenzhen-Hong Kong Automotive will be the pride of the Chinese automotive industry!"

"cheers!"

The banquet hall was brightly lit.

Outside the window, under the Shenzhen night sky, in that brand-new automotive industrial park, the first Shenzhen-Hong Kong S1 sedan sits quietly, like a seed, waiting to sprout, grow, blossom, and bear fruit.

The era belonging to Shenzhen and Hong Kong has only just begun.

And the era belonging to China's manufacturing industry is also arriving.

……

In the late autumn of 1997, the stock market crashed.

After a month of continuous decline, the market index has been halved from its highest point.

The exchange was filled with despair; some were crying, some were cursing, and some were paralyzed on the ground, unable to get up.

Chen Qiming stood in the crowd, his face as pale as paper.

He held the transaction slip in his hand; the numbers on it were shocking…

Account balance: 327.5 yuan.

Just three months ago, this number was 280,000.

Back then, he was a legend in the Shenzhen stock market. He drove a Santana, used a mobile phone, and talked loudly in teahouses, with everyone revolving around him.

Huang Renfa advised him to quit while he was ahead, but he scoffed, thinking the old man was too conservative and didn't understand the ways to make money.

So Chen Qiming put all his money into a stock called "Shenzhen Baoan".

The news says there's going to be an asset restructuring, and the market makers are going to drive up the price.

Chen Qiming believed it and went all in.

The message turned out to be false.

Shenzhen Baoan shares have been hitting the daily limit down for several consecutive days, and he couldn't sell them even if he wanted to cut his losses.

Watching helplessly as 280,000 became 200,000, then 150,000, then 80,000...

Chen Qiming became desperate and started borrowing money to replenish his bank account.

He borrowed 30,000 yuan from Liu Yuan, 100,000 yuan from Xiao Ran, 50,000 yuan from several "friends" who trade stocks, and even 20,000 yuan from loan sharks.

The more you buy, the more the price drops; the more the price drops, the more you buy.

Like a gambler, always thinking that he can win back his losses in the next round.

Until today, it's completely back to zero.

No, it's not zero, it's negative—he owes more than 200,000 yuan in debt.

Chen Qiming walked out of the stock exchange, his steps unsteady.

The street was bustling with people, all in a hurry, and no one paid attention to the distraught young man.

He walked to a public phone booth and dialed Liu Yuan's number.

"Liu Yuan, it's me."

"Qiming! What's up? I'm busy right now." Loud karaoke music came from the other end of the phone.

"I...I lost money in the stock market," Chen Qiming said hoarsely. "I owe money, could you..."

"You lost money again?" Liu Yuan's voice rose eight octaves. "Didn't I tell you not to speculate in stocks? How much did you lose this time?" "I lost it all... and I still owe more than 200,000 yuan."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

"Qiming, I can't help you this time." Liu Yuan sighed. "You said you'd pay back the 30,000 you borrowed last time in a month, but it's been three months and there's still no word. I don't own a bank. The KTV business looks booming, but the expenses are high, and I don't have much cash on hand."

“I know…I’m sorry…” Chen Qiming’s voice trembled.

"You'd better think of a solution quickly! Those loan sharks are not to be trifled with." Liu Yuan paused, "How about you come back to work? Although the salary isn't high, at least you can pay it off slowly."

"Go to work?" Chen Qiming smiled bitterly. "1,200 a month, 100,000? I'd have to work for seven or eight years."

"That's better than hiding from debt collectors!"

"I'll think about it some more." Chen Qiming hung up the phone.

Then he dialed a few more numbers—those "friends" he used to trade stocks with.

Some didn't answer the phone, some answered and hung up immediately upon hearing he needed money, and some even cursed at him, saying things like, "You've already lost money and you want to drag me down with you?"

Finally, Chen Qiming dialed his home phone.

"Mom, it's me."

"Qiming! Why haven't you called in so long? Mom was so worried!"

“Mom…” Chen Qiming’s nose tingled with emotion. “I…I’m in trouble.”

"What's wrong? Don't scare Mom!"

“I lost money in the stock market and owe more than 200,000 yuan.” Chen Qiming closed his eyes. “The loan sharks said they would cause trouble for me if I didn’t pay them back.”

The mother's sobbing came from the other end of the phone, "More than 200,000? How did you end up owing so much money! I told you not to invest in stocks, but you wouldn't listen! What are we going to do..."

The father snatched the phone, his voice filled with rage, "Chen Qiming! You spendthrift son! The family worked so hard to send you to university, and this is how you repay us? More than 200,000 yuan! We couldn't come up with more than 200,000 yuan even if we sold everything we owned!"

“Dad, I was wrong…” Chen Qiming was in tears, “I was really wrong…”

"What's the use of making a mistake? Can the money be recovered?" the father roared. "You caused this mess, so you have to deal with it yourself! Don't count on the family; we have no money!"

The call was disconnected.

Holding the microphone, listening to the busy tone, Chen Qiming felt as if all his strength had been drained away.

He slowly walked out of the phone booth and wandered aimlessly down the street.

Shenzhen's nightlife remains vibrant, with flashing neon lights and a constant flow of traffic.

But this prosperity has nothing to do with him anymore.

As he passed a building under construction, he looked up and counted—more than thirty stories.

A thought suddenly popped into my head.

I'd rather die.

One hundred.

No need to pay off debts, no need to face parents, no need to be laughed at by the villagers.

Then Chen Qiming walked into the building. Since the elevator hadn't been installed yet, he took the stairs.

One floor, two floors, three floors... his legs grew heavier and heavier, but he didn't stop.

Climb to the top floor, the thirty-eighth floor.

The wind on the rooftop was so strong that he could hardly stand.

Chen Qiming walked to the edge and looked down.

The street looked like a thin line, the cars like ants, and the pedestrians were too small to see.

It turns out that Shenzhen looks so small from this height.

I remember when I graduated from university, I went to the grain bureau full of vigor and high spirits, and then came to Shenzhen with great enthusiasm.

They dreamed of making a name for themselves and returning home in glory.

Thinking back to my days at the grain bureau, although they were boring, they were peaceful.

I remember the feeling of elation I got when I made money in the stock market for the first time.

I recalled Huang Renfa's advice: "Know when to stop while you're ahead."

I recalled Liu Yuan's warning: "The stock market is risky."

I recalled my parents' disappointed scolding.

too late.

It was all too late.

Chen Qiming closed his eyes and took a step forward.

……

The next morning, Liu Yuan received a call from the police station.

"Is this Liu Yuan? Do you know Chen Qiming?"

"I know him, he's my classmate. What's up?"

"Last night, someone jumped from a building under construction in Huaqiangbei. Your phone number was on the deceased. Can you come and identify the person?"

The cigarette in Liu Yuan's hand fell to the ground.

Upon arriving at the police station, they saw Chen Qiming's body...

Covered with a white sheet, only his face was visible.

The face was distorted and deformed, but it was still recognizable as Chen Qiming.

"The preliminary assessment is suicide," the police said. "There were no signs of a struggle at the scene, and no suicide note. Do you know anything about him recently that's been unusual?"

“He…he lost money in the stock market and is in debt,” Liu Yuan said in a hoarse voice.

"That's right. Let's contact his family."

Liu Yuan walked out of the police station and stood in the sun, but felt a chill all over his body.

He took out his phone, and his hands trembled so much that he dialed Xiao Ran's number several times before finally getting through.

"Xiao Ran, something's happened."

"what happened?"

"Chen Qiming... jumped off a building."

There was a long silence on the other end of the phone.

When did this happen?

“Last night. In a building under construction in Huaqiangbei.” Liu Yuan wiped his face. “The police asked me to contact his family, but I… I didn’t know how to bring it up.”

“I’ll do it,” Xiao Ran said. “Tell me his home address and phone number.”

"Do you know his family?"

“I don’t know them, but someone has to notify them.” Xiao Ran’s voice was low. “The three of us came to Shenzhen together, and now… now someone has to handle the aftermath.”

That afternoon, Xiao Ran dialed the phone number of Chen Qiming's hometown.

The person who answered the phone was Chen Qiming's mother.

“Auntie, I’m Xiao Ran, Chen Qiming’s classmate.” Xiao Ran tried to keep her voice calm. “There’s something… I need to tell you.”

"What happened to Qiming again? Did he get into trouble again?" The mother's voice was filled with anxiety.

“Auntie, you…you need to be mentally prepared.” Xiao Ran took a deep breath. “Qiming…he had an accident in Shenzhen last night.”

"What happened? Are you injured? How serious is it?"

"He... jumped off the building. He's gone."

A scream came from the other end of the phone, followed by the sound of something breaking.

Then came the father's furious roar as he snatched the phone away, "What did you say? Say it again!"

"Uncle, Qiming jumped off a building, he's gone." Xiao Ran repeated. "We're in Shenzhen now, you and Auntie...would you like to come over?"

Suppressed sobs and curses came from the other end of the phone.

Finally, the father choked up and said, "We...we'll go there tomorrow."

The next day, Chen Qiming's parents arrived in Shenzhen.

The two elderly people had gray hair and red, swollen eyes, and needed assistance to walk.

Liu Yuan and Xiao Ran went to the train station to pick them up and took them to the funeral home.

The mother fainted on the spot upon seeing her son's body.

The father leaned against the wall, tears streaming down his face, but he didn't cry out.

"This...this unfilial son!" He pounded his chest. "He gave up a perfectly good job and insisted on coming to Shenzhen! He insisted on speculating in stocks! Now look what's happened...now look what's happened..."

Liu Yuan and Xiao Ran stood aside, unsure how to comfort them.

After completing the formalities, the body is cremated, and the ashes are collected.

Throughout the entire process, the two elderly people remained silent, a silence that was heartbreaking.

Before leaving, the father said to Liu Yuan and Xiao Ran, "Thank you. Qiming is fortunate to have classmates like you."

"Uncle, I'm sorry, we didn't take good care of him," Liu Yuan said in a low voice.

“It’s not your fault.” The father shook his head. “It was his own choice. He walked his own path, and he has to bear the consequences himself.”

He looked at the urn in his hand and muttered to himself, "I shouldn't have let him come to Shenzhen in the first place. Back home, even though he was a failure, at least... at least he was still alive!"

After seeing Chen Qiming's parents off, Liu Yuan and Xiao Ran stood in the train station square, remaining silent for a long time.

“The three of us graduated together,” Liu Yuan suddenly said. “Now, there’s one less.”

“Yes!” Xiao Ran looked at the crowd coming and going. “Qiming always dreamed of instant success, but in the end…”

"And you? Do you regret coming to Shenzhen?"

Xiao Ran thought for a moment, "I did regret it, especially when Han Ling left. But I don't regret it now. Shenzhen taught me a lot, the most important thing is to be down-to-earth and take things one step at a time."

“Me too.” Liu Yuan lit a cigarette. “Although running a KTV isn’t a high-class business, at least it can support me and put my parents’ minds at ease.”

The two looked at each other and saw the emotion in each other's eyes.

Shenzhen is a city that is both fair and cruel.

It gives everyone a chance, but only to those who can seize it.

Those who can't hold on will be eliminated, and Chen Qiming was one of those eliminated.

"Let's go," Xiao Ran said. "Life goes on."

The two turned around and disappeared into the crowd.

The sun rises in Shenzhen as usual, shining on everyone.

Some succeed, some fail, some continue to strive, and some leave forever.

This is Shenzhen, this is life.

Cruel, but true.

...(End of this chapter)