From knock-off old-man's electric vehicles to industrial giant

Chapter 288 I don’t even want to act anymore

The company's announcement of layoffs seems to have triggered something, with rumors suggesting that more than 300 employees left during the year-end period.

Initially, Huang Zhang's intention was to proactively optimize the system.

no way.

Even with valuable employees, the company can no longer afford to support so many people and can only streamline operations.

As for the truly core members, he kept them firmly under control internally. He held consecutive meetings to reassure the team, stating that the company's restructuring was only for better development. Although Lao Bai and Li Nan had retired, it was because they had their own ambitions!
The remaining members will receive better treatment.

But what happened next made things increasingly strange.

More and more headhunting companies are reaching into the inner circle of the organization, targeting not only the head of the R&D team and core members, but also recent graduates, even calling their offices.

"That's outrageous!!"

"Do you have any morals?! Is this how you poach employees? It's one thing for phone companies to poach our staff, but what's with car companies trying to poach our employees too?!"

When Huang Zhang found out where the staff had gone, he was completely dumbfounded!
He couldn't help but yell and curse in the meeting room!

That's so damn weird.

What are these car manufacturers up to?
But during the same period of his outburst, several other employees in the department quietly submitted their resignation applications.

The temptation of double the annual salary is something not everyone can resist!

Moreover, VO and its partners have offered stock options to some high-quality members, which has made working people extremely excited.

As for BYD and Geely, although they didn't offer stock options, their salaries are much higher!

Those who can develop in-vehicle infotainment systems may not receive high salaries in the mobile phone industry, but in the current automotive industry, they command exorbitant prices, which has led some R&D personnel to consider switching careers.

Once the valve was opened, it couldn't be stopped.

"Boss, I'm so sorry..."

"This year's year-end bonus isn't enough to support my family, so I want to go out and see the world..."

"The pressure is too much, I don't want to do it anymore."

All sorts of things were said, and some people simply stopped pretending altogether!
It sent chills down Huang Zhang's spine!
It's worth noting that the group not only didn't offer many stock options internally, but it also lacked non-compete agreements, only signing contracts with a few core members in areas such as architecture, algorithms, and security.

This is not because he doesn't value it.

The main non-compete agreement requires payment. They are currently in a phase of significant contraction and tight cash flow. Even if they sign it, if the compensation cannot be paid monthly in a long-term manner, they can terminate the non-compete agreement at any time in accordance with the law.

For companies like VO, assigning people to positions and projects that are not directly comparable to those in the competition makes it even more difficult to trace the non-compete clause.

Simply put, non-compete agreements have very limited binding force on large companies; they either have to pay compensation or disperse their staff to avoid the issue.

As for those who switched industries to develop in-vehicle infotainment systems, he could only watch helplessly!
……

Xu Yi stayed in Luzhou after the New Year.

On the surface, Xingchen Group is making a big splash in the mobile phone industry, but in reality, it is quietly developing in multiple fields such as semiconductors, chips, and screens.

During this period, Li Bin brought a group of people to visit once, and the two sides discussed the issues of battery swapping stations and batteries again.

This time, Li Bin conducted an in-depth investigation of Polestar batteries. Currently, StarCenter can supply the first generation of Polestar batteries, whose energy density can barely meet the chassis layout requirements of SUV models like the ES8. After all, the ES8 only has a 70 kWh battery, while the 100 kWh version they plan to use CATL's 811 ternary lithium batteries.

Li Bin had previously investigated the lithium iron phosphate batteries of BYD and Guoxuan High-Tech. Judging from various indicators, they were roughly at the same level as CATL's ternary lithium batteries, with no significant differences.

Compared to Polestar Battery, these other companies are significantly inferior.

"In the field of lithium iron phosphate batteries, Xingchen is undoubtedly the king."

After several trips, Li Bin had this feeling.

At the same time, he felt regretful for the 3 billion he had spent on supercars and international marketing.

If we had invested more in the research and development of the three core components (battery, motor, and electronic control system), we wouldn't be in such a passive position now!
NIO has already tried to invest heavily in patent accumulation in this area, but it is not something that can be achieved overnight. The existing battery procurement still needs to be secured, so the target for lithium iron phosphate batteries has been set on StarChip.

CATL is regretful about this. They originally wanted to secure all the orders for ternary lithium batteries and lithium iron phosphate batteries for NIO's vehicles and battery swapping stations, but now they have no choice but to accept it.

"Polestar batteries will be available for external supply this year. If NIO needs them, I'll have Vaillant contact you." Xu Yi was in a great mood and readily agreed!

This is the right way to get along with competitors!

The atmosphere was very pleasant and harmonious!
Let's work together for development!

How good!

StarCraft gained another customer, and NIO obtained batteries.

Although we're all competing in the new energy vehicle market, as long as you buy my batteries and components, we're good buddies!

Then look at the group of people next door who make mobile phones.

The air is thick with smoke and fumes all day long.

What's become of this whole poaching thing?
They're always arguing and cursing!

They were practically at each other's throats. Xu Yi was slacking off online in the office this morning.

At the same time, I also saw comments on the community forum criticizing headhunting companies for their unethical practices, suggesting that I had broken down.

He felt deep sympathy for them!
However, they did not believe that these had anything to do with the stars.

The early departure of Bai Yongxiang and Li Nan is suspected of exacerbating the escalation of the layoffs.

However, the collapse of the clan and the decapitation-style poaching are essentially due to poor employee treatment. If this trigger is not triggered now, it will explode in a year or two.

If a hardworking mid-level R&D engineer can't even get profit-sharing rights and stock options, and lost his year-end bonus due to the Pro 7's failure, then he might as well switch jobs.

"Mr. Xu, when Polestar batteries are put into the battery swapping stations, NIO will take advantage of your reputation to promote itself," Li Bin said half-jokingly.

He initially refused to purchase batteries.

But after refusing for so long, I finally wavered.

Since we've already chosen to cooperate, let's go all the way. Right now, he wants to ride the wave of Starlight's popularity and put the Polar Star battery label on the battery swapping stations!

When the battery swapping station held its opening ceremony, it displayed a promotional banner for NIO and CATL.

However, CATL's voice in the new energy industry is not as loud as that of Xingchen.

"Hey—NIO's car owners are all high-end, high-net-worth individuals. It's an honor for us that these people can see Xingchen!" Xu Yi replied with a smile, showering the car owners with compliments.

NIO's current battery procurement volume is not large. Even if the share of building battery swapping stations is included, no matter how many ES8s are sold, it will not be as many battery cells as a high-volume model with tens of thousands of units.

Compared to sales volume, he values ​​Li Bin's ability to attract investment and his attitude towards building a service system more. In this respect, Li Bin is far superior to others in the car manufacturing industry.

Don't be fooled by the fact that NIOday cost 100 million yuan; the sheer number of 10,000 people at the event, along with the high-net-worth car owners and partners who were willing to generate electricity for NIO's promotional purposes, made for a truly significant impact.

Isn't this a kind of succubus talent?
"You flatter me. Our NIO sales can't compare to StarCraft. If we can't boost sales this year, then things are really in trouble." Li Bin gave a wry smile, his tone less confident and more apprehensive about the future.

NIO wanted to establish a presence in Shanghai and secure the best conditions for building a factory and obtaining a car manufacturing license. However, after several twists and turns, Shanghai chose Tesla, a foreign company, to set up operations there.

Xu Yi noticed the change in Li Bin's expression and poured him a cup of tea with a smile.

He knew what was going to happen next. NIO had a research and development team in Beijing and was also planning to build a NIO Center in Shanghai, which was a dual headquarters strategy. He was interested in these two places and wanted to establish a foothold and develop the business.

However, the strategy of building its own factory in Shanghai failed to materialize, and the 100 billion yuan investment agreement with Kyoto Yizhuang State-owned Investment Group failed to materialize, resulting in a cooling of financing and a bankruptcy crisis. The timeframe is very close.

The difference is that in the previous life, it had a strategic investment of 70 billion yuan led by the Luzhou government to help it overcome difficulties.

Nowadays, the leaders of Luzhou are all shaped like stars.

It's hard to say whether they will provide further support.

"Mr. Xu, we're going public on the IPO this June. If I were speaking as a friend, what do you think of NIO? Are there any areas that could be improved?"

After a detailed discussion, Li Bin asked a question.

Neither of them has an aggressive style in car manufacturing.

After meeting several times, Li Bin admired Xu Yi and Xingchen's operational model. Now, after discussing business, he speaks more in a tone of seeking advice and exchanging ideas.

NIO lost 5 billion yuan last year, and with the official delivery of vehicles and the large-scale investment in battery swapping stations this year, the losses will only be more than 5 billion yuan.

Xingchen, a leading new energy vehicle company that is currently generating huge profits, is someone they should learn from deeply.

“NIO has its own style, whether it’s good or bad, external opinions will only be a distraction…” Xu Yi smiled slightly, without directly answering the question. The battery swapping model has burned through so much money, and no matter what, they can only go all the way down this path.

Just like a clan, the things ingrained in one's bones cannot be changed; not a single opinion, not even ten thousand, will make a difference.

"It seems Mr. Xu, you still don't have a positive view on battery swapping," Li Bin sighed.

“I’m actually more curious about another question: if NIO really fails, what are your plans afterward, Mr. Li? Have you considered that?” Xu Yi asked.

Li Bin was taken aback.

He was immediately taken into custody.

He hadn't really considered this question. Looking back on his entrepreneurial career, from Dangdang to Bitauto, and then to NIO,
He shook his head: "I have a lot of passion for building cars. I started having this idea when Bitauto entered the automotive industry. Why can joint venture cars monopolize the high-end market, but domestic cars can't? My biggest dream for the past ten years has been to create an independent high-end car brand... But if NIO fails, I'm afraid it will be hard to find anything to get passionate about in the future."

"Well said!" Xu Yi nodded approvingly: "To be honest, Xingchen plans to establish a high-end brand, internally codenamed Brilliant, positioned as a high-end car brand around one million yuan. If you ever decide you don't want to continue with the battery swapping business, Mr. Li, Xingchen's doors are always open for you."

Xu Yi considered that the high-end series of the Starry Sky brand also needed a person in charge to manage it for him. Ideally, the person in charge would be familiar with the high-end positioning and understand the service system. It would be even better if the person was also good at organizing events and attracting resources.

His smile was shy, but his tone was crazy!
As soon as these words came out.

Li Bin was completely bewildered!
I never expected Mr. Xu to say that.

--what?

I've heard of poaching vice presidents and senior executives.

Who the hell came to poach the chairman and founder?

Is this correct? ?

(End of this chapter)