Reborn in 2010, the AI ​​in my mind is too powerful.

Lu Weiding is the heir apparent of Wanxiang Group. He started training in his family company at the age of 21 and has been doing so for twenty years. Although his father, Lu Guanqiu, is getting older and the management responsibilities of the company are increasingly shifting to him, it can be said that he has officially taken over the reins.

Wanxiang Group may not be very well-known outside of Zhejiang, but it is actually a very powerful company that controls several A-share listed companies, including Wanxiang Qianchao and Shunfa Hengye.

Our main business is manufacturing auto parts, but we are also expanding into new energy and other projects.

Before coming to Hangzhou, Chen Yiran had carefully studied the company and liked it from all angles.

But this is their family business, and it has always been doing very well; money can't buy it.

Lu Weiding came over with a smile and said, "There are some things I'd like to discuss with you about a company in the United States. Shall we go for some tea?"

"Okay, lead the way. This is my first time here and I'm not familiar with the area."

Lu Weiding took Chen Yiran to a teahouse and ordered a pot of Da Hong Pao tea for himself. Chen Yiran had no interest in tea at all, so he decisively chose the only tea he could drink, jasmine tea.

The young woman brewing tea took out tea leaves from behind and began to introduce them.

Then Chen Yiran realized that he was indeed a wild boar in many ways. Jasmine tea was the only tea he was used to drinking, and he knew some of the general information about it in his previous life.

Simply put, this tea is made by combining jasmine flowers and absorbing their fragrance; each infusion is considered one "scenting". Chen Yiran knew that seven scentings were already considered top-tier, and nine scentings would fetch an astronomical price.

However, the young girl explained that this was actually an eleven-year-old cave dwelling.

I don't know if it's just psychological, but it does taste sweeter.

Setting down his teacup, Chen Yiran spoke first: "Mr. Lu, is there anything I can help you with? My company in the US and your business shouldn't have much overlap yet. But to be honest, I've been considering your company. I'm currently working on acquisitions to plan for the future, and your company makes me quite envious, but I figured you wouldn't sell, so I haven't inquired about it."

Lu Weiding paused for a moment and said, "Does it really have to be an acquisition? I specifically asked about it after I found out you bought a company in Shenzhen. It's a drone company? I think we might be able to cooperate in many areas in the future. You're probably in the robotics business, right? We make vehicle parts, but in manufacturing, there's not much difference between cars and robots."

To be honest, we are also making long-term plans, such as in robotics, whether it's engineering robots or more imaginative futuristic robots, we want to get involved. But frankly, I'm not very confident about it, since it requires a lot of effort in software development.

However, if we're only talking about components, we definitely have no problem with that. If you're really interested in making robots, there's room for collaboration.

Chen Yiran knew that this was unlikely in the short term. His ambitions were growing, and at least in the early stages, he hoped to take control of the entire chain. Whether he made money or not didn't matter, but he had to keep it all under his control.

However, he smiled and changed the subject, saying, "Let's talk about the future later. First, tell me why you came to see me."

"Okay, we're in talks with A123 Battery, the American company, about an acquisition. As I mentioned earlier, we're also planning for the future. But they're using you to try and drive up the price, saying you've also taken a liking to their company and are inquiring about an acquisition."

I know you have plenty of cash flow, but I hope we don't fight amongst ourselves and let the foreigners take advantage. If possible, we could buy it together; what do you think?

Chen Yiran was a little annoyed, not because the acquisitions had clashed, but because Lu Weiding's attitude was a bit too nice.

He's the type of person who responds better to gentle persuasion than force. He's not afraid of direct, hard-fought competition, but he feels a bit awkward when people come over to discuss things in a soft and gentle manner and he simply ignores them.

Moreover, having considered acquiring Wanxiang, he had personally investigated the company, especially Lu Guanqiu and his son Lu Weiding. These two were veterans, unlike Wang Tao, who was still developing and could be easily brought under his wing by intimidation.

Lu Guanqiu can be said to be a legend. In 1969, he took the lead in transforming a small blacksmith shop into a commune agricultural machinery factory, and after the reform and opening up, it was transformed into Xiaoshan Universal Joint Factory in 1979.

Afterwards, he used all the money his family had to take over the factory and specialize in the universal joint component. In 1984, the American company Scheller placed an order for 30,000 sets, and from then on, they began to continuously earn foreign exchange.

One of Lu Guanqiu's famous sayings is that making money from foreigners is the real skill!

Compared to Jack Ma, who says 996 is a blessing but actually enjoys it himself.

Lu Guanqiu truly worked himself to the bone alongside his workers. Another of his famous sayings was that if others work 5 days a week, but you work 365 days a year without rest, and others are celebrating the first day of the Lunar New Year while you are still working, then you will definitely succeed.

In this way, he led the factory and crushed the competitors at every crucial juncture.

He and his wife, Zhang Jinmei, were welding workers. Like Lu Guanqiu, they worked in the factory until they reached retirement age and never took credit for themselves while working for the other workers.

Lu Weiding did not inherit his parents' fighting spirit, but he was the only second-generation rich kid who truly learned something from outside. Under his leadership, Wanxiang Group gradually transformed into a more modern enterprise, shedding its previous work-from-home, reckless style. Furthermore, it made significant investments in technological research and development.

The fact that he, like Chen Yiran, has his eye for A123 battery factory proves that he has good judgment.

A123 is a battery company that emerged from MIT labs and is now a giant in lithium iron phosphate batteries. It went public on NASDAQ in 2009 and has two gigafactories in Michigan with a large number of orders.

Technically, it is also world-class, with the energy density and cycle life of its nano-lithium iron phosphate cathode far surpassing all its competitors.

However, even the best-laid plans can go wrong, and problems arose in manufacturing quality control, leading to a large-scale recall.

This is because their cash flow is very tight, and the total amount is not enough to operate for a year.

After hesitating for a while, Chen Yiran said, "How about this? I need to acquire A123 outright, as this involves my future plans."

But could we partner up to start a manufacturing company? We could have a 50/50 shareholding, and it would be conveniently located in Hangzhou.

Lu Weiding waved his hand: "Hey bro, you're really ripping me off. I'm offering to let you acquire the batteries, so why don't you come to us for your future orders? You want to partner with me? To be honest, you're great at algorithms and AI, but when it comes to manufacturing, this is our territory."

Even if we're going to run the factory together, a 50/50 split isn't fair. The construction of the factory should be our job, not yours. You're just going to put in the money and get the factory without lifting a finger. That won't do! You can't cheat us!

Chen Yiran took out his phone, glanced at it, and said, "There are two companies. My people have already gone to negotiate the acquisition and signed a preliminary agreement. I'll let you know now."

I've already acquired Universal Robots from Denmark. They have the world's first collaborative robotic arm that can work alongside humans without the need for safety barriers.

There's also Linac from Denmark, which specializes in electric actuators. While they're currently mainly used in hospital bed lifts, automatic desk adjustments, and electric wheelchair drives, these technologies could be applied to many components in the future.

I've already acquired enough shares of Harmonic Drive Systems (HDS) in Japan, which specializes in harmonic reducers, and I'm in talks with several shareholders. We should be able to finalize the deal soon.

Therefore, manufacturing isn't necessarily your domain.

Lu Weiding asked, somewhat surprised, "You're really going to make robots? And not just some small-scale project?"

"Who can predict the future? I'm not sure what I'll do either, but I'll just buy it first. After all, I can't just put the money in the bank."

Lu Weiding pondered for a moment and said, "Brother, you seem to have a bit too much of a control mentality. This doesn't seem like procurement at all; you're making everything yourself?"

"That's the idea."

Lu Weiding took a sip of tea and said, "How about this? After you acquire these companies, you'll integrate them, right? Wanxiang will get you a piece of land and two factories in China, and then we can use that as equity. It doesn't need to be too much, about 5% based on the capital."

Although you said you didn't want to make purchases, I think it's hard to avoid if it's a large-scale operation. Just promise me you'll prioritize using Wanxiang Group's products then, what do you think?

Chen Yiran also took a sip of tea and asked with a smile, "You trust me that much? This offer is a bit too good to be true."

"Hey, I think your skills are amazing. If you really achieve something in the future, this will be your ticket to success. As for A123, I just need to tell them to come back. Let me tell you, you should be able to secure around 2.5 million US dollars. Their cash flow is really tight right now."

"Okay, thank you!"

After finishing their business, the two left the tea room.

On the way to the parking lot, Lu Weiding suddenly asked curiously, "I can tell that none of the people who came today are your target. Although Jack Ma told us before that you came for him, it doesn't seem like it to me."

Which company are you actually looking to buy? If you need any help, feel free to contact me. I still have some influence in Hangzhou.

"No need. Although they are Chinese companies, they are now wholly owned by an American consortium. We can only talk to Americans, and coincidentally, I have some influence in the US."