My autobiography is definitely not a tragedy!-Chapter 728 - 447: High-Stakes Bet
Chapter 728: Chapter 447: High-Stakes Bet
"Huh? Why do these models... Why do they all seem to look so similar?"
After a quick flip through the car model introduction materials in hand, Mr. Bao discovered another point of interest. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
The design drawings in hand nearly covered all types of car models, but no matter what type, there seemed to be one design style...
What was this?
Designers cutting corners?
"Hehe!" Gao Yuan laughed without saying a word.
The so-called design is, like Go, a process of seeking the "optimal solution" based on "exhaustive searching".
Only, Go is about different game rules, while car design involves various design requirements.
Such as low wind resistance, large space, comfort, range, manufacturing cost and so on...
The key point is that, except for a small portion of technical secrets, nearly all component and assembly technologies in the current automobile manufacturing industry are completely public.
Even those that aren’t public, there are technical experts who disassemble components and teach you hands-on how to play...
Zero + Internet = Infinite Possibilities!
To ordinary people, there really aren’t any secrets to the automotive industry, not to mention to a super AI.
Universities, forums, articles, videos, even equipment manufacturers’ own promotional materials...
For Zero, this ubiquitous "wealth of knowledge" was like pieces of a "technological puzzle," collect them all and you could obtain the corresponding "Skill Book".
Of course, technology democratization means extremely low barriers to entry for the industry, which has also led to real estate developers, on a whim, declaring their intent to make their own cars...
Little do they know, this field is "easy to learn, difficult to master", anyone can do it, but not everyone can do it well.
If you want to establish your own technological barriers, you must have your unique technological advantages.
The establishment of a brand isn’t something that can be achieved just by burning money.
Mmost entrants eventually become just cannon fodder of the times, stepping stones beneath others’ monuments...
For Zero, car design is nothing more than a "lego game" with various parts.
Scraping publicly available data on the internet, acting as an "end-product assembler" like "Rice" posed no difficulty for Zero at all.
But... cost calculation and industrial automation were its real strong suits...
The world’s most mature smartphone supply chain gave birth to the price butcher "Rice Phone".
And the world’s most mature new energy vehicle supply chain was like the most fertile soil, even if not an Idol, it would eventually give birth to extremely cost-effective new energy vehicle companies.
Of course, an extreme price-performance ratio does not equate to high-end; for the real high-end, you need to inject a "soul"...
And Meng Lang just happened to have that "soul" in hand...
"Anyhow, you don’t have to worry about the technical reliability. Go back and immediately put together a team, carry out the financing plan, arrange for the new production line construction, as for the location of the new production line..."
Gao Yuan paused, looking at Hu Yifei who was full of expectation, and laughingly said.
"Let’s place it in Su City, Mr. Bao will be responsible for the actual construction, while Mr. Hu will take full charge of all other preparations."
Hu Yifei’s face beamed with joy upon hearing this.
This was another massive investment of tens of billions, and the automotive industry, as an assemblage of multiple industries, required countless supporting industries.
Whether it’s for stimulating the local economy or increasing employment, it undoubtedly would have a significant promotional effect.
This was also why many provinces would insist on attracting car manufacturers even at a loss.
Having the new production line located in Su City and being the person in charge of the preparations...
It was almost like saying directly to him...
Hey! The political achievement is coming, get ready to catch it!
"Rest assured, Chairman Gao, I promise to secure all the necessary financing and preferential policies," said Hu Yifei, patting his chest.
"Hehe!"
Gao Yuan had long been aware of Hu Yifei’s public relations skills, seeing how smoothly the Baiyeji Computing Center project had proceeded, she had no doubts about this.
This is the advantage of having connections in high places.
Many run their legs off to no avail, whereas a well-placed individual’s casual remark makes all the difference.
With Hu Yifei on board, it was like an accelerator for the project’s progress...
"Uh..."
Seeing the two settle matters in just a few words, Mr. Bao was dumbfounded.
The 30 billion yuan hadn’t even materialized, yet the site selection and construction arrangements were already in place?
This is betting the whole farm on Idol Cars. Shouldn’t we take it seriously, like holding a shareholders’ meeting or setting up a think tank to discuss this thoroughly?
Investing carries risks; entering the market requires caution!
Such a massive investment—Su City’s factory is even going to surpass the size of Idol Cars’ current production base...
Others set up new production lines to increase capacity, but you’re heading straight for ’doubling capacity’?
Isn’t that too aggressive, hey!
"Um... Chairman Gao, even if we want to expand beyond the microcar market, shouldn’t we aim at a niche market first, to reduce the scale of investment?
Once we have a firm footing in that niche, it wouldn’t be too late to expand production.
Rolling out such a comprehensive product line... isn’t that too risky?"
"Risky? If we weren’t risky, how would we have achieved our current industrial scale?"
"Er..." Mr. Bao was at a loss for words.
Now he was beginning to understand how these two had managed to swallow their company whole...
While others would not show their hand until they see the rabbit, you go all in the moment you spot one...
This gambling nature and execution... can’t help but admire it...
Gao Yuan smiled slightly.
"You don’t have to worry about investment risks, we have the strongest risk control team, a very professional one at that!
You just need to focus on how to make this project the best it can be. The group’s vision for Idol Cars is not merely to be an automaker in a niche market..."
Not just an automaker in a niche market...
Then what should our position be?
Watching Mr. Bao’s clueless face, Hu Yifei felt like he was looking at himself not so long ago.
There was a time when he too thought that a brief success was the peak of life.
Back then, it was Mr. Meng’s pie in the sky... no, his golden words that gave him a new direction in life and opened the door to a new world...
He couldn’t help but smile and pat Mr. Bao on the shoulder, speaking with the tone of someone who had been there.
"Elder Bao! Don’t be afraid to dream big. Do you see those BAT companies claiming they specialize in just one niche?
Mr. Bao was stunned.
Of course not, they develop in every area, penetrating every crevice!
"Heh, so you see, can there be nobility without competition? Why should they be able to do it and not you?
Let’s set a small goal first, starting with becoming the BAT of the new energy vehicle industry!"
"Uh..."
The BAT of the new energy vehicle industry?
BYD, Tesla... and my Idol?
Yikes—could this pie be too big?
But why is my heartbeat picking up pace?
...
While they were discussing the new production line investment, coincidentally,
another titan of the new energy vehicle industry was secretly finalizing a staggering "gamble" in Shanghai, just a hundred kilometers away.
"Shanghai is selling Tesla 860,000 square meters of industrial land at one-tenth of the market price.
And providing Tesla with loans at an annual interest rate as low as 3.9%, amounting to 4 billion RMB.
Starting from 2023, Tesla has to pay Shanghai a minimum annual tax of 2.23 billion RMB, and if it fails to do so, Shanghai has the right to reclaim all the sold land.
In addition, over the next five years, Tesla must continuously invest 14.08 billion RMB into the Shanghai factory.
Lastly, all parts of the Tesla factory must achieve localization...
Please check the terms of the agreement, and if there are no issues, the parties involved can sign off officially."
On one side of the long table, a casually dressed foreign man in a jacket nodded his head, even allowing a slight smile to appear on his face.
Then, with a face full of inexplicable confidence, he flamboyantly signed his name on the agreement—
"Musk Elon!"
At that moment, both parties were unaware.
The two "bets" arranged within these two neighboring metropolises doomed that there could only be one winner...
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