After Heifeng finished speaking, his uncle, Guohua Ye, gave a snort and said, "I get it, they were trying to take the easy way out."
"Yesterday, Chaoran Xu flew into Beijing and went to see a certain leader," Guohua said. "He claimed Hongqi's R&D has hit a wall. So they thought of your company's technical strength and sent someone to ask for 'support.' Word is you turned them down on the spot."
Heifeng heard what was left unsaid. Their backdoor logic had failed, so they were trying a different door.
"In the end, Xu and the others still have their eyes on Audi's engine tech," Guohua went on. "Now they want a leader to put pressure on Audi, force a technology 'sharing.'"
Heifeng's face cooled. "Uncle, I have no idea what those people are thinking. My position is clear. I'm willing to contribute to the national industry. What I won't accept is turning patents we fought hard to develop into ladders for someone else's promotion."
The stunt from Chenggong Xia and Chaoran Xu disgusted him. It was magical thinking dressed up as policy.
Guohua's tone softened. "You brat, I know you're angry." He paused, then delivered the part that mattered. "To tell you the truth, Chenggong Xia and Chaoran Xu have already been removed from their posts and placed under investigation. Feel better now."
Hearing that, the knot in Heifeng's chest loosened. He had never met Chaoran Xu, but from Chenggong Xia's pitch, he could tell exactly what sort of person Xu was.
"The higher-ups haven't been happy with Xu for a long time," Guohua said. "Every year he asks for more funds and resources, and every year there are no results. Normally, that might drag on, but lately, reports have been piling up. The investigation has been running for a while, and the evidence is there. He happened to come to Beijing to make trouble for you, and that made it convenient to take him down."
Guohua chuckled, and this time, Heifeng laughed with him. Xu's timing was spectacularly bad.
"Enough about that," Guohua said. "Keep it to yourself. Don't go running your mouth, or I'll deal with you."
"I hear you," Heifeng said at once. "I'm famous for keeping my mouth shut. I didn't hear a thing today."
He knew where the lines were.
"Good," Guohua said, satisfied. "Now for the serious matter. After this lesson, the leadership wants the Hongqi brand to operate independently, outside the old structure. They're asking what you think."
Operate independently, and they want my opinion, Heifeng thought. What does that imply? Would they allow private capital to take a stake? That seemed unlikely.
"Uncle," he asked carefully, "are they planning to privatize Hongqi?"
"Watch it," Guohua said, displeased. "How could Hongqi be privatized?" His tone eased as he explained. "Hongqi operating independently is already decided, but privatization is not on the table. Instead, they want to seek technical cooperation. The idea from above is to ask whether Audi would be interested in taking an equity stake in Hongqi to help build up a national brand."
Guohua explained that the discussion had gone on for some time. In the end, the consensus was that carving Hongqi out from FAW Group and away from the old system would help the brand develop. What happens after the spin-off is the more complicated question. One proposal rose to the top: open the equity and ask Audi whether it would invest.
"They've seen Audi's engineering up close," Guohua said. "Your ability to build cars isn't in doubt, and quite a few senior leaders like Audi's cars. Most importantly, Audi is a truly private, independent company with no other capital behind it. That matters."
Both companies were Chinese brands, and both were sources of national pride. If they could work together, Hongqi could climb out of its slump faster. That was the thinking behind the ask, and Guohua was now sounding out Heifeng's view.
"To be clear," Guohua added, "if you invest in Hongqi, the brand's development would be in your hands. No one would interfere in your decisions. The leadership would be a strong backstop, nothing more. There's no rush. I'm giving you advance notice so you can think it through."
He then circled back to media matters, reminding Heifeng to watch his wording in interviews, avoid offhand comments, and set an example younger people could actually learn from. After repeating the cautions a few times, he hung up.
Heifeng sat for a long moment, thinking. Investing in Hongqi carried real upside if handled well. It also carried hidden risks. A state-owned brand comes with history, expectations, and the possibility that old habits resurface.
"Don't rush it," he told himself at last. "I'll think it through carefully when I'm back in Piao City." The spin-off wasn't even formally set up yet. There was time to gather facts and run scenarios.
An hour after he ended the call with Guohua, his phone rang again. It was Xiu Wang from Focus Report. Xiu asked when he would be available so they could send a crew to record the interview.
"I'm free now," Heifeng said. "Let's do it at the Beijing Hotel. I'll wait for you there."
The courtyard house was not suitable for cameras. The Beijing Hotel was neutral ground, easy for a crew to kit out.
"Understood, President Lu," Xiu replied, sounding relieved. "We'll head to the Beijing Hotel and be ready when you arrive."
He hung up and immediately dispatched the interview van. They would need to secure a room and set the space before their guest walked in. That part, at least, was straightforward.