The two bosses came with curiosity and light steps, but left dragging heavy steps.
"We can't compete anymore, there's no time,"
Zhang Congxun suddenly said.
"Yes, with a series of advertisements, launching Guanneng must be aiming for that. My company is fine, we didn't initially intend to, but you guys are in a bit of trouble,"
Dong Jinggui also said helplessly.
Dong Jinggui's words made Zhang Congxun even more depressed.
On the 28th of this month, the press conference for the Olympic Electric Vehicle Series Design Competition will be held in Beijing.
The press conference is also the submission deadline, which is only 10 days from today.
There's no time left for a redesign.
Unlike Xinri, Yadi's current market is mainly in mid-range models, specifically the Fengchi Feiyi series, which is their competitor.
For the Olympic Electric Vehicle Design Competition, they originally participated with the mindset of "participation is key," hoping for the best, but not being selected wouldn't affect their market.
Xinri's main market is in the high-end segment.
Winning the Olympic Design Competition and securing the order for Olympic electric vehicles is a very important strategy for them to establish their high-end brand.
For this Olympic Design Competition, Xinri was determined to win.
Who would have thought that a Cheng Yaojin would suddenly appear?
Although the specific results haven't been released and some tactics could still be employed, electric vehicles are products for end consumers.
Consumers have their own judgment on the merits of two designs, and even the organizing committee wouldn't dare to engage in too much under-the-table manipulation.
Needless to say, after Guanneng's debut, its promotion will immediately follow.
Especially in terms of publicity, Shanchi Technology is a major asset for them, and they have a significant advantage in the internet sphere.
If a superior design is rejected, not only will the organizing committee face immense pressure, but Xinri's reputation will also collapse.
Zhang Congxun truly dared not take this risk.
The reputation of end products is extremely important, especially since they sell high-end models.
Once reputation is lost, it will be fatal.
Losing an Olympic opportunity can be compensated for, but losing market reputation means losing everything.
"Haha, you can have your headache. But I also need to pay attention; this young fellow from my hometown is quite capable,"
Dong Jinggui laughed heartily.
Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a competitor, especially one stronger than oneself, suffer a headache.
If the Fengchi Feiyi series targets Yadi's market, then he can tell at a glance that the Guanneng series targets Xinri's market, and it's even more aggressive than Feiyi, striking directly with a heavy blow! The attack was precise and fierce, and the timing was just right.
There was no prior news, yet it was announced 10 days before the final results, combined with their publicity offensive, it was simply impeccable.
This young fellow from my hometown is not simple!
Dong Jinggui couldn't help but recall their previous clash in CD.
He had initially gained an advantage by leveraging media influence while the opponent was still unstable, but the opponent still easily resolved it.
By using overwhelming elevator and bus stop advertisements, self-operated stores, coupled with a series of preferential policies, and leveraging the popularity of their Super Girl endorser in CD, they easily broke through.
Now their overall sales have exceeded 100,000 units, production capacity has caught up, new factories are under construction, and it's rumored they are even developing their own batteries.
The climate is set; this opponent is not easy to deal with! Perhaps the annual sales target of 200,000 units he proposed at the company's annual meeting was not just drunken bragging as he claimed, but a well-thought-out plan.
"What are you laughing about? Oh, right, I didn't notice the backdrop in the center of their stage just now. Did you understand what it meant?"
"I did notice it, but I didn't understand what it meant. It's probably an advertisement, maybe targeting Guanneng, right? Is it called Guanneng?"
"Alright, I'm done wasting words with you,"
Zhang Congxun said, waving his hand impatiently.
"Why are you getting agitated? Tonight, I'll invite my young fellow from hometown out, and the three of us can have a drink? He's actually quite nice in person,"
Dong Jinggui chuckled.
"You two have met before?"
"No, we just met last night. I arrived quite early yesterday, and I saw their booth covered up. Coupled with our previous encounter in the CD market, I was curious if I could meet him, and he surprisingly agreed."
Zhang Congxun thought for a moment and said,
"Let's skip today. The exhibition lasts three days. See if you can arrange for us to sit down and chat after the exhibition ends in three days. Business is business, and friends are friends. I also want to get to know some young people."
"That works too. Everyone is probably busy these next few days, so let's talk after the exhibition."
"Yes, and we can also see what other surprises President Tan can give us."
"You're quite broad-minded. Guanneng is clearly targeting you."
"What else can we do but respond? Are we afraid of competition in business? Besides, even though he caught me a bit off guard, it was all fair and square. There's nothing to complain about."
"That's true. Although this young fellow is a bit aggressive in business, wanting to capture the high-end, mid-range, and low-end markets, his methods are quite clean,"
Dong Jinggui nodded.
Currently, in the domestic low-end market, removing the miscellaneous brands, the most reputable legitimate brand is the Shanchi series.
It's affordable, high-quality, and offers excellent after-sales service, with one to two repair centers in every city.
This means even if a generic brand is cheaper, its competitiveness is inferior to the Shanchi series.
It can be said that what the Shanchi series currently lacks is a major explosion in production capacity; otherwise, it could dominate a large share of the low-end market.
As for the mid-range market, although their Fengchi Feiyi series isn't as dominant as the Shanchi series, its unique positioning and rich color options make it very popular among female consumers.
Another point is their exterior design, which truly gives a feeling of crushing competitors.
It's strange, weren't the designers poached from Xinri?
Why didn't they have this kind of flair when they were at Xinri?
Or is it that Shanchi's design plan, like its marketing plan, is also led by this young fellow from hometown?
Should we also try to poach some of their designers? ---
Getting back to those reporters, they followed Zhang Congxun and his group all the way, entering the exhibition hall early by virtue of their press credentials.
They then saw three groups separate, with Zhang Congxun and Dong Jinggui following the young man in another direction.
They naturally followed the two bosses and thus witnessed the moment the Shanchi exhibition area was unveiled, and also saw Zhang Congxun, with a solemn expression, circling a vehicle for a long time.
Reporters who attend such exhibitions these days, apart from entertainment reporters focused on celebrities, generally possess a certain level of professionalism.
Although they didn't understand why Zhang Congxun was acting this way, this didn't prevent them from secretly pressing their camera shutters.
Also recorded were the equally solemn-faced Dong Jinggui and the smiling Tan Jincheng.
Stirring up trouble, reporters love it the most.
By this point, they no longer needed confirmation and all knew Tan Jincheng's identity.
Who else could he be but Shanchi's rumored very young chairman?
They were too embarrassed to disturb the serious-faced Zhang Congxun and Dong Jinggui.
It was clear these two weren't happy, and approaching them now would likely result in a scowl.
Besides, these two frequently give interviews, so their newsworthiness couldn't compare to Shanchi's mysterious chairman.
The company's total product sales exceeding 100,000 units, being mysterious and low-key, having a net worth over 100 million at over 20 years old, and being good-looking – these are all elements of news!
After the two had walked away, several reporters quickly approached Shanchi's exhibition area.
"President Tan, President Tan, can you accept an interview? I'm a reporter from EV Info."
"I'm a reporter from EV Times Online."
"I'm a reporter from Entertainment Weekly. President Tan, could you please accept my interview?"
Tan Jincheng was surprised to hear this.
He knew the first two media outlets; they were industry media, and Shanchi Technology had some collaborations with them.
Why was Entertainment Weekly also here?
The other two reporters were also surprised and couldn't help but look at this guy.
"Why are you, from the entertainment industry, joining in on this?"
The Entertainment Weekly reporter wasn't intimidated and explained with a smile to his two colleagues,
"I came here to chase a few celebrities. When I heard you say it was President Tan, I followed along."
Many celebrities would participate in this exhibition, so it wasn't surprising to see entertainment reporters.
If one were to ask whose endorsers were the most famous, it would definitely be Yadi's and Shanchi's.
It's estimated that many people like this reporter were targeting Tan Jincheng, but most didn't recognize him.
"An interview isn't possible right now. The hall is about to open, and we have many things to do. However, I can answer a few questions,"
Tan Jincheng replied after thinking it over.
"Alright then. But President Tan, could you grant us an exclusive interview after the exhibition concludes?"
The EV Info reporter still tried to push for it.
President Tan is considered a rising star in the electric vehicle industry in the past two years, causing quite a stir since his company's establishment last year.
However, he has never given a solo interview to the media.
The few interviews he did give were only text-based, without any photos of him.
If they could get his first exclusive interview, it would be a significant achievement in the industry.
"I'm very sorry, but that probably won't be possible. We have many things to do after the exhibition. Let's talk about it when there's time,"
Tan Jincheng shook his head.
"Alright then, I hope there will be an opportunity to conduct an exclusive interview with President Tan in the future. May I ask, President Tan, what are your thoughts on this exhibition? This is Shanchi Technology's first time participating in such an exhibition; do you have any goals?"
"My thoughts are to thank the nation's policies for giving us this opportunity. As for goals? To meet more friends. We are newcomers, approaching this with a learning attitude."
"President Tan, do you know President Zhang of Xinri and President Dong of Yadi? I just saw them accompany you to your company's exhibition area, and they seemed to be chatting happily,"
Asked the EV Times Online reporter.
He had originally wanted to invite Tan Jincheng for an exclusive interview, but since he had already refused his colleague, there was no need to speak up at this moment.
Unlike EV Info, EV Times Online is an authoritative online media.
Compared to print media, their cooperation with Shanchi is deeper; they participated in the Haijiang Wanli Xing event.
However, he had never heard of Tan Jincheng knowing the other two bosses.
"I have long admired the two seniors, but this is our first meeting. I am very happy that they are willing to communicate with a junior like me."
"Is that your company's new product over there? It hasn't been seen on the market yet,"
The EV Times Online reporter said, pointing to the row of vehicles that Zhang Congxun had just been observing.
"Yes, those are our newly launched products, not yet on the market. We've named them Fengchi Guanneng."
"The models look quite beautiful. Also, Fengchi Guanneng, is there any special meaning behind the name?"
The EV Info reporter quickly asked, noticing Tan Jincheng checking his watch.
Smart!
I like professional reporters like that!
"Of course, this is a product we're dedicating as a tribute to the Olympics. We've already submitted the design proposal to the Olympic Organizing Committee in advance!"
"A tribute to the Olympics?"
The two professional reporters exchanged glances, their eyes lighting up.
No wonder!
"Can we take photos of the Guanneng model?"
"Of course, you can. However, this is just a sample, and there will be some minor changes when it hits the market. I hope you two older brothers can take good pictures for me,"
Tan Jincheng smiled.
"Absolutely! It's the first time we've seen a golden car body. President Tan, is there any design concept behind this?"
"Once, when I was shopping with my mother, she bought a lot of gold jewelry. Gold symbolizes nobility and aligns with the temperament and aesthetic of our people, so we incorporated it. As for the concept? The concept of our Guanneng series is 'Beyond the peak, pursuing your future self,' which also aligns with the Olympic spirit."
The Entertainment Weekly reporter nearby, seeing that these two were asking endless questions, realized he wouldn't get a chance if he waited any longer.
So, disregarding formalities, he directly asked,
"President Tan, what are your thoughts on only Liu Yifei, one of your company's two endorsers, attending major events? Also, who is the mysterious guest mentioned in your company's promotion?"
When it comes to stirring up trouble, you have to look to entertainment reporters!
The questions from the two professional reporters were quite professional and by the book; but this entertainment reporter immediately tried to dig a pit for Tan Jincheng!
Alright, alright, so this is how you want to play?
"It's just a work schedule conflict; I don't have any particular thoughts. These things are very normal, and it's also our fault for not communicating in time. As for the mysterious guest you mentioned, I can tell you it's a very talented singer. Please look forward to it!"
(End of chapter)