Good News, Good News!

Early in the morning, ten Jiuzhou Mini Electric Vehicles slowly drove out of the Jiuzhou Automobile Factory in the city's industrial park.

Inside the vehicles were twenty people in total: staff from the Sales Department, along with reinforcements from logistics, human resources, and procurement. They headed toward the city in a grand convoy.

The small cars sped lightly along the concrete roads, nimble and powerful in the initial acceleration.

As the first group to drive the mass-produced Jiuzhou Mini New Energy Vehicle models, the many sales staff began chatting after covering some distance.

"Hey, this feels really good to drive!"

"I drove the test models before, but they didn't feel like this at all!"

"I've driven quite a few cars—Volkswagen, Honda, Toyota, even Mercedes-Benz. But this one actually feels surprisingly good, even better than domestic gasoline cars that cost tens of thousands!"

"The officially mass-produced model is still very different from the earlier test models. It feels much less cheap now. It's a real car!"

"Many parts on the test models were made in-house, so their quality was much worse. The mass-production version is different. A lot of its components come from supporting manufacturers and are high-quality products. They really put a lot of effort into the parts!"

"I never expected the second-generation rich factory director to actually be this capable! He really is a genius—handsome and rich too. What an enviable life!"

"Do you think this car can really bring the factory back to life?"

"I don't see any problem with it. We've all studied the product carefully. If it's just for getting around within the city, it's better than plenty of gasoline cars. If I had to choose, I'd buy one too. That's the product's advantage, especially at this price. The cheapest model is only twenty thousand yuan. Anyone who can charge at home can buy one!"

"We've done market research. Everyone knows electric bikes, and there are plenty of electric tricycles too, but electric four-wheelers like this are still very rare on the market. There isn't even a single similar store in our city.

"Even though there are a few similar products in the provincial capital, their quality is extremely worrying. They can't compare to our product at all. It'll definitely sell like crazy!"

Amid their discussions, the Jiuzhou Mini convoy soon entered the city.

In 2008, Daxia's economy began entering a period of rapid development, soaring in the following years. More and more families owned cars.

But at this point in time, there were still relatively few cars in the city.

There were no morning or evening rush-hour traffic jams. More motorcycles and bicycles traveled the roads, while even electric bikes were not especially common.

When ten identical cars drove down the street in a row, they quickly attracted attention.

Cars, as the jewels of industry, could bring enormous changes to family and personal life.

Naturally, they drew considerable interest. Men in particular often enjoyed studying cars, and even if they could not afford one, they knew every model inside out.

So when this row of Mini cars appeared on the road, it quickly caught the eyes of passersby.

An eighteen-year-old boy riding past on a motorcycle curiously looked at the convoy beside him. "Is that a car? Why can't I hear the engine?"

"What kind of car is that? It looks pretty nice!" A woman taking her child to school that morning stared curiously at the Mini convoy.

As the Jiuzhou Mini convoy entered the city, the crowds on the streets grew denser.

A large loudspeaker mounted on the roof of the lead car began broadcasting an advertisement.

"Good news, good news!

"Jiuzhou New Energy Electric Vehicles are now grandly available! It costs only two cents per kilometer and can be charged with household electricity!

"No registration, no license required! The perfect means of transportation for grocery shopping, taking children to and from school, and visiting friends and relatives!

"It seats up to five people, and the seats can be folded down for passengers or cargo. It is your best helper for everyday travel!

"Now that the new car has launched, we are offering a special promotion! Not forty-nine thousand, not thirty-nine thousand—starting from just twenty-one thousand nine hundred yuan, you can drive one home!

"Don't miss this opportunity! Once it's gone, it's gone! Miss this great deal, and the price will double!

"Welcome to visit our store for a free test ride and test drive! Store address: No. 188 Da Qian Road, Jiuzhou Automobile Store."

The passionate voice carried far into the distance, drawing even more attention.

Along the way, people in roadside shops, workers going to and from work, parents taking children to school, and Old Men out for walks could all hear it.

It sparked discussions among some of them.

Watching the convoy gradually disappear, several self-employed Bosses who had only recently opened their roadside shops chatted with one another.

"Jiuzhou Automobile? Isn't that the automobile factory in our city? It's been around for years. I heard they sold a product a few years back, then nothing came of it. So they've finally made a car!"

"I heard their previous car was terrible quality. It broke down every few days and couldn't even move after less than two months. Luckily, the manufacturer was decent and recalled every single one, so they didn't harm anyone."

"This car is kind of strange. Unlike other brands, it doesn't need a license plate or driver's license. But it looks pretty good, and the price is quite affordable too. I'm a little tempted at twenty thousand yuan!

"Other cars cost at least forty or fifty thousand. This one costs less than half that.

"A somewhat better car, like a Santana, costs over a hundred thousand yuan. Although this one looks rather small, that's understandable given how cheap it is!"

"I wonder how the quality is. The price is tempting. Maybe I should go take a look!"

Some people discussed it, but naturally, more merely glanced at the convoy without paying much attention.

Only some people with a genuine need carefully watched the approaching Jiuzhou Mini convoy, listened to the advertisement, and silently weighed the pros and cons.

Since the Old Man Happy market existed, it naturally had a certain degree of reason to it. Moreover, at this point in time, the market was still a blue ocean with virtually no competitors.

There was only this one store—no others anywhere!

As for the price comparison, it was mainly compared with real cars. Even the cheapest Chery QQ on the market cost more than thirty thousand yuan. Add purchase tax, insurance, and other expenses, and the final cost was over forty thousand.

This Jiuzhou Mini was more than ten thousand yuan cheaper. With a little more money, one could practically buy two of them!

There were no insurance costs, nor was there any purchase tax to pay. In terms of operating costs, this car was even cheaper!

Zhong Dayou, riding an electric bike to work, listened carefully to the Jiuzhou Mini advertisement two or three times.

As an ordinary worker living on the outskirts of the city who had to ride more than ten kilometers to and from work every day, Zhong Dayou had thought about buying a car long ago. Especially in the freezing winter, when the cold wind slapped against his face while he rode, that desire became even stronger.

But first, most cars were too expensive. He would have to work for several years before he could afford one.

Second, maintenance costs and a driver's license were both problems. He had barely attended school and could not even recognize all the characters, let alone take a driving test.

Yet the Jiuzhou Mini he saw today met every one of his requirements!

"I'll go take a look after work. Looking won't cost anything anyway."

After following the convoy for a little farther and silently memorizing the street where the Jiuzhou Automobile Store was located, Zhong Dayou finally headed reluctantly toward his workplace.