Planning Ahead in New Energy

After assigning the work, Xu Yifan had very little left to do himself and could openly slack off.

All he needed to do next was keep an eye on product manufacturing from time to time.

Funds were not in especially short supply for now, so producing one or two hundred units as a trial would not be a major problem.

If it really came down to it, he still had some pocket money he could throw into it.

Still, simply waiting around was rather boring. Perhaps he could use this time to do more things.

He spent the entire day at the factory, inspecting and confirming every aspect of the work. Based on the system's evaluations of each employee, those who had been retained could all perform their jobs well.

Xu Yifan barely even needed to keep watch over them. With the system around, he could safely be a hands-off boss!

The next day.

Xu Yifan skipped work.

It was not to rest, but because he was preparing to take a long trip.

Since he intended to make something of himself in the new energy vehicle sector, he had to make more plans for the factory's future.

The core three-electric system of new energy vehicles—battery, motor, and electronic control—had to become Jiuzhou Automobile's own core technology in the future.

Of the three-electric systems, batteries were the core of the core. Only better batteries could support a company's development and growth.

But in 2008, BYD was still synonymous in the eyes of Chinese consumers with poor quality and a carmaker that possessed little technology of its own.

The only relatively famous car it produced was the BYD F3 gasoline vehicle, an imitation of the Toyota Corolla and a choice for families with limited car-buying budgets.

CATL, which would one day become world-renowned, did not even exist by name yet. It would not be founded until 2011.

After all that, there was only one point: this was an era full of opportunities, when many electrochemistry researchers and scholars had yet to be absorbed into those two major corporations.

After all, this shabby factory system could not directly provide technology. It still required the troublesome process of research and development, and R&D required relevant technical talent.

Making a move now might bring some unexpected gains.

At Gaoqi Airport, a handsome young man in neat attire left the terminal, hailed a taxi, and headed straight for Xiamen University.

There was a saying in the field of electrochemistry: Nan Tian Bei Wang.

It referred not only to the industry's leading figures, but also to the outstanding contributions their students had made to electrochemistry.

It was no exaggeration to say that most domestically grown electrochemistry research groups were made up of their students!

Nan Tian referred to the State Key Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Solid Surfaces at Xiamen University, where the academician father and son Tian Zhaowu and Tian Zhongqun worked.

Elder Tian's Methods of Electrochemical Research was required reading for domestic electrochemistry students, while Younger Tian had been among the earliest in China to conduct SERS research.

Bei Wang referred to Professor Wang Erkan of the Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, as well as the academician couple Dong Shaojun and his wife, who led the State Key Laboratory of Electroanalytical Chemistry.

The Institute of Applied Chemistry had many formidable research groups, and the biennial International Conference on Electroanalytical Chemistry it hosted was a grand event in China's electrochemistry community.

Xiamen University's electrochemistry program had always enjoyed an excellent reputation in the field.

As the taxi headed toward the university, Xu Yifan ignored the driver's attempts to strike up a conversation and considered how he should proceed with his work.

The factory still has too few people. The Human Resources Department consists of just two people, and they also have to handle recruitment within the factory. They're already working at full capacity.

The factory is too small to accommodate top talent right now. But we have a good chance of recruiting some fresh graduates who will enter BYD or CATL as researchers in the future. It would be even better if I could pick up a few future academic Venerables.

As one of the countless cogs in the new energy industry, Xu Yifan did not specialize in batteries, but he still had a general impression of the field's leading figures whenever he saw their names, even if he could not immediately remember them.

At Xiamen University, the taxi stopped outside the gates of this renowned domestic institution.

After paying the fare, Xu Yifan stood by the school gates and looked around. His eyes suddenly lit up when he spotted a wild college girl.

She was a sweet-looking young woman in a simple light-pink printed T-shirt and jeans, her long hair tied into a simple ponytail. She was probably a student here and radiated youthful energy and vitality.

Xu Yifan stepped forward and called out to her. "Excuse me, where is the student employment office?"

The girl looked up at the tall, handsome, sunny, and cheerful young man. Her guard immediately dropped.

"Um, the Student Employment and Entrepreneurship Guidance Center is in Wenxuan Building, over in that direction. Just walk straight ahead for about twenty minutes."

Not only did she give detailed directions, she also asked enthusiastically, "Um, do you need me to show you the way?"

Xu Yifan smiled. "That would be great. Thank you. I'll treat you to something to eat later."

The girl shook her head. "No, no. I'm heading that way anyway, so I'll just point you in the right direction!"

Looks were justice. When most people saw an attractive man or woman at first glance, they were willing to offer a little help. He had to admit, this feeling was fantastic!

With a local leading the way, the two of them headed straight for Wenxuan Building on campus.

At Wenxuan Building, the young woman led Xu Yifan all the way to the office of the Student Employment and Entrepreneurship Guidance Center. Only after they exchanged contact information did she leave reluctantly.

Xu Yifan then knocked on the door to the Student Employment and Entrepreneurship Guidance Center office.

The process that followed went rather smoothly. Received by a teacher from the employment office, Xu Yifan explained the purpose of his visit.

At the same time, he produced copies of Jiuzhou Automobile Factory's qualification certificates, information identifying himself as the factory director, and other materials to prove that his was a legitimate company.

Though it was a company with little name recognition, information on Jiuzhou Automobile could be found online.

The recent purchase price of fifty million yuan for the automobile factory, following its change in ownership, made the employment office teacher's eyes light up.

The handsome young man before him looked very young, but he was unquestionably a rich second generation. Someone who could spend that much to buy a company would hardly be unable to pay students their wages.

The employment office teacher warmly welcomed a company like this that had come seeking cooperation.

The company needed to recruit, while the school faced pressure to find employment for its students. It was a win-win partnership.

As long as the company was not trying to exploit students, the school was more than willing to serve as a bridge between students and businesses.

At noon, at the teacher's invitation, Xu Yifan sampled the food at Xiamen University's cafeteria.

The goal of his trip was accomplished in only half a day.

The employment office would relay Jiuzhou Automobile Factory's recruitment notice for electrochemistry majors and the establishment of a battery research project to the teachers and students in relevant fields. After that, students and the company would contact each other directly.

Of course, for an obscure company like his, Xu Yifan's answer to securing more high-quality researchers was simple: throw money at it.

This round of recruitment was for ten researchers in the lithium battery field.

The minimum education requirement was a master's degree, specializing in electrochemistry and fuel cell disciplines, with an annual salary of up to one hundred thousand yuan.

The company would also offer rewards for major achievements, along with year-end bonuses, five social insurances and one housing fund, meals and accommodation, and other benefits.

For PhD students with higher qualifications, the annual salary would range from one hundred fifty thousand to two hundred fifty thousand yuan, with all other benefits unchanged.

The pay might not seem like much compared with the educational requirements, but this was 2008, when prices had not yet inflated to later levels.

This salary was already far higher than the recruitment pay offered by other similar companies.

Moreover, during the three-month probationary period, employees could resign at any time if dissatisfied and would receive full pay.

After spending the entire day discussing the company's needs and benefits with the employment office teacher, Xu Yifan only needed to wait.

It would take some time for the news to spread, especially to students who had already graduated but had yet to find employment.

He did not choose to leave.

That evening, Xu Yifan called the young woman who had shown him the way during the day and took her out for a good meal.

The next day, Xu Yifan woke up in the hotel. Under the reluctant gaze of the beautiful young woman beside him, he waved goodbye without taking so much as a single cloud with him.