The moment the call was connected, the voice of Elon Musk came from Fremont, with a kind of uncontrollable excitement.
Zhao Chen has heard of that kind of excitement - when Launch Site of Boca Chica and Raptor engine of Starworm ignited successfully for the first time,
Elon Musk rushed out of the control center and shouted "It's flying" to everyone who saw it. The voice was exactly the same as now.
"Zhao, the data is out."
Zhao Chen's fingers holding the phone tightened slightly.
"Tesla Materials Laboratory's Independent Testing, all completed."
Elon Musk spoke much faster than usual, as if he wanted to compress the three-hour testing process into three seconds.
"Three sets of parallel samples, Energy Storage Density, cycle life, Degradation Curve, all data are consistent with the Third-Party Testing Report you provided.
The extrapolated data of the accelerated aging test of cycle life is 10,300 times, which is 3% higher than the 10,000 times you reported.
The actual measured attenuation rate is 4.1%, which is lower than the 4.3% you reported.
Zhao, the data of this batch of samples are not 'not exaggerated', but your testing agency is too conservative."
Zhao Chen was leaning against the wall of the corridor. The cold temperature of the wall came through the cashmere coat, but a sudden heat surged in his chest.
From Boca Chica to Zhangjiang, from the time he put the CTI test report in front of Elon Musk, nine days have passed.
During these nine days, he met with Zhou Bingcheng, visited Pilot Line, and watched the samples being put on Vacuum Packaging, labeled, and loaded onto Cold-Chain Logistics trucks.
In these nine days, the valuation of Industrial Capital rose from 5 billion to 6 billion and then to 7 billion.
Deputy General Manager Zheng made those frivolous threats at the negotiation table, and Zhou Bingcheng proposed that Henglong give up five points.
During these nine days, he made Chen Xi say "Henglong Capital has purchased Dening Times at Secondary Market" at the negotiation table, which made Deputy General Manager Zheng unable to sleep on the plane back to Ningde.
And every night for these nine days, Elon Musk did not sleep.
He is waiting for the data from Fremont Laboratory.
"It's early morning over there." Zhao Chen said.
"Three o'clock in the morning." There was no trace of sleepiness in Elon Musk's voice.
"The laboratory report came out at one o'clock in the morning. I asked them to review it twice, and each set of data was cross-verified.
Zhao, do you know what this means?
Energy Storage has a 35% lower cost, a cycle life of more than 10,000 times, and a decay rate of less than 5%--
Combining these three numbers together, in the Energy Storage Materials track, is equivalent to SpaceX reducing the rocket launch cost from 10,000 US Dollar per kilogram to 1000 US Dollars.
This is not Improvement, but the technology of Revolution. Green Energy Technology, which is a brand new cost curve."
"The last round was in Boca Chica. I told you that if the data verification is passed, I will participate in this round of financing in my personal name.
Now the data is out." Elon Musk's voice suddenly slowed down, so slowly that every word seemed to be typed from a deep place of deep thought.
"Green Energy Technology I personally participated in this round of financing. It doesn't need to be too much, one to two percent is enough.
What I want is not shares, but a position where I can enter this company Supply Chain at any time."
He paused.
"In terms of valuation, I can accept a price within 1.5 billion US Dollar after the investment. Zhao, this company is worth this price."
1.5 billion US Dollar.
Zhao Chen quickly converted the exchange rate in his mind - according to the exchange rate of 6.9 at the end of 2018, 1.5 billion US Dollar is approximately 10.3 billion people RMB.
It has more than doubled from the five billion originally reported by Zhou Bingcheng.
It is nearly half higher than the seven billion that Industrial Capital struggled to obtain at the negotiation table today.
And Elon Musk said "within 1.5 billion US Dollar".
This means that in his opinion, the value of Green Energy Technology is at least more than 10 billion people RMB. Seven billion is not the ceiling, but the floor.
"Zhao?" Elon Musk's voice came from the other end of the phone, "Are you listening?"
"Here." Zhao Chen's voice was as calm as the windless air in the corridor, but the knuckles of his fingers holding the phone were slightly white.
"Can you send me a copy of the test report?"
"It has been sent to your email. Tesla Materials Laboratory's official report, complete with signature and seal."
Elon Musk paused, and his voice suddenly took on a solemnity that Zhao Chen rarely heard from him.
"Zhao, thank you for sending this batch of samples to Fremont.
Green Energy Technology's technology is very important to Tesla's Energy Storage business.
If the LCOE of Megapack can be reduced to another level due to this kind of Thermal Storage Material, the game rules of the entire power grid peak shaving market will be rewritten."
Zhao Chen was silent for a moment.
"It's me who should say thank you. You gave Green Energy Technology's technology the most authoritative endorsement in the world."
Elon Musk laughed on the other end of the phone. The laughter was short but genuine.
"The endorsement is mutual. Your Era Vanguard endorsed the stock price of Tesla for me, and I endorsed the technical data for your Green Energy Technology. It's even."
He paused, and his voice returned to the pragmatism unique to engineers.
"The test report has been sent to you. I will not interfere with the subsequent financing of Green Energy Technology.
Valuation, Equity Structure, Board of Directors Seat, you check it for me.
My only conditions are one to two percent of the shares, and a green channel verified by Supply Chain. The rest is up to you."
Zhao Chen was holding his mobile phone. The winter sun in the corridor shone in through the window, casting a clear line between light and dark on his face.
He said okay and hung up the phone.
The corridor became quiet again. Zhao Chen did not walk back to Meeting Room immediately.
He leaned against the wall, his eyes falling on the Zhangjiang and Wutong trees outside the window, and stood there for three full minutes.
During these three minutes, he replayed every word Elon Musk just said in his mind.
The test data are consistent.
Valuation of 1.5 billion US Dollar. Individual investors will invest 1% to 2%.
Supply Chain green channel.
Then he picked up his phone and sent a message to Chen Xi.
"Come out for a moment. There is also Wantang."
Meeting Room's door opened slightly.
When Chen Xi walked out, he was still holding his laptop in his hand.
Su Wantang followed her and silently closed Meeting Room's door.
The two people walked in front of Zhao Chen. The corridor was very quiet, except for the faint sound of traffic on the Central elevated road in the distance outside the window, like a distant river.
Zhao Chen handed over the phone.
On the screen is the email just sent by Elon Musk, the official test report of Tesla Materials Laboratory, in English, with the logo of Tesla printed on the upper right corner of the cover.
Energy Storage Density, cycle life, Degradation Curve, next to the measured values of three sets of core data,
They are all marked with red boxes, and the actual measurement results of each set of data are slightly better than the test report submitted by Green Energy Technology himself.
At the end of the email was a line typed by Elon Musk--
"Within 1.5 billion US Dollar, I personally will invest 1%-2%. Zhao, this company is worth this price."
Chen Xi's eyes fell on that line of words, and his fingers tightened on the edge of the laptop.
Su Wantang looked away from the screen and looked at Zhao Chen.