"What's wrong with Su Yi?! Who gave her the right to ask that question?!"
Director Zhou, the on-site coordinator dispatched by the Ministry of Commerce, was so angry that he cursed, "Asking such a sensitive question in public, are you trying to corner them? What is the goal of hosting a major conference in China? Stability!"
"This isn't some attention-grabbing, clickbait attempt! To put it bluntly, Su Yi has really messed up! He's messed up a huge mess!"
The surrounding staff didn't dare to breathe, each one bowing their heads and pretending to be busy.
Everyone knows that if this global live broadcast goes wrong, no one, from top to bottom, will escape the consequences.
But on second thought, seeing Su Yi being scolded actually made them feel much better.
After all, this young lady usually acts arrogantly and disgustingly at the station because of her family connections.
On stage, the roundtable discussion continued.
Fu Haoran picked up the microphone that was still on, and his voice clearly echoed throughout the venue, "First, let me correct you on one point. I have never received any venture capital funding; that is a factual error."
"Secondly, we live in a market economy now, and my choice to return to China to build a factory aligns with my current interests and needs."
"Furthermore, you said I betrayed Amerikan that nurtured me. I don't know what you mean by 'nurturing'."
"I neither studied in Amerikan nor worked for their company, so how can you say I was trained?"
"The technology is mine, the talent is mine, and everything is legal and compliant."
"If this counts as betrayal, then what about the hundreds of thousands of compatriots who study abroad every year and ultimately choose to stay overseas? Aren't they also betraying their motherland?"
"Aren't those entrepreneurs who took money from the University of Tokyo and invested in factories in Amerikan a betrayal of the country?"
"That's not what I meant! It's... it's what netizens are saying!" Su Yi panicked and quickly shifted the blame to the netizens in an attempt to salvage the situation.
Fu Haoran raised his hand to interrupt her, his tone turning colder. "Host Su, I find this very strange."
"More than a decade ago, when entrepreneurs returned to China to invest, everyone hailed them as patriotic overseas Chinese and national heroes."
"How come investing back in China is now seen as having ulterior motives?"
"What I don't understand is, the Amerikan government didn't even stop me from returning home, so why are you, a host from the University of Tokyo, so worried about them? Or do you think I'm too outstanding and are worried that the University of Tokyo will surpass Amerikan because of me?"
A suppressed laugh rippled through the audience.
Many people rolled their eyes. Everyone knew that these questions weren't actually asked by netizens; they were her own personal opinions.
Su Yi opened his mouth, his face turning bright red.
"I----I----" Su Yi was so speechless that he couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Fu Haoran looked at her and said, word by word, "Finally, you asked me which side I would stand on if a conflict were to break out between China and the US in the technology field in the future."
"Then I'll ask you the same question in return: If a propaganda war breaks out between China and the US tomorrow, will you stand up to defend your motherland, or will you immediately publish a lengthy article to make all members of University of Tokyo reflect on their own shortcomings?"
The entire room fell silent instantly.
Su Yi stood on the stage, her lips moving for a long time, but she couldn't utter a single word.
She really wanted to say the latter, but she wasn't stupid enough to do that. She knew that if she answered that way, it would be a major broadcasting blunder, and she could forget about being a reporter for the rest of her life.
But Su Yi did not give up.
She gritted her teeth and threw out what she thought was her final, killer question, "Mr. Fu, I have one more question."
"Many netizens say that the reason you came back is not because of any sense of national pride, but because there are huge government subsidies, cheap labor, and less stringent environmental standards here."
"You can make more money with lower costs."
"Is that so?"
Upon hearing the word "subsidy," many people in the audience revealed knowing smiles.
In recent years, there have been at least 80 to 100 companies that have cheated people out of money by taking advantage of new energy vehicle subsidies; this has long been an open secret in the industry.
There are countless companies that create cars based on PowerPoint presentations and then disappear after receiving subsidies.
Everyone sat up straight, waiting to see how Fu Haoran would handle this hot potato.
"That's a good question, host." Fu Haoran wasn't angry at all; instead, he smiled. "Actually, I hadn't even thought about that. I don't even know how much money is currently in the company's account."
"How could you not know how much money your company has?" Su Yi asked in astonishment, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.
"The company's accounts are managed by a professional finance team," Fu Haoran said.
Su Yi blurted out instinctively, "Isn't it supposed to be managed by your girlfriend?"
Fu Haoran rolled his eyes. "Do you think this is child's play?"
Hahahaha!
The crowd below burst into laughter.
Standing on the stage, Su Yi initially didn't realize what a stupid question she had asked, muttering to herself, "Isn't that how it is?" and "Don't many bosses have their wives managing the money?"
No one answered her.
Laughter came in waves, each one like a slap in the face.
She finally realized what was happening, but it was too late. All eyes in the room had shifted from the three bigwigs on the stage to her.
The roundtable discussion concluded in a cheerful atmosphere.
Most people may forget what industry trends or future directions were discussed today, but everyone remembers one thing: the female host of this conference was a naive and unsophisticated woman.
Down in the audience, Director Zhou's anger had not yet subsided.
" Su Yi! What on earth are you doing today!" He slammed the folder he was holding onto the table. "Who gave you permission to add those questions without my permission? How many times have I told you not to cause trouble? Don't cause trouble! And you, you almost ruined the entire conference!"
"You've messed everything up!"
"I was just asking a few questions that everyone cares about—" Su Yi muttered softly, head down, feeling wronged. "Was it really necessary to make such a big deal out of it? He didn't say anything himself, did he?"
Director Zhou was so angry with her that he almost fainted, and he couldn't say a word for a long time while pointing at her.
"Alright, alright, in that case, I hereby formally make my decision!"
"Moderator Su Yi made inappropriate remarks during the roundtable discussion, causing a negative impact. I am temporarily suspending you from all hosting duties for this conference!"
The organizing committee will issue an official statement after the meeting! Pack your things and leave the venue immediately!
There was no mention of suspension or a ban, but everyone knows that Su Yi's career in the domestic media circle has come to an end.
After all, who would dare to use a host who doesn't follow instructions?
She stormed out of the lounge, slammed her phone on the dressing table, and dialed her father's number.
"Dad, can you help me find someone? Those people on the organizing committee are making a mountain out of a molehill. I only asked a few questions to be truthful, why did they fire me!"
After a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone, Mr. Su only said, "Go home first, don't cause trouble."
Su Yi hung up the phone, shoved it into her bag, picked it up, and walked towards the parking lot.
As she approached the exit, she saw Fu Haoran.
The other person also seemed to be waiting for a car.
Su Yi's eyes lit up.
The humiliation on stage, the scolding backstage, and the father's indifference all rushed over at this moment.
"You've torn me to shreds professionally, but I still have one last thing: my family background!"
This is her trump card from childhood to adulthood, the line she uses to separate "us" from "them".
Su Yi tidied her hair, then walked casually to Fu Haoran, forcing a warm smile, "Mr. Fu, don't you have a car? It's so late, it must be hard to get a taxi. My car just happened to be picking me up, could I give you a ride?"
Fu Haoran smiled and shook his head, "No need, thank you."
"Oh, don't be so polite!" Su Yi pretended to be enthusiastic and pulled him over, almost as if she were taking Fu Haoran's arm.
Just then, a black Maybach slowly drove up.
It's nothing, anyone can buy a Maybach if they work hard.
The key is the license plate – Shanghai P·88888.
The moment Su Yi saw the license plate, his sense of superiority surged, and his chin practically floated to the sky.
In this city, this license plate is a pass, an identity, and a privilege that money can't buy.
"So what if you're rich? This top license plate in Shanghai isn't something you can buy with money! It's about status, connections, and an insurmountable obstacle you can never overcome in your entire life!" Su Yi thought to himself, feeling incredibly smug.
She thought that after Fu Haoran saw the license plate, he would immediately change his attitude, try to please her, and realize the vast difference between them.
However, Fu Haoran merely glanced at the license plate and shook his head with a smile.
"Alright then, you can wait patiently."
Su Yi thought she had won, and smugly straightened her skirt, preparing to get into the car gracefully.
Just then, Fu Haoran suddenly spoke up, "My car is here."
Su Yi followed his gaze, and the smile on her face instantly froze.
A black Hongqi L5 slowly drove up, without any unnecessary decorations.
The white license plate struck her heart like a heavy hammer.
That was the official vehicle of the leaders of the Southern Theater Command.
It is a true national treasure.
She was someone her father could never even get close to, no matter how many connections he pulled or how much money he spent.
Su Yi felt like the sky had fallen.
Her prized license plate, Shanghai P88888, paled in comparison to this other license plate, which was less impressive than a roadside stone.
Her earlier laughable sense of superiority now seemed utterly ridiculous.
The door of the Hongqi car opened, Fu Haoran nodded slightly to her before bending down and getting in.
The red flag slowly drove away, leaving Su Yi standing there alone, looking like a clown amidst countless strange gazes.
Su Yi noticed for the first time that the license plate, Shanghai P88888, didn't seem so bright anymore.
The next day, in Shanghai Lingang New City.
The signing ceremony for the super factory between Warhammer Heavy Industries and the Shanghai Municipal Government was held in the International Convention Center.
Fu Haoran signed his name on the contract.
The core terms of the contract, once published, immediately shook the global business community:
Warhammer Heavy Industries is building the DYB Gigafactory at its sole expense, with a total investment of US$30 billion (approximately RMB 210 billion).
The factory covers an area of 20,000 mu and has an annual production capacity of 1 million pure electric pickup trucks + 50GWh of energy storage batteries. All production costs are raised by Warhammer Heavy Industries Industry itself, without taking a penny of government subsidies, without occupying any local financing quotas, and the land is transferred at market price. Taxes and fees are paid at the highest national standards. The supporting roads, power grids, and sewage treatment plants are all produced and constructed by the company itself.
The construction period is 12 months, and the complete vehicle will be rolled off the production line within one year from the date of signing the contract.
This clause directly breaks with the established practice of all foreign automakers producing vehicles in China.
It's important to know that in the past, foreign companies could only establish factories by obtaining government loans and land incentives.
Warhammer Heavy Industries, surprisingly, didn't gain any advantage whatsoever.
The news caused an uproar both domestically and internationally.
On the other side of the world, President Lanpu immediately tweeted Twitter comment. "A loser we've sanctioned can only try his luck at the University of Tokyo! Good luck to them, anyway, their junk cars will never get into the United States market!"
Wall Street analysts are collectively pessimistic. " Warhammer Technology is making a do-or-die gamble, betting everything on University of Tokyo."
"Without the Amerikan market and without Amerikan technology, he simply could not have succeeded. This is the most foolish gamble of the century."
Bloomberg's headline was even more direct. "From Silicon Valley outcast to University of Tokyo gambler: Fu Haoran's last gamble."
Public opinion in China is also polarized.
They were ecstatic. "Finally, a doer who doesn't cheat for subsidies! He's putting all 30 billion US dollars out of his own pocket—that's real action!"
This wave has directly revitalized the entire energy industry chain in the Yangtze River Delta!
The other side was full of doubt. "If foreign production is the only option, the technology definitely won't stay!"
"Is this another land grab? How many car companies have taken land and run away back in the day!"
"The wolf is coming! Domestically produced electrolytes are in danger!"
Despite the overwhelming criticism, Fu Haoran remained silent.
He only posted one real picture of the DYB pickup truck on the official Weibo account, with the caption. "See you in a year."
Even before the excitement of signing contracts has subsided, pre-order data for the DYB pickup truck has quietly climbed to the top of the trending topics on major automotive forums.
Within a week of pre-orders opening, orders exceeded 100,000 vehicles.
It's not because of GG (government support), nor because of subsidies, but because of the product itself: a full-size electric pickup truck with an ultra-long range, high power, and powerful performance, all at a price lower than comparable gasoline-powered pickup trucks.
People weren't buying it because of the words "intermediate energy," but because of the word "pickup truck."
This all-electric pickup truck boasts a range of 1200 kilometers, a 5-ton towing capacity, and can haul cargo and go off-road, all at a price 20,000 yuan cheaper than comparable gasoline-powered pickups.
University of Tokyo's consumers never care about brand sentiment; they just buy whichever brand is sturdy, durable, and offers good value for money.
Fu Haoran was at the North American Industrial Park when he saw the booking data.
The heavy lead alloy door slowly opened, Fu Haoran walked in.
Priest Kallen stood before the enormous holographic star map, wearing Tech-Priest's robe embroidered with gears and skulls, holding a vial of holy oil, and was blessing a Servo-Skull.
Seeing Fu Haoran enter, he put down what he was holding and bowed slightly. "Governor."
"Is everything ready?" Fu Haoran asked.
"As per your orders, all combat units have been assembled." Priest Kallen's voice carried a mechanical quality. "Currently, a total of 300 upgraded F-22 Thunderhawk fighter jets are ready for combat."
--
" The Air-to-Air Missile stockpile is 12,000."
"All pilots have completed air combat simulation training and are ready to sortie at any time."
300 aircraft.
Fu Haoran looked at the star map, his fingers lightly tapping the table.
This is all the nuclear power he had, after emptying all his factories in North America and working non-stop for over a year.
Fu Haoran didn't know if it would be enough, but time was running out.
We must wipe out the allied forces before the Iron Warriors arrive; we must not allow them to join forces.