2003: Starting with Foreign Trade

Chapter 694 Casual Chat
The most important investment area is definitely related to lithium batteries.

In terms of gasoline-powered vehicles, Weilai Automobile's industrial layout is basically complete, including pickup trucks, SUVs, and commercial buses. Except for commercial buses, the other two aspects are almost on the right track.

In the following years, we will adjust production capacity, vehicle models, and so on according to changes in market sales.

If there's any ambition left in the realm of gasoline-powered vehicles, it's to produce their own engines. But it doesn't really matter if they don't produce them; the desire to produce them themselves is simply a matter of cost considerations.

If the research and development fails, we can simply give up and continue to purchase engines from other suppliers. It's not a big problem; at most, our competitors will make a few jokes about it, but we'll still make the same money.

Investment in new energy vehicles will be a key focus in the next few years.

"Let's talk about it in a few days. Let's eat first, and I'll make a plan later tonight."

We need to organize our thoughts and make a five-year plan, just like Flash Technology did before. The period from 2010 to 2015 happens to be the five most critical years for changes in power batteries and new energy vehicles.

It is quite necessary for a company to make a five-year plan in the short term, especially given that someone like Tan Jincheng has a bug-like advantage.

"Okay, let's talk about it in a few days, but if it's too late, you'll have to do it yourself. I need to take care of my pregnancy later."

Gu Qingqing, who is pregnant, seems to be particularly prone to acting coquettishly and likes to stick to Tan Jincheng. She likes to accompany him to work or have Tan Jincheng accompany her to class whenever she has free time.

"Of course, I will relinquish some of the specific business operations this year and focus more on investments and such."

Each specific business unit has a person in charge, and it's actually okay to delegate some responsibilities. Apart from paying more attention to Jinshidai, there doesn't seem to be anything else to do.

The only headache is the construction project; the construction progress of the entire Flash series is currently too slow.

We don't expect the construction progress to be like Tesla's Shanghai Gigafactory, but the current average construction progress of more than 18 months is still a bit slow. We must speed up the construction progress this year no matter what.

The project schedule needs to be extended to at least 10 or 12 months.

"By the way, are you going back to your hometown for Chinese New Year this year?"

“Let’s not go back. You’ll be showing by the time of the New Year, and it’ll be quite inconvenient to go back to your hometown. Besides, didn’t Mom and Dad go back for a while recently? If they miss home during the New Year, we can have someone go back with them. We won’t go back.”

It's not that Tan Jincheng doesn't want to go back; no matter how busy he is, he can always find a few days during the Spring Festival.

Given his current status, he makes quite a stir wherever he goes, especially when he returns to his hometown. It's simply impossible for him to have a peaceful New Year.

Rather than that, it's better to stay quietly in Beicang. If someone comes looking for me, at least it's my home turf.

"Do you want to come to my house or not?"

"If you want to go back, then take some time to go back and visit. If you don't want to go back, then bring your parents over to celebrate the New Year together. Anyway, your uncle's family is probably celebrating the New Year here too."

Gu Yanning also found a boyfriend, who is a local from Beicang, so she will probably live in Beicang from now on.

There are many business people in Yiwu, and quite a few are still doing business during the Spring Festival. They don't really care where they spend the Spring Festival. The people in the countryside and children are more likely to have a strong sense of ritual for the Spring Festival.

"Then I'll discuss it with my parents."

"Hehe, actually my father-in-law is more career-oriented. If he had accepted our arrangements like my dad did, he could have moved to Beicang to retire, and he would have had company with my dad."

In the past two years, Qingqing Farmhouse relied on its own network of contacts and its efforts to please Tan Jincheng and Gu Qingqing to keep the business going. This year, however, business has been getting better and better.

It's unclear when exactly, but a trend of rural tourism has swept across major cities nationwide. Thanks to the reputation and popularity he had built up over the past two years, Gu Hongshun, who originally just wanted to have some fun with his son-in-law, unexpectedly found himself in a very successful business.

Qingqing Farmhouse is doing quite well now. Although it can't compare to the money Gu Hongshun made when he was at his peak running a factory, the daily turnover is still very considerable.

In addition, there is this restaurant, and thanks to his daughter and son-in-law's connections, Gu Hongshun is now considered a figure in the area that no one dares to offend easily.

Which agritainment business owner has a full-time driver and bodyguard?

Gu Qingqing smiled and said, "I guess he won't be happy for the next few years. Our two fathers have different personalities."

Tan Jincheng smiled and didn't care. The agritainment trend wouldn't last more than a few years. When there are more and more agritainment businesses in various places, the market will be ruined and it won't be as popular anymore. By then, Old Gu will be too old, so he can just close it down.

"Hey, once your child is born, he won't be so free."

Since Gu Qingqing found out she was pregnant, her mother-in-law has been coming over frequently, but she hasn't been helping out at the shop like before. Her father-in-law will have to adjust to this pace for a long time to come.

The first third generation of the Tan and Gu families are highly valued. Gu Qingqing has received an unprecedented amount of care and attention recently, and her family treats her like a treasure. Just a few months ago, Tan Jincheng was even forced to sleep in another room.

During dinner, Tan Jincheng told his parents that they wouldn't be coming home for the Chinese New Year this year, and that if they wanted to go back, they could take some time to visit before the New Year.

Tan Lihua, Tan Jincheng's father, understood Tan Jincheng's statement very well. Although he had only returned temporarily, the news was quickly spread to various parties.

I can clearly feel that I'm a little tired.

It feels good to brag about something casually, but it loses its charm when someone flatters you, especially someone you used to know well.

Even his siblings were like that.

Last year, Tan Lihua helped his siblings buy a house in the county town. The houses weren't very big, but they were enough to solve the schooling problem for his nephews and nieces. Although they were a little embarrassed, they gladly accepted it for the sake of their descendants.

Now that he's home, his brothers and sisters don't seem as close to him as they used to be.

Tan Jincheng was unaware of the house purchase, and Tan Lihua was not short of money, so there was no need to inform Tan Jincheng about such a small matter.

Tan Lihua now deeply resonated with what Tan Jincheng had just said, so he told his son about it.

"Haha, of course. People say that even close brothers should keep clear accounts. Pengya and I have always kept our money very separate. When we borrow, we borrow. There has never been any 'you give me, I give you' or anything like that."

“Dad, think about it. How would you feel if you just accepted a bribe of 10 or 20 yuan from someone? Anyone with a conscience would feel guilty. The way the uncles behaved is actually quite good. It shows that they are not greedy people.”

A greedy person wouldn't behave this way; they would just keep trying to get more from you.

Speaking of Tan Jincheng's uncles and maternal uncles, they are really worry-free, considering the donations Tan Jincheng and Tan Lihua have made to the city, county, and village, as well as Tan Jincheng's current status.

The Tan and Zhang families were truly a case of one person attaining enlightenment, and even their chickens and dogs rising to heaven.

If his immediate family members act tyrannically in the village using Tan Jincheng's name, it would be a real headache for Tan Jincheng.

If we manage it, we can't keep sending people to keep an eye on it all the time; if we don't manage it, it will ruin our reputation, and it's easy for things to go wrong in the long run.

Fortunately, the elders listened to advice. Those who were able to do so started small businesses with the help of Mr. and Mrs. Tan, while those who were not able to do so found work in the Wangjiang Industrial Park.

The money isn't that much different, so I'll just work honestly and consider it an early retirement.

As long as the older generation's immediate family members don't cause trouble, Boss Xiao Tan is quite content. As for his siblings of the same generation, it's still a long way from time for them to cause trouble; we'll deal with that when the time comes.

In fact, it doesn't matter to Tan Jincheng if he is useless, spends his days indulging in pleasure and living a life of idleness, as long as he can afford to support him and he doesn't break the law.

In addition, Gu Qingqing's relatives are better off than Tan Jincheng's. Before they met Tan Jincheng, they were all businessmen and knew the dangers of society. Now, they just want to make a little money by taking advantage of their relatives' connections.

He was relatively at ease with the immediate family members on both sides, but as for the collateral relatives, Tan Jincheng couldn't care less. Unlike the immediate family members, whom he couldn't sever ties with, the collateral relatives were free to do whatever they wanted, and he couldn't find them if something happened.

"That's true. So it seems like giving it back directly was a mistake? Should I have bought it myself and then let them live there for free? And shouldn't we have avoided arranging the cars produced by your company?"

Tan Lihua wasn't unaware of these things, but he was stuck in a rut, thinking that these were his own brothers and shouldn't be treated this way. He understood after Tan Jincheng pointed it out.

"It doesn't matter, it'll be fine in a while. If they gave it to us, so be it. We're not short of money. But you should talk to your uncles and aunts and tell them to raise your younger siblings well and not ruin them just because they have money."

Speaking of the Tan family in the previous life, they were considered a family of top students in the village. It goes without saying that Tan Lihua and his wife were able to attend a vocational school in their time.

Tan Jincheng didn't go to university, but he was still admitted to Anhui University. Apart from his second uncle's cousin who didn't go to university, all his other younger siblings have bachelor's degrees or higher.

Several of them are from 985 or 211 universities, and their achievements are quite respectable even in cities.

Tan Jinyue's grades are also very good; the Tan family and the Zhang family both have a certain academic gene.

"Haha, you don't need to tell them this. I already told them that those who don't do well in school will only be able to work in your brother's factory operating sewing machines or tightening screws, while those who do well will sit in offices and earn high salaries."

"That's not enough. I gave rewards to students from both villages who got into university. You have to tell them that if all the other kids get rewards and none of ours get any, it'll be embarrassing for me. I'll beat them up then."

Gu Qingqing laughed upon hearing this. Fortunately, she was the younger generation in the family and didn't have to worry about so many things.

(End of this chapter)