Rebirth of Hong Kong Island, leading the technology war

Chapter 526 Little Hu Takes Action and Turns the Tide

The person currently communicating with Du Jiapeng and Wang Lulu is likely a local Chinese entrepreneur—no, not an entrepreneur, but a senior executive of a company.

Hu Jiangshan met with those people at today's event, shook hands, and exchanged a few polite words.

This company is called SITECH Technology, which manufactures LiDAR and is quite well-known in mainland China.

LiDAR is indeed a high-tech product, and there aren't many companies on Earth that are developing this type of product because there are certain technical barriers to entry.

LiDAR is generally used in electric vehicles, and it is very expensive. At present, one LiDAR costs seven or eight thousand yuan, which is only affordable for Tesla's high-end electric vehicles. However, in a year or two, the configuration of LiDAR will be completely eliminated because Tesla wants to save costs.

However, Huayao's automotive division is also developing LiDAR, which will greatly reduce costs in the future and has great potential for application in electric and intelligent vehicles.

It seems that Hezhong Group also wants to invest in lidar.

This was unexpected for Hu Jiangshan. His cheapskate father, Hu Wenxin, was indeed insightful, or perhaps he had a wise mentor behind him.

In fact, SITECH is a technology company that originated in mainland China, but it also has branches overseas.

Although Hu Jiangshan wasn't in the lidar business in his previous life, he still had some understanding of electric vehicles, and the market share of lidar from Saite Technology was quite good.

In recent years, SITECH has maintained a leading market share in LiDAR, although the market size is indeed relatively small.

After Huayao's lidar became widespread, Seter Technology fell to second place.

If you're investing, you can definitely make a profit.

The executive at SITECH Technology is named Zhou Xiangdong, and as you can tell from his name, he also comes from mainland China.

CET Technologies' Southeast Asian operations are based in Singapore.

Hu Jiangshan originally didn't want to go over, but at this moment, Wang Lulu saw Hu Jiangshan. She seemed to hesitate for a moment, but still whispered to Du Jiapeng.

Du Jiapeng seemed to get excited all of a sudden, and quickly turned to look at Hu Jiangshan to greet him.

"Mr. Hu, you've come down too."

Hu Jiangshan thought there was no other way, so he went over anyway.

Now that Hu Jiangshan has been discovered, it wouldn't be appropriate for him not to go there.

Du Jiapeng and Wang Lulu are representatives of Hezhong Group. If they encounter difficulties, Hu Jiangshan should help them if he can, or at least offer some encouragement.

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Zhou Xiangdong, Hu Jiangshan asked, "President Zhou, President Du, you two seemed to be having a lively conversation. What were you talking about?"

Zhou Xiangdong smiled and said, "Mr. Hu, are you very familiar with President Du?"

"It's ripe, of course it's ripe."

Du Jiapeng quickly explained, "President Zhou, this is our young General Manager Hu, the son of the big boss of our Hezhong Group."

Zhou Xiangdong had a look of sudden realization: "Ah, so that's how it is. No wonder everyone calls you Little Hu. So you have this connection with Hezhong Group."

Hu Jiangshan waved his hand, indicating that this was not important.

In fact, Zhou Xiangdong was also very puzzled. Why didn't the son of the boss of Hezhong Group learn and practice in his own company? Instead, he went out and built a space launch site, which had nothing to do with the family business. It felt a bit like a rich second-generation dabbling in something.

But then again, not just anyone can build a space launch site. If Hu Jiangshan really could do it, and do it as well as they claim, it does seem a bit outrageous.

Hu Jiangshan glanced at Du Jiapeng, giving him an inquiring look.

Du Jiapeng quickly explained, "Mr. Hu, it's like this, I'm currently discussing with Mr. Zhou about jointly building a factory in Southeast Asia."

"Is the joint venture factory a lidar production line?"

"Yes, CET Technologies plans to build a factory in Johor Bahru, Malaya, which is very close to here."

Hu Jiangshan knew that Johor Bahru in Malaya was the closest place in Malaya to Singapore, separated only by a bridge.

There are many factories in Johor Bahru; it's almost integrated with Singapore.

"I see. It's a good project. So what's the current situation?"

Du Jiapeng didn't know where to begin.

Zhou Xiangdong said, "I've only had initial contact with President Du so far. I feel that this matter needs to be thought about and discussed carefully before we decide whether to proceed with the next round of contact."

Hu Jiangshan said "Oh," and glanced at Du Jiapeng, whose expression was gloomy, helpless, and even frustrated.

Hu Jiangshan understood that Zhou Xiangdong's statement meant that the negotiations were likely to end soon, and the chances of another round of contact were slim.

The so-called next round of contact is actually formal negotiation, which means that both parties should reach a certain level of consensus and feel that cooperation is beneficial to both parties before formal contact can take place.

After several rounds of negotiations, a formal contract will be signed if things go smoothly. So, this kind of cooperation negotiation has a very lengthy and tedious process, but it is necessary because it is of great importance.

Hu Jiangshan nodded and asked, "So what's the current bottleneck? Is it funding, or something else?"

Du Jiapeng hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "It's fair to say that we didn't reach an agreement at all."

Zhou Xiangdong explained, "We are currently stuck in many areas, and funding is only a minor factor. The main issue is the investment in technology, where we have significant disagreements."

"Yes, the investment in technology is indeed a problem."

Hu Jiangshan didn't ask for details; as soon as he heard about the technology, he knew where the main problem lay between the two sides.

To be fair, Hezhong Group is a very strong company with ample funds.

Once an evaluation is conducted and a project is deemed worthwhile, a large amount of capital can be allocated for investment. However, there is indeed a significant lack of technical expertise, especially since the main business of Hezhong Group is still primarily focused on real estate and finance.

In terms of technology, although Hezhong Group has invested heavily in recent years, the results have not yet been seen, and its technological reserves are certainly not as good as those of established technology companies.

Hu Jiangshan felt he could do something about it.

He thought for a moment and said, "Mr. Zhou, if I said that we could offer some technical assistance, I wonder if it would help our cooperation?"

Zhou Xiangdong paused, then said, "Mr. Hu, when you say it's technically helpful, you mean..."

"That is to say, if there are any technical difficulties, we can also send personnel and technology to overcome them together. I can boast about our technical personnel; their strength is quite strong. Of course, I am not referring to Hezhong Group, but to my side."

"...Jiangshan Group?"

"Correct."

Du Jiapeng and Wang Lulu both showed delighted expressions. Calling Hu Jiangshan over was definitely the right thing to do; Hu Jiangshan was reliable and could offer practical solutions.

Zhou Xiangdong knew that Hu Jiangshan's Jiangshan Group owned a space launch site, and the Hong Kong business delegation had also highlighted Hu Jiangshan, but this didn't mean his technical expertise would be of any help to lidar. However, Zhou Xiangdong was too embarrassed to say this aloud.

Hu Jiangshan further explained: "As President Zhou may know, a space launch site is a very complex facility with a high degree of integration and comprehensiveness. It needs to be equipped with a lot of instruments, which include almost all high-tech equipment from various fields, such as radar remote sensing, flight control equipment, and of course, various types of sensing devices, such as ultrasonic radar, laser, and millimeter-wave radar. They are all involved in these areas."

Zhou Xiangdong came to his senses and looked at Hu Jiangshan with some surprise.

Zhou Xiangdong then realized that Hu Jiangshan had casually uttered many highly technical terms, as if he were a technical executive.

But Hu Jiangshan could never have come from a technical background; he's a playboy from Hong Kong!
All the technologies were beyond Hu Jiangshan's capabilities.

Zhou Xiangdong said, "Mr. Hu, it's not that I don't trust you, but we still need a lot of technical details. I wonder if you could provide us with some technical information."

Hu Jiangshan said, "Of course, I can have someone send you the technical information so you can study it at your own pace."

Zhou Xiangdong breathed a sigh of relief and agreed.

Just then, Zhou Xiangdong seemed to spot a familiar face and quickly greeted him.

"Chairman Ding, you've arrived."

Hu Jiangshan turned his head and was surprised to see Ding Qiuyang, whom he had met once before.

It is said that Ding Qiuyang was originally supposed to participate in the exchange activities, but he may have had something to do, so he has not been present for the past two days, but he has appeared here instead.

The way Zhou Xiangdong spoke to Ding Qiuyang didn't seem like a friend or business partner; it was more like a superior-subordinate relationship.

Ding Qiuyang asked Zhou Xiangdong, "Xiangdong, what are you doing here?"

Zhou Xiangdong replied respectfully, "I'm currently discussing cooperation with senior executives of Hezhong Group."

"Ho Chung Group? A company based in Hong Kong Island?"

"Yes."

Ding Qiuyang looked over and naturally saw Hu Jiangshan. He was taken aback at first, then greeted him with a smile: "Mr. Hu, you're here too."

Zhou Xiangdong was stunned when he heard this; Chairman Ding actually knew Hu Jiangshan.

Du Jiapeng and Wang Lulu were clearly not expecting this either. Ding Qiuyang actually recognized Hu Jiangshan, even though the two were completely unrelated.

Ding Qiuyang is actually Zhou Xiangdong's chairman, the real person in charge of SITECH Technology, and the largest shareholder.

Du Jiapeng thought his chance had come, so he quickly exchanged pleasantries with Ding Qiuyang and then introduced Hu Jiangshan, saying that he was the son of the boss of Hezhong Group.

Ding Qiuyang actually knew that Hu Jiangshan was Hu Yingxiang's grandson when he met Hu Jiangshan at the restaurant last time, but he did not connect Hu Jiangshan with Hezhong Group at the time.

We've finally made contact and everything is clear.

Ding Qiuyang asked Zhou Xiangdong, "So, where are we in the discussion?"

Of course, Zhou Xiangdong had to answer the boss's question carefully and gave a detailed explanation of the current situation.

In short, it boils down to three words—not optimistic.

Zhou Xiangdong added, "Mr. Hu just said that he could provide some technical support, and we can work together to overcome any difficulties."

Hu Jiangshan said, "I just briefly told President Zhou that I would have someone send President Zhou information on our technical capabilities, and then they would conduct an evaluation before deciding whether to continue the discussion."

Ding Qiuyang nodded: "No problem. I believe in Mr. Hu's abilities. He even managed to get the space launch site sorted out, so his technical skills must be very strong. Xiang Dong, you two should discuss this carefully."

Zhou Xiangdong said, "President Ding, I understand. I will definitely take this seriously."

Ding Qiuyang responded and then said to Hu Jiangshan, "Mr. Hu, let's have another meal sometime. I'd like to have a good chat with you and learn from your experience."

Hu Jiangshan quickly waved his hand: "President Ding, I'm embarrassed to hear you say that. I'm a junior, and I should be the one learning from you."

The two laughed heartily, enjoying each other's company and chatting happily.

Du Jiapeng and Wang Lulu exchanged a glance, feeling that this collaboration had finally seen a glimmer of hope. Ding Qiuyang's personal involvement meant there was potential, and the chances of success were high.

It was truly a turning point, a feeling of seeing the sun after the clouds had parted.

These are all changes brought about by General Manager Hu.

Mr. Hu is really amazing now. He's so capable that he can turn the situation around at any time. If this had happened a year ago, no one would have believed it. They would have thought he was talking nonsense.

Ding Qiuyang spoke a few more words with Hu Jiangshan before leaving. He had other things to do and would arrange to meet Hu Jiangshan again later.

After Ding Qiuyang left, Zhou Xiangdong's attitude became very friendly and amiable, completely different from his previous casual attitude. It seemed that he wanted to have a proper talk.

After a brief chat about communication methods and details, Zhou Xiangdong left with his group.

Du Jiapeng quickly thanked Hu Jiangshan: "Mr. Hu, we really owe you a lot for today's matter. Otherwise, the negotiations would have fallen apart and there would have been no chance."

Du Jiapeng recounted the whole process to Hu Jiangshan. It turned out that Hezhong Group planned to invest heavily in building a factory in Southeast Asia with Saite Technology. The shares were easy to negotiate, but they also wanted a certain degree of control.

Despite having ample funds, the SITECH Group has remained firm in its stance, believing that the Hezhong Group's technological capabilities are too weak to warrant sufficient control.

Du Jiapeng said, "Zhou Xiangdong just relented, so it seems there's room for negotiation."

Hu Jiangshan nodded: "Alright, they should take this seriously this time. I'll have someone send him the information later. Just keep a close eye on things."

Du Jiapeng happily agreed.

Du Jiapeng is indeed a promising young man. He is flexible and resilient, and his character is one of the most patient and tenacious among the younger generation. No wonder Hu Wenxin and other members of the board of directors are focusing on cultivating him.

Wang Lulu's beautiful eyes kept lingering on Hu Jiangshan, and this time, Hu Jiangshan's image was finally fixed in her mind.

Hu Jiangshan is no longer the good-for-nothing spendthrift and dangerous rich kid, but a highly capable business elite with extensive connections.

Just then, Feng Hua finally came down. He was completely confused, but felt like he had missed something.

Feng Hua glanced at Du Jiapeng and Wang Lulu and said, "Perfect timing, how about we go out for a casual meal together?"

Du Jiapeng waved his hand: "I won't go. I have a video conference. Lulu, you can go with them."

Wang Lulu hesitated for a moment, looked at Hu Jiangshan, and nodded in agreement.

Hu Jiangshan was also very happy; having a beautiful woman with him made the meal even more enjoyable.

(End of this chapter)