19: Chapter 19: A profit of 1,500—dare you take it?

"No license, no registration."

These four words were the Achilles' heel of all assembled vehicles.

Chen Xu did not refute this.

"Brother Huang, you've been in this market for over a dozen years, how could you not know the ropes?"

Chen Xu's reaction was completely outside of Huang Dashan's expectations.

There was no panic, and even less of an excuse.

"The documents are being processed."

He spat out the five words lightly.

Huang Dashan froze for half a second, then scoffed out loud.

"Being processed? Little Chen, you can only fool laymen with that talk."

"Electric motorcycle production qualifications require a factory building, equipment, environmental assessments, and a whole bunch of other things."

"Can your little workshop actually get those?"

Chen Xu didn't follow Huang Dashan's train of thought; instead, he began to calculate the numbers on his own.

"Brother Huang, you make at most three or four hundred on each Lubà vehicle you sell."

"After deducting returns and after-sales service, it's good if you clear two hundred per unit."

"My vehicle's wholesale price is three thousand."

He held up three fingers.

"You sell it for four thousand five hundred, that's not excessive, is it?"

"With this craftsmanship, this performance, and this battery life, people would snatch it up even at five thousand."

"Even if you only sell it for four thousand five hundred, you net a profit of one thousand five hundred per unit."

"One unit is equal to selling four Lubà vehicles!"

Every word Chen Xu said made Huang Dashan's heart race.

One thousand five hundred!

Huang Dashan's breathing became heavy.

He only made a profit of five hundred selling a genuine dizi.

That garbage from Lubà was purely about volume, earning just enough to cover the hard work.

"No matter how high the profit is, you have to be alive to earn it!"

Huang Dashan slapped his thigh hard, his expression pained and regretful.

"If market supervision comes to check once, this shop of mine will have to close down!"

"That's why we won't sell it as an 'electric motorcycle'," Chen Xu said.

"Not selling it as an electric motorcycle, then what? A bicycle?"

Huang Dashan was so angry he laughed.

"Just sell it as a bicycle."

Chen Xu led Huang Dashan to the back of the truck.

He pointed to the pedals and chain accessories on the side.

This was a contingency plan he had prepared long ago to deal with policy regulations.

"Look, it has pedals and a chain."

"The factory settings cap the maximum speed at no more than twenty-five kilometers per hour. This is a national standard electric bicycle."

Huang Dashan leaned in, looking at the two exquisitely crafted pedals.

He walked back to the sample vehicle and couldn't say a word for a long time.

This was pointing at a fierce tiger and insisting it was a cat.

"How the customer uses it after buying it is the customer's business."

"What we are selling is a compliant, long-range national standard vehicle."

Chen Xu's logic was simple, crude, yet bewitching.

Huang Dashan fell silent.

The risk was huge.

The profit was equally tempting.

Looking at Chen Xu again, this young man was too calm.

"Three thousand is too expensive."

Huang Dashan began his performance.

"I'm taking such a big risk, and you aren't going to bleed any blood?"

"That high-imitation 'War God' from Lubà is two thousand three hundred."

"Yours has no license and no registration, I'll give you two thousand two hundred at most."

"Two thousand eight hundred."

Chen Xu stated the final price directly.

"Brother Huang, whether this is a one-off deal or a long-term partnership, you choose."

"Leave this vehicle with you for now; I'll deliver nine more first thing tomorrow morning."

"Once you sell them, you'll know if a profit of one thousand five hundred is worth it or not."

Huang Dashan stared into Chen Xu's eyes.

"Fine! Two thousand eight hundred it is!"

He gritted his teeth, unable to resist the temptation of the huge profit.

"But, I'll say the ugly things upfront."

"It's impossible for me to pay you in full. For this vehicle, I'll give you eight hundred forty first."

"The subsequent vehicles will be the same; I'll give you thirty percent first."

"I'll pay you the remaining balance when they are sold!"

Huang Dashan stared at Chen Xu, trying to catch any hesitation on his face.

As long as Chen Xu dared to hesitate, it would mean he was guilty, and there was something fishy about this deal.

"Agreed."

Chen Xu's reply was very crisp.

"Chen Yi, push the vehicle into Brother Huang's shop."

Huang Dashan was a bit stunned.

He couldn't figure out where Chen Xu's confidence came from.

When this black "Storm" occupied the most conspicuous position at the entrance of "dizi Electric Vehicles".

The red and green "grocery-getting vehicles" in Huang Dashan's shop instantly looked cheap.

The design of the "Storm" was too domineering.

Just standing there quietly, it radiated a powerful aura.

The owners and customers from several surrounding shops were all attracted.

They surrounded this uniquely styled electric vehicle, pointing and talking.

Huang Dashan transferred eight hundred forty yuan via his phone.

"Little Chen, I wish us a happy cooperation."

"It will certainly be happy."

Chen Xu, with Chen Yi, boarded the truck without looking back.

The truck drove away from the noisy trading center.

He took out his phone and dialed a number saved in his contacts.

"Hello, Brother Wang, it's me, Little Chen."

A slick male voice came from the other end of the line: "Yo, Boss Chen, rare guest, thinking of your brother now?"

"I want to find you to process a license," Chen Xu went straight to the point.

"Easy! 3C certification for electric vehicles, or factory production license? Guaranteed pass, fair price!"

"I have a small workshop, and I want to apply for electric motorcycle production qualifications."

The other side of the phone was silent for two seconds.

"Brother, don't joke. Electric motorcycle qualifications?"

"Do you know what kind of threshold that is?"

"Registered capital, factory area, testing lines—which of these can a small workshop handle? Yours is at most a modification shop."

The iron fist of reality, through the receiver, smashed hard into Chen Xu's face.

"Then... what about electric bicycle qualifications?" Chen Xu wouldn't give up.

"This, well, we can play the edge."

The other person's tone became lively again.

"I'll help you register a new company, find a factory to affiliate with, and submit your product model."

"After the whole process, I guarantee you can get 3C certification, be searchable in the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology directory, and get it licensed."

"How much?"

"Fifty thousand. No bargaining."

Fifty thousand!

Chen Xu's heart gave a sudden jerk.

He only had a few thousand in his account, not even enough for the fraction.

"Also, if your vehicle looks quite special, it's best to register the design patent so you don't get copied later," the other person "kindly" reminded.

"Design patent, plus a utility model patent for the motor, how much?"

"I'll handle the whole set for you, I'll give you a friend price, three thousand."

Chen Xu looked at the streetscape retreating rapidly outside the window; he had no choice.

"Okay. I'll transfer three thousand to you in a while, and five thousand tomorrow."

"I'll scrape the rest together for you as soon as possible."

"Straightforward!"

Hanging up the phone, the two drove back to the workshop.

Chen Xu first used the computer to transfer three thousand to Brother Wang.

Chen Er and Chen San had already assembled three vehicles.

Chen Yi subsequently started working too.

Inside the workshop, it was a busy and orderly scene.

But Chen Xu's heart was ice cold.

There was no money left in the account.

Next month's utilities, plus the food expenses for four people...

All his hopes were pinned on Huang Dashan.

If they didn't sell, or sold very slowly.

Once the capital chain broke, Xingchen Machinery would immediately die.

No.

He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket.

Chen Xu walked to the corner and opened that laptop.

He logged into a local industrial forum—Fei City Industrial Alliance.

Using the ID "Xingchen Machinery", he posted a new thread.

He didn't write any flowery language, only a line of extremely arrogant title.

"Undertaking all kinds of high-precision, super-national-standard mechanical parts processing and non-standard equipment customization; if it doesn't meet the standard, no fee!"

Click, publish.