89: Chapter 89: The Fully Automated Battery Factory Launched!

After staying in Guan City for two days, all the cooperation details were finalized.

Chen Xu and Guan Yi returned to Fei City.

The plane arrived at Xinqiao Airport at two in the afternoon.

Chen Yi was already waiting in the parking lot.

In the car, Guan Yi spoke to Chen Xu.

"The advance payment for cooperation with Huaxing Precision Engineering is thirty million."

"The relocation fees and salaries for the first batch of thirty engineers poached from the market for the newly established mobile communications company is fifty million."

Every single expenditure was in the tens of millions.

The funds previously accumulated through the battery and electric vehicle business were being rapidly consumed.

Guan Yi's voice continued to ring out.

"Boss."

"At the current rate of consumption, the cash in our accounts can only last for one more month."

"The first payment from Puji Medical hasn't arrived yet, and the production line modification for Huaxing Precision Engineering requires continuous investment."

"Our funding gap is very large."

Chen Xu's gaze drifted out the window.

The car drove into the construction site of the Yaodong District Technology Park.

"Money isn't an issue."

Chen Xu retracted his gaze, took out his phone, and dialed a number.

The call connected.

"President Qiao."

...

Huaguo Bank, the top-floor conference room of the Fei City branch.

President Qiao was presiding over an internal meeting regarding credit risk for the next quarter.

She saw the caller ID on her private phone, made a pause gesture to the people in the conference room, and then answered.

"Hello, President Chen."

"I need a loan."

President Qiao was not surprised.

"How much does President Chen need?"

"One billion."

In the conference room, several vice presidents sitting near President Qiao heard the figure coming from the receiver.

One billion.

This figure would be a massive loan even at the head office.

"President Chen, what is the purpose for such a large amount of capital?" President Qiao continued to ask.

"Star Technology is preparing to enter the mobile phone industry."

"We have completed the prototype design and finalized an OEM partner, Huaxing Precision Engineering in Guan City."

"A portion of this money will be used to support the supply chain, and another portion will be used to expand the scale of the Technology Park to build a dedicated battery production base."

"The collateral will be the land and the ongoing construction projects of the entire Xingchen Technology Park."

President Qiao did not reply immediately.

The mobile phone industry.

An outsider wanted to make mobile phones.

This sounded like loan fraud.

"President Chen, we need to hold a meeting to discuss this matter and will give you an answer as soon as possible."

"Good."

Chen Xu hung up the phone.

He put his phone back in his pocket, and silence returned to the car.

...

Huaguo Bank, Fei City branch conference room.

President Qiao put down her phone and looked around at everyone.

A vice president in charge of credit was the first to speak.

"President Qiao, this is too risky."

"One billion, with a construction site still under development as collateral."

"And the purpose is to make mobile phones? An industry they know absolutely nothing about."

"Star Technology has been very successful in the electric vehicle field, but mobile phones are a different industry. Huawei, Xiaomi—which one of them hasn't stumbled before?"

"If this money is approved and something goes wrong, our entire branch will have to take responsibility."

Another risk control supervisor immediately echoed the sentiment.

"I agree. It won't pass the risk assessment."

"Star Technology has been established for less than a year; its foundation is too shallow. A single failed cross-industry venture could lead to a break in the entire group's capital chain."

Opposing voices became the mainstream.

President Qiao listened to everyone's opinions without rebutting.

Only after everyone had finished and the conference room fell silent did she speak.

"Everyone."

"The risks you mentioned all exist."

"But you've overlooked one thing."

She stood up, walked to a massive electronic screen, and pulled up a document.

"This is Star Technology's super battery. The conclusion of an internal assessment report leaked from Dening Era is that the technology is twenty years ahead of the entire industry."

She switched to another set of data.

"These are the supply agreements signed by Diya, Aima, and Danew with Star Technology. These three giants now all rely on Xingchen's batteries."

"In eight months, he unified the high-end two-wheeled electric vehicle market."

She switched to the next file.

"This is Puji Medical. Their core project, which had been stagnant for half a year, was conquered by Star Technology in a single night. Now, they have signed a ten-year, five-billion-yuan exclusive supply contract."

President Qiao turned around, her gaze sweeping across everyone in the conference room.

"Do you really think a person capable of achieving these things would fail just because he's making mobile phones?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but every word carried weight.

"What we are discussing today isn't whether or not to lend him money."

"It's to consider that if we don't lend it, will other banks?"

"If we miss out on a giant that might reach a trillion-dollar market value in the future, who will take responsibility for that?"

The conference room fell into silence once again.

The vice presidents who had opposed earlier stopped speaking.

President Qiao made her decision.

"Immediately organize all the materials, attach my highest recommendation level, and report it to the head office."

"Do it now."

...

Three days later.

Guan Yi's private phone rang; it was President Qiao calling.

"General Manager Guan, the head office's approval has come through."

"The one-billion-yuan special development credit line has been approved."

"The funds will be credited to Star Technology's account before three o'clock this afternoon."

Guan Yi hung up the phone and walked into Chen Xu's office.

"Boss, the money has arrived."

"Mm."

Chen Xu was looking at a construction drawing of the Technology Park.

He picked up the phone on his desk and dialed Director Niu's number.

"Director Niu, this is Chen Xu."

"President Chen! What are your instructions?" Director Niu's voice came through.

"I need land."

"I need another four hundred mu of industrial land around the Technology Park."

Director Niu on the other end of the phone was startled by this request.

Four hundred mu.

Adding the existing hundred mu, that would be a massive five-hundred-mu park.

"President Chen, don't you worry! I'll go coordinate it immediately!"

An hour later, Director Niu called back.

"President Chen, the land has been applied for! We can sign the contract in two days!"

"Then I'll have to trouble Director Niu; I'll come find you in two days."

Chen Xu hung up and looked at Guan Yi.

"Find a few more well-known domestic construction companies."

"Phase II of the Xingchen Technology Park project, with a total construction area of 3.3 million square meters across five sections, will start construction simultaneously."

Guan Yi immediately began execution.

Funds, land, and builders.

Within a few hours of the one billion yuan being in place, all links were activated.

...

Evening.

Chen Xu and Guan Yi stood inside the Xingchen Technology Park.

Before them was Factory Building No. 2, which had just completed its structural topping out and was officially handed over.

The interior of the factory was empty, with only the vast concrete floor and neatly arranged steel structural columns.

Chen Shiyi and his technical team were already waiting there.

"Boss," Chen Shiyi reported.

Chen Xu walked into the empty factory, his footsteps echoing in the massive space.

"Starting today, this will be the dedicated battery production base for the 'stellar' project."

He turned to look at Chen Shiyi.

"I want you to transform it into a fully automated super factory."

His instructions were clear.

"No production workers; from the raw material input to the finished product output, every step must be completed by automated equipment."

"Specifically to produce the SC-V1 Mini super battery."

"Construction period: one month."

Chen Shiyi looked at Factory Building No. 2.

"That's enough."

He turned and gave orders to Chen Yi and Chen Er behind him.

"The first batch of modification equipment, enter the site now."

[Requesting Power]