109: My Neighbor Totoro modified an infantry fighting vehicle? Are you f*cking crazy?

Lu Shenwei curiously clicked on the Desert Camel section, and a breath of poverty mixed with nouveau riche vibes hit him.

"We haven't started selling abroad, have we? Where did they get these small cars?"

Zhou Cun smiled bitterly: "Don't you know? They're being smuggled out from our side."

"Smuggled? That's some international scalping right there."

"We sell them for 36,800 domestically, but the price for those obtained through unofficial channels is about four times that."

"Four times? 150,000?"

"150,000 is considered a low price. The price of a smuggled longmao small car is about the same as the overseas version of the Japan Jimny, around 180,000."

Lu Shenwei couldn't believe it and continued watching the video.

In the video, the longmao small car's body was covered in desert yellow.

Lu Shenwei asked in surprise: "This dirt yellow is interesting, but won't it damage the anti-rust coating?"

"Keep watching; do you think they care about the anti-rust coating?"

Lu Shenwei dragged the video forward as instructed. Except for the front windshield, all the glass on the longmao small car had been removed.

Even the roof panel had been ripped off. In the video, a Desert Camel youth wearing a headscarf was chattering away in explanation.

Lu Shenwei asked, puzzled: "What is he saying?"

"Removing the glass for ventilation."

"Is that what he meant?"

"Pretty much."

Lu Shenwei felt a toothache, but then he saw the Desert Camel youth pointing at the rear cargo bed.

What is that in the cargo bed? Am I seeing things?

"Is that a heavy machine gun in the cargo bed?"

Zhou Cun nodded woodenly. When he first saw this modification video, he was also a little shocked.

A steel frame had been welded onto the rear cargo bed of the longmao small car, and a 12.7mm large-caliber heavy machine gun was mounted there, its dark muzzle looking quite intimidating.

"According to the translation, this thing is for dealing with Eagle soldiers."

Turning an agricultural vehicle into an armed combat vehicle, huh? You really are a talent.

"Can our agricultural vehicle handle the recoil of a heavy machine gun?"

"It can, and quite well too, otherwise this modification video wouldn't have gone viral."

Lu Shenwei was speechless. Zhou Cun suggested: "Chairman, do you think we should open an overseas production line?"

"Let's slow down on the overseas part. Let's saturate the domestic market first," Lu Shenwei pondered.

According to the market analysts at Julong Steel, the longmao small car would reach market saturation once sales hit 700,000 units.

"Take a look at this too."

Zhou Cun opened a video from the Western modification section. Compared to the pragmatism of the Desert Camel region, the Western modification section leaned towards the wild. The agricultural vehicle's wheels were modified to an exaggerated 28 inches, and the cargo bed was equipped with a barbecue grill and an ice cream machine.

"Now that's normal."

"Normal? You haven't seen the rest yet."

Zhou Cun dragged the video forward. A longmao small car, modified until only the front end remained, was dragging a long cargo container, speeding on an Eagle highway.

"This... must be 20 tons, right?"

"How could 20 tons hold it? This guy in the video swapped in a high-horsepower V8 engine; the load is definitely over 25 tons."

25 tons? Can the longmao small car really haul that much?

Sir Tan, you were wrong; the longmao small car really can only haul "a little bit" more!

"Doesn't the Eagle transport bureau care?"

"Didn't you see the M4 in the back seat? They're outlaws. With that kind of firepower, the FBL wouldn't dare approach."

"Are all foreign modification videos like this?"

Lu Shenwei asked. Zhou Cun nodded: "These are considered the normal ones."

This is considered normal? Then I can't imagine how crazy the abnormal ones are.

"Forget it, we can't control what happens abroad, as long as there's no messing around domestically."

Lu Shenwei had truly seen it all.

There are fewer restrictions on modifications abroad, and all kinds of wild, modified creations emerge one after another.

Lu Shenwei even suspected that if there were no restrictions, the longmao small car could even be modified into a longmao train.

"Once domestic sales pass 500,000, let's carefully discuss how to develop the overseas market."

Since there are so many reckless car enthusiasts abroad waiting to be harvested, it would be a disservice to their wallets not to satisfy them.

"You agree to develop the overseas market? That's great! I'll go tell the deputy factory manager right away," Zhou Cun said excitedly.

Lu Shenwei raised his hand: "Don't get excited. It's not set in stone yet. First, upload these wild modification videos to our official website to test the waters, and register an overseas petition and comment website while you're at it."

As long as the overseas comment website has enough popularity, Lu Shenwei wouldn't mind shifting from domestic sales to exports.

After all, making money isn't shameful.

"Is it appropriate to put these videos on the official website? Won't there be legal risks?"

"Don't worry, I know people at the Cyberspace Administration."

Lu Shenwei casually called the leader of the Cyberspace Administration. Upon hearing that Julong Steel needed to expand into the overseas market, the other party immediately gave the green light.

The leader of the Cyberspace Administration even offered to post advertisements for Julong Steel on the administration's official website if needed.

Lu Shenwei said it wouldn't be necessary and that promoting it on the Julong official website would be fine.

That afternoon, the Julong Steel official website released a series of longmao small car modification videos.

[longmao small car fun modification videos? What the heck?]

[With this free time, why not go bolt on some parts, Factory Manager? Increase production!]

[I'm cracking up. A 12.8mm heavy machine gun on the cargo bed? Are you sure you're not kidding me?]

[Found the reason why there are so few foreigners. It's the longmao small car's doing. Small car turned into a train, payload upgraded from 700kg to 25 tons. Isn't this just pure suicide?]

[I want to commit suicide too, but the traffic police won't let me.]

[If you run away to the Eagle country, not even Jesus can stop you.]

[Agricultural vehicle modified into a suicide truck? I'm going crazy.]

[District Chief, are these modifications reasonable?]

The District Chief felt numb upon hearing this. Does this even need to be asked? Reasonable my foot!

"Whether it's reasonable or not, you can judge for yourselves. But one thing must be clarified: Julong Steel releasing these wild modification videos is definitely not for us to imitate."

[Isn't this thing for us to copy?]

[Da Chun, it's better if you don't use your brain. Copy what? Copy the heavy machine gun modification or copy the hundred-ton king?]

[If we're not supposed to copy it, why release these videos? Are you bored? Or just showing off?]

The District Chief pondered: "This is a signal that longmao cars are entering the overseas market. Hasn't anyone thought about where the foreign enthusiasts' longmao small cars came from?"

[Damn! Now that you mention it, I understand. Smuggling domestic vehicles and selling them to foreigners at high prices. Wouldn't that be a huge profit?]

[That's a thought, but Julong Steel doesn't have much overseas sales experience. Besides, they are still on the Eagle's sanctions list. Are there any companies willing to work with them?]

[Don't be afraid! At worst, Julong Steel can do it themselves. It's not like they don't have the capability.]

[You're really stubborn. Aren't you afraid that Julong Steel will be sanctioned by the Eagle again?]

[Have you been on your knees so long that your knees have taken root? Do you really think the Eagle is still the Eagle from a dozen years ago?]

[The higher-ups have already said: The Eagle has no right to speak to us from a position of strength. They are nothing!]

[Keep a low profile. The ancestors said: Store grain, build high walls, and claim the throne slowly.]

[Eh? Weren't we discussing how to modify the longmao small car?]

(Note: After careful consideration, Chapter 39 has been revised to avoid misunderstanding, but it will not affect the experience of readers who have already read it. Please be aware.)