Haifeng had expected both Xu Zhilin and Uncle Zhao to be curious. So he brought a few pieces of the Audi design blueprints he'd drawn using the system.
The moment they saw them—both men froze.
"Xiaofeng… you're building a sedan," Xu Zhilin said, studying the lines.
"Big body… civilian-style specs… 1.8T or 2.0T four-cylinder engine…"
"It's big—but the data says it's for the mid-range family segment. Affordable, not a luxury car."
Haifeng nodded.
"Exactly. It's a Class B family sedan. Designed with space, performance, and economy in mind."
"I plan to launch a new sub-brand under China Star Auto. The name will be Audi—focused on stylish, affordable, civilian-grade cars."
"Uncle Zhao, I'll leave the trademark registration to you."
"No problem," Zhao said. "I'll head out first thing in the morning."
Haifeng then turned to Xu Zhilin.
"Uncle Xu, please have your team make a 1:5 scale model as soon as possible.
I'll send you the rest of the blueprint data tonight."
"Once that's done, help me submit everything to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for prototype approval."
To legally build and sell a car in China, the government required:
Submission of all vehicle specs and design data
Ministry approval to produce a prototype
Complete testing of the engine, gearbox, chassis
Emissions, safety, and road certification
Final approval for sales and market launch
Typically, this process could take two to three years from R&D to purchase.
But Haifeng?
He had already bought thoroughly tested, pre-certified technology from the system.
He didn't need to test or debug anything. All specs and simulation data were already included.
Once approved—he could go straight into production.
Xu Zhilin frowned.
"Skipping testing entirely? You sure that'll work?"
Haifeng nodded.
"All data came from top international labs. We're not starting from scratch—just scaling production."
Xu paused.
"Alright… I trust you. But I've got one more question."
"What technology are we using for the engine, gearbox, and chassis?
Mitsubishi?"
That was the usual route for domestic manufacturers—import tech from Mitsubishi, tweak it and assemble.
China's private automakers rarely had their core tech. The cost of building a car was astronomical, especially for sedans with larger engines.
A quick breakdown:
A sedan that sells for ¥100,000 (~ $13,800 in 2025)
Factory cost: ~¥75,000
Dealer delivery price: ~¥90,000
Manufacturer profit: maybe ¥10,000 max
Final net profit (after wages, logistics): very thin
And of that ¥75,000 production cost? The engine, gearbox, and chassis made up two-thirds.
That was the brutal reality of the industry:
Car companies barely made money.
The real profits went to those who owned the core tech.
Haifeng looked at both of them and smiled.
"No. We're not using foreign tech."
"We'll use our own."
The room went quiet.
Zhao and Xu were stunned.
"Our own?" Xu finally asked. "You mean… China Star's?"
He looked confused, maybe even concerned.
"Xiaofeng… where are you getting this technology?
Do we even have it?"
"We only just got news that the country bought a trimmed-down version of Mitsubishi's engine tech—and even that will take years before it trickles down to us."
"State-owned automakers will hog the research first.
Private companies like us won't get access until much later."
Zhao jumped in, too.
"Hold on—I forgot to tell you."
"I already commissioned two complete production lines overseas:
One for engines
One for gearboxes
Plus, a complete set of mature core technologies for both."
CRASH—
The sound of chairs scraping the floor as both men jumped to their feet.
"What?!"
"You bought a full engine line? And gearboxes?
And the tech itself?!"
They stared at Haifeng like he'd dropped a nuclear bomb on the table.
"President Lu… are you serious?"
Xu Zhilin didn't even call him "Xiaofeng" anymore—he was too stunned.
This wasn't a parts order. This was national-grade core technology.
Foreign automakers had fiercely guarded this kind of IP for decades. No one in China had been allowed close to it—especially not private companies.
"Yes. It's all real," Haifeng said.
"Everything's already purchased. The lines will be delivered tomorrow."
Xu rubbed his hands, eyes wide.
"I'm not going home tonight. I'm living in the lab from now on.
Don't even try to stop me!"
He spun around and rushed out the door—straight to the workshop, like a man possessed.
📍 Next Morning – China Star Auto Plant
Before the sun rose, Xu Zhilin and Zhao Jianhua were outside the building.
As soon as the employees arrived, they gathered everyone together.
"The boss has done it again."
"Engine production line. Gearbox production line. Complete core tech."
The news spread like wildfire.
The mood in the factory shifted overnight. Every staff member knew what this meant:
No more foreign licensing.
No more tech blockades.
They finally had their own engine and transmission technology.
One employee glanced at the office door and whispered:
"You see Chief Xu? He hasn't gone home in two days.
This morning, his wife came to the plant thinking he had lost his mind."
"If that's not proof this is real, I don't know what is."