Haifeng sat at his desk, flipping through reports on China's phone industry.
"2013 and 2014," he murmured, "this is when the storm hits."
3G was reaching 4G, and all the major players were scrambling. Carrier policies were shifting. Market rules were evolving fast.
Counterfeit phones flooded the market, and so did new manufacturers—most of which would vanish as quickly as they appeared.
Everyone wanted a piece of the pie. Everyone hoped to be the one that knocked out the competition.
Huawei was finally flexing its muscles, rising with the power of its Kirin chips.
OPPO and Vivo were expanding offline retail networks like wildfire.
Xiaomi had gone national, rapidly releasing new models online.
Even Gionee and Meizu were pushing hard.
"If we don't keep moving," Haifeng said with a wry smile,
"We'll be the ones getting wiped out."
But while the others fought for headlines, China Star had gone quiet—intentionally.
They were off the radar.
Everyone assumed the lion had fallen asleep.
But behind the scenes, Haifeng had poured his full attention into something else:
Building a car.
🚗 Auto Factory Progress
The complete vehicle production line installation took 17 days.
Over 200 employees from across the company were mobilized. Engineers, logistics, admin—all hands on deck.
At the heart of it all?
Xu Zhilin.
The man had practically moved into the factory. Ate there. Slept there. Didn't go home once.
"Compared to technology," he joked, "what's a little thing like family?"
Haifeng respected him deeply.
Xu didn't have to go that far—but he did. Why?
Because he believed that even if the car model failed, the engine would make money someday.
After installation, Xu led debugging and testing—fine-tuning the engine and transmission line.
"President Lu," he said one night,
"Give me one month. The first engine will roll off the line."
Meanwhile…
Zhao Jianhua finalized the Audi model prototype and submitted all design data to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology for approval.
Legal team lead Chen Changchun had already completed brand registration for the Audi name and logo.
Haifeng had kept the original four-ring badge from his past life's version of Audi.
"The past may be gone," he said,
"But we'll give this brand a new future."
👨🔧 Enter the Experts
Haifeng brought in two engineers he had quietly "recruited" the following day through the system.
Tang San: Mechanical master – engines, gearboxes, chassis
Sun Er: Electronics expert – control systems, lighting tech
He led them to the temporary R&D lab.
These weren't just NPCs. The system had assigned them identities, backgrounds, and complete legal documentation.
No one could tell they weren't real—because, as far as the world was concerned, they were.
Haifeng introduced them to Xu Zhilin.
"Uncle Xu, these two are overseas experts I brought in.
This is Tang San, and this is Sun Er."
Xu's expression was skeptical—but polite.
He had never heard of either man before.
"Hello," he said. "I'm Xu Zhilin. You can call me Lao Xu."
"Hello, Lao Xu," Tang San replied.
"I specialize in engine, gearbox, and chassis systems."
"I focus on electronic controls and lighting," said Sun Er.
The two were humble yet refined—exuding true industry veterans' sharp, composed energy. Even Xu was briefly impressed.
But after the pleasantries, Xu quietly pulled Haifeng aside.
"Where did you find them?" he asked, eyes narrowed.
"They've got the look—but I've never heard of them. And I know every top engineer in this field."
He suspected a scam.
Haifeng smiled knowingly.
"Uncle Xu, relax. They're trustworthy.
You've been overworked lately, and I needed someone to take pressure off your shoulders."
Then he leaned closer.
"You've been wondering where the EA888 engine tech came from, right?"
Xu's eyes locked in.
"It came from Tang San himself," Haifeng said, voice low.
"He was a consultant at a top overseas firm.
He developed the EA888 platform.
I begged him to come here to help us. It wasn't easy."
BOOM.
It hit Xu Zhilin like a thunderclap.
He froze.
"He's the one behind EA888?" he whispered.
That changed everything.
The EA888 was the gold standard in 2.0T turbocharged engines. If this was true…
Then China Star hadn't just licensed cutting-edge engine tech.
They had brought in the man who built it.