Tech Giants: Starting from Bankrupt Companies

311: Chapter 311 The Turmoil in TokyoSu Chen spoke personally.

He stood up, walked to the projector, and took the remote from Xu Feng’s hand.

”Mr. Prime Minister, what Xingchen is giving Thailand is not just two factories. It is a complete new energy vehicle ecosystem.”

He listed them one by one.

Charging Network: Xingchen will cooperate with the Thai Ministry of Energy to build 1,000 fast-charging stations and 5,000 slow-charging piles within three years.

It will cover all major cities including Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Pattaya.

Battery Recycling: Build the largest battery recycling center in ASEAN, with an annual processing capacity of 100,000 tons to handle all retired batteries in the region.

Technical Training: Cooperate with ten Thai universities to train 2,000 new energy vehicle engineers annually.

The curriculum will be designed by Xingchen, teachers will be dispatched by Xingchen, and graduates will be given priority hiring by Xingchen.

Industrial Chain Investment Attraction: Led by Xingchen, 50 upstream and downstream suppliers will be introduced to settle in Thailand.

Electric motors, electronic controls, charging piles, battery materials, intelligent cockpits—the entire industrial chain will be localized.

Financial Support: Xingchen Pay will be integrated into Thailand, and electric vehicle loans will enjoy preferential interest rates.

Thai residents buying Xingchen electric vehicles can enjoy zero down payment and five-year installments.

Prachya fell silent.

Three seconds.

Five seconds.

Ten seconds.

Then he smiled.

In that smile, there was emotion, relief, and a sense of being unburdened.

”Mr. Su, Thailand and Japan have cooperated for sixty years, and they have never given us these things.”

Su Chen also smiled.

”Mr. Prime Minister, that is the logic of sixty years ago. Xingchen’s logic is to grow the cake together, rather than grabbing a piece of the cake.”

At 8:30 PM, in the signing hall.

On the long table, two agreements were laid out neatly.

”New Energy Vehicle Industry Cooperation Agreement”

Building a factory with an annual output of 300,000 electric vehicles in Rayong Province.

Investment: 5 billion USD.

Equity Ratio: 55% for Xingchen, 45% for Thailand.

Technology: Full vehicle platform authorization, ”Three Electrics” system authorization, intelligent cockpit authorization.

Goal: Expand production capacity to 500,000 vehicles by 2025, becoming the largest electric vehicle export base in ASEAN.

”Power Battery Industry Cooperation Agreement”

Building a battery factory with an annual output of 50 GWh plus a recycling center in Chachoengsao Province.

Investment: 3 billion USD.

Equity Ratio: 55% for Xingchen, 45% for Thailand.

Technology: Bedrock 3 lithium iron phosphate technology authorization.

Goal: Expand production capacity to 100 GWh by 2026, supplying the entire ASEAN region.

Total amount: 8 billion USD.

Additional agreement: ”Memorandum on Co-building New Energy Vehicle Ecosystem”, covering charging networks, technical training, industrial chain investment, and financial support.

When Prachya signed, his hand was very steady.

When Su Chen signed, his brushwork was forceful.

The two exchanged agreements and shook hands.

Flashbulbs went off, flooding the entire hall.

At 9:30 PM, a private dinner.

There were only eight people: Prachya, Su Chen, Lin Wan, Suriya, Gu Yanting, Zhang Zhen, and two interpreters.

On the table were a few simple dishes: steamed coral trout, blanched shrimp, garlic greens, and a pot of rice.

Prachya raised his glass.

”Mr. Su, this glass is a toast to Thailand’s new future.”

Su Chen raised his glass.

”To cooperation, to transformation.”

The two drank it in one gulp.

Prachya put down his glass and said with emotion: ”Mr. Su, do you know how many years Thailand has been in the automotive industry?”

”Sixty years.”

”Right, sixty years. The Japanese taught us how to build cars, but they never taught us how to build the future. They kept us making fuel-powered cars, kept earning money from fuel-powered cars, and kept electric vehicles in Japan.”

He paused.

”I thought Thailand would be like this forever. Until Xingchen appeared.”

Su Chen said seriously: ”Mr. Prime Minister, Xingchen does not teach people how to build the future. Xingchen only provides the tools. The real future must be built by the Thai people themselves.”

Prachya smiled.

”Mr. Su, you are the least businessman-like businessman I have ever met.”

Su Chen also smiled.

”Mr. Prime Minister, you are the least politician-like politician I have ever met.”

The two clinked glasses.

The next afternoon at 3:00 PM, Tokyo, Toyota Headquarters.

Akio Toyoda sat in the main seat of the conference room.

Sixty-five-year-old Akio Toyoda is the fourth-generation heir of the Toyota family.

He has been in charge of Toyota for ten years, experiencing financial crises, major earthquakes, and global recalls, but he had never felt as uneasy as he did today.

On the big screen, there was news footage of the signing in Thailand.

The photo of Prachya and Su Chen shaking hands occupied the headlines.

Executive Vice President Shigeru Hayakawa stood in front of the screen, his voice dry: ”President, Thailand has officially signed with Xingchen. 8 billion USD, electric vehicle factory plus battery factory. They promised to become the largest electric vehicle export base in ASEAN by 2025.”

Akio Toyoda was silent.

In the conference room, a dozen executives did not dare to breathe.

After a long time, Akio Toyoda spoke.

”How many years have we invested in Thailand?”

”Sixty years.”

”How much money have we invested?”

”A cumulative total of about 20 billion USD.”

”Now, they use 8 billion USD to turn our sixty years of accumulation into scrap metal?”

No one dared to answer.

Akio Toyoda slapped the table and stood up.

Slap—

The sound echoed in the conference room.

”Tell Thailand that Toyota also wants to build electric vehicles in Thailand! Immediately! Right now!”

Someone said carefully: ”President, our electric vehicle technology...”

”Build it even if we don’t have it!” Akio Toyoda’s voice was almost a roar, ”Buy Xingchen’s technology! Buy LG’s batteries! In any case, we cannot lose the Thai market!”

The conference room was dead silent.

4:30 PM, Tokyo, Honda Headquarters.

President Toshihiro Mibe sat in his office, watching the same news.

He was calmer than Akio Toyoda.

Sixty-year-old Toshihiro Mibe has a technical background, having been an engine engineer and R&D director, and he knew the strengths and weaknesses of the Japanese automotive industry well.

”Thailand’s shift to Xingchen is inevitable,” he said, ”We are too slow.”

The Strategy Director asked: ”President, what should we do?”

Toshihiro Mibe was silent for a moment.

”Prepare to contact Xingchen.”

The Strategy Director was stunned.

”What?”

”Go talk about cooperation. Honda needs Xingchen’s batteries and intelligent systems, and Xingchen needs Honda’s manufacturing processes and global channels. This is a win-win.”

Someone hesitated: ”But the US side...”

Toshihiro Mibe gave a bitter smile.

”The US? Can the US help us keep our market in Thailand?”

The conference room was silent.

”That’s it. Send someone to Shenzhen next week.”

Tokyo, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

Minister Koichi Hagiuda urgently summoned the heads of the five major car companies.

The leaders of Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Mitsubishi, and Mazda sat around a long table.

On the big screen, it was still the news of the signing in Thailand.

”Everyone, Thailand’s shift is a warning for the Japanese automotive industry.” Hagiuda’s voice was heavy, ”ASEAN is the backyard of Japanese cars. If the backyard catches fire, our global share will be shaken.”

Akio Toyoda asked: ”What can the government do?”

Hagiuda said: ”The government will launch an ’ASEAN Electric Vehicle Strategy’—providing 500 billion yen in financing to support Japanese car companies in producing electric vehicles in ASEAN. At the same time, we will pressure the Thai government and demand ’fair competition’.”

Someone gave a bitter smile.

”Pressure? Thailand just signed an 8 billion USD deal. What do we have to pressure them with?”

Hagiuda was silent.

The next morning at 8:00 AM, Bangkok, Thai Ministry of Industry.

Suriya had just started work, and his secretary brought a pile of documents.

Toyota Thailand: Urgently submitted a letter of intent for electric vehicle investment, 5 billion Baht.

Honda Thailand: Applied for electric vehicle production license.

Nissan Thailand: Demanded ”national treatment”.

Mitsubishi Thailand: Announced it will introduce electric vehicle production lines.

Suriya looked at these documents and smiled.

”Not in a hurry for sixty years, but as soon as Xingchen signs, everyone is in a hurry.”

Xingchen Headquarters building, Lin Wan pushed open the door to Su Chen’s office.

”After the signing in Thailand, Toyota and Honda are both in a hurry. Toyota has urgently submitted an electric vehicle investment intent, and it is said that Honda is going to send people to Shenzhen to discuss cooperation.”

Su Chen stood by the window without turning back.

”As expected.”

”How should we respond?”

Su Chen thought for a while.

”For Toyota, receive them normally. But the agreements that should be signed have already been signed. If they want to get in, they have to follow Thailand’s rules—use Xingchen’s batteries and platforms.”

”What about Honda?”

”We can discuss cooperation. Honda’s manufacturing process is indeed more precise than ours. Using their manufacturing capabilities in exchange for our ’Three Electrics’ system is a win-win.”

Lin Wan smiled.

”Are you trying to incorporate Japanese car companies?”

Su Chen turned around.

”Not incorporate, but re-divide the labor. Japan does high-end manufacturing, we do core systems, and ASEAN does whole vehicle assembly. This is the future global industrial chain.”

He walked back to the window.

Outside the window, the lights of Shenzhen Bay stretched to the horizon.

Further away are the South China Sea, the Gulf of Thailand, and every shipping route leading to Thailand.

An automotive kingdom is turning.