Chapter 185: Strategic Horizons

Xu Chen and his father, Xu Zhiquan, have already discussed the key development path for Chenfeng Electric Vehicles several times.

Now, he’s shared a simple update with Yang Congxin.

The logic isn’t too complex—it breaks down into three strategic stages, building steadily step by step.

The first startup phase involves limited funds and starting tech from scratch.

They’ll import cost-effective production lines from Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces, then launch one or two standout products to kickstart market sales and generate initial revenue.

In this phase, market coverage focuses mainly on local areas and remains in the investment stage, making profits hard to come by.

In the second phase, with some capital and tech built up, they’ll bring in more advanced production lines and technologies, while starting their own R&D to build technical barriers.

By this time, Chenfeng Electric Vehicles will refine one or two ‘ace products’ and make a real push into the national market.

The third phase sees Chenfeng Technology establishing strong tech and market advantages, securing a top-three position in the industry by scale and volume.

At the same time, they’ll begin expanding into overseas markets.

In his past life, Xu Chen knew of two electric vehicle giants that stayed low-key in China but raked in huge profits abroad, exporting to continents everywhere.

Of course, these three stages aren’t completely separate.

For example, they could start exploring overseas markets during the second phase.

Yang Congxin listened quietly, finished a cigarette in silence, and by then, the alcohol had mostly worn off.

He looked up at Xu Zhiquan and his son, Xu Chen, and said gravely:

“If the leadership at Bright Factory had even a tenth of the vision and insight that President Xu and young teacher Xu have, it wouldn’t have fallen to bankruptcy.

They wouldn’t even think seriously about what might happen in two years.

They just wanted to coast along safely until retirement.”

Fang Jun, holding a glass of liquor, his large single-lidded eyes glazed, suddenly declared righteously:

“History has judged them!”

Xu Chen: “…”

With the upcoming trip to Yangcheng, where Xu Chen had ad filming and City Publicity Department tasks to handle, he didn’t join Chen Dahai and the others lingering at the internet café.

These past couple of days, he’s mostly stayed in the office at Jinfeng Business Tower—it’s relatively quiet there.

The spacious, comfortable office is basically his alone, with the fridge packed with various fruits and snacks.

Fang Jun drops by every afternoon, mainly to handle some financial and project files for Chenxin Nurseries stored there.

Currently, there’s a lot of fund flow between Chenxin Nurseries and Chenfeng Technology, so Fang Jun has to shuttle between the two.

Xu Chen set up a workstation next to Fang Jun, where he sits with his laptop, browsing the web.

Renhe Pharmaceuticals finally coordinated the ad filming date with Xu Chen, scheduling it right after Xie Bingran’s competition day.

The one contacting Xu Chen is Gu Xinxi from Renhe Pharmaceuticals’ Marketing Department—once Guo Liang’s ‘little apprentice’ for HuiShuang Shenbao.

This polite, petite young woman left a good impression on Xu Chen during the Shanghai pitch.

Gu Xinxi sent an email with a detailed filming schedule.

The endorsers, Ren Jing and Fu Disheng, have limited time, so including makeup, rest, and meals, they only have eight hours for shooting.

Luckily, Xu Chen’s filming plan is straightforward, so the time is sufficient.

“Teacher Xu Chen, we need to add you as an MSN friend.

Black Duke Marketing has some detailed shooting plans—the director, set arrangements, and more—that need your confirmation.”

So Xu Chen had to register an MSN account.

It’s an instant messaging app that most people born after 2000 have never even heard of.

Over the past decade, as China’s internet industry rose, foreign products barely stood a chance against local ones due to various factors.

MSN, Google, Amazon, Groupon, Uber—all fell to QQ, Baidu, Taobao, Meituan, Didi, and the like.

Behind this, of course, were tales of wealth creation.

And many of these internet giants had overseas capital involved to some degree.

In the rise of some major Chinese internet companies, there were brutal conflicts between founding teams and foreign investors.

Although the Xu family’s Chenfeng Technology is just starting out, Xu Chen has talked with his father, Xu Zhiquan, about bringing in external or even foreign capital.

The two agreed that no matter what, they couldn’t lose absolute control of the company.

After adding Xu Chen as an MSN friend, Gu Xinxi pulled him into a project group.

When Xu Chen joined, he saw it was mainly the execution team from Black Duke Marketing, with the project lead being the chubby Li Fengfeng.

Gu Xinxi introduced in the group:

[Hello everyone, Teacher Xu Chen from East Morning Star Advertising has joined the group.

As discussed in the previous meeting, Teacher Xu Chen is the main creator and supervisor for this ad project.

Black Duke Marketing’s execution plans, processes, and the final ad all need confirmation from East Morning Star Advertising and Teacher Xu Chen.]

In the group, Li Fengfeng quickly sent a polite message:

[Hello, Teacher Xu Chen! I’m Li Fengfeng, Creative Deputy Director at Black Duke Marketing. Just call me Little Li!

I’m thrilled to collaborate and learn from you. Please guide me!]

Seeing Li Fengfeng’s message in the group, Xu Chen couldn’t help but find it amusing.

In his past life, Li Fengfeng was his boss, throwing his weight around and barking orders.

Now, here he was, calling himself ‘Little Li’—a stark, ironic twist.

Xu Chen knew Li Fengfeng’s true nature well.

He was the type who said one thing to your face and another behind your back—stubborn, full of resentment.

While acting cautious and polite in the group, he was probably cursing East Morning Star Advertising and Xu Chen privately.

After all, in the last pitch, Li Fengfeng thought he had it in the bag, only for Xu Chen to swoop in and take it.

He’d even hoped to use that win to get promoted from deputy director to director, but it all fell through.

Based on what Xu Chen knew of him, this small-eyed, pudgy man must harbor plenty of grudges against East Morning Star Advertising and Teacher Xu Chen.

Yet ironically, Li Fengfeng now had to play nice and flatter in the group.

And during the actual shoot in Yangcheng, he’d have to cater to Teacher Xu Chen.

Because the final approval for the ad rested with East Morning Star Advertising.

In the group, a few other colleagues from Black Duke Marketing sent polite greetings.

They were clearly Li Fengfeng’s subordinates, probably used to getting the short end of the stick from him.

Xu Chen gave a simple reply to acknowledge them.

Besides Gu Xinxi and the Black Duke Marketing team, the group also included Zhao Nan, the Marketing Director from Renhe Pharmaceuticals.

Zhao Nan’s profile picture was gray—she wasn’t online.

Generally, the client’s leaders don’t say much in project groups; they channel opinions through someone like Gu Xinxi.

But since the client’s leader was in the group, Xu Chen needed to show his professionalism and dedication, so he quickly assigned tasks to Li Fengfeng.

[@Li Fengfeng, Director Li, with the shooting date approaching, please submit the following for review as soon as possible:

Detailed shot-by-shot script, director and production team recommendations, endorser makeup and wardrobe plans, set and studio arrangements, art design and color grading plans, and a full execution budget.]

Xu Chen listed these items roughly—they’re all essentials the production team needs to provide before shooting.

He brought this up proactively to demonstrate his expertise.

Besides impressing the client’s leadership with his skills, he was also signaling to Li Fengfeng:

East Morning Star Advertising and Teacher Xu Chen know their stuff, so don’t try any tricks or shortcuts.

Sure enough, shortly after the message, Gu Xinxi messaged Xu Chen privately:

[Teacher Xu Chen, you’re so professional!

We were handling this ad ourselves and didn’t even know what to ask Black Duke Marketing for.

My mentor, Guo Liang, told me to learn from you.]

Xu Chen replied:

[You’re too kind, Teacher Xinxi. It’s all part of the job.

Don’t worry at your end. With me and East Morning Star on this, the ad won’t have any major issues.

I’ll keep a close eye on Black Duke’s side too!]

In the group, Li Fengfeng responded:

[@Teacher Xu Chen, these plans and materials are being put together.

I’ll submit them to the group for your review in the next couple of days!]

[Great, I’ll wait for Black Duke’s plans!]

Xu Chen glanced at the group messages, then turned to Fang Jun beside him and said:

“Fang, after we watch Bing Ge’s match in Yangcheng, I need you to stick around with me for a couple more days.

There’s a project where I could use your help.”

Fang Jun: “What project?”

Xu Chen: “It’s the one from the Shanghai pitch. The endorser is set, and now we need to oversee the ad shoot.”

Fang Jun: “I don’t know anything about that. What do you need me for?”

Xu Chen: “I’ll explain when we get there.”

Fang Jun: “Alright, whatever you arrange always has a reason behind it.”

Xu Chen smiled, grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the desk, and handed it to Fang Jun.

“Oh, and another thing—I’m heading to Shanghai for university soon.

Could we move East Morning Star Advertising to Shanghai or set up a branch there?”

Fang Jun: “What’s the goal?”

Xu Chen: “It’ll make it easier to land projects and hire staff.”

Fang Jun: “Is President Xu talking about buying you a car?”

Xu Chen: “Huh? What’s that got to do with this?”

Fang Jun: “Shanghai’s got license plate restrictions. If you buy a car there, you’d drive it in Shanghai, right?

Then register it under the Shanghai company to save on some taxes.

Plus, we can get you on the social insurance there, which you’ll need for buying a house or other stuff later.”

Xu Chen laughed:

“I hadn’t thought of any of that.

Fang Jun, you’re a lifesaver!”

Fang Jun said flatly:

“That just shows the ‘all-knowing Teacher Xu’ isn’t quite all-knowing in every area.

I’ll handle it then.”

Xu Chen smiled:

“Thanks a lot, Fang Jun!”