wavenovel Chapter 148 Pre-sale Frenzy
Chapter 148 Pre-sale Frenzy
The Hangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center was bustling with people.
A huge screen displayed the words "Pre-sale Launch of a Domestic Automaker's 402 Intelligent Driving Technology Mass Production Model" in large gold letters. The audience was filled with media reporters, industry guests, and dealer representatives.
Zuo Cheng stood backstage, looking at the stage in front of him.
Five months have passed since the successful real-vehicle testing. During these five months, the 402's intelligent driving system underwent the second phase of open road testing, road permit approval, and vehicle-grade certification audit, finally obtaining all the necessary qualifications a month ago.
Today is the first day of pre-sales.
Wei Dongsheng walked over, his face flushed: "President Zuo, everything is ready."
"Has the order system been tested?" Zuo Cheng asked.
"We tested it three times, and it can handle a peak concurrent user count of 100,000," Wei Dongsheng said. "But to be honest, I didn't expect so many people to pay attention to this press conference."
Zuo Cheng glanced at the stands in front of him. They were packed with people, and many more were standing and taking pictures.
How many orders do we have?
"It's 9:59 now, and it hasn't started yet," Wei Dongsheng laughed. "But the number of people who have booked a test drive has already exceeded 300,000."
Three hundred thousand. Zuo Cheng silently memorized this number.
---
The press conference officially began at 10:00 AM sharp.
Wei Dongsheng walked onto the stage and began to introduce the new car model.
"Today, we are launching the first mass-produced intelligent driving vehicle jointly developed by a domestic automaker and 402 Technology." He clicked the mouse, and a photo of the vehicle appeared on the big screen.
The car's sleek lines subtly reveal the sensor array of the intelligent driving system.
"This car is equipped with 402 Technology's intelligent driving system. In our real-world testing, we set an industry record, achieving a safety score 11% higher than Tesla's Autopilot," Wei Dongsheng said with a hint of pride. "This isn't data from a PowerPoint presentation; it's the result of real-world testing on open roads."
A round of applause erupted from the audience.
"Now, let's invite Mr. Zuo Cheng, CEO of 402 Technology." Wei Dongsheng gestured for him to enter.
Zuo Cheng walked onto the stage and stood in front of the giant screen.
"Hello everyone, I'm Zuo Cheng." His voice wasn't loud, but it carried throughout the entire venue through the microphone. "Many people ask me, 402 is a technology company, why are you getting into autonomous driving?"
He paused.
"Because we believe that the value of technology lies in changing people's lives," he said. "The intelligence of cars is not about showing off technology, but about making driving safer, easier, and more efficient."
He clicked the mouse, and a test video began playing on the big screen.
In the video, the test vehicle drives smoothly in heavy rain, calmly handles various emergencies on city roads, and parks itself in a narrow space with ease. Every scene elicits gasps of amazement from the audience.
"These are all real-world examples of the 402 intelligent driving system," Zuo Cheng said. "Today, we're bringing this experience to every ordinary consumer."
He raised his hand and looked at Wei Dongsheng beside him.
Wei Dongsheng nodded, and the two of them pressed the pre-sale button together.
---
On the big screen, a number began to jump.
"500." This is the first number.
1500.
3000.
8000.
The numbers were increasing rapidly, updating every second. People in the audience began to stand up and raise their phones to film the large screen.
"Ten thousand!" someone shouted.
Zuo Cheng stared at the constantly fluctuating number, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him.
From researching federated learning algorithms in the lab two years ago to pressing the pre-sale button today, this mass-produced car equipped with the 402 system has finally reached consumers.
"Thirty thousand." Wei Dongsheng's voice trembled slightly. "President Zuo, thirty thousand!"
The numbers are still rising. Fifty thousand, sixty thousand, seventy thousand...
Ultimately, it settled on a number that shocked everyone.
First-day orders: 52176 vehicles.
The entire venue erupted in cheers.
Zuo Cheng looked at the number, his lips moving slightly.
Fifty thousand vehicles. This figure is 50% higher than his and Wei Dongsheng's most optimistic expectations. This means that if all are delivered, the technology licensing fee for this one model alone will exceed four hundred million.
"Unbelievable," Wei Dongsheng whispered in his ear. "Our production capacity simply can't keep up."
Zuo Cheng nodded. He had anticipated this problem, but he had a solution.
---
During the media interview session following the press conference, reporters swarmed into the conference room, making it completely packed.
"Mr. Zuo, what are the unique advantages of the 402's intelligent driving system?"
"Mr. Zuo, what is the cost of this system, and how much additional fee will consumers need to pay?"
"Mr. Zuo, can 402 manufacture its own cars?"
Zuo Cheng answered each question. His voice was calm, but every answer was precise and powerful.
"Our unique advantage lies in our environmental perception capabilities," he said. "In real-world testing, our system detected obstacles at a distance of 290 meters, nearly 100 meters further than Tesla's. This means that at high speeds, our system can react approximately 0.5 seconds earlier than its competitors."
"We have an agreement with the automakers that the additional costs consumers need to pay will not be charged to users separately. The intelligent driving function is included in the overall vehicle price."
"402 won't manufacture cars themselves. We position ourselves as a supplier of intelligent driving systems, collaborating with automakers through technology licensing. We believe in specialization."
Three hours had passed by the time the interview ended.
---
Back in office 402, Zuo Cheng immediately convened an internal meeting.
"Han Lu, how's the order status?" he asked as soon as he sat down.
"52176 vehicles on the first day, far exceeding expectations." Han Lu flipped through the data in her hand. "The number of people who have booked test drives has now exceeded 500,000. But we received news from General Manager Wei that production capacity can't keep up."
"I know." Zuo Cheng nodded. "We'll help them solve the production capacity issue."
"How can I help?" Han Lu asked, somewhat puzzled.
Zuo Cheng glanced at Shen Yiming.
Shen Yiming understood: "More than a dozen core suppliers in our drone supply chain also have a presence in the automotive electronics field. I suggest we step in and help coordinate with these suppliers to prioritize supplying automakers."
Zuo Cheng nodded: "There's one more thing. 402's expansion in the automotive electronics field cannot stop. Currently, it's a technology licensing model, but in three years, we need to be able to provide complete intelligent driving solutions."
Shen Yiming and Han Lu exchanged a glance, both seeing excitement in each other's eyes.
"Understood," Han Lu said. "I'll go and follow up on supply chain coordination."
After the meeting, Zuo Cheng stayed alone in his office, looking out at the night view.
On the first day of pre-sales, 50,000 vehicles were sold. This number gave him an unprecedented sense of security.
From the first skill he unlocked at the beginning of his rebirth to today's pre-sales exceeding 50,000, in just two years, he has walked a path he had never walked in his previous life.
But this is only the beginning.
His goal is to install the 402's intelligent driving system in every vehicle, and to make China's intelligent driving technology stand at the top of the world.
By this time next year, he wants to add another zero to that number.