Rebirth: Controlled Nuclear Fusion

Part 73：Acquired

At 9 a.m., in the conference room of BYD Group,
"Tesla is nothing but a damn disgrace!"
A senior executive from the production department cursed angrily.
Just a few days ago, Tesla's Asia-Pacific headquarters had forced all domestic new energy material suppliers to stop providing BYD with materials.
Most of the suppliers, struggling to survive, had no choice but to comply.
However, one supplier, Fang Nuo Materials, stood firm on its patriotic principles and resolutely continued supplying BYD.
When Tesla caught wind of this, they united with all the other suppliers to blacklist Fang Nuo, and within two days, Fang Nuo had no choice but to declare bankruptcy.
Now, BYD had no raw materials, and the factory was operating at half capacity.
If the customers who had pre-ordered cars didn't receive their deliveries on time, it wouldn't just cause losses to the company—it would tarnish their reputation as well.
"Mr. Wang, is there really no solution?"
The head of the marketing department asked.
Wang Chuanfu sighed deeply and shook his head.
"I can't accept being bullied like this by a foreign company on our own soil!"
"Damn it! If it comes to this, let's fight them till the end! Even if we go down together!"
"That's right, Mr. Wang, just say the word and we'll follow you!"
Wang Chuanfu glanced at them, his eyes filled with a hint of desolation.
He remembered how, with these very people, he had struggled and endured countless hardships to bring BYD to its current position as the leader in the domestic new energy industry.
At a time when they were full of ambition, eager to expand and strengthen the company, who could have imagined that it would end up in such a plight?
But who could they blame for this? It was only because they hadn't developed new battery technologies.
Being behind meant suffering blows, a lesson that their ancestors had imparted a century ago.
Now, Wang Chuanfu was experiencing this bitter truth firsthand.
The feeling of having passion but being powerless was truly despairing.
"Manager Liu from the legal department, come with me to Shanghai!"
"Mr. Wang, are we really giving up?" Gao Junliang from the R&D department asked.
"At this point, it's the only way to save what we still have. Otherwise, if BYD drags on for another month, we'll be in real trouble."
"I don't agree! Mr. Wang, we've followed you all these years to build BYD into what it is today. We can't just give up!"
"Then can you come up with a good solution?"
"I..."
The speaker instantly lost his words. They all knew that BYD meant more to Wang Chuanfu than anyone else.
But at this point, there was no way forward.
"Alright, enough talking. I've made up my mind—I'm selling the company to Tesla."
After speaking, Wang Chuanfu walked out of the conference room, not heading to his office, but to the restroom.
Sitting on the toilet, his mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Tears blurred his eyes, overwhelmed by the situation.
...
At 4 p.m., in the Tesla Asia-Pacific headquarters reception hall in Shanghai,
"Heh... Mr. Wang, I told you, within a month, we'd meet again. But I didn't expect you to come to me so soon!"
Mark said, his voice dripping with smugness.
"Mr. Mark, I'm here to discuss the acquisition." Wang Chuanfu replied.
"Ah, excellent! How much are you asking for the company?" Mark smiled wickedly.
Wang Chuanfu froze for a moment, then replied,
"Mr. Mark, didn't we agree on 1 billion before?"
"1 billion? Are you kidding me?"
"What do you mean?"
Mark leaned back, casually placing his feet on the table, and then said,
"That was the price three days ago. Now, your company is worth no more than 300 million."
"What? 300 million? Are you serious?"
Wang Chuanfu shouted in disbelief.
However, Mark didn't seem to care. Instead, he leisurely lit a cigar.
Now that BYD had no suppliers, no performance, and was facing bankruptcy, Tesla was likely the only one interested in acquiring the company.
Wang Chuanfu calmed himself, sitting down slowly.
They were in no position to negotiate anymore.
But being manipulated by this deceitful Mark made him burn with anger.
He wanted to slam the table and curse at him, but at the moment, he was still pleading for Mark to acquire his company.
Reflecting on his years in the business world, never did he expect to end up in such a humiliating position.
Finally, after Mark finished his cigar, the entire room was thick with smoke. He slowly spoke,
"Well, Mr. Wang, have you made up your mind? I don't have time to waste with you."
"I..."
Wang Chuanfu couldn't bring himself to speak.
300 million wasn't even enough to pay the employees after wages, let alone cover the bank's debts.
"Mr. Mark, I'll give you a discount of 200 million. How about 800 million?"
Wang Chuanfu said, his voice tinged with a pleading tone.
"Mr. Wang, don't get too greedy. You've got 1 minute. Take it or leave it. After that, you'll beg me, and I won't want it!"
Mark sneered and walked out of the room.
Wang Chuanfu was left alone.
The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly.
He reflected on the ups and downs BYD had gone through these years, along with his brothers who had been by his side, and his heart tightened.
At that moment, his phone rang.
It was Gao Junliang from the R&D department. He quickly answered.
On the other end of the line, Gao Junliang's anxious voice rushed through,
"Mr. Wang, the company hasn't been sold yet, right?"
"Manager Gao, don't try to persuade me, I've already made my decision..."
"No, Mr. Wang, we've got good news, big news—our company has hope!"
Hearing Gao Junliang's disjointed words, Wang Chuanfu immediately asked,
"What good news? How can the company be saved?"
"The country called. The battery research has been completed!"
"The battery research has been completed?"
Wang Chuanfu asked, excitement rising in his voice.
"Yes! Just now, I got a call saying that Long Lao's laboratory at Dragon Tech has developed a new type of battery, and its performance is 300% better than lead-acid batteries!"
Wang Chuanfu's whole body trembled with excitement.
They had hope!
His company had hope!
He never imagined that in their moment of need, it was the country that would come to the rescue.
If the country helped him get through this, he swore he would never let them down!
After hanging up the phone, Wang Chuanfu's heart raced like a wild horse. It felt like he had been reborn.
At that moment, Mark opened the door, walked in with his usual arrogant posture, and said,
"Have you made your decision?"
Wang Chuanfu looked Mark in the eyes and slowly said,
"Big—idiot!"