Chapter 5: The Long Journey (Part 1)

  "Adhering to the innovative technology concept, we wholeheartedly create a perfect car for you!"

  "The heart moves with intention, movement and stillness are as one!"

  On May 19, 1910, the first American automobile brand direct sales store in New York, funded by the American Group, officially opened for business. The interior and exterior of the store were plastered with advertisements for American automobiles, and numerous decorations and flowers made the entire direct sales store exceptionally lively. At 9:00 am, the test drive activity officially began, and the owners who had been invited had already familiarized themselves with driving over the past few days. Today, they would be allowed to formally take to the road, experiencing the perfect feeling brought by the Beetle car.

  The test drive event was conducted in a lively and extraordinary manner until 4 pm, with dozens of red, yellow, green, and black Beetle cars forming a convoy that caused a huge sensation throughout New York. The ugly exterior hid the luxurious interior decorations, especially its terrifying speed. In short, this promotional event achieved great success, and on the second day's official sales conference, a total of 104 Beetles were sold, with the red-painted No. 0001 Beetle being sold for $1058.

  By the end of May, a total of 1248 cars were sold in the direct sales store. At the same time, the direct sales store began to accept customers' special requirements, such as requiring more luxurious interior decorations than standard cars, more comfortable and spacious seats, cushions, etc., but most of the time it was accepting customer reservations. The auto repair factory affiliated with the direct sales store can also provide additional services such as maintenance, vehicle inspection, etc.

  As orders continued to pour in, the car factory got on track, and production speeded up with the increasing proficiency of workers' techniques, gradually realizing customers' demand for picking up their cars within three weeks. When the second branch of Yamaxi Automobile was completed and ready to go into production, direct sales stores in major cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles also started business successively. The Beetle storm on the East Coast quickly spread through newspapers, making people on the West Coast eagerly await the arrival of the Beetle, although the cheapest standard car cost $526.

  On July 15, 1910, the second plant building supported by a large-span steel frame structure was fully completed. The matching processing equipment produced and installed by American Locomotive Company was also completed after three days of debugging. On the 18th, the second plant of American Motor Car Company was officially put into operation, and the annual output of American Motors finally reached the expected 30,000 vehicles.

  "The Beetle is on the path to success, but whether we can thoroughly crush Ford, we're not sure yet. However, now we can put rich car models and cultivating high-quality employees on the agenda." The rapid success of the Beetle brought back a lot of benefits, but for Zhang Yu-sheng, who had just started his career, naturally wanted to save where he could. The place where the two men discussed business was still the same old office, with simple decorations that made people feel comfortable.

  "I think so too, yesterday I went to the second factory and took a look, basically all I saw were blond hair and blue eyes, it was hard to find someone with yellow skin, but when I asked, it turned out they were Indian. If we shouted a few curses in Chinese, no one would understand, which means we Chinese are really nobody! Zhang Yu paced back and forth with his pen, looking worried and said: "If things go on like this, we'll all be working for others! We work hard to establish ourselves in America, but our helpers are all foreigners, how can we face going back to China in the future?"

  "You stare at me, what can I do? We Chinese have a poor educational foundation. There are many who can recite the Eight Great Pieces of writing in China, but few can operate a machine tool to cut screws! Moreover, when we Chinese come to America, basically we are caught and used as laborers. Apart from doing manual labor like building railways and houses, how can we be expected to figure out how an engine works?"

  Troubles keep emerging, the car was just sold and made a profit, but it turned out that it promoted American development, solved American employment problems, and drove American industrial takeoff. If this continues, it's really like what Zhang Yu said, developing in America is useless, might as well buy some guns to go back and help with the revolution!

  "Or else, shall we start with the side doors and bypaths?"

  After thinking for half a day, Zhang Yusheng, who was full of evil intentions, still decided to take an unconventional approach!

  "Are you looking for 'crippled' talent?" What Zhang Yu said is applied talent, this kind of person is like a crippled person, they don't have any theoretical foundation, but they can operate various machines and equipment, they are purely trained by experience and guided by skilled masters to become skilled workers. They can complete welding, cutting, assembly and other technical tasks quickly and effectively, including work in other industries, but they don't understand the principles.

  "What if we lose the things that can be used for reference to manufacture? Who will do scientific research and development, who will do theoretical research. Even if I have a lot of data in my hands, it still needs people to slowly digest and dissolve before it can be applied."

  "This is all for after we return to our country, what we need now is a large number of skilled workers. As long as the factory doesn't stop production after we return, we'll have money, then we'll have food, and only then will we have population growth, and finally education. With education, we won't need to continue relying heavily on 'crippled' talent! Anyway, this is an unavoidable measure. Tomorrow I'll go post the notices in places like Chinatown, docks, train stations, etc., where there are many Chinese laborers who can endure hardship and pain, and they will definitely be able to withstand the pain of continuous learning and practice."

  "What about me?"

  Zhang Yu suddenly stopped the rotating pen and waited for his brother to assign some tasks to do. He couldn't let himself be idle, after all.

  "Haven't you heard people say that the Beetle is ugly? Why don't you try to change its appearance and make it into a beautiful sedan, besides, many people have opinions that it's too small, if you're going to do it, do a bigger one, luxury sedans are all very grand and solemn! Let this monster of a Beetle become a thing of the past as soon as possible!"

  Chang Yu-sheng also thought that this thing was very profitable, but which rich man likes to get in and out of the car like a mole, and the appearance is ugly like a monster. The only rich man who patronized the direct sales store business was because his daughter took a liking to this strange new car, and without blinking an eye, paid over $1,000, creating the first car to break the $1,000 sales record.

  "It's quite ugly, but as long as it makes money, that's all that matters!" Zhang Yu muttered to himself, tossing the signed pen back to his brother and enthusiastically heading towards his own office. Along the way, he began brainstorming a sedan that could break the $1058 price point. He wondered if he should follow his brother's suggestion of creating something grand yet elegant, with a smooth exterior and rounded body that exuded a sense of sophistication. It would be a luxury car specifically designed for the wealthy elite in capitalist countries. With these thoughts in mind, Zhang Yu returned to his lair to start a new round of work.

  "Dude, what did you used to do? Looking at how strong and capable you are, it doesn't seem like you've ever been to school!"

  The news that Ah Mei Auto was hiring Chinese workers, with no restrictions on gender, spread quickly throughout New York, and many people came to apply for jobs. In the huge crowd of applicants, it was indeed true that "the bigger the forest, the more birds there are".

  "I'm a man who has read books, and in my hometown, I've even studied at a private school. If it weren't for being deceived by the blond devil to come here, I would have been a county magistrate long ago!"

  "That's really rude, we have preferential treatment for bookworms here. By the way, can you write? Just write your name on this form!" The staff handed the interviewee a pen and a form, and even pointed out where to write.

  "How do you write the 'Liu' character in Liu Wenzai's name, brother?"

  "Aren't you supposed to be educated? How can you hold a pen like that, haven't you even seen a fountain pen before? Can't even write your own name! The staff quickly gave him another form and immediately helped him fill in his name, saying: "With strength like yours, why don't you become a construction worker instead? They need people with physical strength like yours who can read. Alright, take this form and go report over there, next!"

  "Hey, brother hasn't asked me how much salary I get in a month yet!" The strong man suddenly remembered a serious question he hadn't asked and immediately squeezed back with his robust body, asking with a smile.

  "You really can't read, isn't it clearly written on the notice?" The recruitment officer was about to collapse and hastily shouted to the people queuing behind: "Listen up, everyone! Our wages are distributed like this. For garment companies, machinery companies, and automobile companies, the minimum wage standard is $5 per month, with bonuses calculated based on the number of qualified products. Construction workers are divided into several categories: those who know how to lay bricks, mix concrete, stonecutters, carpenters, each earning $6 per month. Those who can read blueprints, weld steel frames, and operate electric motors can earn up to $8 per month."

  "How much does it cost per month? I've renovated houses back in my hometown, I'm skilled in carpentry and masonry, laying bricks is a piece of cake." The big man asked with a smile, while many people behind him had hopeful expressions on their faces, hoping the recruiter would explain further.

  "Faint, have you grown three hands and can do the work of several people at once? I just said what you're best at, go do that, and that's the wage for that job. Next!"

  The recruitment fair lasted for five days before it ended, and the selected candidates quickly entered various companies for basic training according to their categories. Some positions did not even require two months of training before a large number of employees could start working. However, Asia Motors only recruited around 10 employees. They also transferred some Chinese workers from a garment factory who were familiar with modern factory production modes and had some understanding of the rumbling machines. Finally, in late August, they formed a team of 328 automobile manufacturing technicians who would learn how to produce under the guidance of senior employees at two major branch factories, specifically focusing on their respective parts of the assembly line.

  Time flies, and the years pass like shooting stars. When the calendar on the wall has been replaced with a new one, and a large part of it is about to be torn off again, the second-generation product series of Yema Automobile, which has been incubated for a long time, finally came out. The most daring among them is a sedan named "Phantom", which adopts the boat-shaped body commonly used in later sedans, with a long hood, short front overhang and long rear overhang.

  This configuration gives the body a very spacious interior space, and with the vertical front grille and high lights, an extraordinary temperament is born. The beautiful and dynamic side lines make it extremely sporty and full of control over everything. The perfect roof contour line merges with the solid C-pillar at the rear, instantly giving birth to a steady and majestic aura. A curved line from the rear to the front flows smoothly along the bottom, reflecting the gradually sloping roof contour line. The hidden rear window perfectly combines with the C-pillar, providing private protection and a wide side profile for rear seat passengers. When Zhang Yuansheng saw the sample car for the first time, his reaction was that it was the Rolls-Royce "Phantom" from another era.

  Zhang Yu, who had just completed all the design preparations, could only express that this was a magnificent plagiarism, in order to satisfy Zhang Yusheng's proposal to break the new record of selling cars at a unit price of 1058 US dollars. However, after seeing the drawings, Zhang Yusheng said that the estimated value of this car does not need to be measured in thousands, and its luxurious preciousness can almost be demonstrated with tens of thousands.

  Chang Yu-sheng completely disagreed with bringing out such a perfect luxury car to challenge the market at this time, and instead chose to reserve it as a trump card. Instead, he chose three other car models as formal projects, two of which were sedans based on the Beetle. They abandoned their ugly appearance, enlarged the length-width-height ratio, and adopted a more majestic boat-type body structure. The interior space and decoration, exterior layout and paintwork all possessed the characteristics of modern sedans. There are two versions to meet the needs of different customers. With powerful performance, majestic appearance, luxurious decoration, and first-class control, it was named "Huarui", meaning "magnificent" and "wise".

  Another sedan is mainly aimed at pursuing economic practicality, and the engine configuration is also the same 2.5L gasoline engine as the Beetle, it can be said that it is only different from the Beetle in shape and body size, in fact it is a kind of replica, but still being given a good-sounding name "Elegance".

  "This is the car we need most, the truck!"

  Zhang Yusheng did not want the luxurious "Phantom" that ordinary people could hardly accept to be produced at this time, in this era. Although its decoration and control were definitely inferior to those of later generations, once the exterior design was used, even if future technological advancements improved it, it would not have the impact of a new car model. Therefore, it is best to seal it for several years and launch more acceptable models, such as trucks, economy cars, and general luxury cars.

  "Are trucks still the sweet pastry in your eyes? Do you think trucks must make more money than cars, so we can stop producing cars and switch to producing trucks?" Zhang Yu, who had worked hard for a whole year, was beaming with pride when he brought out the four sets of automotive technical drawings. But his brother's sarcastic remark quickly turned his proud smile into a bitter scowl.

  I thought the most luxurious Phantom would be chosen, but it was the first to be shot down; I thought the one that should have been mass-produced was being suppressed by the most inconspicuous one. As a result, the ugly large truck unexpectedly surpassed all the perfect designs and was required by Chairman Zhang Yu to prepare for production. If he had known this would happen, Zhang Yu shouldn't have asked those researchers who were freed up to work on diesel engines or deep-digging gasoline engines, now he's going to make cargo trucks again.

  Perhaps it's his own fault, the initial experiment consumed too much manpower to pull the sample car, and the group also needed a large number of heavy trucks to transport various products, so they all arrived at Zhang Yu's departure day, and he suddenly came up with a big truck in a moment of excitement. As a result, the guy who took the shortest time became a dark horse, and I really don't know how important the diesel-powered large truck is to Zhang Yu, it needs to be prioritized for production.

  "Big brother, our diesel engine technology is not yet mature, shouldn't we let 'Yazhi' or 'Huarui' take the lead?" Zhang Yu still wanted to persuade big brother to make some changes, after all who doesn't want their children to be beautiful and perfect. This heavy truck that has been in development for over a month will likely have many problems if it is put into production.

  "May I ask you, what's today's date?"

  Zhang Yusheng didn't plan to continue answering the question, but instead asked Zhang Yu a strange question, leaving him bewildered. Meanwhile, he continued to gaze intently at the heavy truck design blueprint in his hand, having learned a great deal about cars after all this time. Although the blueprint was mostly plagiarized from future designs, it was nearly perfect. Still, as a half-baked enthusiast, he enjoyed taking a look, finding comfort in doing so.

  "What's the date? Isn't it written on the calendar on the wall that today is August 21st, 1911? You've only been chairman for a few days, and you already have to work overtime every night to review documents, your eyesight has deteriorated so much, did you go catch cats at night?"

  Zhang Yu quickly got the answer from the calendar on the wall, but immediately changed the subject and said: "Brother, this thing is really not good. Yadi is much better than it, and can make money, why do we have to have this ugly thing? Our Beetle is ugly enough, we can't come up with a big brick car to scare people!"

  "You little rascal, don't keep grabbing at the blueprint. Whether this thing is good or not, I'm the one who decides. We must have heavy trucks in order to have a wider sales route for cars, we must have heavy trucks in order to expand more business, we must have heavy trucks in order to enrich our profit chain..." Zhang Yu Sheng put the blueprint behind his back and kept saying "in order to" over and over again, this time really intimidating people, at least Zhang Yu hadn't thought that there would be so many "in order to"s.

  "Where did so many 'talents' come from? I only know that this thing is too big and clumsy, one vehicle can ruin a dirt road. Who dares to buy it back? Unless he originally planned to repair the road!"

  "Yes, we are going to fix the road." As he spoke, Zhang Yusheng carefully locked the blueprint of the Phantom into an iron cabinet, then put the key into a package on his inner clothes in front of Zhang Yu, making it impossible for Zhang Yu, who was extremely disgusted by homosexuality, to steal the key. Only then did he say: "We have completed the construction of various projects of our group, including dormitories, canteens, roads, and factories. The Hongyuan Engineering Construction Company cannot be disbanded just like that. We need to find a good way for it to make a living. Either we enter the real estate industry or road engineering, or both are best."

  "Why?"

  "After long-term proof, in human daily life, only medicine, real estate, arms and drugs are the most profitable things. We just grasp the car is just a superficial phenomenon, but due to our limited strength and level, more importantly, we are too timid, so developing real estate business in the United States is the right way. After extending to a certain extent, we can get more types of engineering projects. By the way, it can also train a batch of engineering talents, after returning home, there will be a large number of construction tasks, such as railways, highways, bridges, tunnels, government agencies, schools, water conservancy projects, etc., always using foreigners, I am not at ease!"

  "That's not my car's problem, this car is a heavy-duty truck on Changhu Bridge, at most it can only carry self-unloading trucks, trailers and the like. But for engineering construction, we need to operate cranes, bulldozers, excavators and pile drivers, where are we going to get so much energy to deal with those things?"

  "So, this heavy truck thing is settled. The others are your next task, but you'll also need to add a tractor!" Zhang Yusen said, not caring about the gaze of Zhang Yu's eyes on him, and first hid the blueprint of the Phantom, then stamped and signed his approval on the other three sets. The bright red seal and the large "Approved" stamp, in that order, made Zhang Yu feel quite emotional as he stood by.

  "Remember to add more effort, the group still doesn't have an engineering machinery company yet!" Zhang Yusheng handed the drawings back to Zhang Yu and reminded him of this.

  "I'm dizzy!"

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