Chapter 41: New Car, Passenger Vehicle
The huge floor-to-ceiling windows are paired with large-span steel structures, combined with tight connecting pieces, to form a spacious exhibition hall. The sunlight shines through the glass onto everything in the hall, but after being filtered, the ultraviolet rays no longer feel scorching on human skin. The bright floor reflects flashes of light, and the dignitaries slowly entering the hall, their shiny high heels and leather shoes rubbing against the clean floor, making crisp sounds.
On August 20, 1916, on a sunny day, the Ya Mei Automobile Company held a grand exhibition of small cars in its own unique exhibition hall, following the Panama World Exposition. Although not all the attendees were dignitaries and wealthy people, those who had the ability to enter the exhibition hall possessed considerable strength.
This exhibition cocktail party was specially held to officially launch the new car of the AsiaMei Group. Although the name of the exhibition is named after a cocktail party, the protagonist of this observation meeting is still a car. Of course, by holding such a cocktail party, it can also better connect various forces and rational cooperation and proper communication between Torras enterprises are very much needed.
"Ladies and gentlemen, first of all, I would like to extend a warm welcome to each and every one of you on behalf of our company. At today's cocktail party, you are free to taste the food and drinks prepared by our company, and also dance to the music. However, before that, I need to introduce to you the main characters of today's showcase, which are the exquisite products carefully crafted by Asia Motors over the past 16 years. Please take a look!!" As soon as he finished speaking, everyone followed the host's gesture and looked in the direction he was pointing.
Four super-large and super-long objects were originally covered with huge red canvas, when the guests turned around, the staff slowly started the electric button, four steel wires hanging from the skylight slowly lifted the canvas, and the covered cars slowly revealed their true appearance.
Soon, four interpreters dressed in Tang suits stood in front of each car, and the guests quickly surrounded them with high-footed cups. "What you are seeing now is a medium-sized passenger transport bus that our company has carefully created. To meet the growing demand for passenger transportation, traditional trams and trains cannot meet all passenger transportation needs. In terms of medium- and short-distance passenger transportation, this mid-bus has an unparalleled advantage!"
"The total weight of the vehicle is 4.1 tons, and under road conditions that allow it, the maximum speed can reach 80 kilometers per hour. In terms of economic practicality, it can carry eighteen passengers at full load, and travel one hundred kilometers while only consuming eleven liters of fuel. Adopting the mature chassis manufacturing process of the Asia Meters Group, the powertrain is matched with stable performance. The front and rear axles have a stronger carrying capacity, increasing the reliability of the vehicle, which can meet overload requirements for a certain period of time. Safety and practicality are combined, making this mid-size bus the most outstanding feature." As he spoke, the commentator made a welcoming gesture, inviting the guests to board the vehicle to experience its interior, while at the same time, staff members came over with trays to collect the wine glasses from the guests' hands.
"The interior features aluminum alloy rectangular push-pull windows, allowing passengers to enjoy an expansive view while also facilitating airflow, enabling them to breathe fresh air throughout their journey and enhancing their comfort experience. The spacious and ergonomically designed high-strength plastic seats, switchable skylights, and interior lighting are all designed with the owner's business interests and passenger comfort in mind."
"In terms of application, this car can be said to have a very wide range of uses. With low transportation costs and a considerable transportation volume, it is extremely suitable for short- and medium-distance passenger transportation. Of course, for all the distinguished guests, it is also very suitable for government departments to use when going out, and can also be used for small-scale group outings by corporate companies. And if you need to transport over longer distances or in larger quantities, we have corresponding models available for selection."
"What we are seeing now is a hot-selling bus series from our company!!" The second car's commentator had a bus parked behind him, which was obviously much larger and more powerful than the first one. The tall and slender body with a smooth and shiny exterior made it quite eye-catching in the exhibition hall. To be honest, the classic urban bus model with dimensions of 11.6*2.5*3.075 should be considered handsome. The spacious and bright interior, simple and elegant internal compartments, all make people feel very comfortable.
"Everyone can get on the bus and experience it for themselves. Currently, the widely used rail buses in the world have crowded people, simple and scarce seats, poor ride quality, and single running routes, which will not be very cost-effective. I believe that our company's special bus for public transportation operations will provide a better answer for everyone."
"The vehicle was designed by a team of experts from AsiaMei Company with rich experience in automotive design, and is jointly manufactured by AsiaMei Group and Zhongzhong Group. The exterior design is stable and dynamic, with a large curved windshield, super-large side windows, and an excellent view. This allows passengers to enjoy the scenery along the way while traveling in the city. The environmentally friendly high-hardness plastic seats are designed for maximum comfort. Of course, safety is also a top priority, with the entire vehicle adopting a closed-loop frame structure and high-strength steel materials specifically designed for buses. The strength of the body frame has been greatly improved, effectively enhancing the safety of the vehicle. Since this vehicle is mainly used for urban transportation, its speed is limited to sixty kilometers per hour, with stable acceleration and braking performance being key. Good control performance is also a hallmark of this vehicle."
In economically developed New York, USA, although there are many rich people, they are still limited in number. The majority of the population is ordinary people who do not have much wealth. They may be able to buy a car for transportation due to their needs and financial ability, but more people do not have the ability to purchase a car worth tens of thousands of dollars. Therefore, the market for passenger cars is still vast. Because the main source of income for the rich is also ordinary people, the problem of ordinary people's travel difficulties has been noticed by many. The launch of passenger cars by American Motors is expected to give birth to a new industry in society, that is, urban public transportation.
"Just now, we saw the light bus and city bus. Now, what we are going to see is today's highlight model, a luxury coach made with great effort by our company." Up to this point, the third Mercedes-Benz sales representative stopped talking, because there was no need for him to explain anything further. The guests who were invited to visit had already stood still in front of the Mercedes-Benz luxury coach and couldn't move their feet. If it weren't for the "no entry" signs set up around the vehicle, they would have probably wanted to get on board to experience it."
"This car has a full capacity of 36 people and can reach a top highway speed of 90 kilometers per hour. In response to passenger transport needs, this series of cars inherits the excellent manufacturing tradition of Asia Motors, pursuing both outstanding performance and perfect appearance. The overall shape is wide and high, with a full and rounded curve, giving it a highly affable exterior. The whole car is equipped with adjustable and retractable passenger seats in first-class configuration, with seat backs designed to fit the human body's curvature, and cushions made of variable-density pure cotton, ensuring passenger comfort in long-term dynamic seating environments. For the first time, Asia Motors' most advanced on-board air conditioning equipment is installed, guaranteeing a cool and refreshing interior even in hot weather..."
The crowd followed the commentator and walked around the luxury bus for several laps, admiring its tall and slender body, smooth and even paint job that shone like a mirror, reflecting a faint glow. Even the black and sturdy tires were observed by the distinguished guests for a long time, but more people were interested in the curved windshield of the driver's cabin. For a long time, Asia's cars have been known for their beautiful design, comfortable ride, easy handling, and most importantly, affordable prices that match the buyer's identity. Looking at another luxury bus, although it was just a coach, everyone wondered what its price would be.
"After a while, someone finally asked: "Commentator, do you have any models with fewer passengers? My company often goes out for inspections and meetings. If we use the luxury car team, it's too ostentatious and parking is extremely inconvenient. If there's a model that's better decorated than the medium-sized bus, has fewer seats than the luxury large bus, and most importantly, has air conditioning equipment... Our estimated number of people is around 12-13. My point is that if we buy this luxury large bus back to the company, our manager originally had fewer people, so using it would be a waste. The medium-sized bus we saw earlier was also not suitable for our level..."
"Yamei Group Benz Company has exhibited four models this time, including a medium-sized bus for short and medium distances, a city bus that emphasizes comfort and transportation capacity, a luxury coach for long-distance transportation with comfortable passenger experience, and the last one is what you need. It has the comfort of a luxury coach but not lost the agility of a medium-sized bus, the one in the fourth exhibition position is what you want. Our company temporarily defines it as a business car, suitable for corporate group use, luxurious and comfortable without losing dignity, safe and stable without lacking luxury enjoyment."
Following the representative's pointing direction, everyone indeed saw a silver-gray painted bus quietly parked there.
"If everyone is interested in business cars, the fourth-positioned car can meet your needs!"
Quietly parked at booth No. 4 is a silver-gray coach, its appearance similar to that of a medium-sized bus, but the paint job alone puts it in a different league. The commentator at booth No. 4 smiled and welcomed the guests who were slowly arriving, waiting until everyone was settled before saying: "Adhering to the innovative technology concept, we have carefully crafted an extraordinary car for you." This is the car-making philosophy that our company has always adhered to. For different groups of people, our company has different models for customers to choose from. Just like how we have the economical Beetle, the reasonably priced Yadi, and the luxurious Huarui, our coaches also come in different levels for customers to choose from.
"Cars have become one of the essential tools for travel in today's world, with unparalleled advantages compared to trains and ships which have fixed routes and slow speeds. When we've grown accustomed to the comfortable driving experience and the joy of cruising alone, we are still members of society, with our own families, work, and social circles. The launch of this business vehicle will make group travel no longer a problem, with twelve flexible seats that can be adjusted freely. It can also be converted into a family car for outings or transformed into a small conference vehicle..."
Following the marketing model of Yamei Automobile Company, the cocktail party will be a platform to introduce new cars, and subsequent test drives will be the main activity of the new car exhibition. Of course, before that, everyone needs to have a good time at the cocktail party, otherwise the food and band carefully prepared by the organizer will be wasted. The rich generally do not refuse such good things, and can also use the dance party to communicate with each other and talk about business between entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, the cars that are to be used for test drives will also undergo a final inspection, which is no exception. The guests were leisurely enjoying the delicious food and feeling the charm of the dance party, while in another place, workers were busy with tension.
"Liuzhou is the best city in our southwest for development, but these good cars haven't even gone on sale yet, and now they're letting Americans get a taste of them first. Sigh, when can we let Chinese people experience it first before selling it abroad?" In the vehicle inspection preparation area, two workers responsible for maintaining luxury buses were nervously checking various situations while also joking around.
"Never mind, let's talk about this shiny golden car. Which logistics company in the autonomous region has the ability to buy it? Even if they manage to buy it with all their might, after all, this car is still a passenger bus and must be used to transport passengers to recover costs and make big money. But how much should the ticket price for such a luxurious thing be? If it's too expensive, I'm afraid many people will choose to take the train for long-distance travel, who would want to ride on this thing?"
"It's also, this car, according to the sales department brothers, is estimated to be short of $7,000 to $8,000, and no one can take away a luxury bus. These $7,000 to $8,000 converted into our hometown currency would be nearly 30,000 yuan more. If I had that much money to buy something like a gold-plated thing, it's not as cost-effective as buying some mid-range trucks to build a logistics company! Unfortunately, I can't even afford a truck now."
The two of them stared at each other with a look of helplessness on their faces. However, after complaining, they still didn't forget to thoroughly inspect the vehicle's condition. One person got in and started the engine for a test drive while the other opened the trunk door to check the engine's performance. After checking the main functions, including the air conditioning system, the two of them finally completed all the preparations. They then placed a sign that read "Test Drive Available" on the car door and left with their toolboxes, leaving the task of entertaining the guests to others who would ensure they left satisfied.
It was 9 am in New York, when the test drive event started, but on this side of the autonomous region, it had already entered the night, with many people still busy under the starry sky.
In the factories that operate on a three-shift system, workers are busy producing products. In the quiet schools, students are still in their evening study sessions, reading and doing homework, each with their own tasks, but all quietly, except for the occasional sound of pages turning and pens scratching against paper, the school is extremely quiet. In the large-scale and fully-equipped university campus, the self-study rooms, libraries, and laboratories are all brightly lit, students are constantly absorbing knowledge from books, or under the guidance of teachers, they are diligently conducting experiments.
Small insects chirped incessantly on both sides of the highway and railway, a beam of strong light flashed by, that was the rumbling train or car passing by, loaded with goods or passengers, in the moonlit night, speeding towards their destination. In the port berths, cargo ships were docked, the swaying hulls due to the waves, but under the illumination of many strong lights, the port was still bustling, the trailers slowly pulling containers from various places to here, letting the large-scale loading and unloading machinery put the containers into the ship.
The rumbling sounds are usually from oil pumps, and the oil tankers that have traveled thousands of miles from the United States through the Panama Canal are now steadily pumping the crude oil they carry into the port's oil tanks. The same rumbling sound may also come from bulk cargo ships being unloaded by large machinery with its massive scoops, as the ore slowly pours into the dump trucks' hoppers with a loud whooshing sound.
No matter how busy the port is, it's just logistics transportation; no matter how busy the factory is, it's just overtime to manufacture goods and create profits. But there is a place that is equally bustling, where what they discuss can affect the interests of people who are busy under the starry sky.
"The development and management of transportation in the autonomous region, this issue has been discussed not only tonight but also many times before. Railways, highways, water transport, our current modes of transportation are just these three, which have transitioned to the era of fuel-powered transportation, no longer relying on human or animal power as in the past." Minister Chen Ye of the Ministry of Transportation had a habit of speaking while smoking at the conference, and when faced with a difficult question, he would hold his cigarette in one hand and gesture vigorously with the other.
A meeting named "On the Implementation of Urban and Rural Transportation Industry Development Plan" occupied the largest hall in the autonomous region from 6 pm until nearly 11 pm, but no feasible plan was discussed. In addition to all the main members of the Ministry of Transport, many other department representatives participated in the meeting, including Zhang Yusheng and others, but this meeting was hosted by the Ministry of Transport, and others had not yet been invited to speak.
"Faced with the increasingly large logistics transportation demand, the current autonomous region's highway network and railway network are obviously unable to meet the demand. Of course, it may be due to our improper transportation management measures that caused the transportation capacity to become saturated ahead of time. For example, poor railway scheduling will definitely affect the play of railway transportation capacity. Focusing on the present, we must quickly come up with a feasible plan to improve the traffic and transportation conditions. The five major aspects of urban internal, inter-city, urban-rural, autonomous region and external interfaces all need to adjust the transportation management mechanism..."
The meeting did not have any interference or instructions from Zhang Yu-sheng and others. For a government agency to mature, it must go through some storms on its own. Of course, the current booming industry and transportation capacity in the autonomous region are not matching, but this is not a long-term problem. It can only be said that due to the tense European war situation, the production tasks within the autonomous region have become busy, resulting in a surge in cargo pressure, which has made the originally considerable transportation power become tight.
A large number of products need to be transported from factories to ports for shipment, and urban workers also have their own travel needs. There are also a large number of logistics and passenger flows between cities and rural areas, which poses a comprehensive challenge to the autonomous region's transportation system. To address this, if Zhang Yu-sheng, a second-generation leader, were to handle it, he would first strengthen the supervision and scheduling mechanism for rail transport. The huge carrying capacity of railways is faster than inland water transportation, so it must be the primary object of reform.
The second is to make reasonable intervention in the current free logistics market, and similarly, for vehicles heading to ports, some are seriously overloaded while others just fill up the compartment. Many transport vehicles are in a semi-saturated state, and reasonably using the limited road traffic capacity is the key to solving the problem.
Certainly, in response to the sharp increase in passenger demand, Asia Motors has made the best answer with its products. Using buses for standardized passenger transportation can greatly alleviate the pressure on rail transport caused by passenger traffic. Without the huge passenger flow pressing on the limited railway, the railway department can naturally arrange more freight trains to relieve the logistics pressure within the autonomous region.
Of course, the highway's traffic capacity is also insufficient and should be taken seriously. Perhaps it's time to build highways, but Zhang Yu-sheng didn't plan to let Minister Chen and others know about these ideas. He wanted to test them more to train talents. Besides, the current transportation pressure in the autonomous region has not exceeded the red alert line, so there is still some time to test these young government officials. Of course, he himself is also very young.
PS: Thanks to all who support me, your support is the driving force for me to keep going. Thank you.
