Chapter 269

As the saying goes, ten years to sharpen a sword; even if it isn't fast, it will still shine.

If you spent sixteen years sharpening a sword, you could at least sharpen one and a half. Yet, after the Coast Automobile Factory spent so many years sharpening theirs, they suddenly stabbed everyone in the back with a shot like this—it's truly absurd, leaving one's vision black with disbelief.

Putting aside how the car actually performs, the promotional video, thanks to such extremely abstract content and operations, quickly went viral across the entire internet. Regardless of whether the car is good or not, this stunt is truly the most ruthless act in Yacheng.

The number of comments on various platforms has also broken ten thousand.

"What the hell? Did they stop making cars and switch to being content creators?"

"If nothing else, the victim actually looks quite pretty."

"Hiss... ah... hiss... ah..."

After repeated testing, everyone's gaze fell upon the fuel injector on the engine's intake manifold, and their breathing gradually grew heavy.

Take another look.

The entire workshop fell silent for a moment; no one dared to breathe loudly.

At the same time, more than four car companies in the market suddenly announced that their own similar models would undergo significant price cuts or welcome discounts...

Safety is maxed out in every sense of the word.

It is just like that finishing touch on a mediocre old painting—incredibly, turning decay into magic!

"I understand why the employees are so happy now; it's a genuine outpouring of emotion, it really doesn't look like acting!"

When stripping away the car shell and that layer of plastic trim to look directly at the internal structure, everyone couldn't help but gasp in cold air several more times.

For a price of 41,000 yuan, you will get a pile of junk that even a scrap yard wouldn't bother to recycle... Through the Cucumber, the designers at Coast Automobile Factory tell us that the end of a mini-vehicle is an iron coffin... Behind the grandstanding is a configuration that is pathetic to the extreme... You can fully experience the standard that a 3,600-yuan small tricycle should have on this... What everyone sees is that the driver's cab is even leaking air...

Yan Jian cursed incessantly, finally feeling the despair that the small tricycle workshops once felt when crushed by price and scale. "If this continues, I'm afraid it won't sell at all."

After adding a wheel, changing the steering wheel, upgrading the accessories, swapping the engine, and adding a layer of miscellaneous interior trim, they just brought it out so freshly to sell as a car!

What the hell is this?! An improved low-end public design, and the fuel consumption actually matches the latest engine solutions on the market today? With this technical capability, you're telling me you're a defunct old factory? Then what is everyone else? A manufacturer of scooters?!

Yin Zhaoyang, upon receiving the news, was completely bewildered and almost laughed: "They have old... old..."

"Didn't others lower their prices?"

By now, Coast hasn't even sold a few dozen cars, and countless negative reviews have already appeared. Processed through long posts or funny skits, the Cucumber and Coast Automobile Factory quickly became the latest joke and clown.

Ji Jue stood up from the table, no longer hesitating.

Naturally, negative reviews poured in like a tide!

It's completely like some ghost of a thing concocted by Peanut and Bean after drinking too much that night!

Whether Ji Jue sacrificed to the heavens or not, Shang Tongwen doesn't know, but he can't help wanting to sacrifice Yin Zhaoyang to the heavens now!

Shang Tongwen was expressionless, merely waving his hand: "Get the market and publicity departments moving; you don't need me to teach you how to do that, right?"

Yan Jian looked up and glared: "The cars aren't selling, so what's the point of running an automobile factory!"

Yan Jian, upon hearing this, felt his vision go black, then black again, and then black once more; he was so angry he couldn't even laugh.

Even if one only tells the truth, one can still achieve the desired effect; furthermore, why must it all be the truth?

Yan Jian questioned: "The price of 41,000 is already the limit for breaking even. Counting labor and channel costs, it's a pure loss. You lose money on every one produced, and lose 3,000 on every one sold! How much can you lower it? Have you calculated it? Even if you lower it, how many can you sell? If you lower it now, what about the future? Lowering prices is easy, but raising them back is a pipe dream. If you built this factory to do charity, then pretend I didn't say anything!"

It is so mature that it doesn't look like an outdated old factory like Coast, which has been shut down and disconnected from the market for over a decade. The entire model seems like a finished product produced after passing through the testing and iteration of many previous models, accumulating sufficient experience and technology.

Except for a few stores exclusive to Coast, the Cucumber is nowhere to be found in vehicle dealerships large and small throughout Haizhou. Even if it is there, it is placed in a marginal corner, and when the clerks introduce it, they do so listlessly.

The only bright spot is probably the car frame made of integrated, outrageously hard fluid-molded steel that appeared on Peanut's body before.

On the very day the Cucumber hit the market, while the heat of the promotional video hadn't even faded, a large number of reviews and analyses appeared on many self-media or news websites and even video platforms.

In the end, the overwhelming barrage of comments in the video all turned into the colorful "The Factory Manager is sacrificed to the heavens, his magic power is boundless!"

Whoa, everyone is hesitating whether to call him uncle!

It was originally the most insignificant place, but after the testing department submitted the full-load fuel consumption ratio per hundred kilometers, everyone's expressions couldn't help but twitch.

【Fourteen Years of Gratitude, Giving Back to Thousands of Families】

Two point nine meters long, one point five meters wide, one point six meters high—that's right, this is a baby bus, Chopped Pepper Fish Head.

"Trade-in?"

No wonder it looks so familiar; they are all old friends! Except for the steering wheel being round and having an extra wheel, is there any difference from the tricycles in your factory!

These problems often stem from the designer's unpracticed flash of inspiration, a sudden thought, "I reckon," "I think..." or even mistakes and defects in the production process, or even the negligence and misoperation of workers.

Over the past two months, Coast has sold tens of thousands of small tricycles at an outrageously low price, spread throughout Haizhou city and its outskirts, and even provided maintenance services with absolutely no possibility of profit as if they were a doting father. Bearing huge losses, they have continuously collected the status of every small tricycle to secretly revise the design of the Cucumber.

Until the fifth day, Coast Automobile Factory, having gone crazy with production capacity to fully max out its reserves, updated its official website again and synchronized the announcement with all direct-operated online stores.

Look at this chassis, look at this car frame, look at the old three-piece accessories inside... Every place looks familiar, every detail is filled with familiarity.

What era is this? It still uses the design of the old Coast knock-off small bread van from over a decade ago. At best, it has made a tiny improvement on the original foundation.

All operations and explorations, even the crazy production and sales, were all probes for the design and production of the new car.

"Now everyone is lowering prices. Jianlu's mini-model has dropped to 26,000... Damn it, if this kind of dog-shit model can sell over ten thousand a month, I am really a son of a bitch!!!"

"Lowering prices, how much can you lower it?!"

That is to say...

If you can sell it, count me as the loser!

Shang Tongwen nodded slightly and turned to leave, but when he reached the door, he turned back and said to his assistant: "Also, tell that trash Yin Zhaoyang that his opportunities are running out."

Even Governor Lu said he supports it, so what is Xu Chaoxian worth! "Get some good rest these two days, and then prepare to work overtime, Engineer Yan."

People's cars are already being pulled out one after another, one after another, you dog, why are you still alive?

It's like seeing a thirty-year-old geezer break into the World Games sprint scene, and then, following the starting gun, running into the top three among a group of teenagers.

Likewise, one can trample something into mud and kick it into the abyss.

The third day, the fourth day, it was the same, with no change at all.

This trash was still swearing yesterday, patting his chest and telling himself that as long as he was there for one day, Coast would only ever be able to make small tricycles, and as long as he was alive, don't even think about returning to the automobile market...

A total of over two hundred were sold...

Putting three cars together would make people worry about them being "triple-cleared."

With all these messy troubles piled together, plus a Cucumber that popped out of nowhere, Shang Tongwen was suddenly overwhelmed.

"What a clever trick of 'crossing the sea under the guise of heaven'." It's like in a bathhouse, a mature big sister with a cone-shaped face, artificial nose bridge, heavy makeup, watery eyes, and skilled business skills snuggles up to your chest and says to you: "Big brother, I'm doing this for the first time, my family doesn't know."

"Wait, it seems the factory manager is him!"

"Isn't this very normal?"

"Just received news, a few hours ago, the day before the Cucumber hit the market, someone at the Huangzhou Black City Patent Office registered the improvement design patent for this engine's fuel injector phlogiston atomization." The assistant who rushed over reported in a low voice, "The patent holder is a tricycle manufacturing factory that was previously acquired by Coast..."

Yet, the production tasks Ji Jue set haven't stopped at all. The entire Coast is still working three shifts day and night, continuously producing Cucumbers, piling them up like a mountain in the warehouse, but not a single one can be sold.

And the result? This is only a few hours?

After reading all the test reports, the technical director sighed and pointed at the Cucumber: "This thing, at most, counts as an upgraded version of that lightweight small tricycle called Peanut."

Ji Jue shook his head, not caring about his subordinate glaring at him, and looked at Ye Chun: "Has the opinion from the City Hall come out? If they don't even want to invest this little capital, let's just pack up and go home."

In all fairness, the appearance of this thing is indeed quite good.

By now, even the slowest person probably understands.

All process flows and design problems, even defects, were explored and completed in the previous batches and production. Everything is ready. The entire Haizhou, all the buyers, all unknowingly helped Coast Automobile Factory do two months of testing for free...

I thought at the very least there would be some mail bombs or homemade planes to serve us... Stay calm, Engineer Yan, things aren't that bad."

The omnipresent targeting and blocking are not disguised at all, directly placed in the open.

The board of directors' accountability, the orders from those old things at home, the strange atmosphere and situation within the Haizhou military, the attitude of the Dongcheng side, the dissatisfaction of the Cosmic side, and those peers who are still haggling over every penny even now...

From the air conditioning filter to the door lock core, the design of the pressure bearing, and even the entry and exit ends of the door wiring harness... there are too many places to avoid pitfalls, and there are countless places where things can easily go wrong! But unexpectedly, on this Cucumber, one simply cannot find the problems and flaws that old factory designers can see at a glance. Even if many details cannot be perfect, there are no obvious mistakes or defects to be found.

Ji Jue turned back and gave Yan Jian a warm smile that made him shudder: "The days ahead are going to be busy."

Not only that, when many groups start to exert their collective strength, the channels and energy they can mobilize can never be limited to online.

For a time, the Cucumber under the spotlight became increasingly conspicuous.

"Then let's start exerting our power!"

Ji Jue shrugged: "Can't we just lower ours too?"

Without massive testing and experience, who knows that the material problem of the valve cover gasket expanding with heat is the culprit for engine oil leaks. Without sufficient collision testing, no one would think that the bumper installation position would lead to hitting the fuel tank in a rear-end collision.

Just be prepared to be targeted to death by everyone!! "Cucumber: A Thorough Accident," "What Happens When You Hand a Factory to an Idiot," "Counting Coast's Bad Records Behind the Grandiose Facade," "When We Talk About Cars, What Are We Talking About," "Manufacturer and Customer, Who Exactly Is the Cucumber?"

"This doesn't count as bad?"

Too mature.

The previous "swimming without attacking" and crazy edge-balling were fine; it's not that everyone couldn't tolerate you doing some side business, but you not only want to do side business, you also want to climb onto the table...

Ye Chun shrugged: "The Governor's meaning is, if you can lose less, try to lose less. However, Governor Lu said the idea is good, leave it to your arrangement."

Until all processes were smooth, and all potential problem areas were repaired and strengthened... Everything was ready. Overnight, they killed their way back from the niche track of small tricycles into the mud of the automobile manufacturing industry! "There is one more fatal problem—"

When the channels truly started to exert their strength, the new product Cucumber from Coast Automobile Factory couldn't even reach the customers.

When the sales data for the first three days was placed on Ji Jue's desk, Yan Jian's complexion turned completely pale.

The second day, sales were as dismal as before, with no improvement at all.

Who would believe that! Especially the engine...

"The completion level is really high."

The subordinate nodded like a pounding garlic.

From steel, rubber, accessories, cables, and equipment all the way to a complete car, the number of places that need attention and time costs to gradually perfect is simply countless.

Someone whispered in a muffled voice.

It's as if the correct answer is always the same, while wrong choices and results always bloom in places you never expected.

Language is an art; it can shape a unique golf miracle, and it can also lift mediocre things onto a pedestal.

But other than that...

"This is just changing the soup without changing the medicine."

Who knows what consequences any assembly or design link might lead to.

Ji Jue calmly ate the potato chips he swiped from his assistant: "Just normal commercial targeting, what's the big deal? Rather, to only mobilize channels to block us until now is already gentle enough to make one thank the heavens."

Mom doesn't have to worry about me reincarnating into another world anymore! But, other than that...

At least there is still a Bean upgraded version of the transport vehicle waiting for them! Maybe, at this moment, they are just waiting for the new production line to arrive! "I know."

F*** your Cucumber!

"To be honest, I do want to do more charity, although it may not be exactly what you think."

Although it adopted many old schemes common in the market to avoid problems in its architecture, it had no highlights and was mediocre and stitched together everywhere, but unexpectedly... it was stitched into a seamless whole! Even if limited by cost, abandoning the perfect answer, there is unexpectedly no place to deduct points.

After changing the stingy style of the past, this time at least a layer of paint was sprayed on the metal body, crystal clear and bright, paired with that demonic Cucumber logo that looks better the more you look at it and the fresh light green color, it actually makes people feel that small is also cute.

Almost stopped breathing.

More than half of them are probably bought by peers for testing or are materials for self-media to write articles after taking money.

Shang Tongwen's face was livid, he waved his hand, and squeezed a cold laugh from between his teeth.

Perhaps, from the very beginning, the so-called Peanut and Bean, that appearance and posture focused on small tricycle production, were all smoke bombs deliberately released by Coast.

【Coast Automobile Trade-in Discount Promotion, Officially Begins!】

"Suddenly I understand why you've changed six factory managers in over a decade..."

Stared at by that pair of eyes with a faint chill, the assistant shivered subconsciously and nodded in agreement.

After rushing back from the Dongcheng Governor's Mansion, he rushed back to the Echo workshop without stopping, and when he saw that broken car again, he couldn't help but want to pick up an axe and chop this broken thing into pieces!

Before he could finish speaking, it came to an abrupt end.

The whole person felt as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

No longer able to restrain, a sharp, furious explosion.

"You surnamed Ji, you f***ing—"

Thus, starting from the sixth day, the entire Yacheng began to feel wrong!

(End of chapter)