Chapter 518: User Experience

Three months after the Frankfurt Auto Show, the Wanshang automobile production line had already been expanded three times, and orders were still booked through next year.

He Xiao opens his eyes each morning, and the first thing he does is check the order figures: 18,000; 21,000; 25,000; 30,000… the numbers shoot up as if on a rocket.

But what truly surprised him wasn't the numbers themselves, but what lay behind those numbers.

"General Manager He, take a look at this."

The marketing staff placed a tablet in front of him. The screen displayed a user portrait analysis report.

"Among buyers of Wanshang Smart Automobiles, females account for forty‑seven percent."

He Xiao was momentarily stunned.

"Forty‑seven percent?"

"Yes. And the proportion is still rising."

He Xiao stared at the figure, silent for a few seconds.

He recalled that when he designed the automatic parking feature, Li Yaozong asked why he wanted to do it. He replied, "My wife's parking skills are poor."

He hadn't expected that this would generate half of the business.

March 8, 2011, International Women's Day.

He Xiao was reviewing documents in his office when the secretary knocked and entered.

"General Manager He, a video has gone viral on Phoenix Chat."

He Xiao took the phone.

The video's title was: "A Female Driver's Self‑Redemption."

The uploader's handle was "Parking Difficult User," and the avatar showed a cartoon girl clutching a steering wheel with a worried expression.

He Xiao clicked open the video.

On screen, a girl in her twenties sat in the driver's seat, grinning foolishly at the camera.

"Hello everyone, I'm Xiao Lu. Today is a special day, and I'm going to do something big."

She pointed the camera out the window—to a brand‑new Wanshang Smart Automobile, its silver‑white body glinting, the phoenix emblem on the front shining in the sunlight.

"This is the car I ordered in October last year; after waiting five months, it finally arrived."

She patted the steering wheel.

"You know, the thing I fear most in my life is parking."

The camera switched to a flashback—a tiny beat‑up car was shuttling back and forth at the roadside, a line of cars jammed behind it, horns blaring intermittently. A middle‑aged man got out of the car behind, walked to her window, his face pleading, 'Please let me through.'

Xiao Lu's voice narrated beside the scene.

"That was last year. That time I reversed seventeen times, driving the driver behind me crazy, and he got out and helped me park."

The camera cut back to the present.

"But today, I'm going to challenge myself."

She drove into the mall's underground garage and found the narrowest spot—on the left a Zhuzi, on the right a BMW, and the front‑back clearance just enough for one car.

"I've never even dared to look at a spot like this before."

She pressed the 'Automatic Parking' button on the central console screen.

The screen lit up, and the system began scanning the space.

Three seconds later, a gentle female voice said, "Parking space identified. Commence automatic parking?"

Xiao Lu inhaled deeply.

"Start."

The steering wheel turned on its own.

The car began to reverse slowly, keeping a constant twenty‑centimeter gap from the Zhuzi on the left and the BMW on the right. One turn, two turns, three turns…

After twenty‑six seconds, the car settled neatly into the spot.

The front‑back and side clearances were all just right.

Xiao Lu stared at the 360‑degree panoramic view on the screen, her mouth agape.

"Is that… it?"

She opened the door and stepped out to inspect.

On the left, the distance to the Zhuzi matched the length of her outstretched arm. On the right, the gap to the BMW was also exactly one arm's length. The front‑back clearance was likewise perfect.

She stood there, frozen for several seconds.

Then she pulled out her phone and took a picture of the parking space.

The camera cut back inside the car.

Xiao Lu's eyes were slightly reddened.

"You know, it's been five years since I got my driver's license. In five years, I've never parked in such a narrow spot."

She paused.

"Today, the car parked me in."

She looked at the camera.

"Thanks to Wanshang. Thanks to the people who invented automatic parking."

At the end of the video, Xiao Lu said a line.

"I've decided I'll never be afraid to drive again."

The video amassed 87 million views.

Comments totaled 230,000.

He Xiao watched it all the way through and remained silent for a long time.

He recalled that when the automatic parking feature was being designed, a member of the tech team had questioned its usefulness: "What good is automatic parking? Veteran drivers don't need it."

He didn't explain at the time.

He just let them continue.

Now, he has found the best explanation.

Three days later, another video went viral.

This time the uploader was called "Road Killer Old Aunt", and the avatar was a middle‑aged woman wearing reading glasses.

Video title: "I Have a Record in the Traffic Police Unit."

He Xiao clicked to watch.

In the footage, a woman in her fifties sat in the driver's seat, smiling brightly.

"Hello everyone, my surname is Wang, I'm fifty‑six. I've been driving for twenty years and have crashed nineteen times."

She pointed her phone camera at the street outside the window.

"On this street I've crashed three times. At that intersection I've crashed twice. At that utility pole I've crashed once."

The camera cut back to her face.

"Everyone in the traffic police unit knows me. Every time I show up, they say, Sister Wang, you're back again?"

She smiled, a helpless smile.

"Last New Year, my daughter bought me this car."

She patted the steering wheel—it's a Wanshang Smart Car, also silver.

"She said, Mom, this car can brake by itself, give it a try."

The scene switched to a street in motion.

Aunt Wang drove, not fast, at just over thirty miles per hour.

"When I used to drive, I feared the car ahead braking suddenly. My reaction is slow, I can't stop in time."

As she spoke, a taxi ahead suddenly braked hard.

Aunt Wang hadn't had time to press the brake, yet the car stopped on its own.

The distance to the car ahead was less than a meter.

Aunt Wang froze there.

"It… it stopped by itself?"

The gentle female voice sounded again: "The vehicle ahead braked sharply; automatic braking engaged."

Aunt Wang stared at the steering wheel for several seconds.

Then she smiled at the camera.

"Did you see that? It stopped by itself."

The footage switched to a parking lot.

Aunt Wang parked the car in front of a row of empty spots.

"When I used to reverse, I always hit something. Once I knocked off the bumper of the car behind and paid three thousand."

She pressed the automatic parking button.

The system began scanning for a spot, and the steering wheel turned on its own.

After twenty‑six seconds, the car settled into a steady stop.

Aunt Wang got out, glanced around; front, back, left, right were all just right.

She stood there, facing the camera.

"It's been twenty years. In twenty years, this is the first time I've parked the car so precisely."

Her eyes reddened.

"My daughter said, Mom, once you drive, I won't worry anymore."

She wiped the corner of her eye.

"My son said, Mom, you finally aren't a road killer anymore."

She paused.

"I want to tell the makers of this car: thank you."

At the end of the video, Aunt Wang said one more line.

"From now on, I can drive to see my grandson without worry."

Views: 120 million.

Comments: 310,000.

He Xiao scrolled through those comments one by one.

"My mom is also an old driver, a record‑holder for crashes; I'll buy her one too."

"Automatic braking has saved me three times."

"I used to be afraid to let my mom drive out, now I'm fine with it."

"Technology changes life, truly."

He scrolled to the bottom and saw a comment.

"I'm Xiaolu. Aunt Wang, let's go out driving together."

Aunt Wang replied: "Sure, set a time."

He Xiao looked at those two replies and smiled.

Smiling, his eyes grew a bit sore.

The next day, He Xiao showed these videos to Li Yaozong.

Li Yaozong was silent for a long while after watching.

Then he said a sentence.

"This is the true meaning of making products."

He Xiao nodded.

"Yeah."

Li Yaozong stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, Shenzhen's spring sunlight was bright, and Fenghuang Mountain's outline was clear.

"He Xiao, do you know why we are doing this?"

He Xiao thought for a moment.

"To make money?"

Li Yaozong shook his head.

"Making money is the result, not the goal."

He looked out the window.

"The goal is to let drivers no longer fear driving. To let those who dare not go out, go out. To let people who can't park well, park well. To let technology serve humanity, so they can enjoy life!"

He turned around.

"How many like Xiao Lu and Aunt Wang are there across China?"

He Xiao thought for a moment.

"At least tens of millions."

"Right. Tens of millions of people," Li Yaozong said, "Our cars can make those tens of millions drive more safely. That is the meaning."

That afternoon, He Xiao had someone repost the two videos to all official accounts of Wanshang Automobile.

The accompanying text was only one sentence:

"This is why we do intelligent driving."

At eight p. m., the repost count surpassed one million.

The comment section exploded.

Someone wrote: "My wife is also a parking‑challenged person; after watching the video she immediately placed an order."

Someone wrote: "My mother, like Aunt Wang, has crashed a dozen times; I've already ordered a car for her."

Someone wrote: "The automatic braking saved my life, really."

Another person wrote: "Xiao Lu, Aunt Wang, have you set it up? Looking for onlookers."

He Xiao looked at these comments, and a strange feeling suddenly rose in his heart.

It wasn't pride, it wasn't excitement.

It was satisfaction.

A week later, Wanshang Automobile's marketing department conducted a user survey.

The survey results showed:

Among users who purchased Wanshang Smart Cars, the female proportion rose to 51%.

Among them, 67% said they chose Wanshang because of the "automatic parking function".

43% said they chose Wanshang because of the "automatic braking function".

72% said that after buying Wanshang, "driving feels safer".

He Xiao looked at the data and recalled Li Yaozong's words.

"Let drivers no longer fear driving."

Now, the data proves it.

They have achieved it.

In May 2011, Wanshang Automobile held a special event.

The theme was titled: "The Women Behind the Steering Wheel".

They invited Xiao Lu, Aunt Wang, and more than thirty female drivers who shared their stories via video to the Shenzhen Wanshang Automobile R&D Center.

He Xiao personally led them on a tour of the factory, viewing the production line and the test field.

Xiao Lu stood beside the Wanshang car she had been driving for five months and said to the camera.

"I've been driving for five months, never crashed, never scratched. I've used automatic parking over 800 times, and not once has it failed."

Aunt Wang stood next to her, smiling even brighter.

"I've been driving for four months, never crashed. I've used automatic braking seventeen times, and each time it saved me."

A woman in her thirties standing nearby leaned in.

"I'm from Beijing. I'm eight months pregnant, and my husband won't let me drive. After buying Wanshang, he said, 'Go ahead, the car can brake by itself.'"

Everyone laughed.

After the event, He Xiao stood on the rooftop of the R&D Center, watching the group of female drivers test drive in the test field.

They laughed and shouted; some raised both hands, letting the car park itself. Some deliberately drove toward an obstacle to test automatic braking. Some parked the car crookedly, then let automatic parking correct it.

He looked at those smiling faces and suddenly remembered something.

He took out his phone and sent a message to his wife.

"I ordered a Wanshang car for you."

His wife replied instantly:

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"Didn't you say I could park by myself?"

He Xiao smiled.

"Being able to stop is one thing; being relaxed is another."

His wife sent a string of smiley faces.

He Xiao looked at those smiley faces and put his phone away.

He kept watching the female drivers in the test field.

The sunlight was fine, the wind gentle.

The cars were parked steadily.

The women were smiling.

In the evening, He Xiao returned to the office.

On the desk lay a report that had just been delivered.

It was Wanshang Automobile's sales data for the first half of the year.

Sales volume: 230,000 vehicles.

Female user proportion: 53%.

Automatic parking feature usage count: 270,000,000 times.

Automatic braking feature trigger count: 8,700,000 times.

He stared at those numbers and was silent for a long time.

Then he picked up a pen and wrote a line on the report:

"Technology exists to make people feel more at ease."

After writing, he closed the report.

He stood up and walked to the window.

Outside the window, Shenzhen's night was deepening.

In the distance, the outline of Fenghuang Mountain vanished in the darkness.

He recalled the smiling faces of the female drivers today.

He remembered Xiao Lu saying, "I'm no longer afraid of driving."

He remembered Auntie Wang saying, "Now you can go see your grandson without worry."

He smiled faintly.