Chen Cheng and Tan Zongming shared a parasol, while Li Na and Zou Yu were under an adjacent one.

Chen Cheng didn't mind the two of them; he cast a few scoops of bait, which the butler had arranged for someone to prepare, into the lake.

Once Chen Cheng sat back in his lounge chair, Tan Zongming finally spoke up indifferently.

"Go ahead, what is it that's so serious?"

Chen Cheng cast his hook into the lake and wiped his hands before speaking.

"The Red Star issue."

"Oh?" Tan Zongming's interest was instantly piqued.

Chen Cheng nodded. "Big Brother, have you ever thought about how Shengxuan, wanting to cross over into car manufacturing, can quickly gain the trust of users?"

Tan Zongming laughed irritably. "Stop being so mysterious and just tell me."

The corners of Chen Cheng's mouth curled slightly. "Big Brother, have you ever thought about making yourself the face of Shengxuan?"

"Using personal IP marketing to empower the enterprise, breaking the traditional image of an entrepreneur, and forming a 'founder as the brand' business model."

Tan Zongming frowned slightly. "I'm afraid that's a double-edged sword."

Chen Cheng nodded noncommittally. "I've been thinking these past few days about what exactly is the key to Red Star's success."

"Is it capital? Is it R&D? Or is it production capacity?"

"To be honest, we don't lack any of those three. With money comes R&D, and with Red Star comes production capacity. Shengxuan itself has a foundation in large-scale construction machinery."

"Then what's missing?"

"I've thought about it for a long time. The only thing Shengxuan lacks is consumers' trust and confidence in Shengxuan's crossover."

"And what is the magic weapon for gaining consumer trust?"

Tan Zongming looked at him thoughtfully. "Keep going."

Chen Cheng's lips curled. "It's being down-to-earth! And sincerity."

"Only a down-to-earth image, sincere communication, and making friends with consumers can possibly gain their trust."

"Building cars isn't like the computers Shengxuan used to produce."

"A computer only costs a few thousand yuan; most consumers can afford the cost of trial and error."

"Trust can be slowly built through continuous product iterations."

Shengxuan started in construction machinery, then moved to computer OEM work, and finally created its own brand.

Unfortunately, the previous leader of Shengxuan wasn't sharp enough during the mobile internet era and made a misjudgment, leaving Shengxuan with almost no market in the mobile business sector.

Later, they fell into confusion, pursuing whatever made money.

Real estate was the first priority.

It might seem like a massive enterprise, but in reality, only the construction machinery and PC businesses still have some market competitiveness.

Chen Cheng continued, "But making cars is different; these are machines that easily cost hundreds of thousands of yuan."

"The vast majority of consumers don't have the capacity for that kind of trial and error."

Tan Zongming's brow furrowed. "You want me to be the second Lei-bus?"

Chen Cheng smiled brightly. "Exactly."

Tan Zongming's mouth twitched. No one wants to be the "second," especially someone in his position.

Chen Cheng had considered his concerns before coming; it was simply a matter of him being unable to let go of his status.

He was a typical third-generation.

His grandparents were original shareholders.

His father was also someone who came out of the military compound to go into business.

Growing up in a wealthy family, he was arrogant to the bone.

Chen Cheng said, "Let me give an example. If, and I mean if—if Lei-bus entered the car-making business."

"Big Brother, considering the influence of Shengxuan plus Red Star, even if I found you more investment, would Shengxuan's car-making have a way to survive?"

Tan Zongming's eyes lit up. "Is Lei-bus going to build cars?"

Chen Cheng shook his head. "I'm just giving an example."

Chen Cheng couldn't tell him about things two years later, but the seed was planted in Tan Zongming's heart.

Chen Cheng's plan was clear: take Lei-zi's path and leave Lei-zi with no path to take.

However, with Lei-zi's influence and reserves, it was impossible for him to have no path.

The road to car manufacturing seems wide but is actually narrow; someone else would definitely be left with no way out.

Tan Zongming's expression was grave as he reconsidered the feasibility of the personal IP plan.

After thinking for a while, he still shook his head. "No, my background will become a target for the opposition's public opinion attacks, which would instead bring trouble to the new brand."

"People's resentment towards the rich is high right now; a vested interest like me should keep a low profile."

Chen Cheng disagreed. "Big Brother, you have a solid background; no idiot would attack your origins."

"As for hating the rich, people don't hate wealth; they hate the heartless rich."

"There's another sentiment that's also high among the public—admiration for the strong!"

Chen Cheng's lips curled with a mischievous smile. "Most importantly, Big Brother's personal image is unique among high-level executives of major domestic companies."

"With personal IP marketing, I don't think it will take long to accumulate a large following."

Tan Zongming leaned back and rolled his eyes at Chen Cheng. "Are you asking me to go online and entertain the masses?"

Chen Cheng shook his head. "Big Brother, what are you saying? This is called being down-to-earth and mingling with the common people."

Chen Cheng chuckled and teased, "Big Brother, you haven't read enough of the Selected Works; you're not thorough."

Tan Zongming's mouth twitched. "Get out of here."

After a moment of silence, Tan Zongming's eyes brightened as he looked at Chen Cheng. "You brat, you're egging me on to do personal IP marketing, why don't you do it?"

"You're a self-made man who's come this far; the public would probably love your inspirational story even more."

"Besides, you're young; in a very short time, you'd probably become an idol for young people."

Chen Cheng shook his head. "If I wanted to show my face, it wouldn't be your turn."

"A man without a beard isn't reliable. It's fine for small gadgets, but not for cars. An entrepreneur must have a mature and steady image to be more likely to succeed."

Tan Zongming thought about it and agreed.

Buying a car isn't like buying a game; it involves safety issues.

If the founder's image is too young, it would cause unnecessary concern.

Chen Cheng smiled. "Besides, in the acquisition of Red Star, Shengxuan is the majority shareholder."

Tan Zongming raised an eyebrow. "What if the acquisition of Red Star fails?"

Chen Cheng didn't care. "With money in hand, why worry about production capacity?"

Tan Zongming nodded in agreement. Shengxuan invested 5.6 billion, and Zhencheng Hong Kong invested 200 million us dollar. Such a large investment would make them honored guests anywhere.

Tan Zongming looked at Chen Cheng. "It seems Xiaocheng has thought a lot about this new project."

He thought for a moment and asked, "We are currently discussing the technical route internally. What are your thoughts?"

Chen Cheng said without hesitation, "Pure electric sports coupes, plug-in hybrid SUVs. Hybrids can focus on overseas markets. After the coupe is successful, we can develop pure electric SUV products."

Tan Zongming gasped. "Aren't you afraid of biting off more than you can chew?"

Chen Cheng didn't answer. He didn't dare tell him that in the near future, there would be a vacant market.

There, pure electric won't work, only hybrids.

He smiled and said, "That depends on Shengxuan's determination. I have plenty of funds here, Big Brother, don't worry."

Tan Zongming's brow furrowed. "Since you're so optimistic about new energy, why don't you enter the field yourself?"

Chen Cheng's lips curled. "If I wanted to enter the field myself, I would have done it five years ago."

"Now, if it weren't for you wanting to build cars, Big Brother, I wouldn't be investing in a vehicle company in the primary market."

"Investing in Red Star is, on one hand, because I'm optimistic about the energy transition, and on the other hand, because I'm optimistic about the entrepreneurial combination of you and Andy."

The two looked at each other and said in unison, "Invest in the people!"

This was a topic the three of them, including Andy, had discussed a few years ago.

Listening to the two talk eloquently, the two women nearby had different thoughts.

Li Na had seen big scenes; her heart was racing, but she appeared calm.

Zou Yu was different; she came from a small law firm.

Her biggest case only involved the division of a few properties.

Zou Yu's throat felt dry; she clearly felt the distance between herself and the two men in front of her.