This lesson.
Truly caused Meng Hao some heartache.
The number of employees at Huarong Technology's First Branch Factory directly dropped from over a thousand to more than six hundred. m..oΓg
One-third were directly dismissed and arrested.
Furthermore, the three-month suspension of operations meant a direct loss of over thirty mechs based on previous production capacity, amounting to more than thirty million US dollars.
Coupled with Tseter's collusion with the US to impose resource blockades and lithium ore embargoes on Huarong Technology.
Meng Hao needed to re-adjust the industrial layout of Huarong Technology Group.
Including the adjustment of personnel structure, production lines, and the transfer of instruments and equipment.
When all was said and done.
The losses incurred this time were likely no less than fifty million US dollars.
Huarong Technology's market value was over 1 billion US dollars.
And the company's cash flow was also around 1 billion US dollars.
Fifty million US dollars, converted to Chinese currency, was 350 million.
This directly depleted one-third of Huarong Technology's cash reserves.
"Sigh."
"Uncle Chenghua."
"I'm still too young and lack business experience!"
"In the future, I'll need your help more with personnel management."
The business world is like a battlefield.
The constant scheming and deceit were indeed not something a young man like Meng Hao, who had recently graduated, could fully grasp.
However.
While the losses and lessons were significant, they hadn't reached a point of fatal damage.
After all.
Who doesn't pay tuition fees on their path to growth?
What's more.
Meng Hao had the backing of the nation and possessed various black technologies far surpassing the rest of the world.
He was merely taking a hit and suffering some injuries.
He was still a long way from having his core interests truly harmed.
"Young Master."
"It's not a big deal."
"Tseter simply exploited your trust in others to backstab you... When this new energy vehicle is launched, they'll be the ones crying."
Cheng Hua was not entirely trying to comfort Meng Hao.
Indeed.
Once this new energy vehicle, with a theoretical range of 1500 kilometers and an actual range of 1200 kilometers in adverse weather, was released, it would undoubtedly deliver a fatal blow to Tseter.
"By the way."
"There's still a problem now."
"Tseter has monopolized almost all lithium battery ore... and signed exclusive contracts with most lithium battery manufacturers in the US and Western Europe. If they supply us with Huarong Technology, we'll be blacklisted by Tseter forever, with no future cooperation."
Meng Hao waved his hand.
"It's not a big problem."
"I've already discussed it with the bears."
"We'll trade our Huarong Technology products for their lithium ore!"
Oh?
Cheng Hua raised an eyebrow.
Everyone knew that the bears, with their vast territory and sparse population, were major ore exporters.
Furthermore, thanks to the mechs provided by Huarong Technology, they had decisively defeated other Western European countries and completely secured the newly discovered, trillion-dollar mineral deposits in the Arctic Circle.
It seemed.
The bears were repaying their kindness and offering a helping hand to Huarong Technology.
Meng Hao pondered for several minutes.
And quickly formulated Huarong Technology's next steps.
"We currently have over 600 million in the bank."
"After deducting essential working capital, one year's wages for employees, and contingency funds, we can mobilize about 400 million."
"All this money will be invested... We will first enter the lithium battery market."
Four hundred million.
Poured in entirely.
This was enough to establish a very large-scale lithium battery company.
It would not only satisfy all of Huarong Technology's lithium battery needs but also leave a surplus.
Moreover.
This would become another cash cow, in addition to the mech production line.
One must understand.
While the market share of lithium batteries might not match that of new energy vehicles, it was still much larger than the 30 billion US dollar mech market.
"Announce it loudly to the outside world. Don't even bother with the First Branch Factory's rectification, just dissolve it directly!"
"All equipment and instruments from the First Branch Factory will be transferred to other branch factories for mech production."
"The original site of the First Branch Factory will be expanded to prepare for the lithium battery factory."
Meng Hao thought for a moment.
And continued to speak.
"The workers of the original First Branch Factory will be paid the minimum wage... After three months, if they haven't resigned, it proves their loyalty is trustworthy, and their salaries will be increased by 20% on the original basis."
"Alright, let's handle it like this!"
...
The White House.
A joint meeting between US high officials and Marchek.
"It seems our commercial sniper operation went well."
"Huarong Technology's First Branch Factory has gone from being suspended for rectification to immediate dissolution."
"It's laughable, spending less than a million dollars to obtain Huarong Technology's mech shell technology."
"I've already allocated a large factory area to start producing our mechs... and our advertising slogan is 'Safer than safe'."
Marchek was also aware of his shortcomings.
With the current technology.
It was impossible to replicate a product that could match the Phantom mechs.
Therefore.
It was better to avoid direct confrontation.
To plant the seed in the minds of overseas consumers that "mechs produced by Huarong Technology are unsafe."
At the same time.
With the US government announcing a ban on lithium batteries and lithium ore for Huarong Technology.
Then.
Tseter, with the world's best lithium batteries, would naturally see its mechs, advertised as the safest, become a hot commodity.
"However, I still feel something is off."
"For example, when we smeared Meng Hao domestically in Great Xia this time, not only did the official government not provide any help to Huarong Technology... we even tracked through hacker technology that a considerable number of online trolls were from Great Xia giants like Xiaxin International and Blue-Green Mobile, helping to suppress Meng Hao."
"Meng Hao developed lithography machines, so why is he being suppressed by Great Xia?"
In response to Marchek's confused question.
The US government's intelligence high-ranking official, also present at the meeting, smiled.
"Marchek, you are an elite and a genius in the commercial market, no doubt about that."
"However, when it comes to politics, you might not understand enough."
"I suspect those four lithography machines were not developed by Meng Hao himself... The lithography machines he purchased from Xiawei Islands City were probably not scrap husks, but genuine lithography machines purchased at a high price... Holland's Asmann Company daring to secretly sell lithography machines to Great Xia and Meng Hao is truly damnable."
"However, this has inadvertently trapped Meng Hao... After selling four good lithography machines, he doesn't have the ability to produce new ones... Companies like Great Xia International and Xiaxin International have definitely noticed this."
"Therefore, they must suppress Meng Hao and Huarong Technology to appease us... Otherwise, they will never be able to obtain high-end chips at a relatively low price."
According to this intelligence operative's line of reasoning—
A 20% increase in chip prices.
This had already caused significant distress to related enterprises in Great Xia.
And then, they thought Meng Hao had developed domestic lithography machines, only to discover it was merely a lie woven by Meng Hao.
The so-called domestic lithography machines were actually genuine lithography machines from Holland's Asmann Lithography Machine Company, purchased at a high price through special means and clandestine channels.
After Meng Hao and Huarong Technology's lies were exposed.
To appease the US and Western countries.
From the Great Xia government to giants like Xiaxin International and Blue-Green Mobile, they could only suppress Meng Hao to mend relations with the West.