"Is the future of electric vehicles really that promising?"

"Just like when the state supported solar energy, amidst the turbulence, there will always be people who seriously invest in it. Once the supporting infrastructure matures, electric vehicles will be promoted as widely as airplanes.

As for the reasons and determination, I think you know better than I do; Xinyuan has high-efficiency intelligent BMS technology based on aerospace, and a big part of the pain points of new energy vehicles has already been resolved."

Being a state-owned enterprise, the Southern Automobile had high-ranking leaders, and Lin Ju was somewhat nervous while making his pitch.

However, based on the high-tech representatives in the aerospace field and the real development trajectory of the future, the senior leaders listened very seriously and carefully analyzed the feasibility.

Why would the state go to great lengths to support the industry, turning a blind eye to all the muddling through, if not to create a relaxed environment to cultivate the market and encourage manufacturers to boldly enter the fray?

The senior leader did not doubt this resolve, but he always harbored doubts about the future of new energy vehicles. Nonetheless, Lin Ju’s performance was a surprise to him.

This young man was extremely confident that new energy vehicles would experience a boom within a few years.

But as the helmsman of a giant corporation, the senior leader did not provide an immediate answer.

However, a few days later, Chen Jun came knocking with several partnership proposals in hand.

Southern Automobile was to establish a new sub-brand, which would develop new energy electric vehicles in partnership with Xinyuan. Both parties had both funds and technology, so the shares would be split fifty-fifty.

For the BMS system, Southern Automobile obtained the production rights, which it could use but not sell, while the intelligent car driving system was to be jointly developed, with the patent held by the subsidiary.

The subsidiary’s name was derived by combining a character from each parent company, and it was named Xin’an, with a logo featuring an artistically processed "X."

In the new energy vehicle field full of small players, two giants quietly entered the arena without making a sound.

...

The New Year of 2015 was right on January 31.

On January 18, Xinyuan’s official Weibo account announced an event: from the 19th to the 25th, they were collecting 100,000 New Year’s cards from across the internet, which would be launched into space aboard the "Noon Horse" rocket.

Each card had to weigh and measure no more than an A4 paper, a real mobile number had to be reserved when sending, and the total weight was expected to be about a ton or less.

As long as the cards were mailed to the specified address and confirmed to be within the 100,000, an encrypted code would be sent through the reserved mobile number.

Xinyuan would carry out a random drawing from the codes on the 27th, with 10 people receiving a VIP experience at the Qiongzhou launch site, with all meal and travel expenses reimbursed and exquisite souvenirs given away.

There would also be 1,000 consolation prizes, which were miniature models of rockets, space shuttles, and space stations.

As soon as the event was announced, it immediately sparked an extremely enthusiastic response.

Xinyuan’s official Weibo account saw its highest traffic since registration, with fans increasing by leaps and bounds, exceeding two million, and the event remained trending for four consecutive days.

To ensure timeliness and ease of management, Xinyuan partnered with the postal service, offering the 100,000 mailing slots free of charge. The remaining slots were manually reported and adjusted in real-time by couriers, with a slight excess being no big issue.

Suddenly, the express delivery market, dominated by the likes of SF Express, saw the postal service stand up with a snap, achieving short-term efficiency near the Spring Festival while also launching a series of parcel-sending activities.

The only ones who suffered were the delivery staff at the stations, who had to work overtime with a subsidy, especially the Qiongzhou branch.

When over 100,000 letters arrived at the Qiongzhou station, more than a hundred temporary and regular employees were already waiting.

Their task was just one thing: Open the letters, all 100,000 of them.

In the end, several large boxes of cards were delivered to the launch site, where Xinyuan’s staff partially affixed them to the sides of the fireworks canisters, and the rest were stuffed directly into the fuel tank before taking photographs prior to fitting the nose cone.

Xinyuan’s official Weibo uploaded these photos, and the comment section was abuzz with people claiming their own cards, heightening the anticipation for the 1,010 lucky ones.

Before announcing the results, Lin Ju reviewed the list of 10 spectators and raised an eyebrow at one name:

"This... dǎijǐn? Is it the one I know?"

"I’m afraid so, we’ve checked the address, and it’s just a coincidence."

Lin Ju glanced at the nonsensical modern poem on the greeting card, rubbed it, and threw it into the trash can.

"Replace it, and take out the trash can for me to dispose of later."

"Understood!"

Of course, apart from the lucky audience from the lucky draw, Xinyuan also invited some people of their own.

"Mentor! We’ve missed you!"

"Idiots, what nonsense did you two write in your thesis, did Tong Peiqiang guide you with his eyes closed?"

"Hey Zhou, I’m still here! How have you trained for months and still gained weight?"

"That’s called sturdy! Zhao is the impressive one; in a few more months, he’ll be able to get his pilot’s license. If the commander’s position is ever vacant, we’ll rely on him to pilot the spacecraft."

"..."

Off to the side, Tang Weitian silently observed the rocket, bathed in the brilliance of the searchlights against the night sky, or to be more precise, its first stage.

"Mr. Tang? How have you lost so much weight!"

As Lin Ju walked around, he was startled to see the gaunt face of Tang Weitian and noticed that his spirit seemed somewhat haggard.

Tang Weitian sighed and, pointing at the zodiac-named "Noon Horse," said:

"Your K120V has been reused more than a dozen times, whereas our YF100K is still undergoing thrust modulation improvement tests. The Sixth Institute is now the focus of everyone’s attention. Sometimes, in the middle of the night, I wonder if I’m really getting old, why the design of your K120 is just so good, and the YF100 falls short in every aspect?"

Lin Ju silently apologized in his heart, aware that some of the immense pressure on the Sixth Institute was indeed his doing, which was somewhat unfair to veterans like Tang Weitian.

But the lagging of the YF100 was a hard fact!

He muttered a few ambiguous words to get past the moment and comfort Tang Weitian, then went over to the fan zone.

The 10 lucky winners of the ticket raffle were mostly aerospace enthusiasts; otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered to send greeting cards. Most of them were devoted fans of Lin Ju.

After shaking hands with a few fans, taking photos, and presenting souvenirs, he heard one of them ask:

"Mr. Lin, what’s the payload of the ’Noon Horse’? How come I didn’t see it mentioned on your official Weibo account?"

"Yeah, is it a radio? Can we listen to ’Best Wishes for Wealth’ as soon as we turn on the radio?"

Lin Ju smiled slightly, "It’s a secret for now."

On the evening of the Spring Festival, the guests around the launch site were mostly there with their families, including several executives from Xinyuan Company.

Only Lin Ju and the four system engineers stood out awkwardly, huddled together underneath the starry sky, celebrating a New Year exclusive to system people.

Approaching midnight, the Spring Festival Gala proceeded to connect with local gala events.

Connecting to YuTai, a modern adaptation of drama was being performed. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Connecting to Shaanxi platform, traditional folk songs from the Loess Plateau were underway.

...

Connecting to Qiongzhou... There was also the distinctive song and dance of the local ethnic minorities, but the backdrop was somewhat unusual—it was the launch pad of the Qiongzhou Launch Site.

Atop it, the "Noon Horse" had completed fueling, and under the light, the gasifying liquid oxygen continued to dissipate, enveloping the launch pad in a mist.

At this moment, the viewership for the Spring Festival Gala ticked up slightly, and the hosts were excited for a few seconds.

Thanks to the coordination of the Space Agency, this year’s Spring Festival Gala included a special program: a live broadcast of a rocket launch.

Moreover, a prior announcement was made, which considerably boosted the viewership for the year.

"The new year’s bells are about to ring... Let’s count down together..."

As the countdown began, the gala’s backdrop displayed various local events, but the central focus magnified was the Qiongzhou Launch Site, or rather, the Qiongzhou Spring Festival Gala scene.

At zero count, the "Noon Horse" engine ignited, its flames occupying much of the screen.

The night launch made it immediately the most dazzling presence, dimming even the moonlight in comparison. The 120-ton kerosene engine pushed the rocket upwards like a rising sun.

After 70 seconds, the rocket, now a twinkling star, shut down, seeking its own splashdown point in the sea.

To the infrared cameras and radars, there was no difference between night and day.

Twentysomething seconds later, as the firework canisters reached the predetermined altitude, electrodes buried in the solid fuel ignited.

The central liquid oxygen tank exploded, casting a brilliant flare across the screen, which had been plunged into darkness for four or five seconds.

tons of specially formulated fuel detonated with ferocious intensity, the explosion cloud spreading nearly three kilometers in an instant.

A colossal lamp suddenly illuminated the night sky, illuminating the entire firmament of the launch site!

After three or four seconds, when the glare began to fade, the roar from the clouds, like thunder, finally reached the ground.

The brilliant flash and the vibrations that reached the ground made everyone on site feel a tingling sensation on their scalp, and goosebumps covered their bodies.

At this moment, the shards of the ignited and torn aluminum alloy casing, like countless meteors, scattered and fell, creating a record-breaking super firework display.

The Spring Festival Gala’s cameras switched to a distant hilltop collection point, clearly displaying a sky almost enveloped by a meteor shower curtain. The producer shivered with shock and then made a call to the station head.

"Station head, didn’t you say Xinyuan’s segment was just a rocket launch? Has this huge firework display gone beyond the plan?"

"I had some idea, but I never expected it to be this extravagant! The ratings are up though, let’s do it again next year!"

A full minute later, as the burning ended, the ultimate firework display concluded, leaving the audience with the most profound New Year impression.