Chapter 121: The Perspectives of the "Three Little Ones"

Picking up his teacup, Zhao Guoyang took a few sips to moisten his throat before resuming his assessment of the "Three Minors."

His gaze swept across the group of prominent figures one by one, finally settling on Fang Xuesen.

"In my view, while the 'Three Minors' may not match the scale of the 'Three Majors'—First Auto, Second Auto, and Song Auto—they are currently enjoying a period of prosperity that can be best described as 'well-off.'"

"Let’s start with Tianjin Xiali. Seven years ago, the Tianjin Automobile Factory introduced technology from Japan’s Daihatsu Group to produce the first batch of micro-vans in the country, the Tianjin Daihatsu, which achieved considerable success."

"Subsequently, the factory introduced the Xiali, a micro-sedan that Daihatsu had just put into production. It is no exaggeration to say that this move solidified the Tianjin Automobile Factory’s position as the undisputed leader among the 'Three Minors'!"

Zhao Guoyang counted off on his fingers: "The leaders here may already know how popular the Xiali is. To say nothing else, just look at Nanjing, the capital of our Jiangnan Province—every single taxi on the streets is a Xiali."

"As the only non-joint-venture sedan product, the Xiali’s manufacturing standards certainly cannot keep pace with the Santana or the Audi 100, nor does it possess the comfort and prestige of those mid-to-high-end sedans."

"However, for the average citizen, it serves as the first stepping stone toward experiencing automotive civilization, following the era of the 'bread-van' taxis. Personally, I believe its impact on our domestic automotive industry and market is even greater than that of the Santana!"

Zhao Guoyang paused for a moment, his voice rising slightly: "However, the disadvantages of Tianjin Xiali are also quite evident. Due to the lack of a joint venture and a weak foundational base with limited R&D capabilities, its technological upgrades are very slow, lagging behind other major domestic manufacturers. Without a shift in strategy, it will soon be surpassed by similar products launched by other companies..."

"With Tianjin Xiali covered, let’s move on to Beijing Jeep," Zhao Guoyang continued, gesturing with his hand.

"As a high-end model with off-road capabilities, the Beijing Jeep Cherokee is unique in the country, both in terms of passenger comfort and its rugged, masculine exterior."

"However, given that government and business vehicles currently dominate the market and the purchasing power of the general public remains limited, the survival space for Jeep models is actually quite narrow. If Beijing Jeep does not pivot to market-friendly models soon, their failure is almost inevitable!"

Zhao Guoyang took a short break and reached for his cup, only to find it empty.

Liang Xiaofeng, from the Songjiang Municipal Machinery Industry Committee, was quick to notice. Seeing Zhao hesitate, he immediately stood up and refilled the cup.

Zhao Guoyang, not expecting such a gesture from the Director, expressed his sincere gratitude repeatedly.

Liang Xiaofeng replied, "Comrade Zhao, don't mention it. You still haven't talked about the last of the 'Three Minors,' so please, go on! I’m itching with curiosity now."

Liang’s half-joking remark drew laughter from the senior officials.

Huang Zhigang added with a chuckle, "Xiao Zhao, see? Our Director Liang is quite the enthusiast, isn't he? Have you considered coming to work for us in Songjiang?"

Just as Huang Zhigang was about to probe for a commitment, Li Kejian cleared his throat. "Mayor Huang, let's not get ahead of ourselves. Shall we let Xiao Zhao finish his assessment of the 'Guangzhou Peugeot' first?"

Faced with such a highly respected authority in the industry, Huang Zhigang had no choice but to fall silent.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Zhao Guoyang quickly continued: "Regarding the Guangzhou Peugeot, I had some exchanges with Elder Li when I was at the Siyang Group. In my opinion, while their sales figures look decent, they mostly benefit from the strong internal consumption capacity of Guangzhou, the nation's third-largest city."

"During my time in Guangzhou, I saw Peugeot cars on the road frequently, yet here in Jiangnan Province, they are a rare sight. While this could be a coincidence, it speaks to a certain reality."

"Furthermore, in the competitive international automotive market, the Peugeot company is gradually showing signs of decline. I believe that unless they undergo structural adjustments soon, Guangzhou Peugeot is likely to be the first of the 'Three Majors and Three Minors' to be phased out..."

A heavy silence fell over the conference room once Zhao Guoyang finished his analysis.

Fang Xuesen closed his eyes slightly, as if ruminating on the analysis. Beside him, Li Kejian was whispering to Ji Zhongxuan with a grave expression.

On the other side, Songjiang Mayor Huang Zhigang stared intently at Zhao Guoyang, seemingly attempting to decipher his every thought.

Liang Xiaofeng mirrored Huang’s intensity, his eyes fixed on Zhao like a hungry wolf eyeing its prey.

In contrast, the look from Director Wang Ziqing of Jiangnan Province was more complex. While he felt appreciation and admiration for Zhao’s meticulous analysis, he felt a deeper sense of regret.

Wang Ziqing was frustrated: after Director Fang Xuesen had called to inquire about Zhao Guoyang, why hadn't he reached out to this young man to understand his potential better?

Now that Mayor Huang of Songjiang had clearly set his sights on this talent, what chance did a small-time provincial committee director like him have in a competition for such a person?

While the prominent figures in the room were harboring their own agendas, Zhao Guoyang remained remarkably calm.

In truth, he felt grave concerns about the current state of the domestic automotive industry. If the current trend continued, the Republic’s automotive industry would not see significant progress even in ten or twenty years, left only to scavenge the scraps of international giants.

The analysis he had just provided might not be enough to shake the industry to its core, but it could at least nudge the major manufacturers toward more sustainable development.

As Zhao Guoyang sat there calmly drinking his water, Zhao Siyan beside him was left speechless.

As a master’s and doctoral student in mechanical engineering at Nanjing University of Technology, she possessed a fair understanding of the domestic auto industry. Previously, she had assumed that Zhao Guoyang, who had graduated at the same time as her in the same major but hadn't entered an automotive firm, would surely know less than she did.

Yet, this Zhao Guoyang was nothing short of miraculous, pouring out unconventional insights that each sounded remarkably feasible. It was completely beyond her understanding.

"Xiao Zhao, I have listened carefully to your analysis of the 'Three Majors and Three Minors.' I believe it can be summed up in four words: 'true insight.' Excellent, simply excellent!"

Fang Xuesen’s words broke the silence in the room.