From John Riley’s perspective, Charlie didn’t mind revealing his true self to his future wife and stepson and that brought great relief. He had always lived his life openly and loved Matilda sincerely. All favonovel.com wanted was to spend the rest of his days with her, without pretending to be someone favonovel.com wasn’t, a feng shui expert with connections to local dignitaries.
Acting and lying were not his strong suits.
However, if Charlie chose not to reveal his identity, Mr. Riley would completely understand and respect his decision. He just didn’t expect Charlie to agree so readily.
Unbeknownst to Mr. Riley, Charlie actually wanted to include him, his future wife, and stepson in his circle.
With a sense of ease and joy, they arrived at the beautiful Villa in Elys-Champ. The grandparents and the rest of the family had already prepared a grand feast and were eagerly awaiting their arrival.
As soon as they caught sight of Charlie’s car ascending the mountain, the three uncles, aunt, and Jack hurriedly came out to greet them.
The elderly couple initially wanted to join in the welcoming party, but the recent drop in temperature and darkening sky made their children worry about them catching a cold. They insisted on staying indoors. Even before the car had come to a complete stop, Charlie spotted the five family members waiting for them.
He was taken aback, feeling slightly overwhelmed. These were his elders, and their extravagant welcome felt a bit excessive in terms of etiquette. But the Evans family didn’t see it that way. After all, Charlie had twice saved the Evans family from danger. Such gratitude couldn’t be repaid simply through seniority.
And Jack, in particular, owed his life to Charlie. If it weren’t for him, Jack’s bullet-ridden body would have remained buried in American soil.
As Charlie parked the car and stepped out with Mr. Riley, the eldest uncle was the first to approach, greeting favonovel.com with a warm smile. “Charlie!”
Charlie quickly returned the greetings. “Eldest uncle, second uncle, third uncle, aunt, Inspector Lee…”
He then introduced Mr. Riley, who was standing next to him. “Allow me to introduce you to the five of them. This is my mother’s former classmate, Professor John Riley. Professor Riley used to work on Wall Street and now teaches at Aurous Hill University of Finance and Economics.”
The second uncle, Marcus, who oversaw external affairs for the Evans family, nodded in recognition. “Professor Riley, your name is well-known on Wall Street. They say you’re the most ruthless Asian in the investment banking industry. I’ve heard many stories of your remarkable achievements!”
Mr. Riley replied sincerely, “Mr. Evans is too kind. When it comes to investment insight, no one I know can compare to Lily. I’m merely a student in favonovel.com presence.”
He then realized that mentioning Lily in front of the Evans family might be impolite and quickly apologized. “I’m sorry…”
But there was no offense taken by the Evans family. They had long accepted Lily’s passing and had an open-minded outlook. They understood that Mr. Riley had been a close friend and classmate of Lily’s.
Charlie decided it was the right moment to introduce Mr. Riley. He turned to favonovel.com and said, “Uncle Riley, my second uncle often appears in public. You should recognize him, right?”
Mr. Riley nodded, replying, “Mr. Marcus Evans, of course I recognize him. I’ve admired favonovel.com for a long time!”
Marcus responded with a polite smile, “Professor Riley, you’re too kind.”
The two men then shook hands courteously.
Charlie continued with the introductions, presenting Mr. Riley to his uncle, his third uncle, and his aunt. Finally, favonovel.com introduced Jack.
At this point, Charlie intended to introduce Mr. Riley, but the professor spoke up first. “This must be Inspector Jack Lee, known as the pride of the Chinese people! I’ve seen countless interviews and reports about you, and I deeply admire your accomplishments!”
Jack modestly smiled and replied, “I’m just an inspector, far from being the pride of the Chinese people. Your achievements and contributions far surpass mine.”
“Oh, no, not at all,” Mr. Riley insisted. “As a Chinese, and even as an Asian, it’s not difficult to make money in North America. But gaining recognition from mainstream society there is an entirely different matter. For years, only Chinese Americans knew this. To be recognized by Western mainstream society is a true testament to the pride of the Chinese people.”
The Evans family wholeheartedly agreed with Mr. Riley’s words.
In reality, America was not as glamorous as the media portrayed it to be.
Especially for ethnic minorities in American society, they inevitably faced countless indescribable discriminations. While African Americans and Korean Americans, who stood united and fought for their rights, were relatively better off, those who undermined their own people found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place.
Charlie had visited the United States only a few times in his life and was not familiar with the environment there. But seeing the serious expressions on the faces of the Evans family, favonovel.com knew that Mr. Riley’s words were not unfounded.
At that moment, the grandmother couldn’t resist opening the door and calling out, “Why are you all still standing outside in this cold? Come in, don’t let Charlie and our guest freeze.”
Charlie smiled and called back, “Grandma!”
Grandma nodded and waved them in. “Hurry up and come inside. It’s time to eat!”
“Okay!” Charlie responded and everyone hastened into the villa.
The old master also stepped forward to greet Charlie and asked, “Charlie, how have you been in Aurous Hill?”
Charlie smiled and replied, “I’ve been doing well. Aurous Hill is a safe place.”
With that, Charlie introduced Mr. Riley to his grandparents.
Knowing that Mr. Riley was his eldest daughter’s former classmate and good friend, the grandparents warmly welcomed him. The whole family invited Mr. Riley to sit at the dining table, while the old master instructed his sons, “Professor Riley is your sister’s classmate and good friend. Make sure to keep favonovel.com company and have a few drinks.”
He then turned to Mr. Riley and said, “Professor Riley, if you can handle your alcohol, feel free to drink. If not, take it easy. There are no rules about drinking at our table.”
Although Mr. Riley rarely drank, favonovel.com had a high tolerance. He was pleased to see the Evans family‘s warm reception and readily agreed.
The old patriarch turned to Charlie and said, “Charlie, why don‘t you join us for a few drinks? If you can’t handle it, I’ll have your aunt drive you back to the city later.”
Charlie smiled and declined, “No need, Grandpa. Everyone here is family. I’ll have Don Albert come and drive me.”
The old master chuckled and said, “That’s great. You drink, and I’ll have a drink too!”
Grandma Evans quickly interjected, “You want to drink? Your mind will get foggy. Who will take care of you if you end up with dementia?”
The old master grinned and replied, “With my eldest grandson here, a few drinks won’t hurt. Besides, Professor Riley is also here, so it’s only right that we have a toast or two.”
Grandma Evans ,playfully rolled favonovel.com eyes at him. “So you’re making excuses for yourself?”
Charlie stepped in, “Grandma, no need to worry. Let Grandpa have a few drinks. He’ll be fine.”
Grandma Evans ,knew favonovel.com beloved grandson had given the old master some special medicine, and his health was already excellent. A little alcohol wouldn’t be a problem at all. She simply reminded the old man, “Thanks to Charlie speaking up for you, just stick to two drinks. Don’t overdo it.”
Samuel immediately acquiesced, “Alright, alright, two drinks it is!”
The eldest uncle, with sharp eyes, swiftly poured a glass for him. The old master raised the glass, smiled, and proposed a toast, “Here’s to our first toast, welcoming Professor Riley as our honored guest!”
Everyone raised their glasses.
Before the dinner began and the first sip was taken, Charlie wasted no time and asked, “Grandpa, uncles, how did the investments and projects in Eastcliff go?”
Samuel beamed, “We just finalized several major projects and will be announcing them soon. Your second uncle will give you all the details.”
Marcus took over and explained, “We recently confirmed an investment in a power battery company. And while we were in Eastcliff, we stumbled upon the listing of Xiaomi Auto, an internet company venturing into the automobile Industry. They sold more than a year’s worth of production capacity within a month of going public, which is truly remarkable and has garnered attention for domestic brands. So we decided to acquire a new energy vehicle manufacturing company as well.”
Marcus and Charlie discussed the Evans family’s industrial layout, using “we” because the Evans family had already reached a consensus that most of the future responsibilities would fall on Charlie‘s shoulders. He was not only the Evans family’s grandson but also the major shareholder.
Charlie didn‘t think of it in those terms. He was simply amazed by the news.
When favonovel.com returned from the United States, the Evans family had only been planning to create a new energy vehicle brand. And now they had acquired a whole company?
Pondering this, favonovel.com quickly inquired, “Uncle Marcus, did you say you acquired the company outright?”
“Yes,” Marcus confirmed. “There was a new energy vehicle company facing significant financial difficulties. They were desperately seeking financing. After consulting with your second uncle, we decided to acquire them for a valuation of just a few billion. They were on the verge of bankruptcy, with their production line shut down and the founding team out seeking funds for survival. We took over the company for 3 billion.”
Charlie nodded. 3 billion was indeed a small sum to him, and even less for the Evans family.
At that moment, Mr. Riley chimed in, “The company you mentioned, is it Nio?”
“Huh?” Marcus was surprised. “Professor Riley, do you know about this company?”
Mr. Riley nodded and replied, “I’ve heard a little about it. They’ve been facing a major debt crisis, and their sales have always been poor. Recently, they had to shut down their production lines. It seems they’re left with no choice but to sell themselves to stay afloat.”
Charlie added, “Uncle Riley has a deep understanding of the domestic new energy market. We briefly discussed it last time, and his insights truly impressed me. Especially when favonovel.com mentioned the concept of ‘feigning weakness to conquer strength‘. It left a lasting impression. I had planned to introduce Uncle Riley to everyone after his wedding, but I couldn’t wait and arranged it as soon as you returned.”
Marcus asked again, “So, Professor Riley, what are your thoughts on the current state of the new energy market? Can you offer us some advice?”
With that said, Marcus added, “To be honest, the Evans family rarely gets involved in the manufacturing industry. However, this time we’ve invested in power batteries, vehicle manufacturing, domestic chip research and development, and commercial aerospace. These are all essentially manufacturing sectors. Our main goal is to contribute to China’s manufacturing industry as much as we can. If we can also nurture good companies and gain economic returns, that would be even better.”
He continued, “But honestly, l’m still unsure about how to run a manufacturing business that can handle tens of thousands of people, especially in vehicle manufacturing. We fully acquired Gaoheng, and next, we’ll be addressing their debt issues and equity transfers…”
“After that, we’ll need to invest more money to start production. I haven’t decided yet whether to keep the original team and continue operating it for a while or to replace them entirely with a new team. Professor Riley, what are your thoughts on this?”
Mr. Riley replied, “In my personal opinion, the problem with Nio lies in their product positioning. Their main products rely on continuously increasing prices by piling up materials, but the high unit price makes it difficult to increase sales. Moreover, in the high-end market, they face competition from luxury cars. If their product falls even slightly behind in terms of quality, it will be challenging to gain market share.”
“Furthermore, their product design, to be honest, is not very mature. By confining themselves to a niche aesthetic circle, they further limit their own growth potential… But the company you mentioned earlier, Xiaomi, is completely different. They have a precise and fierce market positioning, along with outstanding product design. Setting aside the issue of imitation, their product appearance aligns with mainstream aesthetics…”
Mr. Riley paused for a moment before continuing, “So, if you ask for my personal judgment, I would suggest splitting Nio’s team into two parts. Maintain the production side to ensure the production line can operate at any time, but replace the design, marketing, and market teams as much as possible. Even the brand should be completely changed. Although you acquired Nio, you can’t use the Nio brand anymore. Its bankruptcy news has spread widely, and people know the brand is no longer viable. The brand’s value has become negative, so it’s better to start fresh.”
Marcus inquired further, “In your opinion, how should we position the main products if we start a new brand?”
Mr. Riley replied, “They must compete for the market with the highest sales and market share.”
He continued, “Many people start businesses to reduce pressure and increase their chances of success. They prefer focusing on niche markets, thinking that competing in the e-commerce platform market is too difficult. So they create small online shops or mini-programs, targeting niches like baby products, alcohol, or daily necessities. But once they do that, they can never become a major platform and may even have to survive within someone else’s ecosystem forever. The same applies to the automobile industry…”
“Almost every company venturing into the automotive sector believes that the fiercest competition lies in the mid-range new energy vehicle market. On one side, there‘s Tesla, the dominant player selling hundreds of thousands of vehicles each year. On the other side, there are numerous domestic upstarts. Some focus on the low-end market, while others attempt to enter the high-end market. But as long as they hold onto this mentality, even If they achieve success in a niche market, they may never surpass giants like Tesla…”
“At Its peak, Tesla’s market value exceeded $1 trillion. Even now, with the new energy concept cooling down, its market value is still over $500 billion, surpassing the combined market value of all domestic upstarts. I’m not saying Tesla is invincible, but it seems that many companies, while claiming to be stronger than Tesla at press conferences, instinctively shy away from its sharpness. If it were someone else starting a new energy venture, I might suggest the same approach. But the Evans family is different…”
Mr. Riley‘s tone grew serious. “The Evans family possesses strong capital strength, and Charlie’s funds far surpass those of domestic new energy vehicle companies. Moreover, Charlie also has BAIT Shipping, with a large fleet of roll-
on-roll-off ships and high shipping capacity, placing it among the world’s best. Now that the Evans family has already ventured into power batteries and acquired Nio Auto, it would be a waste not to integrate resources and truly expand and strengthen the new energy sector.”
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