It wasn't long before a minibus rolled up to the front gate of the Audi factory.
Wang Cheng stepped out first, grinning ear to ear. Behind him followed a small entourage, led by Mayor Chang Yaohui of Piao City.
"General Manager Lu, congratulations!" Wang beamed. "You've brought great honor to the nation!"
"Director Wang, you flatter me," Haifeng replied, shaking his hand. "This is simply what a Chinese enterprise ought to do."
Mayor Chang followed, with a firm grip and an arm smile. "General Manager Lu, long time no see. You should've told me you were coming back—we'd have made arrangements!"
"You're too kind, Mayor Chang. People might think you've turned into a bureaucrat," Haifeng joked.
Chang Yaohui was in his forties. Broad frame, bold features—the kind of man who gave off an unmistakable aura of integrity. Over the years, he had earned a solid reputation in Piao City as a straight-shooter. Haifeng had met him a few times before and always thought well of him.
After the greetings, Haifeng led the group to the reception room.
The visit wasn't ceremonial.
Wang Cheng came bearing a 20 billion yuan interest-free loan—twenty years, no interest—scheduled to hit Audi's account the next morning. It was a game-changing injection. Haifeng could pay off part of the Huaxing Lab's debt and fund further factory expansion.
Mayor Chang came with land.
"Your company is the pride of Piao City," he said. "We've decided to allocate 1.8 million square meters of land between Huaxing Tech and Audi Auto for your next plant."
He hadn't just come with news—he brought the paperwork.
Right there in the room, they signed the transfer. Audi Auto would get the land for a symbolic 50 million yuan—essentially free. It wasn't the exact site Haifeng had in mind, but the adjacency between Huaxing and Audi made it far easier to manage operations.
Before leaving, Mayor Chang gave Haifeng his private number. "If you need anything, call me directly."
Wang Cheng stayed behind, happily accepting an invite to the evening's celebration banquet. Once things wrapped up, he excused himself to find Xu Zhilin.
Haifeng, energized, immediately convened a management meeting.
Now that he had capital and land, it was time to launch Phase Four—constructing the new Audi headquarters and factory. At the same time, Audi Automobile would formally split from Huaxing Tech and fall under Huaxing Laboratory, transitioning from a company to a full-fledged group.
Fifth-floor conference room.
Haifeng sat at the head, surrounded by his core team. Everyone was there—except Xu Zhilin, who had bowed out of corporate matters. His focus was purely technical, and Wang Cheng's arrival hadn't changed that.
The room was filled with Audi's department heads:
Zhao Jianhua, General Manager
Ye Lingzhi, Design
Kong Sheng, Sales
Huang Ming, Marketing
Chen Changchun, Legal
Li Nianxian, HR
Xu Zhilin, Tech (absent but ever-present in spirit)
Though lean in structure, every major department was accounted for. It was enough to support a growing group.
Haifeng stood.
"First, thank you all. Audi's success is built on your dedication over the past two years."
"Our independently developed engine took first and third at this year's Ward's 10 Best. But this isn't the finish line. It's the starting gun."
Audi's goal is to surpass the world's number one automaker. To stand at the pinnacle of the global auto industry."
"Are you ready to follow me there?"
A surge of adrenaline swept the room.
Not long ago, this had been a mere parts supplier. But now? Now they were global contenders. If this ambition came true, they wouldn't just be employees but legends. People would tell their grandkids: I was part of the rise of the Audi Automotive Group.
A year ago, that would've sounded ridiculous.
But now?
"Yes!" came the unified shout, full of belief.
Haifeng smiled. "Good. Then let me announce our next steps."
"We are restructuring Audi Auto into Audi Group. Under it, we will establish three subsidiaries: Audi Manufacturing, Audi Power, and Audi Parts."
The room buzzed instantly.
They had seen it coming—growth demanded a proper corporate structure. But hearing it confirmed meant one thing: new leadership slots, new divisions, new paths forward.
Promotions. Raises. Futures.
And that was just the beginning.