Chapter 146 – Compromise (Part 1)

"These auto giants always want everything on their terms."

Lu Haifeng leaned back in his chair, expression cold.

"In the past, when our domestic industry was behind, sure—we had to play by their rules. But now? With Audi's current tech, that era's over."

"They expect me to fly to their turf and take part in their crash test? Not happening."

He wasn't going to budge. And why should he?

Right now, they were the ones panicking.

Zhao Jianhua nodded, his tone firm.

"You're right, Chairman Lu. For years, they've acted as the sole authority in this field. But now that we've caught up? It's time for them to make room."

"Times have changed. If they want to compete now, they play by our rules."

With no hesitation, Lu Haifeng finalized the Five-Star Safety Crash Test standard and handed it to Zhao.

"Send this to them. If they want to test safety, this is the new benchmark. Also, the venue will be in China. Period."

Zhao Jianhua got to work immediately.

Unsurprisingly, the foreign brands weren't thrilled.

Years of dominance had conditioned them to expect submission.

How could they, once towering symbols of global luxury, now be asked to comply with Audi's terms?

But what stunned them was the test spec itself.

Audi's five-star crash test was far more detailed and stricter than the current international standard.

And that made them curious. Nervous even.

They desperately wanted to know how their cars would perform under this system.

Usually, they'd run the tests privately to see. But this wasn't a casual audit—this was a high-profile challenge. If they used Audi's test plan publicly?

It would look like they were admitting inferiority.

And holding the test in China?

Unthinkable.

These companies had spent years avoiding product launches in China. Releasing models is late, shipping is last, and skipping events. Now, can we fly there and host a test on Chinese soil?

It wasn't just logistics—it was ego.

So, they flat-out refused.

"If Audi wants to participate, they follow our rules," they declared. "Otherwise, there's no test."

They assumed, as always, that pressure would work. It always had before. Why would this time be different?

But they underestimated something.

This wasn't the old Audi. And it wasn't the old China.

Audi had the tech. Audi had the money. And more importantly, Audi didn't need this test.

Lu Haifeng saw the crash test for what it was: a stage.

"If I wanted to promote Audi globally, I'd consider it. But they think this is leverage? Please."

So when Zhao Jianhua responded, he didn't hold back:

"You either accept the terms or forget it. We're not desperate."

That bluntness left the foreign brands stunned.

"Wait—Audi's refusing?"

They had never considered that. They'd just assumed Haifeng would cave like every other competitor before him.

Now, they were caught off guard. And rattled.

"What happens if Audi doesn't show up?" "Then what's the point of this whole test?"

The pressure they'd tried to apply was starting to boomerang.

Inside BMW headquarters, the emergency meeting was tense.

Dieter Schopf looked at his competitors, his voice grim.

"We're all under threat. Audi isn't just competing anymore—they're dominating."

"If we don't stop them now, every one of us is going to be pushed out—one by one."

"Whatever rivalries we had before don't matter. Right now, Audi is the enemy."

Everyone nodded. Silently, they agreed.

This crash test wasn't about safety anymore.

It was war.

But the plan was falling apart.

"Audi's being too stubborn," one executive muttered. "Let's hit them with more pressure—they'll fold eventually."

Someone snorted.

"Pressure? We've already thrown everything at them."

"Use your head. If they walk away from this test, they lose nothing."

"But if we lose Audi's participation, the whole thing collapses. It becomes meaningless."

"We're the ones with something to prove, not them."

At the head of the table, David Mason from Porsche spoke up.

"Look, I get it. None of us wants to bow to Audi. But what if we don't have to?"

He looked around.

"We accept their conditions—run the test on their terms. And then we beat them."

"If we crush them on their turf, the blowback across the entire Chinese market will be devastating."

The room went quiet.

It was risky. But it might work.

And for the first time, someone in the room said what they were all afraid to admit:

"Maybe it's not about forcing Audi to fold. The only way forward is to outperform them.