After buying the engine tech blueprints, Haifeng also picked up a set of CVT transmission plans, a 6-speed automatic, and a seven-speed wet dual-clutch system. All relatively affordable, but solid performers.
He grabbed the blueprint for a 6-speed manual for good measure, too.
Between them, he'd be able to meet the needs of any domestic automaker chasing licenses.
But once the blueprints were in hand, another problem landed.
Each complete engine design might only cost ¥500 million to acquire (≈ $68.8M), but building even a modest engine production line? That was also ¥500 million, just for 200,000 units per year. Multiply that by the number of brands flooding the market, and the math turned ugly fast.
Same for transmission lines. Cost, scale, space. It added up fast.
He handed the entire transmission tech bundle to Tang San to digest, then called Zhao Jianhua.
"Free up space in the Audi factory. We're installing lines."
After giving the order, he immediately headed back to China Star.
It was almost time for the second Harmony X2 flash sale.
October 27.
Just after 10 a.m., China Star's site pushed 500,000 new Harmony X2 units live.
They sold out in less than five minutes.
Even Liu Jianyu, who had overseen the phone project, was stunned.
"A phone that costs almost ¥5000 (≈ $688)… and sells out faster than a budget model?"
He stared at the screen. Even the cheapest thousand-yuan phones from other brands didn't move this fast.
Haifeng stood beside him, calm but pleased.
"This time, we've officially carved out a piece of Samsung's old high-end market."
Liu nodded, then sighed.
"Back to tightening screws in the factory."
Meanwhile, online:
"Damn, I just went to the bathroom and missed the drop?"
"Are you kidding me? My dad has money, just give me the phone!"
"Can't China Star stock more units? Every time it's a scramble."
"You treating us like monkeys or what?!"
The Weibo page was flooded with angry posts. But for Haifeng, that was great news.
People were still scrambling to buy. That meant the market wasn't saturated yet.
Across the industry, the envy was real.
Other domestic brands watched the Harmony X2 pull off what only Apple had done before:
They sell nearly $700 phones faster than they could move $150 ones.
And Samsung? Out of the picture entirely after the S6 recall.
At Xiaomi HQ, Lei Jun sat staring at the Harmony X2 sales data.
He held his company's upcoming Xiaomi Note flagship in one hand.
It was their shot at cracking the high-end, too.
It had a 2K display.
Snapdragon 815 chip.
A huge battery.
All solid specs.
However, unlike the Harmony X2, it lacked a full-screen design, wireless charging, and the custom optimizations that gave China Star its edge.
Still, it was their first genuine attempt at premium.
And they weren't alone.
Huawei and other players were scrambling to catch up, too, sensing the high-end window was still open.
The very next day, China Star posted the next flash sale teaser:
"See you on Double Eleven."
As November rolled in, the excitement around online shopping exploded.
Everyone was bracing for Double Eleven—China's version of Black Friday.
Phones were the hot category.
That day had become a war zone for sales and rankings.
Historically, Xiaomi had always dominated.
They played the value game hard, high specs at low prices, sweetened with limited-time drops and ¥100–¥200 discounts.
On Double Eleven, those deals turned to gold.
If your brand sold over a million phones in a single day?
You were considered a true player in the market.
Very few ever hit that mark.
This year, China Star was taking Double Eleven seriously.
They still had stock of their older models, which was the perfect time to clear them out.
And if sales exploded? Even better.
Haifeng called a full strategy meeting.
"This year," he said, "our goal is three million units sold on Double Eleven."
The execs stared at him.
Three million?
They all knew the number was technically possible—but it wouldn't be easy.
Then he dropped the real bomb.
Haifeng outlined the discount tiers.
And jaws dropped.
Even his team didn't expect him to go that aggressive.
November 10.
The final campaign went live.
"Double Eleven super sale! Star series now ¥999 (≈ $137)—¥300 off!"
"Harmony S2, Double Eleven special: ¥2499 (≈ $344)—¥500 off!"
"Harmony X2, Double Eleven special: ¥4699 (≈ $646)—¥300 off!"
The news spread like wildfire.
China Star's Weibo blew up.
Third-party stores crashed from traffic.
The buyers had spoken.
And Double Eleven hadn't even started yet.