Haifeng had been so focused on building up China Star and Audi Motors that he hadn't kept tabs on other domestic car brands in years.
Li Changcheng immediately pulled out his phone and queued up a video when he asked about the Great Wall's current best-selling SUV.
"This here is the Great Wall S5. Take a look."
The design wasn't bad. It looked decent on-screen, but something about it felt different from the Great Wall Motors that Haifeng remembered from his past life.
And in that moment, Haifeng had a thought.
He could sell Li something better. Something proven.
He had access to one of the most iconic models of the decade: the real SUV king of the Chinese market—the Haval H6.
Back in his previous life, it dominated sales rankings year after year.
And now, here was Li, clearly looking for a hit.
The Haval lineup had grand designs, and that much hadn't changed. What did it lack? Execution—and the kind of buzz Haifeng could build.
If Li could price and market it right, he might finally have his champion.
"Not bad," Haifeng said, handing the phone back. "SUVs are hot right now. You should expand your lineup."
He paused, then added:
"Our Audi Motors team has designed several internal SUV platforms that might suit Great Wall's brand DNA. We should sit down sometime and go over them."
Li's eyes lit up.
"Seriously? That'd be amazing. How about right now?"
He practically pulled Haifeng aside on the spot.
Li Li, standing nearby, couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Hey—hey—President Lu! That's not fair."
"You can't just give Lao Li the new model first. I need one too!"
Everyone around burst into quiet laughter.
They knew exactly why Li Li was panicking.
Haifeng turned, slightly confused.
"Liji has plenty of models, no?"
Li Li gave a tired smile and pulled out his phone.
"Sure, we've got numbers. But not that kind of model."
He tapped on a video.
"This is our current A-class sedan—the Liji King Kong."
"We used to sell over 10,000 units per month. Solid volume. But since Honda dropped their new-gen Civic last month… our sales cratered."
Haifeng watched the footage. King Kong wasn't ugly, but it looked outdated. Boxy. Bland.
On the other hand, the Civic looked sleek and aggressive, designed to win younger buyers.
And the real kicker? The Civic wasn't even in the same pricing class… or so Haifeng thought.
"The Civic starts at over ¥110,000, doesn't it?" he asked. "That's a good bit higher than yours."
Li Li gave a bitter laugh.
"President Lu, you've been way too busy. You must've missed it."
"Since Honda's new president took over, they've gone wild with pricing. They're copying your playbook—deep discounts, price wars."
"The new Civic was expected to retail between ¥110,000 and ¥150,000. But at launch? They slashed it to ¥90,000–¥130,000."
"It's wrecked the market."
Even brands like Toyota, Nissan, and Volkswagen were reeling. Many of their B-class models got undercut. The entire A-class segment was in chaos.
"That's why the government stepped in with the new import tariff adjustments," Li added.
"They're trying to stabilize the market before more brands collapse."
Haifeng nodded slowly, digesting the ripple effect.
No wonder things had gotten weird on the policy side.
It all traced back to that Civic launch.
Li Li sighed.
"Before, our King Kong sold 10,000 units monthly. Now we're lucky to move 1,000."
"For us, this isn't just a slow month—it's a death spiral."
Now it made sense.
Li Li wasn't just anxious—he was in survival mode.
What he needed wasn't parts.
It was a real model—a Civic killer.
And with China Star's Qiqiong 1.5T already available, he lacked the chassis and styling to match it.
Which, of course, Audi Motors could supply.
"President Lu," Li said, voice steady, "I'm not asking for charity. I need one model. Let me compete."
Haifeng didn't respond right away.
He was already scanning through design drafts in his head.
This was a chance to shape two hits—one SUV, one A-class sedan—and deliver them to clients who could run with it.
He looked up.
"Let's set a meeting. You'll both get what you need."