Chapter 99

PS: In the past, it was always possible to go public after midnight, but I don't know why it's still a public chapter and can't be published now. However, it doesn't matter. Qian Nian said that after midnight, he would definitely publish a chapter, as a way to express his gratitude for everyone's support.

Today, there are four updates, and here is the first one.

"Rubbish! Who doesn't want to? Who doesn't want to become a millionaire or a multimillionaire? But how easy is it to become a millionaire... What are you trying to say?" Kindler was somewhat annoyed and threw the wrench on the ground. The term "medical expenses" gave Kindler a huge shock. He had been dragged into Chen Geng's scheme because he needed to raise money for his wife's medical expenses, and now he was particularly sensitive to the term "medical expenses."

"What I'm trying to say is that you now have a chance to become a millionaire or a multimillionaire," Chen Geng didn't beat around the bush anymore. He pointed at the BMW in front of them and said, "What do you think, if we manage to refurbish these Changjiang 750s and transport them to Germany, and then sell them through veterans' associations, car clubs, or military enthusiasts' organizations, wouldn't that be a good business?"

"You mean... we collaborate on this business?" The anxiety on Kindler's face instantly disappeared, and his eyes lit up.

As a native German whose father was a World War II veteran, Kindler was well aware of the status of the BMW sidecar motorcycle in the hearts of Germans. Countless people wanted to own a BMW but couldn't.

He also knew that due to historical reasons, BMW would never dare to reproduce this classic model. If they did, they would immediately be labeled as "reviving the spirit of the fascists." Even if the BMW board went crazy, they wouldn't dare to do it.

But if BMW couldn't or wouldn't produce this model, the Chinese could. The Chinese were one of the victorious nations in World War II, so selling the Changjiang 750 in Germany wouldn't bring any negative reputation and could fill a huge market demand.

Realizing this huge market, Kindler began to quickly calculate in his mind:

His father's veterans' association had over 1,000 members, the largest in Lower Saxony. But there were many veterans' associations in Lower Saxony, at least two dozen, with membership ranging from a few hundred to over a thousand. Even the smallest association had at least a hundred members, all potential buyers of the Changjiang 750.

Apart from these veterans' associations, there were countless military enthusiasts and military fan organizations across Germany, who would also be potential buyers of the Changjiang 750. Would they also want to own a BMW or a Changjiang 750? Definitely!

And what about the rest of Europe? Once the Changjiang 750 shed its awkward "Nazi accomplice" image, it could appear in any country invaded by Germany during World War II with a righteous face...

How big is this market, and how many cars could he sell in a year? Kindler couldn't say for sure, but even with the most conservative estimate, he could sell at least a thousand cars a year through veterans' associations and military fan organizations. After a few years of operation, selling three to five thousand cars a year wouldn't be a problem, even if he only made $1,000 per car...

Sigh... God!

Even if he only sold a thousand cars a year and made $1,000 per car, he could become a millionaire!

If he could sell five thousand cars a year and make $2,000 per car, he would become a multimillionaire, envied by everyone. At that point, living in a luxury villa, driving a luxury car, and even owning a private plane wouldn't be a problem!

If he also operated clothing, accessories, and other related businesses, and expanded into vehicle modification, and then diversified into other areas once he had more money...

Realizing how much money was waving at him, Kindler's breathing suddenly quickened. If he could really make this work, it wouldn't just be a matter of becoming a millionaire or a multimillionaire; he could even touch the threshold of being a billionaire, truly reaching the peak of his life.

While Kindler was frowning in thought, Chen Geng was carefully observing his reaction. Although he was certain that this business would be profitable, he wasn't sure how much his suggestion would appeal to Kindler. There were many stories about the Changjiang 750 circulating online, such as:

"A black Chinese 750 sidecar motorcycle roared by, and my Harley-Davidson-riding brothers were stunned. In Germany, riding a Harley isn't as impressive as riding a Changjiang 750!";

"Many foreign diplomats in China buy an export version of the Changjiang 750 when they return home";

"The Changjiang 750 has attracted a loyal group of foreign enthusiasts, becoming a pet for nostalgic players";

"Europeans are obsessed with the Changjiang 750. Although the Russian Ural has its own factory in the United States, it is still not as respected abroad as the Changjiang 750. If people who ride Harleys look at the Ural on an equal footing, they look up to the Changjiang 750"...

And so on.

But to be honest, based on Chen Geng's years of living and observing in Germany, the Changjiang 750 did have a certain level of recognition abroad, but it didn't seem to reach this level. This was related to the circles he moved in, as he mainly interacted with people in Wolfsburg and the design field, not military fan organizations or veterans' associations. Moreover, by 2000, the World War II veterans were quite old, and it was difficult for an 80-year-old man to ride a sidecar motorcycle.

However, one thing was certain: the Changjiang 750 did have a certain level of recognition in Germany, and Germans liked this type of motorcycle.

Unfortunately, no matter how popular the Changjiang 750 was abroad, it didn't seem to attract much attention domestically, and no one had leveraged this recognition to develop the market. Chen Geng found this quite regrettable.

As for the biggest official issue: emissions, Chen Geng wasn't actually worried. It was 1985, and the Euro 1 emission standards wouldn't be implemented until 1992. Europe currently had no emission regulations, meaning the Changjiang 750 could be sold normally in Germany and Europe, unlike the Changjiang 750s that flowed into Germany in the 1990s, which required certification changes.

Finally, Kindler had made up his mind. He asked Chen Geng with a serious face, "I can't think of a reason to refuse, but are you sure you can find enough supply?"

"Don't worry about the supply. I wouldn't dare to operate this if I didn't have a way to solve it," Chen Geng thought to himself, "You don't know how desperately our country needs foreign exchange. Do you know how red the eyes of the leaders of the East China Military Region are waiting for your answer?" But he didn't need to say these things to Kindler. "What you should be worried about is how to develop the market and prevent others from entering. You should know that once others see us operating this, they won't sit idly by. What if the Changjiang 750 manufacturer also gets involved?"

That's right! I can directly negotiate with the manufacturer. Chen Geng's words reminded Kindler: This guy is as shrewd as a fox. How much could I really benefit from him? But other Chinese might be naive. If I could directly find the manufacturer and collaborate, wouldn't I make more money?

Seeing the flicker in Kindler's eyes, Chen Geng guessed what he was thinking. This didn't surprise him. "Business is business, and friendship is friendship" was always the principle of foreigners. When there was an opportunity to make more money, they would put it first. But with just one sentence, Chen Geng made Kindler abandon his idea...

"Kindler, if you just want to make some money, directly collaborating with the manufacturer is a good idea. But if you want to turn this into a career and become a respected entrepreneur, I suggest you think about it more seriously... For example, have you considered expanding the customer base for this type of vehicle?"

It was impossible to make Kindler give up the idea of negotiating with the manufacturer with just a few words, but Chen Geng's words did have some effect. Kindler immediately realized that Chen Geng had been thinking about this for a while and had a long-term development plan, not just a simple operation of the Changjiang 750.

Compared to simply selling cars, a long-term plan was clearly more attractive to Kindler.

More importantly, Chen Geng's confident demeanor made Kindler's heart race. He wasn't sure if Chen Geng would find someone else to operate this if he went it alone. If Chen Geng did that, he wouldn't be able to monopolize the market.

Not being able to monopolize the market and risking offending a friend, if Chen Geng competed with him, he would have to lower the price, and he would end up making less money. No matter how he calculated it, it didn't make sense.

Of course, there was another important reason: Kindler had no money at the moment!

As a smart person, Kindler quickly figured out the relationship and immediately abandoned the idea of going it alone. He asked, "Collaboration is no problem, but how do we collaborate? And the question you asked me, I also want to ask you: What do we do if others enter the market?"

Chen Geng breathed a sigh of relief. Working with a smart person was a pleasure, at least they wouldn't do foolish things. He said, "Let's send this modified car to Germany first and test the market's reaction. We can ask your father to help us take orders. If we get five orders, I'll find a way to gather the supply. We'll modify the cars here and then transport them to Germany. If we confirm that this is a good business, we'll jointly establish a company to operate this project. We'll each hold 50% of the shares and split the profits. What do you think?"