Chapter 373: Are You Ok?
Even limiting the scope to tycoons on Mainland China, those who want to go are flocking to it, too numerous to count.
Of course, having money and willingness doesn’t necessarily mean daring to spend it.
After all, Lin Ran has emphasized that the price is not cheap, and since it’s going with Lin Ran as the first person to land on the moon, there will be huge traffic, placed under the spotlight and scrutinized by Chinese Citizens.
An unknown person suddenly emerging with so much money will definitely have their money’s source dug up.
So the scope needs to be narrowed further.
The most eager are the founders of new energy vehicle companies; for them, this is equivalent to spending money on long-term continuous marketing.
Their own founder being the first from automakers to land on the moon can add high added value to their own brand to a certain extent.
Huawei and Xiaomi, after cooperating with Apollo Technology, have seen exceptionally significant marketing effects.
AITO’s moon landing exploration edition is more expensive than the standard version but sells better than the standard version; Xiaomi SU7 also created a miracle—the former sells on brand co-branding, the latter on lunar rover private label advertising.
New energy vehicle companies don’t know that even without Apollo Technology’s promotional effect, these two cars could sell very well.
In their perspective, with Apollo Technology’s boost, Huawei and Xiaomi, newcomers in the automotive industry, stirred up huge waves in the new energy vehicle industry, selling both expensive and well.
So they naturally overestimate Apollo Technology’s marketing effect; the founders of NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto all value this moon landing opportunity highly, even though NIO and XPeng have yet to profit.
However, the sharpest nose, highest quotation, and best at handling it is still Capital’s cash king Lei Zong.
The big sale of Xiaomi SU7 gives Lei Jun more confidence to use company money to fulfill his moon landing dream.
“Lei Zong, Apollo Technology is very satisfied with your quotation. Their meaning is that you need to put down your current work and undergo training from physical examination to training, at least a one-month period.
What do you think?” Xu Fei reported.
Xiaomi’s quotation is 1 billion US dollars, the highest among all domestic quotations.
After seeing this quotation, Lin Ran thought from the promotional effect perspective, better to choose Lei Zong; Lei Zong going would have the best effect.
As for why not Pony, Pony himself wants to go, but his identity is Apollo Technology’s CEO.
The CEO buying his own company’s product would give outsiders a sense of favoritism, which isn’t great.
Besides, for Apollo Technology, moon landing has already been operated as routine, and in the future, it will even turn moon landing into a space tourism product.
Pony has plenty of chances to go; this isn’t some first person to land on the moon title, so Pony didn’t even register.
The other horse of the Ma brothers is still living a carefree life in Japan at this time; he has no interest in joining the fun.
“No problem, help me accept it. Remember to find a sufficiently professional live broadcast team and documentary team; they need to be professional enough—our internal staff doing this work isn’t professional enough.
From starting training, I need to live broadcast the whole process.
This 1 billion US dollars, every penny, I want to spend on the crucial point!” Lei Jun said firmly.
1 billion US dollars is no small number; it’s the big sale of SU7 that gave Lei Jun such confidence.
The training center is in Wenchang, not in Yanjing; Yanjing’s Astronaut Center is for training professional astronauts.
Apollo Technology also cooperates with Wenchang’s astronaut training center; passengers going to space need to train there.
Before going for training and filming videos, Lei Jun chose to fly to Shanghai first for a signing ceremony.
“Hello everyone, I’m Lei Jun. Standing next to me is my good friend General Manager Lin Lin Ran. Very happy to tell all good friends that I got the moon landing ticket!”
He waved the ticket in his hand with a moon pattern.
The pattern is very special, with the moon and Earth, a wide-angle view taken by Apollo Technology’s astronaut on the moon.
“Everyone look, the ticket has a number, No.00001, meaning I’ll be the first passenger!” Lei Jun held the ticket up to the camera for the audience to see.
Lin Ran smiled and nodded.
This is the first short video.
Of course, not just one.
“Lei Zong, may I ask how you’re feeling right now?”
“I’m very excited right now; I haven’t given myself a vacation for a long time. After seeing General Manager Lin’s company start selling moon landing tourism projects, I was moved. I believe everyone has a moon landing dream.
Especially our generation, having experienced the country’s aerospace from weak to strong, so I first checked my schedule to see if I could make time, because moon landing isn’t that simple—it involves training. I communicated with our colleagues about whether I could be away for a month, and finally finalized the itinerary.
I think I’m very lucky; if it were last year when our Xiaomi SU7 hadn’t launched yet, even if I wanted to go, I couldn’t, because work comes first. This year is very lucky—not only can I go, but with General Manager Lin; I can personally receive science popularization from a great scientist.
I believe this is treatment that future moon tourists won’t enjoy.”
Then the third short video, showing the signing process and Lei Jun handing the keys of the latest Xiaomi SU7 to Lin Ran:
“This Xiaomi SU7 is a gift for General Manager Lin; hope it lets General Manager Lin also feel the driving fun brought by our Xiaomi Technology.”
Three short videos in a row, one every two hours, completely exploding public opinion on the Chinese Internet.
Douyin likes broke a million that day, with backend views breaking 100 million.
Lei Jun’s brilliance is in never mentioning how much money was spent, nor calling it marketing, subtly inserting Xiaomi Car product placement, always emphasizing “our Xiaomi” when mentioning it, indicating he and the video viewers together form “us,” making Xiaomi Car also the audience’s business, not just Lei Jun’s final entrepreneurship.
August in Wenchang, 7:30 a.m., air carrying humid salty taste, unique to the seaside.
The training center’s glass rain shelter still dripping from last night.
“Good morning, audience. I’m Lei Jun. Today I’m at Wenchang’s Astronaut Center; today I need the most basic physical exam, then start one-month training. I’m very nervous inside, always feeling like going to battle.
Moon landing is a rare thing. To give everyone more participation, I specially used our unreleased Xiaomi Glasses to shoot first-person view footage for everyone, hoping for better immersion.”
He smiled at the vertical phone lens next to the shoulder camera, wearing black-rimmed glasses on his ears that are clearly different from ordinary glasses at a glance.
Next to the photographer is a dedicated lighting technician handling lights.
Light on the face makes it look more spirited than in reality.
The live room has two screens simultaneously: the photographer’s third-person view and Xiaomi Glasses’ first-person view.
Douyin live room viewers broke 100,000 from the start; except backend staff, no one knows the exact number—guesses of 500,000 or 1 million.
Bullet screen densely packed, impossible to read with the naked eye:
“Lei Shen is too good at marketing, fully leveraging the maximum value of moon landing”
“Feels like Ran Shen didn’t expect this marketing method, otherwise it would definitely be auctioned”
“Lei Zong made a fortune”
“Can Lei Shen add money to bring Xiaomi SU7 up too?”
“When do these glasses go on sale?”
“Remember to wear the glasses during final moon landing! I want to see the first moon landing moment!”
“Still Lei Zong knows marketing; feels like other automakers’ founders are cursing. From today to moon landing end, continuous half-year hot searches all occupied by Lei Zong.”
“Damn, a whole filming team?”
From Lei Jun’s view, the entire scene is a restrained yet efficient filming team: two gimbal cameras, one shoulder camera, a telephoto on a slider slowly pushing/pulling; two light stands around; audio from chest lav mic and backup boom microphone.
In sight, team focused on monitoring data, allowing filming team technical adjustments anytime.
Backend monitor screen, online peak climbing up.
Yanjing Yizhuang’s Xiaomi HQ Lei Zong live operations group has no idle chat.
Data shows: live room stay time 21 seconds, interaction rate 9.7%.
Weibo content operations appropriately push preset topic words to hot search: #Lei Jun Moon Landing Prep#, #Lei Zong Training Diary#.
Training center front desk no big difference from private hospital.
Front desk nurse verifies ID card and insurance, hands over a stack of forms: routine medical history and flight-related questionnaire: motion sickness history, benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, arrhythmia family history.
Nurse clips finger pulse oximeter on his hand; another pastes three-lead ECG.
Lei Jun nods: “Process not complicated, similar to routine physical.
Audience friends, don’t worry about my physical condition; though older, I’ve always persisted in exercise, running; I personally feel my condition is still very young.”
After physical exam, Lei Jun and filming team wait in lounge.
Training staff comes out signaling Lei Jun can enter the chamber.
Door closes, dashboard numbers slowly drop from 101 kPa.
“Here it will drop to equivalent high altitude, note swallowing to equalize ear pressure.” Staff says.
Lei Jun swallows hard twice; third-person view through glass: “Feels a bit like climbing mountains.”
Tabletop has simple puzzle plug-in and connect-the-dots.
Lei Jun at 90 kPa still at ease; at 65 kPa, movements noticeably slower.
Outside camera close-up on hands
After exiting pressure chamber, Lei Jun grins at camera: “Feels very wondrous, but this sensation has happened countless times before. During entrepreneurship, we also face low pressure times; funding pressure like oxygen shortage, suffocating us, but at that time, what we need is to assemble the puzzle first—have something there, then you have confidence to pull investment.”
Next project is rotating chair, very old but always-existing project.
Very effective equipment.
Staff tightens seatbelt, reminds Lei Jun to fix on black dot on wall.
Chair starts rotating at constant angular velocity; Lei Jun silent for over ten seconds, breathing rhythm stabilizes.
Bullet screen audience reacts intensely instead:
“Lei Zong, stop spinning, I’m dizzy”
“Looks like I’m not suited to be astronaut; this intensity already makes me want to vomit.”
“Lei Zong’s body is good; face unchanged, heart steady”
Stopping, he removes eye mask, says to camera: “When doing products, easiest to get dizzy from various voices, but fix on one point: user’s core demand, so our products won’t deviate too far from market.
This is why Xiaomi products always have good sales volume secret.”
Telephoto pulls in; director gestures: slow motion, hold three seconds blank.
Backend brand synergy group, Xiaomi Car colleagues bubble up: “Remember to have major KOLs repeatedly emphasize this segment: we Xiaomi always focus on user’s core demand.”
Operations replies: “OK, this one suits matrix forwarding instead of hard placement.”
Entire one month, you can see figures about Lei Jun and Xiaomi on Weibo hot search every day.
Generally floating 20 to 30 on Weibo hot search list, often climbing to top 10 or even top 5.
This makes Lin Ran privately sigh with Pony, “If we were doing to C business, I’d definitely seek advice from Lei Zong.”
Pony nods: “Before doing Xiaomi, Lei Jun’s eloquence and marketing awareness weren’t as prominent as now.
He grew rapidly in marketing through founding Xiaomi process; like his speech, I know he found McKinsey’s top-tier speech expert, training him via verbatim script.
His current level even surpasses the speech expert, reached limit ordinary person can achieve.”
Pony continues sighing: “Lin Sheng, do you know why Huawei didn’t compete for this ticket?”
Lin Ran says: “Because Ren is old, Yu Dawei is just a manager; how could Huawei spend billions US dollars to send a manager to space, even for marketing.
Even if Yu Dawei convinces Ren, he can’t settle internal voices.”
Pony says: “Yeah, that’s the difference between own entrepreneurship and working for others; no matter how well you do working for others, your authority is limited.”
This is also outsiders’ sigh; in this one month, traffic and sales volume soar together.
Terms related to Lei Zong’s moon landing hugely popular, live videos views very impressive; all car circle traffic gathered on Lei Jun.
Other new energy vehicle brands’ traffic combined not even one-tenth of Xiaomi’s.
Car self-media discussing this, media discussing this, netizens likewise discussing this.
Xiaomi SU7 weekly new orders over 10,000, doubled from before; car wait time from four months to six months, like injected adrenaline.
NIO’s Li Bin at company regrets slapping thigh: “If I’d known, we should add money to strive for this opportunity; this effect is too good.”
Though Xiaomi didn’t publicly announce the 1 billion US dollars spent, Xiaomi is a listed company; everyone has own channels, news can’t be completely sealed.
At first, everyone thought too expensive, not worth ticket price, so not much attention.
Later found not only worth ticket price, long-term even big profit; one by one regret deeply.
They not only regret, but seize chances to sour: Lei Jun training in Wenchang, he didn’t attend auto-related forum.
Competitor directly mocks at forum: “I think we as car manufacturing enterprises, most important is still make good cars, give consumers good products, not just focus on marketing, neglect product quality.”
“I very much agree with Director Wei’s suggestion; marketing can’t change your product’s essence. Even if you really go to moon, does that prove your product has aerospace-grade quality? I see many self-media bundling certain brands with aerospace, then automakers don’t correct, letting self-media mislead our consumers; I’m very worried about this status quo.” The following competitor’s competitor says even more directly.
But can’t resist: not mentioning Lei Jun, entire forum no traffic; mention Lei Jun, related hot searches immediately arranged.
Wenchang Space Launch Site, 4:30 a.m., launch site lights blazing.
Entire surroundings countless tourists there for spectacle.
Wenchang Space Launch Site originally one of Hainan’s attractions; recent two years even became must-check-in spot on Xiaohongshu.
Today two big shots, Lin Ran and Lei Jun both moon landing; though too far to see people, can still watch rocket launch.
Watching rocket launch, photo to Moments or Xiaohongshu worth ticket price, casual “witnessing history” caption.
Surrounding merchants start business as early as 3 a.m., selling latest Yangtze River Delta commemoratives: Apollo Technology moon landing ticket 1:1 replicas, no authorization, but that’s the business.
Even more expensive than official online store; official ticket souvenirs only 49 with small frame for decoration, here just paper for 88.
Rain just stopped, thin water layer on concrete ground reflecting launch tower steel frame and white arrow body.
Burning One Modified, name changed only once from Burning No. 1 to Burning One Modified, but actually already 5.0 version, changed four times, completely different from initial version.
Same as Falcon 9, actually changed countless versions, but still called Falcon 9.
Lei Jun in flight suit, black camera bag on back, following ground crew to shuttle vehicle.
This time no third-person view, only Xiaomi Glasses first-person view.
Douyin bullet screen already piled densely:
“Witness history!”
“Where’s Ran Shen?”
“Damn, really going!”
“Lei Zong, not bringing Xiaomi SU7?”
Other two team members already in vehicle waiting: Wei Xuhang and Lin Ran.
Wei Xuhang somewhat reserved; both big shots, greets then stays quiet.
Instead Lei Jun jokes: “This time relying on our aerospace koi fish to ensure safe all way.”
Lin Ran and Lei Jun simple greeting, then vehicle very quiet; everyone’s mood similar, all expectation.
Lin Ran knows this trip has very important scientific task, and can command Lei Jun to dust, lay electromagnetic rail frame, command Lei Jun work; he expects fun.
Wei Xuhang concerned if low-temperature superconducting chip test goes smoothly.
Lei Jun expecting his life’s first moon landing trip; he clear past month marketing cost definitely recovered, Xiaomi market capitalization rise far over 1 billion US dollars.
Outside window launch tower looms like colossus, feeling totally different from TV.
Lei Jun can’t help say: “This time not going to new product press conference, going to launch tower; my heart never so excited.”
Lin Ran walking beside, smiling asks: “Lei Zong, Are you OK?”
