“What big project?” Li Hong asked excitedly.
“Building a dedicated highway for autonomous driving,” Chen Feng replied directly, without holding back.
Li Hong was stunned. Good heavens, Chen Feng’s thinking was so thorough. To be honest, even he had only gradually come to understand a principle in recent years: for China’s autonomous driving projects to make breakthroughs, dedicated roads for autonomous driving were essential. The reason was simple: if autonomous vehicles shared the road with human-driven ones, safety would not be guaranteed. Chinese people were famously cautious about their lives, so no one would want an autonomous vehicle. Conversely, if dedicated autonomous driving roads became widespread in China, the safety of autonomous driving would be resolved.
This was like new energy vehicles. For new energy vehicles to develop rapidly, the issue of charging stations had to be resolved. If charging stations were not ubiquitous, new energy vehicles could not become popular. It was precisely because China had vigorously promoted charging stations in recent years that China's new energy vehicle development had advanced by leaps and bounds. Therefore, the core of the autonomous driving project was to develop dedicated roads for autonomous driving! Once dedicated roads for autonomous driving were developed, the safety issues of autonomous driving would be easily solved, and the autonomous driving project would usher in its spring.
“Boss Li, what do you think of this project?” Chen Feng asked Li Hong with a smile.
“Good, very good. You’ve grasped the core point of the autonomous driving project. However, I must remind you that the investment in a dedicated autonomous driving highway is huge, but the returns are very low. It will take decades to recoup the investment, as it’s experimental. It will be modified as it’s built, and cannot yet be promoted nationwide,” Li Hong explained.
“I am prepared for that. Applying unprecedented high-end technology to practice will inevitably involve huge initial investment, and practically no returns. This is normal. The more high-end the technology, the greater the investment,” Chen Feng replied calmly.
“Chen Feng, I am very satisfied with your answer. This is the thinking of someone engaged in research and development. To be honest, impatient people are not suited for high-end technology research and development. Only those with a grand vision are suited for high-end technology research and development. The money invested by Baidu Company in autonomous driving projects over the past few years is astronomical. Yet, Baidu Company has not made a lot of money from the autonomous driving project so far. There’s no way around it; the payback period for high-end technology is very long at the beginning. However, once that long initial period is overcome, astronomical profits can be made,” Li Hong said earnestly.
Chen Feng said nothing more, merely smiling knowingly.
After chatting for a while longer, Chen Feng returned to Mingshan City. Thus, the Mingshan City flying new energy vehicle project and the autonomous driving project had begun to yield results, and it was imperative to return to Mingshan City to implement them quickly. Even the best projects are useless if they are not implemented.
…
“Chen Feng, for Mingshan City to develop the flying new energy vehicle project and the autonomous driving project, the various investments and policies… the problems are not too big. However, regarding building a dedicated autonomous driving highway, Cheng Lu and I do not quite agree,” Qin Yan said seriously in the office.
“Explain your reasons,” Chen Feng said calmly.
“The reason is that no one has ever undertaken a dedicated autonomous driving highway project before. Even Baidu Company has not engaged in research in this area, meaning Mingshan City is the first to build a dedicated autonomous driving highway. The project is extremely difficult, and the possibility of failure is naturally very high. Furthermore, even if this dedicated autonomous driving highway is built, it will be of little use because it won’t make money. The investment is huge, and the toll fees alone are insufficient. Therefore, I think Mingshan City should focus on flying new energy vehicles. This way, it will maximize benefits,” Qin Yan stated earnestly.
“Mayor Qin, if we were representing an ordinary company and not Mingshan City, your words would be very reasonable. However, we represent Mingshan City, so we cannot view the dedicated autonomous driving highway this way,” Chen Feng responded seriously.
“Chen Feng, my point is that Baidu Company is a unicorn giant company; they don’t lack money. Let Baidu Company be responsible for the experimental autonomous driving highway, and we can feign ignorance…” Qin Yan continued to explain.
“Mayor Qin, we can indeed feign ignorance and push the responsibility onto Baidu Company. But have you considered this: Baidu Company is not foolish. If Mingshan City does this, Baidu Company will inevitably feel disheartened. Once they feel disheartened, further in-depth cooperation will be out of the question. As the saying goes, if you treat others as fools, you are the biggest fool yourself. Mayor Qin, you are not an outsider, so I will be open with you. For projects like dedicated autonomous driving highways, such matters can only be accomplished by the government sector; the business sector simply cannot accomplish them. The reason is simple: these experimental high-tech projects have extremely low returns and require massive investment. If you were a boss, you certainly wouldn’t do such a thing. Even if you wanted to do it, the company’s board of directors would not agree. Therefore, the government sector must step forward!” Chen Feng explained patiently.
“Chen Feng, in fact, I know all that you’ve said. But the problem is that not all members of Mingshan City’s leadership team have long-term development vision like you. Most of them have a rather short-sighted view. They will definitely not be willing for Mingshan City to spend a huge sum of money to build an experimental dedicated autonomous driving highway. In their opinion, it would be better to invest this huge sum in real estate,” Qin Yan said with a troubled expression.
“Mayor Qin, your concern is very valid,” Chen Feng nodded slightly.
“Chen Feng, since you know my concern is valid, then why don’t you just be direct with Baidu Company and say that Mingshan City really wants to build the experimental dedicated autonomous driving highway, but the Mingshan City leadership team members will not approve this fiscal resolution? The two sides can compromise, focus on building the autonomous driving project first, and deal with the experimental dedicated autonomous driving highway later,” Qin Yan suggested.
“Mayor Qin, as I said earlier, for Baidu Company to cooperate deeply with Mingshan City, the dedicated autonomous driving highway must be built. The dedicated autonomous driving highway is the key to the autonomous driving project! This is a matter of cooperation sincerity, a matter of pledging allegiance, a matter of reassurance… Without these things, Baidu Company will not dare to cooperate wholeheartedly with Mingshan City. Mingshan City must take responsibility, have a long-term vision, solve problems for the company, and be courageous enough to do what the company cannot do but must do…” Chen Feng said earnestly.
“Then what about the Mingshan City leadership team?” Qin Yan asked with a troubled expression.
“In a word, when it’s time to be democratic, be democratic. When it’s time to be autocratic, be autocratic,” Chen Feng said sternly.
“Chen Feng, you mean the construction project for the dedicated autonomous driving highway will not be decided by the leadership team?” Qin Yan blinked in surprise.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I mean,” Chen Feng continued, his expression still stern.
“No, absolutely not. If we do this, it will clearly violate the principle of democratic decision-making for major matters in the government sector. If the higher authorities find out, your, Cheng Lu’s, and my government careers will be over. Cheng Lu and I don’t mind, but you are a gifted child of the government sector; you cannot let a small setback ruin your future,” Qin Yan earnestly advised Chen Feng.
“Mayor Qin, in China’s government sector, the system of leadership team decisions for major matters is a system that has been formed over thousands of years. If this system is violated, the consequences, if discovered, are indeed very serious. However, to do great things, one must take risks!” Chen Feng said with firm conviction.
“Chen Feng, I agree with you taking risks, but I think, perhaps, we should find a way to reduce this risk,” Qin Yan reminded him.