359: Chapter 359 The Great Industrial Transformation in Europe

In July, Munich was bathed in sunlight, almost blindingly bright.

The Siemens headquarters, located in the western suburbs of Munich, was a modern glass building that shimmered in the sunlight.

This building had witnessed one hundred and seventy years of German industrial glory; from telegraphs to gas turbines, and from medical equipment to industrial software, the name Siemens was synonymous with Made in Germany.

In the CEO's office, Roland Busch stood by the window, gazing at the distant Munich skyline.

The sixty-year-old head of Siemens wore a dark gray suit, his hair turning gray, his expression serious.

He had worked at Siemens for thirty-five years, rising from a grassroots engineer to CEO, having experienced countless technological iterations.

But today, he was about to make a historic decision.

The door opened, and an assistant ushered Wu Yi inside.

Today, Wu Yi was wearing a simple dark blue suit; he had a lean face, but his eyes were resolute.

He was followed by only one translator.

Busch walked up to greet him and shook his hand.

"Mr. Wu, welcome."

Wu Yi nodded: "Mr. Busch, I have long admired you."

Without any unnecessary pleasantries, the two sat down on the sofa.

Busch got straight to the point: "Mr. Wu, Siemens needs Spark's high-performance engineering plastics. They will be used for gas turbines, medical equipment, and industrial automation. Our testing department conducted three months of comparative tests, and the results are clear—Spark's materials are twenty percent better than our current suppliers, and fifteen percent cheaper."

Wu Yi was not surprised, merely asking: "How much do you need?"

Busch looked him in the eyes: "Let's sign for five billion Euros first. A five-year framework agreement. We can add more if it's not enough."

Wu Yi was silent for three seconds. Five billion Euros, equivalent to approximately thirty-eight billion rmb. This was the largest single material procurement order in Siemens' history.

"Mr. Busch, Spark's production capacity can keep up with this volume. But it must be delivered over three years."

Busch nodded: "That's acceptable. Siemens can afford to wait."

July 3rd, Wolfsburg.

The Volkswagen Autostadt was the most famous landmark in Wolfsburg, where two massive glass towers were filled with new cars waiting for delivery.

Every day, thousands of tourists came here to visit, witnessing the miracle of the German automotive industry.

But at this moment, in the conference room on the top floor of the Volkswagen headquarters, the atmosphere was even more intense than in the tourist area.

Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess sat in the main seat; at sixty years old, he wore a black suit and his signature black-rimmed glasses.

Behind him were Volkswagen's procurement director, technical director, and legal counsel.

Wu Yi sat opposite him, his expression calm.

Diess spoke: "Mr. Wu, Volkswagen's electric vehicles need Spark's battery materials and high-strength steel. Airbus reduced weight by twenty-five percent, and Volkswagen wants the same."

He signaled, and the big screen lit up.

Volkswagen Electric Vehicle Material Requirements

Battery cathode material: Annual demand of 50,000 tons

Battery separator: Annual demand of 200 million square meters

High-strength steel: Annual demand of 200,000 tons

Diess looked at Wu Yi: "Five-year framework agreement, eight billion Euros."

Wu Yi looked at the data and nodded: "Mr. Diess, eight billion is fine. But Spark's condition is—priority supply to European factories, and technical parameters are to be jointly determined by both parties."

Diess barely hesitated: "Deal."

July 5th, Paris. The Dassault headquarters was located in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, a low-key gray building that was quite inconspicuous.

But what was produced here were the world's top fighter jets—Rafale, Mirage, and nEUROn.

CEO Éric Trappier was waiting in the conference room.

The sixty-five-year-old head of Dassault had a full head of white hair, but his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

He was a legendary figure in the French aviation industry, having witnessed half a century of Dassault's glory.

When Wu Yi walked in, Trappier stood up and proactively reached out his hand.

"Mr. Wu, Dassault needs Spark's carbon fiber composite materials. They are for the next-generation fighter jet, 'nEUROn'."

He paused: "They are thirty percent lighter than existing materials and forty percent stronger."

Wu Yi nodded: "We have seen the test results. Dassault's technical team is very professional."

Trappier smiled: "Three billion Euros, five-year framework agreement. Is that enough?"

Wu Yi thought for a moment: "It's enough. But it must be delivered over four years. Spark's production capacity must prioritize Airbus."

Trappier nodded: "Airbus is a friend, and Dassault is also a friend. Between friends, we can wait."

Brussels.

Inside the European Union Council building, an emergency meeting was underway.

Representatives from twenty-seven countries sat around a huge circular conference table, each person's face showing different expressions—anxious, angry, helpless, or gloating.

On the big screen was a summary of news from the past week:

Siemens signed for five billion.

Volkswagen signed for eight billion.

Dassault signed for three billion.

Airbus had previously signed for twenty billion.

In total, European industry had procured thirty-six billion Euros worth of materials from Spark within one week.

The Prime Minister of Poland was the first to stand up, his voice impassioned: "This is selling out European sovereignty! Relying on materials from China for key industries—what will we do if they cut off supply in the future?"

The Czech Republic representative echoed: "Right! We cannot put our fate in the hands of others!"

German Chancellor Merkel slowly stood up.

The sixty-five-year-old German Chancellor wore a dark blue suit, her hair already graying.

She had been in the European Union for fourteen years and had seen countless arguments, but at this moment, her voice was calm and powerful: "Cut off supply? Spark has signed long-term agreements and built factories in Europe. They want stability even more than we do."

She paused: "What about the United States? The United States can sanction us at any time. How many European companies has the United States sanctioned in the past five years? Alstom, Siemens, Volkswagen—which one hasn't been fined?"

French President Macron stood up; at forty-two, he was the youngest leader in Europe, but his voice carried a steadiness beyond his age: "Relying on the United States or China, we choose the one that is more reliable."

The Czech Republic representative wanted to say something more, but the Prime Minister of the Netherlands interrupted him: "Stop talking. Siemens, Volkswagen, and Dassault have all signed. What we are discussing now is not 'whether to,' but 'how to manage it.'"

The conference room fell silent.

Berlin.

The headquarters of the Federation of German Industries was located in the city center of Berlin, an old brick and stone building with a low-key exterior, yet it was the highest temple of German industry.

For over a hundred years, it had witnessed Germany rise from the ruins to become the heart of European industry.

In the press conference hall, over three hundred reporters were already seated.

Federation Chairman Dieter Kempf walked up to the podium.

The seventy-year-old Kempf had a full head of white hair, but his back was straight.

He had worked in the German industrial sector for fifty years, rising from a grassroots engineer to Chairman of the Federation; he was a living fossil of German industry.

In the first row below the stage sat the United States Ambassador to Germany, expressionless.

Kempf spoke, his voice booming: "Recently, some people have asked if German industry is 'betraying the West'."

He paused, his gaze sweeping across the audience: "My answer is—German industry chooses the best technology, the best materials, and the best partners."

People in the audience began to applaud.

Kempf continued: "Some tell us we should rely on the United States because the United States is an ally. But how much have we lost over the years due to U.S. tariffs, sanctions, and long-arm jurisdiction?"

He raised his voice: "Relying on the United States or China? We choose the better one."

The audience erupted in thunderous applause.

The United States Ambassador to Germany stood up, his face livid; he said nothing, turned, and left the venue.

Reporters were frantically taking photos.

Kempf watched his retreating figure and said calmly: "Farewell."

At 8:00 PM, Wu Yi was in his office, looking at the news push on his phone.

The Federation of German Industries manifesto, the U.S. Ambassador leaving the venue, European media blowing up.

His secretary pushed the door open and came in: "Mr. Wu, things are buzzing over in Europe. The thirty-six billion in orders, plus the twenty billion from Airbus, has already reached fifty-six billion."

Wu Yi nodded: "Boeing's fifteen billion hasn't been counted yet."

The secretary smiled: "So, Europe + the United States, it's already over seventy billion."

Wu Yi looked at the night view outside the window: "This is just the beginning. Materials are the food of industry. Whoever has the materials is the master of industry."