[Chapter 459: Speechless]
If it is said that national strength is closely related to Olympic medals, while many people may disagree asserting that the relationship isn't crucial, no one could deny the importance of competition.
This is mostly related to the research funds. However, the research of the Soviets and Americans wasn't about creating champions. Their goal was super soldiers. The idea of Captain America wasn't just talk; they did it during World War II.
Unfortunately, it often didn't work out. When the drugs were too strong, those guys just dropped dead. Nobody became Captain America; that was all fantasy.
After a four-year absence, the Soviets seemed to have made a significant comeback. Within just a few days, they claimed the top spot on the medal tally.
Unless something unexpected occurred, this ought to be their final surge. Facing economic issues, the Soviets weren't as fortunate as the Americans. Their withdrawal from the long-fought Afghanistan conflict was a desperate decision as their economy teetered on the brink of collapse.
The Soviets suddenly realized that America's shock therapy appeared to be quite effective. It hadn't been long, yet they seemed to be rebounding. Perhaps they should try something similar?
Given their internal conflicts, the Soviets had to alleviate foreign pressure. Driving them too hard might result in a unified front against external forces.
For the Americans, the Olympics in South Korea didn't seem so appealing. The overlap in favored events with the Soviets was unfortunate, and with the Soviets unleashing their fury, the medal tally looked bleak.
[T/N: I removed a minor plot of Roy Jones Jr. Boxing Controversy. William asked NBC team to investigate the referees' accounts and had NBC create a scandal.
With the Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson's doping scandal, he had NBC highlighted issues with Olympics and South Korea.
By showing that as a reason, he cut off all South Korean projects, stopped broadcasting the Olympics, put pressure from the public and have some sanctions by the U.S. government.]
...
[Chapter 460: The Drug Bust]
After the Olympics concluded, Soviet Union's 55 gold medals made them the biggest winner.
"Geez, boss, American sports really stink; we came in third. The Soviets truly are something else. Just look at them; they also outperformed the Americans."
"Ha, Jason, do you really think only Johnson was doping? Let me tell you, the Soviets are widely using similar drugs, but their technology is advanced; it's tough to detect." William White clearly remembered that these insider secrets were revealed later. Still, to protect the Olympic brand, many countries chose to stay silent.
In sports where results were timed, doping became common. As for Johnson, he merely wanted to win so badly that he didn't stop using the drugs on time.
...
"That's pretty much the gist of it. Samsung has the relevant technology; our wealthy man is getting furious because his London factory can't produce one megabyte of memory while Samsung might beat him to it."
"Haha, this guy's ruthless for profit; our friends in Seoul must be really angry now?"
"Probably, yeah. According to news from Europe, William White's memory factory could start mass-producing one-megabyte memory this year."
"He really is a tough cookie."
Getting bent out of shape over a gold medal was downright hilarious. Although many knew it was just opportunism, no one would speak up; William White's sharp tongue was anything but ordinary.
Rogues weren't scary; a learned rogue was more dangerous. If that rogue had a pocket full of dollars, that would be everyone's nightmare.
...
[Chapter 461: Prototype Car]
William White returned from his vacation. The Tesla factory in Montreal welcomed its real owner.
The company faced numerous challenges in car manufacturing, proving to be much more complex than White had anticipated. The only silver lining was that General Motors still had talent, but they lacked the right platform.
After years of struggle, lean production methods that General Motors couldn't commercialize were now shining at Tesla. White brought this model back to Tesla, but it was difficult to determine how effective it would be.
Workers in Canada, while a bit difficult, listened to management more than American workers. As long as salaries were high, they had no complaints.
Flexible production lines were just a concept; it meant that one line could assemble more than one type of vehicle. Tesla was the only company in the world capable of doing this.
From the day Tesla was founded, innovation and technology were always at its core. Internally, everyone thought of themselves not as an automobile company, but as an IT company.
In that regard, Tesla was completely out of sync with the automotive industry. Some people mocked it while others scoffed, but nothing could stop Tesla's momentum, primarily because it had a particularly wealthy owner.
"Sir, these two models, the Type A cars, are the ones about to go into production," Torres, a former high-ranking executive at General Motors, said.
Seeing a colorful array of cars excited White. The A101 targeted a young demographic who didn't care if the seats were leather; they were interested in style and uniqueness. This super cool color palette would surely spark their buying enthusiasm.
"Alright, Torres, let's check out what's under the hood. It looks better than the Corolla from the outside," White remarked.
This wasn't just boasting; there was no comparison between the Corolla, the Civic, and the A101.
"Sir, although we haven't implemented a fully aluminum engine yet, this 1.4-liter engine is better than several companies out there," Torres continued.
He knew the product flaws at General Motors but felt powerless to change them; the company felt more like a bureaucratic institution.
"Torres, we need to accelerate the R&D for the aluminum engine and get Europe on board. If we can lower the engine weight, the fuel efficiency will look a lot better," White directed.
...
"Filson, we need to speed up the construction of those 4S stores. In Europe, we must establish at least one in every major city," White instructed.
"Okay, sir. The advisory team is currently scouting locations. Results will be available soon," Filson replied.
"Be quick about it. If there's any dispute, just drop it; we shouldn't indulge their bad habits," White insisted.
"Got it, sir." Filson found it somewhat amusing; in the U.S., building these so-called 4S stores required virtually no procedures -- surprisingly simple.
As for Europe, that was a whole different story. The inefficiency of government departments could be incredibly frustrating. Mainly, he was referring to France.
Regardless of how White's cars turned out, his 4S stores were definitely impressive. Prices were slightly higher, or rather, they generally stuck to the suggested retail price, which included a certain range of after-sales service.
Of course, if customers purchased through other agents, service was available too. However, the free service period was shorter, and there were no special discounts.
"Sir, these franchised 4S stores may face resistance from car dealers, which clearly threatens their territory," he warned.
"That's fine. You get the word out. We're opening up franchising across the U.S. For the first batch of dealers, we can offer the most favorable conditions. Oh, and my bank can provide loan support too. As for the current dealers, I'm not against working with them," White replied.
In the U.S., similar stores existed, but none were as complete as Tesla's, mainly operating higher-end brands.
Directly setting up their own sales system left everyone in Detroit stunned. They hadn't expected White to pull a stunt like this. Given the current situation, he had entirely streamlined the industry chain.
They were certain that despite the dealers' pleasant words, once Tesla cars started flying off the shelves, they wouldn't hesitate to jump on board.
Goodness, he'd practically earned the money for maintenance and servicing before the cars even hit the production line. That was just too reckless!
Before the cars officially rolled out, major TV stations across America were already bombarded with Tesla ads. The scale of the advertising was simply astounding.
Keep in mind, this wasn't solely on his own home channels; it was an indiscriminate advertising blitz.
*****
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