Reborn Tycoon Rise

"Oh, what patent?" Matsushita Konosuke asked curiously.

Xu Zhi smiled and said: "I need all the patent authorizations of Panasonic Group in the field of lithium batteries."

"Lithium battery technology?" Konosuke Matsushita was stunned for a moment and said, "I didn't expect that Mr. Xu would be interested in this technology? Mr. Xu should know the current technical difficulties in the field of lithium batteries, right?"

"The biggest issue in the field of lithium batteries is safety. I know this very well." Xu Zhi smiled and said: "But I am still optimistic about the development opportunities of lithium batteries in the future. I wonder what Mr. Panasonic's business is like?"

"Since Mr. Xu is interested in investing in this field that can change human society, I naturally agree." Matsushita Konosuke nodded and smiled. Many companies are currently researching lithium battery technology. It is still in its early stages. The most suitable negative electrode material Still haven’t found it. Panasonic does have some technical data in its hands, but any consortium can achieve similar results as long as it is willing to spend money on research. Not to mention that American companies also have many similar patents. As long as they are willing to spend money, they can achieve the same results. These patents can be purchased elsewhere.

Moreover, it is only an authorized patent. In fact, there is no direct loss to the company, and it can also earn a patent fee. After all, in this era, lithium batteries are still in the laboratory stage, and any company that invests in research is doing a loss-making business. Being able to recover part of the funds is also a good choice for Panasonic.

"Thank you." Xu Zhi said with a smile. Lithium batteries will be a field with a production capacity of nearly 100 billion US dollars in future generations, and in the future, their influence and practicality will become greater and greater. Unless a new battery technology revolution occurs, Otherwise, lithium batteries will become a technology that no one can live without.

In fact, in the 1960s, the prospects of lithium batteries were already known to researchers in many countries and large companies.

Lithium metal has the smallest specific gravity among all metals, and its electrode potential is extremely low, but its energy density is very high. This is the best material to become the positive electrode of the battery.

In the 1970s, lithium batteries had been manufactured and used in extremely small space electronic products such as electronic watches, and the first company to implement this technology was Panasonic.

But there is still one of the biggest problems facing large-scale commercial use, and that is safety. Lithium metal has a high energy density and is very easy to catch fire when charging. High-energy lithium batteries are easy to catch fire or even explode when used, even slight collisions, temperature Any higher will cause safety accidents.

Countless scientists have replaced countless materials but could not find suitable negative electrode materials and electrolytes. It was not until 1997 that an American company invented the lithium iron phosphate structure, which stabilized the safety of lithium batteries.

Although lithium iron phosphate has its own shortcomings, that is, its energy density is not as good as other active lithium battery types, it is safer and more practical.

Later generations of BYD cars in the Mainland use this kind of lithium iron phosphate battery. Compared with Tesla, which uses ternary lithium batteries, the battery life is much worse than the former, but in terms of safety, Tesla is far inferior.

"Then I wonder what proportion of shares Best Buy can sell?" Matsushita Konosuke asked.

"10%." Xu Zhi said.

Konosuke Matsushita frowned and said: "10% is too low. I hope to get 20% of the stock and a director seat at the same time!"

"Director seats are not enough. If Best Buy goes public in the future, Panasonic will obtain corresponding director seats in accordance with the U.S. public company law. What does Mr. Panasonic think?" Xu Zhi said with a smile.

Konosuke Matsushita asked: "Will Best Buy be listed in the United States in the future?"

"Yes, on the one hand, we can raise funds for expansion, and secondly, since we are making American money in the United States, it is safer to go public in the United States." Xu Zhi replied with a smile.

Konosuke Matsushita nodded and said: "Okay, I can agree. I don't have to participate in the management of Best Buy, but I need to arrange someone to supervise the finances. In the future, all Best Buy stores, except Midea, will have stores selling Panasonic products." Right of First Option.”

"No problem, this request is very reasonable." Xu Zhi nodded in agreement. Since we are shareholders, we will naturally have certain privileges within the mall in the future.

Matsushita Konosuke raised his glass and said with a smile: "Then I wish us a happy cooperation."

"It's a pleasure to cooperate." Xu Zhi also picked up the wine glass.

The door to the private room was gently opened, and the waiter brought four steaks and placed them on the table.

Matsushita Konosuke smiled and said: "Mr. Xu, this is the most expensive Wagyu steak in the world, please."

"Okay, this is my first time to taste Wagyu beef." Xu Zhi looked at the marbled steak in front of him and couldn't help but feel his appetite grow.

…

After returning to Xiangjiang, Xu Zhi immediately called He Guoyuan and informed him of the cooperation reached with Konosuke Matsushita during his trip to Japan.

"We want to invest in the field of lithium batteries?" He Guoyuan couldn't believe it.

Xu Zhi smiled and said: "What's wrong? Are you so unsure?"

He Guoyuan said: "Chairman, the lithium battery industry actually has a history of decades, but so far, only disposable batteries launched by a few companies have successfully entered the market, but the scale is not large.

The biggest problem at present is that it is easy to cause leakage and fire hazards during secondary charging. If this problem is not solved, there will never be any market for lithium batteries.

But choosing the appropriate negative electrode material and electrolyte is a key issue. This involves the research of basic materials, which requires a large number of talents and new laboratories in this field. Xiangjiang does not have such conditions at all! "

"There isn't one in Xiangjiang, but there is in the north." Xu Zhi shook his head and smiled.

"The chairman is talking about the mainland?" He Guoyuan asked.

Xu Zhi nodded and smiled: "Yes, the mainland can even build atomic bombs and hydrogen bombs. Needless to say, there is no need to say more about talents. Even if there are some gaps in talents due to some reasons, after all, where the population base is, there must be people suitable for us. Professional talents needed.

You can send more people to investigate the current university professors in the mainland to see if there are talents in this field, and you can invite suitable ones. "

"That's okay. Then I will immediately arrange for the mainland office to investigate the matter." He Guoyuan nodded in agreement: "But as far as I know, the university professors in the mainland have a very high status. I'm afraid there are some people who want to poach them with money." difficulty."

If after the great man's southern tour in 1992, the trend of doing business abroad spread throughout the mainland, it would still be possible to invite these university professors to Hong Kong.

But at present, the mainland has just started reforming and opening up, and it is the time to pay close attention to education. Even mainland college students are the favored students of heaven, let alone those who can train these favored students. They are simply rare.

Xu Zhi thought for a while and said: "Let's find these people first, don't disturb them, and then let our company cooperate with the Mainland Ministry of Education or the other university in the form of commercial cooperation. In this case, there should be no problem. "

"This method is okay." He Guoyuan nodded and said, if it can be done in the name of cooperation, things will be much easier.

Xu Zhi then asked: "How much money has Best Buy invested so far?"

"Best Buy's initial budget for the first phase was US$100 million, and it planned to build 40 supermarket chains. Currently, there are 17 in the first batch under construction. However, because these first batches are all located in big cities, the project budget is 60 million. Dollar.

These 17 supermarkets are the first batch of operations. The main purpose is to familiarize the company with the operation of this industry and to cultivate sufficient management talents.

When all aspects are perfected, and if the project itself operates well, it will slowly spread out from the western United States. "

"Okay, I promise Konosuke Matsushita to sell 10% of Best Buy's shares to Panasonic Group. Please pay attention to this matter and handle the funds well," Xu Zhi said.

"Okay, I understand." He Guoyuan nodded in agreement.