Free Web NovelChapter 1536: Chapter 727: The Plan to Truly Leave the Solar System!
The Z-wave Base spanned a vast area, with a 30-kilometer radius around it being designated as a scientific research exclusion zone.
Driving freely in a flying car around such a massive area, circling a few times, was truly an exhilarating experience.
Zhao Yi felt like he had achieved a lifelong dream. Looking at the flying car, he felt even happier than when completing any research and development project—perhaps because he had already had many of the former, while the latter was a first-time experience.
When learning to drive a flying car previously, he could never fly freely.
But now he could.
However, to fly freely was still somewhat difficult. In the co-pilot’s seat, there sat a supervisor, or rather a temporary technical ’security guard’ specifically responsible for Zhao Yi’s flying car operations. The guard’s job was to activate the ’safety gear’ on the co-pilot’s side in case of danger, which would deploy a large parachute from above the flying car. freewёbnoνel.com
It was hard to say how effective the parachute would be; it might not guarantee safety if deployed in certain situations, but having a parachute was definitely better than not having one.
The flying car Zhao Yi was driving was one of the first batch produced. All other cars had been pre-ordered, while his was specially modified to include additional safety controls to ensure security.
Only 500 units of the first batch of flying cars were manufactured, with each selling at a price of 40 million yuan.
This price was quite high, but when compared to the flying car’s performance, it could be considered very cheap. The flying car could reach speeds of 400 kilometers per hour, and since there were no legal speed limits for flying yet, one could directly enjoy flying at speeds of 400 kilometers per hour.
Additionally, the flying cars were extremely safe; to pass higher-level approvals, each car had over 10 million yuan invested in safety, sometimes costing even more than the car itself.
After deducting taxes, the profit from each flying car was only about 10 million yuan— a profit margin of one quarter, which was relatively low, especially since the flying car was an unchallenged, monopolistic product.
But considering the market’s acceptance, setting the price at 40 million yuan was reasonable.
If the price exceeded 50 million yuan, the domestic market would lose the vast majority of its customers, except for a few wealthy individuals who could afford it.
Most of those who purchased the first batch of flying cars were either top-tier tycoons or large corporations funding it as an ’added showcase.’ Others were tourism agencies that bought the cars to offer a new ’entertainment project.’
And so on.
No matter how you looked at it, the first batch of five hundred cars sold out, bringing in a revenue of twenty billion yuan, and even after deducting costs, there was a tidy profit of five billion yuan, which was very attractive.
But for Yixing Technology, the profit was only equivalent to selling a small space shuttle.
The continuous manufacture and sale of flying cars wasn’t about making a lot of money, but about developing the market for flying cars and aiding in the exploration and perfection of related legal regulations. As long as the market was gradually built up, it would be possible to continuously produce more cars.
Additionally, mass production would help reduce costs.
Many parts of the current flying cars were handcrafted. With further improvements over time, costs could be significantly reduced.
Others at the Z-wave Base were envious of the flying cars, including some security and logistics personnel, who kept looking at the cars and saying, "Wouldn’t it be cool if I had a flying car too!" ƒreewebɳovel.com
"I heard that Academician Zhao developed this car. He develops and drives it himself. That’s really amazing!"
"I want to buy one too, but I don’t have the money. It’s like 40 million, right? Poverty is limiting my pursuit of dreams."
"Keep it up, work hard. With your salary of 10,000 yuan, you’ll be able to afford one in only 4,000 months."
"4,000 months? Over three hundred years?"
"——!!"
"Let’s just forget about it."
When it came to salary levels, most were left with nothing but sorrowful tears. Even the top scientists were no exception. Forty million was not an amount ordinary people could afford, and while they were top-notch scientists, in terms of salary, they fell within the ordinary bracket.
For example, Johnson, the team leader from Y Country, asked about the price of a flying car and just stopped talking afterwards. He definitely belonged to the high-income elite category, but his annual salary was only about 2 million yuan.
That salary was quite astonishing.
But it would take twenty years of not eating or drinking to afford a flying car.
Of course, some could afford it. There had been people who had inquired with Zhao Yi about purchasing a flying car. He had always given the same response, "We currently have no plans for overseas sales."
"However—"
This time there was a but, "In the future, it should be possible, I think. Maybe as soon as next year."
He said this with good reason.
In recent years, foreign countries had lifted import restrictions on domestic high-tech products, primarily because their views had changed.
The primary concern with importing China’s latest high-tech products was the potential impact on their own country’s industry enterprises. They preferred to engage in cooperation.
