The last weekend of July in the summer of 2026, I spent it in Pingshan, Shenzhen.

That afternoon, I visited an Italian-style café near BYD's Global Headquarters to meet Old Li.

Old Li was my college roommate. After graduation, he joined BYD and has been there for over ten years. From the original F3, he worked his way up to the current YangWang.

He opened his laptop. The screen was densely packed with progress tables for building factories overseas and various technical blueprints.

I asked him if his body could handle the non-stop recent schedule.

He closed the laptop, took a big gulp of iced coffee, and his eyes shone with a extremely bright light:

"It's tiring, but I feel happy inside. In July, we sold 419,000 vehicles. Data on premium cars and overseas sales all broke records. This feeling is like holding back a powerful move for ten years and finally landing it on the opponent's face."

1

419,000 vehicles.

This number represents a massive gap on the July China New Energy Vehicle sales list. For 62 consecutive months, BYD has firmly occupied the throne of China's monthly New Energy Vehicle sales.

But what truly excited Old Li was not the sheer volume, but the structural qualitative change.

"Previously, there was always a stereotype outside that we only rely on low prices for volume." Old Li turned the computer screen toward me, pointing to a set of data. "Take a look at this."

In July, BYD's premium brands (FangChengBao, Denza, YangWang) sold over 60,000 vehicles in total, a year-on-year increase of about 135%. Especially FangChengBao, sold over 40,000 vehicles in a single month, with a brand average transaction price exceeding 220,000; YangWang and Denza also steadily consolidated their positions in their ultra-luxury and luxury segments.

Old Li said, going for the premium segment is BYD's ingrained obsession with "daring to dream".

He recalled the past few years when the company proposed developing "e4", "DiSus", and million-level luxury cars. How many doubts came from outside. Some said it was a pipe dream, others said Chinese brands couldn't sell at that price.

"But Boss Wang (Wang Chuanfu) and our technical team just dared to do it, and dared to persist," Old Li said. "We stayed up countless nights and days in the lab, not to compete in a low-level price war, but to achieve a real generational advantage in core technologies."

When YangWang U8 turned around in place and floated on emergency water, when FangChengBao Bao 5 walked easily in the desert and snow, all those doubts turned into amazement.

Old Li looked at me, smiling and said: "Do you know what the most satisfying moment is for a Chinese engineer? It's not about how much bonus was issued, but seeing the code you wrote yourself and the chassis you tuned, forcing those once lofty century-old luxury brands to bow down and study you."

This is a pure sense of pride belonging to tech geeks.

2

After finishing the coffee, Old Li drove me to Yantian Port.

The sea breeze mixed with a salty wet scent. Massive Ro-Ro ships looked like moving steel islands, swallowing new BYD cars one by one into their bellies.

In July, BYD's passenger car and pickup overseas sales reached nearly 180,000 vehicles, a year-on-year increase of 124.3%, setting a new historical high. For the first 7 months of this year, cumulative overseas sales approached the one million vehicle milestone.

Standing by the dock, Old Li pointed to the cars about to go to the vast ocean and said: "These cars are going to Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia. Our overseas channels and factories are sprouting vigorously."

Going global is another key battleground for BYD's "daring to act".

Old Li told me that current global expansion is no longer the simple "selling goods out" of those days, but "rooting" across the whole industry chain and system.

"We built factories in Hungary, Brazil, and Thailand. We not only brought cars, but also brought flash charging technology, brought God's Eye high-level intelligent driving, and brought China's new energy standards."

He spoke of the experience of opening up the European market last year. The team was then facing European giants with hundreds of years of automotive cultural heritage, and local consumers were full of scrutiny towards a car brand from China.

"We didn't retreat. We relied on hardcore technical presentations one after another, on real test drive experiences one after another, tearing open a gap forcibly." Old Li said, "Daring to persist is fighting to the end in places others think are impossible and too difficult."

Looking at those huge ships sailing towards the deep blue, I suddenly felt somewhat emotional.

Decades ago, we exchanged 800 million shirts for one airplane; more than ten years ago, we exchanged cheap OEM products for meager foreign exchange.

And today, Chinese engineers use self-developed three-electric systems and leading intelligent cockpits to transport high-value-added cars ship by ship to the world, to exchange for a say at the top of the global industrial chain.

This is not only a victory of business, but also a leap of the spirit of the times.

3

On the evening of August 1st, the sales list for July was officially released.

I looked closely at that table. BYD 419,000, SAIC 177,000, Geely 160,000, Chery 129,000, Leapmotor 101,000. Further down, new forces at the 30,000 to 40,000 level.

This is a glamorous list, also the prelude to a major reshuffle of China's automotive industry.

In this era of winner-takes-all, there is no middle ground. Those names not on the list, those car companies that were once in the limelight, some have already stopped production, some are struggling hard in the ICU.

I asked Old Li, facing such an industry landscape, what is BYD's real moat?

He thought for a while and said six words:

Dare to think, dare to act, dare to persist.

"Many people only see our current sales, but didn't see we persisted on LFP for over ten years, persisted on PHEV technology for over ten years." Old Li said. "When the wind of opportunity comes, only those enterprises that truly dare to imagine the future, dare to put in hard work on R&D, and persist in long-termism even during low periods, can receive this overwhelming wealth."

This persistence is not blind involution, but a certainty towards "doing hard but correct things".

In BYD's engineer culture, everyone pursues a huge sense of accomplishment after overcoming difficulties. When a new technology becomes reality from blueprints, when a new model fights all over the global market, the joy of dopamine secretion cannot be replaced by anything.

This is exactly the positive energy most needed in today's Chinese society, using solid technology and innovation to win the world's respect.

4

On the way back from Yantian Port to the city center, the sunset dyed Shennan Avenue golden yellow.

Old Li told me that next week he would fly to Hungary to monitor the final debugging work of the European passenger car factory.

"The team over there is ready. We want to get the first car off the line locally in Europe before the end of the year." In his tone, there was no fatigue from long-distance flying, only anticipation for the new journey about to begin.

Looking at the profile of his face as he focused on driving, I suddenly felt that the best stories of this era are actually written by millions of people like Old Li.

They are trendsetters in the tide of this country's industrial upgrading. They have light in their eyes, fire in their hearts, and a road under their feet.

419,000 vehicles are not only scattered across every corner of China, but will eventually also spread to all corners of the world.

They will become new favorites in European middle-class garages, partners for Latin American families on weekend outings, and the most beautiful scenery on Southeast Asian streets.

They are not only transportation tools, but also business cards for China's intelligent manufacturing going global.

When getting off the car, I shook hands with Old Li vigorously.

"Everything goes smoothly in Europe, waiting for your good news." I said.

He nodded smiling, pressed the gas pedal, and the car merged into the Shenzhen evening rush hour traffic flowing forward.

Watching the car disappear, I know that the Great Age of Navigation belonging to Chinese cars and Chinese engineers has just begun.

Pada hujung minggu terakhir Julai musim panas tahun 2026, saya menghabiskan masa di Pingshan, Shenzhen.

Petang itu, saya pergi ke sebuah kedai kopi Itali berhampiran ibu pejabat global BYD, bertemu Encik Li.

Encik Li adalah rakan sebilik universiti saya. Selepas menamatkan pengajian, beliau bekerja di BYD selama lebih daripada satu dekad. Bermula dari F3 yang asal, beliau telah bekerja sehingga Yangwang sekarang.

Beliau membuka laptop, skrin dipenuhi jadual kemajuan pembinaan kilang luar negara dan pelan teknikal.

Saya bertanya, bekerja tanpa henti baru-baru ini, adakah badan anda kuat menahannya?

Beliau menutup komputer, meminum secawan besar kopi ais, mata berkilat dengan cahaya yang sangat terang:

"Penat sedikit, tetapi saya gembira di hati. Julai lalu kita jualan 419,000 unit, data kereta mewah dan eksport memecahkan rekod. Perasaan ini, seperti menahan serangan kuat selama sepuluh tahun, akhirnya terkena di muka pesaing."

1

419,000 unit.

Angka ini, dalam senarai jualan kereta baharu tenaga elektrik China pada Julai, adalah kehadiran yang terpisah jauh. Selama 62 bulan berturut-turut, BYD memegang kuat takhta jualan bulanan kereta baharu tenaga elektrik China.

Tetapi yang benar-benar membuat Encik Li gembira, bukan jumlah yang besar, tetapi perubahan kualiti struktur.

"Dulu luaran selalu ada tanggapan stereotaip, beranggapan kita hanya bergantung pada harga rendah untuk kuantiti." Encik Li memusingkan skrin komputer kepada saya, menunjuk satu set data di atas, "Lihatlah ini."

Pada Julai, jenama mewah BYD (Fangchengbao, Denza, Yangwang) jumlah jualan melebihi 60,000 unit, peningkatan selang masa 135%. Terutamanya Fangchengbao, jualan tunggal bulan lebih 40,000 unit, harga purata transaksi jenama melebihi 220,000; Yangwang dan Denza juga kukuh dalam sektor mewah ultra dan mewah masing-masing.

Encik Li berkata, membuat produk mewah, adalah obsesi 'beranikan fikir' dalam tulang belakang BYD.

Beliau mengingat tahun-tahun sebelumnya, apabila syarikat mengemukakan untuk membuat 'Yi Si Fang', 'Yun Nian', kereta mewah jutaan ketika itu, berapa banyak suara keraguan dari luar. Ada yang kata ini cerita dongeng, ada yang kata jenama China tidak boleh jual harga itu.

"Tetapi Encik Wang (Wang Chuanfu) dan pasukan teknikal kami berani bekerja, dan berani bersabar." Kata Encik Li, "Kami berjaga di makmal selama berjuta-juta hari dan malam, bukan untuk bersaing perang harga tahap rendah, tetapi untuk mencapai keunggulan generasi sebenar dalam teknologi teras."

Apabila Yangwang U8 berputar di tempat, terapung air kecemasan, apabila Fangchengbao Bao 5 berjalan rata di padang pasir dan salji, suara keraguan itu semua bertukar menjadi kekaguman.

Encik Li menatap saya, tersenyum, "Tahukah anda sebagai jurutera China, saat paling gembira apa? Bukan berapa bonus dikeluarkan, tetapi apabila anda lihat kod yang ditulis sendiri, chasis yang disetel, memaksa jenama mewah abadi yang pernah tinggi itu, terpaksa letak maruah untuk mengkaji anda."

Ini adalah kebanggaan tulen yang dimiliki oleh penikmat teknologi.

2

Selepas minum kopi, Encik Li memandu membawa saya ke Pelabuhan Yantian.

Angin laut berbau masin, kapal pemuat muatan ro-ro yang besar seperti pulau besi bergerak, sedang menelan kereta BYD baharu ke dalamnya.

Pada Julai, jualan luar negara BYD kereta penumpang dan pikap hampir 180,000 unit, peningkatan selang masa 124.3%, mencipta rekod tertinggi. Tujuh bulan pertama tahun ini, jualan terkumpul luar negara menghampiri sempadan satu juta unit.

Berdiri di tepi jeti, Encik Li menunjuk kereta yang akan pergi ke laut dalam berkata, "Kereta ini, pergi ke Eropah, ke Amerika Latin, ke Asia Tenggara. Saluran dan kilang kami di luar negara sedang berakar dengan gila."

Eksport, adalah medan utama kedua BYD 'beranikan kerja'.

Encik Li memberitahu saya, eksport sekarang, sudah bukan lagi mudah 'jual barang' zaman dulu, tetapi 'berakar' keseluruhan industri dan sistem.

"Kami membina kilang di Hungary, membina kilang di Brazil, membina kilang di Thailand. Kami tidak hanya bawa kereta, tetapi bawa teknologi cas kilat, bawa mata langit pintar canggih, bawa piawaian tenaga baharu China."

Beliau menceritakan pengalaman mengembangkan pasaran di Eropah tahun lalu. Masa itu pasukan berdepan gergasi Eropah dengan budaya kenderaan abad, pengguna tempatan penuh dengan penilaian terhadap jenama kereta China.

"Kami tidak mundur, hanya dengan persembahan teknikal keras, dengan pengalaman test drive sebenar, paksa buka celah." Kata Encik Li, "Beranikan bersabar, adalah di tempat orang rasa mustahil, rasa terlalu sukar, berjuang hingga ke hujung."

Melihat kapal besar ke laut biru, saya tiba-tiba ada perasaan.

Beberapa puluh tahun dahulu, kita tukar lapan ratus juta baju dengan satu kapal terbang; lebih 10 tahun dahulu, kita tukar produk kontrak murah dengan mata wang asing yang tipis.

Manakala hari ini, jurutera China menggunakan sistem kuasa tiga yang dibangunkan sendiri, menggunakan kabin pintar yang unggul, hantar kereta bernilai tambah tinggi kapal demi kapal ke dunia, untuk dapatkan kuasa bercakap di puncak rantai industri global.

Ini bukan hanya kemenangan perniagaan, tetapi lompatan semangat zaman.

3

Malam 1 Ogos, senarai jualan Julai dilancarkan rasmi.

Saya lihat meja itu teliti. BYD 419,000, SAIC 177,000, Geely 160,000, Chery 129,000, Leapmotor 101,000. Seterusnya, adalah pasukan baru tingkat 30,000 hingga 40,000.

Inilah senarai yang cemerlang, juga prolog pemecatan industri automotif China.

Di zaman pemenang makan semuanya, tiada tanah tengah. Nama-nama tidak tersenarai, syarikat kereta yang pernah bercahaya, ada yang berhenti, ada yang susah payah di ICU.

Saya tanya Encik Li, berdepan corak industri begini, parit perlindungan BYD apa sebenarnya?

Beliau berfikir sebentar, berkata enam perkataan:

Beranikan fikir, beranikan kerja, beranikan bersabar.

"Banyak orang hanya lihat jualan sekarang kita, tapi tak lihat kita berpegang pada litium besi fosfat lebih 10 tahun, pada teknologi hibrid mencampuh lebih 10 tahun." Encik Li berkata, "Apabila angin datang, hanya yang berani fikirkan masa depan, beranikan usaha penyelidikan, dan pada masa lesu masih berpegang pada jangka panjang, boleh tahan kekayaan langit yang jatuh."

Bersabar begini, bukan 'involution' buta, tetapi keyakinan pada 'buat kerja susah yang betul'.

Dalam budaya jurutera BYD, semua cari perasaan pencapaian besar selepas mengatasi masalah. Apabila teknologi baharu dari lukisan jadi realiti, apabila model baru di pasaran global menakluk, kebahagiaan dopamin itu, tidak boleh digantikan.

Inilah tenaga positif yang paling diperlukan masyarakat China sekarang, guna teknologi dan inovasi sebenar, untuk menang hormat dunia.

4

Dari Pelabuhan Yantian balik ke pusat bandar, jalan Zhennan jadi warna emas oleh matahari terbenam.

Encik Li beritahu saya, minggu depan dia akan terbang ke Hungary, untuk tengok kerja penyetelan akhir kilang kereta penumpang Eropah.

"Pasukan sana dah bersedia, kita perlu sebelum akhir tahun, kereta pertama turun garis di Eropah." Dalam nada dia, tiada penat penerbangan jauh, hanya harapan untuk perjalanan baru.

Saya lihat wajah sisi dia memandu, tiba-tiba rasa, kisah terbaik zaman ini, sebenarnya ditulis oleh ribuan Encik Li macam ini.

Mereka adalah peluncur ombak dalam gelombang peningkatan industri negara ini. Mata ada cahaya, dada ada api, kaki ada jalan.

419,000 kereta, tidak hanya tersebar setiap sudut China, masa depan akhirnya akan tersebar ke seluruh dunia.

Mereka akan jadi buah hati garaj kelas pertengahan Eropah, akan jadi rakan keluarga Amerika Latin cuti hujung minggu, akan jadi pemandangan jalan Asia Tenggara paling cantik.

Mereka bukan hanya alat pengangkutan, tetapi kad nama pembuatan China ke global.

Turun kereta, saya dan Encik Li berjabat tangan kuat.

"Ke Eropah segala lancar, tunggu berita baik anda." Kata saya.

Dia senyum angguk, injak minyak, kereta menyertai aliran lalu lintas malam Shenzhen.

Lihat kereta pergi, saya tahu, zaman pelayaran besar kereta China, jurutera China, baru mula.