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Outing One Hundred, a media company under a focus on the evolution of the automotive industry chain.

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On May 10th, 360 announced its partnership with “NETA” to build cars, and the always-strong Zhou Hongyi once again took the stage.

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In recent years, the car-making waves have been soaring, and many internet and technology companies have entered the industry. Zhou Hongyi, who is good at “stirring up trouble”, has not made any moves.

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• He has stood outside the circle and watched as many new car-making forces and traditional car manufacturers have sought cooperation with 360 in the past two years.
• After all the chicken feathers settled, and the tracks that should have been taken were taken, he reached out and got involved.

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It is well known that he has always been good at “making enemies everywhere”. From system integration to software, from software to the internet, he has overturned the industry and himself.

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“If he sets his sights on a particular industry, there will undoubtedly be many people who will be scared because he cannot stay focused and has a gambling personality. He is good at poking holes in the market.”

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This time, unexpectedly, he did not choose to go it alone.

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On May 10th, the 360 official Weibo account shouted out, “Zhou Hongyi, whom the people miss, will once again make an appearance. What kind of huge change will he bring to the industry this time?” The official Weibo account of NETA Automobile forwarded the comment and said, “Finally, I have been waiting for you, my destined ‘noisy partner in the sea’.”

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They look like a good couple, their profile picture is the “360 Group Smart Automobile Strategy”. One look and you know they want to do something big.

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The day after the announcement, 360 officially invested in NETA Automobile and led the investment in the NETA D round. After completing all investment procedures, 360 may become the second largest shareholder of NETA Automobile.

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As expected, 360’s desire to build cars was no longer covered up. Those who are familiar with “the Red Cloak Master” know that Zhou Hongyi is unwilling to let his sword and shadow fade away and cannot tolerate being left out in the “car-making” world.

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Although he calmed down when he was “fifty years old”, Zhou Hongyi chose to reconcile with the world. However, the character of “wanting to compare with the heavens” has always been hidden in his bones, and “challenging culture” is the foundation of 360.

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So, the Weibo account asked, “What kind of huge change will he bring to the industry this time?”

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Zhou Hongyi has always been an independent and unconventional person. There are also concerns in the industry that NETA Automobile founder Zhang Yong and Zhou Hongyi will not be able to cooperate closely like a needle against a haystack.

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Idolizing Steve Jobs, Zhou Hongyi has always regarded the “creation of ultimate products” as his guiding principle. After becoming the second largest shareholder in the future, will Zhou Hongyi participate in, or even take the lead in, the initial product research and development of NETA?

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Zhou Hongyi stated publicly, “After the failure of mobile phones, we cannot make cars ourselves.”He always emphasized that 360 and NETA Motors have a cooperative relationship in car manufacturing, which is a joint venture. In the future, 360 will use NETA Motors as a template and equally apply its security technology to other automakers.

“Zhou Hongyi can’t be the number one of all businesses.”

Previous evaluations of him in the internet circle still have some truth when heard now.

Why did Zhou Hongyi, who always watched from the sidelines, choose to participate in car manufacturing in the end? It’s related to his personality.

As old rivals choose new battlefields, Zhou Hongyi feels a bit lonely.

“I think it’s true that Zhou Hongyi is destined to never lead a peaceful life,” and don’t think that reconciling with the world means losing his ambition. “As long as I’m alive, I’ll work hard.”

Sure enough, with Alibaba, Baidu, Huawei, Xiaomi, Skyworth, Da-Jiang Innovations announcing their participation in car manufacturing or being involved in it, enemies from the entire internet industry period are going down different paths. Zhou Hongyi couldn’t sit still and wanted to try his hand on this new battlefield.

“I miss being a challenger, and I also miss the sound of the internet wars,” he said in 2017, and he still keeps this mentality.

Before joining in car manufacturing, he talked to Lei Jun.

Lei Jun, who only spent 75 days from research to announcing car manufacturing, told him that this matter is both complicated and simple. It’s complicated because it involves multiple supply chains, but simple because we’re comfortable with internet thinking.

After visiting multiple factories, Zhou Hongyi realized that the automation rate of production reaches more than 95%, and he became more confident. Then, he researched the recent trend of internet car manufacturing and came up with a theory: NIO, XPeng, and LI, their founders are all Internet product managers who relied on traditional auto companies to bring them on the right track.

After careful consideration, Zhou Hongyi accepted Lei Jun’s encouragement. “It suddenly dawned on me, so I plan to do this project, and I also want to be the chief product experience officer at NETA Motors. Anyways, I will work hard for it.”

Judging from his tone, we know that he’s still the familiar Zhou Hongyi. Even though years have passed, his stubborn and quirky personality still exists.

He believes that internet car manufacturing is the second half of internet competition and the inevitable model and direction of intelligent connected vehicles. It has gone from PPT car manufacturing concepts to mass production and delivery, reaching the fourth stage where only six companies have exceeded a sales volume of ten thousand. “In my opinion, it’s not that there are too many internet companies entering car manufacturing, but too few!”

The call to battle is too irresistible to him.

This year’s Shanghai Auto Show was Zhou Hongyi’s first visit to a car show, and he not only went to the booth of old internet rival Huawei but also went to the booth of rumored love interest NETA Motors.

As for how 360 and NETA Motors got along, there are reasons on both sides.# Translation

The reasons behind Zhou Hongyi’s decision, much like his personality, are not concealed. With NIO, XPeng, and Li Auto all going public, “the space for me to choose is very small, and traditional automakers may not need me.”

Before partnering with NETA Motors, Zhou Hongyi led his team to visit and experience the products at the NETA Motors factory. In his opinion, NETA Motors is more like a start-up team, “and I am more willing to choose a start-up company.”

This also coincides with Zhang Yong’s statement during an interview, “NETA Motors’ goal is to survive by 2025.”

However, with Zhou Hongyi’s personality, he is not content with being just a “Chief Product Experience Officer.” His strengths and weaknesses are clear – he is extremely detail-oriented about products, and impatient for results.

“I am not willing to sit idly by during this huge opportunity to transform China.” With this ambition, the degree to which Zhou Hongyi and Zhang Yong can “build cars together” and whether they can get along remains to be seen.

That being said, beginnings are always promising. At present, six NETA Motors vehicles have already been showcased at the 360 office building, and Zhang Yong led Zhou Hongyi on a tour.

As for why NETA Motors chose 360, Zhang Yong was much more official in his response.

If NETA Motors needs to improve its software technology, 360’s strength is just that. If their marketing concept needs to be broadened, Zhou Hongyi has an outstanding track record in internet marketing. If they lack experience in financing, 360 can help broaden their financing and IPO path…

Although the details of the partnership have yet to be announced, the two parties have reached a consensus on product positioning, with a focus on new energy vehicles priced around 100,000 yuan.

Known for his belief in free products, Zhou Hongyi stated at the strategic communication meeting that the partnership between 360 and NETA Motors will not make luxury cars, but rather use the power of technology to create intelligent vehicles that the average person can afford. Zhang Yong shares the same belief, stating that “NETA Motors will definitely be a consumer brand.”

Zhang Yong repeatedly emphasized that whether it is the NETA U or the NETA S, NETA Motors has no intention of making high-end cars. “The NETA S is our highest model, and its pricing will not be that high”.

As many internet giants are entering the field – covering areas such as vehicle manufacturing and Tier 1 suppliers – there are not many opportunities for 360. It remains to be seen how successful NETA Motors will be with the help of technology.

The future is uncertain, but Zhou Hongyi seems to be prepared. “360 will use NETA Motors as a template, and then output safety technology to other car companies equally.”

This is the familiar ambitious Zhou Hongyi.

This article is a translation by ChatGPT of a Chinese report from 42HOW. If you have any questions about it, please email bd@42how.com.