While Haifeng presented the new Audi A4 to thunderous applause across the ocean—foreign automotive giants were watching.
At first, they dismissed the hype.
"It's just another flashy launch from China."
"Probably all looks, no substance."
But the moment Haifeng introduced the turbocharged engine, alarms went off in boardrooms worldwide.
"What? A 40% performance increase over naturally aspirated engines?"
If true, the entire automotive power structure could shift overnight.
Inside Benma Group (BMW's equivalent)
The exec overseeing the livestream rushed into the office of Chairman Dujie Qiaopu in complete panic.
"Boss! Something serious just happened!"
"Huaxing—no, China Star—announced their new turbocharged engine.
It's already installed in the Audi A4."
"The performance jump? A full 40% over our naturally aspirated engines."
Chairman Qiaopu frowned.
"Turbocharged? What kind of engine is that?
I've never even heard of it before."
"Are you sure they didn't make that up to trick us?"
But the staffer shook his head.
"Lu Haifeng himself announced it.
And from the data presented—it's real. And it's already in production."
Qiaopu went quiet.
Outwardly, he stayed composed. But inside?
Complete chaos.
He couldn't believe it.
"A company like China Star—born in China, a country with no history in high-performance auto tech—just… invented a world-leading engine?"
If it were Baolai or Autuo , that would be fine. They were long-time competitors.
But China Star? They were supposed to be new money. It's a phone brand. This was supposed to be impossible.
Worse?
They had watched the earlier teaser and assumed it was another shallow launch—just a new shell.
"We thought it was just a media stunt," Qiaopu muttered.
But now?
The turbocharged engine changed everything.
What scared him most wasn't the A4's beauty.
It was the numbers.
And the technology gap growing underneath.
Their annual engine improvements?
A modest 3–5% over last year's models.
Haifeng's jump?
Forty percent.
That wasn't a leap—it was a chasm.
Qiaopu knew the truth now.
"If we don't take this seriously…
we might not even hold our domestic market.
Forget about dominating China."
Market Panic
Benma had been planning to launch the B260 model alongside the Audi A4.
They wanted to suppress Audi's growth by showcasing their superior performance.
Now?
"We can't even guarantee we'll beat the A4."
"What if our car looks outdated the moment it drops?"
Even worse…
"If they can build a B-class luxury car with this engine…
what's stopping them from building a C-class next?"
With a turbo engine in hand?
They could challenge every tier.
Qiaopu wasn't thinking about his market share anymore.
He was thinking about survival.