The year's second half was shaping up to be an actual storm. And for CS, it wasn't about weathering it—it was about winning it.
The company had already begun preparations for its next flagship: the Hongmeng X Series.
But before Haifeng could finalize those plans, Jianyu stormed into his office, a printed sheet in hand.
"Bad news—Samsung just dropped the specs for their new phone."
Jianyu was still catching his breath.
"I was reading about Qualcomm's next-gen chip drop—and then bam, Samsung followed up with a spec leak on their upcoming flagship."
"They're not even waiting till next year. They're pulling the S6 launch forward into this fall."
Samsung had always held the crown in the Android space abroad, often dubbed the "Emperor of Android." But in China, their dominance had been repeatedly blocked by one obstacle:
CS.
Last year's Samsung S5 had been expected to sweep the market with its Snapdragon 810 and premium design. It should've crushed everything.
Instead, CS dropped a mid-range flagship with better specs and value. And even though its screen resolution wasn't quite on Samsung's level, the rest of the phone was. It made the S5 look bloated and overpriced.
Now, Samsung was making its move—they were looking to reclaim control of the Chinese market.
Haifeng reviewed the spec sheet Jianyu had brought. He took it seriously.
Samsung's new S6 wasn't a refresh. It was loaded. Clean design, top-tier internals, aggressive pricing.
"They're coming in hot this time," Jianyu said, still concerned. "If we don't prep well, we could lose a lot of ground."
Haifeng nodded.
"They're taking us seriously. That's the real headline."
"Think about it—how many companies in the world does Samsung see as a threat?"
He smiled.
"They just paved our road into the global market. Free advertising."
Jianyu paused, then grinned. It did make sense.
"To be targeted by a global giant like Samsung… It's almost a badge of honor."
Haifeng tapped the desk.
"Still, we don't take it lightly. We'll treat the Hongmeng X2 like the most essential release of the year. We prepare for war."
Jianyu nodded. He knew that look. Once Haifeng made up his mind, there was no second-guessing.
But before any of that could happen, Haifeng returned to the present.
"Priority is delivering all these pre-ordered S2s on schedule."
"We promised people a timeline. We hit that timeline. No excuses."
"We're building trust."
Jianyu understood completely.
CS wasn't chasing specs anymore. It was shaping its identity.
Three days passed in a blur.
Now, only one day was left before the Global Five-Star Crash Test.
That morning, Haifeng made a personal visit to Audi Motors. Inside Zhao Jianhua's office, he got straight to the point.
"How's test prep going?"
Zhao stood immediately.
"Almost everything's in place. Final checks and calibrations are wrapping up today."
"I can confidently say this crash test is the most transparent and standardized evaluation this industry's ever seen."
"We've sealed every loophole. Even if those giants lose, they'll have nothing to complain about."
"They won't admit it out loud. But they'll know—we beat them fair."
Haifeng gave a rare nod of approval.
"Good. This is the public debut of the Five-Star Crash Test Standard."
"If this lands well, we set the new baseline for safety worldwide."
He paused.
"Aside from the majors, how many other brands signed up?"
Zhao flipped through a sheet.
"About a dozen total. All direct competitors to the A4."
"But in the grand scheme? That's a drop in the bucket. Hundreds of automakers are out there, and most ignore this."
"They don't see us as relevant—yet."
Haifeng didn't flinch.
"They will."
"When the test goes public and the results are clear, anyone who skips the next round will look like they've got something to hide."
"Either they adapt… or they disappear."