Many people came to the hearing site one after another.
According to the industrial layout, these people are naturally divided into two distinct camps, one belonging to the conservatives and the other belonging to the newcomers.
Traditional car manufacturers sat on the left side of the venue, while emerging car manufacturers and automotive software companies that have entered the field of autonomous driving sat on the right side.
The two sides looked at each other across the aisle, with humble smiles on their faces, but there was a gleam of sword in their eyes.
This hearing will determine the life and death of these two factions. If the government insists that driverless technology is not yet mature and should be temporarily withdrawn from the market, then emerging car manufacturers and car software development companies that have invested a lot of research and development funds but failed to obtain any commercial benefits will suffer huge losses.
If the government continues to support the research and development and promotion of driverless cars, traditional car manufacturers will fall into a state of slow decline due to their late start, low-end technology and slow transformation.
To put it more bluntly, today's hearing is a game between two factions, and it is also a moment that determines the life and death of many manufacturers.
Seeing Zhuang Li leading a group of senior executives into the venue, traditional car manufacturers waved to him and asked him to sit over.
Representatives from automotive software development companies gave him hostile looks.
It was precisely because of this individual that the once thriving smart car industry suddenly faced an unprecedented downturn! Zhuang Li was able to easily defeat Eugene with just a QR code, and pointed out that Eugene's most fatal weakness was a flaw in perception, so he must be a tech savvy person.
"He is a technical person, but he abandoned the technology with his own hands. It's really sad!" The boss of an automotive software development company shook his head and sighed at the engineer next to him.
"I don't understand what Mr. Zhuang is thinking. If it weren't for him, our industry wouldn't have suffered such a devastating disaster." The engineer took off his glasses and shook his head helplessly.
They understood long before they arrived that the outcome of this hearing would not be favorable to the New Faction.
The person presiding over this hearing was Zong Zhengming, a notorious hawk who never wavered in his beliefs for anyone or anything. So far, not a single reform or policy he had sought to promote has gone unimplemented.
This hearing is most likely just a formality, and the government will ultimately reject the market status of self-driving cars.
The corporate representatives sitting in the seats on the right looked at each other, all with bitter smiles on their faces.
Just then, Zhuang Li walked towards them, pulled out a chair and sat down in the middle of the first row.
Seeing his actions, there was an uproar at the scene.
"Mr. Zhuang, are you sitting in the wrong seat?" Someone waved from the opposite side.
Zhuang Li just took out a cigar, put it in his mouth, and smiled meaningfully.
Everyone was a little confused and didn't know what he meant.
Even Zhuang Han, who was hiding in the crowd and preparing to listen to the meeting quietly, couldn't help but stick his head out and look at Zhuang Li across the crowd, his eyes full of astonishment.
Thanks to Zhuang Jincheng's connections, Zhuang Han was able to successfully enter the venue to gather information. After losing Cambrian, he still had a car manufacturing plant, so he naturally chose the left camp.
He thought Zhuang Li was the same, but he didn't expect that the other party would choose the new faction.
What's Zhuang Li up to? What's going on in his head? He knows Zong Zhengming intends to revoke the sales license for self-driving cars, so why is he still supporting the New Edge faction? Isn't he afraid of losing everything? By the way, is he taking over Cambrian in order to establish a market for self-driving cars?
Why is he always so bold?
These questions gave Zhuang Han a headache.
Just at this moment, Zhuang Li's eyes suddenly met his, but he was not surprised at his appearance at all, and just looked away casually.
Zhuang Han smiled gently at his brother, but the moment he lowered his head, a strong sense of unwillingness welled up in his eyes. He didn't know when, in Zhuang Li's eyes, he had become an insignificant person.
"Mr. Zhuang, we are all using driverless cars here. Would you like to change positions?" The boss who had mocked Zhuang Li before asked in a low voice.
"I'm also working on driverless cars." Zhuang Li finally gave a definite answer.
So everyone sitting around him was surprised. They turned their heads to look at him, then looked away and whispered to the people around them.
How daring! Mr. Zhuang is entering the autonomous driving field at this juncture! Is he out of his mind?
Is this fake? He must have sat there to find out what was going on! Some people also thought so.
However, after the hearing began, when Zong Zhengming asked everyone to vote by show of hands on whether to revoke the sales license for self-driving cars, Zhuang Li actually raised his hand and said, "I think not."
There was silence at the scene, and everyone's eyes turned to him.
Zong Zhengming also stared at him intently and said in a deep voice, "Give me a reason."
"Mr. Zong Zheng, do you know how many people die in car accidents every year around the world?" Zhuang Li asked instead of answering.
Zong Zhengming looked at the secretary beside him. The secretary wiped the sweat from his forehead and began typing on the computer.
This is a question that needs to be checked immediately.
Zhuang Li didn't even give them time to react and said directly, "Every year, 1.2 million people die in car accidents, which is equivalent to the damage caused by 10 Hiroshima-level atomic bomb explosions.
"Cars, as a means of transportation, are causing more horrific casualties than atomic bombs, and this happens every year.
"In our country alone, 100,000 people die in car accidents every year. But have government departments around the world ever considered banning the sale of cars?" Zhuang Li curled the corners of his lips and looked at the podium with a half-smile.
Zong Zhengming was stunned by the question, and the officials sitting around him looked at each other, unable to answer.
Zhuang Li asked again, "Mr. Zong Zheng, do you know how much damage has been caused by hacker attacks on the internet worldwide?"
Zong Zhengming looked at the secretary beside him again.
Cold sweat began to drip down the secretary's forehead. Who would bother looking up this data when they have nothing better to do?
As usual, Zhuang Li didn't give them a chance to copy the answer. He quickly said, "It's $450 billion, and it's the same every year. It will even surge to over a trillion next year. The destructive power is equivalent to a global natural disaster."
Zhuang Li slowed down his speech and asked again, "But which country would ever want to ban the sale of computers?"
Zhuang Li stood up from his seat, walked to the center of the conference room, looked around, spread his arms, and asked with a smile: "Look, no country has banned the sale of cars or computers. So why should we ban the sale of self-driving cars?"
"If this technology matures, it will reduce traffic fatalities worldwide by over 90%. It has certain flaws, and there's no way to completely prevent traffic accidents. But as long as it can truly save more lives, truly benefit humanity, and truly change society, it deserves the right to survive.
"In the 1970s, the Soviets believed that bringing computers to every household was a false proposition, so they completely missed out on the information age. They were eventually overtaken by the United States and collapsed.
“Some of us may resist the development and adoption of a technology, but if it has the potential to revolutionize the world, it will rise quickly.
“Smart people will embrace it with ecstasy, while foolish people will reject it with disdain, and eventually be rejected by it and then by the whole world.”
Zhuang Li looked straight at the podium and asked, "Mr. Zong Zheng, you don't want China to repeat the mistakes of the Soviet Union, right?"
Zong Zhengming stared into those radiant eyes, his mind spinning. He had never known that when the little curly-haired boy argued and spoke eloquently, he could exude such extraordinary charm.
He made it impossible for him to look away.
The business representatives sitting on the right burst into warm applause, and some even shouted across the air: "Mr. Zhuang, well said!"
The corporate representatives sitting on the left fell silent.
Zhuang Han clenched his fists and stared at Zhuang Li, his chest filled with a myriad of complex emotions. What Zhuang Li was saying now was exactly what he had always wanted to say to the public.
However, he is no longer qualified to speak.
Zhuang Li raised his hand and pressed it down, signaling everyone to be quiet. He walked slowly around and asked, "Can anyone tell me what a self-driving car is?"
"It's just a car, what else could it be?" said a representative sitting on the left impatiently.
"You're wrong," Zhuang Li said, looking towards the podium and chuckling, "A self-driving car is actually the simplest robot. Its arms and legs are four wheels, and its brain is the cab. It doesn't look like a human, but it is indeed a type of robot.
"I remember around this time last year, the government issued a document calling for 'vigorously promoting the research, development, and production of robots.' So, if Mr. Zong Zheng vetoes the sale of driverless cars, isn't that going against the government?"
Zong Zhengming: "..." In front of so many people, he actually stretched out his hand to cover half of his face, looking embarrassed.
This is extremely rare for him, who always presents a cold and tough image.
Does this indicate that Zhuang Li’s words had an impact strong enough to shake his resolve?
The corporate representatives sitting in the audience held their breath and stared intently at the two people who were confronting each other.
However, the fact was just the opposite. Zong Zhengming was not embarrassed, nor was he frustrated. He just didn't want everyone to see the upturned corners of his mouth.
When the little curly-haired boy pointed at his nose and questioned him, his subconscious reaction was love, pampering, and a desire to laugh, rather than anger, disgust, and rejection as others assumed.
He loved the dazzling look of the little curly-haired boy who took control of the whole scene.
Zhuang Li didn't care about Zong Zhengming's reaction and continued, "In this official document, the national blueprint is as follows: In the future, a large number of service robots will emerge in all aspects of our lives.
"They will fight on our battlefields to defend us from foreign enemies; they will shop, cook, and clean our homes; they will accompany our children and the elderly; and when major disasters occur, such as earthquakes, floods, fires, and nuclear leaks, they will appear in the most dangerous places to save human lives.
"But please use your brains to think about it, think carefully."
Zhuang Li extended his slender fingertips and tapped his solar plexus. His gaze swept across the room, finally settling on Zong Zhengming. "Where did the development of these robots begin?"
Zong Zhengming lowered his hand from covering his face and shook his head expressionlessly. He didn't understand technology.
The officials sitting next to him also knew nothing about this.
A voice shouted from the right side of the audience: "The development of high-function robots actually started with driverless cars!"
Zhuang Li's fingertips quickly locked onto the man, confirming, "Yes, you're right. The development of high-function robots started with driverless cars. The relationship between them is like the transition from single-celled organisms to multicellular organisms, a process of evolution."
"If we can't even develop robots that run on four wheels, how can we make them stand up and walk on their slender limbs? Only lower animals crawl on the ground, while humans can walk all over the world on two legs.
"Do you see the direction of evolution here? Can you understand the generational development path of robots?" Zhuang Li slowly turned his body and looked around at everyone in the field.
Finally, he faced Zong Zhengming and said sternly, "Our rejection of driverless car technology may appear to be for the sake of consumer safety, but in reality, it's blocking the path for robotics technology to advance from low-end to high-end. This is seriously contrary to our country's development strategy. Therefore, I would like to ask Mr. Zong Zhengming to rescind his decision."
He bowed gracefully, walked slowly back to his seat, and said, "My speech is over. Thank you all for your patience in listening."
Thunderous applause suddenly broke out from the audience seats on the right.
Master Zhuang said everything they wanted to say but didn't dare to say! Great, this is the philosophy that a true scientific researcher should have!
How can we achieve cutting-edge technology without developing it from the ground up? These corrupted government officials only make decisions based on their own egos, never considering the real world and the underlying logical connections between things.
Zong Zhengming, who was full of nonsense, said: "..."
Even though Curly was pointing his nose at him and scolding him in person, he was really happy, and the pride in his chest was almost overflowing.
However, the necessary procedures still had to be followed, so Zong Zhengming raised his hand and asked the most crucial question: "If the self-driving car you developed hit and killed someone, how would you handle it? How would the responsibility for the accident be divided? Who should bear the legal consequences?"
Faced with this question, the audience on the right, which had been applauding just now, fell into silence, while the corporate representatives sitting on the left all smiled secretly.
In fact, the real obstacle to the development of autonomous driving technology lies in the imperfection of laws. If the country cannot formulate relatively comprehensive legal provisions in a short period of time, the government will inevitably delay the promotion of this technology.
After all, the government’s primary function is to protect the lives and safety of the people, which no one can encroach upon.
As long as the government delays long enough, traditional automakers will still have time to adjust their industrial layout.
The formulation and promulgation of a new law will take at least several years.
After a few years, those emerging car companies on the other side will either die or be crippled, and their cash flow cannot be delayed.
The person sitting on the left visibly relaxed.
Those sitting on the right all looked towards Master Zhuang. Unknowingly, this young man who had just made his debut had become their leader.
Zhuang Li chuckled and said slowly, "If the government allows, in the future, each smart car produced by Huarui will apply for a natural person identity from the government and carry out activities in society under the name of Huarui employees. We at Huarui will set up a special fund for them. If they cause an accident and the traffic police determine that they are responsible, Huarui will pay all compensation."
As soon as these words were spoken, there was another uproar of shock in the venue.
Outsiders only saw Zhuang Li's lavish spending, but insiders were deeply attracted by his proposals.
Registering each robot as a natural person and having R&D companies, insurance companies and the government jointly assume regulatory responsibilities is the key to formulating the new bill. All problems will be solved right now!
In fact, what has troubled Zong Zhengming is the issue of formulating special legislation, not the issue of whether to cancel the sales rights.
He never thought of stopping the development of this technology; he just wanted to put a rein on it so as to minimize the social harm it might cause.
Now, Curly has found the reins and handed them to him, why doesn't he take it?
Zong Zhengming looked at the officials on his left and right.
These people either nodded and smiled, or frowned in thought, but they still had not reached a consensus.
Zhuang Li then said, "Have you ever thought that when this technology matures and reduces the death rate from traffic accidents to a minimum, one day in the future, all the cars on the streets will be driven by robots.
“By then, you’ll no longer be discussing whether it’s legal for robots to drive cars, but whether it’s legal for humans to take the wheel again.
"You see, this is how the world is developing. It will overturn all your current cognition and promote a brand new future.
"Just as the popularity of steam engines, electric lights, telephones, and computers made it difficult for ancient people to imagine our current lives, the world has already made arrangements before humans realize that changes have already taken place. No one can stop the arrival of a new era." Zhuang Li glanced at the audience and smiled with pursed lips.
His speech made everyone's eyes focus on the void, penetrate the clouds and mist, and see a brand new era that is completely incomprehensible to people today.
While we're still debating whether it's legal for robots to drive cars, humans in the future might be debating the exact opposite. Isn't this absurd? Isn't it ridiculous?
However, everyone vaguely realized that no matter how absurd and ridiculous this scene was, it would become a reality one day in the future.
This is the power of technology!
The business representatives in the right audience seats were excited and stood up to applaud Master Zhuang.
Even some representatives in the left audience were impressed by the future outlined by Zhuang Li and nodded continuously.
Hidden in the crowd, Zhuang Han nearly clenched his fist. He looked at Zong Zhengming, who had also stood up, smiled gently, and clapped softly. He realized that Zhuang Li had won the hearing and, along with it, the respect and recognition of the entire industry.
When he gave up on driverless technology due to fear of difficulties, Zhuang Li paved a way for the development of driverless technology.
Lost! Completely lost! Zhuang Han lowered his head hastily, trying to hide his extremely embarrassed and unwilling face.
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