At 8:00, 1 Krypton News: The age limit for the "National Civil Service Examination" has been relaxed to under 38 years old; Chen Zhen revealed the cause of the Rolls-Royce accident; Apple customer service responded to the issue of "a large number of new iPhone 17 series models failing to activate".
Today's Hotspot Guide
JD.com Responds to Entering the Car - Manufacturing Industry: Not Directly Involved in Manufacturing
Nanjing Deji Plaza Sets Exclusive Toilets for Members, Requiring Annual Consumption of Over 200,000 Yuan
Ele.me Pilots Canceling Late - Delivery Deductions for Riders in Multiple Regions
Owners of Domestic Passenger Cars No Longer Need to Go to the Vehicle Administration Office for New Car Registration
The Positions of Yan Xuefeng and Zhu Lidan at Master Kong Beverage Become "To Be Determined"
Top 3 Big News
The "National Civil Service Exam" Removes the 35-Year-Old Age Limit, Allowing Applicants Under 38 Years Old
On October 14, the "Announcement on the Recruitment of Civil Servants for the Central Government Departments and Their Affiliated Institutions in 2026" was officially released, with a total plan to recruit 38,100 people. The announcement shows that, different from previous years, this year's National Civil Service Exam has relaxed the age limit for the first time: the upper age limit for applicants has been raised from 35 to 38 years old (born after October 1986); for master's and doctoral graduates in 2026, it has been raised from 40 to 43 years old (born after October 1981).
The National Civil Service Bureau has also explained the adjustment of the age requirement. The relevant person in charge said that in accordance with the requirements of the policy on implementing the gradual delay of the legal retirement age, the age conditions for civil service recruitment have been appropriately relaxed. (Beijing News)
Chen Zhen Reveals the Cause of the Rolls-Royce Accident: Use of Driver Assistance
On the evening of October 13th, automotive blogger Chen Zhen posted on Weibo, revealing that the core reason for the previous head - on collision accident when he was driving a Rolls - Royce Spectre was the use of driver assistance. He said, "Precisely because I don't drive a Rolls - Royce often, my understanding of the boundaries of the Spectre's driver assistance capabilities is not clear enough." On October 14th, Chen Zhen responded again, "Although they are all called driver assistance, there are significant differences between the driver assistance systems of different brands. Additionally, under current regulations, the driver is always the primary responsible person in any situation! Just like in my case."
Previously reported, on October 4th, the Beijing traffic police announced the accident situation, stating that after preliminary investigation, Chen Zhen was fully responsible for the accident, and the accident is currently under further investigation. (Beijing News)
Apple Customer Service Responds to "Many New iPhone 17 Series Phones Fail to Activate"
Since the evening of October 13, many users in different regions have reported that the newly purchased Apple iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro Max cannot be activated. This issue remained unresolved until the morning of the 14th, attracting attention on social media.
A customer service representative said that since October 14, a large number of users have reported that their new phones cannot be activated. The official has confirmed this as a widespread fault and has urgently reported it to the internal engineering and technical department for handling.
In May this year, Apple also experienced a large - scale service outage, which was fixed after more than an hour. Initially, users were unable to log in to their Apple ID and iCloud normally, and later they couldn't complete payments via Apple Pay. (Jiemian News)
Big Companies/Big Events
JD.com Responds to Entering the Car - Making Industry: Not Directly Involved in Manufacturing
On October 14th, JD.com announced that it would jointly launch a new car on November 9th with Times Electric Service, a subsidiary of CATL, and GAC Group. Many media interpreted this as JD.com officially entering the automotive industry, getting involved in car - making and launching cars under the JD brand. In response, JD.com stated that this new car is jointly launched by the three parties. JD.com mainly provides user consumption insights and exclusive sales, and is not directly involved in the manufacturing process. According to an insider close to GAC Aion, the jointly launched new car is the battery - swapping version of the GAC Aion UT. (Caixin, Yicai)
Positions of Yan Xuefeng and Zhu Lidan at Hang Sheng Beverage Become "To Be Determined"
On October 14, reporters from The Paper learned that in the internal system of Hang Sheng Beverage Group Co., Ltd., the positions of Yan Xuefeng and Zhu Lidan were shown as "to be determined." There are reports that the two have applied for resignation. Reporters from The Paper called Yan Xuefeng and Zhu Lidan, but neither answered the phone. On October 13, the internal system of Hang Sheng Beverage still showed that Yan Xuefeng's position was "Director of the Production Center and General Manager of Xun'er Company," and Zhu Lidan's position was "Director of the Management Center and Minister of the Human Resources Department." Yan Xuefeng is considered by the outside world to be a "right - hand man" of Zong Fuli, the chairperson of Wahaha Group, and a core figure in the group. A reporter confirmed from an insider at Wahaha that Yan Xuefeng didn't come to work on October 14, while Zhu Lidan was on duty. So far, Wahaha has not responded officially. (The Paper, Jiemian News)
Ele.me Pilots Canceling Overtime Deductions for Riders in Multiple Cities
On October 14th, Jiemian News learned from the WeChat official account of Ele.me's city riders that regarding the cancellation of overtime deductions for riders, the platform is piloting the cancellation of overtime deductions in multiple cities. Currently, the pilot is being carried out in cities such as Nantong, Changzhou, Jieyang, and Jingdezhen, and it is expected to cover more cities in October.
Ele.me revealed that the platform is piloting the promotion of a new version of service scores, replacing the original overtime deductions with methods such as deducting service scores, and striving to achieve more pay for more work and better pay for better work. The platform will gradually cancel overtime deductions, upgrade anti - fatigue rules such as adding intelligent AI assistants for early voice reminders, and optimize the "forced offline" function. (Jiemian News)
Internet-famous bakery brand 85°C closes multiple stores in many locations
Recently, the Internet-famous bakery brand 85°C has closed stores in many locations such as Hangzhou, Shanghai, and Nanjing, which has attracted wide attention. It is understood that several 85°C stores in Hangzhou have closed recently, including the Qingchun Road store, the Binjiang store (which will close on October 15th), the Jiangcheng Road store, and the Fuyang Yuchangcheng store, which closed earlier. There are also quite a few 85°C stores in Shanghai. According to Dianping, currently, some stores in Shanghai are "temporarily closed" or "permanently closed", including the Guangji store, the Zhaoxiang Penglian store, and the Shengxia store. In addition, some of the brand's stores in Nanjing have also been closed.
The closure of 85°C stores is related to the performance pressure of its parent company. In the first half of 2024, the parent company of 85°C, Food-KY, suffered a loss of approximately NT$200 million (equivalent to approximately RMB 46.42 million) in its mainland China business. If the operation structure is not adjusted, the loss may expand to more than NT$400 million (equivalent to approximately RMB 92.84 million) in 2025. (Jiemian News)
Ding Lei, the founder of HiPhi Motors, is restricted from high - end consumption
It is reported that recently, Human Horizons (Shandong) Technology Co., Ltd. and its legal representative Ding Lei have been restricted from high - end consumption. The case process shows that previously, Human Horizons (Shandong) Technology Co., Ltd. has been enforced to pay more than 3.82 million yuan and more than 98.72 million yuan respectively in this case. The enforcing courts are both the Intermediate People's Court of Huizhou City, Guangdong Province. (Jiupai News)
Xie Mengwei, Known as "Brother Gazi", Has Been Subject to Enforcement of Over 14 Million Yuan
Recently, Xie Mengwei, also known as "Gazi", who was administratively detained for live - streaming product sales while wearing a police uniform, posted a video on Douyin, saying "I'm back" and apologizing to all viewers. In the video, he revealed that the company's employees had been arranged to return to their hometowns, and the live - streaming product sales would be suspended in the future. Currently, his Kuaishou video account remains blocked.
The China Enforcement Information Disclosure Network shows that recently, two new pieces of information about Xie Mengwei as an enforced person have been added. Among them, Xie Mengwei and his wife Guo Shanshan have been subject to enforcement of approximately 2.1 million yuan by the People's Court of Xinshao County, Shaoyang City, Hunan Province. Xie Mengwei, along with Guo Shanshan, Lin Moumou, and Zu Moumou, have had the enforcement of 5 million yuan restored by the People's Court of Daxing District, Beijing. Previously, Xie Mengwei and Zu Moumou were subject to enforcement of approximately 5.24 million yuan by the People's Court of Hualong District, Puyang City, Henan Province. Xie Mengwei was subject to enforcement of approximately 1.71 million yuan by the People's Court of Guancheng Hui District, Zhengzhou City, Henan Province due to a private lending dispute and was restricted from high - end consumption. (Yicai Global)
Nanjing Deji Plaza Sets Up Exclusive Toilets for Members, Requiring an Annual Consumption of 200,000 Yuan
Recently, some netizens posted pictures on social media, claiming that Nanjing Deji Plaza has opened exclusive toilets for members, and the access passages to these toilets are equipped with an intelligent glass access control system. On October 13th, a staff member of Deji Plaza responded that these exclusive toilets are only open to Deji Celestial members and members of higher levels. To become a Deji Celestial member, one needs to spend 100,000 yuan within 180 consecutive days in a natural year or 200,000 yuan within a natural year. The staff member said that the main consideration for setting up these exclusive toilets is to provide more convenient and comfortable service experiences for members, especially during holidays when the passenger flow is relatively large. A reporter from Jiemian News found through a search on a second - hand platform that some merchants are currently selling the membership codes for Deji Plaza's exclusive toilets, with prices ranging from 1 yuan to 5 yuan, and many stores show transaction records. (Jiemian News)
Zhu Jiusheng, former president of Vanke, has been subject to criminal coercive measures
Yicai Global has learned from multiple sources that Zhu Jiusheng, the former president and CEO of Vanke A (000002.SZ), has been subject to criminal coercive measures. Zhu Jiusheng worked at the Shenzhen Branch of China Construction Bank Co., Ltd. from 1993 to 2012 and then joined Vanke. In January 2025, he resigned from his positions as a director, president, and CEO of Vanke. In January this year, the media reported that Zhu Jiusheng had been taken away for investigation. At that time, he responded to the news by updating his WeChat Moments. However, many insiders in the Shenzhen real - estate industry said that they had rarely heard about him since then. (Yicai Global)
The Second Generation of "Starship" Comes to an End, with Cumulative Investment Exceeding $5 Billion
Early in the morning on October 14th Beijing time, the new - generation heavy - lift launch vehicle "Starship" of American aerospace company SpaceX was launched in Texas, the United States. This was the 11th test flight of the Starship and the final performance of the second - generation Starship. After takeoff, the rocket successfully separated, rushed into space and safely returned to Earth, and finally accurately fell into the Gulf of Mexico, achieving the stage goal of making the "Starship" "fly back" - completing the complete closed - loop from launch to controlled water landing.
The second - generation Starship is the largest reusable rocket in active service in human history. According to the information previously disclosed by Elon Musk, the third - generation Starship is planned to complete construction and testing work by the end of this year, and the fourth - generation Starship is expected to be launched in 2027. Currently, SpaceX has cumulatively invested more than $5 billion in the "Starship" project. (Daily Economic News)
No need to go to the vehicle management office for license plate registration of newly - purchased domestic passenger cars
At a press conference held in Beijing on October 14, the Ministry of Public Security announced that starting from November 1st, the "one - stop" service for license plate registration of newly - purchased domestic passenger cars will be fully implemented across the country. It will promote the sharing and verification of information such as vehicle sales invoices, purchase taxes, and insurance, enabling the digital processing of all license plate registration services for newly - purchased domestic passenger cars, and the public will be exempted from submitting paper materials.
Meanwhile, a new car license plate registration module will be developed and applied in the "Traffic Management 12123" App. Online services such as car selection, insurance purchase links, license plate number selection, and license plate registration will be integrated to achieve the online sharing of new car information. After purchasing a new car, the public no longer needs to go to the vehicle management office for vehicle inspection and can complete the registration and license plate application online without leaving home. (Caixin Press)
List of Directors' Salaries of Hong Kong Listed Companies Released: Li Xiang Tops with HK$680 million
On October 13, the financial website Webb-site, founded by well - known Hong Kong stock commentator "Stock Market Long Hair" David Webb, announced the list of directors' salaries of Hong Kong listed companies in 2024. The list is ranked from highest to lowest in terms of directors' total remuneration and includes information on the top 1,000 directors.
Data shows that 31 directors received over HK$100 million in 2024. Li Xiang, the founder, chairman, and CEO of Li Auto, topped the list with a total remuneration of nearly HK$680 million. Wang Xuning, the chairman and CEO of JS Global Lifestyle, ranked second with approximately HK$521 million, and Liu Qiangdong, the founder of JD.com, ranked fourth with about HK$449 million. In addition, Peng Yongdong, the co - founder, chairman, and CEO of Beike, ranked fifth, and Zhu Weisong, the founder and chairman of BLOK, ranked sixth. Other directors in the top ten include Shan Yigang, co - founder and executive director of Beike, Chen Rui, chairman and CEO of Bilibili, Han Run, CFO of JS Global Lifestyle, and Ho Yau - lung, chairman and CEO of Melco International. (Jiemian News)
A NIO ET7 caught fire outside a scenic area in Dali, with no collision before the fire
On October 13th, a video of a NIO ET7 new energy sedan catching fire outside the entrance and exit of the Beimen Parking Lot in Xizhou Ancient Town, Dali City, Yunnan Province, sparked heated discussions on social media platforms. Multiple on - site video footages showed that after the NIO new energy sedan caught fire, it burned fiercely and produced a large amount of smoke. The front passenger door was open, and firefighters were using water to extinguish the fire. A witness said that after hearing a loud noise, the four passengers in the car got off the vehicle in time and evacuated. Then the car started to burn. After the firefighters arrived, they quickly put out the fire. According to a staff member of the local government department, there was no collision before the incident, and the driver was not in the car when the fire broke out. No casualties were reported. (Red Star News)
Alipay's ICBC Gold Accumulation Plan Gains Popularity, with Over One Million Visits
During the trading session on October 14th, the ICBC Gold Accumulation Plan on the Ant Fortune platform briefly showed "unable to open an account" and then fully returned to normal. According to the relevant person in charge of Ant Fortune responding to a reporter from Yicai, as the international gold price exceeded $4,120 per ounce, hitting a new high, investors' enthusiasm for buying gold soared. On October 14th, over one million people visited the "Gold Accumulation Plan" page on Alipay. The Ant Fortune platform also reminded that the current gold price is fluctuating at a high level. Investors should purchase gold according to their risk tolerance, pay attention to diversified allocation, and avoid concentrating heavily on a single investment in gold. It is recommended to obtain the long - term return value of gold through methods such as dollar - cost averaging. (Yicai)
Fed Chair Powell: The Fed May End Balance Sheet Reduction in the Next Few Months
On October 14 local time, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell hinted that the central bank may end the reduction of its balance sheet, the so - called quantitative tightening (QT), in the next few months, which may be approaching an end. Powell pointed out that considering the Fed's long - standing goal of leaving sufficient liquidity in the financial system to firmly control short - term interest rates and normal money market fluctuations, "Our long - stated plan is to stop balance sheet reduction when reserves are slightly above the level we judge to be consistent with an ample supply." "We may approach this point in the next few months, and we are closely monitoring a range of indicators to see if this goal has been achieved." The Fed chair also said that the U.S. labor market shows further signs of distress, which supports investors' expectations for another interest rate cut this month. (Jiemian News, National Business Daily)
The probability of the Federal Reserve cutting interest rates by 25 basis points in October is 97.3%
According to the CME "FedWatch": The probability of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates unchanged in October is 2.7%, and the probability of cutting interest rates by 25 basis points is 97.3%. The probability of the Federal Reserve keeping interest rates unchanged in December is 0.1%, the probability of a cumulative interest rate cut of 25 basis points is 6.4%, and the probability of a cumulative interest rate cut of 50 basis points is 93.5%. (Caixin Press)
The number of bankrupt enterprises in Germany increased by 10.4% year-on-year in September
On October 13 local time, preliminary data released by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany showed that the number of enterprises applying for the standard bankruptcy procedure in Germany in September increased by 10.4% compared with the same period last year. Many credit institutions expect that the number of corporate bankruptcies in Germany this year will exceed that in 2024. Some reports point out that factors such as high energy prices and political uncertainty have intensified the wave of bankruptcies in Germany. (CCTV News)
South Korea's Exports to the US Plummet by Over 40%
According to the latest statistics from the Korea Customs Service, South Korea's exports to the US in the first ten days of this month decreased by more than 40% year-on-year. For a long time, the US has consistently ranked second in South Korea's export markets. However, since the implementation of the US tariff policy, the US has slipped to become South Korea's third-largest export market since July. In addition, the trend of the South Korean won exchange rate, an important factor affecting South Korea's exports, has also shown significant fluctuations recently. The Ministry of Economy and Finance of South Korea and the Bank of Korea jointly issued a statement yesterday, indicating that the recent intensified fluctuations in the South Korean won exchange rate are being closely monitored with vigilance. This is also the first time in a year and six months that South Korea's relevant departments have verbally intervened in the exchange rate. (CCTV Finance)
Apple Confirms Unlocked iPhone Air for the Chinese Mainland Market
On October 14th, the updated sales information of the iPhone Air on Apple's official Chinese website shows that in the Chinese mainland, China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom can all provide eSIM support for this product. Apple officially stated that all iPhones purchased from apple.com that are not connected to a carrier network are unlocked phones. That means users won't be restricted by a particular network provider or a multi - year service contract. Users can choose the network and tariff plan that suit them. Even after activation, users' new iPhones remain unlocked and can use any network that offers services for iPhones. (Jiemian News)
The three major U.S. stock indexes closed mixed, with NVIDIA falling more than 4%
36Kr learned that at the close on October 14, the three major U.S. stock indexes showed mixed performances. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.44%, the Nasdaq Composite fell 0.76%, and the S&P 500 Index fell 0.16%. Most large technology stocks declined. NVIDIA fell more than 4%, Arm fell more than 2%, Tesla and Amazon fell more than 1%, while Meta, Netflix, and Microsoft posted slight declines, and Apple and Google posted slight gains. Most popular Chinese concept stocks weakened. NIO fell more than 5%, Baidu fell more than 4%, Bilibili and Tencent Music fell more than 3%, and Weibo, Alibaba, and XPeng Motors fell more than 2%; Sohu and New Oriental posted slight gains.
Going Public
Pony.ai
36Kr learned that the International Cooperation Department of the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued a record-filing notice for the overseas issuance and listing of PonyAI Inc. The company plans to issue no more than 102 million common shares and list on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. The company completed its listing on the Nasdaq in November 2024.
QingSong Health Group
36Kr learned that the International Cooperation Department of the China Securities Regulatory Commission issued a notice on the overseas issuance and listing filing of QingSong Health Corporation. The filing materials for overseas issuance and listing submitted by the company through its domestic operating entity, Beijing QingSong YiKang Information Technology Co., Ltd., have been received. The company plans to issue no more than 36,496,400 overseas-listed ordinary shares and list them on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
Han Tian Tian Cheng Electronic Technology (Xiamen) Co., Ltd.
36Kr learned that according to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, Han Tian Tian Cheng Electronic Technology (Xiamen) Co., Ltd. submitted a listing application to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, and China International Capital Corporation is the sole sponsor.
Investment and Financing
"Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry" Completes Series A++++ Financing
36Kr learned that on October 14th, "Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry" officially announced the completion of Series A++++ financing. The amount of this round of financing is nearly 300 million yuan, with capital injection from Sichuan Manufacturing Co - development Fund and Fangguang Capital, and Haoguan Capital serving as the financial advisor. So far, Zero Gravity Aircraft Industry has completed three consecutive rounds of financing within two months, with a cumulative financing amount of nearly 700 million yuan.
The Cutting - Edge of AI
NVIDIA's AI Supercomputer DGX Spark™ Officially Delivered
NVIDIA announced that the "world's smallest to date" AI supercomputer, NVIDIA DGX Spark™, has been officially delivered. As a new - generation computer, DGX Spark offers 1 PFLOP of AI performance and 128GB of unified memory, enabling developers to run local AI model inferences with up to 200 billion parameters and fine - tune models with 70 billion parameters. In addition, developers can also create AI agents locally and run advanced software stacks through DGX Spark. (Jiemian News)
The first batch of facilities with a capacity of 200 megawatts in the UAE's "Stargate" Artificial Intelligence Park will be put into use next year
An official from G42, a cloud computing and artificial intelligence company backed by Abu Dhabi, said on Tuesday that the first batch of facilities with a capacity of 200 megawatts in the UAE's planned 5-gigawatt artificial intelligence park will be put into use next year. As a major oil exporter, the UAE has invested billions of dollars in its efforts to become a global artificial intelligence hub and hopes to obtain relevant technological support through its close relationship with the United States. (Sina Finance)
Walmart Collaborates with OpenAI to Launch ChatGPT Shopping Feature
Walmart announced on Tuesday that it will establish a partnership with OpenAI, enabling consumers and members of Sam’s Club to directly shop within ChatGPT and use the “Instant Checkout” function of this AI chatbot. (Sina Finance)
Google Partners with the World Bank to Build AI-Driven Public Digital Infrastructure
On October 14, Google and the World Bank announced the establishment of a new alliance. The cooperation between the two sides focuses on deploying an open network stack. By integrating Google Cloud's artificial intelligence technologies (including the Gemini model) with the World Bank's development expertise, this program helps governments around the world quickly build interoperable networks in key areas such as agriculture, healthcare, and skills training. (Jiemian News)
Financial Reports of Large Companies
JPMorgan Chase's net profit in the third quarter was $14.4 billion, a year-on-year increase of 12%.
JPMorgan Chase's third-quarter earnings report released on October 14 showed that net revenue increased by 9% to $47.1 billion; net profit increased by 12% to $14.4 billion; earnings per share were $5.07, compared with $4.37 per share in the same period last year. (Jiemian News)
Small Commodity City: Net profit in the third quarter was 1.766 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 101%
36Kr learned that Small Commodity City announced that its revenue in the third quarter of 2025 was 5.348 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 39.02%; the net profit was 1.766 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 100.52%. The revenue in the first three quarters was 13.061 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23.07%; the net profit was 3.457 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 48.45%.
Compiled | Purple