NOVPUBChapter 104: Chapter 103 “Business Strategy
Chapter 104 -103 “Business Strategy
“No harm done,” Xue Quan smiled, as if he hadn’t heard the provocation from the Russian at all, “I’ve heard that the people who come to participate in this game are all extraordinary, and I too would like to discuss with everyone. To be honest, this world has really opened my eyes. It’s hard to imagine that such a sophisticated and lifelike society could be molded from lines of code alone, so… I am approaching it as if it were reality. On this point, I trust everyone agrees.”
No one else spoke up.
Clearly, they had all reached a verdict about the reality of the world in their hearts.
“I spent a whole day digesting the information you all have gathered, but I have to say, our intelligence is still largely insufficient, not just regarding the Old Continent on the other side of the ocean, but even this seaside city, our knowledge is rather limited. On the surface, our direct competitor appears to be Lesun Company, but in fact, we have no competitors, at least not in terms of products.”
“Is that all you have to say?” Anthony arched an eyebrow.
“This point is vital, it means that whatever we do is right. Therefore, there is no problem with your previous ideas of distributing medicine as promotion, collaborating with Yeni Temple, and emphasizing the efficacy against Scarlet Curse. Because antibiotics can only be produced by Gate of Destiny, our expansion will be very rapid until the formula is cracked by other pharmaceutical companies. But—” Xue Quan’s tone shifted, and his smile faded, “this does not mean we are devoid of enemies. Let me just briefly state my own suggestions; first, establish our own armed force, and do it quickly.” 𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒑𝒖𝒃.𝙘𝙤𝒎
“Second, use violence to eliminate the enemies coveting our pharmaceutical company, to remove threats on a practical level.”
“Third, find allies to bind our interests with other existing powers, preventing threats on a macro level.”
“That’s about it for the main points. Does anyone have questions or other ideas?”
The conference room was quiet for a moment.
Only Zhou Zhi hesitantly raised his hand and asked, “Are we… discussing business strategies here?”
Why does it sound like it’s all about fighting people?
“Hahahaha…” Anthony suddenly burst into laughter, “Mr. Righteous, it seems that the person you’re funding is nothing like you at all! Mr. Xue, you are indeed talented. If you have time, come up north, and I’ll buy you a drink!”
“Why does managing an armed force take precedence in Gate of Destiny Pharmaceutical Company’s operation?” Cui Zhen’en also expressed her lack of understanding, “Can you explain the reason behind it?”
“Actually, it’s not complicated, and can be judged from two aspects—first is the larger environment, or rather, the backdrop of the era, and second is to look at our peers,” Xue Quan said patiently, without a hint of impatience, “According to the intelligence we have gathered so far, be it the city defense force of Magnificent Castle or the various district police departments, none of them are modern security agencies in the true sense. The former is essentially the lord’s private army, while the latter are funded by large companies. They will maintain the city’s peace to a certain extent, but only if it does not interfere with their interests; the simplest example would be the serial killings orchestrated by the northern district’s police department—clearly they can neglect their basic duties, so relying on them is dangerous.”
“The latter is quite evident… the large companies Paradise has come into contact with nearly all have their security forces; GaoTian Mining even possesses an armed train. All of these require investment, and if their business wasn’t at risk, why would they go to such lengths?”
“Both scenarios show that the environment does not resist companies having independent armaments. To go further, conducting business with arms is a powerful way to ensure a company’s smooth development. In such an era, if Gate of Destiny lacks its own armed forces, it would be very difficult to compete with other large companies.” Xue Quan paused for a moment, “You must all be aware of the saying ‘Possession of a treasure brings trouble.’ Antibiotics will definitely become a money tree, so we must prepare for violent confrontation in advance.”
“Neighbors hoard food, I hoard guns; neighbors are my granary, right?” Zhou Zhi had a look of sudden enlightenment, “I understand now. So… who would this enemy be?”
“This is also what I wish to discuss in detail,” Xue Quan said calmly, “Yeni Temple once signed contracts with four companies and demanded priority in purchasing medical products from Lesun Company, which certainly involved collusion of interests. Now that we’ve monopolized the temple’s funding and medical supplies, the four companies are unquestionably the most agitated. It’s hard to predict who will make the first move, but whoever does, we must show everyone that Gate of Destiny is not lacking in violent means—in the context of this era, physical elimination is no doubt the most effective strategy for business confrontations.”
“GaoTian Mining would be the best,” Anthony said excitedly rubbing his hands together, “after all, we’re all old acquaintances.”
“Mr. Xue, your insight truly is extraordinary,” Tyler offered rare praise, “If someone from an era of turmoil had such a perspective, I could understand, but you seem to be someone who lived in a time of peace, and that’s quite rare. Could you tell me what kind of business you were involved in, in the real world?”
“I’m sorry, but that involves personal privacy; please excuse me from disclosing it.”
“No problem, I can understand.” The Englishman nodded.
“I have no doubts about the first two points, but I’m particularly curious about the third…” Qianyuan Mingzi joined the conversation at this point, “Since you’ve mentioned collaboration, do you already have some ideas?”
“I always feel that Gate of Destiny should ensure its independence…” Zhou Zhi muttered.
“Collaboration doesn’t mean losing independence, everyone here understands the reasoning,” Xue Quan said looking in the direction of the host. Chaoyang realized he was speaking to himself. “I do indeed have some ideas, and the current ideal collaborators would be the city guard militia.”
“The city guard militia?” Everyone was simultaneously taken aback.
“Correct, they are the lord’s private troops, so to a certain degree, they can influence the lord’s stance,” Xue Quan continued methodically, “Additionally, I’ve noticed that there is tension between the city guard militia and the large companies, and we can exploit this. Lastly, the military has a pressing need for emergency medications and anti-infection drugs, which fits well with Gate of Destiny’s profile.”
“Are you sure there’s a conflict between the two?” Anthony had some doubts, “Not long after we robbed the train, the city guard militia cooperated with the company’s joint forces to carry out a purge on the miners in the foggy area… All this was reported in the newspapers.”
“If Zhou Zhi hadn’t explained the second round of the game in such detail, I wouldn’t have caught this detail—the city’s security is theoretically the responsibility of the police force, but have you noticed? After the serial killings were exposed, the patrol personnel on the streets all turned into city guard militia, and it’s still the case to this day.”
“Ah…” Zhou Zhi exclaimed in surprise, “It does seem to be the case.”
“The police’s power has been stripped away,” Xue Quan’s tone grew more meaningful, “If the publicity disaster was caused by the chief of the northern police district, then things should have reverted to normal after the case was closed, but they haven’t. What’s more interesting is that the other three districts’ police stations haven’t been disbanded; they nominally still hold responsibility for the security of their areas. So, what caused the current deadlock? The answer can only be a power struggle.”
It wasn’t that the police were unwilling to step back, but rather the big companies behind the police were unwilling to give up the authority they held.
“So… they are not in cahoots,” he concluded, “and that provides us with an opportunity to win over the city guard militia.”
