Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Chapter 274: Chapter 157: Identity Exposed? Regional Arena Tournament

In the world of high-stakes business, the tactics used are often deceptively simple.

At first, Gu Ruilong tried to halt the factory’s construction by poaching talent from Linjiang’s military-industrial firms.

Later, after discovering that Li Chang’an could not only get help from Su Ruobing but also have the Governor of Xiangnan, Hu Xiuyuan, assign the necessary workers, the Gu Family realized this tactic wasn’t working and immediately switched to another.

They pressured the raw material suppliers, forcing them to agree to a deal on the surface while secretly ensuring they wouldn’t dare provide Cangxuan City with the materials needed for weapon forging.

This tactic was the very definition of pulling the rug out from under someone.

It was a move perfectly in line with the Gu Family’s ruthless and unscrupulous style.

If Li Chang’an hadn’t been prepared, he truly would have been tripped up by this tactic. After all, raw materials aren’t something you can procure at a moment’s notice.

They had to be purchased one or two months in advance. But now, with the factory complete and about to begin production, he had only managed to secure one-fifth of the required materials. This could easily lead to a delay of one or two months.

And Li Chang’an was in a hurry to make his deliveries.

He simply couldn’t afford such a delay.

But Li Chang’an was cautious. He hadn’t put all his eggs in one basket; he had an ace up his sleeve.

That ace was Qi Long, a military-grade raw materials supplier from Shanghai with whom he had worked once before.

Qi Long ran a massive operation.

The Qi Family behind him was just as deeply entrenched in Shanghai, with sprawling influence.

Though the Qi Family couldn’t contend with the Gu Family in terms of overall scale and power, even a mighty dragon hesitates to challenge a local serpent. Qi Long was not afraid of Gu Ruilong’s threats.

In fact, Li Chang’an had planned to order from Qi Long from the very beginning.

However, after making some inquiries, he discovered that Qi Long’s prices were too high—a full 20% more expensive than other suppliers!

But Li Chang’an was extremely short on funds at the time, so he had to drop the idea for the moment.

Still, just to be safe, Li Chang’an didn’t outright reject the possibility of working with Qi Long. They held preliminary talks about a potential partnership, and he even paid a partial deposit.

In other words, Li Chang’an had essentially taken out an insurance policy on his raw material supply. Even if the smaller suppliers failed him, he could transition to a new source seamlessly.

The only catch was that these materials would cost 20% more than the market rate.

Li Chang’an hadn’t told anyone about this, because he hoped he would never have to use this insurance policy.

But he never thought that day would come. It finally had.

When the call connected, Qi Long laughed. “Mr. Li, I trust you now understand the reason for my twenty percent premium, yes?”

Li Chang’an laughed as well. “Mr. Qi, it seems you really do get what you pay for!”

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Li Chang’an immediately signed the contract with Qi Long online.

Once they had agreed upon the raw material delivery date and the penalty for breach of contract, Qi Long laughed. “To be honest, Mr. Li, if we hadn’t done business before, and if I hadn’t had people look into your situation afterward, I probably wouldn’t have chosen to get involved. After all, it’s not worth offending the powers that be in Kyoto for some unknown small-time seller!”

“However, I’ve heard of your reputation and the recent stir you’ve caused. That’s why I’m willing to bet on you, even at the risk of a complete falling out with the Gu Family…”

He paused before continuing, “I hope your factory gets up and running smoothly, and I hope our friendship will last. To that end, I’ll waive the twenty percent extra premium. Consider it my treat, a gesture to start our friendship off right!”

Hearing Qi Long’s words, Li Chang’an smiled and replied, “Boss Qi, believe me, you will be proud of this decision in the future. The Night City Military Technology Group will not disappoint you!”

It had to be said, Qi Long wasn’t just a successful businessman.

He was also a speculator with a uniquely sharp eye.

Of course, that wasn’t what Li Chang’an admired most about him. What Li Chang’an truly appreciated was that Qi Long’s so-called sincerity never stopped at mere lip service.

A twenty-percent premium was a huge sum of money.

Qi Long had waived it without a second thought.

With that kind of magnanimity, it would be hard *not* to succeed.

At present, Li Chang’an had nearly five million Rebirth Points in disposable assets.

A little over one million of that was surplus from his previous rebirths, while another 1.5 million came from Su Ruobing and Xu Xiuyuan’s stock purchases.

The remaining two million consisted of deposits paid by other City Lords.

And the last five hundred thousand was the prize money he’d won at the Rebirth Arena two days prior.

Now, having agreed with Qi Long on the payment for the first batch of materials, Li Chang’an paid a full three million Rebirth Points in one go.

He couldn’t help but wince at the figure. The expense was physically painful.

Fortunately, this was just a temporary outlay. Once the contracts with the previous group of suppliers expired, their breach-of-contract penalties would plug this financial hole. A rough estimate even suggested he might make a small profit.

With the raw materials secured and the factory built, all that remained was to mobilize the workers and begin production.

Linjiang had placed an order with Li Chang’an for fifty Super Electromagnetic Cannons and one hundred Energy Particle Beam Cannons. Li Chang’an’s selling price for a Super Electromagnetic Cannon was three hundred thousand Rebirth Points apiece. The Energy Particle Beam Cannon was nearly half that, costing just one hundred eighty thousand Rebirth Points.

The pricing was clearly a gesture of goodwill.

Never mind the Super Electromagnetic Cannon; none of the major families had yet developed a mature product. The one Li Chang’an was introducing was the only game in town.

If it weren’t for Su Ruobing’s personal guarantee that the Super Electromagnetic Cannon could take down a special Tier Five Extraordinary Beast, it’s unlikely anyone would have dared to rashly spend so much money to purchase one.