Chapter 1288 - 984: Sleep Talking

Chapter 1288: Chapter 984: Sleep Talking

Before this, Huai Shi had already consulted and learned about the relevant matters.

Of course he wasn’t going to feel this was some great blessing now.

What was involved now had already reached the fundamental contradiction between supply and demand.

In the ever-changing market, the status of supply and demand often shifts with the situation and conditions. And the two sides are destined to keep rubbing up against each other, competing for discourse power.

To put it simply: who gets to be the boss?

"Equality and win-win" is just something in fairy tales to fool kids; in real business, losing the initiative is the same as lying on the chopping block. Whether the other side brings win-win or plunder by then, you probably won’t even have the chance to resist.

Right now, most of Tanbo Mining’s production capacity is actually in the smelting bases in the AnFang Region, they simply can’t swallow such a huge supply demand. All the groups attending the meeting are essentially joining forces, using this massive order as a bargaining chip to demand a seat at the table.

Put nicely, it’s expanding operations and making money together.

But what if they have something else in mind?

This will inevitably weaken Huai Shi’s control over Tanbo Mining, and at the same time, Tanbo might gradually lose its pricing power in the market... Even though that kind of Future is now still further away than a cold turning into lung cancer, it still has to be treated with caution.

This is a weighing of short-term development against long-term development; both choices have their pros and cons.

But Friman suspected this was just the beginning.

The other side probably had more cards up their sleeve.

Otherwise, what are they paying the strategy department all that salary for every year, the dogs?

"Then just turn it down."

Huai Shi flipped the lighter in his hand and answered calmly, "No need to feel regretful, Mr. Friman. Not just anyone gets to fish meat out of Tanbo’s pot."

Even though a decision like this wasn’t surprising, based on Friman’s understanding of Huai Shi, giving up such a huge asset and profit should have made him ache for quite a while. He hadn’t expected it to be brushed off this lightly.

For a moment, he couldn’t help being stunned.

"What’s wrong?" Huai Shi asked.

"This might sound a bit offensive... but I honestly thought you’d hesitate for a long time."

"Hahaha, Mr. Friman, you’re actually not wrong. If it were anything else, a sum this big would absolutely make me wince.

To be blunt, even when I occasionally miss Metatron’s discount season or the Hell zero-yuan sale on Group of Thousands of Evils, I’ll be heartbroken for a long time."

Huai Shi chuckled. "But this is different from those things."

That smile was utterly calm, without the slightest sense of reluctance, making Friman pause in surprise.

"Even though everyone thinks all of this came from me, I’ve never treated this place as my private property, and I don’t have that level of peace of mind.

Because without other people, I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to do anything." he said. "There are many more things that made me, that made all of this."

The predecessors of Utopia, the unreserved support from the Ivory Tower, the protection from the Book of Fate, the guidance from Tong Ji... and the support and trust from all the Beastified Characteristic Beings.

Huai Shi knew that none of this was laid down by him alone.

On the contrary, there were countless people to thank.

Now that there were results, how could he possibly think all of this was earned solely by his own effort?

"You always have to think for more people, Mr. Friman."

Huai Shi said, "They deserve a better life."

"Really not going to reconsider?"

Friman fulfilled his duty as a consultant in earnest, laying out all the pros and cons for Huai Shi: "After all, it’s such a large profit. With this money coming in, Tanbo’s financial situation will definitely improve greatly, and the current infrastructure construction won’t be so tight.

Besides, the Ivory Tower doesn’t necessarily fear them. It’s just business warfare, we’re not short of experience and success. If necessary, we can absolutely sweep them out of the game.

If we refuse, the domestic manufacturing industry of Yingzhou might join forces to boycott us next..."

"No need to think it over anymore. It’s just temporary hardship. If I have any greatest strength, it’s probably that I’m particularly good at enduring rough days, right?

Since a glorious Future is already guaranteed, why should we gamble on the present?"

Huai Shi shook his head and rejected it decisively: "The Future is mine, Mr. Friman. Let them get lost."

"The Future is yours?"

Friman pushed up his glasses and laughed. "That line deserves a drink."

"Then how about coming over to my place for dinner next time?" Huai Shi suggested. "Tengu Mountain recently sent me a batch of new liquor, it tastes pretty good."

"Any whiskey?"

"Just a few bottles of common stuff." Huai Shi quickly had an idea. "But that’s easy to fix. I’ll go grab a few bottles from Luo Su’s private stash later, we’ll call it overtime pay for everyone."

"Uh, well..."

Friman was taken aback.

"What, you afraid he’ll make things hard for you?"

"No, I mean please be sure to grab a few more bottles. The principal owes us way too much overtime pay..."

The two exchanged a look and burst out laughing.

That settled it.

Huai Shi didn’t attend the afternoon meeting again.

There was no point anyway.

Might as well go back to Tanbo Group and keep slacking off.

Only, come evening, an unexpected visitor arrived.

From Deer’s Sing Hall, the Kyoto Sojido.

Nanbu Tadakuni, who oversaw all Sublimator affairs in Kyoto.