Free Web NovelChapter 246: Chapter 192: Lin Qi: You’re All Finished (2)
"Looks like we were overthinking it. It makes sense. There are so many small pharmaceutical businesses in the Asian Administrative Region; the Big Business Alliance wouldn’t go so far as to wipe us all out."
"Everyone, shut up! Can’t you see Xiao Gu is still probing for information? Listen carefully!"
"Still probing? I don’t get it. Someone break it down for me, quick."
"You idiot! The information this director from United Pharmaceutical revealed was just the reason for the summit—that it wasn’t initiated by the Big Business Alliance. But he didn’t explicitly state the summit’s impact on us small businesses. Xiao Gu’s comment sounded like a sigh of relief, but it was actually a move to confirm the big corporations’ true intentions."
A flurry of analysis filled the group chat, and Xiao Gu mentally expressed his approval.
There were some smart people in the Medical Small Business Alliance group chat after all. It was precisely because of them that the alliance had been formed so smoothly.
Xiao Gu looked at Lin Qi, waiting for his response.
This time, however, Lin Qi didn’t rush to speak.
In truth, Lin Qi had no intelligence regarding the plight of small businesses at the summit.
If he hadn’t run into Xiao Gu today, Lin Qi wouldn’t have even known that the Asian Administrative Region had so many small pharmaceutical companies.
Over fifty were participating in tonight’s networking event alone; the number of those not participating could only be higher.
In fact, there was probably more than one such event happening tonight.
Others were likely being held elsewhere.
There were probably even smaller Pharmacy firms that couldn’t stomach the cost of staying at the Alliance Mansion and were staying elsewhere.
’Once the summit begins, what will happen to these small businesses?’
Lin Qi tried to judge from United Pharmaceutical’s perspective and recalled the chart Liu Xuan had shown during a meeting.
The big corporations only cared about profits and market share.
As for what would happen to the small businesses?
No one would care.
Now that the summit had given the big corporations a chance to carve out a slice of the profits, would they pass it up?
Absolutely not!
The reason the summit’s schedule hadn’t been confirmed was that the various big corporations were still in the process of negotiating and maneuvering. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
The Si Clan had merely traded benefits for the opportunity to hold the summit.
The summit’s proceedings and outcome were not something the Si Clan could decide on its own.
And after arriving in Alliance City today, the first thing Liu Xuan did was visit a member of the Big Business Alliance’s Permanent Council, likely to discuss the summit’s proceedings and the method of profit distribution.
Lin Qi continued, "Not necessarily."
As soon as he said this, the breathing of everyone in the hall seemed to slow.
While divulging this information, Lin Qi was also deliberately manipulating everyone’s emotions.
Liu Xuan was running herself ragged to ensure United Pharmaceutical’s survival. Having promised to help her, Lin Qi naturally couldn’t just do nothing.
The power of small businesses might be insignificant, but sometimes, it could be the key force that changes the entire situation.
Pushing their emotions to the brink, Lin Qi combined the information he had and stated his thoughts: "If the Si Clan wants to survive, they must leverage their own advantages—the completeness of their Pharmacy literature and academic strength."
"But the big corporations will never sit back and watch the Si Clan save themselves. Therefore, this summit on resource allocation is bound to be even more brutal."
"Our own chairwoman at United Pharmaceutical has been so busy with this matter that she hasn’t even had a chance to set foot in the Alliance Mansion today."
Lin Qi’s words were even more cryptic this time.
Even Xiao Gu had to analyze them deeply, extracting the keywords.
The big corporations, the Si Clan, resource allocation, brutal, United Pharmaceutical’s chairwoman...
Once the keywords were extracted, the color drained from Xiao Gu’s face.
This meant...
A reshuffle!
The industry leaders were going to reshuffle the deck!
A major reshuffle of the entire supply chain along with it!
Even a company like United Pharmaceutical, backed by Liu’s Heavy Industries and which should never have to worry about resources for Extraordinary Materials, was in crisis.
That sentence, "Our own chairwoman at United Pharmaceutical has been so busy with this matter that she hasn’t even had a chance to set foot in the Alliance Mansion today," meant that the young lady from Liu’s Heavy Industries had already gone to the Big Business Alliance to meet with someone of a higher position.
Above the big corporations, there was only the alliance’s Permanent Council and those immensely powerful Intercontinental Giant Corporations. frёeωebɳovel.com
Xiao Gu understood, but a considerable number of the company researcher representatives present did not.
Suddenly, Xiao Gu bowed to Lin Qi and said, "Brother Lin, please enlighten me! If Rotor Pharmaceutical can survive this, I will reward you generously!"
Xiao Gu sensed an extremely dangerous undercurrent.
In the games played by the big corporations, small businesses were bound to suffer collateral damage.
Especially in the pharmaceutical industry, where the big corporations already had solid technological moats.
Once turmoil began, the small businesses would be wiped out, left with no place to even be buried.
The Medical Small Business Alliance group chat exploded again.
"What’s going on? Why did Xiao Gu suddenly bow down to United Pharmaceutical?"
"What else could it mean? He’s scared. All of us small pharmaceutical companies are probably finished!"
"The big corporations are making their moves. They’ll probably use this chance to completely re-divide the pie. We aren’t even worthy of a seat at the table. The reason the alliance let us attend the summit isn’t to get a slice of the pie, it’s... we *are* part of the pie."
"Damn it, my job!"
"Your job is the least of your worries. The problem is, knowing the way big corporations operate, once the pharmaceutical market in the Asian Administrative Region is monopolized, what do you think will happen to us half-assed A-level Researchers who know a thing or two about Pharmacy?"
"Damn it, my brain!"
Like fish in a drying pond, the disaster would inevitably affect everyone present.
Everyone, whether they were a Mercenary or a company employee.
As they climbed the ladder step by step, the risks they bore would also grow higher and higher.
Until death, when they might finally become one of those so-called "Legends" whose names are remembered by history.
Through his Spiritual Vision, Lin Qi sensed everyone’s reactions and knew it was about time.
Although a considerable portion of what he’d said was his own mix of bluffs and educated guesses, there was a high probability he wasn’t far off the mark.
Now it was time to ease some of the pressure on the small businesses and, while he was at it, fulfill his actual purpose for coming here today.
Lin Qi said to Xiao Gu, "Brother Xiao, you’re being too serious. United Pharmaceutical is just a small business too. Naturally, we should all help each other."
"Besides, United Pharmaceutical was established only a short while ago, so we don’t necessarily get all the industry news in a timely manner. You should take what I said today with a grain of salt, Brother Xiao. Don’t read too much into it."
"I also need to hear news from other friends to cross-reference with United Pharmaceutical’s own intelligence channels."
Lin Qi also needed to gather more information, even if the channels these small businesses used weren’t very reliable.
But as long as there was enough of it, Lin Qi could still analyze it and extract something of value.
"In that case, Brother Lin, let me introduce you to the heads of a few slightly larger companies. They might know some valuable information."
Xiao Gu sighed to himself. The weight Rotor Pharmaceutical carried was clearly not enough to make Lin Qi take them seriously.
He could only hope that those few companies with a valuation of over a billion would be able to catch Lin Qi’s eye.
"Thank you, Brother Xiao."
Lin Qi made a show of his gratitude and walked with Xiao Gu toward the center of the hall.
...
More than half an hour later, Lin Qi was holding a champagne flute, taking a solitary sip.
’These small businesses have such limited intelligence channels,’ he thought with some resignation. ’They know next to nothing.’
’I was overthinking it. Given how the big corporations in the Cyber World operate, how could these small businesses possibly play a key role?’
The dream was beautiful, but reality was bleak.
The help the small businesses could offer Lin Qi was far less than he had expected.
But Lin Qi didn’t regret taking this action. Waiting around would have just been idle waiting anyway. At least this trip had, by a stroke of luck, allowed him to confirm Si Ranran’s whereabouts.
Just as Lin Qi was drinking alone, Xiao Gu approached him again. "Later, we’ll be moving to the internal conference hall for an academic exchange. Would you like to join, Brother Lin?"
Xiao Gu’s face was full of hope.
Lin Qi was an A-Class from a big corporation; his caliber was not something these small businesses could compare to.
If Lin Qi could participate in the academic exchange, it would be a huge boon for them.
Lin Qi thought for a moment, then replied, "Alright."
