Free Web NovelChapter 37: Chapter 37: Watch Him Build a High-Rise
Meanwhile, at the Ryukyu West Sea Company.
They were also secretly monitoring the situation and had naturally seen the related report on CCTV News the previous night.
However, Wang Dafu, the boss of the West Sea Company, wore a cold smile. Although his subordinate had been arrested, he didn’t care. Instead, he shifted all the blame onto the man, issuing a public statement claiming his own innocence and that he had been framed.
At that moment, he looked at the printed formula data in his hands, tapping the papers lightly against his palm as he laughed smugly.
"You want to sue me? As long as I don’t sell this technology, I can just set up a few shell companies as fronts. You can sue me all the way to the United Nations for all I care. The worst-case scenario is I don’t sell eel fry in the mainland and East Japan. The other markets are more than enough to live on."
His son, standing beside him, was worried. "Dad, are we really going to convert 300 mu of fish ponds? We don’t have enough mature eels..."
Wang Dafu clenched his fist. "Then buy them! Hurry up! We have to get a taste of this first wave of profit."
...
On the third floor of the Hailufeng Company headquarters were several offices and studios exclusively for the e-commerce department, where a small meeting was in progress.
Zhang Xinyi held a document and looked at everyone. "This news coverage is a form of publicity for the company, so we all need to step up. I’ll assign the tasks now." freewebnovёl.ƈom
"Xiaojie, you and Tianci will go to the cannery today to do a livestream. I’ve already spoken with Manager Li. The focus should be on highlighting the cleanliness and hygiene of our production line."
"Okay, Sister Zhang!" Xiaojie was a round-faced young woman with canine teeth that showed when she smiled. She had graduated from high school just last year and, having not done well academically, went straight to work.
Tianci, the company’s cameraman, nodded in agreement.
Zhang Xinyi turned to Chen Siyuan in the web design office. "Siyuan, did Tianci give you the pictures yesterday?"
"He did."
"Good. Start creating the corresponding pages as soon as possible. The strawberries at Nanhu Farm should start bearing fruit in about two months, and the pressure will be on us then. You must finalize the page design, product details, and everything else within two weeks."
"Understood."
Zhang Xinyi then turned to Liao Fan in the marketing and planning office. "Liao Fan, your team needs to draft some promotional and advertising plans as soon as possible. The quality of our farm’s strawberries is excellent, so don’t be afraid of bold promotions. As long as it doesn’t negatively affect the company’s image or break the law, you can use it."
Liao Fan thought for a moment and suggested, "In that case, how about we invite some famous influencers to do a sales livestream?"
"You decide. But the boss and I have one condition: the influencers we invite must not have any negative history, especially controversial ones with questionable stances. We’re passing on all of them. The company has no interest in traffic generated by notoriety."
"Don’t worry, I’ll screen them rigorously."
...
At the laboratory construction site across from the company.
Du Zhongming, the business manager for the Anjiade Laboratory contracting company, asked with some concern, "General Manager Jiang, that case from a few days ago... it won’t affect our partnership, will it?"
Jiang Miao knew the man was worried about Hailufeng Company’s ability to pay. He smiled and said, "Don’t worry. Even if the company runs out of money, I personally have tens of millions, which is more than enough to cover the subsequent payments for your company’s project."
"Uh... that’s not what I meant. I was just a bit concerned about your company’s future operations," Du Zhongming said with an awkward laugh.
"Oh? Well, thank you for your concern, Manager Du. In that case, please also help us by building the lab well, so we can develop new products through scientific research."
Hearing Jiang Miao’s words, Du Zhongming was momentarily at a loss. He could only offer a perfunctory reply, "I guarantee we’ll complete the lab’s construction as quickly as possible and get it operational on schedule. I also wish your company success in its R&D endeavors."
"I’ll take you up on those good wishes. Please, carry on. I’ll take my leave."
"Of course, General Manager Jiang. Please, go ahead."
Jiang Miao could naturally tell that the man didn’t believe Hailufeng Company could actually develop anything significant. After all, there were countless research projects in the country, yet few produced results, and even fewer produced results with commercial value. Those were as rare as a phoenix’s feathers.
In Du Zhongming’s and others’ eyes, Hailufeng Company had already gotten incredibly lucky by developing the artificial eel breeding technology. To think they could produce another commercially valuable research achievement was simply not that easy.
However, as the business manager of the company contracted for the lab project, Du Zhongming certainly couldn’t point out his client’s shortcomings.
In his heart, he was just waiting to "watch him build his high-rise, watch him feast his guests, watch his building collapse."
...
Meanwhile.
Chiayi County, Ryukyu.
This was the main base of the West Sea Seedling Company, as well as the location of its breeding and nursery base.
"Boss, Mr. Yamada is outside."
Hearing his assistant, Wang Dafu’s eyes narrowed, then he broke into a smile. "Show him in."
"Yes, sir."
A moment later, a weaselly-looking Japanese man walked in with three assistants.
"Wang Sang, long time no see."
"Mr. Yamada, have you been well?"
Yamada Toshio smiled. "Wang Sang, I trust you’ve received the summons from the Kagoshima Prefecture court?"
"What? Are you here to terminate our partnership too, Yamada?" Wang Dafu shot back with a cold laugh.
Yamada Toshio shook his head. "Wang Sang, you misunderstand. I’m here to propose a partnership."
"A partnership? You want the technology too? Don’t listen to rumors. I never sent anyone to steal any technology. It’s all baseless slander," Wang Dafu denied casually.
However, Yamada Toshio ignored Wang Dafu’s nonsense and continued, "Rokkaido Eel Company will likely start mass-producing eel fry soon. Even if I got my hands on the technology, I’d still have to specially convert my eel farms, and there isn’t enough time. It’s better to partner with you, Wang Sang. After all, material and labor costs in East Japan are higher than in Ryukyu. I’m better off just importing the fry directly."
Hearing this, Wang Dafu clearly understood what the man was after, and a smile returned to his face. "How do you propose we partner?"
"Your company will definitely lose the lawsuit in the East Japan courts. When that happens, the eel fry you produce won’t be able to enter the East Japan market. I can partner with you to establish a new eel fry cultivation company. Then, the fry your company produces can be transferred to this new company first, allowing them to enter the East Japan market through it."
"And why wouldn’t I just partner with someone else?"
"Wang Sang, my father is the vice-chairman of the East Japan Eel Farming Association. Surely you haven’t forgotten?"
"It seems you’re quite determined, Mr. Yamada!"
"Heh, I’m merely proposing a partnership. If you’re not interested, Wang Sang, I won’t insist."
Wang Dafu thought for a moment before finally nodding in agreement. "Alright. But your distribution of the eel fry will be limited to the East Japan market only."
"No problem. A pleasure doing business with you."
"A pleasure."
After settling the terms of the partnership with Yamada, Wang Dafu felt his previous investment was too small. He immediately summoned two vice presidents, who were also major shareholders in the company, and explained the collaboration they had just agreed upon.
One of them, a bald, middle-aged man, showed a hint of pleasant surprise. They had originally planned to give up on the mainland and East Japan markets. He never expected such a turn of events and spoke up at once.
"I agree! How about we expand the farming operation to five hundred mu?"
"What about the facilities for the indoor farms? Should we invest more in those too?" another shareholder, an older man with glasses, asked worriedly.
The bald man’s face was full of greed. "We must! That Hailufeng Company’s indoor farm is thirty mu. We need at least fifty mu! That’s the only way we can seize the markets in Ryukyu, Southeast Asia, and South Korea."
"But we don’t have enough capital..."
"Get a loan! We can mortgage some of our properties at the bank." The bald man had been blinded by greed.
Wang Dafu agreed with the bald man’s idea.
The two of them were speeding down the road to ruin, with the pedal floored.
The truth was, Wang Dafu was just too greedy. In the past few days, it wasn’t as if other companies hadn’t secretly approached him to negotiate, hoping to get the technical data from him. Unfortunately, after calculating Hailufeng Company’s profits from the last few months, he decided to keep the technology all to himself.
As long as he didn’t leak the technology, only three companies would possess the artificial eel breeding technique: Hailufeng Company, Rokkaido Eel Company, and his own West Sea Company.
He could completely dominate the markets of Ryukyu, Southeast Asia, South Korea, and a portion of the East Japan market. Even if he could only profit for a few years, it would still be a massive sum of money.
However, what he didn’t know was that Jiang Miao had already tampered with that confidential feed formula.
And this short-sighted, profit-chasing approach was only pushing him and the West Sea Company further down the path to destruction.
After all, if he had chosen to sell the formula, he could have made at least tens of millions of Hua Yuan. Plenty of companies in East Japan, South Korea, and the mainland would have been willing to pay several million each. With a dozen or so companies, that would add up to tens of millions.
But unfortunately for him, Wang Dafu was digging his own grave.
