Chapter 125: Conflict

Chapter 125: Conflict

"What? Are they insane? Or has jealousy truly clouded their judgment?"

Li Hongshen looked at the bitterly smiling Li Fugui across from him, feeling both astonished and unable to comprehend the news he had brought.

"Whether they're insane or not, I can't say, but I do know that even I’m starting to get jealous. If you weren't my brother-in-law, I might have joined them myself."

Hearing this, Li Hongshen calmed down. He rubbed his temples, contemplating the current situation. Since his fellow disciples had developed the "bomb bead," the market had been flooded with all sorts of similar items. Some utilized lightning or fire attributes like his, while others employed wind or ice. In short, the market was chaotic; some products were shoddy, some were hidden gems, and others were stuck in an awkward middle ground.

Consequently, Li Hongshen’s bomb beads still held the majority share. As the territory that pioneered the product, the "Hong City" brand remained exceptionally robust in the market. With their high power, cost-effectiveness, and stability, Li Hongshen had been raking in massive wealth by leveraging his first-mover advantage. Some lords had even publicly declared that they would only buy Hong City bomb beads. Li Hongshen didn't know if these were loyal fans or competitors stirring up trouble, but it had at least spread his reputation far and wide, boosting his sales.

As a result, his competitors had formed an "Anti-Hong City Alliance," sharing technology internally. They hoped that by pooling their resources, they could supply the market in bulk and undercut the tacitly agreed-upon prices, attempting to squeeze Li Hongshen out. Li Hongshen had prepared for this; the market was vast, and competition was inevitable. He wasn't afraid of them.

After completing his scale-up experiments and establishing his bomb bead factory, Li Hongshen hadn't actually been running his machinery at full tilt. After all, once the spirit-energy printing press started, it could churn out tens of thousands of spirit talismans. Following cutting, assembly into iron shells ordered from other lords, and a few days in the charging machine, a bomb bead was complete. His production capacity was far from its limit. Now that his opponents had made their move, Li Hongshen certainly wasn't going to back down. If you want to negotiate terms, you have to show your strength first!

Li Hongshen immediately ordered the factory to run at full capacity. At the same time, he began flooding the market with supplies. Relying on his established sales network, he single-handedly dismantled the markets of several competing assembly points. However, he had deliberately left the markets of other alliances alone. In his view, once these people realized the extent of his influence, they should have targeted the markets of other student alliances—a vast, untapped potential even greater than the Elite Society.

Yet, after being suppressed by Li Hongshen for years, these people had become blinded by rage. Driven to desperation, they joined forces to pressure the internal members of the Elite Society. Of course, they didn't explicitly state they were targeting Li Hongshen. Instead, they hid behind the banner of "protecting regional assembly point markets," proposing to the Elite Society that they must ensure the "progress" of all members. They argued that the frequent circulation of certain military products would inadvertently cause a decline in the martial spirit and combat effectiveness of the populace, thereby weakening the strength of the territories.

When Li Hongshen heard this absurd reasoning from Li Fugui, he was truly stunned. It sounded so ridiculous, something no elite lord should ever stoop to. In plain language, they were demanding protection for regional markets and restrictions on the circulation of bomb beads—they might as well have been shouting Li Hongshen’s name and the Hong City brand from the rooftops.

To Li Hongshen, this was a case of "killing a thousand enemies while suffering eight hundred losses"—neither side would benefit. Completely baffled, he asked Li Fugui why they would do this. Li Fugui shrugged and spread his hands.

"You have to understand, while the Elite Society is mostly comprised of elites, there are still those who only got in through their parents' connections and recommendations."

"Even so, by acting this way, aren't they afraid of shooting themselves in the foot?"

"They’re afraid, of course they are. But even if they break their own feet, they still stand to profit, which is why they’re targeting you. Also, you've misunderstood one thing: their production capacity simply can't compare to yours; otherwise, they wouldn't have been beaten to this state by you alone. To them, capturing the local assembly market is already a huge win. Since they can't compete with you in the free market, they’re trying to create a set of rules to restrict you. And you have to admit, they’re quite skilled at this game. At the very least, they’ve managed to make things quite uncomfortable and frustrating for you, haven't they?"

"And I can tell you that this issue has split the Elite Society into several factions. There’s the group you know—they have money, connections, and some capability of their own, and they’re willing to sacrifice some profit to win others over. The second group stands with you. That side is more complex; most of the 44th Domain supports you, as do your agents, distributors, and suppliers from other domains. However, since your supply chain largely overlaps with the population of the 44th Domain, you can practically count them as one group.

"Furthermore, my investigation shows that some bomb bead suppliers in other domains actually support you. They’re stronger than the people targeting you, but still a step below the top-tier manufacturers. They support you because they fear that if you lose the Elite Society market, you’ll turn your sights toward other alliances and disrupt their markets. As for the truly powerful ones, they’ve already secured channels and markets in other alliances, so they’re raking in the cash and aren't afraid of you disrupting their turf. They’re just watching from the sidelines.

"Beyond them, there are those within the Elite Society with more foresight who don't want to see the organization torn apart over this. But they’re divided too—some want you to bow and settle the matter, some want to back you to help you crush the opposition, and others are just playing 'tai chi,' trying to keep things stable and find a compromise. And then, there's the rest—the bystanders. Some are lone wolves, some don't want to get involved, and some simply don't care."