"So... this is his true objective!" Du Mosheng muttered to himself, finally understanding why Wang Yu had been so confident.
The saying that a fortress is best breached from within was absolutely true!
Looking at the people around him, each scrambling to latch onto Wang Yu's coattails and fawning over him, Du Mosheng felt an overwhelming sense of powerlessness.
"Wang Yu is just a young man with no backing. If we just join forces like before, we can easily crush him and his car factory, then partition his engine technology. Wouldn't that be better?"
Du Mosheng mumbled to himself, wondering why they had to be so subservient to Wang Yu in public.
However, he knew in his heart that this was just wishful thinking, mere words.
When facing common, smaller-scale interests and enemies, like the previous dealings with the island nation or assets of Wang Yu's car factory, it made sense for everyone to unite. They could even politely discuss how to divide existing profits.
But when Wang Yu presented his self-produced engine, a true trump card, not just Du Mosheng but everyone knew that their previous alliance was utterly defunct!
Because everyone wanted to monopolize the engine supply; no one wanted to share it with others, not even a little bit!
As the old saying goes, competitors are natural enemies.
Under common, smaller-scale interests, they might still stand together peacefully, like bystanders watching a show.
But now that everyone was struggling to survive because the island nation's scoundrels had cut off their engine supply, Wang Yu, who possessed the engines, was naturally far more important!
They were all influential figures. While it would be easy to unite and crush Wang Yu together, it was impossible for any single or even two of them to take down Wang Yu alone!
Therefore... if they couldn't defeat him, they had to cling to him!
Unity? Impossible!
"Two peaches to kill three warriors!"
Beside him, the head of Longchuan Auto Factory, a refined middle-aged man with gold-rimmed glasses, stood by Du Mosheng and sighed, shaking his head helplessly.
He had clearly grasped the same principle as Du Mosheng.
Wang Yu had thrown out two peaches, making three warriors fight each other, while he calmly sat back and watched the storm! The previously harmonious alliance had instantly crumbled!
The best course of action would have been for them to join forces, kill Wang Yu, and then equally divide his engine technology.
But the problem was... this was utterly impossible!
Even though they all understood this, none of them could stand aside!
Perhaps...
Du Mosheng's eyes, slightly clouded with age, fixed on Wang Yu, who stood confidently ahead, and he sighed softly in his heart.
"Perhaps everything is within this young man's calculations. All their actions and outcomes are ultimately under his control, making him the ultimate winner! In the end, he has calculated human nature perfectly!
I fear... even if he can supply engines without limit, his production capacity will still be limited, right? This way, no one dares to gamble and they have no choice but to follow his lead!"
Du Mosheng muttered softly, filled with resignation.
He watched as these once powerful figures, now like vendors in a market, haggled around Wang Yu with ingratiating smiles, their expressions bordering on abject subservience.
They paid no regard to their status or pride. Could status and pride be eaten? How much were they worth?
Did they know that in terms of engines, any of the island nation's companies would reap tens of millions or hundreds of millions in profit annually?
Whose pride was worth that much?
This was a naked stratagem! Everyone knew it, yet they still had to fall into it!
"Hmm? What were you saying, President Du?" someone beside him asked Du Mosheng.
"Oh, nothing much," Du Mosheng mumbled, then glanced around and sighed again.
"The encirclement of Jiangyang County Auto Factory has failed. And... we still have to go and beg them."
With that, he walked forward and joined the throng of people vying to get on Wang Yu's good side.
The ability to bend and stretch, to be arrogant and condescending one moment and then humble and shameless the next when approaching Wang Yu, was perhaps what made these people influential figures. But it was also precisely because of this that they could never achieve idealized unity for maximum benefit!
...
In Jiangyang County, the overwhelmed Director Li Ming shook his head and sighed. The cigarette in his hand had burned down almost to his fingertips.
He sighed to the heavens, suddenly feeling a chill, a sense of instability.
After all, it was July, the height of summer.
Perhaps it was just a cold feeling in his heart.
He stubbed out the cigarette, his aged face appearing even more weary and powerless.
After pouring his life's work into the factory, watching it turn around and revive under this miraculous young director, after all the Herculean efforts to clear inventory, pay off debts, develop new products, and see things improving, it had all suddenly reverted overnight to before the reform and opening up!
Who had the young director offended to be subjected to such all-encompassing sanctions?
If it were a coincidence, it would be impossible. How could so many things erupt at once?
The auto factory was now worse off than before, completely devoid of anything!
It was a shame that the young director still spoke of finding a way to resolve things. What could he do alone against such a powerful tide?
Even if he gave the workers a day off for equipment maintenance, the truth would eventually come out. What would become of them then?
"Alas, can't I just retire peacefully?"
With a wry smile, the old director fumbled for another cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
"I'm old enough, I've lived long enough. At worst, I'll retire a year early... After all, I worked in hazardous jobs back then. But what about those young kids? They still have their prime years ahead of them to strive for. How can they just be stopped like this?
And what about the young director? How will his dreams and ambitions be realized? He suddenly summoned Feng Daochun to the provincial capital yesterday. Did he already know something? But what can he do?"
As he thought, Director Li Ming, agitated, quickly finished his cigarette and stubbed out the butt, preparing to light another.
Although smoking was not allowed in the factory area, given the current situation, who cared about such rules?
"Report, report, Director!" Someone suddenly interrupted Li Ming's thoughts, rushing over breathlessly.
"What else has happened?"
Shaking his head and sighing helplessly, the old director finally inquired.
Perhaps something else had happened, but at this point, it was a case of breaking the pot and letting it go. With more troubles, one becomes numb; with more debts, one stops caring. At most, the factory will be ruined! It was already destined anyway!
Therefore, he felt his mindset had become quite peaceful.
"The factory... the factory..."
The young messenger was panting heavily, unable to speak.
"What about the factory? Whatever bad news it is, just tell me. It's alright! Take a breather."
He offered the young man a cigarette, kindly urging him to calm down.
"Okay, whoosh—" Taking the cigarette and lighting it, the young man finally calmed down and slowly began to speak.
"Our factory... everything has returned to normal!"
*Crack!* The cigarette dropped to the ground.
"What did you say?"