Before Su Ziyue arrived, Li Chang’an and Su Ruobing hadn’t defined their relationship. Although they both had some feelings for each other, there was always a thin veil between them that neither had pierced.
But now, Su Ziyue’s arrival had forcibly bound Li Chang’an and Su Ruobing together, shattering the unspoken understanding they had tacitly maintained. It was truly awkward.
Fortunately, neither of them were ordinary people.
After a brief, awkward moment, it was Li Chang’an who finally broke the silence. "What happened today was my fault. I wasn’t careful enough, and you were almost attacked because of it. I’m sorry."
Su Ruobing smiled. "A thief can wait a thousand days for an opportunity, but you can’t guard against him for a thousand days. As you continue to back them into a corner, incidents like this will only happen more often, not less."
Li Chang’an knew she was right and nodded immediately.
The defense industry is a zero-sum game.
Every piece of the pie the Night City Military Technology Group took meant less for everyone else.
Of course, if it were just a matter of losing a small piece, they might not have become so desperate.
The key issue was Night City Military Technology Group’s comprehensive technological superiority over the other military-industrial families. If a company like that were allowed to keep growing and producing more high-performance military hardware, the blow to the other families’ businesses would be nothing short of devastating.
Cutting off a person’s livelihood is like murdering their parents.
As long as Li Chang’an’s Night City Military Technology Group continued to expand, incidents like today’s were bound to happen again.
At this thought, Li Chang’an’s brow furrowed slightly.
In his mind, however, alarm bells were already ringing.
Su Ruobing, on the other hand, seemed to be in a rather good mood. She took the initiative to stand and, with a shy look in her eyes, extended an invitation. "I’m full. Would you walk with me outside?"
There was no reason to refuse such a simple request, so Li Chang’an nodded.
As a prefectural capital, Linjiang’s city walls were far more majestic than those of Cangxuan City, which Li Chang’an governed. The top of the wall was wide enough for three chariots to ride abreast.
Li Chang’an and Su Ruobing walked side-by-side along the wall. When they reached a deserted section, Su Ruobing suddenly stopped. She glanced around before speaking with a serious expression. "Chang’an, do you really have no intention of negotiating with them? You should know, several very powerful people have been using their connections to sound out my father and me. We haven’t responded yet, but we can’t just keep stalling forever..."
Li Chang’an was taken aback. He hadn’t expected Su Ruobing to choose such a private place to discuss this with him.
He thought for a moment before replying, "I’m not bent on wiping them out. My initial goal was just to earn some Rebirth Points, so there’s no need for a fight to the death. But this isn’t about what I want anymore. As long as the Night City Military Technology Group operates out of Cangxuan City, they will never be at ease. Even if I were willing to negotiate, a final confrontation is inevitable."
Su Ruobing nodded, clearly agreeing with his overall assessment.
But after a moment of thought, she added, "You’re right, but we aren’t strong enough yet. We can’t let them unite and retaliate easily. We have to divide and conquer."
Li Chang’an understood what she meant.
Cangxuan City was indeed under immense pressure right now.
After a moment’s consideration, an idea struck him. "You have a point. How about this: have your father reply to those people and tell them that my only enemy is the Gu Family. Any other company that’s willing can come to Cangxuan City to negotiate. I can cede a portion of the market to them, or even hand over the low-to-mid-end market for them to run. Night City will focus exclusively on the high-end route."
The Energy Particle Beam Cannons and Super Electromagnetic Cannons produced by Cangxuan City were already sending shockwaves through the major military-industrial groups.
Precise, stable, and shockingly destructive... at their current price point, the weapons produced in Cangxuan City were practically synonymous with perfection.
If Li Chang’an did nothing, Cangxuan City was poised to capture at least eighty percent of the market for Energy Particle Beam Cannons and Super Electromagnetic Cannons.
The remaining twenty percent would likely be left open simply because Cangxuan City couldn’t meet the demand.
With such a massive threat, it was only natural for the major military-industrial groups to be on high alert and fight back.
So what Li Chang’an needed to do now was to fracture this coalition of interests and dissolve their hostility from within. He couldn’t afford to push all of them into the enemy camp.
Cangxuan City’s current power was limited.
At least, not yet. It couldn’t face a counteroffensive from such a large bloc of vested interests.
Seeing him devise a solution so quickly, Su Ruobing smiled. "That could work. At the very least, it will sow further division among them. There will definitely be some who want to negotiate with you!"
After they finished discussing various plans to handle the crisis, the slightly awkward atmosphere between them finally eased considerably.
Late that night, Li Chang’an took an airship back to Cangxuan City.
As he gazed down at the massive city, still brightly lit and bustling with activity even at night, a hint of pride swelled in Li Chang’an’s heart.
’No matter how you look at it, Cangxuan City is finally on the right track.’
’As long as I’m careful to mitigate risks and build up our strength quickly, I’m sure it won’t be long before it becomes a megalopolis spanning all of Linjiang.’
Upon returning to the City Lord’s Mansion, he received a message from Su Ruobing.
It turned out Su Ziyue had already spoken with the leaders of the various military-industrial interest groups. Just as Li Chang’an had predicted, some had expressed a willingness to negotiate, others were dismissive, but the majority wanted to wait and see how things would play out.