41: Chapter 41: The Market Abandoned Li's Tech Innovation Through Dimensional Reduction Attack

Lin Hao arrived at Sheng Guo Group at the appointed time, watching as Li Yan signed his name with a flourish on the final page of the contract.

With a loud 'thwack,' the moment the official seal was pressed down, Lin Hao excitedly reached out and shook Li Yan's hand. "Director Li is straightforward, a pleasure doing business with you!"

Li Yan was also glowing with joy, pointing at the figures on the contract and laughing. "Five thousand units at a unit price of forty, totaling two hundred thousand! President Lin, if your Stardust-S1 can be delivered on time, our Sheng Guo Group will definitely give Fanxing Technology priority for subsequent large-scale orders!"

“Rest assured!” Lin Hao patted his chest in guarantee, his smile full of confidence. “One week! Because we need to calibrate the machines, the initial cooperation time will be a bit slower. In at most one week, five thousand units of Stardust-S1 will be delivered with guaranteed quality and quantity. If it’s delayed by even a second, you can dock my pay!”

Li Yan laughed heartily and personally poured two cups of tea, handing one over. “With President Lin's word, I’m at ease! Come, lunch is on me today, let's have a couple of drinks!”

Lin Hao waved his hand in refusal, picked up the contract from the table, stuffed it into his briefcase, and stood up to head out the door. “I’ll pass on the drinks for now; I have to get back and keep an eye on the production line! When we deliver, I'll treat you.”

———

In Li Zeyu's CEO office, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was almost stagnant.

Li Zeyu paced irritably, the cigarette between his fingertips more than half-burnt. Ash fell onto his expensive suit trousers in flakes, yet he was completely oblivious.

“President Li, I found it.” The assistant hurriedly handed over a thin file. “Fanxing Technology hasn't been registered for long. Its predecessor... was a place called Xincheng Material Processing Plant. It used to do low-end parts processing and was on the brink of bankruptcy half a year ago. Recently, it was acquired by Fanxing Technology.”

Li Zeyu snatched the file and flipped through it quickly.

The content on the paper was unremarkable: photos of a dilapidated factory area, a meager employee list, and financial reports showing consecutive years of losses. Every part of it exuded an air of poverty and ruin.

As he read on, a sarcastic smile suddenly curled at the corner of his tight lips.

“And here I thought it was some big-shot newcomer; turns out it's just a struggling, broken-down household.”

He casually tossed the file onto the desk, crushed the cigarette butt with his fingertips, and most of the gloom in his eyes dissipated. His tone was full of disdain. “What kind of waves can a small, nearly bankrupt factory stir up? Stardust-S1? It’s probably just some gimmick using laboratory samples to fool people; there's no way it can be mass-produced!”

The assistant quickly chimed in: “President Li is right. For this kind of small workshop, even if they accidentally get one or two technical breakthroughs, they can't support large-scale production. Sheng Guo Group... might just be temporarily deceived by the data.”

Li Zeyu leaned back in his office chair, his mood suddenly brightening. His previous unease was swept away. “Once Sheng Guo Group discovers they can't deliver on time, they'll have to come back and beg us sooner or later!”

——

The roar of the machines in the workshop finally leveled off, and the calibration indicator light for the last assembly line lit up with a steady green glow.

Chen Fan raised his hand to wipe the sweat from his forehead, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes as he looked at this brand-new production line. After three days and nights of continuous work, from equipment modification to process optimization, every link had been polished by him until it was flawless.

“Fan Zi, it's done!” Lin Hao ran over, his voice hoarse, clutching a freshly printed checklist. “All equipment operating parameters meet the standards, raw material reserves are sufficient, and we can start work at any time!”

The workshop had been completely renovated. The indicator lights by the assembly line were piercingly bright. The air no longer smelled of decaying rust, but was filled with a vibrant metallic scent.

“Start production,” Chen Fan said only two words.

Under the control of the Bee King central system, the machines started up in response. Cutting, polishing, synthesizing, packaging... each process proceeded in an orderly fashion. Stardust-S1 material with a metallic luster flowed continuously from the end of the assembly line, each piece shimmering with a faint, clear light.

In just two days, all five thousand units of Stardust-S1 were delivered.

Lin Hao called Li Yan: “Director Li, you can come to inspect the goods now.”

“Your efficiency is impressive; you finished the job 2 days early.” Li Yan's tone carried a hint of surprise.

Sheng Guo Group's transport trucks drove into the factory area. Li Yan personally led the team to inspect the goods, and all product parameters met the standards.

He made the decision on the spot: “President Lin, as of today, Sheng Guo Group officially terminates all cooperation with Lis Sci-Tech. For the next three years, all our high-end thermal conductive material orders will be given to Fanxing Technology!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Hao was so happy he grabbed Li Yan's arm. “Director Li, you have great vision! From now on, we are strategic partners. I guarantee you'll get the best goods at the lowest price!”

“Come to our company next Monday, and we'll sign the strategic cooperation agreement directly.” Li Yan and Lin Hao set a time. Being able to decide on the spot was something Li Yan had discussed with the chairman before coming; as long as the quality of this batch reached the standard, he could finalize the signing.

After all, applying this material early would give them a head start and a competitive edge over their rivals. The business world is like a battlefield; being one step ahead allows one to seize the opportunity.

Sheng Guo Group's termination statement with Lis Sci-Tech was like a thunderclap, exploding loudly within the industry.

Chen Fan knew Li Zeyu wouldn't let things go easily. He immediately arranged for Xiao Zhi to plan the security issues based on the factory's scans, following the security design of the "Panshi Foundation."

Meanwhile, on the other side, Lis Sci-Tech's headquarters was already in a state of chaos.

As soon as the news of Sheng Guo Group's termination spread, the chain reaction began.

“President Li! This is bad! Huayu Technology sent a termination letter, saying they want to end all cooperation!”

“President Li! Tiangong Group also called. They said our Flame Dragon series performance can't keep up and they want to switch to Fanxing Technology's Stardust-S1!”

“President Li! Also... several other high-end clients have canceled their orders!”

The assistant's reports came one after another, each one like a heavy hammer slamming into Li Zeyu's heart.

“No... impossible...” Li Zeyu muttered to himself, his eyes vacant. “How could Stardust-S1's performance reach such a level?”

He immediately called Wang Zhenhua at Sheng Guo: “Director Wang, what's going on? Fanxing delivered the work, but did you guys do a quality inspection?”

“President Li, it's not that I won't help you. Today, Li Yan from the technical department went personally with people to inspect the goods. He reported the situation directly to the chairman. I couldn't even get a word in to help. Stardust's performance is a huge step above your Flame Dragon, and the key is the price is only one-third of the Flame Dragon's. I'll send you their product parameters in a bit.” Wang Zhenhua's tone carried a bit of helplessness.

Li Zeyu slumped back into his executive chair.

Stardust-S1's performance crushed the Flame Dragon series, yet the price was only one-third. Any customer with a brain would know which to choose.

Customers wanting to terminate their contracts were almost blowing up the company's phones. Many who had signed and paid deposits would rather breach the contract just to terminate it.