88: Chapter 88 Technology is King: The Rise of Power

The next morning, Chen Fan took the earliest flight back to Magic City. Outside the cabin window, the sea of clouds churned, mirroring the storm brewing in his heart at this moment.

Upon landing, he went straight back to the Fanxing Technology office. Lin Hao had already prepared materials on several potential partners he had screened.

"Fan Zi, as per your request, I focused on their background, financial strength, and long-term cooperation intent." Lin Hao pushed a file toward Chen Fan. "Overall, this 'Huaxin International' fits best. It's state-controlled, one of the leading chip manufacturers in the country, and the one most severely affected by overseas technical blockades."

"They offered the most generous terms: a direct cash purchase with a price negotiable around 250 million USD, and they're willing to sign a priority foundry agreement for the next three years with a 30% deposit upfront. More importantly, they promised to guarantee loans for Spark Alliance members, helping us completely break free from the Long Corporation's financial blockade."

Chen Fan quickly flipped through the Huaxin International materials. Clean background, strong capabilities, urgent demand, and the additional conditions hit his current pain points directly. Partnering with such a national team player would not only quickly recoup massive funds but also use their influence to stabilize the rear and completely crush the Long Corporation's underhanded tactics.

"This is the one." Chen Fan closed the file with a decisive tone. "Notify Huaxin that we can start detailed negotiations. Only one principle: the money must be fast, and the additional conditions must be implemented. We can yield a bit on the price, but the payment schedule and the protection clauses in the foundry agreement must be firm."

"Understood!" Lin Hao's spirits lifted. "I'll arrange the negotiation time right away. Also, the Spark Alliance members were almost moved to tears when they heard we were talking with a giant like Huaxin. They said they can finally feel at ease."

Chen Fan nodded, looking out at the busy factory area. "Tell them the easy days are still ahead. Once the funds are in place, the mass production project for 'Xuanniao' will start within a month. All members will get the agency rights for Xuanniao."

"One month? That fast?" Lin Hao was surprised. "You've exhausted yourself so much with the lithography machine; shouldn't you take a good rest before starting?"

A sharp glint flashed in Chen Fan's eyes. "We don't have time to take it slow. Although Long Zaitian currently has no way to deal with us, given his character, he'll never sit idly by. We must build a strong enough industrial barrier and counter-capability before he comes up with a new malicious scheme. Once 'Xuanniao' is mass-produced, it won't just be about making money; it will directly impact the core, most profitable special metals and high-performance materials business of the Long Group! I'm going to use the market and technology to crush them fair and square!"

Over the next few days, Pan Shi Base and Fanxing Technology operated at high speed, like machines wound tight.

Negotiations with Huaxin International went exceptionally smoothly. The other party had long craved that lithography machine. After confirming the performance, they agreed to almost all of Fanxing Technology's terms. The final transaction price was 240 million USD, paid in three installments, with the first 80 million USD arriving within a week of signing. Simultaneously, a five-year machine supply agreement was signed.

As promised, Chen Fan helped several core members of the Spark Alliance clear some urgent debts, stabilizing their cash flow.

The implicit guarantees from Huaxin International and the state-owned asset system behind it fundamentally changed the banks' attitude toward Spark Alliance members, with many proactively offering more favorable credit support.

The long-standing capital chain crisis and supply chain harassment vanished in an instant. The Spark Alliance was not only as solid as a rock but also more prestigious than before.

The launch of the 'Xuanniao' mass production project was like a depth charge dropped into a calm lake.

Through Xiao Zhi and the 'God's Revelation' helmet, Chen Fan published articles in authoritative journals detailing more specifics about the stable preparation of 'Xuanniao' materials, which were rationalized and technically packaged.

Everyone in the industry soon learned that Fanxing Technology's legendary 'Xuanniao' superconducting material was about to move from the lab to industrialization. Although specific performance parameters remained confidential, vague yet shocking labels like 'can be used for next-generation fusion device magnets' and 'extremely low superconducting performance decay rate in extreme environments' began to spread like wildfire in high-end material circles.

Long Group, CEO's office.

Two reports lay before Long Zaitian. One detailed the massive transaction between Huaxin International and Fanxing Technology, as well as the recent bank support for Spark Alliance members. The other was intelligence regarding the emergency launch and large-scale production of the 'Xuanniao' project.

His face was no longer just somber; it was a deathly cold gray.

He could barely understand the lithography machine deal as Chen Fan getting lucky and digging up some treasure. But the rapid mass production of the 'Xuanniao' project gave him a chill that went to his marrow. That wasn't luck; that was real, terrifying technical progress and execution! What exactly did Chen Fan have? Was his technical team a bunch of monsters?!

"How much did the stock price of our 'Longteng Special Materials' drop today?" Long Zaitian asked in a hoarse voice.

The assistant kept his head down, not daring to look at him. "It dropped 7% at the opening, and the decline widened after the midday break. Currently... it has exceeded 12%. Analysts' reports indicate the market fears that once Fanxing Technology's 'Xuanniao' is mass-produced, it will directly impact our market share and technical advantage in high-end superconducting materials and special alloys..."

"Market share? Technical advantage?" Long Zaitian suddenly laughed, a dry and crazed sound. "They haven't even built it yet! They've only dug a foundation, and the market is already this scared?! A bunch of fools!"

But he knew in his heart that the market wasn't a fool; its sense of smell was the most sensitive. The unstoppable breakthrough capability and resource integration speed shown by Fanxing Technology had already made investors fundamentally question the Long Corporation's traditional technical barriers.

"Are there any instructions from the Chairman's side?" the assistant asked cautiously. Long Zaitian's father, the true controller of the Long Group, hadn't intervened in specific affairs for a long time.

Irritation flashed in Long Zaitian's eyes. "The old man only said four words: 'Hold steady and wait for change'." He understood his father's meaning: when the opponent's momentum is strong and their cards are unknown, it's not wise to go head-to-head. Secure the base first and wait for an opportunity.

But Long Zaitian was unwilling! He had never suffered such a huge loss, never been pushed into such a pathetic state by a single person!

"Chen Fan... You want to use 'Xuanniao' to crush me head-on? It's not that easy! The high-end materials market isn't just about performance; it's also about channels, standards, and the trust accumulated from decades of customer relationships! If you want to break in, you have to play by my rules!"

He stood up abruptly. "Notify 'Longteng Special Materials' and the group's marketing department to activate the Grade A contingency plan. First, use all our customer relationships to spread 'insider information' about 'Xuanniao's' immature technology, fake data, and distant mass production. Second, unite with several downstream giants tied to us and leak word that any manufacturer using non-Long system certified materials will lose their supplier status. Third, start a price war! For the application fields likely involving 'Xuanniao', slash prices for all our related products by 15%! I want Chen Fan to know who calls the shots in this market!"

The assistant hesitated. "Young Master Long, a price war will severely damage our own profits, and... the Chairman emphasized 'holding steady'..."

"Is now the time to hold?!" Long Zaitian interrupted harshly. "By the time his factory is built and products hit the market, we won't even have a chance to fight back! Do as I say! Profits can be earned back later, but once the market is lost, it's never coming back!"

The assistant dared not say more and hurried to convey the orders.

Long Zaitian knew this was a gamble, using the profits and customer relationships accumulated by the Long Corporation over many years to snipe an opponent that hadn't even debuted yet. But he had no choice. Chen Fan's growth was too fast—so fast it terrified him. He had to strangle him, or at least severely wound him, before he truly gained momentum!

However, Long Zaitian underestimated Chen Fan's ability.

On the third day after the Long Corporation launched its price war and public opinion offensive, an online preprint paper from the top industry journal Nature Materials was quietly released. The title was direct and shocking: 'Exploration of a New High-Temperature Superconducting Material System with Ultra-High Critical Field and Extremely Low AC Loss.' The author's affiliation: Fanxing Technology. It showcased the core data curves of Xuanniao more systematically and completely, with attached verification data from several authoritative third-party institutions.

This paper was like a thunderclap, instantly shattering all rumors about 'Xuanniao' data fraud! The endorsement from a Nature sub-journal was of unquestionable authority. The performance shown in the paper was not just 'leading'; it made many industry experts exclaim that it 'opened up new possibilities'!

The capital market reacted as fast as lightning. Although Fanxing Technology was not listed, its partner Huaxin International and several concept stocks about to order 'Xuanniao' surged in response. Meanwhile, Long Corporation's 'Longteng Special Materials,' after a brief rebound stimulated by the price war, turned downward again, plummeting by 2%! Nearly ten billion in market value evaporated in a single day!

Immediately after, the 'New Superconducting Material Industrial Application Seminar,' led by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and involving multiple top research institutions and downstream application companies, was held in Beijing. In the public information of the meeting, Fanxing Technology was mentioned multiple times as the 'key material provider.' The information from the meeting clearly stated that the state would promote the demonstration application of new superconducting materials in various fields such as the power grid, maglev transportation, and high-end medical equipment.

The clarity of the policy wind vane completely reversed market expectations. The barriers the Long Corporation tried to build using traditional channels and pricing methods appeared pale and weak in the face of absolute technical superiority and national strategic promotion. Many downstream manufacturers originally constrained by the Long Corporation began to actively contact Fanxing Technology in secret.

In his office, Long Zaitian looked at the cliff-like negative line of 'Longteng Special Materials' on the screen and the constant reports of wavering customers. For the first time, he felt an emotion called 'despair.' The commercial maneuvers he was so proud of and the massive network accumulated by his family were so vulnerable under the opponent's fair and square technical crushing and the support of national power.

A price war? At this point, it had become a suicide mission; with every cent the price dropped, the Long Corporation's blood drained a bit more.

Public opinion war? In the face of the Nature paper and the national seminar, it became a joke.

Customer relationships? How long could they last in the face of superior performance and potential policy dividends?

"Chen! Fan!" Long Zaitian's eyes were bloodshot as he let out a low, beast-like roar, sweeping everything off the table. He had lost, and he had lost so completely and so embarrassingly.

He knew that the great tree of the Long Corporation had been hacked with a deep, unhealable wound by Chen Fan's sharp axe, forged from technology and the general trend.