68: Funny, you're playing a price war with Daxia?

Chapter 68: Funny, you want to play a price war with Da Xia? Then let the bombing begin!

Xiao Riben, Central Tokyo.

This can be said to be the most core area of all Xiao Riben, including Ginza, Nihonbashi, and the Tokyo Stock Exchange, all located within this area of less than ten square kilometers.

And Muromachi 2-1 is even in the very center of the CBD business district, and this hundred-meter-tall building has the large characters ‘Toray Industries, Inc.’ hanging on it.

The owner of this building is the carbon fiber composite material hegemon, ‘Toray Group’.

How to describe its status? It’s like Nvidia in the desktop graphics card field, where GTX3060, 4070, etc., can define the level of a graphics card, rather than using computing power to represent it.

The ‘T500’ and ‘T700’ specifications in the entire carbon fiber field are not ‘naming conventions’ for carbon fiber material strength, but rather all originate from Toray’s ‘T300, T500, T700 series of carbon fibers.’

From this, one can see the ‘supreme hegemonic’ position of the Toray Group in the entire carbon fiber material market.

Inside the President’s Office.

“Just give the order for this matter,” Murakami Yuunan, the president, signed a document and handed it to his subordinate.

The subordinate bowed subserviently, his head at a standard ninety-degree angle, and asked, “How much do we need to reduce production capacity?”

The document did not specify the required production capacity reduction; it was merely an abnormal incident notification to provide a signal to the entire market.

“Reduce all series of carbon fiber materials by half.”

Murakami Yuunan tapped his fingers on the table, a sinister smile spreading across his lips: “For T500 grade and above carbon fiber composite materials, reduce production capacity by 75%, and at the same time implement a new round of sanctions against Da Xia.”

“Yes, President,” the person bowed again and respectfully exited the President’s office.

He watched from above as his subordinate left.

“Da Xia still wants to develop a fifth-generation fighter jet? And a fighter jet so similar to the F-22?”

Murakami Yuunan seemed to think of something very amusing: “Without top-grade carbon fiber materials, how do you Da Xia plan to build them?”

The way to make a fighter jet stealthy, besides reducing electromagnetic wave reflection by working on the aerodynamic layout, the next best option is to extensively use high-strength carbon fiber composite materials. This material, without reflecting radar waves, also possesses characteristics such as light weight and high hardness.

High-strength carbon fiber composite materials are indispensable for most aircraft, as well as for fifth-generation fighter jets that require stealth and supersonic cruising.

Therefore, this time, not only will there be a significant reduction in production capacity, but also a comprehensive ban on the sale of T500 and above high-strength carbon fiber to Da Xia.

Although there have been such sales and export bans before, those were only for 'T700 strength specification' or higher carbon fiber composite materials used in high-end aerospace and military applications. This time, even the T500 grade in the mid-range market will be swept up.

Toray is about to deliver an unprecedented devastating blow to Da Xia’s J-20 project.

“If this document is released, then Mitsubishi and the others should also take action, right?” A hint of madness was revealed in Murakami Yuunan’s eyes.

Even if this mission wasn't an instruction from the Eagle Country, he would still do it.

Xiao Riben had been building for ten years and hadn't even developed a fart. Why could Da Xia independently develop a fifth-generation fighter? Did they ask Toray's opinion?

At this moment.

Several announcements immediately appeared on various news pages.

[Xiao Riben’s Toray Industries, Inc. announced that due to dry weather causing a factory fire, all carbon fiber material production capacity will be reduced by 50%, and T500 grade and above carbon fiber will be subject to production and sales restrictions.]

[Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, SNK Shin Nihon Heavy Industries, and Xiao Riben’s Okuma announced that due to power outages and other reasons, some precision machining tools currently under contract will be delayed or have their shipments canceled.]

[Samsung Electronics and Micron issued announcements stating that due to flood disasters in their Southeast Asia factories, storage chip and other semiconductor production capacities will be significantly affected.]

[...]

Not only Toray Industries, Inc. in the carbon fiber sector, but also under the direction of the Eagle Country, various other sectors including machine tools and semiconductors are also taking action.

Previously agreed-upon collaborations were all temporarily canceled. Even if the goods were already in transit and about to arrive, these companies would rather breach the contract and pay compensation than deliver them to Da Xia.

Their purpose, of course, goes without saying: under the instruction of their ‘Eagle Country Daddy,’ they are carrying out a comprehensive suppression campaign against Da Xia’s J-20 project and its basic industrial transformation.

There is only one aim: to absolutely prevent Da Xia from successfully developing the J-20.

Of course, another purpose is that these manufacturers can raise prices due to reduced production capacity, thereby incurring lower costs and earning higher profits.

They are quite skilled at this tactic.

Jiangnan Province, a port city.

This is where Shenying Composite Material is headquartered, and it is also an important base for large-scale production of carbon fiber materials in all of Da Xia.

“Old Xu, look at how arrogant these foreigners are.”

A person next to him, holding the newspaper, angrily shouted, “Not only are they blocking carbon fiber materials, but they are also not letting go of machine tools, semiconductors, and other areas. Are they trying to force us into a dead end?”

Who would believe such nonsense about production capacity decreasing due to various accidents? How come the decrease in production capacity only targets the equipment and materials needed by Da Xia?

Is this a natural disaster? It’s clearly a man-made one!

“Without technology, there is no voice.”

Xu Zhidong’s eyes revealed determination: “As long as we cannot produce high-strength carbon fiber composite materials, we will always be constrained by others, having to depend on others’ goodwill to eat our fill.”

This is true for carbon fiber composite materials, and even more so for other fields.

If the Eagle Country and these Western countries can let you eat your fill today, then tomorrow they can make you starve and cry out everywhere. Therefore, Da Xia must develop independently to stand tall and shout to the whole world.

‘NO, screw you!’

He glanced at the detailed report above.

“Floods, fires, power outages?” He immediately scoffed, “Can’t these people come up with some new tricks?”

Which price hike before did they not use this reason for? And after each incident, the profits of these companies surged by a large margin.

But so what?

Not to mention the ‘T800 technical specification’ carbon fiber composite materials required for high-end aerospace applications like the J-20, their Shenying Composite Material had only just broken through the technical difficulties of T700 dry-jet wet-spinning, and it would take at least two to three years for formal mass production.

And to break through the T800’s required tensile strength of 5.49 GPa and put it into production, Xu Zhidong’s most optimistic estimate would still require waiting seven years.

The progress at Guangwei Composite Material would probably not be much better.

Looking at his disciple’s angry expression, he smiled helplessly: “That day will come, and all these grievances will be returned.”

“Put all this energy into research, go now.”

Xu Zhidong believed that all the grievances Da Xia suffered and all the unfair treatments it encountered would, at some point in the future, turn into boomerangs that would all come back to strike, making these people pay a heavy price.

They just needed to endure; Da Xia needed time.

Only by patiently waiting for the opportunity to undergo high-end industrial transformation could Da Xia truly achieve a breakthrough after accumulating strength.

However.

Just as Xu Zhidong was settling down, preparing for the next round of technical challenges.

“Head Xu, an urgent call from Xia Academy of Sciences.” His assistant walked in with the phone.

Xu Zhidong frowned: “Are there any new instructions or tasks to be issued? But why would it be Xia Academy of Sciences?”

The parent company of their Shenying Composite Material belongs to Da Xia Building Materials, and their contact with Xia Academy of Sciences is not that frequent.

Just as he held intense doubts, a familiar voice came from the other end: “Professor Xu, this is Zhang Yuli.”

Subsequently, the other end issued a series of instructions and their key points.

After a long while, even after the call had been disconnected for several minutes, Xu Zhidong’s face showed a shocked expression.

Seeing his appearance.

“Head Xu, what’s going on? What did Xia Academy of Sciences want to discuss with us?” The research team members nearby couldn't contain their curiosity.

Inside the lab, everyone's eyes were focused on Xu Zhidong.

Xu Zhidong then snapped back to reality, gazing at everyone: “Xia Academy of Sciences just called me to announce the latest achievements of their Materials Research Institute.”

Immediately, all the researchers put down what they were doing and began to listen intently.

“Their T800 grade carbon fiber composite material dry-jet wet-spinning method has not only completed all technical breakthroughs but has also successfully overcome the mass production technology for T800 grade carbon fiber.”

“Our thousand-ton carbon fiber production line will immediately be upgraded to a T800H dry-jet wet-spinning production line according to demand, and put into production as quickly as possible.”

The ecstasy in Xu Zhidong’s heart still hadn’t dissipated in the slightest, and the smile on his lips was harder to suppress than an AK.

He felt the suppressed anger rapidly releasing.

‘Just wait, Xiao Riben and Toray Group!’

‘You want to restrict production and sales? I dare you to play a price war with Da Xia!’ Xu Zhidong roared inwardly.

If it comes to technological advancement, it certainly can't compare to Toray Group's highest 'T1000' level carbon fiber composite materials.

But when it comes to price, Da Xia has never lost.

If you restrict production and sales, then our Shenying Composite Material will dare to seize the entire high-end market!

At the same time.

Far away in the Middle East, in the war-torn Gaza Strip.

In a military training camp fenced with barbed wire, hundreds of men with camouflage painted on their faces and bandages wrapped around their heads were standing by in full readiness.

Among them were teenagers of fifteen or sixteen, as well as adults in their thirties and forties who had reached the age of starting a family.

There were even a few children, barely taller than a rifle, standing expressionlessly in place.

“This is your final course in operating Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, and also the most important part.”

“This project is: live bombing! The enemy is: Israel!” The commander stared at them, saying through gritted teeth.

He, too, would be heading to the front lines this time.

His family had all died; now was the time for these people to pay their blood debt.

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