Chapter 2: Competitors Come to Demand Payment, I Awaken the Defense-Breaking System in Retaliation

Pushing open the paint-peeling security door of the office building, the dazzling sunlight made Lu Jingming squint his eyes.

The factory courtyard was in complete disarray.

The ground was covered in shattered glass shards and broken bricks.

The workers who should have been on the factory assembly line were now all blocking the rusted iron gate.

They clutched screwdrivers, shovels, and even the metal ladles from the cafeteria in their hands, all of them craning their necks aggressively.

Outside the main gate, a black Santana 2000 was parked horizontally in the middle of the road.

A bald man in a floral shirt sat solidly on the hood of the car.

The gold chain around his neck, as thick as a little finger, glinted in the sunlight.

This person was Brother Biao, one of the top local thugs in Huaqiangbei, who specialized in peddling low-quality electronic components.

Standing around him were seven or eight punks with dyed yellow hair, spitting into the courtyard with a hooligan attitude.

Facing this scene, the Young Master Lu of the past would probably have had his legs shaking in fear by now.

Seeing Lu Jingming walk out, Brother Biao patted the hood and jumped off the car.

He spat out the chewed-up toothpick and drawled in a sarcastic tone.

"Oh, isn't this Young Master Lu?"

"I thought you were going to hide under your office desk and cower until the factory went bankrupt."

The yellow-haired punks immediately burst into insolent laughter.

Niu Dazhuang got agitated and raised the wrench in his hand, ready to charge forward.

Lu Jingming reached out and pressed down on the burly man's shoulder, pushing through the crowd unhurriedly.

He stood still in front of the iron gate, observing the other man through the iron bars for two seconds.

"It's early in the morning, Brother Biao. Shouldn't you be in Huaqiangbei selling your refurbished phones instead of coming here to practice your vocal cords?"

Brother Biao's laughter stopped abruptly.

He looked the young man up and down, feeling that something was off.

In the past, this kid wouldn't have dared to make a peep when he saw him. How did he dare to talk back today?

"Cut the crap."

Brother Biao put away his fake smile and pulled a stack of wrinkled papers out of his bulging leather bag.

"The 2.1 million balance is over half a month overdue."

"If I don't see cash today, I'm taking all the SMT machines in this factory as collateral!"

Niu Dazhuang was so angry he cursed, "Bullshit! Those devices cost over ten million when they were bought. You want to take them for two million?"

"Do I care how much you paid for them? Right now, they're just scrap metal!"

Brother Biao slammed the papers in his hand against the iron railing and shoved them through the gap.

He bared his yellow teeth and lowered his voice, revealing his true trump card.

"If you don't want me to move the equipment, that's fine too. Young Master Lu, sign this land transfer agreement."

"The factory grounds belong to me, the debt is wiped clean, and I'll even give you an extra 50,000 for cab fare. That's fair, right?"

The true intentions were revealed.

These bastards really did want this piece of land.

In 2007, Donghai City's housing prices were on the eve of taking off. This land was worth at least over ten million.

They wanted to swallow it up for two million plus 50,000. That plan was so loud it could be heard all the way in Huaqiangbei.

Lu Jingming was just about to reach out to take the agreement.

A crisp, mechanical notification sound suddenly echoed deep in his mind.

[Ding! Host detected encountering malicious competition from a rival, meeting binding conditions.]

[Rival Mental Breakdown System activated!]

A deep blue holographic panel instantly unfolded before his eyes.

[As long as the host's actions, words, or products cause the rival to have a mental breakdown, you can obtain Breakdown Points.]

[Breakdown Points can be exchanged in the shop for future technology blueprints, working capital, and fully automated production lines.]

[Novice task issued: Cause local thug Brother Biao to have a mental breakdown.]

[Task reward: A Novice Breakdown Gift Pack.]

Lu Jingming's fingertips stopped in mid-air.

He blinked. He had been wondering how to make something out of nothing, but now it would be easy.

The cheat code had arrived; time to get to work.

He slowly pulled out the agreement and flipped through it for a look.

"50,000? Brother Biao, you're certainly generous."

"That goes without saying. I've always been a man of class."

Brother Biao lifted his chin proudly, arms crossed, waiting for this prodigal son to sign the papers.

Once the signature was down, this piece of fat would fall right into his pocket.

"Rip—"

A harsh sound of tearing paper cut through the surrounding noise.

Lu Jingming twisted his hands, and the thick transfer agreement instantly split into two.

Then, he carelessly crumpled it a couple of times.

In front of everyone, like scattering flowers, he tossed the shredded paper through the gap in the iron gate.

The paper scraps fluttered down, covering Brother Biao's head and face.

The entire scene fell silent instantly.

The workers' mouths hung open, and even their breathing seemed to skip a beat.

Brother Biao's smile froze stiffly on his face, his triangular eyes bulging out.

"Lu Jingming! What the hell are you doing?"

He abruptly pulled a steel baton from behind his waist and flicked it open with a "whoosh."

Lu Jingming brushed the paper dust off his hands. Instead of retreating, he stepped forward.

"I'm not crazy; it's just that your bald head is filled with water."

"You want to swallow my 15-million land with a 2-million bad debt? Who gave you the courage, Fish Leong?"

The flesh on Brother Biao's face twitched violently. Just as he was about to swing the baton, Lu Jingming's speaking speed suddenly increased.

"Those crappy motherboards you sold me have flying wires soldered like a spider web."

"You claim they're original imports, but in reality, they're all manually glued by aunties in small workshops in Guangdong."

"They short-circuit and leak electricity every other day. Even the cleaning aunties in Huaqiangbei know that what you, Brother Biao, sell is absolute industrial trash!"

A few muffled laughs that couldn't be held back came from the crowd.

Brother Biao's "trade secrets" that he was so proud of were exposed to everyone just like that.

His face instantly turned a purplish liver color, and the veins on his neck throbbed.

[Ding! Breakdown Points from Brother Biao +100.]

Listening to the pleasant notification sound in his mind, the curve of Lu Jingming's mouth grew wider.

He extended his index finger and pointed it at Brother Biao's nose through the iron gate.

"You made a few coins by scamming people, and now you think you're a big shot just because you're wearing a brass chain that fades?"

"Even if I declare bankruptcy today, I could still sell this land at a high price to a legitimate real estate developer."

"Is it your turn, a scrap-collecting bumpkin, to come here and act wild?"

Lu Jingming spoke clearly, every word stabbing right into the other man's lungs.

The roasting skills honed by internet keyboard warriors of the future were absolutely a dimension-breaking strike in 2007.

Brother Biao completely lost it.

He had been in the underworld for so many years; when had he ever been pointed at and called a bumpkin by a wet-behind-the-ears kid?

"I'll kill you, you little brat!"

He roared and swung the baton in his hand, intending to smash it against the iron gate.

"Come on! If you have the guts, try touching a single hair on our Young Master!"

Niu Dazhuang's eyes blazed with fire as he raised a large pipe wrench and met him head-on.

The dozens of workers behind him also took a step forward in unison, the sound of metal clashing ringing out.

Once the formation was set, those yellow-haired lackeys instantly chickened out.

They looked at each other and retreated half a step in unison.

Brother Biao held the baton, unable to smash, unable to retreat.

He stood frozen in mid-air, like a comical, low-quality sculpture.

[Ding! Breakdown Points from Brother Biao +500.]

[Ding! Breakdown Points from the yellow-haired lackey +80.]

[Ding! Novice task completed, rewards are being distributed, please check, Host.]

The numbers on the panel soared, and Lu Jingming felt completely refreshed.

He brushed the dust off his jacket, his gaze as cold as ice.

"If you want to smash the gate, hurry up. I've already dialed the police station's number."

"The amount involved is over two million, plus gathering a crowd to stir up trouble; it'll be just right to get you locked up for a few years with free room and board."

Brother Biao gritted his teeth so hard they clicked.

What kind of wrong medicine did this kid take? How is he completely different from the soft-rice-eating loser rumored in the underworld!

He didn't dare to actually smash it.

Once it became a big issue and he ended up in the station, his dark history of tax evasion and selling refurbished phones would be uncovered immediately.

"Fine! Lu Jingming, you've got guts!"

Brother Biao threw the baton into the car in a fit of rage, held up three thick, short fingers, and gestured viciously.

"Three days! I'm only giving you three last days!"

"If I don't see the money in three days, I won't just be taking your SMT machines!"

"I'm going to apply to the court for enforcement and drive you poor wretches out onto the street to drink the northwest wind!"

"Get in! Let's go!"

The Santana sped away, leaving behind a screeching sound of burning tires and billowing black smoke.

The courtyard was silent for a few seconds, then erupted into thunderous cheers.

The workers waved the tools in their hands; the pent-up frustration in their chests had finally been released.

Niu Dazhuang rubbed the back of his sweat-covered head, looking at the young man beside him with disbelief.

"Young Master, you're something else! A few words and you roasted that guy surnamed Sun until he ran away!"

But after the brief cheering, the old worker's brows knitted together into an unsolvable knot again.

He sighed heavily, the wrinkles on his face drooping.

"But Young Master, we just enjoyed a moment of satisfaction."

"The factory doesn't even have money to buy rice for the pot now. If we really can't come up with two million in three days, he's really going to sue us!"

Lu Jingming did not answer immediately.

His gaze was fixed on the system panel in the void.

There, a Novice Gift Pack emitting a dazzling golden light was slowly opening.

Looking at the two blueprints that popped out from inside, he could no longer suppress the smile on his lips.

Lu Jingming turned his head and patted Niu Dazhuang's broad shoulder.

"Uncle Dazhuang, go and move all those unsellable old parts from the warehouse to the No. 1 workshop."

Niu Dazhuang stood frozen, his eyes staring blankly.

"Huh? Why pull those pieces of junk? Those are just a pile of brick phones that no one even wants as scrap metal!"

Lu Jingming rubbed his wrists, a hint of fanaticism in his eyes.

"Of course, to build mobile phones. Three days is enough for us to earn ten times two million!"