83: Chapter 83 Fleeing in panic: The crisis facing the Baili Group!

While Xu's Heavy Industry and Tangs Heavy Industry were running at full capacity to produce Powered Exoskeleton Mecha,

the Patent Office was undergoing a clean-up and discipline campaign.

Unsurprisingly, Deputy Director Qin Shou fell from grace!

A municipal discipline inspection team was dispatched to investigate him.

It was discovered that during his years at the Patent Office, he had frequently abused his power and accepted bribes, with the total amount reaching as high as 50 million.

Because he violated the relevant regulations for public officials in the Dragon Kingdom, a case was filed against Deputy Director Qin Shou, and he was subjected to an audit.

His political career was effectively over for this lifetime.

When Chairman Dong Baili learned of this, he panicked.

He spent his days in fear, terrified of being implicated.

At the same time,

he used his intelligence network to find out that the reason Deputy Director Qin Shou was suddenly investigated was due to Xu Hao's patent application.

Chairman Dong Baili was instantly terrified.

Just because of such a small matter, Deputy Director Qin Shou was investigated?

"Just what is that kid Xu Hao's identity?"

Chairman Dong Baili's brow furrowed tightly.

If Xu Hao were merely the chairman of a state-owned enterprise, it wouldn't be worth the higher-ups making such a big fuss.

It was rumored that even Secretary Zhao of Lianjiang City had come personally.

This shocked Chairman Dong Baili.

This Secretary Zhao did not usually make appearances.

He never expected that because of Xu Hao's matter, he would personally go to the Patent Office to back Xu Hao up.

Moreover, the severe investigation of Deputy Director Qin Shou also reflected Secretary Zhao's intentions.

Chairman Dong Baili smoked his cigar, his oily face full of worry.

"The situation is not looking good..."

Chairman Dong Baili sighed softly, a puff of white smoke exhaled from his mouth, diffusing before him.

Those eyes, which always carried a hint of ruthlessness, were currently somewhat heavy.

"If this continues, it will eventually be traced back to me. I cannot just sit here and wait for death!"

After pondering for a while, Chairman Dong Baili spoke.

He thought of those few leaders, "Only they can help me now."

He picked up the phone and called several key leaders whom he had previously hosted at banquets.

He had assumed they would agree to his request, to some extent.

But to Chairman Dong Baili's surprise, as soon as the call connected, the other party stated bluntly:

"Don't call again in the future; we don't know each other!"

One was like that, so Chairman Dong Baili tried another, and it was the same.

"Damn it, these bastards! They ate my food and used my things, I treated them well, and now they're just washing their hands of me?"

Chairman Dong Baili was furious and slammed the table hard.

The cigar held between his fingers accidentally dropped a wisp of ash, burning his finger and making him wince in pain.

"Hiss... damn it!"

Chairman Dong Baili threw the cigar onto the floor in pain, his anger growing even more intense.

He hadn't treated these leaders poorly in the past.

Now that they saw the wind blowing in the wrong direction, they were all looking out for themselves and ignoring him.

"If you push me too far, I'll expose all of you eventually!"

Chairman Dong Baili said ruthlessly.

After a long while, he finally calmed down.

He sat back in his chair and lit a new cigar.

As the smoke swirled, he began to think about what to do next.

"The higher-ups are watching closely right now, so it's best to lie low for the time being; otherwise, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down."

Chairman Dong Baili thought to himself.

Besides,

ever since Xu's Heavy Industry and Tangs Heavy Industry announced their cooperation, they hadn't made any moves.

It was like a snowflake falling onto a lake, not causing a single ripple.

Thinking of this, Chairman Dong Baili immediately felt much more at ease.

Although Baili Heavy Industry was in a difficult position, relying on its brand as a veteran heavy industry company, it still firmly held the majority of the Dragon Kingdom's heavy industry market share.

This was good news for him.

As long as there were orders, he didn't have to worry about not making money!

At the end of the day, it was a matter of profit.

As long as he could open up the entire Dragon Kingdom market, other heavy industry groups would eventually flock to him.

And Xu's Heavy Industry and Tangs Heavy Industry, which had been slow to receive orders, would eventually collapse one day, even with the state as their backing.

"Hahaha... Thinking that cooperation could lead to a win-win situation. Xu Hao, oh Xu Hao, you really are an idiot. Even with the state backing you, you're still a good-for-nothing."

Chairman Dong Baili shook his head with a sneer, his face full of mockery.

Just at this moment, there was a knock on the office door.

Before long, Chairman Dong Baili's personal secretary walked in from outside, clacking in her high heels and swaying her graceful waist.

Her fair, pretty face looked somewhat grave.

"Chairman Dong, latest news: Xu's Heavy Industry and Tangs Heavy Industry have received an overseas order."

The secretary walked quickly to Chairman Dong Baili's side and placed the notebook in her hand in front of him.

Upon hearing her words, the expression on Chairman Dong Baili's face instantly froze.

"An overseas order? Aren't they focusing on the Dragon Kingdom market? How did they go overseas?"

Chairman Dong Baili asked, his words slurred while holding the cigar, and then he looked at the laptop screen.

It showed that Xu's Heavy Industry and Tangs Heavy Industry had recently secured an order from a country in the Middle East, with the order amount reaching nearly 500 million Dragon Coins.

Seeing this, Chairman Dong Baili's expression immediately soured.

He had just been thinking that the two companies were cooperating but hadn't received any orders.

In the blink of an eye, he saw they had secured an overseas order worth nearly 500 million Dragon Coins.

Chairman Dong Baili's face, which had just relaxed, immediately became much uglier.

"How can they handle overseas orders, and military sales at that? Do they even have a military industry license?"

Chairman Dong Baili was furious.

"I heard... Xu's Heavy Industry has obtained a military industry license!"

The secretary bit her red lips and said weakly.

"What?!"

Chairman Dong Baili stood up abruptly, looking at the secretary in shock.

"Xu's Heavy Industry obtained a military industry license?!"

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Chairman Dong Baili shook his head repeatedly.

It was one thing for Xu's Heavy Industry to be a state-owned enterprise, but now the state had actually given them a military industry license.

What right did he have?!

Wasn't he just a failing heavy industry enterprise?

Chairman Dong Baili clearly could not accept this reality.

However, the secretary's next words hit him like a blow to the head.

The secretary: "Chairman Dong, according to internal sources, Xu's Heavy Industry and Tangs Heavy Industry intend to cooperate deeply, and will carry out technical complementarity and iterative updates for the large machinery currently produced by both companies."

"At the same time, they will expand the Dragon Kingdom market and invest more funds into research and development!"

"What did you say?" Chairman Dong Baili turned his head and glared at the secretary.

Then he stepped forward and pressed her down onto the chair.

His large face was pressed against the secretary's, his warm breath hitting her face.

Feeling Chairman Dong Baili's strong hand tightly gripping her neck, the secretary's pretty face instantly turned deathly pale.

She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but his hands were like a pair of pincers, strangling her throat, making her unable to speak, and she could only make vague whimpering sounds.

After a long time, Chairman Dong Baili finally let go of the secretary and plopped down onto his desk, feeling powerless.

The secretary hurriedly got up, panting and coughing incessantly.

She looked at Chairman Dong Baili with lingering fear, thought for a moment, and left the office silently.

Chairman Dong Baili's expression was dejected, and he looked completely disheartened.

For a moment, he didn't know what to do...