157: Chapter 157 Monopoly?

What kind of views?

Hearing Xue Haixin ask this,

the ministers were puzzled,

and they glanced at each other.

At this moment,

Zhan Ruijie, the Minister of Commerce, said, "Huayao Communications—

that is the pride of our Dragon Nation.

I believe many people see it that way.

Why are you asking us about this?

What exactly is the matter that brought you here?

What is your purpose in seeking an audience with us?

Don't beat around the bush;

if you have something to say, say it quickly!"

They knew

that Li Xiang Technology and Huayao Communications were old rivals

who had been at odds for countless years.

But now,

ever since Bai Jingqing took over Huayao,

Huayao's development had been improving by leaps and bounds.

Rooted locally

and facing the world,

it had forged a unique path to prominence.

By now,

Huayao had long since left Li Xiang Technology far behind.

And Xue Haixin coming to them now to complain

was very likely just another attempt to speak ill of Huayao.

Therefore, at this moment,

the ministers felt a sense of dissatisfaction,

and their tone of voice couldn't help but turn stern.

They were usually very busy

and had no time to sit here and listen to Xue Haixin badmouth his arch-rival.

Xue Haixin said in a voice that was almost sobbing, "Ministers,

I know you are busy,

but I truly have a very urgent matter to discuss with you.

Furthermore,

my visit this time

isn't just to speak ill of Huayao.

But don't you feel

that Huayao's power has become a bit too great now?

It has now almost achieved a monopoly over the mobile phone market,

and it sells many of its phones at very low prices.

One could say it's intentionally disrupting the order of the mobile phone market,

leaving no way for us other phone manufacturers to survive."

Upon hearing this, the other ministers

each wore a knowing smile.

They had already thought

that Xue Haixin's visit

was likely to file a complaint

and badmouth Huayao.

Now it seemed

they were right.

However,

these ministers were on relatively good terms with Bai Jingqing,

so they were more inclined to believe Bai Jingqing at this moment.

"You're saying this

just because you want us to suppress Huayao, isn't it?

But

Huayao acts upright and stays on the straight and narrow.

They haven't done anything illegal,

so even if you tell us all this,

there's nothing we can do!"

Zhan Ruijie, the Minister of Industry and Information Technology, said with a frown.

Xue Haixin repeatedly denied it, "No, no, no,

Ministers,

he truly has violated the law."

Zhan Ruijie, the Minister of Commerce, asked, "What law has he violated?

Tell us."

Xue Haixin said, "Our country has an 'anti-monopoly law'.

I feel that Huayao's reach is currently far too long

and has already violated many provisions of this law.

We are a socialist country;

we cannot allow such massive corporate capital to exist within our borders.

Therefore, I strongly urge the regulatory authorities to conduct an investigation into Huayao!"

The ministers nodded simultaneously,

but they had no intention of investigating Huayao.

The 'anti-monopoly law'

does indeed exist,

but under normal circumstances,

hardly anyone ever uses it.

Within this law,

the definition of monopolistic behavior is quite vague.

It doesn't specify what scale, asset size, or market share constitutes a monopoly for a company.

More often than not,

these large enterprises are supervised by regulatory departments.

Once the regulatory authorities find that a company might have certain issues

that could affect the stability and security of the nation,

they will apply the 'anti-monopoly law'

to impose sanctions on these potentially problematic enterprises.

So ultimately,

the 'anti-monopoly law' is merely a tool for the state to conveniently keep those big firms in line;

it is not used under normal circumstances.

However, Xue Haixin's next words

made the ministers tense up immediately: "Ministers,

I know you have a very good relationship with Bai Jingqing, the boss of Huayao Communications.

When you hear me say this,

you'll surely treat it as a joke

and won't think of investigating him.

But think about it—

is Huayao Communications' current market share

really a bit too large?

This data is all verifiable;

I am definitely not being alarmist.

Domestically,

Huayao Communications even holds nearly 60% of the market share!

In the international mobile phone market,

it also accounts for over 30% of the market share.

From certain perspectives,

this is indeed the pride of our country,

a symbol of 'Made in Dragon Nation' going global and reaching the world stage.

But from other perspectives,

it truly has the potential to significantly impact our nation's economy.

Just think about it—

such a massive enterprise,

and its helmsman

is actually a young man in his twenties!

A mere lad!

We won't say he's still wet behind the ears

or mentally immature,

but he is certainly not mature enough yet.

He surely has many desires.

Although he hasn't shown them yet,

once he truly develops a thirst for power,

the consequences will be unimaginable!

We all know

that immense wealth is an extremely rich fertilizer.

Under the irrigation of wealth,

the flower of power will inevitably grow.

So if we continue to allow him to develop unchecked,

by the time he truly grows to the point where even the state cannot touch him,

then all will be lost!

And there is a country

that has already provided us with a precedent:

that is South Korea.

Just think of the power the Samsung Group wields in South Korea."

Xue Haixin seemed earnest and well-meaning,

speaking with heartfelt sincerity,

as if everything were for the sake of the country.

Yet every word struck at Huayao Communications' vital points,

as if Huayao Communications had already become a scourge that had to be dealt with.

These words

left the ministers trembling with fear.

They all had some understanding

of the Samsung Group's current status in South Korea.

And now,

could it be as this Xue Haixin said,

that Huayao Communications would become such a behemoth in the future?

If that time truly comes,

it might really be too late for anything,

and at that point, even state power could potentially be subverted.

They were just ministers;

they shouldn't have to worry about this.

But once the higher-ups took notice,

even their own official posts would be hard to protect.

In the end, they were still somewhat flustered.

After Xue Haixin left,

these ministers sat in the conference room, smoking one cigarette after another.

"What Xue Haixin just said was truly terrifying,

but what he said is highly probable

and not just alarmist talk!

Huayao's scale really is a bit too large now!

If everything were under our control,

it would be fine.

But its scale is so massive now

that I feel we can no longer control it—

including Xiao Bai;

he might not be able to fully manage it either!

Its future truly doesn't know where it will lead!"

Zhan Ruijie frowned,

thinking deeply.

Amidst the smoke,

his gaze was blurred yet profound.