Chapter 474 - 145: Mecha Company (Part 3)
Compared to the current mechas that cost millions, this price is like a rotten cabbage.
Even if not everyone can afford one, every small place could easily support one or two for the police to use for duty and preparedness.
Even if a town has only one, it could still play a role in critical moments.
Su Xiaocai suggested holding a meeting, and all shareholders responded in the afternoon.
The meeting’s agenda was to open a mecha factory, focusing solely on low-end business cooperation.
For custom orders, Su Xiaocai would handle them personally, so there’s no cooperation model.
She asked the three shareholders if they were willing to join.
"I’m in, I’ll join."
Wu Zhaoxiang tasted the sweetness brought by Extraordinary Island, finally reaching the industry he most desired. He was willing to risk half of his fortune to join.
Secretary Bai, beside President Hu, nodded, "We support any decision by President Su."
Regarding the mechanical limbs, Secretary Bai knew how profitable it was. Bai Fu didn’t push prices down, just controlled them within a reasonable range, so President Hu could say that Su Xiaocai’s value had increased several times.
The low-end market profits through high sales volumes and gains market share without competing with the big companies that started with mechas.
Plus, with Su Xiaocai’s technical support, there was no need to worry about quality and functionality.
Ji Li: "I don’t make parts here, but I can take on the Space Button’s components.
Amid everyone’s puzzled looks, Ji Li calmly said, "Because I have mines for making Space Buttons, legally extracting them."
Do you have any? A Space Button mine, unless you own the planet and extract the resources.
These resources aren’t entirely yours, and privately mining is illegal.
You must have a dedicated company, apply for mining, and report monthly on the extractions.
This is to prevent ore from entering the black market, being shipped abroad, or sold to Star Thieves.
President Hu gasped, wondering why he didn’t have this luck.
Extracting Space Button mines isn’t difficult, but without the relevant production technology, you can’t mine them.
Secretly studying it is very dangerous.
Despite operating many mines, he has a Space Button mine but can’t get the permits approved.
None of his companies hold the qualification.
"So you already have a Space Button company? Why are you joining? Selling Space Buttons for over a million isn’t appealing?"
"No choice, your technology is more appealing." Technology needs continuous advancement, not stagnation and making do with past achievements.
Furthermore, Ji Li’s company is just an intermediate processor; every Space Button sale requires paying royalties to others, and those fees are extremely high.
Su Xiaocai demands fewer royalties, has a high market share, and couples with more advanced instruments for checking Space Buttons, making it advantageous to produce in tandem.
After the meeting, only a rough business plan was discussed; the cooperation model and distribution issues would need detailed consideration later.
As they left, President Hu, patting Ji Li’s shoulder, said, "Brother, do you need any mines? I can sell them to you!"
Space Button mines are hard to sell; other companies squeeze prices relentlessly. They aren’t sincerely in the business, and President Hu doesn’t want to sell cheaply to others, so the Space Button mine remained untouched.
"We’ll talk then, keep it safe."
"Alright, Brother you are indeed someone who makes great money; meeting you means I’ll make great money too. Hahaha..." The whole company echoed with President Hu’s cheerful, deep laughter.
In the office, people looked up, glanced around, and whispered: "Looks like the company is expanding its business again."
"I’ll ask my cousin to do some part-time work first; once they expand, I’ll submit my resume."
Extraordinary Island’s company isn’t just growing, the owner also offers many shares for employee dividends, making the benefits enviable within the industry.
The worst part is, Su Xiaocai closed off the path to going public, meaning outsiders hoping to get a share can’t.
Being excluded leads to jealousy and unscrupulous attempts to suppress its development.
Su Xiaocai smiled indifferently; she is adept at seizing every opportunity.
Unnoticed, the single-soldier competition reached its final day.
The other Vegetable Farmers’ team members had already gathered 200 points, advancing to the top thousand.
Only Li Shanchun, precisely at zero o’clock, held his last match.
Perhaps under pressure, he broke out, winning the match in less than two minutes and edging into the top ten thousand.
Upon reaching the top ten thousand, he excitedly woke his roommate Liu Xun up in the middle of the night.
Liu Xun sat up, hair messy and standing up, dumbfoundedly watching him go crazy, "Could you go find Brother Hu? He’d definitely enjoy chatting with you."
Hu Ping and Ji Heng shared a room, forcefully awakened.
"I really appreciate it, Old Liu." Hu Ping muttered grudgingly.
Unable to sleep again, Liu Xun embarrassingly scratched his head, "Better to share the joy than enjoy it alone."
Unable to fall back asleep, Hu Ping ordered midnight snacks to celebrate Li Shanchun. After filling up, Nate slept sweetly while the big guys had the trouble of delivering the leftover midnight munchies to Wu Feiyang and Pan Mingjie.
Successfully waking up two more from their sleep.
Wu Feiyang squinted, half-asleep, "You guys are nuts!" Yet, while talking, he didn’t forget to stuff a grilled skewer into his mouth, "Why’s it somewhat cold?"
Pan Mingjie, munching on a grilled sausage, silently reached for another beef skewer.
...
Around eight in the morning, all single-soldier contestants within the top ten million had advanced.
Those below regretted bitterly, missing out by just a tiny margin.
The last day was an opportunity for those who lost three to four times to make up the points to advance.
But this can’t be blamed on anyone else; that much time was given, and if you didn’t seize it, who’s to blame?
Everyone who only lost once entered the next round.
Among those who lost twice, more than eighty percent advanced to the second round.
Li Shanchun was particularly happy, showing Su Xiaocai his results.
Su Xiaocai could only give a positive response, encouraging him to keep trying hard.
The top 100 single-soldiers had emerged, ranked by the time taken to complete 200 points, with Ji Heng holding the highest ranking at fiftieth.
Hu Ping was fifty-fifth, and Wu Feiyang was fifty-eighth, their rankings close.
This made it clear to everyone that they weren’t after top positions but weren’t short of capability.
Others weren’t seeking top hundred positions, preserving their strength without showcasing.
Yet their rankings were even closer, with Wu Qingqing at one hundred and one, Liu Xun at one hundred and two, and Pan Mingjie at one hundred and three.
They swept the top three positions after impressive ranking.
Feng Wansha and Li Leilei also made it to the second round, but their rankings were much lower than Li Shanchun, placing in the five million and nine million range respectively.
Xing Miao, having lost over five matches, couldn’t advance to the second round.
But she was the only one in the team to receive a military invitation to join after the competition.
Having an arrangement before graduation, she had the choice to join right after graduating or immediately.
However, this invitation carried risk.
Others might see it as an honor, but Su Xiaocai told her it was likely a trap.
The invitation didn’t indicate which camp she’d join.
So whether she could be assigned to the command department remained unknown.
Xing Miao’s command showed some resemblance to Su Xiaocai’s but also had her own understanding. As long as she entered the leadership, ascension was evident.
But she lacked in piloting mechas, without displaying her battle carrier alignment abilities, which lessened her chances for merit.
Being assigned to a boot camp, if someone wanted to hold her down, she would be stuck forever.
Post-competition, entering with Ji Heng and others would offer a better advantage.
There would be many new recruits entering the military through competition; they’d respect her more.
Thus, Su Xiaocai advised her to disregard the invitation.
Naturally, this wasn’t just Su Xiaocai’s speculation; she also consulted Admiral Bai.
Admiral Bai stated formal enlistment didn’t involve invitations.
In the military, there are indeed recruits who join through connections, but those recruits, frankly speaking, are often privileged children, making it hard for them to climb up.
After a year or two, their spirit slightly improved; if they’ve been to battles but gained no merit, they’d be kicked out.
Do not enter any military recruitment that isn’t a large-scale selection.