Chapter 344 - 239: Summit (5)
Mutual benefit and shared success—such a concept was nonexistent in the Cyber World.
Scheming against one another, maintaining a constant wariness—that was the true rhythm of the Cyber World.
Other than Lin Qi’s team, there wasn’t a single group you could safely cooperate with.
...
On the 400th floor of Alliance Mansion, Qiao Xi monitored both situations through the Alliance network.
First, she checked on the group of A-level Researchers.
’This researcher from United Pharmaceutical is certainly capable. He’s already formulated analysis plans for almost all the materials. Is he trying to tackle all one hundred fifty varieties?’
’As expected of someone under the Wizard. He might just have the potential to be an S-Class Pharmaceutical Researcher.’
If he could really pull it off, Qiao Xi would be able to control the situation more easily, securing the Wizard’s favor at the lowest possible cost.
Seeing Lin Qi’s composed and unhurried performance, Qiao Xi felt she no longer needed to worry about the academic side of things.
She switched screens to check on the simulation being conducted by the group of old schemers in the circular council hall.
’Corporate warfare? How decisive. But with such a short amount of real time for such a long simulation period, it makes sense. If they don’t use drastic measures, it’s hard to create any significant score gap. Jin Shanghe must have started this intentionally.’
’That young lady from the Liu Family is no slouch either. The fighting is getting intense. Any opponents who aren’t on the level of a big business will be cleared out soon.’
The more complex the environment, the more it revealed the caliber of the strategists involved.
Once business tactics were no longer the deciding factor, war became the simulation’s dominant theme.
The situation only grew more treacherous.
Some of the less experienced small business leaders, faced with such a treacherous and rapidly changing situation, hesitated for only a few minutes.
The simulation results informed them that they had been assassinated, having failed to mount an effective response.
The company was still standing, but its leader had been pronounced dead.
Forced to withdraw from the simulation, the companies they left behind were quickly carved up, becoming fodder for the pack of wolves.
Xuancao Organism has obtained a big business license.
General Biological has obtained a big business license.
Sail Science has obtained a big business license.
Arasaka Organism has obtained a big business license.
Sunshine Human Body Company has obtained a big business license.
The Third Stage had just begun, and the top participants had already obtained their big business licenses within the simulation.
There were only five.
Although there were other sizable corporations, they still had a long way to go before they could be considered big businesses.
The specifics of how to obtain approval from the Big Business Alliance, the exact rules for acquiring a big business license—these were things only people within the right circles understood.
Understanding the rules, learning the rules, exploiting the rules, mastering the rules, and finally, making the rules...
How could an ordinary small business possibly navigate such a game?
With the emergence of these five big businesses, the competition had essentially entered its final round.
Although the five companies vied with one another, they all operated under a set of unspoken rules.
Any company that didn’t become a big business during the Third Stage would no longer be allowed to compete for a spot in the finals.
All the smaller businesses would become nutrients for the big five.
The more they reaped, the faster they would grow.
When the six stages were over, the final outcome would be decided.
...
Inside the simulation, Kudou Gen’s expression was grim.
Among the five big businesses, his Arasaka Organism was ranked fourth in overall strength, and it was now facing a joint attack from the two strongest players.
Clearly, the leading companies felt the final round was too crowded.
They wanted to completely cripple a powerful competitor before the final showdown.
This wasn’t just about eliminating him from the simulation; it was about utterly destroying the Kudou Human Body Engineering Company’s score in this event.
They wanted to ensure the Kudou Human Body Engineering Company would be completely disqualified from the competition.
Once the top two—Xuancao Organism and General Biological—formed a temporary alliance, the other two immediately followed suit.
No one wanted to be the sacrificial lamb.
Since the top two had already chosen the company Kudou Gen was simulating, it fell to him to accept his death gracefully.
With Kudou Gen out of the way, there would be a chance to reshuffle the deck.
Whoever managed to claim this huge slice of the pie would increase their odds of winning by a third.
Just as the Fourth Stage began, Kudou Gen’s eyes snapped open.
He was no longer in the virtual office, but back in the circular council hall.
Eliminated early.
The surrounding representatives from the smaller businesses immediately noticed.
"The representative from Kudou Human Body Engineering Company is out already?"
"How could one of the four big, established pharmaceutical companies be eliminated this quickly? There are still at least eighty smaller businesses hanging in there."
"Doesn’t that mean a lot of companies will be able to surpass Kudou Human Body Engineering Company’s score in this event?"
"If one of the established pharmaceutical companies can’t even secure a spot in the top four... no, the top five, then we’re in for a show."
"It’s more than just a show. According to the summit’s rules, if they fail to secure a top-five spot and their score is too low, even an established pharmaceutical company is at risk of being ruined."
The speaker’s voice wasn’t loud, but Kudou Gen had a Prosthetic Body.
He heard every single word, and each one was piercing.
His expression was one of pure fury. He glanced in Liu Xuan’s direction, then at Jin Shanghe’s holographic projection.
It was those two, working together, who had caused his early elimination.
And the other two, Moore Potion and Dawn Pharmacy... if they hadn’t intervened, he wouldn’t have been knocked out this fast.
He desperately wanted to retaliate right then and there.
But this was the summit, and Director Qiao Xi was watching from the shadows.
If he made a move, there would be no coming back from it.
He sat back down in his seat, sullen, to wait for the simulation to end.
All Kudou Gen could do was pray that the Kudou Human Body Engineering Company’s academic score wouldn’t be too terrible, and that the final calculations would give more Weight to other events.