Chapter 243: Time to Stoke the Fire
Translator: AbyssrulerEditor: Lucas
Wang Zheng kept quiet. A lot of effort must have been put into designing this type of mech. The designs of the limbs were extraordinary. More accurately, this type of mech could not be operated using the usual methods. Just like the Slayer, this type had unique steps.
Zoom!
The magnetic source fired out, hitting right on the wall. Wang Zheng used the speed from the launch and his own strength to control the mech just as the the magnetic force erupted. The force was greatest in the first two seconds of launching. By the third second, the force would weaken. Beyond that, there was no need to even think about getting away.
Thus, quick response and good judgement were needed to be executed in alignment. Otherwise, the attempt would cause a deceleration or even fail to fire.
F*ck!
Wang Zheng could not help but curse. What kind of damned steps needed to be taken to use this mech?
Zoom!
Zoom!
Ratatat ratatat ratatat...
Zoom! Zoom! Zoom!
A mech flashed like a phantom across the training area. Ye Zisu teared up, though with a smile on her face.
Solon was calm. The OMG matter did not affect him much. At the very most, there would be some doubts, but in this day and age, who wouldn't be doubted? It was merely a drizzle. Nothing more.
The Skylink rang. A message. Another round of questioning? He couldn't be bothered.
..... that ringtone...?
Solon jumped. Damn! It was Skeleton!
Skeleton had sent him a message! GOD!
Despite his high rank and authority, Solon was riled up. But upon seeing the contents of the message, he was stunned.
"Increase the promotional efforts for the Wind God Mech. This weekend, I'll be using this one mech to defeat a hundred!"
What?
What?
What?
Did this mean that Skeleton thought highly of this mech?
But both veterans and amateurs had already expressed a thorough rejection for this type of mech.
Using one to defeat a hundred?
Battling a hundred mechs would be a mini troop battle. But in a mixed battle war like this, he wanted to beat a hundred all on his own?
Was that a joke?
April Fool's?
Wails and cries erupted in the office, startling the workers outside. The CEO seemed emotionally unstable these days, so it would be wise not to provoke him in any way.
Under CT's new product column, there was yet another product that wowed countless players.
The silver version of OMG's latest Wind God Mech.
This was CT's own mech packaging. There was no difference in functions and specifications, just using colors to create a special effect, making it more glamorous and eye-catching. But only celebrities and highly recognised mecha pilots would recommend such a flamboyant skin.
Wind God?
Was that Solon being arrogant and foolish?
This silver model turbo mech was decorated with a huge OMG logo in the middle.
Normally, the sale of new designs would see the highest rate within the first 24 hours of release. But for this model, the number of sales after 24 hours was one.
Everyone wondered who this one good samaritan was.
Rumors and gossip were all over the forums - did Solon and OMG have some kind of beef?
They were definitely pushing OMG into the deep waters. But it seemed problematic, since he was the CEO of CT. He could not possibly act so irrationally, using his authority to start a project with the sole purpose pissing off others.
Plus, every project would have to be audited at the end of the year. Even though he wouldn't get into any trouble for doing whatever he liked, it would nonetheless leave a bad impression on the board of directors.
It didn't seem like something a logical person would do.
Yet it happened.
OMG was holding frequent internal meetings, and this time around, Zisu didn't even show up. Ye Bingwen was under a lot of pressure. The PR department had sent out an emergency request for OMG to take this model down.
Ye Bingwen initially wanted to hold on to see if things would change for the better. But given the turn of events, they had to pull all the stops or the consequences would be unbearable.
Surprisingly, CT had rejected to do so and requested to execute the contract to completion, with no room for negotiation.
Ye Bingwen and most of the people in the board of directors had sensed that something was off.
Their competitors had made a move!
From sparking an attack in the very beginning, to forcing them to push on ahead, they had calculated every single step to corner OMG.
Business was war. It was dangerous to let your enemies, especially such powerful ones, get ahold of any opportunities.
The Chronos family was blunt when it came to companies that had an interest in entering the military-use industry. But they did not expect that their opponent could place them in a passive position just by using a simple trick.
In reality, from planning to execution, OMG had taken 10 years to prepare, and they made a move only after their space exploration projects received attention from the Milky Way Alliance. Their preparations were ample. But nobody had expected them to hit a block with just the first step.
Ye Bingwen was someone who had been through a great deal. In the face of these obstacles, he was able to remain calm. Since they had a problem with their rivals, they could not simply take their product off the shelves. An arrow fired would never return. They had to work on the mech itself.
At the board meeting, Ye Bingwen raised his voice. "Since those people are out to battle, we will call for a war! Get R&D to collect whatever info they can and fix it!"
Since there was no way out of it, they could only face the music. If they lost, they'd pull out of the military business. If they won, they'd have a new market and their opponents would, in turn, have promoted their cause.
At this stage, it wouldn't work if they didn't show some gusto.
When the meeting ended, Ye Bingwen contacted Zisu. "Hey, lass. I'm sure you've heard about what's happened with CT. Looking at it from a different angle, it could well be a good thing. Since there's no way out, we'll fight them head on. How confident are you with the design?"
Truth be told, Ye Bingwen was a good father. He did not want his daughter to research mecha, neither did he intend to make Zisu take over his company. He was fine with having a professional manager taking care of things. But unlike other girls, his daughter had a strong interest in mecha from a very young age. It was not something he nurtured as a father.
Zisu was indeed extremely talented in designing mecha. Ye Bingwen was only helping his daughter realize her dreams by putting in time and financial support.
Seeing that Ye Zisu had nothing to say, Ye Bingwen sighed. "It's really stressful this time around. If we can't break into the market, the R&D plans will have to be cast aside."
"Would you like to see a good show, Dad?"
"A good show?" Ye Bingwen was not in the mood to watch any shows.
"From now on, you shall stay out of all of this. Don't interfere. Let it develop all on its own. You'll see results not too long from now. The R&D team will be taken care of. We've successfully applied for a patent. Have faith in my design," said Ye Zisu.
After hanging up on the Skylink, Ye Bingwen was bewildered. His daughter's voice had regained confidence and calmness.
Ye Bingwen shook his head. He had no idea what this girl was up to. Could it be that she was the one behind this CT incident?
Ye Bingwen had different beliefs from others. Ordinary parents were terrified of their children making mistakes, so they would stop them from doing many things. But Ye Bingwen disagreed. He believed that people grew from making mistakes. As long as the path was right, it didn't matter what his child did. Mistakes were good.
Moreover, who was to judge these things anyway?
Back in the dormitory, Ye Zisu was reading all the negative comments with zest. People had made the Wind God sound completely useless, saying that there was hope for it to win the "Worst Design Award".
To top it off, there were even tabloid journalists who wanted to interview her. Bad news always travelled fast.
"Zisu, are you alright? Why are you reading such things? These people just want to watch the world burn!" said An Mei. As her best friend, An Mei was worried something bad would happen to Ye Zisu.
Ye Zisu smiled. "Don't worry. Criticisms are also forms of encouragement. Some of these comments make good sense too. They can be used as feedback for improvement."
An Mei stared. She had heard from Yan Xiaosu about what happened at OMG. This was OMG's first and most important step for its plans in the future, but they'd already taken a blow.
For big companies like that, it was not merely a failed project. The reactions that followed could cause serious repercussions. This project was led by Ye Zisu. If she failed, she'd have to be responsible for it.
"It's really fine. The final winner isn't out yet." Ye Zisu's eyes shone brightly.
"Boss, what are we having for dinner toni... This is interesting, OMG digging their own grave!"
Fatty Fei was Li Er's most faithful follower. His number one concern was food, but when Li Er stared at him, he changed the subject immediately, when, in fact, he had zero interest in international affairs.
Li Er had just finished reading the report he received on his Skylink. "A farming tools company with big ambitions. Too bad they're heading in the wrong direction."
"Yeah, yeah." Luo Fei nodded his head vigorously. He could now understand how scary the competition was in the military tools industry. Attacking one another was as common as meal times. "But it is strange. Why would CT promote it despite knowing it wouldn't work? Does OMG have other rivals?"
Li Er glanced at him coldly. Once the Chronos family took action, everybody else could only stand by and watch. If the CT incident was not done by his people, it could only be Solon himself. It was a pity the men he planted there had been asked to leave.
....OMG itself?
They were that confident about this mech?
Li Er had an odd feeling. He liked watching his prey struggle, but he didn't like it if they did something he couldn't understand.
"Maybe they're taking a gamble," Fatty said to himself.
Li Er nodded. It could only be understood this way. But he still could not shake that odd feeling off.
"Boss, any rewards for doing well at IG?" Fatty asked, gleaming.
"Who are you eyeing this time around? Can you have a little backbone? Last time, you only asked for an autograph, what a waste!" Li Er could not stand him. He thought Fatty wanted to do something obscene, so he had paid 5 million dollars for it.
That one night had a huge price tag. Surely some things could not be achieved with wealth. The status of the Chronos family was key. Nobody dared offend them.
Luo Fei scratched his head. "I wanted to do something, but the moment I saw her, I lost all my energy and soul. I was left with just skins."
Li Er laughed. He had forgotten that Luo Fei's ability was in the phase of rapid advancement and that he could finally see what others were capable of. Women like her were simply flesh and bones with a rotten soul. No one with Ability X would be interested.