Chapter 1772
Chapter 1772 - 1768: The Big Fish on a Long Line
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The differences in the timeline make the performance of the political system noticeably distinct.
Due to the relative independence of the states, the state legislatures nominally hold greater authority... but some things fundamentally don’t change. As long as circumstances permit, the Eastern Country still adheres to the centralization gameplay.
Concentrating power to achieve major objectives is an advantage, but sometimes when policies descend to lower levels, they come with not only twisted and deformed versions, but also various unsuitabilities to local conditions.
In this particular timeline, due to the relative self-reliance caused by extraordinary calamities in various districts, the parliament’s responsibility for coordination has become significantly heavier.
There always needs to be a department tasked with coordinating the demands of the states, reinterpreting laws and regulations that are unsuitable for localities, and applying for legislative policies according to local needs...
"Sounds pretty good. Let’s not talk about anything else—just the fact that this can substantially boost employment and enable locals to buy high-quality newbie sets at the lowest possible price makes it entirely worth investing in."
"Right? I think it’s likely to pass..."
The parliament, in essence, holds "advisory power." Such civilian-oriented "business regulations" can indeed be proposed in such venues.
This is actually how a proper administrative system works: proposal, discussion, decision-making, and legislation. By going through this whole process, right or wrong, it results in collective decisions known to all. Even if mistakes are made, there’s no need to bear responsibility—just correct them when they arise.
Lu himself has grown much more mature compared to back then. Three years ago, he might have simply sought out officials to talk directly... That could indeed solve the problem but would also stir up a series of trouble, generate resentment, and yield less satisfying outcomes than now.
At this moment, Lu Ping’an adopts a strategy of leveraging minimal efforts for maximum results, transforming his personal objectives into a major agenda proposed by a state legislator and deliberated across the country.
This is the proper way to operate within the system. Of course, this requires sufficient strength as a prerequisite. For example, without Lu Ping’an’s connections with Changping and the Ancient City, this kind of mutually beneficial matter wouldn’t even get off the ground... And they wouldn’t want to bear the responsibility either.
When legislators propose opinions, failure would severely damage their reputations. It is only because of their trust in Lu Ping’an’s abilities that they’re willing to back the proposal.
"... A joint seminar led by five Proper God Churches will further refine the proposal..."
This also stems from Lu’s current capabilities. The merit and trust he gained through his contributions during the war give him a voice even at the high levels of the extraordinary world.
The Big Shots with decision-making power don’t even fully understand what Lu Ping’an is advocating for, yet they’re willing to trust him... A single word from the top, and those below go running tirelessly to execute.
Moreover, Lu Ping’an has already laid out a long-term plan that’s worthy of trust.
"As long as these churches... these major enterprises unite, the market can be standardized and systematized. The current issue is that every newbie fighter needs to be equipped with arms, yet the profits are too fragmented and thin. Big enterprises find it unworthy, while small workshops and mom-and-pop setups are too unreliable."
Lu Ping’an might be a qualified businessman; he can see farther than anyone else.
Currently, the various Craftsmen Churches are still stuck in their old mindset, focusing intensely on the market of professional extraordinary people. Throwing out a single taboo weapon or a piece of enchanted armor often earns them millions, and hundreds of thousands in profit is considered modest.
The products they’re pushing now are essentially dictated by mandatory Eastern Country commands. These aren’t profitable and take up production capacity, which already ticks them off. What they’ve churned out to fulfill quotas is a pile of junk barely meeting official requirements.
"Sure, weapons need to be cheaper and use lower-grade materials... But you can’t pour 80% of the cost into crafting the sword hilt, leaving no budget to slap on a random iron piece and call it a weapon."
Being an expert in this field, Lu Ping’an understands the designers’ mindset and capabilities. They’ve likely never fought such a frustrating battle.
This may not even be their individual fault. They’ve grown accustomed to working with top-tier, high-level materials. Their reserve vaults, production chains, and raw material supply chains lack lower-tier alternatives entirely.
These designers from "major manufacturers" and high-level craftsmen have no concept of such low-priced substitutes. They can’t comprehend the actual needs of low-level extraordinary individuals. (Major Manufacturer Designer: Newbie extraordinaries? Why do they need weapons? Just make do barehanded!)... Under the old extraordinary world dynamic of veterans bringing up rookies, the population of newbies remained small. Trainees could actually get by quite comfortably.
Now it feels like the start of a newly launched online game, with an overwhelming influx of newbie players flooding in. Outside, monsters are being slaughtered left and right—are they supposed to send these rookies out unarmed?
Lu Ping’an’s advantage lies in his vision. He’s able to see the situations of both major manufacturers, official stances, and the needs of the newbies... His track record makes him less extreme. He can understand all sides’ demands and is even willing to intervene and facilitate negotiations.
"We need to make the major manufacturers feel the profit, ensure the newbies are equipped to fight, and prevent the Eastern Country government from enduring endless pension and social pressure..."
Of course, it’s impossible to please everyone. The ones likely to suffer losses in this equation are the small, substandard workshops and black market operations churning out junk products.
Lu Ping’an believes this is a win-win. Truthfully, he knows that if left alone for a year or two, a new supply chain would stabilize independently. By then, the major manufacturers and successfully run small factories would naturally become the pillars of this emerging blue ocean market.
"... Since this cost can be avoided and we can benefit from it, why not act?"
Lu Ping’an sees it clearly. This "minor cost of the times" might affect millions or even tens of millions of lives.
While the direction isn’t wrong and the outcome should gradually improve, if this intermediate stage can be skipped, and he can still profit from an enterprise, why not do it?
Besides, he has a bit of a hidden advantage here. Perhaps he’s uniquely qualified to do this.
"So you’re saying, lay down the long-term strategy... Uh, I mean, build a business around branding and IP?"
Once certain actions begin, they become transparent strategies—what one might call deliberate tactics. Lu Ping’an knows he needs to explain himself to his allies.
He recalculated repeatedly. Under the current purchasing power of newbie sets, the acceptable price range is around ten thousand to thirty thousand. At this price point, getting a weapon and armor set capable of long-term use is a joke.
Taking into account the outlandish inflation of extraordinary item prices, far surpassing normal goods, Easterners already battered by three years of hardship view this expenditure as bleeding money.
And it’s not just about one set. With the rise of nationwide extraordinariness, apart from the children, parents in their thirties and forties would also attempt to acquire self-defense skills. If they have other children... those are additional costs. Most still follow original societal pathways while using these to ensure a basic level of protection.
Even if they don’t sell their pots and pans, they’ll be bleeding dry. Bringing home a pile of junk as a result is simply unbearable.
"A reasonable cost would be around ten thousand, and that’s the absolute bare minimum... But neither the Eastern Country government nor society’s purchasing power can accept that. Three thousand is the limit—those should be luxury-level. Five thousand to ten thousand is where we need to aim for the mass market."
Small wonder that the Craftsmen Churches, pressured by official demands, produced garbage. With that budget, there’s just no way to create so-called standard models. The upscale "luxury models" are not much better anyway.
Lu Ping’an’s idea is straightforwardly aggressive...
"I’ll personally collaborate with a few other quasi-god craftsmen and even establish a Craftsman Series deity as a source of Divine Grace, designing over a dozen standard models..."
Lu Ping’an’s first goal is to get this project under the attention and support of the powerful... Among quasi-gods, Lu Ping’an is perhaps a rare "Mortal Faction" member, and he’s unusually young and action-oriented.
For the Big Shots who can’t be bothered with such "small matters," Lu Ping’an pushing this ensures at least they won’t outright reject or ignore it. That’s enough to leverage their human resources to implement it.
Top-tier designers, Divine Grace blessings, specially allocated materials—a significant cost reduction is achievable yet still leaves the baseline above fifty thousand.
"The rest can be offset by certain governmental policies in the Eastern Country, such as tax breaks, fee reductions, subsidies, etc. If subsidies run for just one or two years, the market will grow sufficiently—it should be acceptable to the government..."
That’s what the current legislators are working on. The cost reduction from tax breaks alone could exceed 20%, which is already significant, not even considering subsidies.
"... Still, this oversteps the budget too much."
"Which is why I plan to lose money for a while."
Lu Ping’an shrugged, saying something that’s quite uncharacteristic for a capitalist.
"I’ll explain to them, and to the companies involved, that losing money in the early stages is necessary. On one hand, make up for it with government policies. On the other hand, treat it as a long-term cash-burning investment... This is a massive blue ocean market. A little loss early on is nothing. Once this batch of extraordinary people rises, they’ll naturally demand better equipment. By then, our brand will be the greatest advantage. We could even directly market the losses as a form of advertising—what could signal goodwill more than sincere discounts—and customers can’t resist scoring bargains, especially when it’s the big manufacturers footing the bill..."
— End of Chapter 1772 —