Cutting-edge technology: I handed myself over

Chapter 64: After the Meeting

After the auction, in a small meeting room, Zhou Luming looked at the smiling Fahad, then at the composed David, and confirmed, "You weren't just planning to form an alliance, you've already formed one!?"

"No, when you came to us, we only had the intention of forming an alliance."

After you left, I talked with Fahd and the others again, and we realized that now is the best time for me to form an alliance with Fahd…”

David shook his head and began to explain to Zhou Luming in detail.

As David explained, Zhou Luming felt both happy and terrified: all of David's actions and motives were exactly as his think tank had predicted, as if David and his team were acting on orders just like him.

First, the so-called alliance refers to David and Fahd jointly forming a group, uniting the two parties based on shared interests.

What kind of group can both benefit the existing interests of both parties without affecting them?

There is only one answer: a group that specializes in the research, development, production, and sales of cockpits.

Because this is a completely new industry and market, it will not affect the existing interests of either party.

Since it's a completely new market, the larger the market share, the higher the profits.

Therefore, the solution that David and his team could naturally think of, and the first one that came to mind, was to monopolize the cockpit technology.

However, this plan presents David and his team with a critical problem that they cannot solve: funding!

Whether David and his team bid separately or as a single person, the only funds they can utilize are the sum of their total funds.

That's why he suddenly approached David and his group and gave them a double asset card without any compensation.

Given this premise, David and his team's monopoly plan is bound to succeed.

Because if Fahd's offer exceeds the total funds he and David have, the first thing others will think is that Fahd has received financial support from Saudi Arabia.

Unless the Anglo-Saxon Consortium, the Squid Consortium, and Starlink join forces, no individual can challenge the financial resources of a certain country.

Wearing a piece of cloth on my head, I'm the richest person in the world—this is no joke.

In order to prevent the Anza Foundation, the Squid Foundation, and Starlink from joining forces, he needed to ascertain the Anza Foundation's stance before discussing borrowing money, which meant asking David and his group whether they wanted to build a lunar city.

If they were to build it, David and his team would certainly do so, and they certainly wouldn't dare to join forces with the Squid Corporation.

If we don't build it, then this plan is scrapped.

As for why David and his group would definitely form an alliance, the reason is simple: sunk costs and predicament.

David shared the same idea as Lionel and his team: they had to get the cockpit technology to make a profit, otherwise it would be a huge loss.

Unlike Lionel and his group, David had inadvertently cooperated with Fahad during the previous auction, which gave him the possibility of joining forces with Fahad.

Furthermore, joining forces with Fahd would not only alleviate the Squid Consortium's encirclement and suppression of the Ansar Consortium, but also provide an additional escape route. Therefore, as long as the benefits are right, even if David disagrees, the other members of the Ansar Consortium will force David to form an alliance with Fahd.

For Fahd, allying with David would not only help alleviate financial pressure, but also help him fight against the Squid Consortium.

After all, Fahd, and even the entire heartland of West Asia, has an incurable religious conflict with the Squid Consortium.

Therefore, Saudi Arabia will inevitably clash with the Squid Consortium sooner or later, so Fahd should definitely ally with David as soon as possible.

Otherwise, if we wait until things get really bad before seeking an alliance with the Anglo-Saxon financial community, the cost will be much higher than simply sharing technology, and we might not even be able to form an alliance.

Therefore, as long as David and Fahd aren't stupid, they will inevitably form an alliance.

"...That's how it is."

After David finished explaining, he suddenly asked, "Zhou, why don't you join us? You don't need to invest any money; we'll give you 33% of the shares directly. How about that?"

"The think tank predicted it right again—it's terrifying!"

While inwardly marveling at the situation, Zhou Luming asked to confirm, "Is it for me personally?"

"Well, if it's inconvenient for you, you can find someone you trust to hold it on your behalf."

After confirming that the shares were for him personally, Zhou Luming pretended to ponder and hesitated.

David and his group gave him shares not to pay off their debts, but for three other purposes.

First: Free access to subsequent cockpit technology upgrades.

Because David has a stake in their group, he will definitely continue to upgrade the cockpit technology to maximize profits, ensuring that their group's cockpit technology remains superior to that of other companies and allowing them to reap greater benefits.

Second: Cost reduction and profit increase.

If he joins David's company, he can conduct research and development there and then license the technology to David's group at a low price or even as a profit-sharing arrangement.

After all, he was the one who called the shots in that company, and he was also the one who developed the technology.

In this way, David and his group saved on research and development expenses and increased profits.

The third, and most delusional, goal of David and his group was to corrupt him with capital and force him to leave Tokyo University!

If he joins David's group and finds that David's group is more profitable than any other company, and that the foreign environment is more free and comfortable than his own home, and he wants to change his nationality, what if he does?

If he were to change his nationality, he would have no choice but to choose the United States.

Because the United States has so much money that it can really do whatever it wants.

However, David might not be the same person he is now by then.

Furthermore, if he really does change his nationality, that's his personal decision. Even if his own government is angry, it's because they're angry at him, not because of David and his group.

These were David's ideas, so after some thought, Zhou Luming made an outrageous demand: "Give me 51% of the shares, and I'll join your group."

"Zhou, we are sincerely inviting you to join us; we're not joking."

"I'm serious."

Zhou Luming shrugged and said helplessly, "If the shareholding is too low and the dividends are too small, why would I join you?"

"I only own 33% of the shares, aren't you satisfied with the same amount as me?"

"Can I just take the money and not do any work?"

"..."

Seeing that the atmosphere between Zhou Luming and David was getting more and more tense, Fahad quickly changed the subject: "Never mind, since Zhou is unwilling to join, there is no need to force him."

David didn't dwell on it any longer and seized the opportunity to back down: "Zhou, I'm sorry, I was rude."

"It's nothing, just a minor disagreement between friends. It won't affect our friendship."

Zhou Luming magnanimously laughed it off, and then began to intentionally or unintentionally probe for information about David and his group.