Volume 7 Chapter 35: Conducting Research Themselves

"Speak if you have words, fa....." Xu Yi paused and swallowed the words "fart if you have to" back into his stomach.

"That.....This......Sir chairman, can you let the magic research facility open up more technology to us?" Ankhto asked.

"What? You're feeling the danger?" Xu Yi looked at him with a smile.

Ankhto gave a cough and looked even more awkward.

After pausing, he gave a sigh before giving an honest nod, "Yes. Sir chairman, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce hasn't been surpassed by any other companies in terms of technology in all these years, but look at it now. Our household magic machine department has just gone off on our own and three different companies surpassed us in terms of technology. I.....I'm not willing......"

"So you want to recover your position in terms of technology?"

"Un!" Since he had already said it, Ankhto no longer hesitated and gave a strong nod, "Sir chairman, those third grade companies have just made a few small innovations and they act like they will steamroll our Frestech Chamber of Commerce, naturally I'm very displeased. Moreover, from a realistic perspective, it has also affected the sales of our company's household magic machines."

"Oh? Tell me about it."

Ankhto was clearly prepared as he took out another document from his chest which he placed in front of Xu Yi.

"Sir chairman, please take a look. These are the current orders for our household magic machine company. If we compare it to last year, you can say that it has risen by 17% overall, but if you look carefully, you will find that the increase is lower than previous years. Here is the same time period for this year and last year, you can see that last year it increased by as high as 31% and this year, it only increased 17%. You can see that there's a problem no matter how you look at it."

"So you think that it's because those three companies announced their new technology, which affected the sales of our company's household magic machines?"

"Un.....It isn't completely this reason, but I feel that it is the most important reason!" Ankhto said in a certain voice, "Moreover, what I am most worried about is that this will affect our company's image of always placing technology first. Sir chairman, you've always stressed that technology is the most important thing, but if another company surpassed us when it comes to technology, how can we still be justified in saying that?"

"So you are planning to steamroll them again to once again prove our company's technological lead?" Xu Yi asked back.

"Isn't that natural?" Ankhto looked at Xu Yi with a surprised look, not understanding what the issue behind Xu Yi's question was at all, "Sir chairman, our Frestech Chamber of Commerce being able to develop this quickly, isn't it because of our company's technological lead? If we lost this lead....."

"If we lose this lead, you think that our company won't be able to keep operating?" Xu Yi cut him off.

"This......" Ankhto opened his mouth before shaking his head, "No, no, no, I wasn't thinking this. I just felt that.....since we've always been in the lead in terms of technology, we should keep that lead. So.....what do you think about letting the magic research facility release some more technology?"

Xu Yi didn't reply to this and looked at the report for a while before finally saying, "I've been paying attention to the new technology developed by those three companies. To be honest, they aren't really any technological innovations. The magic research facility has already developed them before, but we just never used them."

"Then that means....." Ankhto looked at Xu Yi with a look of hidden bitterness, "Sir chairman, why didn't you let us use those new technologies? If you were willing to open up more technology to us, it would be impossible for those fellows to catch up and they wouldn't act so arrogantly in front of me."

"So arrogantly in front of you?"

Xu Yi looked at him, finding it a bit funny. Ankhto just went to the Household Magic Machine Technological Exchange Conference that was held in the Lampuri Kingdom twice a year last week, he was only complaining to him now because he couldn't take their attitudes anymore.

"If I told you that I intentionally stopped those technologies from being implemented, other than these technologies taking time to implement, with the most important reason being that I wanted those other companies to catch up to us, what would you think?" Xu Yi asked with a smile.

"Ah?" Ankhto's eyes opened wide as he looked at Xu Yi in disbelief, "Sir.....Sir chairman, you.....didn't you always say that we need to be in the lead for technology to guarantee the authority of our company? Why.....Why would you deliberately do this?"

Xu Yi was silent.

The reason for this was for the healthy development of the industry.

If the Frestech Chamber of Commerce always had the technological advantage, creating a gap that was like a natural moat, then it would be a large blow to the other company's enthusiasm in investing. It wouldn't help the sustained development of the industry at all.

Xu Yi was clear that with just the Frestech Chamber of Commerce alone, it was impossible to drive the development of the magic machine industry of the continent.

So all the things he did was in hope that all the people of the continent would join the industry, developing the industry together.

However, he couldn't say this to Ankhto. After all, he was the Frestech Household Magic Machine Chamber of Commerce's chairman, from his position, he didn't need to consider this.

After thinking for a bit, Xu Yi turned to Cindy who had been on the side the entire time, "Record this, have the magic research facility make a technology grading system and then consult with the household magic machine company to decide what technology is appropriate to share with them."

After hearing this, Ankhto's heart was filled with joy.

"Sir chairman, I still have an idea that I hope that you can listen to."

"Speak."

"Eh.....You see, since our household magic machine department has gone out on their own, it wouldn't be appropriate to look for help from the magic research facility and the magic machine development center, right?"

"You want to set up your own development department?" Xu Yi narrowed his eyes as he asked this.

Ankhto was surprised before saying with a laugh, "Sir chairman truly is wise. Yes. I want to set up a research department, one that will focus on developing household magic machines. There are too many things that the magic research facility needs to develop, so it isn't good to always bother them, don't you think so?"

"You can just say it if you don't want to be limited by the magic research facility, why are you beating the bush like this? Do you think I would believe you?" Xu Yi gave a cold snort.

"Ha.....Sir chairman, I am also considering the future development of the household magic machine department."

Xu Yi waved his hand, "Do it if you have the idea. You already have your independence, you don't need to ask for my opinion."

"Ke......I'm not just asking for your opinion, rather it's mainly because I was hoping to get your support....." Ankhto carefully looked at Xu Yi, "If possible, can you assign a few people from the magic research facility to help us?"

Xu Yi immediately felt joy.

"He, you really do have ideas, you want to dig out the foundations of the magic research facility? Do you know how much effort we had to put in to win over the researchers one by one? Now you want to take them away?"

Ankhto gave a laugh, but he didn't back down at all.

"Sir chairman, we're all part of the same company, how can you call it digging out the foundations? If our household magic machine company's research department develops well, it can share some of the pressures of the magic research facility."

"You make it sound quite pleasant." Xu Yi shook his head. He leaned back in his chair to think for a bit before giving a nod, "Alright, I have to agree that your idea is good. Since you're willing to take some responsibilities, I will help you. I agree with you forming this research department and will have the magic research facility provide some help, but as for how much, that will depend on how you convince chief Evita."

"Really? That's great!" Ankhto excitedly jumped out of his chair and gave a strong pat to his chest, "Sir chairman, please be assured, I will definitely run this department with all my power. We won't need to rely on the magic research facility, we will even be able to help the magic research facility in the future!"

"Good." Xu Yi nodded with a smile. He thought that Ankhto really was smart enough, understanding what he thought was important.

After watching Ankhto leave the office, Cindy suddenly gave an emotional sigh.

"I feel more and more that it was natural that us elves lost to the humans during the race wars."

"Oh? Why do you suddenly say this?" Xu Yi asked in a curious voice.

"Because there has never been a vibrant and creative person like him among our race, one that will bravely put his requests to his superior. It could even be considered.....a bit shameless and impudent."

"Impudent and shameless?" Xu Yi looked at where Ankhto was sitting and couldn't help smiling.

If Ankhto knew that Cindy had just called him "shameless", it would be hard to know what he would think.

"We elves are too conservative, we like to follow a pattern when doing things and very few of our clansmen will have their own ideas. It's completely different from humans, they all have their own thoughts and creativity, this allows the humans to develop very quickly. Even if we had won the race wars three thousand years ago, we would have definitely lost afterwards." Cindy continued to give her emotional sighs, "I never felt this before leaving the tribe, but after working with sir chairman for a while now, this feeling has become deeper and deeper."

"Is that so?" Xu Yi said with a faint smile, "This problem isn't just with you elves, it's the same with us humans. If there is a day where us humans lose our spirit of exploration and innovation, we will also have to wait to be eliminated."

"Un." Cindy gave a nod.

Xu Yi looked at the closed office door and thought about everything that happened today before suddenly revealing a bitter smile.

"But Cindy, there are times where excessive energy and creativity will not bring along good things....."