3: Is the Eagle Sauce crazy? They are slandering me as a sponsor of international war!

Julong Steel Factory, Chairman's office.

"Young people's minds are still more flexible. Our seamless steel pipes can be sold overseas for 100 USD each. Look, the Desert Camel Company has just placed an additional order for 2,000 units."

Ma Quanlin couldn't stop grinning. Lu Shenwei said softly, "We still need to diversify our options. Uncle Ma, you should carefully evaluate the drone project I mentioned."

"I've already sent people to look into it. The quality of drones currently on the market is uneven, so there's definitely potential. But since we come from a steel factory background, we lack technical expertise and would have to start from scratch," Ma Quanlin pondered.

Lu Shenwei waved his hand. "Uncle Ma, you don't need to worry about the technical side; just consider the market demand."

With system support, as long as there's enough money, what technology can't be acquired?

"I'll take people to do market research tomorrow. Also, the Desert Camel Company wants to customize a batch of gas storage cylinders."

"For gas storage? The Desert Camel region doesn't seem to lack natural gas, right?"

"I don't get it either, but they offered a high price: 600 USD per cylinder."

Lu Shenwei perked up upon hearing this and took the cylinder design blueprint.

Hmm? Aren't these just gas canisters?

Selling a gas canister for 600? And it's USD, dammit!

Those rich bastards really know technology!

"How many do they want?"

"The first batch is 8,000 units."

"Tsk tsk, 4.8 million USD. That's our production target for a quarter. That works, but we still need the deposit paid first."

"You weren't here yesterday, but the other party already wired the deposit."

"They're sensible. Tell all the factory workers to reverse-schedule the production timeline and double their overtime pay."

"Alright, I'll go do that right away."

That afternoon, the Julong Steel Factory ramped up production to full capacity, focusing entirely on manufacturing the gas canisters specifically for the Desert Camel. All the workers in the factory were immersed in joyous happiness.

"Working for Director Lu is great! Our wages have doubled again this month."

"I heard the gas canisters we're producing this time are for the Desert Camel, with a unit price of 600 USD!"

"Oh my god, 600 USD? That's 4,200 longxia currency! Those rich bastards are truly inhumanly wealthy!"

"Stop the damn chatter and work overtime to catch this massive windfall."

"Work hard, for the longxia currency!"

While the Qin Chuan Julong Steel Factory was bustling with activity, the Commanders at the Eagle Country Pentagon's Defense Department on the other side of the ocean were staring at the newly captured Qassam rockets, completely baffled.

"Damn it, who can tell me where they got so many high-quality rockets?"

"And what does this 'GP/T3091-93' printed on the projectile body mean?"

The three-star Commander of the Defense Department was furious. A year ago, the firepower of the resistance forces active in the Desert Camel region had suddenly upgraded.

The Eagle Sauce foot soldiers suffered heavy losses. Even worse, two months ago, the resistance forces' firepower upgraded again, and even their pride and joy, the M1A2 main battle tank, couldn't defend against the guerrillas' rocket launchers.

"Reporting, Commander, GP/T3091-93 is the steel production standard of Longxia Country."

"I knew Dragon Xia would meddle in the Desert Camel region. Tomorrow, hold a press conference to accuse Dragon Xia of instigating the war."

"And sanction the manufacturer of these rockets as well!"

"But Commander, GP/T3091-93 is the standard for manufacturing civil low-pressure fluid transport steel pipes in Dragon Xia."

"A civilian enterprise can produce rocket materials of such strength? Use your damn groundhog brain before you speak next time!"

The next day, the Eagle Sauce Defense Department held a press conference, condemning Dragon Xia for interfering in the war in the Desert Camel region and announcing sanctions against the involved enterprise—Qin Chuan Julong Steel Factory.

Ma Quanlin received the news and immediately reported it to Lu Shenwei, who looked completely bewildered.

"What the hell? Eagle Sauce wants to sanction our factory? Listing us as an international war sponsor?"

International war sponsor? What a huge accusation!

But I've only ever manufactured steel cables and steel pipes, or at most, some gas canisters!

Who the hell told me that producing gas canisters is illegal now?

"How many cylinders are left in the warehouse that haven't been shipped out?"

The long-arm jurisdiction of Eagle Sauce is powerful; at the very least, foreign cargo ships probably won't dare to accept any more shipping orders.

If sea transport is cut off, we'll have to use the Dragon Xia transcontinental railway.

Not only will costs multiply, but the key is that there's no guarantee of getting train cars.

"There are 4,000 in stock, and over 2,000 on the production line," Ma Quanlin said after thinking for a moment.

Lu Shenwei frowned. "Make sure they are all shipped out tomorrow, and pause production for now."

"I'll go arrange it right now."

Ma Quanlin put on his jacket and left the office. The sales of the cylinders involved the interests of all factory workers, so he didn't dare to be careless.

The Julong Steel Factory worked through the night to load the goods, and the Qinchuan City Administration for Market Regulation didn't rest either.

Director Zhou Wen of the Administration for Market Regulation was woken up by a phone call in the middle of the night.

"What urgent matter can't wait until tomorrow? Why do you have to call in the middle of the night?"

"Director, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the capital sent an investigation assistance letter. Our city's Julong Steel Factory has been sanctioned by the Eagle Sauce Defense Department!"

"What? Julong Steel Factory? Isn't that the unit where Old Ma used to be the factory director? Sanctioned by the Eagle Sauce Defense Department? Are you kidding me?"

When Zhou Wen heard it was an investigation assistance letter from the Dragon Xia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he put on his clothes and rushed to the office.

"An investigation assistance letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs—this is the first time I've seen one in over twenty years as director."

"Director, these are the materials we collected in advance."

Flipping through two pages of the materials, Zhou Wen's frown deepened.

After restructuring, the Julong Steel Factory first manufactured a batch of steel cables and sold them to an Eagle Sauce company. This year, the other party terminated the contract, and they turned to producing steel pipes and gas canisters for export overseas. This development strategy seems fine, doesn't it?

"Is there a problem with the buyers?" Zhou Wen asked.

"We can't find detailed information on one Eagle Sauce company; we only know it's involved in international trade. We can find information on the other, the Desert Camel Company, but they have also been sanctioned by Eagle Sauce."

"I can't see any problems. Take some people to investigate Julong Steel first thing tomorrow morning."

The next day, at the Julong Steel Factory office.

Lu Shenwei, Ma Quanlin, and the two deputy factory directors in charge of production gathered together.

"I believe everyone knows the situation. International shipping companies are no longer providing us with freight services, and there are still 1,000 cylinders in the warehouse that haven't been shipped," Lu Shenwei said, looking at the group.

Ma Quanlin looked up and said, "It's my fault. If I had contacted the shipping companies sooner, the remaining 1,000 cylinders would definitely have been shipped."

"Uncle Ma, if anyone is to blame, it's the Eagle Sauce Defense Department. Dammit, bullying our Dragon Xia private enterprise!"

Lu Shenwei said indignantly. At the beginning of the year, an Eagle Sauce company unilaterally terminated the cooperation agreement, and now an Eagle Sauce Defense Department sanction has popped up. Does Julong Steel have a grudge against you?

I refuse to believe this; I am determined to make the Julong Steel Factory a success!

"Integrity is the most important thing in business. Ship the remaining 1,000 cylinders out via international railway."

Ma Quanlin said with a bitter face, "Railway transport has low capacity and high costs. The key is that it's very difficult to get approval for train cars."

"Difficult to get approval? Even if we lose money, we have to get it approved. We absolutely cannot lose our integrity!" Lu Shenwei said firmly.

Ma Quanlin opened his mouth, but before he could speak, a security department officer suddenly burst through the door.

"Chairman, it's bad! The Administration for Market Regulation inspectors are here!"