Will the kemonomimi encounter Alien Ranch Story?

In reality, this situation will occur in the initial stage where the big fish eat the small fish.

However, as the cost of annexing enemies increases with intensified competition, monopolistic enterprises may unite to raise market entry barriers and eventually enter a state of complete decline.

As for the existing side effects of redundant construction and redundant competition, which are considered to be just minor ailments, let's not even mention them.

"He doesn't trust you at all. He just believes that Blacksteel would never team up with you..."

"Ok?"

"Because of Swire Group." As soon as the little tiger said this, Lao Xia understood. Black Steel International was trying to expand into the Longmen market, while Swire Group had entered Longmen earlier and owned several districts.

This means that for both groups, business in Lungmen is almost a zero-sum game. If Black Steel wants to expand, it will inevitably require Swire Group to give up the profits it has already taken. Conversely, if Swire Group wants to enter the security equipment market, it will inevitably clash with Black Steel's existing market.

"So, the Guard Bureau's equipment was just bait that Old Wei put out. He never really intended to implement Colombia's military contracting system. He just wanted to use it as a temporary measure. Otherwise, given the mess that the Guard Bureau is in, it would be a lie to say that he could sleep soundly with peace of mind."

“I really have no interest in that. My equipment was also ordered from Titan Industries. The Xia Group will not be involved in military production.”

Otherwise, no matter which country they go to develop in, they will be labeled as military enterprises, which is very disadvantageous. Once military production is involved, their identity will be completely different.

"Then forget it..." At least in Lao Wei's and Taigu Group's investigation, Titan Industries really had no direct connection with Lao Xia. It had been established for a long time and had always been a supplier to Rhodes Island. Some people suspected that it was Queen Theresa's secret force, headquartered in Rembiton. Recently, due to Rhodes Island, it had established a supply and manufacturing base in the snowfields of Ursus.

Few would doubt that they have a close working relationship with Lao Xia. After all, given Rhodes Island's strength and needs, there's no need for them to establish manufacturing and supply centers nearby. Therefore, the only entity on the Ursus Snowfield that needs a manufacturing station of this level is Lao Xia's forces.

This indirectly strengthened the determination of the Taigu Group and the Xia Group to cooperate. Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Old Xia, the Emperor of Ursus was also trying to contact this strange force that had appeared in the north, especially since their registered address was in Ursus.

If nothing unexpected happens, the emperor's envoy will soon locate Lao Xia through various intelligence channels and come knocking on his door, and the same will likely happen to the black snake's scales.

At this time, strengthening the Guard Bureau's power and oversight would indeed be beneficial to Lao Xia.

“Okay, business is done, now it’s time for personal matters…” Swire stuck out her tongue, then her gaze moved to Old Xia’s knees and hands. “First thing, let me off the hook, okay?”

"Oh..." Old Xia released the furry tiger tail in his hand, but before letting go, he squeezed it hard, and the tail that bounced up slapped his forearm hard.

"The second thing, well, could you... I mean..." Swire scratched her face, a little embarrassed, and said, "Get me one of your equipment. I don't have much of a warlock talent; my Originium Arts are only good enough for operating a megaphone, so..."

"Exoskeleton? Or powered armor? That's for assault."

"Ah, no, not that. That requires Originium Arts too, right? I mean your weapons. Could you... I can't exactly carry around a chain hammer every day, can I? Seriously, what are those people thinking!"

You might think Swire is strong and can throw a piano, so you assume she likes heavy weapons. But can you believe the weapon the logistics department gave her is a flail?

“I understand. Perfect timing. I have some new toys I made myself. Come to the underground parking garage of Sanlian in a few days. The Yeti team has built a simple training ground and shooting range there.”

"Can I bring the rest of the Guard Bureau to visit?" They want to learn from the other side's combat experience, since in the previous attack, the Guard Bureau's two-pronged attack couldn't keep up with the Yeti's frontal breakthrough.

"Well, come on over, but don't bring too many people, the venue isn't very big. Do you have any other personal matters to attend to?"

"That's all..."

"Then I'll go first?"

"Hmm," Old Xia stood up and walked towards the door. "Wait a minute."

"Ok?"

“Be careful on the road, bring more people with you. Those people won’t just attack once, and you have quite a few enemies. It’s inevitable that someone will take the opportunity to cause trouble…” Swire rambled on, then suddenly realized that the atmosphere and topic seemed a bit off.

"No, don't misunderstand. What I mean is, as the most prominent businessman in Lungmen right now, if you were attacked, our Guard Bureau would be questioned even more, which would be very troubling for me."

"Oh, thanks for your concern." As a Star Alliance 2S college student, Lao Xia is indeed not very good at interpersonal communication. After all, he graduated from 2S. Sleep or study, one of the two, socializing?

You still have time for socializing? Look at your study plan with over twenty required courses and over thirty elective courses, the stack of books is taller than you. Tell me again, what are you going to do?

Even liberal arts students like the guy next door don't have time for socializing, let alone a STEM student like you. Moreover, in a sense, given the population density of the Covenant, most of the time you don't need any social skills—not counting online bragging—face-to-face interpersonal relationships have been weakened to the extreme in the interstellar era.

[This trend also exists in modern society; you can chat with strangers online all night, but barely exchange three sentences with your next-door neighbor...]

Once you enter the workforce, unless you reach a high-level position or work in the service industry, you'll rarely need social skills, even with your boss.

Because the AI ​​ladies who make up the majority of middle and senior management don't care about your sweet words. They only care that your data meets the standards and that your communication is clear and smooth. They don't even care whether you are polite or dignified.

In their eyes, you're just a cog in this machine. A cog only needs to be durable and resilient, meet performance standards, and not break down halfway. Whether its packaging is exquisite, its shape aesthetically pleasing, or even whether it respects you is irrelevant.

This is why the Star Alliance's six-hour workday feels more tiring than a 12-hour workday.

After all, with the 996 work schedule, you can slack off, and it's hard to say whether you actually work four hours a day. But with Star Alliance, you really have to concentrate on working for six hours straight, and you need to lie down for at least two or three hours after get off work to recover your energy.

The development of productivity means that cooperation between people has largely become a mechanical process, rather than the kind that requires repeated communication and mutual adjustment of personalities. Sometimes, you are just a ruthless plan review and stamping machine. You just need to read the documents passed by your colleagues, and then sign them if they are correct.

For the reasons mentioned above, it means that in the Star Alliance society, social elements are occupied by heavy production activities, and the abundance of virtual entertainment far outweighs the pleasure and relaxation brought by interpersonal communication. As a result, the dating rate is declining at an alarming rate.

This is why AI is used for forced artificial matching. If there is no matching and punitive direct taxes, it's hard to say how many lonely, reclusive people will be created in this society. It would be good if the birth rate didn't fall into negative numbers.

So, in a sense, Lao Xia is a straight man, the kind who can put his arm around Lao Chen and Talulah. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with being a straight man; there's always someone who likes it, right?

"Bang!" The little tiger slammed its head on the table, hitting it several times in succession. "What am I even saying?! And this guy's reaction is way too calm!"

"Old Xia, I've always been against you going on blind dates, but..." White Rabbit hesitated, wanting to say that if she forced him to go on blind dates, given his personality, he would probably be alone for life.

Oh, maybe she could be paired with the little orca, but the problem is, the little orca is also a bit of a goofball—what's the difference between her and Talulah? That is, she's at least a woman in terms of sexual orientation.

As for Talulah, judging from how she and Alina are always together, she might be a man. Yelena even thinks that Talulah should have a toilet built specifically for her, otherwise, if she goes into the women's restroom and women's bathroom, wouldn't that be sexual harassment?

"But what?" Old Xia asked curiously, somewhat puzzled.

"It's nothing," the white rabbit sighed. "Anyway, I'm just playing the role of a daughter."

"Is there something wrong?" Old Xia reached out and pinched the rabbit's ears. The outside was soft white fur, and the inside was a light pink inner ear.

Because it is well-maintained, its fur is bright and smooth, and you can see the fine capillaries inside the ear through the pink skin.

When you squeeze it, the outer fur is soft and smooth, the inside is delicate and smooth, and it has a slightly cool feel, making it irresistible.

"Speaking of which, have you been a bit out of shape lately?"

“Yeah, right—” White Rabbit twitched her ears and shook off Old Xia’s finger. “The Yeti Squad has a lot of things to do. They have to arrange a base, supplies, and keep them from causing trouble on the streets. They also have to maintain equipment and keep order for people coming to collect medicine. They’ve been a bit neglected in terms of training.”

"Then that's it." Old Xia nodded. "You've definitely gained weight, at least to the extent that you've gained..."

"Bang!" Rabbit delivered a low kick! The white rabbit stormed off angrily.

Today she was dressed in standard casual clothes: a white sweatshirt, a white T-shirt, a black skirt with white trim, her long legs encased in black tights, and black and white sneakers. Her light white medium-length hair was tied in a single ponytail, giving her a youthful and energetic look.

"That's right, you've definitely gained weight, my eyes are sharp..." Old Xia looked at her thighs, which appeared a bit chubby under her black pantyhose. "They've gained at least 1.2 to 1.5 centimeters, but your waist hasn't changed much?"

"She should resume her exercise and training. Being too fat is not good for her health. She also needs to control her sugar intake. Even if her family produces sugar, she can't eat sugar all the time."

Chapter Twenty-Four: The Designer's Family Shovel-Shaped War Chariot

-------------Chapter Dividing Line---------------

"Sizzle—" A thin beam of light flashed at the end of the metal rod, gradually melting a hot hole through the entire metal rod. The mixed fluid injector quickly moved to one end of the metal rod and injected a certain fluid. At the moment the high-temperature metal and the low-temperature fluid came into contact, a layer of smoke rose up.

Soon, a metal pipe with an inner layer of manganese trihydrate alloy was moved to the next process by a fixture, and Lao Xia, wearing an electrician's mask, picked up a new tool from the workbench and continued to tinker with it.

The coating consists of a three-layer composite coating, including chromium plating on the inner bore, manganese trihydrate alloy plating, and electroplating for rust prevention on the outer tube.

Since Terra's metallurgical industry is somewhat unable to produce this composite steel pipe material at low cost, it can only rely on some advanced technologies and materials to assist it.

After drawing out the rifling that rotates 180 degrees per meter, Old Xia began to process the receiver and the crucial hot melt reactor. This was a new piece of equipment he designed for the Yetis, the farm security guards, and the Rhodes Island sniper operators, and it came in two versions.

One version was designed for supply to Rhodes Island, Titan Industries, Talulah, and even for export, reducing the Originium Arts requirements to some extent.

However, the more powerful Originium Technology version is another version supplied to Yetis, Shieldbearers, and their own people. It requires almost no Originium Arts, or rather, only requires the ability to turn Originium Arts on and off.

Of course, conversely, the inability to incorporate Originium Arts means that, under the same conditions, the power is lower, the recoil is smoother, and the accuracy of continuous fire, firepower sustainability, and maintenance are also simpler. Naturally, the manufacturing difficulty is several times higher than Wallace's.

The machined gun barrel is mounted on a stand, and below it is a bunch of strange parts, including four or five large pieces, while smaller pieces cover half of the table. Not all of these parts need to be assembled; some are just auxiliary fixtures and tools necessary for the machining process.

"Buzz—" The cylindrical power supply core in his hand made a buzzing sound after a power bar made of pure source stone powder mixed with a small amount of synthetic jade shell was filled in. Then, Lao Xia put it aside.

The principle of this Originium firearm is the same as that of an electrothermal rifle. In Terra, due to the preparation and raw materials, pure gunpowder will be mixed with Originium particles. The energy absorption reaction of the Originium particles will cause a considerable part of the thermal energy to be absorbed when the gunpowder explodes.

Filtering out Originium particles from soil and various raw materials would require an extremely complex self-cleaning system, as well as firing all Terra employees and converting the entire industrial production line into an automated production line.

Otherwise, if they use Originium Arts to assist in the production process, it is inevitable that Originium components that are difficult to detect with the naked eye will be mixed in.

However, if the gunpowder and pre-packaged ammunition are produced by Lao Xia's automated equipment, then they won't be greatly affected. This is also a reason why large-caliber artillery is difficult to manufacture.

Large-caliber artillery shells are really not convenient to use fixed propellant charges; the propellant charge needs to be increased or decreased depending on the target distance and the type of projectile.

Of course, these problems are not unsolvable, but why bother? Earth-based gunpowder weapons are used because the technology is simple, but if using gunpowder weapons requires avoiding Originium contamination and developing more technically challenging sealing devices and preservation systems, then why bother?

The Originium Railgun is pretty good, isn't it? According to the report sent back by Master Ke, the best RAM ore was used to replace synthetic jade and torsion alcohol, and white horse alcohol was used in the necessary lubrication and piping parts... The railgun's muzzle velocity exceeds 600 meters per second, and the projectile weighs about 9 kilograms.

If the gun rail is lengthened to about 7 meters, the projectile can weigh 12-15 kilograms and have a muzzle velocity of over 800 meters per second, which is sufficient for conventional anti-armor requirements.

However, in that case, a cooling unit, auxiliary servo motors, and pitch adjustment motors would also need to be added, along with the entire gun rail support.

Old Xia's original plan for a normal tank couldn't be installed because the charging reaction time was too long. Not to mention, after adding things like gun stabilization, optical aiming, observation, and communication all at once, Master Ke's design proposal had a very Terra-like style.

It is a monster with 4x dual track support, a length of 16 meters, a width of 5 meters, and a turret height of 7 meters.

Of course, the Terrans have only outstanding technical expertise in suspension and track drive, since vehicles of this size are already quite small compared to mobile city-states.

"Double 12-meter-long gun rails, all replaced with pure Originium contacts, D32 as gun steel to replace foreign steel material, RAM star-shaped stone conduction and repulsion system, four particle power sources, eight Originium-driven engines, one main and one backup cooling host plus one dragon-type preheating unit." Master Ke proudly introduced on the other end of the communication line.

"The secondary weapon can also be equipped with two vehicle-mounted light thermal cannons on both sides to clear small targets at close range. I originally wanted to install electromagnetic crossbows to clear low-armored sorcerers and anti-armor infantry, but unfortunately there is limited space and it can't be put in."

"With such a large size, even a dragon-man mech could hit it, which would hinder its mobility and evasion, wouldn't it?"

This four-track design can withstand the weight of a long-span vehicle, but it also means that it is not flexible in turning and will die as badly as a mech when facing anti-armor weapons. No, it may die even worse.

However, it also has advantages. When faced with overlapping obstacles, the mech can only step over them one by one, and it may not even be able to jump over them. This tonnage of the vehicle is enough to scoop people from one end of the street to the other. Ordinary vehicles lying across the road would probably not even make the people inside feel it when they run over them.

"And logistics engineers would never want to fix this thing. It's an inner and outer casing, with dual tracks and road wheels that would require disassembling in two. Are you from Letalu? Are you designing a work of art?"

"Don't let its appearance fool you, it's actually very easy to fix..."

"Oh?" Old Xia put down the completed bolt and picked up another component. "For example?"

"Like this, all you need to do is train a skilled sorcerer, and the strange steel transmission and fixing pins inside can..."

Master Yikeke activated his Originium Arts, and saw the complex track mechanism, which was so intricate it would be a nightmare for logistics, quickly disintegrate into a long, unraveling chain, and then reassemble itself within minutes.

"Originium Arts are so useful!"

"Yeah, it really works," Old Xia said after holding back for a while, "So that's why your automation and industrial standardization are so bad! Actually, the mobile city's walking mechanism is maintained in the same way..."

"By burning Originium Sorcerers?" Why does this thing sound so familiar? And the thermoplastic cannons on the side track guards, the twin main gun design also looks familiar. It feels like if you painted it bright red and put on a double-headed eagle golden flag, you could take it to fight against some weird stuff.

"So, all we need to do is train enough high-level sorcerers. By the way, the expert you sent over also helped a lot with this power mechanism?"

"Who? Shesha?"

"No, it's Miss Ellafaya..."