We Don't Export Goods, We Export Standards

Ideal City. Before a wide door, Fang Chang came to a halt. He glanced at the envelope in his hand, tore it open, took out a card from inside, and swiped it against the door. Faint blue ripples spread across the lock, and with a soft click, the door swung inward. What met his eyes was a spacious reception room. On a plaid carpet woven with black, white, and gray sat several sofas; the clean, elegant decor was very much in the Enterprise's style. In this crowded city, spaciousness was a luxury in its own right. A woman around twenty-five or twenty-six sat on the central sofa. She wore a silver coat. Most striking were her long, slender legs, along with the two delicate eyebrows resting on her attractive face. Those delicate brows resembled soft crescents, yet could not conceal the spirited look in her eyes and the sharp brilliance gleaming within them. Most who could attend this evening gala were members of Ideal City's high society. And judging by her demeanor, Fang Chang could tell she was at least a very wealthy woman. At the very least. "Hello, Ms. Li Shuyue. Sorry to keep you waiting." Regardless of anything else, he was a guest, so Fang Chang opened politely like a gentleman. The woman on the sofa gestured invitingly and spoke in a melodious voice. "No need to be so formal, warrior of the Alliance. If anything, it's me who presumptuously disturbed your rest. Please make yourself at home and have a seat." "Then I won't stand on ceremony." Fang Chang smiled faintly and took a seat on a sofa a polite distance away. A server brought tea for both of them. The swirling steam carried a faint fragrance, light to the nose, yet offering a soothing and refreshing comfort. The two exchanged pleasantries for a while, though mostly about trivial matters. What was very interesting was that Fang Chang could sense she was unlike the wealthy young ladies on the dance floor. In her flickering gaze, there was neither adoration nor exotic curiosity; her appreciative look was more meant to encourage him to keep talking. *Is she evaluating the Alliance's investment environment?* At this thought, Fang Chang perked up. Dropping his restraint, he began spinning wild yarns, boasting all the way from the Alliance's overall development down to individual figures within it. For instance, Tengteng, who merely ran a small workshop, was puffed up into a master artist. Yaya, a powerful Perception-type who loafed around the streets all day like a slacker, was lauded as the Mushroom Immortal devoted solely to seeking the perfect mushroom. Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes became the scion of the Scrambled Eggs clan who held 888 lost recipes, and Elaina became a Bear Grylls exploring edible mutants... Even Mosquito, that goofball, was spun into a rocket scientist dreaming of exploring the edge of the galaxy. As for the Administrator... The Administrator hardly needed any hype. That figure astride a Deathclaw, bathed in sunlight breaking through storm clouds, exuded sheer awesomeness from head to toe. Rumor had it that movie studios in Ideal City were already planning a film based on him. Who knew if the man himself was even aware of it. Fang Chang felt not the slightest guilt while bragging. After all, this place was over three thousand kilometers from the Alliance; no matter how curious people were, it wasn't as if everyone could just travel over there. "Wait, what was that about the eight hundred and eighty-eight lost recipes...?" After listening for quite a while, Li Shuyue seemed most interested in this, asking out of curiosity. Fang Chang smiled and said, "Oh, that? There's far too much to cover; I couldn't finish telling it in a short while. Take the food items that appeared at the auction earlier—they're all more or less connected to those recipes." "Including this?" As she spoke, Li Shuyue reached into a drawer of the side table and pulled out a packet of instant noodles, her eyes brimming with curiosity. The moment he saw the Laokeng Pickled Cabbage Instant Noodles in her hand, Fang Chang's expression stiffened into awkwardness. "Uh... Mosquito came up with this one." Li Shuyue knit her brows. "Didn't you say he dreamed of reaching the Kuiper Belt... as a rocket scientist?" Fang Chang hurriedly scrambled to cover: "This was just a project born out of personal whimsy. Even though his main trade is tinkering with rockets, he occasionally whips up strange things on the side... like what's in your hand right now." *Damn it, I bragged too hard and almost gave the game away.* Fang Chang muttered inwardly. Yet Ms. Li Shuyue didn't seem to notice any holes in the story at all. After a moment of silence, she merely gave a soft sigh of wonder. "Incredible... It seems the rumor truly wasn't unfounded." Fang Chang paused. "Rumor? What rumor?" "People were discussing on Endpoint Cloud that the ancestors of Shelter 404 were all artists," Li Shuyue said with a smile. "At first I was skeptical, but now I'm inclined to believe it." Fang Chang cleared his throat. "I don't know where you heard that rumor, but putting it that way... is certainly not wrong! We indeed inherited some rather special things from the People's Federation, particularly on a cultural level." Hearing him say this, Li Shuyue's eyes grew brighter. However, Fang Chang could tell she hadn't completely bought his story—at most, she believed half of it. But what did that matter? An imperceptible smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He had already anticipated her anticipation. Believed half? She was truly bold to believe even that much... Having apparently gathered the information she wanted, Li Shuyue's expression suddenly shifted into one of businesslike seriousness. "Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am the CEO of Ruyue Group. Here is my card." With a light flick of her slender fingertip, a pale blue holographic window manifested over the pure white tea table and floated before Fang Chang. Fang Chang, merely treating it as in-game visual effects, was not surprised. Dragging the card closer with his index finger, he took a look. Soon, however, he realized looking at it was useless. Having zero understanding of Ideal City, he couldn't make heads or tails of what was written on the card. *Ruyue Group?* *Doesn't Ideal City only have the Big Five enterprises?* "...Our company is an investment holding under Ideal Group, mainly operating in food retail and processing industries." Watching Fang Chang stare at the business card lost in thought, Li Shuyue continued in her pleasing voice. "To be frank, it's my first time seeing such interesting products. Though not very healthy and with a shelf life that isn't particularly long, the flavor is surprisingly good... How did you come up with these novel culinary methods?" Fang Chang's expression grew subtle. After a moment's thought, he fabricated a reason that sounded convincing enough: "To us, cuisine falls under the umbrella of culture. Eating is not just to fulfill nutritional requirements, but also to achieve spiritual satisfaction." "That sounds fascinating," Li Shuyue remarked with keen interest. "I've reviewed historical literature, and similar cooking techniques did appear in history, but early in the Prosperity Era they were gradually replaced by scientific concepts. Ever since, nutritional attitudes became like ours today... as you put it, merely fulfilling nutritional needs." "Perhaps people after the Prosperity Era already had rich enough spiritual worlds that they no longer needed to seek satisfaction by sacrificing their health or other things. Of course, that's just my personal guess." Fang Chang had only tossed it out casually, never expecting Ms. Li Shuyue to nod thoughtfully. "That's a rather intriguing perspective. Perhaps reality was indeed as you say." "Maybe, but I'm no expert after all." Taking a sip of black tea, Fang Chang responded nonchalantly. "Yet I feel you know quite a lot. I heard from your ambassador that you aren't just a soldier, but are also responsible for promoting Alliance products." Li Shuyue looked at him with bright, intent eyes. "Interested in collaborating?" *So after all that, this was why she sought me out.* Hearing Li Shuyue's words, Fang Chang broke into a delighted smile. Wasn't this exactly what he had been waiting for? "Naturally. We came here seeking cooperation. What kind of approach did you have in mind?" Cutting the chatter, Li Shuyue went straight to the point: "Based on our market research, we believe the next six months will be the prime window for Alliance products to enter Ideal City. The residents here are very interested in your cultural goods, and I think food would be an excellent point of entry. "We can offer two plans. Plan One: you handle production and transportation, while we handle sales. Plan Two: we establish a joint-venture subsidiary; you provide personnel and technology—especially the relevant recipes—while we provide capital and facilities, producing and selling locally right here in Ideal City." After listening quietly to the detailed explanation of both plans, Fang Chang nodded gently. "No problem. We can provide all of that." Li Shuyue was secretly pleased, though she didn't let it show on her face, offering only a poised smile. Yet just as she was about to steer the conversation toward a contract with a "Pleasure doing business with you," the man across from her suddenly shifted course: "However, compared to the two plans you offered, I have a better proposal. I wonder if you would be interested?" With cold water poured over her excitement, Li Shuyue couldn't help raising an eyebrow. "Oh?" Frankly speaking, she didn't believe a commercially backward survivor settlement could come up with any genuinely novel ideas. However— She might as well hear what he had to say first. Paying no mind to the dismissiveness in her eyes, Fang Chang cleared his throat and began his pitch. "Whether exporting finished goods or exporting recipes, neither truly maximizes our interests. After all, honestly speaking, those recipes aren't particularly difficult to reverse-engineer. If our products really sell out in Ideal City, I'm afraid it won't take two days before your competitors look at your sales data and produce competing products tailored even better to market demand." Li Shuyue immediately retorted: "Rest assured on that front. We have robust patent laws, and we also maintain our own R&D laboratories to refine formulas according to market and consumer feedback. As long as we move faster and perform better than our rivals, there's no need to worry about being replaced." Fang Chang nodded and said cleanly, "Naturally, you make a fair point. But let me pose a hypothetical: if subsequent formulas are developed within Ruyue Group, would they have anything to do with our joint-venture subsidiary?" Surprise surfaced on Li Shuyue's face, and her sharp eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh? Are you worried we won't honor our word?" Fang Chang said in a mild voice: "Of course I don't mean that. It's just a reasonable assumption. You have technological superiority, and you understand the local market and rules far better than we do. You could easily maximize your interests within the framework of those rules... Frankly speaking, if a contractual dispute were to arise, I have zero confidence we could beat you." Li Shuyue asked testily, "So what is your proposal?" "Using expensive shipping capacity to transport cheap consumer goods is unrealistic, and the recipes themselves aren't worth that much. We don't intend to export goods, nor do we intend to export recipes. We intend to export standards." "Standards?" Looking at the hesitant Li Shuyue, Fang Chang nodded and said firmly, "Correct." Li Shuyue frowned. "Can you be more specific?" "To be specific: storytelling." Seeing the blank look on her face, Fang Chang smiled and delivered the pitch he had prepared long ago: "Take cola, for example. There's really nothing technically complex about it, yet Nuka-Cola sells far better in Boulder City than Weijia Cola or any other brand. Why? Because the Alliance's Administrator publicly endorsed it as a substitute for alcohol, and because Awakened across the Alliance all drink it... Mercenaries end up wondering if drinking that stuff might help them awaken too. "Or take fried chicken—even lower technical barrier. But if we want, tomorrow it can be the food that annihilated an entire Legion division... I mean, a myriad-man unit. Or take that packet of instant noodles in your hand. Honestly, I'm not a fan of eating them, but whenever we need, they can become our frontline military rations... and then they'll sell like hotcakes on Endpoint Cloud. Do you see what I mean?" Listening to Fang Chang's vivid depiction, Li Shuyue looked at the man before her with growing fascination. *Good grief, even wastelanders understand brand effect now?* Not relying on flavor, nor on nutrition, but using cultural added value to drain consumers' wallets. If done this way, it truly would be difficult for her company to kick him to the curb after developing the market and upgrading product lines. After all, what held value was no longer patents or recipes, but the entrenched perception in consumers' minds. In fact, goods from Ideal City sold so well across the wasteland largely not just because of technology, but because of the brand power backing them. And she had indeed considered doing this—crafting a bestselling brand with distinctive Alliance flavor to build higher barriers against competitors and harvest the wallets of Ideal City residents. However, she had originally planned to do this only after Ruyue Group had thoroughly digested the partner's technology. After all, a hen that laid golden eggs was best kept in one's own hands; there was no need to let anyone else share the spoils. She just hadn't expected the man before her to harbor such grand ambition. Having only just arrived in Ideal City from that backwater wilderness, he had already devised a plan to forge Alliance products into bestselling brands right here. "Interesting." A glint of appreciation surfaced in Li Shuyue's eyes. She had met plenty of wastelanders. Most were crude, short-sighted, and habitually crafty—devoid of true wisdom yet overflowing with petty cunning. Still, one couldn't blame them. In a perilous environment like the wasteland where tomorrow was never guaranteed, someone with a long-term vision might struggle to survive until next month. To think so far ahead, this guy truly had some skill. *Should I agree?* *Then again, even if I don't, they could probably find someone else to partner with.* Assuming she was praising his proposal, a pleased smile appeared on Fang Chang's face. "It seems we've reached a consensus. In that case, let's talk details of our collaboration... such as how to sell this standard." Li Shuyue studied his face for a moment, then abruptly dropped a remark unrelated to business: "Although we generally don't grant wastelanders permanent residency, certain situations are exceptions." Naturally shifting her posture, she lightly crossed her right leg over her left knee, a smile curving her full lips. "...I've suddenly taken a liking to you. Have you considered settling down in Ideal City?" Though she spoke in a teasing tone, her expression didn't look like she was joking. Fang Chang had to admit, the offer was undeniably alluring. Life here was wonderful, almost like playing an entirely different game compared to the wasteland world. However— "I'm honored by your appreciation, but my heart is already taken." Looking at the polite man before her, Li Shuyue froze slightly, clearly not expecting her overture to be rejected. Yet her surprise lasted only an instant before she offered an indifferent smile, brushing it off: "Don't misunderstand. What I fancy is merely your business acumen. But back to the topic—let's discuss the details of our cooperation." Admiration was admiration, but that was all it was. It was like passing a boutique display window and catching sight of a novelty luxury item. She wouldn't mind swiping her card to buy it, but she certainly wouldn't queue outside like some nouveau riche parvenu. With her wealth, family background, and looks, what kind of man couldn't she have? There was no need to fight anyone for one. Still, seeing him completely unmoved irked her a bit. *Do I really have zero appeal?* Paying no heed to her prickly remark, Fang Chang merely smiled faintly. Interlocking his fingers over his knees, he said with composure, "Of course. When I said my heart was taken, I meant my heart already belongs to the Alliance." "Then as you wish. Let us discuss the specific details of our partnership." ... In the lounge next to the banquet hall. Sprawled entirely across the sofa, Brother Mole was having a blast playing with a pair of virtual reality glasses. Suddenly, the multicolored light and shadows whooshed away, vanishing without a trace from before his eyes. Dazed, Brother Mole looked up, only to find the glasses in Fang Chang's hand. "What are you playing that's got you so engrossed?" Seeing Fang Chang about to put them on, Brother Mole hurriedly lunged and snatched the glasses back, wiping away cold sweat with an embarrassed grin. "Just messed around with some ordinary little games I browsed on Endpoint Cloud." *Gotta say, as expected of residents in a 'utopia'—the people here are certainly open-minded.* Fang Chang asked out of curiosity, "Is it fun?" "So-so, nothing special. But playing a virtual reality game inside a virtual reality game was definitely beyond my expectations." As he spoke, Brother Mole couldn't help admiring it inwardly. To be completely fair, big studios nowadays coded games with their feet, designed DLC with their asses, and used their brains solely to milk cash, reheating old leftovers over and over without bothering to bring anything new to the table. For an in-game Easter egg to be polished enough that it could be released separately as an indie masterpiece was practically a beacon of industry conscience. He had to give props to Ah Guang. Truly living up to the boast of being a 100% realistic virtual reality game. This was just too damn realistic! "...Anyway, the controls are decent, the freedom is solid, and the scale is huge, though it's not quite realistic enough." Fang Chang paused, then asked after a moment of silence: "...Is this game decent?" "Pfft, what are you thinking? It's just a normal RPG. Ever played Freelancer? The kind where you look at spaceships!" Seeing his expression, Brother Mole knew this guy had definitely let his mind wander into the gutter. He hastily changed the subject: "Cut the crap. By the way, why are you back so fast?" He recalled Fang Chang leaving around eight, and it wasn't even ten yet. A bit quick... "Discussed some business matters." "Just business?" Brother Mole looked at him with sheer suspicion. "I don't buy it." Fang Chang rolled his eyes, too lazy to explain, and casually found a spot to sit down. He certainly wasn't about to tell this guy that he had just brokered a deal worth hundreds of millions for the Alliance. Ruyue Group, a subsidiary of Ideal Group, planned to invest 100 million Cr to establish a joint-venture restaurant chain, "Changyue Catering," together with Niuma Group. The brands confirmed so far were "Kendaji" fast food, which primarily served fried chicken and cola, and the "Niuma" Hot Pot Restaurant. Exporting "pre-made meals"? Selling instant noodles? Such businesses were viable, of course, but the margins were too low, and he honestly didn't think much of them. Besides, Ideal City's food safety standards were exceedingly high; regular foodstuffs couldn't pass inspection at all. On top of that, the Alliance hardly had surplus grain to spare. Rather than importing food from the Alliance, it made far more sense to produce locally. Just as Fang Chang had said: exporting standards. The plan currently finalized was for Ruyue Group to send employees to the Alliance, where Niuma Group would arrange their training. Once trained, they would return to Ideal City to serve as chefs and store managers. Still immersed in the game he had just played, Brother Mole mulled it over for a while. Staring at the glasses in his hand, he suddenly spoke up: "By the way... I noticed this virtual reality game is pretty fun and all, but the gameplay is a bit too one-dimensional." Fang Chang glanced at him. "How much more diverse do you want it to be?" Brother Mole: "It's not about wanting it richer. Let me give you an example. I just played about three RPGs: one sci-fi, one fantasy, and one probably alternate history. All three were Skyrim-style open worlds. The maps were massive, the skills were flashy, you could do basic interactions with NPCs, and the freedom was crazy high... But having all three games share the exact same selling point is just absurd!" Fang Chang gave him another glance. "Isn't that great? If games like that existed in reality, I'd throw my wallet at every single one." *Come to think of it, even the Easter eggs are crafted with this level of detail?* In the past, Brother Guang had bragged to him that most content in Wasteland OL was procedurally generated from players' cognition and dreams. He hadn't quite believed it at the time. Looking at it now, it really wasn't a boast. When he had free time, he definitely needed to check it out himself. Anticipating this reaction from Fang Chang, Brother Mole made a helpless face. "That's easy to say, but when the entire gaming platform is packed with nothing but that genre, it gets boring fast. I didn't see a single MOBA or battle royale game... Did they go out of style?" Fang Chang paused slightly. Though it sounded a bit outlandish, he seemed to have stumbled upon yet another lucrative avenue... ... Early the next morning, in a skyscraper among the massive architectural complex, a sliver of sunlight shone through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the top-floor CEO office. Gazing at the draft contract in her hand, Li Shuyue leaned back in her office chair, facing the forest of steel piercing through the clouds. Holding a cup of coffee, she took a sip with knit brows. 100 million Cr. This budget was mere pocket change to the parent company, Ideal Group, but for Ruyue Group, it was no small sum. After pondering for a moment, she lightly traced her index finger across the desk. A pale blue holographic window projected in front of her, weaving together a three-dimensional bust. In a flat electronic voice devoid of emotion, the AI assistant spoke softly: "Respected boss, what are your orders?" She said concisely, "Get me a flight ticket to southern River Valley Province." Separated by three thousand kilometers, even the most truthful news would be distorted along the way. Without seeing it with her own eyes, she could never set her mind at ease. The AI assistant reminded her: "The Enterprise operates no scheduled flights to southern River Valley Province. Under the relevant terms of Resolution 1001, chartering aircraft capacity requires submitting a declaration form stating the pertinent reasons and providing corresponding documentation." Li Shuyue replied casually, "Just fill that out for me however you like. Put down market inspection as the reason." The virtual projection floating above the desk nodded slightly. "As you wish."