Building the Strongest Undead Empire from Scratch

Chapter 20: We need her on our team

Seeing the new prices on the world channel, Mike erupted. "That's it! He started it! He's the one being ridiculous!" He raged, "How dare he accuse *us* of being annoying?! What a jerk!"

[Mike]: "Boss, what do we do? That lunatic is like a rabid dog! If we keep this up, he'll be offering free processing!"

[Cain]: "Ugh, this is a headache! Everything was going so well, and now this clown shows up! What about Alex? Why isn't she reacting? She's losing the most!"

[Mike]: "I don't know! She hasn't said a word on the world channel. Doesn't seem interested in a price war at all!"

[Cain]: "Is she giving up on the cooked meat market?"

[Mike]: "No way! It's too profitable! I wouldn't give it up!"

[Cain]: "Forget about her. Let's figure out how to deal with the Maid Factory."

[Mike]: "What else can we do? Match their prices. We might not have a monopoly anymore, but we can still get a decent chunk of the orders. The market is still huge!"

[Cain]: "The same prices as them? ...Fine. This is so frustrating!"

[Mike]: "Don't worry, boss! We'll play the long game. Once the seven-day newbie protection period is over, we'll get our chance to take them down!"

[Cain]: "Good! Now go announce our new prices and drum up some business."

[Mike]: "Right away, boss!"

Mike returned to the world channel and announced their revised pricing, mirroring the Maid Factory's. Seeing this, the lords holding large orders knew the prices weren't going any lower. Cain had folded. They placed their orders, mostly with the Maid Factory, who snagged the lion's share of the business. Cain and Mike got the scraps. The cooked meat price war was over. The combatants: Cain and Mike versus the Maid Factory. Alex, the original cooked meat mogul, hadn't even participated, still holding firm at 10 units. It was as if she didn't even care about the booming business. The billions of lords watching the drama unfold were baffled.

In a certain team chat channel...

[Edward Scissorhands]: "Hahaha! Alex got played!"

[Stefan Luxon]: "Serves her right!"

[Kazuma Nokima]: "I'm curious. Why didn't she lower her prices? Even at 5 units, 100,000 orders is 500,000 units of resources!"

[Edward Scissorhands]: "You don't understand, Kazuma. Young people have their pride. She's too stubborn to back down!"

[Kazuma Nokima]: "I don't quite follow."

[Stefan Luxon]: "Let's just say Alex is... prone to digging her heels in."

[Kazuma Nokima]: "Oh. What a waste. Such a huge advantage, thrown away for a little pride. She could have been so far ahead by the end of the newbie period. Foolish."

[Edward Scissorhands]: "Couldn't have said it better myself! Alex is a total idiot!"

[Hero (Captain)]: "Alex is not an idiot."

[Edward Scissorhands]: "Whoa, Captain, why are you defending her? You're boosting her morale and deflating ours!"

[Maria]: "*Pfft*... Edward, it's 'boosting her morale and deflating our own.'"

[Edward Scissorhands]: "Right, right! That's what I meant!"

[Hero (Captain)]: "I'm not deflating our morale. Just watch. Those lords will be crawling back to Alex, begging to pay her 10 units."

[Edward Scissorhands]: "What?! No way! Are they crazy? Why would they pay double?"

[Hero (Captain)]: "Because they'll have no choice."

[Edward Scissorhands]: "Why? I don't believe it!"

[Hero (Captain)]: "Wanna bet?"

[Edward Scissorhands]: "Sure. What's the wager?"

[Hero (Captain)]: "Your Ironclad Rhino. If they go back to Alex at 10 units, you give me one. King-rank unit."

[Edward Scissorhands]: "Deal! If they don't, you give me one of your Griffins. King-rank. I need some decent DPS."

[Hero (Captain)]: "Done. Kazuma, Stefan, Maria, you're witnesses."

[Stefan Luxon]: "No problem, Captain!"

[Kazuma Nokima]: "Of course, Captain."

[Maria]: "Sure."

[Hero (Captain)]: "Maria, have you added Alex yet?"

[Maria]: "...No."

[Hero (Captain)]: "Prioritize it. She's not someone to underestimate. I suspect her units are... unique. We need her on our team."

[Maria]: "I'll do my best, Captain."

[Hero (Captain)]: "If necessary... employ a little... charm."

[Maria]: "..."