Chapter 43: The Six Major Financial Consortia of Huaxia

In Lin Mu's attribute panel, there were various information columns such as system world announcements, system China region announcements, territory system information, and personal system prompts. Clicking on the China region announcement column revealed rows of neatly organized information lists, making it extremely convenient for players to review.

Regarding the territory information system, Lin Mu had basically entrusted all territorial affairs to Chang Yin, so the system prompts he received personally were very sparse. Most details were recorded by Chang Yin on animal skin scrolls and other physical media, leaving Lin Mu unable to view them directly. This was precisely the drawback of being a hands-off boss—he could not know the various updates of his territory at all times. Even the Expert-level talent had been brought to his attention by Chang Yin himself.

...

By analyzing the territory establishment announcements of the China region, one could also deduce the status of major factions within the zone. Combining these announcements with personal experience as clues to follow the trail, it was easy to determine which forces had already "landed."

The second village in the China region, Yanhuang Village, was overtly controlled by Jiang Chenglong, representing the legendary Chinese government and military—a state faction that could be described as a behemoth.

Yanhuang Village possessed the strongest appeal and the greatest authority; Lin Mu was well aware of this. Among players, it was the most powerful feudal lord faction striving for supremacy over the world.

When facing invasions from other foreign-region nations, this behemoth was also the force that charged right to the front lines with the fiercest determination.

Because of this faction's existence, many overt conflicts in China were significantly reduced, and a portion of them could be perfectly resolved through so-called negotiations.

Jiang Chenglong was one of China's youngest major generals. His military combat and close-quarters fighting techniques were exceptionally outstanding, and his mastery of traditional national martial arts was far from ordinary. Legend had it that he inherited a national school of ancient martial arts, having once won third place in the 10th World Martial Arts Combat Tournament. At the same time, he was a top contender and seeded martial artist for the 11th World Martial Arts Tournament to be held this October.

The World Martial Arts Combat Tournament was held once every four years. It was the grandest event in the global martial arts combat community, celebrated worldwide and drawing crowds so large they emptied the streets.

Hailing from a prominent red-clothed political family filled with generation after generation of exceptional talents and outstanding figures many of whom held high-ranking positions, Jiang Chenglong kept his background low-profile and discreet. Much of this hidden information was unknown to the general public, and Lin Mu had only learned of his extraordinary background from the records of the 10th World Martial Arts Combat Tournament's bronze medalist.

A dragon among men, a phoenix among prodigies, a tiger among martial artists—these were the words used to describe Jiang Chenglong.

Brilliant in talent, formidable in martial arts, prominent in status, and renowned throughout the world, Jiang Chenglong served as the controller of Yanhuang Village. Although senior leaders pulled strings behind the scenes, his personal capability could not be ignored. Lin Mu held Jiang Chenglong in extremely high regard, ranking his threat level near the top of his mental list.

However, due to the special nature of Yanhuang Village, ordinary players generally would not target his territory, nor would Yanhuang Village launch conquests against other player territories.

The habitual tactic of Yanhuang Village was to suppress players using the banner of national righteousness, national hope, and the protection of the people. Although it annoyed countless lord players, it was remarkably effective.

In his past life, many large factions deeply disliked interacting with Yanhuang Village. It not only played the role of a savior and a peacemaker, but secretly acted as a greedy and unbridled plunderer as well. Of course, this was merely the behavior of certain greedy family scions; many ambitious military heroes would not engage in such shallow actions, yet they maintained a tacit attitude toward these deeds...

Nevertheless, when it came to major matters of right and wrong, Yanhuang Village as a whole displayed immense responsibility. When it came to campaigns against foreign regions, Yanhuang Village shouldered the vanguard without hesitation. Domestically, though domineering, its expansion was carried out in a seemingly reasonable manner that left others speechless.

Perhaps due to the peculiarity of its composition, this faction was a mixed bag of dragons and fish, rife with cliques and endless infighting.

Regardless, Lin Mu regarded Jiang Chenglong with utmost seriousness and kept his distance from Yanhuang Village. If he truly had no other choice, he believed he would have the confidence to face them when that time came.

In Lin Mu's mind, the definition of Yanhuang Village was: keep one's distance in the early stage, cooperate and suppress in the mid stage, and suppress and cooperate in the late stage.

Aside from Yanhuang Village as this special faction, the prominent forces in the China region also included the six major financial consortiums and the ten major super guilds.

This world had once sunk and plunged into boundless darkness, yet through the efforts of countless revolutionary martyrs, it survived that desperate period of history!

With China's history spanning thousands of years, countless heroes, legendary figures, and aristocratic families, no one knew how many hidden clans existed. Influenced by Chinese historical ideology, Chinese people naturally favored a low profile, hiding away and adhering to the golden mean of peace and moderation.

The China of the new era remained vast and resource-rich, with a flourishing history and culture, advanced science and technology, and comprehensive national strength far ahead of the rest. Even though it had endured one or more dark historical periods, the Chinese nation remained one of the most cohesive peoples in the world.

The roots of the Chinese nation were deep and its leaves luxuriant, with the customs of dozens of ethnic groups, countless heroes and talents, and national pillars endowing the divine land of China with a profound historical foundation. This was China!

Driven by the special and mysterious nature of *Mythological World*, the allure of secrets such as eternal life drew out factions previously hidden from public view, causing countless massive fish to surface and begin contending for hegemony within the mythological realm.

China boasted a developed economy, the highest global economic growth rate, the strongest market vitality, and the largest population in the world, reaching two billion.

Under the new era, due to historical reasons, a developed economy naturally spawned large conglomerate alliances known as consortia—an inevitable product of market economy development.

China possessed six major consortia: the Hanye Consortium, the Dongcheng Consortium, the Sima Consortium, the Ji Clan Consortium, the Yanhuang Consortium, and the First Consortium.

Lin Mu had only learned of this information within professional player circles. During casual exchanges of experience, players would occasionally touch upon topics such as funding and benefits. Since different guilds offered different packages, the consortia behind them would inadvertently become a subject of discussion. Whenever players spoke of these consortia, their expressions were invariably filled with a mixture of reverence and longing, though those entities felt infinitely distant from them.

Many virtual gaming guilds were backed by investments from large conglomerate forces; some were directly acquired and controlled, while others were operated through joint ventures, varying greatly in form.

In his past life, the guild Lin Mu belonged to was under the umbrella of the Ji Clan Consortium, which was why he was most familiar with it.

The Ji Clan Consortium differed somewhat from other consortia. It was directed overall by the Ji family, which held absolute authority and occupied a massive share of the consortium's assets, while a few scattered shares were controlled by minor families. It could be said to hold absolute sway.

The reason Lin Mu was kicked out of his guild in his past life was also due to the instigation of other minor families within the Ji Clan Consortium, likely aided in secret by individuals who detested him.

The Ji Clan Consortium operated in numerous sectors, including aerospace materials, space exploration companies, the control of one or more oceanic cities, and the exploitation of space asteroid and meteorite mineral veins. In short, whatever was most profitable, the Ji Clan Consortium would undertake—this was the true foundation of a conglomerate.

Regarding the wealth of the Ji Clan Consortium, many data-analysis wealth-ranking operations were unable to determine its specific scale. Not only the Ji Clan Consortium, but the wealth of other global consortia could not be accurately calculated or analyzed by these institutions because the hidden interests involved were simply too vast and complex.

General wealth rankings merely analyzed and estimated personal fortunes slightly before roughly publishing them.

Lin Mu did not know much about the Hanye Consortium, the Dongcheng Consortium, and the Yanhuang Consortium, but he was aware that the composition of these three consortia was extremely complex, and rumors of internal infighting leading to erroneous decision-making were frequent.

The Hanye Consortium was the overlord behind Hanye Village, founded by Ye Nantian. Its composition was relatively pure, consisting of only two families: the Han family and the Ye family. Legend had it that during the old era, these two families were lifelong friends who later joined forces and partnered up to create a financial empire rich enough to rival a nation, becoming the ultimate pinnacle in the hearts of countless entrepreneurs! Various versions of rumors flew everywhere. Although Lin Mu had paid occasional attention to them, he lacked deep understanding, and most of what he knew came from hearsay.

Hanye Village, under the Hanye Consortium, was located in Xuzhou, and its village chief was Ye Nantian, the eldest legitimate son of Ye Zhende, the chairman of the Hanye Consortium!

This consortium was far too distant from Lin Mu; whether to suppress them or cooperate remained undetermined for the time being.

...

The controllers of the Dongcheng Consortium included the Beitang family, though they could not completely dominate by themselves. Decisions likely relied on the so-called consortium board resolutions, making it a faction that huddled together for warmth. Such factions relied purely on interests, and when interest conflicts became prominent, they were prone to collapse. However, if aligned by firm mutual interests, this relationship could also prove exceptionally reliable! It was a union of spear and shield that required a delicate equilibrium point.

It was rumored that the Beitang Valkyrie was one of the heirs of the Beitang family, and the Peerless Beauty Guild was the largest super guild under the Dongcheng Consortium. If Lin Mu's guess was correct, the territory they established would be located in Yangzhou, making them the first transcendent major force Lin Mu would have to face in the future. He wondered how things would turn out.

Lin Mu would not easily categorize this transcendent major force in the same simple manner as Yanhuang Village, because they were far too complex. Each situation required specific and independent analysis.

...

The Yanhuang Consortium was established by a group of favored children of heaven—the third and fourth generations of political and military elites. Armed with political influence and military backing, the growth of the Yanhuang Consortium was rapid, and its future looked smooth and boundless. However, it was rumored that much of their wealth was contributed to the Chinese government, though the truth remained unverified. Some also rumored that this consortium existed precisely to generate wealth within the commercial sphere for the state and to provide a source for covert funding... Of course, these were mere speculations on the Battle Net; right or wrong, no one knew.

Jiang Chenglong was an outstanding figure belonging to a certain faction within the Yanhuang Consortium.

...

Lin Mu knew even less about the First Consortium and the Sima Consortium, though he did know that the First Consortium was controlled by a family bearing the rare surname "First."

As for the Sima Consortium, it belonged to the legendary hidden aristocratic Sima family, which had been passed down for thousands of years. Although members of this family frequently appeared in the public eye, they were likely merely spokespersons, and their core legitimate bloodline had never shown itself.

Yet, deep within Lin Mu's mind, he knew of one legitimate descendant: Sima Ying, an aristocratic scion who shared quite a complicated connection with him...

...

He believed that driven by the temptation of *Mythological World*, many hidden factions would surface, recruiting troops and gathering talented scholars to contend for the orthodox hegemony of the world, amassing the destiny of the realm not necessarily for immortality, but to extend their lifespans while simultaneously enhancing their martial arts cultivation and roaming freely across the world!

Aside from the transcendent presence of the six major consortia, China possessed another factional group that required Lin Mu's utmost attention: the virtual gaming player guilds, formed by countless professional and amateur players as the virtual gaming industry evolved to the present day.

Gaming player guilds were an auxiliary product that had existed ever since the inception of the gaming industry.

Games were created for people to play, and those who played them were called players. When many people played games, they would encounter others who shared similar aspirations to conquer the world together, or kindred spirits hitting it off for nefarious purposes, or factions forming purely to reap profits... It was precisely these human and social elements that made games more prosperous and enjoyable!

Like-minded players would form guild factions driven not by profit, but purely by passion and the thrill of gaming. These were welcomed by game developers and served as one of the crucial sources of gaming profits.

Birds of a feather flocking together for illicit gains would form guilds that ordinary players referred to as tyrant factions. They monopolized in-game resources, bullied ordinary players, ran amok in the game, and committed every conceivable evil, earning a thoroughly notorious reputation.

This could also be considered a way to vent real-world frustrations, but malicious deeds committed within a game were not punishable by law, which only made them more arrogant. At times, certain games went bankrupt precisely because of such player guilds. Being capable of driving a gaming company into bankruptcy could almost be considered a perverse form of "achievement."

Although they contributed quite a bit to the games, they were the most unwelcome demographic.

Within games, there was another vital demographic: low-end players. Their sheer numbers determined the potential of the game.

Countless low-end players served high-end players to varying degrees in exchange for compensation. Through buying and selling, they made the gaming market more prosperous and flourishing.

Low-end players with identical ambitions would form game studios of all sizes, and such studios were as numerous as the hairs on an ox within the virtual gaming world!

Ever since virtual games were developed, their holographic virtual reality provided players with an enhanced gaming experience and stronger playability, giving birth to countless professional players and making the gaming industry's development as blazing as the midday sun and full of vitality. Due to various societal reasons, the state also vigorously promoted the virtual gaming industry.

Countless consortia and families injected capital into it to share a slice of the great era's cake!