I chose one of four options at the start, and I chose the number one clan in Lingnan.

Murakami pushed aside the reporters blocking his way and strode up the steps of the testing platform.

The eight bodyguards behind him formed a black wall, blocking all the cameras that tried to get close.

The elderly Japanese man in the white coat was the last to walk.

His gaze, behind the gold-rimmed glasses, swept over the hydraulic press and then landed on Hongtu's silver-gray prototype, his face full of disdain.

"Director Ma." Murakami stopped in front of Ma Guoqiang, his tone stiff.

"Why was the test arranged by the province broadcast by the media? The Mitsui Group did not authorize you to publicly compare our product data."

Ma Guoqiang wiped the sweat from his forehead, took a half step back, and his gaze unconsciously drifted towards Lin Ting sitting on the steps.

Lin Ting kept spinning the walnut in his hand, and tapped his wooden cane on the ground.

"The products are sold in Jiangnan Province because they're meant to be used. What, are Mitsui's products something you can't show in the light of day?" Lin Ting said.

Murakami turned his head and stared at Lin Ting.

"Lin Ting, you think you can climb to the top by stepping on Mitsui's reputation with a piece of junk cobbled together from who-knows-where and a tampered hydraulic press? You're too naive."

Murakami stepped aside, making way for the old Japanese man behind him.

"This is Mr. Ichiro Watanabe, the chief materials science expert of the Mitsui Foundation and a national treasure-level engineer of the Empire of Japan."

"The standards for special steel currently used by Jiangnan Heavy Industry were formulated with his participation thirty years ago," Murakami explained loudly.

Ichiro Watanabe placed the silver combination lock box on the testing table and pressed the fingerprint lock.

The lid popped open. Inside, there was black shock-absorbing foam, with a dark gold bearing embedded in the center.

"This is Mitsui's fifth-generation special bearing, which just came out of the lab last month," Watanabe Ichiro said in broken Chinese, picking up the bearing.

"The one you just tested was a three-year-old obsolete. Comparing it to an obsolete product is just self-deception on the part of the weak."

Old Wei stepped forward and stared at the dark gold bearing.

"You dare to sell outdated products to Jiangnan Heavy Industry for 500 million? Your contract specifies the latest technology."

Watanabe Ichiro ignored Lao Wei. He turned to look at Ma Guoqiang.

"Director Ma, in actual operation, the core bearing of a heavy-duty crane will generate high temperatures due to extremely high friction."

"Single compressive strength test is completely contrary to common sense in engineering. I request that a dual test of extreme high temperature compressive strength be initiated." Watanabe Ichiro made the request.

Ma Guoqiang swallowed hard and turned to look at Lin Ting.

Lin Ting picked up the teacup beside him and blew on it to cool it down. "When in Rome, do as the host says. Since Mr. Watanabe wants to have some fun, the Lin family will gladly oblige."

Old Wei pointed to the environmental simulation chamber next to him. "The equipment is ready. Mr. Watanabe, how would you like to conduct the test?"

Ichiro Watanabe placed the dark gold bearing into the simulation chamber.

"Mitsui's fifth-generation product has an extreme temperature resistance of 300 degrees Celsius. It can withstand a pressure of 100 tons for 10 minutes at a temperature of 300 degrees Celsius."

"Your piece of junk is a miracle if it can even withstand fifty degrees Celsius."

Old Wei sneered. He slammed the Mitsui instruction manual in his hand onto the control panel.

"Three hundred degrees? Your heat-resistant coating is so thin it barely reaches two hundred degrees. Do you really think nobody at Hongtu understands materials?"

Watanabe Ichiro's eyes were filled with disdain. "Ignorant fool, turn on the camera."

Old Wei pushed Hongtu's silver-gray prototype directly into another simulation chamber.

Reporters carried their equipment, their cameras pointed at the screens of the two simulation pods.

Ichiro Watanabe walked to the control panel himself and pressed the heating button.

The temperature indicator light on the right side of the simulator lit up, and the numbers jumped rapidly.

One hundred degrees, two hundred degrees, three hundred degrees.

A red glow emanated from the simulation chamber, and the dark gold bearings began to operate under high temperatures.

The hydraulic press simultaneously pressed down, with a pressure of one hundred tons firmly held above the bearing.

The piercing sound of metal scraping echoed across the square.

Ichiro Watanabe rested his hands on the control panel, staring at the data on the screen.

Five minutes later, the rotation speed of the dark gold bearing began to decrease.

The outer heat-resistant coating showed signs of peeling, with small black debris falling onto the test bench.

Old Wei, holding a megaphone, shouted to the entire audience: "Everyone, look closely! That's coating carbonization peeling off!"

Mitsui's materials simply couldn't withstand sustained temperatures of 300 degrees Celsius; they falsified the data!

Watanabe Ichiro suddenly turned his head and glared fiercely at Lao Wei.

Eight minutes later. The friction sound became extremely sharp, and even the reporters on the periphery covered their ears.

Click.

A crisp sound came from inside the simulator.

The balls of the dark gold bearing got stuck, a crack appeared in the outer casing, and the entire bearing was completely deformed under the pressure of one hundred tons.

The time on the display screen was stopped at eight minutes and twenty seconds.

The audience erupted in noise. Reporters snapped photos rapidly, their flashes creating a continuous barrage.

Watanabe Ichiro, his face dark, slammed his hand on the control panel. "The pressure sensor on this hydraulic press is faulty! You're cheating!"

Old Wei strode to the left side of the simulator and shoved Watanabe Ichiro aside.

"You blame the equipment for your own technical shortcomings? Open your eyes and see clearly how Chinese-made bearings turn!" Old Wei roared.

Old Wei pressed the control panel.

The temperature in the left-side simulation chamber skyrocketed.

300 degrees, 500 degrees, 700 degrees, 800 degrees.

Watanabe Ichiro's eyes widened as he pointed at the screen.

"You're insane! At 800 degrees Celsius, the structure of metallic crystals will change directly. You're courting death!"

Old Wei didn't stop; he pulled down the hydraulic lever directly.

One hundred tons, one hundred and twenty tons, one hundred and fifty tons.

800 degrees Celsius temperature, 150 tons of pressure.

The silver-gray prototype was running at high speed inside the simulation chamber, without any harsh friction noise, only a deep and steady hum.

The perfect tolerances achieved by the tungsten-titanium alloy cutting tip demonstrate terrifying stability at this moment.

Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen minutes.

The prototype's surface showed no discoloration whatsoever and it continued to operate at top speed.

Old Wei turned to look at Watanabe Ichiro. "A national treasure-level engineer? Mitsui's materials science is outdated."

The scene immediately erupted in chaos, with microphones shoved in front of Ma Guoqiang and Murakami.

"Director Ma, Hongtu Factory's data completely surpasses Mitsui's fifth-generation product. Will the province immediately reinstate Jiangnan Heavy Industry's orders?"

"Mr. Murakami, the Mitsui Group has always claimed a technological monopoly. How do you explain today's outcome?"

Ma Guoqiang was sweating profusely and didn't dare to reply.

Watanabe Ichiro's face was ashen as he stared intently at the still-operating silver-gray prototype.

He reached into the pocket of his white coat, his thumb found a miniature remote control, and pressed it down hard.

Murakami was jostled back by the reporters. He suddenly shoved the microphone in front of him and yelled at Lin Ting.

"The test is invalid! This is not your technology at all!" Murakami was furious, his face turning ashen.

"You stole the Mitsui Group's top-level trade secrets! The material formula used in this prototype belongs to our Great Japanese Empire!"

Murakami turned to his bodyguards and shouted, "Protect the scene! No one is allowed near the testing station! Call the police immediately and have the city police arrest them!"

The media's flashbulbs went off wildly, capturing Murakami's furious face clearly.