A Single Mother's Farm of the Gods
Chapter 88: The Attempt to Sabotage the Market

Chapter 88: The Attempt to Sabotage the Market

In an attempt to bring Elaina’s business down to dust, Elaina’s parents started to contact their suppliers and contracts that they had business to do in the Darcero Kingdom. The business group that Elaina’s parents run is the one monopolizing the market back in Luminiera Kingdom. They own all businesses present there, whether it is small or big and it’s also due to them that they don’t have any rival companies that would compete with them in this business venture.

Although many owners who are part of their business are not happy with how they run their business, they are still can only curse inwardly as their whole business is part of theirs. One wrong move and any business owners that are against them would be immediately banished from the group and will face bankruptcy the moment they left it. In short, their group is the tyrant of the business world and no one can defeat it.

Now, it seems their target is Darcero’s Market. Since there’s some untapped potential in their market that they have yet to utilize, it is clear that their goal is not only to sabotage the profit that Elaina’s farm makes, but also to take over control of the market and acquire it.

But there is one thing that they have forgotten. Compared to their home ground, they are in a foreign territory and even though they have a massive grasp over there, that doesn’t mean they have any ways of getting the market to acquire them. After all, the market itself is run by the Royal Family themselves. Whether they like it or not, if they ever wanted to acquire the rights for the business, they would have to face the Royal Family first.

Currently, in the Adventurer’s Guild where the current control of the market is being regulated, the Guild Master is just smoking in his office when someone knocks on his door before entering.

"It’s rare for you to even come here during your free time, Princess," the Guild Master huffs his first smoke out of his mouth before he faces the one who entered which is the First Princess, Tabatha.

"How are you fairing Sir Matthias? Is everything working in the regulations of the market?" she asked as she sat down on the chair adjacent to the desk of the Guild Master.

"Thanks to some of your orders, we are doing well. And we did have a good influx of resources and goods from the farmers this year as well, making the final spring crops sale very profitable."

"Good. Anyway, I am here because I have some hunch on something that might be going to happen. Since it might go hectic in the upcoming days, I will have to take the helm for a while. And while I do that, I look forward to you supporting me again," Princess Tabatha smiled.

"Haha, you should drop the "sir" as we are both the same age. I feel old just by being told by you about it. However, may I ask what this is?"

"I am not too sure just yet, but there might be going to be some sort of market manipulation and some other tactics that will be happening later on. Although this is a hunch, I am quite sure about this one. My intuition tells me that I am right."

...

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But Princess Tabatha’s worries were a solid concern because a few days later, a new group of businesses in the market suddenly appeared and started to sell goods from the market outside the Darcero Kingdom and not only in this city alone but also spread out throughout the Kingdom. Not only that, but the prices of their goods were also quite lower than what the market is currently selling, causing the Local Market to have their goods ignored by the people.

"Looks like my predictions were right. It seems those guys have just recently established themselves here but their tactics are terrifying indeed," the Guild Master shook his head seeing the low income these past few days.

"Yes. I can tell. However, it’s a well-known tactic I know when I manage the market myself. It’s quite effective for a short burst of time especially if you are competing with a competitor but it is not a very profitable way to continue with the business for the long term as it relies on cheap goods and the bulk of stocks that are popular for the people to ensure that the competition will give in and also lower their prices which would make the tactic work as the competition who does it will lose money," Princess Tabatha remained calm as she sips her tea while holding the reports.

"So this was planned from the very start to cause a crash of the market against the competitor?"

"Correct. As the instigator, they already planned the amount of loss that they would be taking as this is part of the plan and the loss they will get is a calculated one. As I said before, because it was effective, most businesses would already fold on this pressure which would become their downfall. It works differently in many fields of the business especially if it involves different goods."

"Which means the reason you handled the business a few days ago was in preparation for this?"

"Not really. I planned a few contingency plans in case they used other tactics. However, I am thankful that the tactic that they are using is something that I am very familiar with, otherwise, I would have a minor struggle."

"But what does preserving the farm products and goods that will spoil gonna do with all of this? Isn’t that a normal practice?"

"Not this time. Remember when I said that this one only works in short bursts and not in long-term endurance competition?" Princess Tabatha smiled.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"Since they are currently hogging all the consumers and customers at the very moment, our current goods are currently stagnant and they are going to rot if it goes on for a few days without being sold. And once it is not sold?"

"It gets rejected for sale and we will have to either recycle it as compost or just throw it away altogether."

"Exactly. In business with goods that can spoil, getting more products daily but without any profit and sales, is very bad. Not only will you be dealing with goods that failed to sell, but you will have to find a way to dispose of them once they reach their expiration or they get overripe and rot in the process which is a big loss as those goods are paid and you didn’t get a return from it."

That’s when the Guild Master immediately understood everything.

"Wow...so if you didn’t predict this matter, then we would be suffering a lot of losses these past few days?"

"Indeed. Thankfully, I acted in time. It’s a method to counter their business strategy. It does hurt us profit-wise, but not as much compared to the worst-case scenario. We just needed to endure this matter. It will become a war of attrition and we will have to see who endures the most and who falls first."

Princess Tabatha knows that this strategy of hers is not really a good counter but it does work well. Since the enemy is just starting to cause trouble, she is doing her best to ensure that the local farmers won’t suffer as a result.

But she is confident to win this as according to the news she received regarding the cheap items being sold, they are not good quality wise and most of them are considered as subpar items. They were good at first as a way to attract customers but due to her tactic, the enemy didn’t want to use the same opening tactic to continue so instead, they slowly transitioned from the best qualities to subpar qualities to make up for the losses.

Princess Tabatha might not be that gifted in terms of managing business, but she does quite well in terms of keeping the business alive. She does not look down on her enemies lightly. She learned that from her battles and she applies that even in managing businesses. She might not be regular in managing it as the Guild Master is the one primarily helping her manage it but when it comes to things like this, she will not just let an opposition ruin everything she has worked so far.

"They think they are the absolute back from where they came from? Heh, they should think again. As long as I am still managing the businesses, I am not going to let them win and take over. That is just as effective as conquering this kingdom indirectly."

The Guild Master was impressed by all the things Princess Tabatha has done although he didn’t show it on his face and just remained stoic. And just like what she said, underestimating a royalty just like that was a big mistake for their opposition.