The Starfield Farming Sovereign (Elizabeth Schofield) novel Chapter 203

Chapter 203 A Threat They Couldn’t Ignore

The executives stiffly set the samples back down, their expressions growing even uglier.

The gap was too wide. This wasn’t just a case of the other side tasting a little better. This was a total mismatch on an entirely different level.

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Those products were filled with a kind of vitality and soul they simply couldn’t replicate, something no amount of advanced technology or money seemed capable of creating.

In the deathly quiet conference room, the sounds of chewing and swallowing felt unusually loud.

No one spoke. Every person in the room was still caught between the shock of what they had tasted and the crushing sense of crisis that followed.

Mason slowly set down the strawberry stem in his hand and swept his gaze across the silent room. His voice came out low and rough. “So. Does anyone still doubt the test report and the tasting team’s conclusions?”

The only answer was an even longer, more suffocating silence.

At that moment, every trace of arrogance and wishful thinking was shattered.

They finally understood, with painful clarity, that what the other side possessed wasn’t luck. It was some kind of core technology or resource they hadn’t yet mastered and perhaps couldn’t even comprehend.

This was no longer a minor nuisance they could casually suppress or ignore. It was a terrifying rival, one that could overturn the technical moat and market share Seafarm Group had always taken pride in.

For the first time, these Seafarm executives, who were used to looking down on everyone else in the industry, tasted defeat.

Mason drew in a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. He knew anger and panic wouldn’t solve anything.

“It seems we underestimated this little street vendor,” he said in a heavy voice. “She’s not some ordinary opportunist. She has something genuinely competitive in her hands. This isn’t just about losing a few customers anymore. This is a potential threat that could shake Seafarm Group’s foundation in the premium market.”

His gaze moved across the room. “Well? Let’s hear it. What’s our response?”

Thomas Sterling, the marketing director, spoke first, his tone ruthless. “Mr. Reid, since she won’t take a polite offer, and Mr. Buckner already got turned down when he tried to discuss cooperation, I don’t see any reason to play nice anymore. We should use our connections and pressure Mercury Plaza into shutting her down. Or find a few people to make things difficult for her, enough to make her back off.”

But Edward Langston, the legal director, frowned. “Not a good idea. Mercury Plaza belongs to the Sharps. They may not be in agriculture, but they carry a lot of weight in both politics and business. They won’t easily bend for us. And right now she has momentum, along with strong public support. If we force her out, public opinion could turn against us very quickly. We’d just be asking for a blowback.”

Chapter 203 A Threat They Couldn’t Ignore

“So we’re supposed to sit here and watch her keep stealing our business?” Thomas snapped.

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Mason fell silent for a moment, calculation flashing through his eyes. “Taking the hard line is a last resort. We don’t use it unless we absolutely have to. Seafarm Group is a respectable company.”

He put special emphasis on the word respectable.

“Since her produce is good, then we make it our own.” Mason laid out his final decision. “Send someone to approach her again. This time, raise the offer. Give her a price she can’t refuse. Buy out her technology, or buy her farm and all of its output outright. If she knows what’s good for her, Seafarm Group can offer her a partnership. She becomes one of our exclusive supply bases, she makes money, we eliminate the threat, and we can even use her products to launch an even higher–end line. Everyone wins.”

He paused, and when he spoke again, his voice turned cold, edged with unmistakable menace. “If she’s still stubborn and refuses to cooperate, then we’ll use other business methods. One way or another, she’ll understand who the real ruler of the kingdom’s agricultural sector is. This isn’t some little stall–side game. Seafarm Group has the power to make sure she can’t sell a single potato through any legitimate channel.

Mr. Reid.” A hesitant voice broke in.

chie, the marketing manager who had previously been responsible for dealing with Elizabeth.

of unease showed on his face as he stood up. “There’s something I think everyone should be nded of. That vendor, Elizabeth… she has another identity. She’s General Hewitt’s perfect genetic ch. In name, she’s Mrs. Hewitt.”

He paused, glanced around at the others, then continued. “There are rumors that the Hewitts don’t think much of her, maybe even that they’ve already abandoned her. But the title is still there. If we use any unconventional means to suppress her, then if the Hewitts decide to step in…” He hesitated before finishing. “You all know what kind of influence the Hewitts have.”

His words instantly cooled some of the executives who had just started leaning toward a more aggressive approach.

The Hewitts were one of the military’s true giants. Their power and reach were far beyond what any commercial group would willingly provoke.

Even with Seafarm Group’s deep backing, they had no desire to enter direct conflict with a force like that.

“Mrs. Hewitt?” Mason frowned, tapping his fingers on the table. “That status does make things troublesome. But just like Mr. Buckner said, the rumors claim the Hewitts don’t value her. Otherwise, why would they leave her on a place like Planet A001? For all we know, the Hewitts might be perfectly happy to see this happen. They may even want to be rid of her themselves.”

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