Im not sure you really understand "how it works". Do you have any factual documentation that supports your claim or is this simply your opinion? Part of what you are describing is very close to being illegal. In the past 45 years plus, I have bought smaller companies but have never joined any club. I have bid jobs formally and informally. Some of them against and won over the biggest contracting companies in the country. I have negotiated prices with companies without bidding. I have worked all over the country but I have never had to ask permission to cross boundaries of any kind. Im not saying what you described hasn't happened but it is far from being the norm.
The way it really works, is" relationships". Ive said it before and I'll say it again, you have to know and have good relationship(s) with the right people in companie(s) before you will get any meaningful work. You can't just walk in and expect someone to hire an unknown person/contractor. They want to know your capabilities. They want to know you can get the job at hand done and done on time and on budget. That is how it is legally done.
