Chapter 789 [Abnormal Capitalists IV]
Although [Fortress Co., Ltd.] currently has potential global influence, the Resolution Council of Heaven has reservations about its actual threat.
They all agree that, despite their absurd behavior and bizarre products, the forts currently do not have the ability to have a truly significant impact on normalcy.
Therefore, the Kingdom of Heaven has not established a special major department for the containment of Fortress anomalies.
On the contrary, the Kingdom of Heaven's approach appears to be more calm and low-key: a number of teams composed of researchers and angels from different fields are sent out to record and study the suspicious products of the Fortress, and to deal with the often unstable items or anomalies produced by it. Site exploration of long-term containment options.
This relatively tolerant attitude is not out of trust in the fortress, but a helpless... understanding of its nature.
After all, the characteristics of a fortress can be summed up in two words - "complete work".
What they do seems intentionally or unintentionally comical, neither entirely dangerous nor entirely harmless.
[Fortress] is simply the pinnacle organization in the world of holiness. They are keen to challenge the norm, but they are not completely rebellious. Instead, they have left their mark on the abnormal field in a harmless but inexplicable way.
This “refinement” even extends to their official descriptions of the Kingdom of Heaven.
A promotional document from Gizhibao reads more like an "objection statement". The content is extremely absurd, but it is also laughable.
Here is Fortress's description of the Kingdom of Heaven:
[Heaven, a secret society of bearded ascetics who forbid others to have fun! (#` pan).
Here are all the vicious words we can think of to slap on their heads:
The Kingdom of Heaven is vicious and disgusting, and they cannot be trusted at all (╬ ̄Van ̄).
They also don’t seem to understand that although not everyone wants to work in the fast food industry, we [Gai Zhi Bao] allow everyone to pursue their own dreams and never care about what others say.
The Kingdom of Heaven is trying to block the production chain of our family businesses, because they themselves do not eat or drink, they disdain "normal food", and they actually rely on the suffering of others to obtain nutrition.
Mind you, if heaven finds you, they'll wet your socks with mayonnaise themselves.
It's true.
Everything I said is true (艹批)]
——The above information comes from the posters posted by [Fortress] near various hubs in Terra and the primary and secondary education systems in some modern areas. The emojis above will change in action in the posters, but they are not harmful in any way.
Within the Kingdom of Heaven, this "revitalizing culture" of building forts has long become a joke.
Many people even jokingly call them the "least lethal troublemakers". Although their products occasionally require research and containment, more often than not, this organization is more like a never-ending entertainment show.
Perhaps, it is precisely because of the nature of [fortress] that the Kingdom of Heaven chooses to treat this strange organization in a relatively tolerant manner.
After all, in the face of [building forts], which is the main business, using too much power would be overkill.
“Is it right to confiscate and freeze the branch?!”
Martin Glaze's eyes widened and he looked directly at Xia Xiu, with a hint of uneasiness and unwillingness in his eyes.
"We just want people on this land to experience the Fortress series."
Facing Martin's words, Xia Xiu just smiled faintly. There was neither hostility nor any room for compromise in that smile. .
"Don't look at me like that."
He said to Martin:
“My government is simply recalling all fort products that may cause public harm and limiting their spread.
These things are not in line with the survival logic of Terran humans, especially yours
——Ultimate Fort series and heartburn flavored potato chip series. "
He said, his eyes locked on Martin, and he slowly explained:
“For the former, the first bite does bring an indescribable sense of pleasure, I admit that.
But then the eater gradually loses interest in other things and becomes enthusiastic about promoting the burger.
Long-term consumption may even cause the body to gradually become "hamburgered", with the skin turning into a bread-like texture and the internal organs appearing like minced meat.
Do you think such consequences are reasonable? "
Martin swallowed, looked away slightly, and did not dare to answer directly.
Xia Xiu didn't stop and continued:
“As for the latter, the range of heartburn-flavored potato chips…the spiciness increases according to the mood of the eater.
Once chewed, the heat generated can not only cause serious burns to the eater's body, but may even trigger a small explosion. "
He tilted his head slightly and looked at Martin with a half-smile.
"Do you think such a product is suitable for the daily consumer market?"
Martin opened his mouth, as if he wanted to say something, but found that he had no way to argue.
Xia Xiu narrowed his eyes slightly and continued:
"You should be grateful that these unusual crisis outbreaks are long-term and can be cured and decoded.
Therefore, the burial agency just closed down your abnormal production line and took in some of the open personnel.
If these things really cause a huge crisis to the present world, you will face more than just burying institutions. "
Martin felt a trace of cold sweat on his forehead and looked away guiltily, not daring to look directly at the fourth sword holder in the Kingdom of Heaven.
At the same time, he muttered in an attempt to defend himself:
"Our strategy is in line with the mainstream consumerism of modern Terra.
Even if there are no anomalies, this world is full of processed foods and large-scale advertising bombardments like ours... For example, the non-anomalous baby food crisis..."
Martin straightened his body slightly, as if trying to regain some dignity for Gaizhibao:
"And we are much better than them!
We posted disclaimers and warnings.
Although...it may be a little small and a little blurry, but it can't be said that there are no disclaimers at all, right?
At least we posted them! This is better than the capital on this land, right?"
Xia Xiu looked at Martin and shook his head helplessly.
"Who doesn't know how to be worse?"
His eyes passed through Martin, as if he was looking at the absurd and extreme corporate culture of the entire [Gaizhibao].
This organization is simply the embodiment of the shortcomings of Terra's consumerism, a typical example of "remembering punishment but not advice".
They pursue profit-making marketing strategies at the cost of the harm of over-processed foods, disguise abnormal products as food hygiene incidents through false information, and seem to take "destructive success" as their core concept-any behavior that can cause a huge sensation is regarded as a victory for the company.
This business philosophy makes [Building Castle] the biggest maker of food safety problems in the abnormal world.
Their influence is intricate, the identity of the founder remains a mystery, and the internal operating logic of the company is full of ironic commercial malice, as if its existence itself is an absurd experiment.
What's worse, intelligence shows that the organization may be related to unknown powerful forces in the abnormal field, making it impossible for the Kingdom of Heaven to completely eradicate its existence.
Xia Xiu's tone was calm, but with a majesty that could not be ignored, and he said to Martin:
"We just hope that you can control the production line and limit the spread.
Otherwise, this problem will one day exceed our containment capacity, and then the way we deal with your company will not be as gentle as it is now."
His words were like a cold bell, knocking in Martin's ears.
However, the following sentence made Martin's expression gradually change from nervousness to expectation.
"If you can control the production line and food safety..."
Xia Xiu continued.
His tone revealed a sense of decisiveness after weighing the pros and cons:
"The Kingdom of Heaven can release part of your company's frozen assets, and designate a part of the Ivy League War's Wanjie Open and Reform Experimental Zone Hub as a special area for your company's development."
Martin's eyes lit up instantly, his excitement was beyond words, he almost jumped up from his chair, and his tone couldn't help but rise:
"Really!? Even liposuction cola and doomsday milkshake are unblocked?"
Xia Xiu frowned slightly, but then regained his composure.
A correct version can be found in the 16-9 book forum!
His golden eyes stared at Martin, and his tone was neither hurried nor slow, with a hint of repressive calmness:
"As long as your production line is limited to the designated special area, and ensure that the products will not endanger the health of humans in the area, and will not flow into the world to impact Terra society.
At the same time, pay the taxes that should be paid and fulfill the responsibilities that should be fulfilled, I can guarantee that the Kingdom of Heaven will not interfere with your business activities and product promotion."
After hearing this, Martin instantly showed a big smile, and then clapped his hands and said:
"Great! As long as the Kingdom of Heaven can unblock the production line, we can discuss everything.
Don't worry, Gaizhibao will never be vague about small matters such as taxes."
The conversation with Martin Graz, the representative of [Gaizhibao], was the most fluent and relaxed one among Xia Xiu's exchanges with several abnormal capitals so far.
Although the first three abnormal capitals behaved decently on the surface, they had hidden thoughts in every conversation, and their words were full of temptation and obscurity, resulting in only a brief discussion of cooperation matters.
But [Gaizhibao] was completely different. Although their ideas are absurd and their behaviors are almost bottom-line-less, it is precisely because of this "straightforward" business philosophy that communication becomes relatively simple.
The two sides did not have too many roundabout attempts, and the intention of cooperation was also particularly clear.
Both sides showed a positive attitude towards the next cooperation, and a seemingly crazy but full of possibilities cooperation is about to begin.
Hanks, who was standing aside, was obviously satisfied with this smooth conversation.
His eyes flickered slightly, he lowered his head to adjust his cuffs, and then took a step forward at the right time, breaking the brief silence.
He nodded slightly to Xia Xiu and said in a decent tone:
"Abraham, please allow me to introduce you to the next participant."
After that, he led Xia Xiu to continue forward in the direction of the round table.
The two came to the seat of the fifth Abnormal Capital representative.
It was a slender woman with a cold temperament. She was wearing a dark green coat with a slightly erected collar, adding a bit of solemn temperament. Her hair was combed meticulously, and her eyes were as sharp as an eagle, but she didn't seem aggressive, but rather calm and confident from the inside out.
When Xia Xiu's footsteps approached, the woman immediately stood up, her movements were crisp and neat, without any dragging.
She stood straight, staring at the fourth sword-bearer of the Kingdom of Heaven in front of her, with a hint of inquiry in her calm eyes, but without any rudeness.
"Alex Reiss - representative of Valraven Company."
Her voice was cold and penetrating, just like her appearance.
"It's an honor to meet a big shot from the Kingdom of Heaven here."
[Abnormal Capital: Valraven Company——]
A black star among abnormal capital, its militarized organizational form and highly specialized behavior patterns make people both awe and uneasy.
Its name comes from the legend of "Valravn" in ancient mythology, a mysterious and dangerous crow-like creature who is often regarded as the embodiment of death and war.
They are also called ravens.
As its name suggests, the company embodies this meaning vividly.
They specialize in mercenary services, anomalous containment technology, and practical applications of anomalies, and are known for their superior capabilities in anomalous counterattacks.
[Walravin]'s activities are mainly concentrated in politically unstable areas, as well as places where the influence is not significant but has great profit potential.
Their core business includes suppressing anomalous rebel groups for corrupt governments, secret organizations, and power elites, ensuring that the privileged classes are protected from anomalous threats.
Especially when the curtain gradually thins and anomalies flow into the marginalized areas forgotten by the hegemony, [Varravin]'s services become the last barrier for many regimes and interest groups to defend their status.
In these areas, protecting ruthless rulers from their own evil deeds is indeed a very profitable business.
Raven's reputation is undoubtedly dark and controversial.
Most of the time, this business is a ruthless mercenary company that does dirty work for corrupt governments and secret organizations.
Whether they are suppressing rebellions, eliminating hostile anomalies, or destroying alien forces, they always walk on the border between justice and evil, often crossing the line and falling into the abyss of violence and barbarism.
However, they do not act out of pure malice. Valravin's atrocities were not for "evil", but for "business".
The coldness and cruelty they act are actually in service of their mission. For Valravin, atrocities are just part of the business, and "success" is its real priority.
This kind of professional cruelty makes people shudder, but it also shows their rationality to a certain extent.
——Principled cruelty; act based on money.
Therefore, although [Varraven] are known for being ruthless and savage, their methods of conduct are not static, and the degree of brutality is often directly affected by the nature of the mission and the wishes of their employer.
For example, when they are employed by some kind of benevolent entity, they can also behave restrained and even benevolent under the instructions of their employer.
Of course, this "kindness" does not come from sincerity, but is a specific clause attached to the contract.
More importantly, this kind of restraint requires - "add money."
For example, during an operation funded by a charitable organization, the Valraven Company strictly obeyed its employer's orders and used only non-lethal means to defuse an anomalous rebellion.
This case represents one of the few laudable "exceptions", but also clearly reveals their nature:
——It is not a moral choice, but a faithful implementation of the contract content and remuneration.