Chapter 909 - 188 ... Sacrifice the self?

When the Golden Son suddenly falls in love with some activity and wants to have fun, in the coming week, the entire European market and even the world market will undergo great changes.

This banquet certainly wasn’t organized by any Cyberpsychosis Special Rectification Committee, Matt just happened to have some interaction with the committee to discuss future endorsement cooperation.

But the real heavyweight endorsement is here.

Graham showed a joyful smile, clapping with his colleagues beside him, and said:

"The IEC will become the new partner of the European Space Agency, restarting outer space resource development. Think about it, this planet has incubated life for 3.8 billion years.

It’s time for the baby to rush out of this planet and embrace an infinite future.

You know Night City, a city forged by slaughter, lies, and desire, forever torn by division, infighting, and strife, to this day remains a mess—

To some extent, this is just like the world, where humans always consume power in civil wars, hindering our step towards a greater mission.

This is the mission of the new era of the European Union, the scars of the Internet Collapse have healed, it’s time to continue developing outer space."

The IEC was once one of the most important companies in the European Union.

This company dabbled in almost all fields: consumer goods, defense industry, heavy industry, military industry, durable goods, raw materials, computers, media, holding shares and businesses in these fields.

In the early 21st century, this company had no opponents because its business was too broad and scattered; taking its military products line for example, the company’s export volume of military supplies was second only to Military Technology, though Military Technology often sold finished products like hovering tanks and warplanes, while IEC might sell engines.

At the same time, this company was also the supplier of nuclear fission energy to the vast majority of the world, for instance, the downed hovering liner in Dog Town used a fission reactor built upon IEC’s technology. They even achieved considerable success in Controlled Nuclear Fusion. Moreover, as a major supplier of spacecraft and artificial satellites to organizations like the European Space Agency and Orbital Aviation, people once believed that IEC would bring humans into outer space.

However, all of this was abruptly halted by the Internet Collapse and the Fourth Corporate War.

The global impact of the Internet Collapse was so significant that it heavily damaged all of IEC’s businesses, and during the Fourth Corporate War, IEC capitalized on the benefits due to the particularity of its businesses and the gains from both warring parties:

During the war, Military Technology and Arasaka, in an attempt to build their own forces and armaments, might simultaneously order engines or other technologies from IEC.

This profiteering made both companies very dissatisfied in the war’s final stages and they tacitly launched destructive attacks on IEC’s overseas assets under the pretense of "combat".

Finally—

This company was dismembered within the European Union due to racism.

Until today, or rather until two years ago, when IEC began to reappear on the world stage, they sent a small team of mercenaries to Night City for a probe, but the outcome was dire. Two years later, the Europeans suddenly decided to take IEC off the stage.

"...The reason is related to your actions: we have reviewed the Worker’s Union’s work efficiency evaluation, and the yield rate in high-precision component processing has improved astonishingly.

I think maybe it really is God blessing them, blessing this movement to defend their own rights. The European Community Executive Committee has determined that after promoting the Worker’s Union throughout Europe, our production capacity will be sufficient to support expanding into outer space again."

Exploring outer space, the greatest dream of humanity since entering the industrial age.

Elliot is quite taken by this idea, and in fact, not just him; considering the daily discussions among people in the workers’ forums in Lille, the workers also absolutely love this idea—

They enjoy it when they’re full and lying at home resting; at other times they’re busy criticizing the company and Cyberpsychosis.

Now Lille understands what this thought instructor is really here to guide:

Whatever the workers like, they bind policies with what the workers like to strengthen this influence and assist them in steering the course of the European Union.

Elliot originally wanted to ask what this had to do with them, but before habitually asking questions, he glanced at Sevens—

His companion’s expression hadn’t changed in the slightest, but Elliot knew that even this cold-faced handsome little guy had small details...

The current stoic face of Sevens was definitely because he was unhappy.

Thus, he quietly shut his mouth, noticing that although Graham appeared kind on the surface, he was in fact indifferent, while Sevens appeared cold and professional but was actually a good buddy; he decided to ask later.

Graham took a breath, paused slightly, and looked seriously at these two "executive members":

"Listen, Elliot, Sevens, both of you are great people, and so are the workers of the European Union.

Now all companies across the European Union are undergoing reforms. With the political donations from the corporations for you, as well as... other investors will provide your activity funds in the future, you can make the improvements to workers’ benefits you want, just as you have always done.

Once the workers get what they want, the European Union needs their enthusiasm to be invested in the aviation sector.

In the future, IEC will have deep cooperation with you, this matter has to be under control, do you understand my point?"

Sevens immediately responded, "Matt will simultaneously sign endorsement agreements with IEC and us, and we can also send that cute whale to the IEC factory for a few mobilization and promotional activities...

Meanwhile, we can discreetly investigate this incident to find out who is... threatening IEC and the European Union."

Graham showed a satisfied smile, "Exactly, that’s right, think about it, the company has already given in, there’s no need for more bloodshed and confrontation.

A unified alliance, a stable order, that’s the key to stepping into tomorrow, we are not Night City."

Everything Elliot heard seemed fine, except for that phrase: we are not Night City.

This city indeed has some damned magic power, even someone like him who is outside Night City, joking about Night City’s gunfights every day, still feels an inexplicable aversion towards those who disparage this city.

Elliot impulsively asked, "...What if there really is Cyberpsychosis? If..."

Sevens interrupted immediately, his face icy cold, "There’s no if—why would there be Cyberpsychosis with such good living conditions? Why does one have to go to Night City and get shot on the street to be happy?

There is no Cyberpsychosis in the IEC factory, only terrorists."

Although his companion spoke decisively and assertively, Elliot had an illusion:

When Sevens said this, there was an inexplicable flame in his heart.

Sevens is always smarter than him, always knows better what these big figures want, always more decisive and resolute than him, but it seems that his internal conflicts do not lose to his own.

Sevens turned his head, staring closely at Elliot:

"We will find out who is behind this."

Seeing Sevens being so astute, Graham became even more satisfied, his wine glass slightly swaying as he slightly nodded, his eyes full of appreciation:

"To forge greatness, sacrifice is necessary, this is collectivism: sacrificing the small self to achieve the greater self."