Industry: Cthulhu

Chapter 40 Crisis
At the invitation of Aunt Fanny, Fang Yan and Aliat sat around the round table.

The table was filled with exquisite tea sets and snacks, the breeze was blowing gently, and the scenery by the lake looked peaceful and elegant.

The four of them exchanged a few pleasantries, and Aliat turned around and looked around and asked, "Where's Rashid? Why isn't my old friend here?"

Isabella smiled helplessly. "Ever since we returned to the family estate, Teacher Rashid has barely had a break, constantly dealing with family affairs. There are rumors circulating within the clan that the elders are discussing whether to continue letting me manage the businesses in the fringe star region. Teacher is both furious and helpless about these rumors."

Hearing this, Fang Yan couldn't help but frown.

Aunt Fanny also sighed, her voice low and tinged with fatigue. "Actually, this isn't just a rumor. The Family Management Committee has indeed received complaints from members. The Jilong Group's marginal star region branch has been operating poorly over the past two years, and they're requesting a new manager."

"It's well known that the fringe star regions have never been an ideal place to do business. There, resources are scarce, the environment is chaotic, interstellar trade routes are unstable, and black markets and smuggling are rampant."

"Even if it wasn't Isabella, anyone in the family who took over the business in the marginal star region wouldn't be able to achieve very good results. After all, that area is too remote and too barren. Without sufficient resource support, no one can achieve success there."

"In the past, even when the fringe star regions were turbulent, at least the turnover could remain stable."

"But the galaxy-wide incident involving the intelligent computer twenty years ago fundamentally shook the Alliance's foundation. Engineers and scientists no longer trusted the Alliance. Not only did a large number of top scholars retire to the galaxy, but even upright, middle-aged scholars like Rashid withdrew from academia to become Isabella's teacher and personal advisor."

"Having Mr. Rashid join us is certainly a blessing for Isabella and the entire Jilong family, but it is a huge loss for the Alliance and the academic community in the galaxy."

At this point, Aunt Fanny looked at Aliat, who had remained silent. "Mr. Aliat, as far as I know, you have also left academia and turned to running an intellectual community called Space Dynamics."

Ariat smiled wryly and nodded. "You're right. The impact of the AI incident wasn't just a mass exodus of scientists and engineers. It was a complete split between academia and politics. They no longer trusted each other, and were even wary of each other."

"From the perspective of galactic history, the demise of all powerful forces, without exception, began with internal conflict. The current Alliance faces three major conflicts. First, there's the conflict between the four major powers, then there's the conflict between the power structures and the academic community. Finally, due to the severe internal friction, the Alliance's control over its members, especially the Marginal and Dark regions, is rapidly weakening."

"I remember when I was a kid, I only knew that the fringe and gray regions were barren and backward, but I never heard of the countless pirates and rebels there. All of this was caused by the Alliance's weakening control over the outer reaches of the galaxy."

"From this point of view, you are absolutely right. Times have changed. Miss Isabella has a brilliant teacher like Rashid as her assistant, but she still can't improve the performance of the marginal star region. If someone else were to replace her, I'm afraid the situation would be even worse."

"To be honest, I think the difficulties Miss Isabella is facing now are not performance issues, but problems within the Jilong family."

Aunt Fanny showed resistance at first, and seemed unwilling to talk about the power struggle within her family to outsiders, but suddenly she coughed violently, her voice was heartbreaking, as if she was very ill, to the point of being terminally ill.

Aunt Fanny breathed heavily, drank two sips of hot water handed to her by Isabella, and her mood became a little sad.

"If only I were ten years younger," Aunt Fanny said calmly, "no one would dare to take advantage of Isabella. If anyone, even my brothers and sisters, dared to do so, I would tear them to pieces without mercy." "But I am too old now, a useless old woman."

Aunt Fanny's eyes gradually turned red. She caressed Isabella's hair and said, "I have nothing in this world to cling to. The only thing I can't let go of is this little niece. She is still so young, and her parents left her so early. If one day I am gone too, what will happen to little Beibei?"

"Aunt, you will definitely recover." Isabella sobbed and buried her cheek deeply in Aunt Fanny's arms.

……

After returning to the hotel room, Fang Yan felt a little tired, so he took a shower and lay down on the bed.

But despite being physically exhausted, Fang Yan's thoughts surged in his mind like a tide, and scenes that happened during the day kept emerging in his mind, Isabella's helpless smile, Aunt Fanny's disappointment in the family, and the subtly tense atmosphere in the manor, all foreshadowing an impending storm.

Ariat told Fang Yan about the heroic deeds of Aunt Fanny when she was young. This woman who once held the top position in the Jilong family now sat in a suspended wheelchair. She was old and could no longer protect Isabella from the wind and rain as she did in the past.

Fang Yan knew very well that if Aunt Fanny was gone, Isabella's situation would only become more difficult.

"Can she hold on?" Fang Yan thought.

He was worried about Isabella and wanted to do something to help her relieve a little bit of stress, even if it was just a little bit.

But in front of a behemoth like the Jilong family, he is just an ordinary person with no background and no power. What can he do?

Fang Yan tossed and turned in bed, his mind in turmoil.

Just when he was at a loss, an idea suddenly came to his mind and he thought of a way that might be able to help Isabella.

Fang Yan suddenly sat up from the bed, details and possibilities running rapidly in his mind.

Although the outcome is completely unknown, this may be his only chance.

Thinking of this, Fang Yan dialed a phone number.

"Mrs. Fanny, I'm sorry to call you so late." Fang Yan said to the old man who appeared in the video.

(End of this chapter)