Industry: Cthulhu

Chapter 74 Decision
Inner ring.

Through the Star Network, the chiefs of staff of the Naga Republic and the Pontiac United States once again held a secret meeting.

The light screen is densely covered with various data, and all data streams point to the same place, the Earth at the edge of the distant Milky Way.

The galaxy's scientific research elites spontaneously gathered and continuously flocked towards the Earth. This spectacular scene far exceeded the expectations of all politicians.

Andre tapped his fingers lightly on the table, his eyes gloomy, and he slowly said: "Elia, I think we may have underestimated these people."

Elia did not answer immediately, but stared sharply at the constantly updated information on the screen, feeling depressed, angry and helpless.

Transport ships, components, and technicians from all over the galaxy, as if driven by some invisible force, headed towards Earth without hesitation.

They are not motivated by profit, nor do they have any political intentions or ambitions. How can they summon such a powerful driving force simply by relying on their belief and loyalty to science?
Elia's voice was low and hoarse, as if revealing a deep fear and vigilance. "You and I both know that faith is more difficult to deal with than any military force or economic means. Once it is aroused, it is likely to become a torrent that no one can stop."

Andre didn't say anything, because he was not unfamiliar with this feeling.

Twenty years ago, the group of scholars involved in the AI incident were equally stubborn and resolute. All the threats, inducements, pressure and blockades failed to make them back down. The authorities even tried to threaten their families and relatives.

Because in the eyes of the authorities, relatives are not only blood relatives, but also everyone's weak points and can be exploited.

However, this tried-and-true method mostly fails when it comes to scientists and engineers.

Andre pondered for a moment, his gaze casting into space. "I thought the AI incident had long since become history, after so many years. However, it seems we may have made a huge mistake."

"We can use tough measures, but we simply don't have the ability to eradicate their faith."

After hearing this, Elia clenched his fists involuntarily, and many memories flooded into his mind.

Back then, only a small number of scholars initially questioned the policy. They believed that the development of the Galaxy had reached a bottleneck and that humans would not be able to make any substantial progress without breaking through the limitations of artificial intelligence.

As time went on, more and more top scholars joined the protest, forming a huge academic alliance. The twelve most prestigious scientists stood at the forefront. Their names were like a series of the brightest stars, and any one of them was enough to shock the entire scientific research community.

They put forward a bold proposal to relax the control over advanced artificial intelligence and make intelligent brains the new engine of the galaxy's economy and productivity.

The intelligent brain will surpass all conventional computing systems and optimize the allocation of all social resources, thus leading the galaxy towards unprecedented prosperity.

This idea caused an uproar in the political arena. Although no one knows the reason, for the giants, artificial intelligence is a bottom line that no one can touch, even the most famous scientists.

As a result, the political circles adopted the most direct and cruel means, including pressure, blockade, withdrawal of funding, and threats to scholars' families.

However, the challengers did not succumb to reality. They always insisted on their own opinions, refused to compromise, and even openly challenged the authority of the giants.

Finally, the giants could no longer tolerate it and decided to use the most extreme measures. In the name of galactic security, they declared those scholars to be traitors to the Alliance, and completely blocked their research on the charge of disrupting the galactic order.

Just as the confrontation was becoming more and more intense, things suddenly took a dramatic turn.

Overnight, the scholars disappeared without a trace.

There were a total of 6,538 of them, each of them a top expert in their field, possessing extraordinary knowledge and skills. The giants mobilized all their intelligence resources to try to find their traces, but ultimately found nothing.

"Do you think Fang Yan has any connection with those people from twenty years ago?" Elia broke the silence and stared at Andre.

"I'm not sure." Andre shook his head. "But I know that Fang Yan's rise has been too rapid. There must be some invisible force behind it. His philosophy, his skills, and his strong fighting spirit are simply not something an ordinary person can achieve."

"Perhaps the question we should ask now is whether those vanished scholars truly left the galaxy, or whether they have been watching all this from the shadows, waiting for the right moment to return."

The two looked at each other, as if realizing some deeper problem.

Now it is not just Fang Yan who is rising, but a force that has been suppressed for twenty years is quietly awakening.

……

It was late at night, and Fang Yan was sitting alone in the office. The holographic display screen was flashing various data and charts. It was a summary of the latest situation of the company's supply chain. As of now, the crisis has not been resolved, but it has been greatly alleviated.

Fang Yan's heart was filled with gratitude and shock. He closed his eyes, and the scenes of tired but determined faces and countless robotic arms running at high speed from the transport ship to the warehouse replayed in his mind over and over again.

Without asking for anything in return and without any additional conditions, everyone's trust was like a heavy mountain pressing on Fang Yan's shoulders, making him want to do something immediately.

"Mr. Lu Xun once said that the most important thing in life is not to be confused. We must understand who our friends are and who our enemies are." Fang Yan muttered to himself.

At this point, the answer is self-evident.

In the process of understanding who is a friend and who is an enemy, Fang Yan also realized the cruel reality.

Politicians are always cold-blooded and cruel. No matter whether it is the Pontiac United States, the Naga Republic, or the Lengyinshan Empire, they all have powerful strength, but they choose to stand by and watch at the critical moment.

The giants once vowed cooperation, reciprocity and commitment, but when the real crisis came, they just stood by and watched, waiting for Fang Yan to fall into the abyss so that the giants could devour the Blue Light Technology they had long coveted.

This huge contrast gave Fang Yan an epiphany.

He took a deep breath, and when he opened his eyes again, his gaze became sharper, and he decided to take his destiny firmly into his own hands.

It is true that the supporting system of large-scale industry is extremely complex. It is not easy for any giant to maintain comprehensive industrial supporting systems, let alone the small earth.

This time, thanks to the support of engineers and scientists, I might be able to make it through, but what about next time? And the next time?
Fang Yan gritted his teeth. Relying on an external supply chain was an extremely dangerous choice. No matter what, he could not hand over the fate of Blue Light Technology to others.

This crisis is enough to prove that any promise is unreliable. Only when all key industries are firmly in its own hands can Blu-ray Technology truly be fearless of wind and rain.

The entire industry chain will be a huge project that requires a lot of manpower, resources and time.

But this time, Fang Yan decided not to hesitate any longer. For the future of Blue Light Technology and for those lovely people who have scientific beliefs, he had to do this.

Thinking of this, Fang Yan called Li Muyun.

(End of this chapter)