Cyber Era Witch -
Chapter 697 - 583 Sweet Taste
Chapter 697: Chapter 583 Sweet Taste
The news was filled with negative messages, "economic crisis" was the term mentioned most frequently.
As part of strategies aimed at cutting staff to increase efficiency, even television media had widely dismissed human employees, replacing them with synthetic human broadcasters.
To facilitate audience acceptance, they were all dressed beautifully and alluringly, with sweet tones, making each news broadcast seem like an audio performance, giving listeners’ ears a perfect massage.
"...The disastrous crisis has swept across the globe. The Taixi Community recently published a monthly report, indicating that since the beginning of this year, an average of 45% of employees have been laid off by 17,500 companies in Taixi State, leading to an unprecedented wave of unemployment. Even though economists point out that this will lead to increased turmoil and is not beneficial to the crisis improvement, companies keep issuing reassuring announcements while ruthlessly downsizing their departments. It’s like cutting off their limbs to save themselves; many underperforming businesses have been split up and packaged for sale, but even when put on the market, they attract no interest. With the mass increase in unemployed people, from Esbania, Italia to Nordland, Ukrania, cities have plunged into chaos unseen before, with transportation at a standstill and factories halting production..."
The synthetic human revealed the grim reality of the economic crisis in the most beautiful voice.
Rinne also saw fast-moving floating news banners below, predicting that this year’s population growth rate would reach -5%. Following this trend, the population would rapidly decline from 10 billion. In the next decade, the world might lose 100 million people every year...
"Now everyone knows about the economic crisis," Rinne felt a faint sense of crisis.
In other parts of the world, companies are laying off people in droves, facing the biggest troubles of their lives.
"When the word ’economic crisis’ hits the news, it means it has been trending for at least a year." Xu Yang’s gaze lingered on the menu.
"So shortsighted," Rinne murmured, "And there’s no way to avoid it! It’s terrifying to think that if you have money in the stock market and funds, you’re stuck, only able to watch as you lose money. And if you’re cautious, keeping all your money in the bank, what happens if the bank runs into trouble? All the money you’ve earned in your lifetime is gone! You can only keep it in cash cards, but then you’re afraid of theft and robbery."
"It’s most unfortunate to deposit in small and medium banks because if the bank goes under, money cannot be withdrawn. Fearing this, people rush to withdraw money, and as a result, banks that otherwise would not have collapsed end up failing due to the run on their reserves," Xu Yang nodded.
The crisis had reached a point where everyone could sense it.
People were too young to have experienced the full cycle of growth, recession, and crisis in their lifetimes, and now the entire world was facing an irretrievable Great Depression, which for the vast majority spelled disaster.
"Those prophecies in the magazines are all true," Rinne thoughtfully said.
"The bubble is too big, just like the property prices in the Northern Archipelago. When the growth rate of house prices outpaces that of income, it means there is a bubble. People act as if they do not see it, and now it can only be resolved by a hard landing," Xu Yang agreed.
Xu Yang understood that the moment when asset values collapsed had arrived. When the economy was on the upswing, investors were willing to take on risks, but now... Looking at the big picture, the entire world was devoid of a normal economic growth point. All the glimmering fantasies of yesterday have turned into today’s depressing reality. Factories went bankrupt, banks suffered runs, and people became unemployed.
Fortunately, due to a series of wealth redistribution programs implemented by the Nestor Corporation, the Northern Archipelago faced the least impact. They provided ample social support, shifted focus to practical production capacity, and did not have to worry about the bubble bursting. Everything about Nestor Corporation was very real.
As Xu Yang ticked off items on the menu, circling foods that Little Farosa wanted, he pondered a series of complex plans. A depression could last for 3 years, or it could extend to 30 years.
With the imminent bitter cold of winter, this crisis could be described as a cataclysm.
However, Xu Yang had a longer-term vision. He knew that such a great collapse would lead to more people becoming disillusioned with companies, and the companies themselves would be weakened.
But this was also the best moment for asset liquidation, market, and financial rebalance.
In times of depression, all negative assets and vulnerable companies would crumble. The global economic crisis brought about a terrifying mechanism of market elimination, but the giant corporations and large companies that survived the disaster? Their strength and assets were formidable.
After an economic slump, there would surely come another golden age. By then, companies would be stronger, more sophisticated, and efficient than at this very moment.
The Nestor Corporation also had to continue its rapid development. If a large-scale comprehensive war were to occur in the future, they needed to be fully prepared.
Rinne watched the news broadcast intently, noting another impact of the crisis. The economic downturn weakened corporate control, and as corporate control declined, the tide of mysticism rose.
She looked at the live images in the news, where the camera switched to show other shocking events. Under drone surveillance, a vast crowd was roaring together, wreaking havoc, killing on sight, and leaving a small town drenched in blood with bodies scattered everywhere.
The entire video was processed, completely muted, and the specifics of the combat scenes were pixelated.
According to reports, this was due to an epidemic called "war fever" spreading through the Taixi Continent. This disease was transmitted through audiovisual media, spreading through images, text, and frenzied calls, affecting people’s hearts.
Those infected were bloodthirsty and belligerent, screaming the name of the "Aslimos," the god of invincibility in battle, and picking up the closest weapons to attack the unarmed. Bloodshed was becoming commonplace in rural areas. No one expected their ordinarily kind and decent neighbors to turn into merciless killers overnight.
Corporate security forces could only detect large groups of people infected with war fever spontaneously banding together, heading to the central mountain regions of Italia as if to build or restore a sanctuary. But they were powerless to control the situation, and they refused to handle it, as the company had long delayed paying their wages.
Rinne, mindful of the presence of children like Little Farosa, gestured with her eyes, and the waiter promptly switched the channel to a music section. A classical music concert was taking place 50 miles away at the Shangjing Grand Art Museum, but whenever the camera panned to the audience seats, they were always eerily empty.
"Is mysticism terrifying?" Xu Yang teased Little Farosa.
"I’m not afraid. If They come, I’ll eat Them. My appetite is still growing. I’ve eaten once, and I will want more in the future," Little Farosa said, sitting on a chair and kicking her legs playfully.
Farosa, who devoured gods, was already beginning to cultivate her taste, preparing to gorge herself with pleasure. Different demigods and Mystics had their distinct flavors, some fragrant and rich, some thick and sweet.
Rinne thought this was just Little Farosa’s obscure way of expressing her hunger, so she went ahead and ordered a meal. With an online order placed, it didn’t take long for the chef in the open kitchen area to start cooking their food, dressing up the table with their desired dishes.
Rinne was still acclimating to the island cuisine; she was not used to eating food raw, so she ordered mostly fried chicken, shrimp, pork chops, and potatoes, which suited her palate from the West Coast of New Taixi State.
Little Farosa ate her meal very elegantly with a spoon. She had rarely eaten rice in her life; to her, the grains were like some kind of soft beans dancing on the tip of her tongue. Her stomach was meant for seafood, meat, and all sorts of Mystics.
This craving spread from Little Farosa back to her original form, which is to say, the Witch Goddess also quivered, yearning in her slumber for this gluttonous ecstasy.
Her condition was stronger than at any time before, as Farosa had been negligent in her practice, appearing vulnerable. She took advantage of this prolonged sleep to bring herself closer to perfection, mending all her Power and knowledge to date, integrating and restructuring all her Power to form the most revered Witch Goddess.
This evolution had reached such a state that now, when the Witch Goddess’s heart trembled, almost all the witches within the Northern Archipelago felt a faint "shudder" in their hearts, captivated by the illusion.
Even Rinne, who had been highly modified, saw a fleeting vision before her.
"What’s wrong?" Xu Yang saw Rinne’s entranced expression.
"I saw my... moment of glory? I saw myself commanding the Helis Sea, I... I don’t know how I saw it, although infusing consciousness into data is an abstract concept, I can still feel the enchanting beauty contained within that image," Rinne pressed her forehead, unable to suppress a slight smile.
Stimulated by this uplifting vision, Rinne spent the mealtime searching for information about Digital Mind.
Xu Yang, on the other hand, fed Little Farosa, who seemed to never get full no matter how much she ate. The plates piled high in front of her, and the restaurant staff were all smiles, glad that a customer was finally helping to clear the stockpile—a welcome recovery of the losses from the days they were closed.
By the time they had finished all the steak, chicken, and vegetables, Rinne had found a clue on the deep anonymous network.
"Jialong Slope—" Rinne looked up, her excitement hard to contain, "There’s someone selling a Digital Mind on the black market at Jialong Slope."
"How much?" asked Xu Yang, curious, "It could be a scam; it’s rare for such a thing to fall out of the company’s hands."
"66 million... I want to try."
"It doesn’t feel unaffordable, and if it is Digital Mind... someone on the black market might be able to obtain it. After all, some tech companies might sell it for cash during financial turmoil," Xu Yang mused.
"I could try to steal it back," Rinne’s mind was entirely fixated on the Digital Mind.
She disliked being in debt, having only just managed to clear all her financial and social debts from the last mission. If she racked up another 66 million or more for the Digital Mind, Rinne felt it might take her a hundred years to repay.
"By yourself?"
"I’m thinking... of asking the Disciple Squad for support," Rinne suggested.
"Of course, Jialong Slope has become a must-visit location," Xu Yang said with caution, "Our vanguard has already arrived there."
After arriving at Jialong Slope, Du Qianqian had sent back only bits and pieces of information; Jialong Slope had become a battleground.
The financial crisis hit Jialong Slope, a city reliant on finance, like a disaster from the heavens.
The city was on the brink of operational collapse, with massive debts causing the security forces to shirk their duties. Many gangs were rising to take advantage of the situation, each vying for the title of king of Jialong Slope.
It was crucial to patch up vulnerabilities and solve problems. If we were lucky and fortunate enough, we might even be able to hold the Southern jewel of Jialong Slope in our hands, Xu Yang thought.
A40 and Huang Feng together couldn’t make up a complete brain, but there was still hope in the best-case scenario; in the worst case, we might have to collect their bodies.
Burying their remains together would, perhaps, settle the dust of their lives.
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