Chapter 459: An Empty Shell

However, no one could stop Huang Fengwen.
There was no legal basis whatsoever.
He was entering the country legally, on a normal visit and meeting; how could you stop him?
Besides, those important figures themselves were canceling their schedules to meet him.
“Fanghuan Investment is like a financial behemoth that has broken free of all its shackles; it’s fearless now!
We must rein it in before it completely spirals out of control! Otherwise, the consequences will be dire!
Gentlemen, don’t you understand how influential Fanghuan Investment is?
If it sneezes, the entire Wall Street catches a bad cold!”
The speaker was Lena Kanter, the head of the Antitrust Bureau.
Her vigilance towards Fanghuan had reached its peak, and she was scanning her colleagues with her sharp, piercing gaze.
“Fang Huan acquiring FaceWeb is one thing, but we absolutely cannot stand idly by and ignore Asson!
We must use every means to force them to relinquish Asson, then break it up and dismantle it into eight pieces!”
“Lina, doing this will cause even greater side effects!” Commerce Secretary Henderson retorted,
“Look at the public opinion now!
The recent Hurricane Elliott displaced so many of our people, and it was Fang Huan Investment that generously donated a billion dollars to help our people through the crisis!
And what about our own big corporations? They all just stood by and watched!”
“Are you defending Fang Huan Investment, Mr. Secretary?” Lina’s tone turned icy.
"You and I both know they're not doing this out of any benevolent motives!"
"Benevolent motives? Lena, we're talking about a billion dollars in donations, not some empty moral certificate!"
Henderson retorted sharply,
"Tell me, which company in all of America has this kind of guts?
And they've even said that the billion dollars is just the beginning, and more will be added until more American citizens are out of trouble!"
"Those so-called donations are all paid for with their 'Fanghuan Coin,' you can't be unaware of that, can you, Secretary?
They're promoting their own digital currency on our soil, what's the difference between that and economic invasion?!"
"So what?! The important thing is that it can be exchanged for supplies, can buy bread and tents, can genuinely help the disaster victims, that's enough!
And we must face reality, the wave of the digital economy is unstoppable!"
"We can't stop it! The only way out is to guide it, to control it!"
Lina sneered, her gaze sharp:
"I heard, Minister, that you had a very pleasant conversation with that Huang Fengwen this time.
What? Have you decided to take sides so quickly?"
"Ahem… watch your words, Ms. Lina." Henderson's face darkened.
"Everything I've done is based on the highest principle of our country's interests.
And my primary task is to ensure that the United States is not dragged down by short-sighted conservatives in the digital age!
On this point, we need the cooperation of Fanghuan Investment! To provide proper guidance and supervision!"
"Guide what? The right choice is to crush them outright!"
"Nonsense!" Henderson retorted.
"What if Fanghuan Investment becomes enraged and completely decentralizes into anarchy?
The infrastructure, semiconductor technology, algorithms, global resources they control…
If these things were to escape any regulation, it would be a fatal blow to us!
I'm not one of you politicians who only thinks about winning votes; I'm considering the national security and future of our country!"
"I agree with the minister's view," another official echoed.
"What?! Are you all crazy?!" Lina couldn't believe her ears.
The Minister of Commerce wasn't the only one speaking up for Fanghuan.
Most of those present actually believed that winning over Fanghuan was wiser than attacking them!
These idiots! Can't they see? Fanghuan Investment is gradually devouring the financial sovereignty of the United States!
The real enemy has already infiltrated the heart of the United States!
“Mr. Aiden!” Desperate, Eileen could only place her last hope on the man at the head of the conference table.
“Please say something! You must have noticed how abnormal the situation is!”
President Aiden was notoriously stubborn; once he made up his mind, nothing could sway him.
Lina believed that if he intervened, he could set things right and bring these people, blinded by Fang Huan's investment, to their senses!
“…”
However, Aiden didn't react.
He simply sat there quietly, his eyes vacant, his pupils a blur, as if his soul had been ripped away, leaving only an empty shell.
Lina's heart sank.
She had heard that the president's most trusted secretary had recently resigned suddenly, a great blow to him.
But surely not… to the point of being so distracted at such an important meeting?
“Mr. Aiden…?”
“Ah.”
Aden blinked blankly, as if startled awake.
“Lina.”
“Yes, Mr. Aiden.”
“Um…we…”
Everyone, including Lina, pricked up their ears, awaiting the final decision of the supreme leader.
“Dinner…have you had it?”
“Huh?”
The entire conference room fell into a deathly silence.
Every single high-ranking official in the room was stunned, their minds collectively blank, unsure how to react.
“Mr.…Mr. Aiden,” an official stammered,
“We…didn’t we eat together before the meeting started?”
“Oh? Is that so? We ate?”
“Yes…If you’re hungry, I’ll have my secretary bring you something to eat right away?”
“…”
Lina stared intently into Aiden’s eyes.
Those eyes were unfocused, devoid of light, only a bottomless void of confusion.
"Ah, right, I've already eaten." Aiden seemed to only then remember, chuckling dryly. "Look at my memory, haha."
With that, he stood up unsteadily.
"That's enough for today. I'm a little tired and need to go back and rest."
"What? But, Mr. Aiden! This matter must be addressed immediately..."
"Next time, next time, Lina."
Before he finished speaking, Aiden turned and walked straight out of the conference room.
Leaving the room full of people staring at each other, their faces filled with shock and astonishment.
No one spoke, but everyone understood each other's thoughts through their eyes.
A shared, chilling thought simultaneously arose in everyone's mind!
Aiden, he's in deep trouble!