Chapter 510: Assigning Seats and Deciding Life and Death

"What?! A worthless ESG association is going to be the father of every company in the world, rating them one by one?"
French President Cameron, one of the leaders of Europe, felt his blood pressure monitor needle bursting the dial. Like a lion whose tail had been stepped on, he paced irritably in his office.
"Yes, Mr. President," his secretary said calmly.
"To put it simply, it's a private company trying to crown itself king, arbitrarily ranking and deciding the fate of companies worldwide according to its own whims."
This kind of thing isn't new.
There are countless shady rating agencies on the market, like the comment sections of a vegetable market. One day they'll give you a five-star review, the next day a terrible one and you're out.
But frankly, their ratings are utterly worthless; nobody pays any attention to them.
Why?
Because they're too low-level, too small-scale. What they say is like farting—it dissipates in the wind.
However, this time, the "ESG Association," personally crafted by Fanghuan Investment, is a truly ferocious beast!
This isn't just a gathering; it's establishing a new world order!
From the association's president to every single committee member, each and every one of them is a formidable figure whose every move can shake Wall Street.
When this group gets together and nods or shakes their heads at a company, it's not just an evaluation; it's a royal decree! A divine pronouncement!
Enough to unleash a massive wave in the capital markets, causing countless companies to vanish in an instant!
"Moreover, Mr. President, what's even more deadly is:
If Fanghuan Investment were to use its entire media matrix and social networks to launch a saturation bombardment of all the association's evaluation reports, pushing them to every corner of the world around the clock, without any blind spots,
this is a weapon on a completely different level compared to those small-scale evaluations."
That's the crux of the problem—media hegemony.
Fanghuan Investment's invisible hand has already gripped the throat of the global information flow.
That colossal, all-encompassing media network!
Imagine, if they dislike a company, first the association issues a negative review;
then they activate their media machine, 24/7, endlessly weaving negative news about that company into jokes, videos, and in-depth reports, playing them on a loop.
What a terrifying sight that would be!
So-called "brainwashing" is sometimes this simple, brutal, yet damnably effective!
It only requires repetition, over and over again, of the same lie.
At first, people might scoff, but when this voice surges in from all directions, drowning out all other dissenting opinions, the dam of doubt will eventually crumble.
Finally, the lie becomes unquestionable "common sense," accepted as truth by the ignorant masses!
“However, public opinion is still evenly split,” the secretary added.
“Some people think this association will create a massive upheaval and overturn everything;
others think it's all bark and no bite, and won't cause any real trouble.”
“Bullshit! That’s utter utter idiocy!” Kmalon slammed his hand on the table, making his coffee cup vibrate loudly.
“This is the Michelin Guide of the financial world!”
"They rate restaurants based on their own tastes and interests, arbitrarily assigning stars!
Tell me, if a restaurant has three Michelin stars, even if it costs more than gold, would you still obediently hand over your money while cursing?"
"...You're right."
"It's not just right, it's the truth!" Kmalon's eyes sharpened.
"Those fools don't think much of it now because they haven't shown their fangs yet!
But once Fang Huan Investment uses their unreasonable media power to create momentum, I bet:
Within a year, everyone—investors and consumers alike—won't look at government regulatory reports first when evaluating a company; they'll check its ESG rating first!"
He seemed to already see that terrifying future.
"At that time, the ESG Association will be the sole yardstick for judging a company's 'goodness'!
And Fang Huan Investment will be the sole judge!"
Anyone who displeases them can easily have their rating crushed.
Then, no matter how brilliant the technology or how top-notch the product, it will be instantly relegated to oblivion.
No investment, no customers, everything is zero!
Simply because they offended Fang Huan Investment, this plague god.
"Are we just going to stand by and watch these capitalist thugs do whatever they want with such disgusting and despicable methods?"
Kemaron's voice was filled with resentment.
The secretary remained silent; the air seemed to freeze.
In Kemaron's eyes, Fang Huan Investment's grand yet insidious blueprint was already clearly visible, sending chills down his spine.
"And this is just the first step! Using 'corporate evaluation' as a pretext, they're putting a leash on all companies!
The next step is to use these controlled companies to blackmail the nation and threaten the government!
This is a shocking conspiracy capable of shaking the entire world!"
We must not allow this cancerous tumor, the ESG Association, to grow unchecked!
Therefore, it must be stopped!
Nip it in the bud before it gains any real power!
Thinking this through, he made a resolute decision:
"Immediately convey Gaul's position clearly to the ESG Association!
At the same time, inform the EU, making them see the harm of this cancer!
This is no longer just a matter for our country alone; it's a major threat that requires the entire Western world to unite and strangle at the national level!"
"Yes! I'll get on it right away!"
"Wait," Cameron changed the subject, "How's the negotiation with those rioters in the streets going?"
"The situation has improved, Mr. President.
The scale of the demonstrations is much smaller than before, and our people have been negotiating with them, and the appeasement work has been quite effective."
President Cameron always harbored a glorious image of himself—a reformer who propelled Gaul towards greatness!
For this "great" image, he resolutely tackled the hot potato of "pensions," a field no one dared to touch.
This was an area that previous politicians had avoided like the plague, but he insisted on tackling it head-on.
As expected, this reform stirred up a huge hornet's nest, and the backlash was beyond imagination.
The protests nearly shook the skies of Paris, with countless citizens taking to the streets, plunging the city into chaos and even sparking bloodshed.
But he showed no sign of backing down.
He ignored the deafening cries of the protesters, remaining indifferent.
In his view, these were merely the inevitable growing pains of reform.
He firmly believed that time would heal all wounds.
As long as he remained firm enough, the passion and power of those disorganized mobs would eventually dissipate like the receding tide.
"I want to show those opposition figures that I, Camarón, will not be swayed by their childish incitement!"
A cold smile played on his lips.
"Besides, next year is the Paris Olympics.
Tell them to pass the bill as soon as possible, lest it tarnish the face of the Olympics.
Once the bill is passed, those demonstrators will be utterly desperate and will naturally go home obediently!"